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Furman found NCAAs thanks to college roommates, best friends

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:55:42 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Mike Bothwell and Jalen Slawson were thrown together five years ago in the same dorm as freshmen at Furman, essentially forced to be roommates as well as teammates.They’ve fought, made up and gotten tighter and tighter through every experience — on and off the court. They’re lifelong friends, so close they’ve already vowed to be the best man at each other’s eventual weddings.Now, they are beginning their greatest adventure: Furman is in the NCAA Tournament for the first since 1980 and preparing for a first-round game against Virginia in the South Region.“It hasn’t always been easy,” Bothwell said. “We probably argue as teammates more than anyone else on the team, but that just comes from love and wanting to see each other get to our best and we feel comfortable getting on each other. I think it’s a healthy relationship.”It’s arguably the most pivotal one for the 13th-seeded Paladins (27-7), the Southern Conference champions who have won 14 of their last 15...

Ilka Stuhec edges Sofia Goggia for World Cup downhill win

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:55:42 GMT

SOLDEU, Andorra (AP) — One year after almost quitting Alpine skiing in frustration, Ilka Štuhec was back at the peak of her form on Wednesday.The two-time world champion completed her downhill season by beating Sofia Goggia, the season’s standout speed racer, for victory at the World Cup Finals.Štuhec raced down the sun-bathed slope to finish 0.51 seconds ahead of Goggia, a five-time downhill winner this season who already secured the discipline title. Lara Gut-Behrami was third, 0.81 seconds back.Štuhec added a second victory in an impressive season when she was also runner-up at two of Goggia’s victories. They were the 32-year-old Slovenian skier’s first podium finishes since retaining her world championship title in downhill in February 2019 in Are, Sweden.“It means really a lot actually because this time last year I was thinking, should I continue? Should I quit? What should I do with my life?” Štuhec said. “Then I listened to my guts and I was like OK, I will change...

US, Russian military chiefs resume contact to discuss drone

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:55:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he spoke to his Russian counterpart on Wednesday about the destruction of a U.S. drone over the Black Sea, which had brought the two countries closest to direct conflict since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago. It was the first call between Austin and Defense Secretary Sergei Shoigu since October. “I just got off the phone with my Russian counterpart, Minister Shoigu,” Austin said at a Pentagon press briefing. “As I’ve said repeatedly, it’s important that great powers be models of transparency and communication, and the United States will continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows.”The U.S. military said it ditched the Air Force MQ-9 Reaper in the sea after a Russian fighter jet struck its propeller. Russia has denied that it caused the incident. The U.S. has said it was working on declassifying surveillance footage from the drone that would show Tuesday’s crash. That Austin and Shoigu were...

South American World Cup qualifying to start in September

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:55:42 GMT

SAO PAULO (AP) — South American soccer body CONMEBOL announced Wednesday that the region’s qualifying for the 2026 World Cup will kick off in September.Defending champion Argentina will start at home against Ecuador. Brazil will also play host in its first qualifying match against Bolivia. The dates and venues for those matches are yet to be decided.The United States, Mexico and Canada are hosting the 48-team tournament.Brazil will host Argentina in the sixth round of the qualifying, which will be played in November. It will be the first match between the two since the cancellation of a World Cup qualifying clash in September 2021 due to health protocols after a few minutes of play.Argentina will host Brazil in March 2025 in the 14th round.For the expanded tournament, six South American teams will have direct spots and the seventh-place team will qualify through a playoff. For last year’s World Cup in Qatar, four teams had berths and a fifth qualified through a playoff.C...

EPA ‘neighbor’ rule cuts downwind pollution by power plants

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:55:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new “good neighbor” rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency will restrict smokestack emissions from power plants and other industrial sources that burden downwind areas with smog-causing pollution they can’t control. Nearly two dozen states will have to cut harmful industrial emissions of nitrogen oxide and other pollutants to improve air quality for millions of people living in downwind communities.The final rule, issued Wednesday, will save thousands of lives, keep tens of thousands of people out of the hospital, prevent millions of asthma attacks and reduce sick days, according to the agency.“Every community deserves fresh air to breathe. We know air pollution doesn’t stop at the state line,” said EPA Administrator Michael Regan. The rule will take effect in May for power plants and “lock in significant pollution reductions to ensure cleaner air and deliver public health protections for those who’ve suffered far too long from air-quality...

Defense Secretary Austin says he spoke to Russian counterpart about destruction of US drone over Black Sea

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:55:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Austin says he spoke to Russian counterpart about destruction of US drone over Black Sea.Source

Macron’s pension plan advances despite strikes across France

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:55:42 GMT

PARIS (AP) — French people hoping to preserve their retirement benefits took to the streets nationwide on Wednesday as President Emmanuel Macron’s unpopular pension plan was validated by a committee of lawmakers meeting behind closed doors. Macron had the means on the joint Senate and National Assembly committee to advance his plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, but it remains to be seen whether it can command a parliamentary majority. If not, Macron would have to impose the unpopular changes unilaterally. Unions are hoping some 200 protests across the country will demonstrate the political consequences to the change, which Macron has promoted as central to his vision for making the French economy more competitive. Economic challenges have prompted widespread unrest across Western Europe. In Britain on Wednesday, teachers, junior doctors and public transport staff were striking for higher wages to match rising prices. And Spain’s left-wing government joined w...

Bank fears spread to Europe, drag down shares of big lenders

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:55:42 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — Fears about the world banking system spread to Europe on Wednesday as shares in the globally connected Swiss bank Credit Suisse plunged and dragged down other major European lenders in the wake of bank failures in the United States.At one point, Credit Suisse shares lost more than a quarter of their value, hitting a record low after the bank’s biggest shareholder — the Saudi National Bank — told news outlets that it would not put more money into the Swiss lender, which was beset by problems long before the U.S. banks collapsed.The turmoil prompted an automatic pause in trading of Credit Suisse shares on the Swiss market and sent shares of other European banks tumbling, some by double digits. That fanned new fears about the health of financial institutions following the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the U.S.Speaking Wednesday at a financial conference in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, Credit Suisse Chairman Axel Lehmann defended the ba...

Brighton Police: 1 person shot, schools on secure status

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:55:42 GMT

BRIGHTON, Colo. (KDVR) -- One person has been shot and the Brighton Police Department has put several schools on secure status, the department said.Police responded near South 9th Avenue and Bush Street after receiving reports of shots fired. Brighton Police tweeted that there is "possible student involvement.""The following schools have been placed on SECURE in connection to police response to a shooting in Brighton this afternoon: Brighton High, Vikan Middle, Prairie View High and Middle, South, Southeast Elementary schools, I&O, Bright Beginnings," a tweet from 27J schools said. Minutes later, the district tweeted: "A Lockdown was initiated at Prairie View High School in connection to the previous Secure."Additional schools have been placed on secure, 27J said: "We have placed multiple, additional schools on Secure out an abundance of caution. Schools that have been placed on Secure now include Northeast Elementary, Overland Trail, Thimmig Elementary, and Henderson Elementary...

NBA player suspended over gun incident at Colorado strip club

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:55:42 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has been suspended eight games after video showed him with a gun at a Colorado strip club.The incident took place at Shotgun Willie's in Glendale on March 3 after the Grizzlies lost to the Denver Nuggets.The video showed Morant at the club dancing and he appeared to have a gun in his possession during it. The NBA said his suspension is for "conduct detrimental to the league," according to the Associated Press. No charges for Ja Morant in alleged gun incident at Shotgun Willie’s Morant has not played in the past five games, and they will be counted toward his suspension. He will be eligible to return Monday when the Grizzlies play Dallas. In total, the suspension means he will forfeit about $669,000 in salary.“Ja’s conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “It also has serious consequences given his enormous following and influence, particularly among youn...