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Seeking offensive jolt, SF Giants call up top prospect Marco Luciano

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:42 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — In desperate need of an offensive jolt, the Giants on Wednesday called up their top hitting prospect since Buster Posey.After only six games at Triple-A, 21-year-old shortstop Marco Luciano earned a quick promotion to the major leagues, the Giants announced Wednesday. David Villar was optioned back to Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move.Luciano was batting .235 with 13 home runs between Double- and Triple-A this season but was off to a strong start at Sacramento, with homers in his past two games. His low batting average also obscures a strong .342 on-base percentage, fueled by a 17.3% walk rate — a sign of the plate discipline the Giants desire to see in young players.Like other top hitting prospects, the Giants promoted Luciano aggressively this season. None of Luis Matos, Patrick Bailey or Casey Schmitt logged more than 32 games at Triple-A before receiving the call to the bigs, but at only six games at the highest level of the minor leagues, Luciano got t...

Brooks on Beer: 5 ways to mix fruit and beer, from lambics to radlers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:42 GMT

Fruit and fruit juices are among the most refreshing and delicious things to enjoy in hot weather. So it’s probably no surprise that the new wave of Hazy IPAs are so popular. They’re occasionally called juicy IPAs, after all, and their flavors often remind us of orange or grapefruit juice. Hazy IPAs are relative newcomers to the brewing scene, but brewers have been using fruit to make beer for millennia.One of the earliest known beverages made with fruit was found in Northern China and dated from 9,000 years ago: Pottery jars found in the Neolithic village of Jiahu in Henan province contained the residue of a mixed fermentation drink made with rice, honey and fruit.Molecular archaeologist Patrick McGovern, from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, asked Dogfish Head Craft Brewery to re-create the drink. The result was Chateau Jiahu, brewed with orange blossom honey, muscat grape juice, barley malt and hawthorn fruit and then fermented on sake ...

Livermore traffic stop leads to firearm arrest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:42 GMT

(KRON) -- One person was arrested on Sunday for an outstanding warrant and firearms charges following a traffic stop, the Livermore Police Department said. Livermore PD officers stopped a vehicle for reckless driving on Isabel Avenue and Airway Boulevard just before 5 p.m. Sunday. Naked woman armed with gun on Bay Bridge targeted random victims: CHP The driver, 29-year-old Matthew Otterman of Oakland, had an outstanding misdemeanor arrest warrant, police said. Police searched his vehicle and found a loaded handgun and other contraband. A photo posted by Livermore PD showed the firearm, ammunition, and what appeared to be drug paraphernalia and brass knuckles.Otterman was arrested on several charges, including carrying a loaded firearm. He was booked into Santa Rita Jail.

Mosquitoes test positive for West Nile virus in Palo Alto, Stanford

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:42 GMT

(KRON) -- Mosquitoes in Palo Alto and Stanford have tested positive for West Nile virus, according to the Santa Clara County Vector Control District. A mosquito control treatment is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. on Thursday and will last for about four hours. The public does not need to relocate during the treatment, however they are advised to stay inside and close their windows to minimize exposure. Richmond fire chief receives ‘no confidence’ vote from union All treatment materials are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for use in public areas and are widely used by California's vector control agencies, the county said. Below is a map of the affected areas:Map courtesy of Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County's VCD uses a surveillance program to detect diseases such as the West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis and western equine encephalitis.

Despite U.S. Guarantee, Guantánamo Prisoner Released to Algeria Immediately Imprisoned and Abused

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:42 GMT

When Saeed Bakhouch was repatriated to Algeria in late April from the U.S. prison at Guantánamo Bay after 21 years of detention without charge, his lawyer was assured by the State Department that he would be treated humanely. Still, his longtime lawyer, H. Candace Gorman, worried about her client’s upcoming release. Bakhouch’s mental health had deteriorated in the last five years; he had stopped meeting with her and retreated into himself. She feared that her client might be arrested after being returned to Algeria unless given real help and resources.That’s exactly what happened. Almost immediately after Bakhouch landed in Algiers, he passed through the usual interrogation process for former Guantánamo detainees in Algeria. After a two-week period of detention and interrogation, he appeared before a judge in early May. The judge told Bakhouch that his story did not match what the information the U.S. provided, Gorman explained to The Intercept.“He was being stripped of all of his r...

Philippoussis fined $10,000 for breaching betting sponsorship rules and given 4-month suspended ban

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:42 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Tennis coach and former top-10 player Mark Philippoussis has been fined $10,000 by the International Tennis Integrity Agency for breaching betting sponsorship rules.The ITIA said Wednesday that the Australian was also given a four-month suspended ban “after receiving payment for providing a voiceover to promotional content for a gaming operator.”It said Philippoussis did not contest the charge and had fully cooperated with the investigation.“As a sport, tennis has decided that accredited individuals should not have commercial relationships with betting companies,” ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse said. “Whilst this case is clearly not one of corruption, it is a rule that players, coaches, and others in the sport need to be aware of.”Philippoussis was runner-up to Pat Rafter at the 1998 U.S. Open and lost to Roger Federer in the 2003 Wimbledon final. He has worked with Stefanos Tsitsipas as a coach.___AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Spo...

Union Pacific, Boeing rise; Snap, Microsoft fall: Wednesday, 7/26/2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:42 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that are trading heavily or have substantial price changes on Wednesday:Union Pacific Corp. (UNP), up $21.23 to $236.78The railroad operator installed a CEO that an activist investor had been pushing for. Boeing Co. (BA), up $12.44 to $226.56The aircraft maker reported a smaller loss for the spring than analysts expected, and revenue beat forecasts. Alphabet Inc. (GOOG), up $6.90 to $129.69The parent company of Google snapped out of an unprecedented advertising slump. Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), down $14.05 to $336.93The tech giant made comments that tempered huge expectations for growth from artificial intelligence. Snap Inc. (SNAP), down $2.41 to $10.10The owner of the Snapchat app reported declining sales and issued a disappointing forecast.Gap Inc. (GPS), up 51 cents to $9.73The clothing retailer tapped a Mattel executive responsible for re-energizing Barbie and Hot Wheels as its next CEO.NatWest Group PLC (NWG), down 18 cents to $6.30The CEO of the British ba...

Olympic champion Canada comes back to beat Ireland 2-1 at the Women’s World Cup

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:42 GMT

PERTH, Australia (AP) — Conceding a goal directly from a corner kick against Ireland on Wednesday, Olympic champion Canada was in trouble in its second game of the Women’s World Cup.After a disappointing 0-0 draw with Nigeria in its opening match of the tournament, and with iconic forward Christine Sinclair on the bench, Canada’s hopes of advancing from the group stage were under threat.Up against a determined Ireland, an inspired Katie McCabe and torrential rain at Rectangular Stadium, the odds were stacking up against the Canadians.But with the character of Olympic gold medallists, a touch of fortune and some help from the bench, Canada recovered. Adriana Leon scored the decisive goal early in the second half to complete a come-from-behind 2-1 win that moved her country to the top of Group B and within sight of the round of 16.That hadn’t looked like being the case when McCabe curled a fourth-minute corner into the back of the net to give Ireland the lead and its first...

Hunter Biden’s plea deal on tax charges falls apart after judge expresses concern about terms of the agreement

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:42 GMT

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Hunter Biden’s plea deal on tax charges falls apart after judge expresses concern about terms of the agreement.Source

2 men arrested in Greece for allegedly smuggling migrants across Aegean Sea to wildfire-hit island

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:42 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities have arrested two people for allegedly smuggling 35 migrants across the Aegean Sea, using an unusual itinerary that brought them to a wildfire-afflicted island close to the mainland.The coast guard said the two men were stopped off the island of Evia late Tuesday on a 15-meter (45-foot) speedboat heading east in the direction of Turkey, from where they are believed to have departed.Shortly afterward, the 35 migrants were found on a beach in the vicinity of Kymi, a town in central Evia, the coast guard said in a statement. The island has been hit by wildfires in recent days, and on Tuesday a water-dropping plane crashed there while fighting a blaze, killing both pilots.Greece remains a major entry point for people fleeing conflict or hardship in the Middle East and Africa for a better life in the European Union. For years, most were smuggled in small boats from the Turkish coast to Greece’s nearby eastern Aegean islands, but intense patro...