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Column: Chicago Blackhawks’ race to the bottom of the standings — and the best odds for the No. 1 pick — is shaping up to be a nailbiter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:44 GMT

The fan bases of the Chicago Bears and Blackhawks are in different places right now.Bears fans: jubilation.Hawks fans: trepidation.Bears fans are celebrating the team’s trade haul — two first-round draft picks, two second-rounders and former Carolina Panthers receiver D.J. Moore — in exchange for the NFL’s No. 1 draft pick.Hawks fans are sweating out each win or close loss, knowing that the NHL’s No. 1 pick — and consensus favorite Connor Bedard — isn’t secure. Far from it.The Hawks have stiff competition for the best lottery odds for the top spot with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have had the league’s worst record since Feb. 23. But others have recently entered the mix. The San Jose Sharks replaced the Hawks as the league’s second-worst team, and now the Anaheim Ducks are nipping at the Hawks’ heels.Before the season, it was a foregone conclusion the Hawks and Arizona Coyotes would battle it out for the bottom of t...

Cactus League report: Jake Burger is cooking for White Sox — and what motivated Nick Burdi to attempt a comeback with Cubs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:44 GMT

The White Sox and Cubs were off Monday. At Sox camp, manager Pedro Grifol encouraged everyone to take full advantage of the breather.“Days off are days off,” Grifol said Sunday. “This will be the last one before the one in Houston (the day before the March 30 season opener).”The Cubs come off the break with back-to-back night games against the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds.Chicago Tribune baseball writers LaMond Pope and Meghan Montemurro will be providing Cubs and White Sox updates throughout spring training.Jake Burger’s power display had added meaningSaturday was memorable in more than one way for Sox infielder Jake Burger.“It was Brooks’ first game,” Burger said Sunday, referring to his son born in November. “It was the first one he was at and I guess brought me some extra strength.”Burger homered twice in the 6-5 loss to the San Diego Padres at Peoria Stadium. He hit a two-run homer in the fourth and added a sol...

Billy Williams wants to be a resource for Chicago Cubs players — and it’s all thanks to Buck O’Neil’s influence 60 years ago

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:44 GMT

Billy Williams found an empty table adjacent to the agility field at the Chicago Cubs spring training complex and grabbed a seat.For the past week, the Baseball Hall of Famer was a staple at Cubs camp. He addressed the team March 6 after being introduced by manager David Ross, who rattled off Williams’ impressive career feats.And each morning, Williams sat in the patio area near the door to the clubhouse, watching as players gathered to stretch and go through their warmup routines before making his way to the main practice field. Most days, someone would stop on his way to say hello and chat with Williams.That engagement was fueled by Williams’ decision to make himself noticeably available to players during workouts. His desire to be a resource stems from when he was in his early 20s and trying to establish his big-league career. Back then, when old-timers games were played, Williams made sure he was never in the clubhouse, preferring to mingle with the former ballplayer...

Multiday winter storm bringing heavy, wet snow to Northeast

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:44 GMT

The start of a winter storm with heavy, wet snow led to hundreds of school closings, canceled flights and some power outages in parts of the Northeast on Tuesday.The storm’s path included parts of New England, upstate New York, northeastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey. Snow totals by the time it winds up Wednesday were expected to range from a few inches to a few feet, depending on the area.“This is shaping up to be a unique winter storm for our small state in that there will be big differences in snowfall amounts depending on where you are located,” said Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, who ordered all executive branch state office buildings closed. “Some towns may receive a significant snowfall total, while others may receive a fraction of that amount or maybe even just rain.”The airport in Albany, New York, which began clearing snow on Monday night, was open, but canceled 16 morning departures early Tuesday. Bradley International Airport in Connecticut also was open an...

European markets mixed, Asian shares fall amid bank worries

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:44 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — European markets were mixed Tuesday after a broad retreat in Asia as investors watched to see what’s next following the second- and third-largest bank failures in U.S. history. Bank shares in Europe steadied, showing only modest losses. The STOXX Banks index comprising 21 leading European lenders dipped 0.8%, following steep plunges Monday that had some banks down more than 10% in intraday trading. Bank shares stabilized following statements late Monday by the head of the group of finance ministers for the 20-country eurozone, Paschal Donohoe, that Europe had “no direct exposure” to Silicon Valley Bank in the U.S. While risks outside the U.S. appear limited, the collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank have shaken confidence in the industry at a time when the Federal Reserve and other central banks are struggling to fine-tune policies to crush stubborn inflation without snuffing out post-pandemic economic recoveries. Worries over a possible sprea...

Armenian PM critical of Moscow-dominated security pact

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:44 GMT

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia’s prime minister on Tuesday accused the Moscow-dominated security alliance of leaving his country in the cold in the face of a threat of renewed hostilities with neighboring Azerbaijan.Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has been repeatedly critical of what he described as the failure of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, or CSTO, to protect member Armenia amid a standoff with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.Pashinyan said at a news conference that it wasn’t Armenia that is pulling out of the CSTO, but, on the contrary, “the CSTO is pulling out of Armenia, whether it wishes so or not.” “We are concerned about that,” Pashinyan said.He emphasized that “the threat of escalation along Armenia’s border and in Nagorno-Karabakh is very high now,” noting “increasingly aggressive rhetoric from Azerbaijan.” Tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan soared in December when Azerbaijani protesters claiming to be environmental activists ...

Swedish leader: Finland likely to join NATO before Sweden

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:44 GMT

HELSINKI (AP) — Sweden’s prime minister acknowledged Tuesday that it is likely that neighbor Finland will join NATO before his country does, due to Turkey’s opposition to the Swedish bid.Ulf Kristersson said during a news conference in Stockholm on Tuesday that it has been clear since NATO’s Madrid summit in June that Finland’s road into membership has been smoother than Sweden’s, and that it is now increasingly likely that Finland will enter NATO first.Turkey accuses both nations, but particularly Sweden, of being too soft on groups it deems to be terror organizations or existential threats to Turkey, including Kurdish groups. Last month, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Ankara has fewer problems with Finland joining.Since they announcing their intention to join the military alliance in May last year, Finland and Sweden have consistently stressed that they would become members of the military alliance at the same time “hand in hand.”Now, however, Kristerss...

Ex-sheriff convicted of civil rights abuses to be sentenced

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:44 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — A former Georgia sheriff convicted of violating the civil rights of people in his custody by unnecessarily strapping them into restraint chairs is set to be sentenced Tuesday with prosecutors seeking several years in prison.A jury in October convicted Victor Hill — who was sheriff of Clayton County, just south of Atlanta — on six of seven federal charges against him. Prosecutors recommended in a sentencing memo filed with the court that he serve three years and 10 months in prison, while defense attorneys are asking for a sentence of probation, home confinement and a fine.His trial included about a week of testimony from more than three dozen witnesses, including the men who were restrained. Prosecutors said Hill ordered detainees strapped into restraint chairs at the county jail for hours even though they posed no threat and complied with deputies’ instructions. The use of the chairs was unnecessary, was improperly used as punishment and caused pain and bodily injury...

Scientists say climate change goosed New Zealand storm fury

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:44 GMT

Climate change worsened flooding from a tropical cyclone that shut down much of New Zealand last month in one of the country’s costliest disasters, scientists said, but they couldn’t quite calculate how much it magnified the catastrophe.A flash study Tuesday by 23 scientists from around the globe found that global warming from the burning of fossil fuels added to the downpours from Cyclone Gabrielle that included at least six hours of deluges of nearly an inch per hour (20 millimeters per hour) of driving rain. But normal methods to quantify how much climate change added to the disaster weren’t conclusive enough for scientists because weather records there don’t go back very far, the area affected was relatively small and the region is subject to naturally high weather variability.“Climate change is a serious concern for flooding in New Zealand and you’ve got to understand these are gigantic amounts of rainfall,” said Sam Dean, a co-author and scientist at New Zeal...

Millennial Money: Job plus a side gig? Avoid these mistakes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:44 GMT

At the beginning of the year, many people have their eyes set on goals. Some of these goals may include increasing your income, starting a dream business, or both if you’re reaching for the stars. Before you get your hands dirty in the sometimes chaotic combination of formal employment and entrepreneurship, here are a few pitfalls to avoid.NOT HAVING A PLAN FOR YOUR SIDE HUSTLE INCOMEPeople get side hustles for different reasons. It could be to help make ends meet, save toward a dream vacation or grow your business to a point where you can quit your job. Catching up on my retirement savings is one reason I decided to start a side hustle.But you need a plan for that motivation to help make your side gig worthwhile. Think about having goals for your income and a strategy in place to help you achieve those goals.For instance, you could divert funds from your side hustle into retirement savings accounts like an IRA. This is a way to put away more for retirement, and you could reduce you...