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Biden picks history-making Air Force fighter pilot to serve as next Joint Chiefs chairman

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:28 GMT

By TARA COPP and LOLITA C. BALDOR (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will announce Thursday that he is tapping a history-making Air Force fighter pilot with years of experience in shaping U.S. defenses to meet China’s rise to serve as the nation’s next top military officer, according to a senior administration official.The nomination of Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. has been long expected. If confirmed by the Senate, he would replace the current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Mark Milley, whose term ends in October. The official, who was not authorized to publicly comment, requested anonymity to preview the announcement.Biden is expected to unveil Brown as his pick during a Rose Garden event Thursday afternoon, the official said.Brown’s confirmation would mean that, for the first time, both the Pentagon’s top military and civilian positions would be held by African Americans. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the first...

New Gary Sports Hall of Fame class includes former MLB pitcher, gymnastics champ

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:28 GMT

A former Major League Baseball pitcher and a national gymnastics champion are among the six new entrants to the Gary Sports Hall of Fame.The Class of 2023 inductees are college basketball coach Vic Bubas, track coach John Campbell, gymnast Dianne Durham Drahozal, MLB pitcher LaTroy Hawkins, NBA star Davage Minor and longtime Gary schools coach Earl Smith Jr.The induction ceremony is at 6:30 p.m. July 28 at the Indiana University Northwest Arts and Sciences building auditorium, 3415 Broadway. The cost is $25 per person. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.“This is a very momentous moment and one we are proud of,” said Hall of Fame vice president Chuck Hughes during a Wednesday news conference.He credited the late Lake County Commissioner Roosevelt Allen Jr. for helping conceive of the plan for the Hall of Fame where honorees’ photos line a wall on the main floor of the Arts and Sciences building.Hughes said the Hall of Fame is working with Gary high schools to ...

Nikki Haley backs Ukraine, douses Bud Light transgender promo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:28 GMT

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s stump speech didn’t completely impress the audience at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics.Haley, on Wednesday, became the first declared presidential candidate to address the crowd at Politics and Eggs, an occasional speaker series hosted by Saint Anselm College which, since its start in 1995, has become a “must stop” event for White House hopefuls.Sticking mostly to modern Republican talking points, Haley probably didn’t sound too much different from other former governors who have addressed the breakfast, like Larry Hogan or Asa Hutchinson, both of whom spoke at the school last year.She elicited fewer laughs than former Vice President Mike Pence and less sporadic applause than former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, both of whom also took the stage in Goffstown ahead of the 2024 presidential election cycle.The most striking difference between Haley and her fellow Republican primary candidates, both declared and not, was her steadfast ...

DeSantis launches GOP presidential campaign in Twitter announcement plagued by glitches

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:28 GMT

By STEVE PEOPLES, ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE (Associated Press)MIAMI (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday with a Twitter announcement plagued by technical glitches, stepping into a crowded Republican primary contest that will test his strength against former President Donald Trump and criticism that he’s not ready for the national stage.The 44-year-old Republican, an outspoken cultural conservative, initially announced his decision in a video posted on social media, but planned to discuss it further in a first-of-its-kind conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Twitter Spaces. But the audio stream crashed repeatedly, making it virtually impossible for most users to hear the high-profile announcement in real time. “We need the courage to lead and the strength to win,” DeSantis said in a minute-long video posted on social media before the conversation with Musk. “I’m Ron DeSantis, an...

Mike Preston’s Ravens observations on Zay Flowers, Lamar Jackson, players bulking up and more | COMMENTARY

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:28 GMT

It’s early and the Ravens have only had a few voluntary workouts, but rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers looks explosive.The first-round draft pick out of Boston College has shown great acceleration going in and out of his breaks and appears tough for a 5-foot-9, 182-pound receiver. He can play inside in the slot or outside as a vertical threat.In his senior season in college, Flowers had 78 catches for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns. It’s easy to see why the Ravens put so much faith in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native.Veteran receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has yet to practice with the team, but Flowers and third-year wideout Rashod Bateman looked good in the practice that was open to the media Wednesday.After those two, there was a drop-off, including free agent addition Nelson Agholor. Maybe he’ll show more in training camp.There’s only one ballNow that the Ravens have weapons like Beckham, Flowers and Bateman, I wonder how tight end Mark Andrews will react wh...

Lamar Jackson returns to Ravens OTAs, says he’s loving Todd Monken’s offense: ‘Running can only take you so far’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:28 GMT

Lamar Jackson’s reasons for being at the Ravens’ voluntary organized team activities Wednesday were simple.“Just wanted to learn the new offense and get with my guys,” he said, adding that he plans to attend the other sessions that will take place over the next three weeks in Owings Mills. He found humor in the fervor over when or if his arrival would take place during the voluntary portion of the offseason.Participation in the practices, after all, isn’t required and not every player was there, though attendance was high for Wednesday’s portion that was open to the media.But the appearance of Jackson, who arrived ahead of Tuesday’s practice, also marked an important step forward for the 26-year-old quarterback and the organization. It was his first time participating in football activities with the team since he suffered a knee injury against the Denver Broncos on Dec. 4 and was his first appearance at the team’s facility since signin...

Boston University and Travis Roy Foundation create fund for scholars studying paralysis, spinal cord injuries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:28 GMT

Boston University and the Travis Roy Foundation have created a scholarship fund that honors the life and legacy of the late Travis Roy, providing awards to BU scholars studying paralysis and spinal cord injuries.Roy, a promising freshman BU hockey player, was paralyzed 11 seconds into the first hockey game of his college career.With the help of rehab professionals, he returned to the university 10 months after his injury, earned a degree in communications, and began a career as a motivational speaker while helping others living with paralysis. In 2020, Roy died after being a quadriplegic for 25 years.Now, BU’s Sargent College and the Travis Roy Foundation — which Roy launched in 1996 — have created the Travis M. Roy Endowed Scholarship Fund, established through a $1 million gift from the foundation.“This is a tangible living legacy to Trav’s life and impact, pursuing his quest for ‘how good can I be’ and enabling Sargent’s programs and...

Advocates want to unlink MCAS scores from high school graduation requirements

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:28 GMT

Linking standardized test scores to the ability to graduate from public high schools in Massachusetts is “punitive and destructive” for students, an organization backing a proposal to scrap the MCAS from student graduation requirements said Wednesday.Advocates with the Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance argue there is no correlation between a state having a graduation exam requirement and overall academic performance. And the group wants state lawmakers to pass a bill that instead requires local school districts to certify tenth graders’ mastery of math, science and technology, and English.“If you are going to test us, help us, give us the resources and the tools,” Vatsady Sivongxay, executive director of the Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance, said at a press conference. “Don’t just take the data and run with it”The alliance  — which is backed by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, Boston Teachers Union, and American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts ...

Yankees Notebook: Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson nearing rehab assignments

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:28 GMT

If all goes according to plan, Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson will play in rehab games this weekend after sustaining hamstring injuries earlier this season.Donaldson is actually expected to begin his assignment at Triple-A on Thursday, on the condition that all went well with the third baseman on Wednesday. The plan is for him to play in the field on Thursday and Sunday, DH on Friday and get a day off Saturday, according to Aaron Boone.The manager added that Donaldson, out since April 5, could rejoin the Yankees on their upcoming West Coast trip. It’s possible he returns during the first leg of that trip in Seattle, though Boone called the second part, in Los Angeles, “more likely.”“We’ll kind of evaluate at the end of Sunday, assuming we get there and everything’s going well,” the skipper said. Boone added Tuesday that he expects Donaldson to be an everyday player when he returns.Stanton, meanwhile, will have imaging done on Thursday....

Ticker: Small businesses wary of minimum wage ballot; Fed split on rate hike ahead of June meet

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:28 GMT

Restaurateurs and small business owners are wary of a looming “threat” of a 2024 ballot question that could raise the state’s minimum wage beyond the $15 rate that took effect in January.Profitability for restaurants is down in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the biggest impacts stemming from inflation and labor costs, said Stephen Clark, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association.Lifting the minimum wage by $1 per hour can translate into a $1,000 increase per employee, which sparks a cascading effect for all workers throughout the industry, Clark warned at a small business advocacy day event.“Truthfully speaking, I don’t think the minimum wage fight is something that’s going to happen this year. I think if we look at the legislative calendar, it’s probably more of a conversation for 2024,” said Clark, as he implored small business owners gathered at the University of Massachusetts Club to discuss the is...