Portland Trail Blazers to launch G League team next season

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:33:39 GMT

Portland Trail Blazers to launch G League team next season PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers announced Wednesday they are adding a G League affiliate next season, bringing the NBA’s development league to 31 teams.The new team will play at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center. The name of the team, as well as a coaching staff, were not immediately announced.“It was very important to our organization to enter the G League with an affiliate here in Portland and strategically strengthen our dedication to player development,” Joe Cronin, general manager of the Trail Blazers, said in a statement.Cronin added that it was a priority to have a G League team that will serve “not only as a developmental tool for players but also for aspiring coaches and staff while we continue to be a mainstay in the community as a whole.”The Chiles Center, which seats 4,852, is home to the men’s and women’s Portland Pilots basketball teams. In November, the arena hosted Phil Knight tournament games featuring some of the top coll...

15 Colorado businesses win Good Food awards

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:33:39 GMT

15 Colorado businesses win Good Food awards DENVER (KDVR) -- Out of nearly 2,000 entries, 15 businesses in Colorado received accolades from the Good Food awards.The Good Food foundation recognized the businesses for making, "tasty, authentic, and responsible food and drink."The winners were chosen in a blind tasting process from nearly 2,000 entries in 18 categories across the United States. Top-rated cinnamon rolls in Colorado The Good Food foundation said that the majority of winners were from small businesses with less than $1 million in yearly revenue."Now in its 13th year, awards were given to winners in 18 categories: beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, cider, coffee, confections, drinks, elixirs, fish, grains, honey, oils, pantry, pickles, preserves, snacks and spirits," the Good Food foundation said in a released.Here are the winners from ColoradoBibamba Artisan Chocolates: Denver- Noir Classic, Pate au ChocolatChef Sherri Sauces: Aurora- Zesty Orange Ginger sauceDRAM: Salida- DRAM Adaptogenic Mushroom Cola, DRAM ...

Former Arkansas Gov. Hutchinson formally announces 2024 presidential campaign

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:33:39 GMT

Former Arkansas Gov. Hutchinson formally announces 2024 presidential campaign (CNN) — Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson formally kicked off his presidential campaign on Wednesday with a speech in Bentonville, Arkansas, seeking to distinguish himself from the GOP field with his long career in government and “commonsense conservatism.”“Today, I am announcing that I am a candidate for president of the United States,” Hutchinson said. “In this campaign for president, I stand alone in terms of my experience, record and leadership.”In his speech, Hutchinson touched upon plans to address the economy, crime, and border security — issues that fit with his public service record. But the former governor, who’s working to build national name recognition, also highlighted his personal story of growing up on a farm in a small town.Bentonville is where Hutchinson announced his first run for public office and part of the district he used to represent when he was in the US House of Representatives.Hutchinson announced hi...

EU pharma reform: Winners and losers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:33:39 GMT

EU pharma reform: Winners and losers If you want to understand the EU’s revision of its pharmaceutical rules, you could do worse than listen to Bono. “Where you live shouldn’t determine whether you live or die,” said the Irish frontman — a line repeated by Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides at the unveiling of the legislative package on Wednesday.  The first major overhaul of the bloc’s medicines regulations in 20 years aims to make access to medicines more secure and affordable, encourage innovation and reduce red tape. It touches on everything from medicines access to drug shortages, and the bloc’s pharma regulator.The ink hasn’t even dried and it’s already provoking strong reactions, with the pharmaceutical industry lobby slating it, and patient activists giving it a cautious cheer. The battle lines seem set for the next stage of the process — heated discussions between lawmakers in the European Parliament and between EU countries in the Council. They’ll be racing against looming Europea...

Fox agrees to give more Murdoch docs to Smartmatic in its defamation case

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:33:39 GMT

Fox agrees to give more Murdoch docs to Smartmatic in its defamation case (CNN) — Fox News has agreed to give voting technology company Smartmatic additional documents about Fox Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch and other senior corporate executives. Smartmatic is suing the right-wing network for $2.7 billion over its airing of 2020 election lies.The agreement was announced Wednesday at a court hearing in Manhattan. New York Supreme Court Judge David Cohen scheduled the hearing after Smartmatic raised concerns about whether Fox was complying with its pretrial obligations to turn over relevant evidence.“We will produce the materials as quickly as we are able to,” Fox lawyer Winn Allen said.Fox also will give Smartmatic documents related to Rupert Murdoch’s son Lachlan Murdoch, who is the CEO of Fox Corp., as well as relevant materials about Chief Legal Officer Viet Dinh and Raj Shah, a former Trump administration official who is now a vice president at Fox Corp.These materials will include deposition transcripts and exhibits, ...

Josh Hart is compiling clutch playoff moments as big payday awaits

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:33:39 GMT

Josh Hart is compiling clutch playoff moments as big payday awaits CLEVELAND — When the temperature and pressure rise, Josh Hart is built to run into the smoke.“The fourth quarter, and especially the last 6 minutes, that’s winning time,” Hart said before New York’s potential closeout Game 5 on Wednesday. “In my mind, there’s no such thing as fatigue, no such thing as being tired, no such thing as being hurt. If I’m out there, that’s the time where I gotta raise my attention to detail, raise my intensity, raise my energy even more. And that’s something that I’ve always been wired to do. So for me, it’s once that time hits, it’s totally different. In my eyes, it’s 0-0 and you’ve got to go win it.”Other than Jalen Brunson, there’s no greater success story to this Knicks campaign than Hart. His acquisition in February immediately shifted the team’s trajectory, and the positive impact has only increased in the playoffs.It’s been the perfect ...

Asa Hutchinson formally launches 2024 campaign in Arkansas

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:33:39 GMT

Asa Hutchinson formally launches 2024 campaign in Arkansas By ANDREW DeMILLO and MICHELLE L. PRICE (Associated Press)BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson formally launched his Republican presidential campaign Wednesday, pledging to “bring out the best of America” and aiming to draw contrasts with other GOP hopefuls on top issues, including how best to reform federal law enforcement agencies.Hutchinson kicked off his 2024 bid in his hometown of Bentonville, on the same steps where he launched an unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign 30 years ago.“I ran as a conservative Republican when being a Republican was like having a career-ending handicap,” Hutchinson said, adding, “And now, I bring that same vigor to fight another battle, and that battle is for the future of our country and the soul of our party.”The stalwart conservative, who announced in a television interview earlier this month that he intended to run, has been a rare figure among announced or expected GOP presidential h...

Heather Walker, longtime Celtics executive, dies after battling rare brain cancer

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:33:39 GMT

Heather Walker, longtime Celtics executive, dies after battling rare brain cancer Heather Walker, a longtime Celtics executive and the team’s vice president of public relations, died on Wednesday following a nearly two-year battle with cancer. She was 52 years old.“Heather Walker was a boundlessly charismatic, giving, and selfless soul,” the Celtics said in a statement. “Every room she entered was brighter for her presence. As anyone who knew her could attest, her abundant positive energy and kindness should not be mistaken for any lack of fortitude or determination when such qualities were required. “She thrived in chaos, always able to recognize the humor that the adventures of her life brought her. Each of these attributes were on display through the best days of her life, and remained intact, sharpened even, when she encountered her cruel diagnosis.”Walker, who had worked with the Celtics since 2006, was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma in July 2021. Since then, she had been working relentlessly to raise awareness and money to research the rare and aggress...

Yankees Notebook: With offense reeling, Jake Bauers strong start at Triple-A has Bombers’ attention

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:33:39 GMT

Yankees Notebook: With offense reeling, Jake Bauers strong start at Triple-A has Bombers’ attention MINNEAPOLIS — The Yankees could use some offense right now, and Jake Bauers has produced plenty of it at Triple-A.The lefty swinger has been raking for the RailRiders, tallying four doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 20 RBI and a .333/.481/.883 slash line over his first 19 games. With the Yankees struggling to score, Aaron Boone has noticed Bauer’s early-season surge.“He’s definitely caught our eye,” the manager said Wednesday morning. “Certainly got a lot of us paying attention to that. We’ll see what happens.”Bauers has 328 games of big league experience with Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Seattle. He totaled 23 home runs over 213 games from 2018-2019, but he hasn’t played in the majors since 2021.The 27-year-old played for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season and hit well this past spring. Bauers has split his time fairly evenly between first base, designated hitter and the corner outfield spots this year.Bauers is not on the Yankees...

Bruins notebook: Taylor Hall’s game clicking for various reasons

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:33:39 GMT

Bruins notebook: Taylor Hall’s game clicking for various reasons In the overall scheme of the Bruins’ Game 2 loss to the Florida Panthers, Taylor Hall’s goal was the ultimate nothing burger. The B’s were getting blown out by the Cats and Hall’s goal that made it 6-3 only made the final score look more respectable than it deserved to be.Hall originally thought so, too. But in hindsight, it might have been just the thing to get the speedy winger going. Riding a four-point day in Game 4, Hall went into Wednesday’s Game 5 at the Garden as the B’s leading scoring in this playoff run with 4-3-7 totals in the first four games.Before he scored that late goal, Hall had not gotten on the scoreboard in the first playoff game nor did he notch a point in the final three games of the regular season when he came back from the injury that knocked him out of the lineup on February 25.“It was a nothing goal, for sure. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but maybe that did allow me to (think) ‘OK, at least I’...