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Alameda County, foster care provider to pay $3.5 million for toddler’s fatal methamphetamine overdose

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:23:27 GMT

Alameda County and a nonprofit foster care provider are expected to pay a $3.5 million settlement over the 2015 death of 3-year-old Mariah Mustafa, who fatally overdosed on methamphetamine after social workers overrode warnings that the child was in danger in her foster home, according to court filings.The settlement comes after attorneys for the girl’s brother said they discovered systemic failings in how county social workers investigated claims of abuse and neglect across the county’s foster care system.Reporting by the Bay Area News Group, which identified the girl as Mariah Mustafa, revealed a series of failures by the people tasked with keeping the girl safe, most notably in their decision to return Mariah to her foster home after a first overdose. The new court filings also suggest a possible cover-up by a manager for the foster care provider, aimed at keeping the girl’s exposure to methamphetamine secret, and hiding details of her foster home’s troubl...

2 people were killed and 28 wounded in mass shooting at a Baltimore block party

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:23:27 GMT

(CNN) — An 18-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man were killed and 28 others injured in a mass shooting at a Baltimore block party, officials said.All 30 of the victims had gunshot wounds, Baltimore Police Acting Commissioner Richard Worley said in a Sunday afternoon news conference. Their ages range between 13 and 32 years old, Worley added.Authorities believe roughly 14 of the victims hurt were under 18 years old, he said.Nine of those injured remained in nearby hospitals “in various conditions” Sunday afternoon, the commissioner added.Investigators continue to scour the large crime scene – which spans multiple blocks – and officials urged anyone with information or who may have captured video footage, including from security cameras, to come forward.There were “at least two” people who opened fire during the shooting, but authorities are investigating there may have been more, Worley said. Authorities have not shared information about a p...

Nick Kyrgios withdraws on eve of Wimbledon with a wrist injury. He was the runner-up last year

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:23:27 GMT

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Nick Kyrgios pulled out of Wimbledon the night before the tournament’s start, citing a wrist injury, a year after he reached his first Grand Slam final at the All England Club.His withdrawal was announced by Wimbledon on Sunday night.Kyrgios was seeded 30th in the men’s bracket and was scheduled to face David Goffin on Monday.Kyrgios will be replaced in the field by a player who lost during qualifying.___AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Brady Singer dazzles as Royals blow out Dodgers to win first series since May 17

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:23:27 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nicky Lopez remembers the halcyon days of the Kansas City Royals in 2014 and 2015, when the small-market club won back-to-back American League pennants and its first World Series title in three decades.More importantly, Lopez remembers how they did it: good starting pitching, timely hitting and a dominant bullpen.It’s precisely the formula they used to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.Brady Singer threw seven effective innings, Lopez matched a career high with four RBIs, Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. drove in two runs apiece and the Royals beat the Dodgers 9-1 to claim their first series victory since May 17.“You know, a lot of the times in 2014 and 2015, they won a lot of ballgames 3-1, but they put it all together — timely hitting and a bullpen shut it down, and good starting pitching,” Lopez said. “I just think that’s been the identity of the Royals for a while, and sometimes we lose sight of that, but I feel like that has to be it.”Si...

Satou Sabally scores 27 points with 15 rebounds as Wings beat Mystics 89-72

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:23:27 GMT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Satou Sabally and Teaira McCowan each had a double-double, Arike Ogunbowale scored all her 17 points in the second half and the Dallas Wings beat the short-handed Washington Mystics 89-72 Sunday. Sabally scored 27 points with 15 rebounds and McCowan added 10 and 11 boards. Natasha Howard scored 13 points for Dallas (8-8). Sabally has 11 double-doubles this season, second most in the WNBA. Elena Delle Donne (ankle), Shakira Austin (hip), and Kristi Toliver (foot) did not play Washington (9-7). McCowan scored inside to make it 33-31 with 1:38 left in the first half and the Wings led the rest of the way. Ogunbowale scored 14 points in the third quarter as Dallas outscored the Mystics 30-16 to take control for good. Ariel Atkins led Washington with 18 points, 15 in the first half. Brittney Sykes scored 15 points and Tianna Hawkins added 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Mystics have lost three of their last four games following a three-game win streak. ___AP sports:...

Ukraine, Israel and Spain qualify for Paris Olympics in men’s soccer

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:23:27 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Israel and Spain have qualified for the men’s soccer tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics because England won their quarterfinals game Sunday at the Under-21 European Championship.Ukraine joined them later Sunday after winning the last quarterfinal 3-1 against France, which was already assured of playing at the Olympics as the host nation.Israel and Spain had advanced to the semifinals on Saturday at the U21 Euros, putting themselves on track to take two of the three Olympic places available to join France which got a guaranteed direct entry.England won 1-0 Sunday against Portugal in Kutaisi, Georgia, but is ineligible to represent Britain — the Olympic team that also includes Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales — in men’s soccer.The England result ensured Olympic places were guaranteed for the other three semifinalists at the U21 Euros which are being co-hosted by Georgia and Romania. England will play Israel on Wednesday.Ukraine will play Spain in the semifinals on ...

Rhyne Howard hits 6 3s, scores career-high 43 to help Dream beat Sparks 112-84

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:23:27 GMT

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (AP) — Rhyne Howard hit six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 43 points — one shy of Atlanta’s single-game franchise record — on 14-of-20 shooting to help Dream set their single-game scoring record and the beat the Los Angeles Sparks 112-84 Sunday. Allisha Gray scored 15 points and Nia Coffey 13 for the Dream. Atlanta (7-8), which has won back-to-back games following a three-game skid, set a season high for points in a game and topped the 100-point plateau for the second time this season. Howard made 9 of 12 from the field and scored 25 points before halftime — a franchise record for points in the first half and the most points scored by a WNBA player in a half this season.Nneka Ogwumike led Los Angeles (7-10) with 25 points. Dearica Hamby scored 18 with eight rebounds, Auzra Stevens added 13 points and nine boards, and Zia Cooke scored 11 points. Howard’s 40-point performance was the fifth in the WNBA season, single-season record. The previous high w...

McCormick’s bases-clearing triple lifts the Astros over the Rangers 5-3

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:23:27 GMT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Chas McCormick lined a tiebreaking triple with two outs and the bases loaded in the eighth inning, and the Houston Astros hung on for a 5-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Sunday.McCormick’s opposite-field hit over a racing Adolis García into the right-field corner came an inning after Aroldis Chapman made his Texas debut with two strikeouts in a scoreless inning.Josh Sborz replaced the hard-throwing Cuban left-hander and allowed José Abreu’s third hit, an infield single, before walks to Mauricio Dubón and Corey Julks. It was the first time in 26 outings this season Sborz (4-3) allowed multiple walks, and McCormick sent the next pitch off the top of the wall in the angled corner near the right field foul pole.After Nathaniel Lowe followed Corey Seager’s leadoff double in the eighth with a homer to get Texas within a run, José Altuve led off the ninth with his second homer of the series matching Texas rivals and the top two teams in the AL ...

65-year-old Bernhard Langer wins the US Senior Open to break the Champions’ victory record

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:23:27 GMT

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (AP) — Bernhard Langer won the U.S. Senior Open on Sunday at SentryWorld to break the PGA Tour Champions’ career victory record.Pushing his record as the oldest winner on the 50-and-over tour to 65 years, 10 months, 5 days, the German star broke a tie with Hale Irwin for the victory mark with No. 46.Seven strokes ahead on the back nine, Langer bogeyed the final three holes for 1-under 70 and a two-stroke victory over home-state favorite Steve Stricker on the tree-lined course with thick rough.“It’s been very difficult ever since I won my 45th …,” Langer said during the trophy presentation. “Everybody keeps talking. Wherever I play, people come up and say, `Make this your 46th. Make history here.’ It’s hard to get away from a it. I did very well and was able to block it out and try to stay in the present. I really felt at peace today, which we don’t always do.”Langer finished at 7-under 277, with only eight players breaking par for the week. He shatter...

PHF players send a unifying message in preparing to join rivals in new women’s pro hockey league

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:23:27 GMT

Rivals no longer, a group of the Premier Hockey Federation’s more high-profile players issued a unifying message on Sunday by saying they’re eager to join forces in helping launch a new women’s professional hockey league in January — even as it comes at the expense of their league.The statement was released by 11 players, featuring at least one representative from each of the league’s seven franchises, and comes three days after the PHF essentially ceased operations. The PHF was bought out by Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter, one of the financial backers behind the new league he’s helping establish with the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association.And the message comes as PHF players sit on the sideline while PWHPA members have until Sunday night to submit their votes to ratify a collective bargaining agreement and constitution.“Today, all women’s hockey players are united stronger than ever as we enter this new era,” the statement read. “As we embark on another leag...