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Rajakovic era off to successful start as Raptors hold off Timberwolves

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:52 GMT

How to define success. Hmm.In professional sports, it should be easy: Winning. That’s why they keep score, that’s why the people who can contribute to winning get paid more — in theory — than those that don’t.But since only one team can win the last game of the season, get the trophy and call themselves champions, the definition of what is successful inevitably gets broadened depending on circumstance.No one around the Toronto Raptors has been talking about championships or trophies. They’re not that team, or don’t figure to be. They won 41 games last year and haven’t won a playoff round in four seasons.So as the curtain was finally lifted on the 2023-24 season and the start of the Darko Rajakovic era, the stated goals were less about specifics, and more about process as the new head coach gets a feel for his team and his role after taking over from Nick Nurse, who helped bring Toronto its first and only championship back in 2019.“A successful season for me, it’s really ...

As rainforests worldwide disappear, burn and degrade, a summit to protect them opens in Brazzaville

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:52 GMT

Leaders from countries with the largest tropical forest basins are meeting in the Republic of Congo on Thursday to work together to protect the forests from deforestation and destruction.Delegates from Brazil, Indonesia, Republic of Congo and dozens of other countries at the Three Basins Summit in Brazzaville are hoping to form a coalition of leaders from the basins of the Amazon, the Congo and Borneo-Mekong in Southeast Asia to discuss how to finance the protection of their wildlife-rich regions, which are also major sites for storing planet-warming carbon dioxide.The countries in the three basins have 80% of the world’s tropical forests and two-thirds of the Earth’s biodiversity, according to the World Wildlife Fund. But logging, forest degradation, loss of native species and extreme weather events fueled by climate change have the forests under enormous pressure that’s putting local economies and food security at risk. Despite pledges by governments and businesses to stop forest ...

Harris will attend an AI summit at a UK estate that was a base for World War II codebreakers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris will attend a summit on artificial intelligence in the United Kingdom next week, shortly after President Joe Biden issues a highly anticipated executive order on an emerging technology that has generated excitement and fear. She’s scheduled to leave on Tuesday and return on Nov. 2, and she’ll be accompanied by her husband, Douglas Emhoff, according to her office.Harris will deliver a speech outlining the Democratic administration’s approach to artificial intelligence on Nov. 1 before attending a summit on the topic the next day. Emhoff is expected to participate in events with civil society groups and young leaders focused on science learning, gender equity and countering hate.Kirsten Allen, a spokeswoman for Harris, said the goal is a future “where every person is safe from the harms of AI and where every person can share equally in its benefits.”Governments around the globe are racing to set guidelines for artificial intelligence. Bes...

European Union to press the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to set decades of enmity behind them

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:52 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is set to ramp up pressure on Serbia and Kosovo to normalize their relations by enlisting the leaders of three heavyweight member countries and senior officials to make a major push to get the former war foes to set aside decades of differences.Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Albin Kurti distrust each other and are not likely to meet face to face. But they are due to hold talks separately with the leaders of France, Germany and Italy, plus the two EU officials supervising a stuttering “dialogue” between them.The meetings in Brussels come on the sidelines of an EU summit. Fears are high of a resumption of the violence that characterized their ties during a 1998-99 war and since Kosovo unilaterally broke away from Serbia in 2008. Belgrade still considers Kosovo a Serbian province and has never recognized its independence. Both Kosovo and Serbia want to join the EU, but they’ve been warned that they must sort out their difference...

Swedish court acquits Russian-born businessman of spying for Moscow

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:52 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — A Russian-born Swedish businessman was acquitted on Thursday of collecting information for Russia’s military intelligence service, the GRU, for almost a decade.Sergey Skvortsov, 60, had been accused of “ gross illegal intelligence activities against Sweden and against a foreign power,” namely the United States.The Stockholm District Court said Skvortsov had largely acted in the way prosecutors alleged and that advanced technology was acquired and delivered to Russia.But the court said in its verdict “that the business (was) only intended for the procurement of technology from the West and not aimed at obtaining information concerning Sweden or the United States that may constitute espionage.”Judge Jakob Hedenmo said in a statement that the prosecutor was unable to prove that Skvortsov was involved in espionage.Skvortsov was arrested in November together with his wife in a predawn operation in Nacka, outside Stockholm. Swedish media reported that elite police r...

List: Mass killings in the United States since January

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:52 GMT

The latest mass killing in the U.S. happened Wednesday night in Lewiston, Maine, when a man opened fire at a bowling alley and a bar, killing at least 16 people, two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. Dozens of people were also wounded.The alert for Lewiston was made shortly after 8 p.m. as the sheriff’s office reported that law enforcement agencies were investigating “two active shooter events.”The man identified as a person of interest in a mass killing in Maine is a firearms instructor trained by the military and was recently committed to a mental health facility, according to a state police bulletin.The shooting was the country's 36th mass killing this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. At least 188 people have died in those killings, which are defined as incidents in which four or more people have died within a 24-hour period, not including the killer — the same ...

'It hurts us,' Tension on House floor stalls debate on border bill; bill later passes House

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:52 GMT

Editor's note: The article is updated to show that the House passed House Bill 4 overnight Wednesday.AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Texas House passed border security legislation overnight Wednesday after tension among Democrats and Republicans in the Texas House reached a boiling point Wednesday evening amid debate. The House approved HB 4, which would create a Class B misdemeanor for anyone to enter Texas illegally. House Democrats filed dozens of amendments to the bill. With 47 amendments filed, Republican House members pushed through a motion to cut off additional amendments to the bill.Rep. Cody Harris (R-Palestine) filed the motion. Rep. Armando Walle (D-Houston) voiced his frustration to Harris. Several lawmakers gathered around the two men, as Walle spoke loudly and forcefully."Y'all don't understand the (*expletive*) that y'all do hurts our community. It hurts us personally, bro," Walle said."It hurts, it hurts us to our (*expletive*) core and y'all don't understand that y'all don...

Our 2023 guide to the best burgers in the Twin Cities

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:52 GMT

It’s burger time!As the weather grows chillier and we’re craving comfort foods, a burger is often the answer to what we want for dinner.Every time we compile this annual guide, we think that the burger pinnacle has been reached — that there could not possibly be more amazing Twin Cities versions of pattied meat and cheese to explore.And every year, chefs, restaurants and food truck owners prove us wrong. The only thing greater than our culinary community’s commitment to creating the best burgers in the nation is your voracious appetite for them.This year, the double-smash trend is still going strong, but a few new burgers are bucking the trend. I have to say, I’m here for it, mostly because if you’re not careful, a smash burger gets overcooked and dry. In fact, one of my favorite new entries is a single, loosely pattied burger — from a Korean restaurant. Trust me.As usual, we didn’t limit our “research” to newbies — there are a few new entries from restaurants that...

5 things to know this Thursday, October 26

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:52 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- One more day until Friday. Happy Thursday! According to Meteorologists Jill Swed and Matt Mackie, we can expect mid to upper 70s for most on both Thursday and Friday afternoons. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The search for Jeffrey Dickinson has ended after deputies say he turned himself in just before midnight on Wednesday. Multiple agencies were searching for Dickinson Wednesday as he was considered armed and dangerous in the Salem area. Also, Vermont State Police are investigating two separate cases of bodies found in the woods. Investigators were at the scene Wednesday in the town of Eden. These stories, and more, are covered in your five things to know this Thursday morning. 1. Deputies: Salem manhunt suspect turns himself inThe search for Jeffrey Dickinson has ended after deputies say he turned himself in just before midnight on Wednesday. Multiple agencies were searching for ...

Ask Amy: A large loan outlasts the lender

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:52 GMT

Dear Amy: My husband “George” lent our friend “Steve” $60,000.George died several months after the loan was made.Steve then ran into some hard times.He has repaid $30,000, with a commitment to repay the remaining amount.It’s been two years now, with no mention of making a payment.Steve is back on his feet and has been able to take several nice vacations. Any suggestions on how to nicely bring up the debt owed?We have many mutual friends, so I haven’t/can’t discuss this with anyone.I am on a fixed income and would appreciate the payment and would also like to keep the friendship.— LenderDear Lender: Keeping the friendship is very much up to the person who owes you money. As it is, your friendship is compromised because you are both avoiding discussing the money he owes your husband’s estate.Given the large amount owed, I assume you have an agreement on paper.Related ArticlesAsk Amy | Ask Amy: Photoshop can’t “fix” this awkward picture Ask Amy |...