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Dolphins’ Durham Smythe throws playful jab at longtime friend Mike Gesicki over departure to Patriots

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:21 GMT

Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe are best friends from five years together on the Miami Dolphins.The two tight ends came into the organization together as members of the same 2018 draft class. They grew up as professionals together in the same positional group and remained together through two coaching changes and more offensive coordinator alterations.After one season under coach Mike McDaniel and his offense, though, Smythe was deemed to fit as the capable blocker while Gesicki, a talented pass-catcher lacking blocking ability, was not. Smythe was given a contract extension while Gesicki was allowed to walk in free agency.But of all the teams Gesicki could’ve gone to, he heads to the division rival New England Patriots. And Smythe threw some playful jabs at Gesicki for making that move in a Tuesday web conference with reporters.“I thought it was a direct shot at me,” Smythe cracked. “Because, if he’s not staying here, that he’d try to get at me in...

Biden, Yoon warn N. Korea on nukes, unveil deterrence plan

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:21 GMT

By AAMER MADHANI, COLLEEN LONG and ZEKE MILLER (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol unveiled a new plan Wednesday to counter North Korea’s nuclear threat, with the U.S. leader issuing a blunt warning that such an attack would “result in the end of whatever regime” took such action.The new nuclear deterrence effort calls for periodically docking U.S. nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea for the first time in decades, bolstering training between the two countries, and more. The declaration was unveiled as Biden hosted Yoon for a state visit at a moment of heightened anxiety over an increased pace of ballistic missile tests by North Korea.“A nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners is unacceptable, and will result in the end of whatever regime were to take such an action,” Biden said during afternoon Rose Garden news conference with Yoon.Yoon said th...

Review: ‘Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love’ is an old-school NBC special for an old-school talent

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:21 GMT

Nina Metz | Chicago TribuneNBC’s “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love” is a throwback to the kind of old-school specials that rarely air on television anymore.But it’s fitting. Carol Burnett is old-school herself.She’s also one of the executive producers here and her influence on the show’s pacing is evident. In the 11 years that she made “The Carol Burnett Show” from 1967 to 1978, Burnett kept things moving: “I never wanted to reset and retape anything,” she recently told The Hollywood Reporter. “We taped our show in an hour and 15 minutes.”Burnett isn’t on stage this time out, she’s in the audience, but the same philosophy has carried over. Even with careful editing, these kinds of things can sag. She didn’t want that to happen: “I want people to feel like they’re seeing a Broadway show, not sitting around waiting for scenery or costume changes.”Her showbiz instincts have always been razor sharp and they remain so even at age 90.Other details are hazy. Her original show air...

Two UCF men’s basketball players file for early entry to NBA Draft

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:21 GMT

The NBA released a list of 242 players from colleges and professional teams who have applied for early entry into the 2023 draft and two members of UCF men’s basketball appeared.Taylor Hendricks, a projected top-10 pick in the June 22 draft, was included as expected.A name that’s somewhat surprising to see listed is UCF guard Ithiel Horton.While Hendricks had already publicly declared for the draft more than a month ago — first by telling ESPN and then sharing a graphic on social media — Horton’s decision to file for early entry comes with little to no fanfare.The redshirt senior guard was one of two Knights to start all 34 games this past season. Hendricks, the program’s first one-and-done, was the other player to do so.It’s unclear when Horton made the decision to enter the draft early but the deadline was Sunday night.If Horton wants to return and join the Knights in the Big 12 Conference for his final year of eligibility, the NCAA’...

Woman hospitalized after being struck by vehicle

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:21 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A pedestrian was critically injured after being struck by a vehicle on Wednesday morning, authorities said.The San Diego Police Department told FOX 5 the incident happened around 7 a.m. at the intersection of Westmore Road and Camino Ruiz in the Mira Mesa neighborhood. Workers strike could impact MTS routes Police say the driver of a truck hit a woman who authorities say was in critical condition at the scene. The pedestrian was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The circumstances surrounding the collision have not yet been determined and SDPD is investigating.This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

One year after taking on new name, Toronto Metropolitan University reflects on change

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:21 GMT

A year after Ryerson University was reintroduced to the public with a new name – a major move in addressing problematic colonial legacies – its president says the school’s updated identity has helped bring a previously divided campus community together.But some Indigenous faculty say they’re worried progress on reconciliation has slowed considerably since Toronto Metropolitan University took on its new name.University president Mohamed Lachemi said renaming the school has been an important part of its commitment to reconciliation.“The new name proved to be a source of unity,” he said in an interview. “A couple of years ago, the old name was a source of division and frustration, and I’m not feeling that anymore.”The university had faced calls for years to change its name and cut ties with its former namesake, Egerton Ryerson, considered an architect of Canada’s residential school system.Those demands ramped up in 2021 follow...

Montana transgender lawmaker faces possible discipline

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:21 GMT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Republican leaders in Montana are voting Wednesday on whether to discipline transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr for saying her colleagues would “see the blood on your hands” over votes to ban gender-affirming medical care for children.Lawmakers began their session shortly after 1 p.m.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Republican leaders in Montana will vote Wednesday on censuring or expelling transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr for saying her colleagues would “see the blood on your hands” over votes to ban gender-affirming medical care for children.For the past week, Zephyr has been forbidden from speaking on the House floor. A protest against lawmakers silencing Zephyr disrupted Monday’s House session. Authorities arrested seven people in a confrontation that Republicans claim Zephyr had encouraged. The first-term Democrat received notice from House leaders Tuesday night informing her of the plan to consider disciplinary action a...

Stock market today: First Republic falls more, tech rallies

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:21 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is falling again Wednesday, though a rally for Microsoft and some other Big Tech stocks is helping to limit the losses. The S&P 500 was 0.5% lower in late trading after erasing an earlier gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 237 points, or 0.7%, at 33,283, with less than an hour to go in trading, while the Nasdaq composite was leading the market with a 0.4% gain.Wall Street is coming off its worst day in a month, hurt by concerns about the strength of U.S. banks. The spotlight has been harshest on First Republic Bank, which lost another 33% after nearly halving the day before. That’s when it detailed for the first time how many of its customers bolted amid last month’s turmoil in the industry.The worry is that it and other smaller and mid-sized banks could suffer debilitating runs of deposits from customers, similar to the ones that caused the second- and third-largest U.S. bank failures in history last month.PacWest Bancorp., a...

House Republicans prep for debt vote; Biden open to meeting

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:21 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy rushed ahead Wednesday toward a vote on his sweeping debt ceiling package despite a veto threat from the White House, shoring up support after making post-midnight concessions to Republican holdouts in the slim GOP majority.Passage of the sprawling 320-page package in the House would be a turnaround for the embattled McCarthy as he unites his fractious Republican majority confronting President Joe Biden with demands for spending restrictions and cuts in exchange for approving $1.5 trillion more in debt to pay the nation’s bills. While the president has refused to negotiate over the debt limit and has threatened to veto the broad Republican bill — which would almost surely die in the Democratic Senate anyway — McCarthy is challenging Biden with his plan to kickstart negotiations and prevent a potentially catastrophic federal default this summer. The two men could hardly be further apart on how to resolve the issue.Biden, on Wednesd...

Teck says Glencore bid remains ‘non-starter,’ but leaves door open for suitors

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:21 GMT

Teck Resources Ltd.’s move to cancel a key shareholder vote on its plan to separate its businesses may be seen as a win for Glencore in its ongoing campaign to acquire the Vancouver-based mining company.But Teck is standing by its assertion that the offer by the Swiss commodities giant remains a “non-starter,” and Teck CEO Jonathan Price indicated Wednesday the company may be receptive to other suitors. “We have premium businesses. And when it comes to M&A, we firmly believe that competition for assets drives value,” Price told a conference call with analysts.Teck announced just hours before its annual meeting Wednesday that it will not go ahead with the vote on its plan to split its metals and steelmaking coal businesses into two companies.The move suggested the company did not believe it had the two-thirds approval from shareholders required for its proposal, which would have split the company into Teck Metals and Elk Valley Resources (EVR).Glenco...