Alcaraz and Djokovic demand attention at French Open; Ruud and Zverev are in the semis, too

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:35:50 GMT

Alcaraz and Djokovic demand attention at French Open; Ruud and Zverev are in the semis, too PARIS (AP) — As intriguing as Carlos Alcaraz vs. Novak Djokovic is — and it’s plenty intriguing — there are storylines worth following in the other French Open men’s semifinal, too.No, frankly, Casper Ruud vs. Alexander Zverev, which will be played second on Friday, does not deserve the same billing. It’s missing the cache and the resumes that the other two guys remaining in the field at Roland Garros will carry into Court Philippe Chatrier.Still, even without Djokovic’s 22 Grand Slam titles — with a chance to break a tie with Rafael Nadal for the most earned by a man in tennis history — or even Alcaraz’s lone such trophy, and even without Alcaraz’s current No. 1 ranking or Djokovic’s current No. 3 with a shot at moving back up (along with the career record for most weeks atop the ATP), No. 4 Ruud and No. 22 Zverev bring terrific games and past close-and-yet-so-far history at major tournaments.Let’s examine Ruud first.He is a 24-year-old from Norway who is coached by his father, a f...

Pakistani Taliban target police in northwestern province, kill 2 officers and guard at a local bank

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:35:50 GMT

Pakistani Taliban target police in northwestern province, kill 2 officers and guard at a local bank PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — The Pakistani Taliban targeted security forces in a northwestern province in Pakistan on Thursday, killing two officers and a guard at a nearby bank, authorities said. The attack took place near a fruit market in the town of Mingora, located in the district of Swat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to senior local police officer Shafiullah Khan. Police cordoned off the area and were searching for the three attackers who had fled the scene. The Pakistani Taliban — also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP — claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement to the media.Thursday’s attack followed as shootout on Sunday between Pakistani troops and militants in North Waziristan, also a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The region is a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban. Although the Pakistani military claims it has cleared the region of militants, occasional attacks and shootouts continue, raising concerns that the Pakistani Taliban...

Man City, Inter Milan meet in Champions League final of contrasting club history

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:35:50 GMT

Man City, Inter Milan meet in Champions League final of contrasting club history Manchester City will enter the Champions League final on Saturday as a modern soccer and financial heavyweight compared to Inter Milan.That is a new twist in the European history of two clubs who have rarely operated at the same level and whose respective status, on and off the field, flipped about 12 years ago.Inter had the aristocratic, storied tradition and trophies while City was an English third-tier team when crosstown rival Manchester United lifted the iconic European Cup trophy in 1999.“One is a kind of old nobility,” European soccer consultant Olivier Jarosz told The Associated Press about Inter, “and one comes from a working-class family that has made a nice marriage with money.”Yet both City and Inter were teammates on the failed Super League project in 2021, albeit for different reasons. Loss-making Inter was seeking to avoid being left behind by English Premier League dominance; financial juggernaut City, backed by Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth, didn’t want to be lef...

Man, 54, dead after gas station shooting in Alsip

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:35:50 GMT

Man, 54, dead after gas station shooting in Alsip ALSIP, Ill. — A 54-year-old man is dead after a shooting near a gas station in Alsip Thursday morning. According to reports, there was a verbal altercation near the 700 block of South Cicero Avenue around 4:19 a.m. between two men when one man produced a firearm and shot the victim. Police say he sustained a gunshot wound to the head and was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead. CPD: Man charged in connection to death of missing Logan Square woman The offender got into a red sedan and fled southbound on Cicero Avenue. There were no other injuries reported and there is no one in custody at this time. Police are actively investigating the incident.

Blackhawks are bringing back Darren Pang as TV broadcaster

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:35:50 GMT

Blackhawks are bringing back Darren Pang as TV broadcaster CHICAGO - The Blackhawks are turning a former player and commentator to fill a prominent role on their broadcasts.The Blackhawks have made official the hiring of Darren Pang as their new color analyst for television broadcasts with play-by-play announcer Chris Vosters..Pang began his career working for radio broadcasts for the Blackhawks in the early 1990s..@WGNNews pic.twitter.com/dabFmjTZHb— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) June 8, 2023Darren Pang, a longtime television analyst in the NHL and former goalie for the team, will become the Blackhawks television color commentator alongside play-by-play announcer Chris Vosters. This comes after spending the last 14 years as the color analyst for the St. Louis Blues broadcasts on Bally Sports Midwest. Pang is continuing his duties as an on-ice reporter and lead analyst for TNT's national NHL coverage and is currently working the Stanley Cup Final between the Golden Knights and Panthers. It's a full circle moment for Pang, who started h...

Dean's A-List Interview: Co-star Toby Nwigwe Dominique and Fishback in 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts'

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:35:50 GMT

Dean's A-List Interview: Co-star Toby Nwigwe Dominique and Fishback in 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' Rapper turned actor,Toby Nwigwe sits down with WGN Entertainment reporter Dean Richards to talk about his special big break in the Transformers franchise. Richards also talks to co-star Dominique Fishback in the new 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' and remembers her time in Chicago when filming 'Judas and the Black Messiah.'Get Dean's reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean's Downloads weekly newsletter. You'll also get his Dean Cooks recipes too!

NOAA declares El Niño, advisory issued

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:35:50 GMT

NOAA declares El Niño, advisory issued AUSTIN (KXAN) -- NOAA declared early Thursday morning that El Niño conditions are present and are expected to gradually strengthen later this winter.All of the deterministic regions of the equatorial Pacific met the +0.5°C threshold for an El Niño to be in play. And in addition to the water requirement, low-level and upper-level winds also showed correlating El Niño conditions.Warmer than normal temperatures in the upper-ocean levels observed since March 2023Computer models point towards further strengthening of El Nino conditions through Winter 2023-2024Forecast:  By winter, there is an 84% chance of a moderate El Niño or stronger, and a 56% chance of a strong El Niño developing. An El Niño Advisory is in now in effect. El Niño conditions have been observed and are expected to continue to strengthen through the upcoming winter.What does El Niño mean for winter?El Niño conditions typically result in a warmer Pacific Northwest, wetter in the south, southwest and coastal southeast wit...

Local museum to host week-long festival leading up to Juneteenth

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:35:50 GMT

Local museum to host week-long festival leading up to Juneteenth AUSTIN (KXAN) – The George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center will host the fourth annual Stay Black and Live (SB&L) Juneteenth Festival from June 12 until 19. According to the June 5 announcement, this year’s theme is Austin Family Reunion and will center local collaborations and partnerships with organizations and individuals making an impact. “We are incredibly proud to continue Austin’s Juneteenth celebration and tradition at our historic museum,” said Carre Adams, museum director at the Carver Museum in the press release, “With a robust week of programming, we aim to honor the significance of Juneteenth as we foster a deeper understanding of our shared history. We invite the Austin community to join us as we commemorate this momentous occasion and bring Black history past, present and future to the forefront.”The George Washington Carver Museum is located at 1165 Angelina St. Here's a list of events happening during the festival: June 126 p.m.: Free Yo...

Woman charged with throwing rock that shattered window at St. Paul mosque

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:35:50 GMT

Woman charged with throwing rock that shattered window at St. Paul mosque An anonymous tip led police to identify a 45-year-old woman as the person who shattered a window of a mosque in St. Paul with a rock, according to a criminal complaint.Officers were called to As-Sunnah Islamic Center on Pedersen Street, off Old Hudson Road, the morning of May 12 about a broken window.Sherrice Shatanya Williams. (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)Surveillance video showed a woman at 7:04 a.m. that day carrying an umbrella and a large rock. She dropped the umbrella and tossed the rock at the window four times; it was the fourth time that shattered the window.The incident was publicized, with the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Minnesota chapter asking for law enforcement to investigate whether the crime was motivated by bias.Police received a tip that the suspect was named Shanice. Officers who work in downtown St. Paul recognized the woman as Sherrice, who spends time around the Dorothy Day Center. An officer identified her as Sherrice Shata...

New eatery opens at Amsterdam's Riverlink Park

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:35:50 GMT

New eatery opens at Amsterdam's Riverlink Park AMSTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Drifter's, a new restaurant that took over the Riverlink Café, had its grand opening in Riverlink Park Wednesday night. The opening coincided with a performance by Skeeter Creek in the park amphitheater at 7 p.m. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! In December 2022, the City of Amsterdam put out a request for proposals for a new operator of Riverlink Café. Brent and Corey Yager, the owners of Southside Slice and What-A-Bargain in Amsterdam, submitted their proposal for Drifter's, and it was chosen."We're young and we want to open more businesses," said Brent Yager.Drifter's has a full bar and serves hamburgers, pulled pork sandwiches, steak sandwiches, sausage and peppers, ice cream, and more. They also have "The Amsterdog," which is a 12-inch hot dog. Yager said no one else in the area has that and he hopes it turns Drifter's into a destination. Lineup set for the first annual 518 Black Restaurant...