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A guide to Northern Virginia’s Democratic primaries for Commonwealth’s Attorney

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:10:21 GMT

Some of Northern Virginia’s top prosecutors will face a pivotal challenge this June as they confront Democratic primary opponents who present themselves as superior reformers.Incumbents Steve Descano, Buta Biberaj and Parisa Dehghani-Tafti must convince Democratic voters that their first terms in office have delivered on the reformist pledges they campaigned on. They’re poised to address growing concerns about crime, allegations of mismanagement and a Democratic base galvanized by the overturning of Roe v. Wade a year ago.Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, told The Associated Press he cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions from the primaries, which make up a relatively small segment of the electorate.Still, he acknowledged that voters rejecting reform incumbents would be significant and serve as a “warning sign” for the broader Democratic Party.Virginia voter guide: 2023 primary electionRanked choic...

Sasha Calle, first Latina to play Supergirl, teases new movie ‘The Flash’

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:10:21 GMT

Hear our full chat on my podcast “Beyond the Fame with Jason Fraley.” toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley previews 'The Flash' with Supergirl (Part 1) $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); Fans of DC Comics are super excited as “The Flash” finally opens in movie theaters nationwide this Friday.The film co-stars Sasha Calle (“The Young and the Restless”), who makes history as the first Latina to play Supe...

Nationals host the Marlins on home losing streak

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:10:21 GMT

Miami Marlins (38-31, second in the NL East) vs. Washington Nationals (27-40, fifth in the NL East)Washington; Friday, 7:05 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Marlins: Sandy Alcantara (2-5, 4.86 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 71 strikeouts); Nationals: Trevor Williams (3-4, 4.11 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 52 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Marlins -180, Nationals +153; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Washington Nationals take on the Miami Marlins looking to stop a four-game home losing streak.Washington has a 27-40 record overall and a 12-21 record in home games. The Nationals have an 18-7 record in games when they scored five or more runs.Miami has a 38-31 record overall and a 17-18 record in road games. The Marlins have a 30-7 record in games when they have more hits than their opponents.The teams meet Friday for the fourth time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Lane Thomas leads Washington with nine home runs while slugging .463. Keibert Ruiz is 12-for-39 with four home runs and eight RBI over the pas...

Pirates aim to end 3-game road slide, play the Brewers

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:10:21 GMT

Pittsburgh Pirates (34-33, first in the NL Central) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (34-34, second in the NL Central)Milwaukee; Friday, 8:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Rich Hill (6-5, 4.35 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 67 strikeouts); Brewers: Julio Teheran (1-2, 1.48 ERA, .95 WHIP, 16 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Brewers -119, Pirates -101; over/under is 9 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Pirates hit the road against the Milwaukee Brewers looking to end a three-game road losing streak.Milwaukee has an 18-16 record in home games and a 34-34 record overall. The Brewers have a 13-7 record in games when they did not allow a home run.Pittsburgh has a 16-17 record in road games and a 34-33 record overall. The Pirates have gone 18-10 in games when they did not allow a home run.The matchup Friday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.TOP PERFORMERS: Rowdy Tellez ranks fourth on the Brewers with 17 extra base hits (four doubles, a triple and 12 home runs). Christian Yelich is...

Cardinals come into matchup with the Mets on losing streak

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:10:21 GMT

St. Louis Cardinals (27-42, fifth in the NL Central) vs. New York Mets (32-36, fourth in the NL East)New York; Friday, 7:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Cardinals: Miles Mikolas (4-3, 4.02 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 62 strikeouts); Mets: Tylor Megill (5-4, 5.14 ERA, 1.70 WHIP, 49 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cardinals -113, Mets -106; over/under is 9 runsBOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Cardinals head into the matchup with the New York Mets after losing five in a row.New York has a 16-13 record at home and a 32-36 record overall. The Mets are sixth in the NL with 80 total home runs, averaging 1.2 per game.St. Louis is 14-21 in road games and 27-42 overall. The Cardinals are 7-16 in games decided by one run.The teams meet Friday for the first time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Jeff McNeil has eight doubles, a triple and three home runs for the Mets. Francisco Alvarez is 6-for-37 with four home runs over the last 10 games.Nolan Gorman has 10 doubles and 15 home runs for the Cardinals. Nolan Ar...

Braves bring 1-0 series advantage over Rockies into game 2

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:10:21 GMT

Colorado Rockies (29-42, fifth in the NL West) vs. Atlanta Braves (43-26, first in the NL East)Atlanta; Friday, 7:20 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Rockies: Dinelson Lamet (1-3, 10.80 ERA, 2.35 WHIP, 26 strikeouts); Braves: Jared Shuster (3-2, 5.05 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 21 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Braves -255, Rockies +210; over/under is 10 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves face the Colorado Rockies with a 1-0 series lead.Atlanta has a 43-26 record overall and a 21-15 record in home games. The Braves have the top team batting average in the NL at .265.Colorado has gone 13-23 in road games and 29-42 overall. The Rockies have the ninth-best team batting average in MLB play at .256.Friday’s game is the second time these teams match up this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Matt Olson leads the Braves with 19 home runs while slugging .494. Orlando Arcia is 15-for-36 with a double, a home run and 10 RBI over the past 10 games.Ryan McMahon leads Colorado with 10 home runs while sluggin...

Giants aim to keep win streak going against the Dodgers

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:10:21 GMT

San Francisco Giants (36-32, third in the NL West) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (39-30, second in the NL West)Los Angeles; Friday, 10:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Giants: John Brebbia (0-0); Dodgers: TBDBOTTOM LINE: The San Francisco Giants seek to keep a four-game win streak alive when they take on the Los Angeles Dodgers.Los Angeles has a 22-11 record at home and a 39-30 record overall. The Dodgers have the second-ranked team slugging percentage in the NL at .455.San Francisco has a 36-32 record overall and an 18-15 record on the road. The Giants are ninth in MLB play with 87 total home runs, averaging 1.3 per game.Friday’s game is the fourth time these teams square off this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Freddie Freeman has a .332 batting average to lead the Dodgers, and has 24 doubles, a triple and 13 home runs. David Peralta is 13-for-31 with two home runs and seven RBI over the past 10 games.LaMonte Wade Jr has 11 doubles, a triple and eight home runs for the Giants. Patrick Bailey...

Huawei slams new EU restrictions

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:10:21 GMT

Huawei Friday said it “strongly opposes and disagrees” with an announcement by the EU Commission to block the Chinese technology giant from EU research funding and contracts because it poses “materially higher risks than other 5G suppliers.”The EU executive and member countries’ cybersecurity experts on Thursday urged national governments to restrict the role of Chinese 5G vendors Huawei and ZTE in Europe. But Huawei said in a response the EU’s move was “clearly not based on a verified, transparent, objective and technical assessment of 5G networks.”“It is of paramount importance to emphasize that the discriminatory ‘HRV’ assessment shall not be applied to any vendor without justified procedure and adequate hearing,” it said. “Huawei holds procedural and substantial rights and should be protected under the EU and member states’ laws as well as their international commitments.”It added that publicly singling out an indi...

‘They have been sent to death’: Home commissioner on migrants’ journeys to EU

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:10:21 GMT

A perilous sea route from eastern Libya to Europe taken by thousands of migrants, including hundreds involved in a fatal shipwreck Wednesday, has seen an increase of vessels carrying migrants by nearly 600 percent in 2023 alone, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson told POLITICO. “They have not been sent to the EU, they have been sent to death,” she said. In what the U.N migration agency IOM called “one of the biggest tragedies in the Mediterranean,” the overcrowded fishing boat sank while attempting to reach Italy. It refused help from a Greek coast guard boat, Greek authorities said. The boat sank just days after EU interior ministers reached a deal to unblock key issues in long-disputed migration reform. At least 79 people died in the fatal wreck but a joint statement from the IOM and the U.N.’s refugee agency, UNHCR, estimated hundreds are dead and missing. Johansson skirted a question about whether Frontex, the European Border and Coast...

How Orioles left-hander Cole Irvin found himself — and trust in his sinker — after ‘humbling’ demotion to Triple-A

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:10:21 GMT

Cole Irvin’s biggest change after his stint in the minor leagues was evident during the first inning of his first start back in the majors.Irvin, a left-hander the Orioles acquired in the offseason to help anchor their rotation, stumbled out of the gate and was demoted to Triple-A in mid-April. He returned Saturday with the opportunity — now that Grayson Rodriguez is down in Norfolk after struggling — to earn back his spot in Baltimore’s rotation.He opened the game against the Kansas City Royals with a sinker. And then another. And another. Eight of his first 11 pitches were sinkers, while the other three were changeups. Irvin escaped the first inning thanks to a web gem from Anthony Santander and went on to pitch 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball for his first win as an Oriole.The heavy sinker usage was a stark contrast from his first three starts of the season when Irvin relied more on his four-seam fastball to little success. The renewed trust in his sinker wa...