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5 signs it's a scam call before you even pick up, according to an expert

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:13:55 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – One of the easiest things you can do to avoid being duped or defrauded by a phone scam: don't even pick up the phone. But how can you tell when an incoming call is a scam or legit?Carriers have rolled out some new tools to help warn people against scammers – you may see a warning like "scam likely" on your phone screen when it rings – but they aren't perfect. There are a few other things you can look for to tip you off that an incoming call probably isn't worth your time. The first major red flag is if the call is coming from an area code that hasn't been allocated, explained Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail, a phone screening and blocking service. "Those area codes are 100% guaranteed to be a scammer. Like area code 300. There's not really a 300, so any calls coming it there are going to be a scam," Quilici said. Don’t fall for it: These 3 phone scams are most popular now In fact, any time the second and third digits of an area code are the same, it's designated an ...

Former Twins star Joe Mauer maintains strong Hall of Fame support

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:13:55 GMT

The wait is on.Eligible members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America have submitted their Hall of Fame ballots and in just a few short weeks, Joe Mauer will know if he has been elected on the first ballot.Mauer has been holding steady in ballots tracked by X user Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs). As of Saturday morning, he currently has support on 82.1 percent of ballots. An estimated 32 percent of all ballots are known. Players need to garner votes on 75 percent of the ballots to be elected to the Hall of Fame.Mauer, a former Cretin-Derham Hall three-sport star and longtime St. Paul icon, is one of five players currently above that threshold, along with Adrián Beltré (98.4), Todd Helton (82.1), Billy Wagner (80.5) and Gary Sheffield (75.6).Just 58 players ever have been inducted as a first-ballot hall of famer. Beltre seems to be well on his way, and Mauer could join the exclusive club, as well.Mauer’s percentage is likely to dip into the 70s and could be very close to 75 pe...

Gateway Arch plays pivotal role in Percy Jackson Disney + adaptation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:13:55 GMT

ST. LOUIS – The iconic St. Louis Arch takes center stage in a Disney+ TV show, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," adapted from the book series of the same name. In the first book, and episode, the Gateway Arch plays a significant role.Walker Scobell, from left, Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri from "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" visit the Empire State Building on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)Functioning as the catalyst for the main character Percy Jackson's discovery of his true powers as the son of Poseidon, the arch becomes a focal point in the narrative. The central characters include Percy, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood. Percy and Annabeth are offspring of gods, Poseidon and Athena, respectively, while Grover is a Satyr, a creature with features of both goat and humanoid. SUV drives through home in south St. Louis County The trio, en route to the Underworld, takes a detour to the Arch as Annabeth expresses a desire to ...

Nuggets’ Michael Porter Jr. on his shot attempts decreasing throughout games: “Sometimes you go a long stretch without really touching the ball”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:13:55 GMT

A familiar trend resurfaced Friday night as the Nuggets let a home game slip away against the depleted Orlando Magic.When Michael Porter Jr. drained his second 3-pointer in the first 90 seconds of the third quarter, Denver stretched its lead to a game-high 74-56. Porter led the team with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting at that point.The Nuggets went on to lose 122-120. The red-hot Porter attempted one shot in the last 18 minutes of game time, resting eight of those minutes. He was in the closing lineup but didn’t attempt a shot in the last seven minutes after draining one more three. The Nuggets scored 25 points in the fourth quarter on 36.4% shooting from the field and 14.3% shooting beyond the arc (0% excluding Porter’s three).It continued a pattern of Porter tending to disappear from Denver’s offense after getting off to fast starts in games. When asked about it, Porter pondered the topic through not just the lens of his own involvement, though. He pointed out mor...

Blinken meets with Turkish, Greek leaders as he tries to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from expanding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:13:55 GMT

By MATTHEW LEE (AP Diplomatic Writer)CHANIA, Greece (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the leaders of Turkey and Greece on Saturday during the opening stops of his latest Mideast diplomatic mission as fears grow that Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza may expand into a broader conflict. Blinken’s fourth visit in three months comes as developments in Lebanon, northern Israel, the Red Sea and Iraq have put intense strains on what had been a modestly successful U.S. push to prevent a regional conflagration since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, and as international criticism of Israel’s military operation mounts.Blinken held talks with Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, in Istanbul about what Turkey and others can do to exert influence, particularly on Iran and its proxies, to ease tensions, speed humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza and begin planning for reconstruction and governance of postwar...

Canadian skier Grenier takes rain-marred World Cup GS for 2nd career win. Shiffrin finishes 9th

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:13:55 GMT

KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (AP) — Valerie Grenier has made a triumphant return to the resort of her first World Cup victory.The Canadian skier won a giant slalom Saturday on the same hill in Slovenia where she celebrated her maiden career win a year ago.“I’m not really sure why it seems to be a really good hill for me, and that last pitch is always one of my best parts,” Grenier said. “I’m not really sure why it just seems to be fitting for me, but I will take it.”In the rain-marred race, Mikaela Shiffrin finished in ninth position, nine days after the American won the previous GS in Austria.Saturday’s result was the American’s worst in 15 giant slaloms since finishing 13th in Killington, Vermont, in November 2022.Looming in fourth, Grenier posted the best time in the second run on a course set by Canadian coach Pierre Miniotti and saw the three fastest racers from the opening leg all fail to beat her.“I feel like I have no wo...

Video captures violent hit-and-run crash on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:13:55 GMT

Dramatic video shows the moment a speeding car caused a fiery chain reaction crash on Thursday night, and now the search is on for the driver who fled the scene of the latest violent collision on Pacific Coast Highway. Home security footage captured the head-on crash, which occurred on PCH near Big Rock Drive in Malibu, roughly five miles east of Malibu Pier. Fugitive on the run for 2 years arrested after trying to ram sheriff’s vehicles in Woodland Hills Only one person was hospitalized in the crash, which was so violent that one of the three vehicles involved had their engine block knocked out. “I was coming home from dinner...going about 55 to 60 miles per hour southbound on Pacific Coast Highway when this guy passed me at well over 100 miles per hour,” said Eddie Braun, who witnessed the crash. “I watched him wreck head-on into a bunch of cars.” Dramatic video shows the moment a speeding car caused a fiery chain reaction crash on Pacific Coast Highway on Thursda...

Second East Bay Hindu Temple hit by vandalism in two weeks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:13:55 GMT

(BCN) -- A second Hindu place of worship in the East Bay has been hit by anti-India graffiti in two weeks, the Hindu American Foundation said Saturday.Vijay's Sherawali Temple in Hayward was vandalized with graffiti supporting a Sikh separatist movement seeking to establish a homeland in northern India, the foundation said in a social media post.The organization didn't say when the Hayward vandalism occurred. A similar act at Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Newark occurred on Dec. 22.Spray paint on a sign at the Hayward temple criticized Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, and called for a sovereign state called Khalistan.The Vijay's Sherawali temple was founded in 2002 in South San Francisco and moved to Hayward in 2021, according to the Hindu American Foundation. "Also known as the East Bay Hindu Community and Cultural Center, it houses idols of Ganesha, Durga, Shiva and Hanuman, serving all segments of the Hindu community," the foundation said.Copyright © 2024 Bay City News, ...

Blinken holds talks with Turkey’s leaders as he seeks to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from expanding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:13:55 GMT

CHANIA, Greece (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Turkey’s leaders Saturday during the first stop of his latest Mideast diplomatic mission as fears grow that Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza may expand into a broader conflict. Blinken’s fourth visit in three months comes as developments in Lebanon, northern Israel, the Red Sea and Iraq have put intense strains on what had been a modestly successful U.S. push to prevent a regional conflagration since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, and as international criticism of Israel’s military operation mounts.Blinken held talks with Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, in Istanbul about what Turkey and others can do to exert influence, particularly on Iran and its proxies, to ease tensions, speed humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza and begin planning for reconstruction and governance of postwar Gaza. Much of the territory has been reduced to rubble by Israeli bombardmen...

Swiatek’s Poland team to play Zverev’s Germany in the United Cup final

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:13:55 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — Top-ranked Iga Swiatek’s Poland team will play Germany in the United Cup final after contrasting semifinal wins on Saturday.Swiatek won her singles match over Caroline Garcia after Hubert Hurkacz gave Poland the early lead over France to advance them to the United Cup mixed teams final.Germany edged host Australia 2-1 with a victory in the mixed doubles in a night session that ended around 2:20 a.m. local time.Angelique Kerber gave Germany a 1-0 lead after saving two match points in a 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7) win over Ajla Tomljanovic.Alex de Minaur beat Alexander Zverev 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 in the men’s singles to level the semifinal for the host nation.Zverev returned for the mixed doubles and combined with Laura Siegmund to help Germany seal it in an epic match tiebreaker which ended 7-6 (2), 6-7 (2), 15-13 after 2 hours, 20 minutes.The German pair converted their fifth match point, after saving two themselves, when Storm Hunter sent a forehand long.It was a long night at S...