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Bill Belichick, Jerod Mayo, Patriots’ defense have something to prove vs. Chiefs

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

FOXBORO — The Patriots have been eliminated from the playoffs and still have four games to go before the 2023 season mercifully reaches its conclusion, so it’s hard to find things that truly matter in the final slate.Here’s one: The Chiefs’ offense presents a true test for a Patriots defense that has dominated since Week 10 but hasn’t faced an even above-average offense in that span. And how the Patriots’ defense performs Sunday against head coach Andy Reid, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce could have long-term ramifications on the franchise as a whole.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Callahan: What tricks does Bill Belichick have left for Patrick Mahomes? New England Patriots | Poll: Where do you want Patriots Coach Bill Belichick to be next year? New England Patriots | Patriots impending free agent open to re-signing this offseason New England Patriots | Will Travis Kelce be latest player Bill B...

Ayo Dosunmu steps in — and up — for the injured Alex Caruso. 5 takeaways from the Chicago Bulls’ win over the Miami Heat.

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

The Chicago Bulls are learning to overcome adversity with guidance from a few of their young players.Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu powered the Bulls to a 124-116 victory over the Heat on Thursday night in the first of two straight games in Miami. The teams play again Saturday.Here are five takeaways from the win.1. Alex Caruso exits early after missing 2 games with a left ankle injury.The Bulls were momentarily buoyed by the return of Caruso, who started after missing the prior two games because of an ankle injury. The guard appeared to immediately snap back into form, sinking a 3-pointer on the first possession of the game.But that didn’t last. Caruso played less than five minutes before the ankle injury flared up after he was stepped on accidentally by Nikola Vučević. Caruso went to the bench, then to the locker room after a brief conversation with the medical staff before being ruled out at halftime. Caruso finished with six points and one assist. His availability fo...

CMHC says annual pace of housing starts in Canada down 22% in November

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the annual pace of housing starts fell 22 per cent in November.The agency says the monthly seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts in November came in at 212,624 units, down from 272,264 in October.The drop came as the annual pace of urban starts fell 23 per cent to 195,363 units, with the rate of multi-unit urban starts down 27 per cent at 151,297. Single-detached urban starts fell seven per cent to 44,066 units.The rate of starts in Montreal was down 30 per cent, while Toronto and Vancouver both saw a drop of 39 per cent, driven by significantly lower multi-unit starts.The annual pace of rural starts for November was an estimated 17,261.The six-month moving average of the monthly seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts in November was 257,777, up 0.7 per cent from 255,876 in October.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2023.The Canadian Press

The EU struggles to unify around a Gaza cease-fire call but work on peace moves continues

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — As the civilian death toll in Gaza continues to mount, a number of European Union leaders sought on Friday to use growing concern about Israel’s military offensive against Hamas to convince their partners to rally around a united call for a ceasefire.“The killing of innocent civilians really needs to stop,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said. He said the EU must unite “if we want to play a serious role in that conflict, and I think we have to because we will be wearing the consequences if things go further in a bad direction.”More than 18,700 Palestinians have now been killed, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths, since Hamas rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7.Hamas killed about 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and took about 240 hostages.The EU is the world’s biggest provider of aid to the Palestinians and has been trying to use its diplomatic levera...

Quebecer finds winning Loto ticket inside Christmas decorations, wins $50,000

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

When you put your Christmas decorations away, did you ever think you might find a winning Loto ticket in 12 months? Well, that’s what happened to Mathieu Labrie, from the Montérégie region.He won a $50,000 Celebration prize just days before the deadline.On Nov. 29, while taking Christmas decorations out of their boxes with his family, he discovered an intact Celebration 2023 ticket. After scratching off the nearly year-old ticket, he verified it on Loto-Québec’s mobile app and “couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the $50,000 on the screen.When Labrie went to Loto-Québec, he had exactly 39 days left to claim his prize.“A stunned Labrie immediately broke the news to his wife, who shouted with joy. Wanting to be sure of their luck, the couple went to their neighbours to check the ticket again,” wrote Loto-Québec in a press release.Still not convinced, he then asked friends to drive him to a lottery retailer so he could check the ticket a third time...

Ontario awards contract to build elevated stretch of Eglinton Crosstown West Extension

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

Ontario has awarded the contract to design and build the Eglinton Crosstown west extension.The elevated west portion of the line will be constructed by Aecon Infrastructure Management Inc. and will be about 1.5 kilometres in length. It will run along the north side of Eglinton Avenue from west of Scarlett Road to east of Jane Street. The subway will head underground again and connect with the future Mount Dennis station.“Elevating the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension over the Humber River will maximize travel time savings for commuters, while minimizing impacts to surrounding communities,” reads a release from the province.The Ford government says the extension will support as many as 4,600 jobs annually during construction and attract more than 69,000 daily boardings by 2041.The announcement on the development of the line west extension comes before the completion of line itself. Earlier this month, officials provided their first in-station Eglinton Crosstown LRT const...

The title of Bill Maher’s new book promises “What This Comedian Said Will Shock You”

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Bill Maher has had a few second thoughts, or at least some variations on the first ones.Next June, Simon & Schuster will publish “What This Comedian Said Will Shock You,” in which the outspoken host of HBO’s “Real Time With Bill Maher” revisits some of his on-air commentary. According to the publisher’s announcement Friday, Maher “reviewed more than a decade of his editorials, rewriting, reimagining, and updating them, and adding new material to speak exactly to the moment we’re in.”Subjects range from free speech and drugs to religion and show business. “We’re not investigative journalists — we don’t break stories, we break new ways of looking at stories,” Maher said in a statement.Maher’s previous books include “The New New Rules” and the novel “True Story.”The Associated Press

How a Canadian prepares for a stint on the ISS

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

In 2025, Canadian astronaut Josh Kutryk will take to the stars for a stint on the International Space Station, the latest in a long string of examples of Canada punching above its weight in space exploration. Josh Kutryk is a Canadian astronaut, engineer and pilot. He will be an occupant of the International Space Station in 2025. “It’s a little bit of a mix because on one hand, this is something I’ve been dreaming about for a long, long time. […]  At the same time, though, I’ve been preparing. I’ve been training for years,” said Kutryk. What will he be doing there? How does the ISS manage to stay above the global geopolitical fray? How on Earth (literally) do you prepare for months in space? And just how far beyond the ISS will Canadian astronauts one day travel?You can subscribe to The Big Story podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google and Spotify.You can also find it at thebigstorypodcast.ca.

Plane crashes and catches fire on North Carolina highway with 2 people escaping serious injuries

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A small plane crashed on a western North Carolina highway and caught fire Thursday night, but the two people on board escaped life-threatening injuries, authorities said.A single-engine Diamond DA-40 crashed on Interstate 26 near Asheville Regional Airport around 8:15 p.m. with two people on board, the Federal Aviation Administration reported. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said the plane hit power lines that cross I-26 and one wing hit a tractor-trailer, WLOS-TV reported. The plane was engulfed in flames.The truck was damaged, but the driver was not injured, the highway patrol said. Two people who were on the plane were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.The highway was closed in both directions Friday morning as Duke Power workers fixed powerlines that cross the highway, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash...

Why have thousands of United Methodist churches in the US quit the denomination?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

The United Methodist Church has been undergoing a major upheaval as more than 7,000 congregations across the country, one quarter of the total, decided whether to leave the denomination or remain United Methodist. This splintering resulted from a long-simmering debate over theological differences and the role of LGBTQ people in the church.WHY IS THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH SPLINTERING?For decades, the denomination has been mired in intractable debates over theology and the role of LGBTQ people in the church. The UMC bans same-sex marriage and openly LGBTQ clergy.But amid increased defiance of those bans in many U.S. churches, several conservatives decided to launch the separate Global Methodist Church. Progressives who remain in the UMC are expected to advocate for removing the bans at the denomination’s next General Conference, in the spring of 2024.WHEN DID CONGREGATIONS START LEAVING? The departures began in 2019 but ramped up during this year’s just-completed round of regular an...