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Heat wave triggers big storms in US Southeast, raises wildfire concerns in Southwest

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:50:33 GMT

(AP) - Triple-digit temperatures prompted more heat advisories across much of the southern U.S. on Sunday, triggered severe thunderstorms that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people from Oklahoma to Mississippi and produced gusty winds that raised wildfire threats in Arizona and New Mexico.A suspected tornado struck near Scranton, Arkansas early Sunday, destroying chicken houses and toppling trees onto houses, the National Weather Service said. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries.Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency for north and central Louisiana after strong winds and severe weather caused widespread power outages on Saturday. On Sunday, indicated more than 740,000 people were without power in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi, according to PowerOutage.us. When will El Niño peak? The National Weather Service warned that potentially record-breaking temperatures would continue over southern Texas and the we...

New study tracks California to Texas migration

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:50:33 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Within the past 10 years, Californians moving to Texas has become as clichéd as New Yorkers moving to Florida, according to a new study.“Not only is Texodus not slowing down, but the route is getting more crowded, increasing by a whopping 80% in 2021 compared to figures from a decade before,” StorageCafe, a company that has tracked migration trends, said.StorageCafe provided an analysis of Greater Austin counties after it conducted a Texas-wide study.According to the analysis, more than 16,000 Californians relocated to Williamson and Travis counties in 2021.“Travis County alone stars as by far the most preferred relocation destination among the state's top 25 routes for Californians,” StorageCafe said.The analysis said a big reason people were leaving the Golden State was to get more for their housing dollar.“A typical home in [Williamson and Travis] counties is 69% cheaper than in notoriously expensive LA County, resulting in a list price gap of ...

Jamar Cain has unique title, big task: Help Broncos pass-rushers harass opposing quarterbacks

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:50:33 GMT

Sean Payton’s first Broncos coaching staff had mostly been unveiled when news of a late addition with a unique background and unique title emerged.That’s Jamar Cain, the longtime college coach who joined the Denver staff in late March as the team’s pass-rush specialist.His job: Pretty straightforward, as the title implies.The way he fits into the picture, of course, is more about communication and structure considering the Broncos have a defensive line coach, outside and inside linebackers coaches and a senior defensive assistant in Joe Vitt all working with the front seven in addition to coordinator Vance Joseph.But Payton had a clear idea of what he wants out of Cain, who spent 2022 as the defensive line coach and run game coordinator at LSU after two seasons at Oklahoma. The title may not be particularly common in the NFL, the task is.“We can call them assistant defensive line (coaches),” Payton said. “When you get deeper into recruiting (a coach), now we need something a little ...

Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic back in his Serbian hometown to watch family’s horses compete

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:50:33 GMT

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC (Associated Press)SOMBOR, Serbia — Nikola Jokic made it back to Serbia in time to watch his beloved horses race in his hometown. Less than a week after leading the Denver Nuggets to their first NBA championship, Jokic was back in his hometown of Sombor on Sunday to enjoy his big passion of horse racing.Thousands of his supporters in the usually sleepy northern Serbian town of some 47,000 people also converged on the local horse racing track where Jokic was watching his family-owned horses compete in harness races. Many had T-shirts with Jokic’s portrait, some reading “Be the Next Champion” and “Sombor, the Town of Champions.”A billboard reading “Welcome Home MVP” showed Jokic with his No. 15 Nuggets jersey, also depicting galloping horses.After winning the NBA title, Jokic was concerned about whether he could return home in time for Sunday’s races after the team’s victory parade in Denver on Thursday. He joked that he would ask Nuggets president Josh Kroenk...

2 dead and 3 hurt -- including suspected shooter -- at Washington state music festival

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:50:33 GMT

GEORGE, Wash. (AP) — Two people were killed and three others injured after police said a shooter began firing “randomly" into a crowd at a Washington state campground that was hosting people attending a nearby music festival on Saturday night, police said.The suspect was among those injured. He was shot in a confrontation with law enforcement, said Kyle Foreman, public information officer with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.Authorities received the first report of the shooting shortly before 8:30 p.m. at the camping area a few hundred yards from the Gorge Amphitheater, where thousands of people were attending an electronic dance music festival, Foreman said. The Gorge is near the small city of George, about 150 miles (239 kilometers) east of Seattle.After the initial shots were fired, the suspect started moving through the campground and “continued to shoot randomly into the crowd" until he was eventually confronted by police and taken into custody, Foreman said.A public alert ha...

Big blow to SF Giants’ rotation: Alex Cobb placed on IL with oblique strain

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:50:33 GMT

LOS ANGELES — Just as the Giants’ number of healthy starting pitchers grew to four on Saturday, their rotation shrank back to three starters Sunday morning.In a surprise move before Sunday’s series finale against the Dodgers, the Giants placed right-hander Alex Cobb on the 15-day injured list with a left oblique strain. Young right-hander Keaton Winn, who made his MLB debut this week in St. Louis and was already here on taxi squad, was added to the roster in his place.Cobb, 35, has been one of the majors’ most effective starters this season, teaming up with Logan Webb to form a formidable one-two punch. In 14 starts, including one complete game shutout, Cobb had a 3.09 ERA, eighth-best in the National League, with 76 strikeouts to 21 walks, the No. 10 K:BB ratio in the NL.It has been a tougher go of it for Cobb over the past month, with a 5.23 ERA over his past six starts.Nonetheless, any injury is a significant blow to an already shorthanded rotation, particularly...

Always entertaining John Brebbia takes lat injury in stride; who takes his place in SF Giants’ bullpen?

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:50:33 GMT

LOS ANGELES — John Brebbia, the National League’s most prolific reliever last season who remains an integral piece of the Giants’ bullpen this year, won’t soon be forgotten despite what is expected to be a lengthy absence with a lat strain.Pitching coach Andrew Bailey suggested Brebbia step up as an assistant bullpen coach. (“If you hear yelling from the dugout it’s because I took it too far,” Brebbia said.)Fellow reliever Scott Alexander planned to take Brebbia’s No. 59 jersey with him to the right-field bullpen and hang it up, a la tributes usually reserved for more serious injuries than a moderate lat strain. (“I hope they show it on TV,” he said, laughing.)More seriously, the Giants have a Brebbia-sized hole in their bullpen, which had been coming into its own over the past two months, with the best ERA in the majors since the start of May. With a 1.15 ERA in that span, Brebbia has been a significant part of the turnaround an...

Brittney Griner misses 2nd straight game for Mercury with hip injury

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:50:33 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Brittney Griner sat on the bench in warmups for the second straight game, sidelined by a hip injury she suffered earlier this week.The All-Star center worked out on the court about an hour before the game against New York and looked good doing an array of post moves and jumpers. She told The Associated Press when she walked in the arena that she hoped to play.Instead, she sat on the bench cheering on her teammates, getting ruled out about 20 minutes before the game started after being listed as questionable on the injury report. The Mercury could have used her as they lost 89-71 to the Liberty.It was the Mercury’s first game in New York since Griner was detained in Russia for nearly 10 months last year.Before the game, Griner signed autographs and posed for photos with fans, one of whom had a sign that read “NY (hearts) BG”. She also caught up with USA Basketball teammate Breanna Stewart and other Liberty players.Stewart wore a Griner jersey walking into the arena an...

Mali’s military junta holds referendum on new constitution it calls a step toward new elections

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:50:33 GMT

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Malian voters cast ballots on a new draft constitution Sunday in a referendum that the country’s coup leader says will pave the way toward holding new elections in 2024, but critics have called it a delay tactic to extend his time in power.Col. Assimi Goita, who seized control of the landlocked West African country nearly three years ago, has told Malians that the proposed draft constitution “provides for a better-organized executive power.”“I am convinced that this referendum will pave the way for a new Mali, a strong and efficient Mali serving the well-being of our people,” Goita said after casting his ballot Sunday.The election observer group MODELE said that participation at midday had only been about 21% of eligible voters. The mission also cited dozens of polling stations that were closed due to security problems, disenfranchising people. The referendum also did not include Mali’s entire northern Kidal region.Imam Mahmoud Dicko, an opponen...

Son of the late-Tim Russert says he’s found a ‘place of peace’ this Father’s Day after years of grief

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:50:33 GMT

Father’s Day was the late-Tim Russert’s favorite holiday. The TV-news legend and former host of NBC’s “Meet the Press” wrote books about fatherhood and loved being a dad, according to his son Luke.In 2008, he died just days before the holiday at the age of 58.“I used to be very fearful of Father’s Day,” Luke Russert said. “It was a difficult day.”In his new book “Look For Me There,” Russert tells of his father’s untimely death, his career in journalism and following his father’s footsteps. He also speaks of why, ultimately, he choose to leave Washington, D.C. in order to properly grieve the loss of his beloved father and find himself.The book chronicles his sudden departure from the nation’s capital, as well as his journeys to six continents and over 67 countries.This Father’s Day marks the first since publishing his now New York Times bestselling book.“I’m much more at a plac...