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Ticker: High-speed rail launches in Florida; UK signals OK on Microsoft, Activision Blizzard deal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:42 GMT

A privately owned high-speed passenger train service launched Friday between Florida’s two biggest tourist hubs.The Brightline train is a $5 billion bet by owner Fortress Investment Group that eventually 8 million people annually will take the 3.5-hour, 235-mile trip between Miami and Orlando — about 30 minutes less than the average drive.The company is charging single riders $158 round-trip for business class and $298 for first-class, with families and groups able to buy four round-trip tickets for $398. Thirty-two trains will run daily.Brightline, which began running its neon-yellow trains the 70 miles between Miami and West Palm Beach in 2018, is the first private intercity passenger service to begin U.S. operations in a century.The only other U.S. high-speed line is Amtrak’s Acela service between Boston and Washington, D.C., which began in 2000. Amtrak is owned by the federal government.UK signals OK on Microsoft, Activision Blizzard dealMicrosoft’s restructure...

Soccer notebook: A sister act at St. Mary’s (Lynn)

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:42 GMT

LYNN — It’s not often that you see siblings playing together at the varsity level. Simply having one pair can create plenty of camaraderie within a program.If you were to pay a visit to a girls soccer practice at St. Mary’s (Lynn) at any point this season, you would notice a unique phenomenon that may have never been seen before.The Spartans? Their squad boasts four sets of sisters, each playing vital roles for their school’s varsity program as it looks to compete in the Div. 3 landscape.St. Mary’s coach Jim Foley has been with the Spartans for 25 years now, and has seen just about everything imaginable in his tenure.That is, until recently.“No I really haven’t (had something like this),” said Foley. “We’ve had sisters come through the program that have played before, but not in terms of four sets of sisters.”That’s not all.“We do have another three sets on JV,” Foley said. “Between (the two squads) we have seven sets of sisters that are in the program, which is pretty a...

Red Sox notebook: Zack Kelly completes improbable comeback from elbow surgery

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:42 GMT

It seemed in the moment like Zack Kelly’s season, and possibly big league career, was over.Barely two weeks after making his first Opening Day roster, the 28-year-old rookie appeared to blow out his elbow on the mound at Tropicana Field. It was an ugly, emotional scene, but while Tommy John surgery initially seemed likely, further testing revealed the injury was not as serious as originally feared.Kelly instead underwent a successful ulnar nerve transportation revision on his right elbow, which allowed for the possibility he might be able to return to action before season’s end.The right-hander officially accomplished that goal on Sunday, and now he’ll have a chance to finish the season with the big league club before heading into what should be a normal offseason.“It was important to me to get back no matter how many or how little games we have left, but to get back and be able to close the book on this chapter, because I really didn’t want a five-mont...

Kosovar police surround a village after Serb gunmen storm a monastery in violence that has killed 4

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:42 GMT

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Dozens of Serb gunmen dressed in combat uniforms killed a Kosovar Albanian police officer then stormed an Orthodox monastery in Kosovo near its border with Serbia, setting off gunbattles that left three assailants dead and further raised tensions between the two former wartime foes as they seek to normalize ties. Kosovo police surrounded Banjska, a village located 55 kilometers (35 miles) north of Kosovo’s capital where the monastery is located, and the gunfire was continuing, according to Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Kosovo’s interior minister stated later Sunday that the area was under control but he did not say if the gunmen had left.The Kosovo Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church said a temple of the monastery in Banjska was locked down after the gunmen stormed it. A group of pilgrims from Serbia was inside the temple along with an abbot. Kurti said the attack was supported by Serbia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke later Sunday in B...

President Macron says France will end its military presence in Niger, pull its ambassador after coup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:42 GMT

PARIS (AP) — President Emmanuel Macron announced Sunday that France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country after its democratically elected president was deposed in a coup.The announcement is a significant, if predicted, blow to France’s policy in Africa, after French troops pulled out of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years after coups there. France had stationed thousands of troops in the Sahel region at the request of African leaders to fight jihadist groups.France has maintained some 1,500 troops in Niger since the July coup, and had repeatedly refused an order by the new junta for its ambassador to leave, saying that France didn’t recognize the coup leaders as legitimate.Tensions between France and Niger, a former French colony, have mounted in recent weeks, and Macron said recently that diplomats were surviving on military rations as they holed up in the embassy.In an interview with France-2 television, Macron said...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs bills to enhance the state’s protections for LGBTQ+ people

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:42 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several bills Saturday aimed at bolstering the state’s protections for LGBTQ+ people, a day after issuing a controversial veto that was criticized by advocates.The new laws include legislation that focuses on support for LGBTQ+ youth. One law sets timelines for required cultural competency training for public school teachers and staff, while another creates an advisory task force to determine the needs of LGBTQ+ students and help advance supportive initiatives. A third requires families to show that they can and are willing to meet the needs of a child in foster care regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. “California is proud to have some of the most robust laws in the nation when it comes to protecting and supporting our LGBTQ+ community, and we’re committed to the ongoing work to create safer, more inclusive spaces for all Californians,” Newsom said in a statement. “These measures will help pro...

‘Expend4bles’ opens with epic flop while ‘Nun 2’ claims top spot again at the box office

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:42 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham weren’t enough to save “ Expend4bles ” from a debut box office flop. The fourth installment suffered the action-packed franchise’s worst opening weekend while “ The Nun 2 ” took home the top spot for a third straight week, data firm Comscore reported on Sunday.The Lionsgate and Millennium’s film, also known as “Expendables 4,” pulled in a mediocre $8.3 million for the big-budget project. It starred several popular names, including Stallone, Statham, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox and Dolph Lundgren. It’s been nearly a decade since the franchise released a film, which opened with $15.8 million and eventually grossed $214 million globally.But times have certainly changed, as the film barely placed second behind “The Nun 2,” a horror movie that earned $8.4 million in its first week. It’s been a solid start for that Warner Bros.’ project — a spinoff from the lucrative “Conjuring”...

Video shows deputy slamming girl to the ground in Southern California

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:42 GMT

(KTLA) – A teen girl was hospitalized after being thrown to the ground by a sheriff’s deputy during a violent brawl in San Bernardino County, California, Friday night.Authorities responded to a large fight that erupted during a football game at Victor Valley High School around 6:28 p.m., according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.It all started when the first deputy to arrive discovered multiple fights were taking place at the time. Pepper balls were shot into the crowd in an effort to disperse the group. The move, however, was not effective and the crowds began heading toward the deputy, officials said.As additional deputies arrived, another pepper ball round was launched at the group. That’s when 16-year-old Faith Jeffers grabbed the pepper ball launcher from the deputy, the sheriff's department said. During the struggle, the deputy allegedly picked up Jeffers and body slammed her to the ground, her family said.A teen girl is hospitalized after being thrown t...

Worker dies while preparing for Formula 1 race on Las Vegas Strip: sources

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:42 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A man is dead after he became injured while setting up for the upcoming Formula 1 race in Las Vegas, sources tell Nexstar's KLAS.Around 11:30 a.m. Saturday, officers were called to Las Vegas Boulevard after a worker was injured. Police said that a man sustained a "major laceration to the neck" while working at the Bellagio Fountains.The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Here’s what you can’t see on the Las Vegas Strip as F1 construction continues The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be investigating the incident, police said. No other details have been released at this time.Construction has been underway in front of the Bellagio as crews build the grandstands. The fountains will soon be blocked from view, according to renderings released in February. F1's Las Vegas Grand Prix will be held November 16-18. Earlier this year, a contractor was killed while setting up for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race. He was r...

Biden disapproval rating hits highest mark of presidency: poll

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:42 GMT

(The Hill) – President Biden’s disapproval rating hit the highest mark of his presidency in a new poll that also showed support by essential voting blocs is slipping.Biden’s disapproval rating ticked up to 56 percent, with 41 percent saying they approve. The survey also shows support for Biden slipping with voters aged 18-24, who reported a 46 percent approval rating; Latinos, who reported 43 percent; and independents — who will be key to deciding the general election — at 36 percent.The NBC News poll released Sunday continues the trend of showing an overwhelming majority of voters expressing concern about Biden as well as his likely 2024 general election opponent, former President Trump. But Trump’s lead in the GOP primary has also surged ahead of a crowded field of opponents; he is leading by 43 points despite a myriad of legal troubles in the form of four state and federal criminal indictments. Trump was the first choice among national Republican primary voters at ...