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Damar Hamlin delights with surprise ‘Masked Singer’ appearance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:26 GMT

(CNN) — “Sesame Street” brought Damar Hamlin to “The Masked Singer.”On an episode that aired Wednesday night, the Buffalo Bills player, who collapsed after suffering cardiac arrest during a game in January, surprised the audience and judges with an appearance.The show opened with a group of “Sesame Street” characters, including Big Bird, Cookie Monster, the Count Elmo, Grover and Oscar the Grouch, performing the BTS hit, “Dynamite.”Later, Damir Hamlin came out to sit on the stoop and talk to Elmo who asked his name and who he was there with. When the youngster said he was there with his brother, Elmo said, “Let’s bring him out!”Those present went wild when the elder Hamlin appeared and host Nick Cannon declared, “Ladies and gentlemen, Buffalo Bills in the building! Damar Hamlin, the man that brought the whole world together, inspiring us all!”Hamlin flashed the heart sign he makes with...

Projecting the Chicago Cubs opening-day roster: Who will claim the remaining openings?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:26 GMT

In two weeks the Chicago Cubs will line up along the third-base line for opening-day introductions at Wrigley Field.Although a majority of their opening-day roster spots are locked in, barring any injuries before the team departs Arizona on March 28, the Cubs will soon begin deliberating on how best to build their team to open the year.And with that in mind, here’s a projection of the opening-day roster:Starting pitchers (5)RHP Marcus StromanRHP Jameson TaillonLHP Justin SteeleLHP Drew SmylyRHP Hayden WesneskiAlso in consideration: RHP Adrian Sampson, RHP Javier Assad.Wesneski’s results are starting to speak for themselves. Yes, it’s spring training and his shutdown performance through three Cactus League starts — no earned runs in 8⅔ innings — comes in an environment where numbers can be tough to gauge. But his stuff has been nasty and at this point he should be considered the front-runner to be the No. 5 starter.If Sampson is the odd man out, th...

Cactus League report: ‘New opportunity’ for White Sox reliever Franklin German — and Caleb Kilian bouncing back for Cubs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:26 GMT

A rainy day in Arizona forced the Cubs and White Sox to adjust their schedules.Jameson Taillon’s simulated game Wednesday morning was rained out. Instead, Taillon likely will throw in a minor-league game Thursday.Lucas Giolito, the Sox’s scheduled starter Wednesday, will throw four innings in a B game Thursday in Glendale. Nick Avila will be the opener for the team’s Cactus League game against the Cleveland Guardians in Goodyear, Ariz.Chicago Tribune baseball writers LaMond Pope and Meghan Montemurro will be providing Cubs and White Sox updates throughout spring training.Franklin German ‘filling up the strike zone’The Sox called on Franklin German for two relief innings against the San Diego Padres on Saturday at Peoria Stadium.The right-hander retired the side in order in the sixth, including one strikeout. Another 1-2-3 inning, including a strikeout, followed in the seventh.German has pitched six scoreless innings this spring.“I’ve just be...

Foreign policy of Brazil’s Lula takes shape, irking the West

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:26 GMT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s new President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has so far shown little concern about defying consensus in the West on foreign policy — even when it comes to dealing with authoritarian governments.In recent weeks, Lula’s Brazil sent a delegation to Venezuela, refused to sign a UN resolution condemning Nicaragua’s human rights abuses, allowed Iranian warships to dock in Rio de Janeiro and flatly refused to send weapons to Ukraine, at war with Russia.These decisions have raised eyebrows in the U.S. and Europe, but experts said Lula is reactivating Brazil’s decades-old principle of non-alignment to carve out a policy that best safeguards its interests in an increasingly multi-polar world.Brazil’s foreign policy is based on its 1988 constitution, which establishes non-intervention, self-determination, international cooperation and the peaceful settlement of conflicts as guiding principles.That involves “talking to all states at all times without making moral...

Senior Iranian official visits UAE on heels of Saudi deal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:26 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A senior Iranian official visited the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, just days after Tehran agreed to restore diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia in a Chinese-brokered deal that raised hopes of a broader rapprochement across Middle East.Ali Shamkhani, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said his visit was a “meaningful beginning for the two countries to enter a new stage of political, economic and security relations,” Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported. It said he was accompanied by the head of Iran’s central bank and other senior officials.He met with the president of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and other senior officials to discuss “opportunities for enhancing cooperation between the two countries,” the UAE’s official WAM news agency reported. Sunni Arab rulers in the Persian Gulf have viewed Iran with suspicion since the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled a U.S.-allied monarc...

Two Edmonton police officers killed while responding to a call

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:26 GMT

Edmonton police say two patrol officers have been killed while responding to a call.The force did not immediately release any details about what happened.Police chief Dale McFee and other dignitaries are to make brief formal statements later today. Police say further details will be released once they’re confirmed. In response to the deaths, the Edmonton Police Commission cancelled a public meeting that had been planned for today.Police services in Calgary, Vancouver the Greater Toronto Area and Halifax are among those expressing their condolences on Twitter. “This is a tragic loss and one that is shared among law enforcement including our team. We are here to offer our support to (Edmonton police) as well during a devastating time,” deputy Calgary police chief Chad Tawfik wrote on Twitter.“Condolences to the entire service, families, and friends.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published on March 16, 2023. The Canadian Press

Some Canadian employers offer egg freezing as part of expanded fertility benefits

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:26 GMT

Tonya Johnson, 39, is single, happy and freezing her eggs to buy a little more time before she starts a family. The procedure is costly — as much as $15,000 for one egg freezing cycle with medication — putting it out of reach for many. But Johnson works for one of a growing number of companies in Canada offering egg freezing as an employee health benefit. “I spent the bulk of my 30s focused on my career, but I’d like to have a family one day. It just hasn’t happened yet for me,” said Johnson, the communications lead for Canada and Latin America at Snap Inc., the company behind social media app Snapchat. “Egg freezing provides a real sense of freedom for me and a feeling of control over my fertility journey.”Fertility preservation, or the freezing of eggs or sperm, is being offered by some employers as part of an expanded suite of fertility and family planning benefits. Experts say the additional health coverage gives some companies an advantage in...

Some employer benefits cover egg freezing. Here’s a breakdown of the costs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:26 GMT

Fertility preservation, or the freezing of eggs or sperm, is being offered by some employers as part of an expanded suite of fertility and family planning benefits. Here’s a breakdown on the cost of the procedure:Initial assessment and fertility testing: Covered under provincial health care in some provinces, but otherwise can cost several hundred dollars. Egg freezing cycle: $8,600Medication: $4,000 to $8,000 or more, depending on the protocolStorage: $50 per month, generally starting six months to a year after procedureAdministrative fee for transferring egg samples: $400Sources: Evolve Egg Freezing, Trio Fertility, Atlantic Assisted Reproductive TherapiesThis report by The Canadian Press was first published March 16, 2023. The Canadian Press

Yellen tells Congress US banking system ‘remains sound’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:26 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A week after the second-largest bank collapse in U.S. history, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday that the nation’s banking system “remains sound” and Americans “can feel confident” about their deposits.Yellen is the first Biden administration official to face lawmakers over the decision to protect uninsured money at two failed regional banks, a move that some Republicans have criticized as a bank “bailout.” “The government took decisive and forceful actions to strengthen public confidence” in the U.S. banking system, Yellen said in testimony before the committee. “I can reassure the members of the Committee that our banking system remains sound, and that Americans can feel confident that their deposits will be there when they need them.”In less than a week, Silicon Valley Bank, based in Santa Clara, California, failed after depositors rushed to withdraw money amid anxiety over the bank’s health. Then, re...

Macron shuns parliament to enact French retirement bill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:26 GMT

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron shunned parliament and opted to push through a highly unpopular bill that would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 by triggering a special constitutional power on Thursday.The risky move is expected to trigger a quick no-confidence motion in Macron’s government. The decision was made just a few minutes before the vote was scheduled, because the government had no guarantee that the bill would command a majority at the National Assembly, France’s lower house of parliament.The bill is the flagship legislation of Macron’s second term. The unpopular plan has prompted major strikes and protests across the country since January.As lawmakers gathered in the National Assembly Thursday to vote on the bill, the leftist members of the parliament broke into the Marseillaise, the French national anthem, preventing Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to speak and prompting the speaker to suspend the session. The atmosphere was tense outside of the...