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Chicago Bears free-agency news: Sixth-year veteran Rasheem Green joins the defensive line

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

In his second offseason with the Chicago Bears, general manager Ryan Poles has had plenty of salary-cap space to help him rework a roster that finished 3-14 in 2022.The Tribune is tracking all of the Bears’ arrivals and departures and providing insight into what they mean.Key additions on defense — but what’s next for offensive line? Brad Biggs’ 6 thoughts off Bears GM Ryan Poles’ availability.Column: Bears need more from rank-and-file free agents. Robert Tonyan, Andrew Billings and D’Onta Foreman believe they can deliver.New Bears wide receiver DJ Moore, key addition from the trade of the No. 1 pick, aims to ‘elevate the offense’Column: Bears’ aggressive start to free agency has one common thread — young players entering their prime yearsBears trade the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft to the Panthers. Here’s what they got in return.Sign up for our free Bears alerts so you don’t miss any newsThursdayThe Bears s...

Timberwolves need to use lineup flexibility to their advantage when it matters most

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch brought center Karl-Anthony Towns into the game with four minutes to play in Minnesota’s win Tuesday over Brooklyn.Towns replaced Rudy Gobert, who never re-entered. Brooklyn, Finch noted postgame, had five smalls — guards and wings — on the floor. By Minnesota going with Towns out there as the sole big man and shooters around him, the Wolves felt they could exploit the Nets’ lack of size.The move panned out, as Towns scored on the smaller Royce O’Neale at will in the paint. And on another possession, Anthony Edwards attacked the rim, and, without a rim protector there to deter him, Brooklyn simply fouled the star guard.Finch also noted by going with a slightly smaller lineup — frankly, a more traditional one with Towns at center and Kyle Anderson at power forward — the Wolves could more comfortably defend the Nets’ five-out offense.“Take nothing away from Rudy. He played a great game, he really did. Played a great game in ...

St. Paul claims 4 of 11 finalists for MN teacher of the year award

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

Four St. Paul Public Schools teachers are among the 11 finalists for Education Minnesota’s teacher of the year award.They are Michael Houston (math) and Molly Keenan (social studies) from Harding High School, Sorcha Nix (science) from Open World Learning, and Fathimath Eliza Rasheed (theatre) from Global Arts Plus upper campus.The other finalists are Fatuma Ali, Hopkins High; Bee Lee, Emmet D. Williams Elementary in Roseville; Josh Mann, St. Michael-Albertville High; Giovanna Valeria Margalli, Cornelia Elementary in Edina; John Peter, Pelican Rapids High; Joe Schulte, Sartell High; and Allyson Wolff, Eisenhower Elementary, Hopkins.The winner will be announced May 7 at the St. Paul RiverCentre.Related ArticlesEducation | St. Paul schools seek to boost math scores with $9.9M curriculum buy Education | St. Paul Public Schools will offer $10K signing bonuses to some new hires

Climate organization schedules St. Paul City Council candidate forums April 16-20

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

MN350, a nonprofit advocacy organization geared toward organizing around climate change, will host four virtual forums with candidates for St. Paul City Council running in contested races. Each of the races features an open seat.Links to the virtual forums, which will be both livestreamed and recorded from Facebook Live, are online at tinyurl.com/MN350Stp2023. Questions will focus on climate, energy and intersecting social issues, such as public health and affordable housing.An April 16 forum is scheduled to feature Ward 1 candidates Anika Bowie, James Lo, Omar Syed and Suz Woehrle.An April 17 forum will feature Ward 5 candidates HwaJeong Kim and Pam Tollefson.An April 18 forum will feature Ward 3 candidates Saura Jost and Isaac Russell.An April 20 forum will feature Ward 7 candidates Cheniqua Johnson and Pa Der Vang.More information is online at mn350.org.Related ArticlesLocal News | With St. Paul gun violence down this year, here’s a look at behind-the-scenes prev...

Lime relaunches e-scooters in St. Paul

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

Lime relaunched its e-scooters on St. Paul streets Thursday morning for the sixth year running.The San Francisco-based company, which first scooted into St. Paul with e-scooters in 2018, debuted what it dubbed its “industry-leading” Gen4 model a year ago. The swept-back handlebars and dual hand-brake system are supposed to imitate bike handles for a more comfortable grip, and they rolled out alongside a two-legged kickstand, lowered baseboard, enhanced suspension and larger wheels.The Gen4 model also includes a swappable battery.The scooter fleet upgrade followed Equity Zone Pricing in 2021 that offers 30% off rides originating in low-income, high-minority neighborhoods, specifically Frogtown, Payne-Phalen, the North End, Dayton’s Bluff and the West Side. It also offers “Lime Access,” a discount program for low-income users who can show eligibility for city, state or federal benefits.Lime operates in more than 250 cities, nearly 30 countries and five co...

Amanda Parsons: It’s a miracle most Americans pay their taxes. Crypto could upend that norm.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

One of the many questions raised by cryptocurrency is how to tax this new world of digital assets. It poses real tax evasion concerns.Crypto was explicitly developed to allow people to transfer currency to one another directly, circumventing the oversight of financial institutions. The Internal Revenue Service relies on information shared by these financial institutions to ensure tax compliance — a system cryptocurrency defies. The crypto space has well-documented anarchist roots, and it has largely been averse to government regulation.Cryptocurrency and blockchain — complex and novel technologies — were not designed with tax returns in mind.The IRS has made some things clear about crypto taxes. As of now, individual taxpayers must answer a question about whether they have participated in digital asset transactions. If I buy a token, it doubles in value and then I sell it, I must pay capital gains tax. Last month, the IRS issued a reminder that income from digital ...

Jonathan Bernstein: Trump isn’t Republicans’ only headache

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

Republicans have a big problem. No, not the guy who got indicted. At least not directly.The most significant election of 2023 went to the Democrats on Tuesday, as liberal Wisconsin judge Janet Protasiewicz defeated her conservative rival Dan Kelly to flip the 4-3 majority on the state Supreme Court.The outcome was a big achievement for Democrats, who rallied supporters and raised money across the country for what would normally be a little-noticed (and officially nonpartisan) contest. Protasiewicz made abortion rights a centerpiece of her campaign, and with her victory the court is now expected to overturn Wisconsin’s abortion ban rooted in a 19th century statute.Protasiewicz’s win continues a pattern of Democratic successes in the midterms and in other contests that we have seen ever since Donald Trump captured the White House in 2016. The results are especially remarkable given President Joe Biden’s unpopularity nationally.In particular, the Wisconsin contest mar...

Florissant man charged in Home Depot thefts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - A Florissant man is accused of stealing tools and equipment from two Home Depot stores in St. Louis County.According to Sgt. Tracy Panus, a spokeswoman for the St. Louis County Police Department, the first theft occurred on March 17, 2022, at a store in the 7400 block of South Lindbergh Boulevard. Police claim Andre Walker Jr. entered the store, grabbed a cart, and filled it with a power saw, drill, and hammer drill. He then left through the garden area without paying for the merchandise, and drove off in a Chevy Impala.The second theft happened on June 9, 2022, in the 10800 block of Sunset Hills Plaza. Top Story: Five people in one trailer died when a tornado sucked it away Police claim Walker entered the store with another man and loaded shopping carts with lawn equipment totaling more than $1,100. The two men then left the store without paying for equipment, loaded it into a dark-colored SUV, and drove off. The theft was recorded via store security camer...

Suspect who fired rifle at three people in Aurora is killed by return gunfire, police say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

Gunfire erupted in Aurora on Wednesday night and a man who allegedly fired a rifle at people inside a car died after return shots hit him, police said.At 10:53 p.m. police responded to a shooting in the 1600 block of South Havana Street, police said in a news release. Three people, two males and a female, were inside a Kia Forte in front of a Grocery store when a Chevrolet Impala pulled up and the driver of the Chevy exited the car and fired a rifle at the Forte. A male in the front seat of Forte was shot.The driver of the Kia and the male passenger got out of the car, brandished firearms and shot back, hitting the Impala driver, police said. A female who was in the back of the Forte ran into the nearby grocery store.The driver of the Impala “limped” back to his vehicle, sped away and was dropped off at a hospital, where he died.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Man who allegedly tried to rob an Arapahoe County pawn shop fatally shot Crime and Pub...

Centura hospitals in Colorado hit by ransomware attack that exposed patient information

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

The Centura Health hospitals in Colorado were among the victims of a large cyberattack that exposed some patients’ information.The ransomware attack happened at some point between Sept. 16 and Oct. 3, according to CommonSpirit Health, which owns the Catholic hospitals in the Centura partnership. The Adventist hospitals are owned by AdventHealth. While the two announced in February that they intend to split, they currently share much of their administration through Centura.CommonSpirit reported it took until Feb. 21 to confirm exactly what information the hackers had accessed, and that it started sending letters Thursday to patients whose information was exposed.Related ArticlesHealth | Colorado hospital leaders see continuing financial challenges in 2023: “We’re not out of the woods” Health | Majority of Colorado hospital systems lost money in 2022 as costs surged, stock market tanked The compromised information includes names;...