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Mike Lupica: Knicks are really good but still a star player away from being a title threat

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:48:36 GMT

The last time the Knicks were even close to big ideas at this time of year was 10 years ago next month, when Carmelo Anthony went down the baseline and tried to throw down a dunk against the Pacers in Game 6 in Indianapolis. The Knicks were playing for their season that night, down three games to two, but trying to get themselves a chance at a Game 7 at the Garden. And a chance to play the Eastern Conference finals against LeBron and the Heat, against whom they had won three of four games that year.Carmelo was the leading man the Knicks needed that season, until he wasn’t, meeting Roy Hibbert at the rim.The Knicks had won 54 games that year under Mike Woodson, one of the most under-appreciated coaches in the history of the franchise even if the genius Phil Jackson didn’t see things that way later. Carmelo was No. 3 in the MVP voting, J.R. Smith, bless his heart, was Sixth Man of the Year, and Jason Kidd had the ball.There were a lot of role players you don’t rememb...

Dave Hyde: Heat and Panthers go into playoffs armed with slingshots against No. 1 seeds

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:48:36 GMT

Everyone else on the Miami Heat should pick up Jimmy Butler and Max Strus and carry them into Milwaukee for giving them a chance to re-write the conclusion to this season and, with it, their own personal standing in it.After the Heat’s play-in win Friday night set up Sunday’s Game 1 in Milwaukee against the Bucks, the talk around the Heat began with Butler’s big-game impact and ended with Strus’s big night. They were something. They were everything, actually.Nobody talked about Bam Adebayo’s shrinking offense against taller players.Nobody talked how Tyler Herro was oddly content to work the fringes of the game.Nobody talked about the lack of a bench or how no one’s untouchable anymore on this team, as Heat president Pat Riley surely knows for whenever this cold offseason comes. And it’s coming, isn’t it?Butler and Strus each scored 31 points Friday, each had game-tilting moments in the closing minutes as the Heat staved off what would ...

US dollar scarcity threatens Bolivia’s ‘economic miracle’

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:48:36 GMT

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Sofia Andrade, a lawyer, chose over the past month to withdraw all her dollar savings from the bank as the US currency became scarce on the streets of Bolivia. “I prefer to have them at home,” she said. “I fear they won’t let me withdraw them later.”Like her, many Bolivians are withdrawing their dollar deposits or rushing to buy the US currency amid increased concern about Bolivia’s economic fragility, a marked change for a country that for more than a decade experienced what many called an “economic miracle” amid strong growth, record exports, low inflation, a fixed exchange rate and subsidized gasoline.The scarcity of the greenback, which opposition politicians attribute to the Central Bank running out of hard currency reserves and the government blames on speculation, means that for the first time since 2011, a parallel market for the U.S. dollar has emerged that charges slightly more than the official price. When the shortage began earlier this year, hundr...

Sudan group: 3 killed in fighting between army, paramilitary

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:48:36 GMT

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — A Sudanese doctors’ group said at least three people were killed and dozens more injured in clashes that started Saturday between the country’s army and powerful paramilitary.The fighting comes after months of escalating tensions between the generals and years of political unrest after an October 2021 military coup.In a statement, the Sudan Doctors’ Committee said two civilians were killed at the country’s airport and another man was shot to death in the state of North Kordofan. The statement did not specify how the two people had died at the airport, which was a flashpoint in the recent violence, with the two forces battling to control it.The group added that dozens more were injured around the country, with some in unstable condition. The clashes began Saturday morning, with both sides blaming the other for initiating the violence. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. The following is AP’s previous story:Fierce clashes between Sudan’s military and the count...

SIU investigating after man injured while fleeing from Toronto police on dirt bike

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:48:36 GMT

Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating after a man was seriously injured when he fell off a dirt bike in an attempt to flee from officers in Toronto.On Monday, authorities were called to the Victoria Park Avenue and Van Horne Avenue area just before 9:30 p.m. for reports of speeding motorcyclists.Two motorcyclists were allegedly fleeing from Toronto police officers, while a third rider was arrested at the scene. When police caught up to the two motorcyclists, the pair again fled at high speed.The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said one of the motorcyclists fell off their dirt bike. The man was arrested and taken to the hospital with serious injuries.The SIU said two of its investigators had been assigned to the case.The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person.

Speaker McCarthy: 100 days in power and a tough road ahead

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:48:36 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Rep. Kevin McCarthy emerged from a messy 15-ballot election and ascended to House speaker, he was emboldened rather than chastened by the fight, declaring that his father taught him early on in life: “It’s not how you start; it’s how you finish.”But as the embattled Republican leader from California rounds the first 100 days at the helm of a slim House Republican majority, it is proving hard to shake off the spectacle of the unsteady launch that has become a defining backbeat to McCarthy’s speakership.So far, McCarthy has logged surprise successes in the new Congress: The Republican House has passed dozens of bills, many of them bipartisan, including politically potent efforts targeting crime and the COVID-19 pandemic that left President Joe Biden almost no choice but to sign the bills into law.McCarthy has opened the Capitol more fully to visitors, relishing the onlookers who stop to snap selfies during his impromptu hallway news conferences. He hosted ...

Saturday Forecast: mostly cloudy, highs near 80

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:48:36 GMT

Saturday: Mostly cloudy AM, partly cloudy PM with chance of showers/thunderstorms. S 10-15 mphHighs near 80, mid to upper 70s lakesideSaturday night is looking cloudy with showers/thunderstorms likely. S 10-15 mph, with a low of 59Full forecast details at the WGN Weather CenterSunday is rainy at times, turning to a rain/snow mix with falling temperatures. High southwest winds of 15-25 mph. Gusts of 40. High is near 60, 40s by late afternoon.Extended outlook calls for a chilly and raw day on Monday with a rain/snow mix in the morning and temps in the mid to low 30s. Highs Monday afternoon only in the mid 40s. Tuesday temps bounce back to the seasonal mid to upper 50s with more sun. Wednesday near 60 with mostly cloudy skies and chance of showers. Chance of showers daily through the end of the week with lots of clouds but temp likely in the mid to upper 60s to near 70. =-=-=

Protesters interrupt DeSantis speech at New Hampshire fundraising event

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:48:36 GMT

(The Hill) – Protesters rushed the stage as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) spoke during a GOP fundraising event in New Hampshire Friday, with the organization behind the protest calling him antisemitic as he gears up for an expected 2024 presidential campaign.Two women shouted “Jews against DeSantis” from the stage as they were being quickly escorted out, while the governor disregarded their interruption.“You’ve got to have a little spice in the speech,” he said.DeSantis was headlining the Amos Tuck Dinner, a key fundraising event for the New Hampshire Republican Party. The governor has recently traveled to a number of states in the leadup to a likely presidential campaign announcement. Thursday he attended a GOP fundraiser in Ohio and earlier Friday addressed Liberty University in Virginia.The women who disrupted his address in New Hampshire are with IfNotNow, an organization of American Jews protesting against the Israeli government and its treatment of Palestinians.The organizatio...

Officials want you to report and destroy this insect's eggs: What to know

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:48:36 GMT

(WANE) — It's hard not to think the spotted lanternfly, marked with spots and a pair of red wings, is stunning. Despite its looks, the bug can pose a serious problem. Wildlife officials nationwide, including the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, are still keeping tabs on the spotted lanternfly, which was first detected in the U.S. in 2014. Native to China, the insect was first found in Pennsylvania and has since been reported in Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia.Most states are at risk of being impacted by the spotted lanternfly, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.Late last summer, when the bugs were in their mature stage, officials were encouraging those that saw the insect to kill it. Now that spring is here, their target is the spotted lanternfly's eggs. It may look stunning, but officials want you to kill this bug if you see it According t...

Five weeknight dishes: Shake things up (a little)

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:48:36 GMT

I’ve been in a bit of a cooking rut for the last several months: chili, meatballs, barbecue chicken, nachos and pizza on repeat ad infinitum. Spring feels like a good time to try something new. But not too new, because my family thrives on routine, and who wants a revolt at the dinner table? The dishes below are a gentle switch from the same old, same old.Carrot Tart With Ricotta and Feta. In a rut? Shake things up with this spectacular vegetarian carrot tart, made with store-bought puff pastry, that comes together in about an hour. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. (David Malosh/The New York Times)1. Carrot Tart With Ricotta and FetaCarrots work beautifully in this simple tart, but onions, parsnips, beets, zucchini or pumpkin work just as well. The key is to cook the vegetables before putting them on the tart, since the moisture released by baking raw vegetables would make the puff pastry soggy and prevent it from rising. Once you remove the tart from the oven, let it cool for 10 minute...