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Is baseball’s Shohei Ohtani a $701 million man?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

Angels star Shohei Ohtani, left, will likely get a long-term contract larger than teammate Mike Trout’s $426 million, 12-year deal.(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)One big-money California business deal to watch is how rich Angels baseball star Shohei Ohtani will become once his current contract ends this year.Ohtani, who’s making $30 million in 2023, will be a free agent when the season ends. He’ll be available for hire by any of Major League Baseball’s 30 teams to pursue. It’s all but given he’ll sign the priciest long-term contract in baseball history.Now, it’s hard to argue that anybody paid $30 million in a single year is underpaid. Hey, it’s the 15th biggest paycheck in baseball, according to Spotrac. But if you’re not a sports fan, please realize this athlete is arguably the game’s best batter and pitcher – a two-way feat nobody else has pulled off.Next week’s All-Star Game will serve as another billboard for O...

Zelenskyy visits Bulgaria and draws support for Kyiv’s NATO membership bid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed military aid Thursday during a trip to the Bulgarian capital in which Bulgaria’s parliament expressed its support for Ukraine’s entry into NATO after i ts war with Russia is over.During his brief visit at the invitation of Bulgaria’s new pro-Western government sworn in a month ago, Zelenskyy also discussed European integration and bilateral energy cooperation. Talking to reporters after the meetings, he defended Ukraine’s right to fight Russian aggression and to seek help to do so.“Occupiers came to our land, killed, tortured, kidnapped Ukrainian children, separated them from their families and tried to teach them hatred,” Zelenskyy said. “This is happening at a time when we need to be united and build an international order based on rules”, he added.Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov emphasized the support of his country, an European Union and NATO member, for Ukraine’s territorial integrity. ...

Stock market today: Dow drops 400 after hot jobs data raises threat of high rates

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are falling Thursday after reports suggested the U.S. job market remains much more resilient than expected.The S&P 500 was 1.3% lower in morning trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 446 points, or 1.3%, at 33,842, as of 10:25 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.4% lower.While a sturdy labor market keeps the economy out of a long-feared recession, it could also push the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates higher for longer in its campaign to defeat high inflation. That in turn could mean more pressure down the line on the economy and financial markets.A report from ADP Research Institute suggested hiring by private employers was much stronger last month than economists expected, with nearly twice as many jobs created than forecast.The ADP report can be volatile and “isn’t necessarily a good predictor of the monthly jobs report” that is more comprehensive and due from the U.S. government on Friday, said Mike Loewengart, head of...

U.S. job openings dip to 9.8 million but remain high, showing resilience in labor market

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. job openings slipped in May but remained at levels high enough to illustrate that the American labor market remains resilient in the face of sharply higher interest rates.Employers posted 9.8 million job vacancies, down from 10.3 million in April, the Labor Department said Thursday. But layoffs fell slightly, and more Americans quit their jobs — a sign they were confident they could find better pay or working conditions elsewhere.Job openings fell in healthcare, insurance and finance. But there were more jobs available in education and government.The Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), “continues to reflect a gradually slowing yet still-robust labor market, one that is cooler than a year ago but still hot,” said Nick Bunker, research director at the Indeed Hiring Lab. He added that “demand for new hires remains elevated and employers are still holding onto the workers they have.”Monthly job openings ...

Despite prevention efforts, fireworks were used to target people, police in Minneapolis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Large groups of people used fireworks to target other people and police in Minneapolis over the Fourth of July holiday, even as police staffing doubled and the city took other measures to try and avoid such trouble.The “brazen and reckless” discharge of fireworks didn’t result in any serious injuries, Police Chief Brian O’Hara said. But in one case, an officer chased down and arrested a 17-year-old suspect who allegedly fired a barrage of Roman candles at an occupied squad car, the Star Tribune reported. In another, commercial-grade fireworks were launched at a group of pedestrians.Preventative steps were taken after 2022 Independence Day gatherings in and near downtown turned violent, with fireworks launched at buildings, cars and first responders. In addition to increased police staffing, the Stone Arch Bridge downtown was closed from 10 p.m. Tuesday through 6 a.m. Wednesday.O’Hara said the measures helped.“Last year, the MPD was overwhelmed an...

Canada expected to break heat records for third day in a row

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

Some experts say 2023 could go down as the hottest year on record.This comes as the global temperature is expected to break records for the third day in a row.“1.38 C above pre-industrial levels is warmer than before we started burning fossil fuels. 9 out of the past 9 years have been the warmest on record and I think 2023 is going to make that 10 out of 10 without a doubt,” explained CNN meteorologist Chad Myers.The hottest day ever recorded now has an average global temperature of 17.18 C, which was Wednesday, surpassing another record-breaker which was on Monday at 17.01 C. Both of those temperatures broke the previous record which was set back in 2016.These numbers are according to the Climate Re-analyzer Project, painting a very concerning picture.“You can imagine the hottest day you’ve ever experienced in your life and that may be a typical summer day if we continue down this path,” said University of Pennsylvania earth and environmental science p...

A hiker is missing in Yosemite after being swept away by a fast-flowing creek

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — A hiker has been missing in Yosemite National Park since the holiday weekend after being swept away by a cold and fast-flowing creek as California’s epic winter snowpack melts.Hayden T. Klemenok vanished while backpacking with a group at Upper Chilnualna Falls on Sunday, the National Park Service said in a statement.“At approximately 2 p.m., he entered Chilnualna Creek near the trail junction, and his whereabouts are currently unknown,” the service said.The section of creek is about a dozen miles (20 kilometers) south of Yosemite Valley and features a series of waterfalls and cascades that plunge hundreds of feet.Klemenok’s parents told The San Francisco Chronicle that his friends said the day of the accident was hot and the 24-year-old from Petaluma, California, had gotten down on all fours to wet his face, but his hands slipped and he went into the water.“It’s the worst experience any parent or family should go through,” said Michelle Kl...

Toronto’s Pearson Airport to host hydrogen refuelling station

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

Toronto’s Pearson Airport will be home to Ontario’s first public hydrogen refuelling station.The Greater Toronto Airports Authority and Carlsun Energy announced the station Thursday.They say in a press release that the refuelling station will have capability for both cars and transport trucks. Carlsun will build, own and operate the station, which the two groups say is enabled by $1 million from Natural Resources Canada. According to Natural Resources Canada, there are currently five retail hydrogen stations across the country, four of which are in British Columbia, and the fifth in Quebec. The GTAA says this station is part of the Pearson airport’s commitment to clean and efficient energy solutions. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2023.The Canadian Press

CP NewsAlert: N.W.T. signs agreement in principle with feds on health funding

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

OTTAWA — The Northwest Territories has signed on to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s health funding offer, which would see a $361-million boost to health transfers to the territories over 10 years. More coming.The Canadian Press

Democratic council member joins race for Indiana’s open US Senate seat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indianapolis City-County Council member on Thursday became the second announced Democrat to seek Indiana’s open U.S. Senate seat in the 2024 election.Keith Potts is joining former state lawmaker Marc Carmichael in vying for the party’s nomination to fill the seat that Republican Sen. Mike Braun is giving up to run for Indiana governor. Carmichael announced his bid last month. No well-known Democrats have made moves to start campaigns in the Republican-dominated state. Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Banks has secured high-profile support as the only prominent GOP candidate in the Senate race.Potts was elected to the Indianapolis council in 2019 and didn’t seek reelection this year. He cited affordable health care, and protecting abortion rights and Social Security as top campaign issues against Banks, who has gained attention in Washington as a combative defender of former President Donald Trump.Carmichael was a state representative from Muncie in 1986-91 and w...