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ASK IRA: Are there better options for the Heat than Kevin Love, Victor Oladipo?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:55 GMT

Q: At what point does Erik Spoelstra accept the fact that it was a mistake signing Kevin Love and take him out of the rotation? He has played enough games to see if he has a thing left. – Joel.Q: Ira, make it stop. Victor Oladipo doesn’t know when enough is enough. He’s Dion Waiters. If he misses his first eight, he thinks he’ll make the next eight. But he won’t. – Andy.A: I grouped these two for a reason, with the reason being that if you remove someone from the rotation, you have to replace them with someone. With Caleb Martin thriving in reserve, if you don’t start Kevin Love at power forward, then who? (And we know Erik Spoelstra isn’t going to start two big men). Haywood Highsmith? And now that you’re starting Tyler Herro, if you don’t have Victor Oladipo as your spark off the bench, then who? This has been a flawed roster from the start. And when the Heat had the flexibility to make moves at the buyout deadline, power...

Anti-Trump GOP voters mostly loyal in 2022, but not entirely

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:55 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Lauren Boebert’s grip on Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District didn’t seem in question heading into last year’s midterms. But in the end, the congresswoman who gained a national reputation as a combative member of the “Make America Great Again” movement won reelection by just 564 votes. “This was supposed to be a slam dunk for the Republican candidate, the way the district is designed,” said Don Coram, a former state senator who unsuccessfully challenged Boebert in the GOP primary last June. Boebert’s near miss was emblematic of the difficulties Republicans confronted in 2022 and may face again in 2024. While former President Donald Trump holds a tight grasp on much of the GOP base, there is a notable minority of Republican voters who do not consider themselves MAGA members.Most of them, as faithful Republicans, backed GOP candidates in 2022, AP VoteCast shows. Still, the extensive national survey finds these Republicans mad...

How to watch (and stream) the 2023 Oscars

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:55 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s almost time for the Oscars. Here’s what you need to know about how to watch and stream the 2023 Oscars live:WHAT TIME DO THE OSCARS START? The Oscars begin at 8 p.m. ET and air on ABC, which is available with an antenna or through cable and satellite providers. WHAT IF I WANT TO STREAM THE OSCARS? For cord cutters, the show can be streamed with a subscription to Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV and Fubo TV.I DON’T LIVE IN THE U.S. HOW CAN I WATCH THE OSCARS? Trying to watch the show outside the United States? The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has a handy guide about which channels in more than 200 countries will broadcast the show.WHAT ABOUT THE RED CARPET? There’s much more of the Oscar experience that can be watched and streamed. The Oscars red carpet, a major fashion event in its own right, starts at 3:30 p.m. Eastern. The Oscars’ official pre-show begins at 1:30 p.m. on YouTube. The Associated Press will li...

It’s natural: Coconuts become tool in shoreline protection

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:55 GMT

NEPTUNE, N.J. (AP) — Coastal communities around the world are adding a tropical twist to shoreline protection, courtesy of the humble coconut.From the sands of the Jersey Shore to the islands of Indonesia, strands of coconut husk, known as coir, are being incorporated into shoreline protection projects.Often used in conjunction with other measures, the coconut material is seen as a cost-effective, readily available and sustainable option. This is particularly true in developing countries. But the material is also popular in wealthy nations, where it’s seen as an important part of so-called “living shorelines” that use natural elements rather than hard barriers of wood, steel or concrete.One such project is being installed along a section of eroded river bank in Neptune, New Jersey, about a mile from the ocean on the Shark River. Using a mix of a federal grant and local funds, the American Littoral Society, a coastal conservation group, is carrying out the $1.3 million project ...

Oil giant Saudi Aramco makes a historic $161B profit in 2022

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:55 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Oil giant Saudi Aramco reported Sunday earning $161 billion last year, claiming the highest-ever recorded annual profit by a publicly listed company and drawing immediate criticism from activists.The monster profit by the firm, known formally as the Saudi Arabian Oil Co., came off the back of energy prices rising after Russia launched its war on Ukraine in February 2022, with sanctions limiting the sale of Moscow’s oil and natural gas in Western markets. Aramco also hopes to increase its production to take advantage of market demand as China reenters the global market after lifting its coronavirus restrictions. That could raise the billions needed to pay for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plans to develop futuristic cityscapes to pivot Saudi Arabia away from oil. However, those plans come despite growing international concerns over the burning of fossil fuels accelerating climate change. Meanwhile, higher energy prices already have ...

In post-Roe world, college coaches search for middle ground

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:55 GMT

The conversation Cecile Landi never imagined she’d feel compelled to have with the gymnasts she coaches came abruptly last summer, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.Landi, who competed for her native France at the 1996 Olympics before going into coaching with her husband, Laurent, gave her athletes a brief, heartfelt message: I’m here for you no matter what.“I literally will do whatever they need me to do (if they get pregnant), even if I guess it puts me in trouble,” said Landi, who coaches in Texas, a state with one of the country’s strictest abortion bans.For Landi, whose athletes have included seven-time Olympic medalist and five-time world champion Simone Biles and 2020 Olympic silver medalist Jordan Chiles, having a public conversation about such a private matter is part of her evolving role.“It’s just way more than coaching, the relation we have with the athletes, talking to them about everything,” she said.Landi’s holistic approach to her job reflec...

RCMP gifts musical ride horse to King Charles ahead of upcoming coronation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:55 GMT

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police say they will be gifting King Charles with a new horse, Noble, ahead of the monarch’s upcoming coronation in May.The RCMP says the King will be presented with the horse, which is also being given in recognition of the federal service’s 150th anniversary, at a ceremony.It says the King personally requested a horse from the musical ride to eventually be his new charger when his current steed, George, retires.The musical ride is a troop of police horse riders who perform intricate formations and drills set to music.???? Meet Noble: a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to The King. The seven year-old mare – who stands at 16.2 hands high – is currently settling into life at The Royal Mews in Windsor. pic.twitter.com/l9tYGoRrpr— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) March 11, 2023The Royal Family says Noble is a seven-year-old black mare, settling into life at the royal mews in Windsor after the King met her for the first ...

Climate change hits home for some on P.E.I. but takes back seat in election

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:55 GMT

STANLEY BRIDGE, P.E.I. — A week into the Prince Edward Island election campaign, there has been plenty of talk about health care and housing. But after post-tropical storm Fiona pounded the Island last fall and heightened fears about rising seas, some observers are questioning why climate change is not front and centre on the campaign trail.Scientists say tropical storms like Fiona that form in the southern Atlantic and head north to the Canadian coast are likely getting more intense as the planet warms. Phyllis Carr, whose Carr’s Oyster Bar in Stanley Bridge, P.E.I., suffered minor damage from Fiona, has seen the shoreline change over the years. To her, climate change is “definitely” one of the most important issues this election.“The amount of erosion that we have in our area is crazy, and on Prince Edward Island as a whole. And how are we going to rebuild?” she asked in an interview last week. “People who own places on the shoreline, how are th...

‘Welcome to Lviv’: Ukrainian city ready for ‘brave’ Canadian tourists

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:55 GMT

LVIV, Ukraine — Two women sit at a table near the front door of a small, nondescript bar in western Ukraine. Speak the password, and they will escort you to a closet, inside which is a staircase that leads down to a stone cellar. As they descend, they’re greeted with bass music from the chic restaurant below. It’s decorated with modern art installations that represent Ukrainian independence and the Russian occupation. On the menu is elevated traditional Ukrainian cuisine. All the ingredients and beverages are sourced from within the country.The speakeasy restaurant in the thriving entertainment district of Lviv is an astonishing sight; certainly not what most people associate with a country at war. Ukrainian leaders say one of the best ways for Canadians to support the embattled country’s economy is to pack their bags and come see it for themselves. “If you’re brave, welcome to Lviv,” says mayor Andriy Sadovyi, spreading his arms wide to gesture t...

A look at Prince Edward Island Green Party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:55 GMT

CHARLOTTETOWN — A look at Peter Bevan-Baker, leader of Prince Edward Island’s Green party.Age: 60Early years: Bevan-Baker was born June 3, 1962, in Scotland, U.K., to John Stewart Bevan Baker, a British composer, and June Findlay. He is one of five children. He made his way to Prince Edward Island after stops in Lewisporte, N.L., and Brockville, Ont. Bevan-Baker became a Canadian citizen in 1992.Education: He has a bachelor of dental surgery from the University of Glasgow, in Scotland. Career: Bevan-Baker ran a dental clinic, a café and a community hall in Hampton, P.E.I. He ran unsuccessfully as a Green Party candidate in 10 elections, both federal and provincial, before he became the MLA for the riding of Kellys Cross-Cumberland in May 2015. He was re-elected in the newly established district of New Haven-Rocky Point on April 23, 2019. Bevan-Baker leads the only Green Party official Opposition in Canada.Family: He has been married to his wife, Ann, for 32 years, and they have four...