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Mets announce they will honor Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden next season by retiring Nos. 18, 16

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

The Mets are continuing their efforts to honor the club’s history with the announcement that Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden will have their numbers retired in two separate ceremonies next season. The dates have not yet been announced with the organization planning to release them in the coming months.This shows how far the club has come in recent years when it comes to celebrating the good parts and the complicated parts of its past. The Mets have had fraught relationships with popular alumni, but have worked to rebuild bridges and strengthen bonds in recent seasons.“I’m thrilled that two iconic members of the 1986 championship club will have their numbers retired in 2024,” owner and CEO Steve Cohen said in a statement. “Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden each had an enormous impact on our franchise and it’s my honor to continue our commitment to celebrating our wonderful history.”Strawberry, who wore No. 18, and Gooden, No. 16, will b...

Hot Property: A see-worthy home in Falmouth

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

Homes on the Cape are, of course, available to buy year-round, but if you snag 8 Burgess Street in Falmouth now, there’s still time to squeeze a few more beach weekends into summer 2023.A timeless treasure along the picturesque edge of Snug Harbor in West Falmouth – 8 Burgess Street is where history, charm, and waterfront living intertwine. The Swift lots, laid out in 1881 by Meltiah Gifford, offer a glimpse into a bygone era that still resonates today having been cherished by generations of sun-chasers.As you step onto the property, it’s as if time stands still. The classic Queen Anne shingle style architecture is a testament to the turn of the century, offering both vintage elegance and cozy comfort. It also features a prized deep water dock, a true gem in West Falmouth Harbor, beckoning boating enthusiasts.Made for casual summer living, the home’s expansive porches invite you to unwind and savor the ocean breeze, while the rolling lawn leads you to the tranquil water’...

Campaign money flows to GOP presidential candidates after their debate. Ramaswamy raises $450,000

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

By MEG KINNARD (Associated Press)COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The first Republican presidential debate provided an opportunity for candidates to make their cases directly to a national audience, and some of that attention is translating into fundraising boosts.Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has taken in $450,000 since Wednesday night’s debate, with an average donation of $38, campaign spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told The Associated Press on Thursday.Ramaswamy, a political newcomer who occupied center stage in the absence of current GOP front-runner Donald Trump, scored several memorable moments during the debate, criticizing some rivals as “super PAC puppets” who were using “ready-made, preprepared slogans” to attack him.Ramaswamy, has largely been self-funding his campaign and raised more than $7.7 million in the second quarter, finishing with more than $9 million on hand.At least one candidate, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, made a direct fundr...

Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte turns 20, whether you like it or not

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

By DEE-ANN DURBIN (AP Business Writer)The seasonal drink that made pumpkin spice a star is turning 20. And unlike the autumn days it celebrates, there seems to be no chill in customer demand.Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte goes on sale Thursday in the U.S. and Canada, as it does each year when the nights start getting longer and the fall winds gather. It’s the coffee giant’s most popular seasonal beverage, with hundreds of millions sold since its launch in 2003. And it has produced a huge — and growing — industry of imitators flecked with cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.In the year ending July 29, U.S. sales of pumpkin-flavored products reached $802.5 million, according to Nielsen. That’s up 42% from the same period in 2019. There are pumpkin spice Oreos, protein drinks, craft beers, cereals and even Spam. A search of “pumpkin spice” on Walmart’s website brings up more than 1,000 products. A thousand products that smell or taste like, ...

Lakers to honor Kobe Bryant with statue outside arena on Feb. 8, 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

The Los Angeles Lakers plan to honor the late Kobe Bryant with a statue outside their home arena, further recognizing the five-time NBA champion as one of the franchise’s all-time greats.The bronze statue is set to be unveiled in Star Plaza outside Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 8, 2024 — a nod to Bryant’s jersey numbers of 8 and 24, the team announced Thursday.Bryant will become the seventh Laker to receive a statue in the plaza, joining former teammate Shaquille O’Neal, as well as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Chick Hearn.“As you know, Kobe played his entire 20-year NBA career as a Los Angeles Laker,” his widow, Vanessa Bryant, said in a video announcement. “Since arriving in this city and joining the Lakers organization, he felt at home here, playing in the City of Angels. On behalf of the Lakers, my daughters and me, I am so honored that, right in the center of Los Angeles, in front of the place known as the ...

Gretchen’s table: Spicy basil chicken stir-fry with green beans has punch and crunch

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

Gretchen McKay | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)My kitchen garden is often a hit or miss proposition, depending on how hungry the fat (and happy) groundhog who lives under my shed is on any given day or week. But I almost always can count on successfully growing lots and lots of basil, which I turn into pesto or cut into ribbons to top one of the all-time favorite summer dishes, bruschetta. Thanks to a sunny backyard, I also tend to have luck with a wide variety of chili peppers.This Thai-inspired stir-fry makes good use of both ingredients, which if you don’t happen to grow in your yard or in a windowsill planter, are easy to find at any farmers market or even the smallest grocery store. It’s also incredibly quick to pull together. In the waning days of summer — with so much to still see and do before the kids go back to school — that’s definitely a good thing.Every Thai cook has his or her version of grapow, a spicy stir-fry made from bits of meat and basil and oft...

3 dead, 5 wounded after a retired police officer opens fire at a Southern California biker bar

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

By EUGENE GARCIA and JOHN ANTCZAK (Associated Press)TRABUCO CANYON, Calif. (AP) — A retired police officer opened fire in a popular Southern California biker bar, leaving three dead and at least five others with gunshot wounds.Deputies arrived at the bar two minutes after the shooting was reported Wednesday night and shot and killed the gunman, Orange County Sheriff’s Sgt. Frank Gonzalez said. The sheriff’s department in a post Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter, identified the gunman as John Snowling, 59, and said his wife was injured in the shooting. Betty Fruichantie told NBC4 Los Angeles that she was with the shooter’s wife in the storied Cook’s Corner bar, in Orange County’s rural Trabuco Canyon near the suburban city of Lake Forest, when gunfire erupted. Some people ran, while others froze.Fruichantie said Marie Snowling dropped to the floor. Fruichantie didn’t know whether her friend was hit. With bullets flying past her face, F...

US intelligence assessment shows intentionally caused explosion crashed Wagner chief’s plane

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

By EMMA BURROWS and AAMER MADHANI (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — A preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment has found that the plane crash presumed to have killed Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was intentionally caused by an explosion, according to U.S. and Western officials.One of the officials, who were not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the explosion falls in line with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “long history of trying to silence his critics.”The officials did not offer any details on what caused the explosion that was believed to have killed Prigozhin and several of his lieutenants to avenge a mutiny that challenged the Russian leader’s authority.Details of the U.S. assessment surfaced as Putin on Thursday expressed his condolences to the families of those who were reported to be aboard the jet and referred to “serious mistakes” by Prigozhin. The White House declined to comment.The ...

Quebec universities oppose suggestion by federal minister to cap student visas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

MONTREAL — Quebec university administrators, professors and students are rejecting an idea by the federal housing minister that Canada could cap the number of international study permits it issues as a way to ease the country’s housing shortage. They say that limiting the number of international students will do little to address the housing crunch and would instead hurt university research and deprive Quebec of skilled immigrants.Daniel Jutras, the rector of Université de Montréal, says Canada’s housing crisis is not the result of the rise in international students to the country.“The (housing) problem is real, the problem is serious, but it’s a problem that’s been developing over the past two decades as a result of structural issues that I think are not related directly to the influx of international students,” Jutras said.On Monday, federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser suggested that capping the explosive growth in the number of international s...

North Carolina governor to veto election bill, sparking override showdown with GOP supermajority

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:19:27 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced Thursday that he would veto a sweeping Republican elections bill that would end a grace period for voting by mail and make new allowances for partisan poll observers.In a video message, the Democratic governor accused legislative Republicans of using their slim veto-proof majorities to execute “an all-out assault on the right to vote,” which he said has nothing to do with election security and everything to do with their party keeping and gaining power. The bill would make voting more difficult for young and nonwhite voters who are are more likely to vote absentee and less likely to elect Republicans, he said.“They’re making it harder for you to vote, hoping that you won’t bother,” he said, urging North Carolinians to contact their representatives and demand they uphold his veto.Cooper, who is term-limited and cannot run for reelection in 2024, successfully blocked several components of the bill during past sessions. But ...