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Russia says it thwarted attack in Donetsk; unclear if this was start of Ukrainian counteroffensive

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:44:04 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia says it thwarted a large Ukrainian attack in the eastern province of Donetsk, though it’s unclear if this was the start of a Ukrainian counteroffensive.The Russian Defense Ministry, in a rare early morning video Monday, said its forces pushed back a “large scale” Ukrainian assault on Sunday at five points in Donetsk, one of four Ukrainian regions Russia illegally annexed last fall.“The enemy’s goal was to break through our defenses in the most vulnerable, in its opinion, sector of the front,” said the ministry’s spokesman, Igor Konashenkov. “The enemy did not achieve its tasks. It had no success.”Konashenkov said 250 Ukrainian personnel were killed, and 16 Ukrainian tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armored combat vehicles were destroyed.Ukraine didn’t comment, and often waits until the completion of its military operations to confirm its actions, imposing news blackouts in the interim.For months, Ukrainian officials have spoken of plan...

3 takeaways from the Chicago Cubs’ 7-1 win in San Diego, including Miguel Amaya making the most of his return to the majors

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:44:04 GMT

Even when Marcus Stroman is fighting his mechanics, the Chicago Cubs right-hander delivers a quality start.Stroman held the San Diego Padres to one run in six innings in the Cubs’ 7-1 win Sunday. His 11 quality starts lead the majors. The offense gave him plenty to work with behind a four-run second inning that saw Yan Gomes and Trey Mancini hit back-to-back home runs.“Everybody contributing one through nine shows you the capability of our squad when we’re on,” Stroman said. “When everyone gets hot at the same time, things can shift, so I feel like we just haven’t had that yet. And today was kind of a bit of that, so hopefully we get it rolling.”Here are three takeaways entering Monday night’s series finale.1. Cody Bellinger finally is making strides in his recovery from a bruised left knee.The lineup has felt Bellinger’s absence in the middle of the order, but he has made encouraging strides the last few days as he goes through ...

Rock 'N' Roll Marathon celebrates 25 years: Winners, photos

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:44:04 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Over the weekend, more than 25,000 runners took to San Diego's streets for the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon, marking the race's 25th anniversary in the city.On Saturday and Sunday morning, runners hit the Rock 'N' Roll's three race routes, circling through eight neighborhoods at the heart of America's Finest City before crossing the finish line.Considered the largest marathon weekend on the West Coast, organizers said estimated around 4,000 people participated in the 5K on Saturday, while over 22,000 participants started Sunday morning's half and full marathon races.Pictures from Sunday's races can be found in the gallery below.Runners take off from the Balboa Park starting line of the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon on June 4, 2023. (Courtesy of Rock 'N' Roll Marathon)Runners starting the race during the 25th annual Rock 'N' Roll Marathon. (KSWB/FOX 5)A runner poses with a "Maverick" impersonator from the movie "Top Gun" during the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon on June 4, 2023. (Courtesy of...

US, UK navies say they responded to distress call as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard ‘harassed’ ship

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:44:04 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. Navy said Monday its sailors and the United Kingdom Royal Navy came to the aid of a ship in the crucial Strait of Hormuz after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard “harassed” it. Three fast-attack Guard vessels with armed troops aboard approached the merchant ship at a close distance Sunday afternoon, the U.S. Navy said in a statement. It offered black-and-white images it said came from a U.S. Navy Boeing P-8 Poseidon overhead, which showed three small ships close to the commercial ship. The U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul and the Royal Navy’s frigate HMS Lancaster responded to the incident, with the Lancaster launching a helicopter. “The situation deescalated approximately an hour later when the merchant vessel confirmed the fast-attack craft departed the scene,” the Navy said. “The merchant ship continued transiting the Strait of Hormuz without further incident.”The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persia...

Stroman wins 4th straight start, Amaya hits 1st homer as Cubs beat Padres 7-1

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:44:04 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Marcus Stroman pitched six strong innings to win his fourth consecutive start and rookie Miguel Amaya went 3 for 3 with his first major league home run as the Chicago Cubs defeated the San Diego Padres 7-1 on Sunday.Yan Gomes and Trey Mancini hit back-to-back homers off Ryan Weathers (1-4), and Dansby Swanson added a two-run double later in the second inning.Amaya's two-run drive off reliever Drew Carlton made it 7-0 in the third.Stroman (6-4) allowed just an unearned run and four hits, striking out six. He lowered his ERA to 2.39.Julian Merryweather, Michael Fulmer and Brandon Hughes each tossed a scoreless inning to finish the five-hitter. Hendriks gets win on Burger slam, White Sox beat Tigers 6-2 for 3-game sweep Chicago had five extra-base hits in the first three innings. Gomes and Mancini gave the Cubs their fifth set of back-to-back homers this season.Weathers faced only 12 batters and gave up five runs on seven hits — four for extra bases. He walked one an...

Justin Fields supports Jaylon Johnson at Inaugural Grizzly Golf Classic

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:44:04 GMT

FRIANT, Calif. - Justin Fields continues to show he is a leader on and off the field for the Chicago Bears. A few weeks after donating $10,000 to Special Olympics Illinois through his foundation, Fields flew out to Fresno for Jaylon Johnson's inaugural Grizzly Golf Classic."I've known Jaylon for two and a half years now. Really just supporting him. I think what he's doing out here is great for his foundation. I know how much he really cares about it," noted Fields. "Me being able to support him and his family in doing this is really the biggest reason I came out here.""To bring out QB1 and have him be in support of Kevvy's Vision, at times it can get emotional," explained Johnson. "I think at the end of the day it's about keeping his name alive - keeping my friend Kev'Vion's name going and relevant. People knowing who he is and how he wanted to impact the community in a positive way."Kev'Vion Schrubb was Johnson's best friend. He was shot and killed in August of 2021. Johnson starte...

Artist creates 365 paintings in a year while grieving brother's fentanyl-related overdose

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:44:04 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Painting through pain and grief. That's what Preston Zeller said he did every day for a year after losing his brother to a fentanyl-related overdose in 2019. "He was a combat veteran in the military, in the army," Zeller said. "We really were pieces of each other, especially growing up." CDC: Overdose death rate involving fentanyl tripled in recent years Zeller said for 365 days he created a new piece of abstract art while processing his brother's death. "All the grief and the anger and the sadness and the, you know, joy at times, I could see that for myself in the paintings, and in the colors and in the vibe of the painting," Zeller said. He said it gave him greater clarity about how he was feeling between different days. He even made his brother a part of the final painting. "I knew in the very last painting I wanted to use his ashes," Zeller said. He recorded his journey and created a documentary called The Art of Grieving.It shows the moment Zeller put all his ...

Texas baseball advances to Regional Championship with victory over Miami

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:44:04 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas sophomore pitcher Lebarron Johnson Jr. brought his best stuff to lead Texas to a 4-1 win over Miami to advance to the Regional Championship. Johnson has been outstanding all season, but he pitched his first complete game against the Hurricanes while also striking out eight batters on a career-high 129 pitches. He faced trouble early on, as Miami loaded the bases in the first two innings, but the sophomore was able to get out of both jams. It was smooth sailing for him after that, as he retired 11 straight batters from the fourth inning through the seventh. Head Coach David Pierce decided to let Johnson finish the job in the 9th even after a Hurricane reached base. He held strong, forcing a double play thus giving him his first career complete game. "Throughout the fall, throughout this whole year you know I've been grinding, really trying to work to help the team in any way that I could," Johnson said after the game. "And just to be able to work my way int...

Minnesota Aurora stays unbeaten with narrow win over Rochester

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:44:04 GMT

Minnesota Aurora didn’t blow out their fourth opponent of the season on Sunday.The amateur women’s soccer team had run up a 19-0 margin in its first three wins, but with five new starters, they topped Rochester FC 1-0 in a USL W League match at RCTC Stadium in Rochester, Minn.Aurora had beat Rochester 5-0 in the season opener in Eagan on May 24, but heavily rotated its side in the rematch.“We learned a lot (Sunday) from trying different players in new positions,” head coach Nicole Lukic. “It was a good reminder for us that we are going to get our opponent’s best game the second time we play them. (Sunday’s) game allowed us to work on our game management with a more competitive scoreline.”Center back Tianna Harris headed in an Addy Weichers free kick for the winning goal in the 40th minute. Harris, of Whitby, Ontario, has played every minute for Aurora this season and scored her second goal.Aurora (4-0-0) and improved their goal differential to plus-20 and will play Chicago Dutch Lio...

Minnesota, Twin Cities see a slice of the independent bookstore surge sweeping the nation since pandemic

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:44:04 GMT

Across Minnesota and the nation, new and more diverse independent bookstores have been popping up. In fact, for every independent bookstore that has closed since 2020, more than three new ones have opened, according to the American Booksellers Association.It’s part of a continuing trend jump started by the pandemic, and each of these bookstores has a story of its own.When Josh Hames saw the storefront up for lease in West St. Paul, he knew it was perfect for a bookstore. It was late at night, and the lights on the side of the building illuminated the old brick structure. He could see the tall ceilings through the windows.Books on display at Other Skies Weird Fiction on May 11 in West St. Paul. (Kerem Yücel / MPR News)“It looked like the cover to ‘Needful Things’ by Stephen King a little bit,” he said.Hames, 30, opened Other Skies Weird Fiction in 2022, just in time for his favorite holiday: Halloween. The store sells high-quality editions of horror, sci-fi and imaginative fiction. H...