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Airline boss wants you to take the train

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:41 GMT

Dutch airline KLM would love to fly far fewer people on the short hop between Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and Brussels — it’s even buying them train tickets. “If there are connections, if the connections are good, if they arrive at Schiphol, if they run also in the weekends, we are more than willing to stop flying to Brussels,” CEO Marjan Rintel told POLITICO, adding: “We are moving our customers from plane to train.” She is acting because airlines are under fierce pressure to cut their carbon footprints — and first in the firing line are short flights that could be replaced by much cleaner rail. KLM faces the additional problem that Schiphol is hitting its maximum capacity for flights, and the government is trying to limit the number of takeoffs and landings to reduce noise pollution.“It’s scandalous that in a time of the climate emergency we still have these extra routes,” said Victor Thévenet, from green group Transport &...

Orioles finish Day 1 of MLB draft by selecting UNC outfielder Mac Horvath, Florida State pitcher Jackson Baumeister

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:41 GMT

The Orioles’ first two picks in the 2023 MLB draft Sunday night weren’t surprising. The third was.After taking Vanderbilt center fielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. No. 17 overall, the Orioles selected North Carolina’s Mac Horvath with the 53rd pick in the second round, continuing the organization’s prioritization of position players over pitchers in the draft since executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias took over in November 2018.But with their third pick, the Orioles bucked that trend, choosing Florida State right-handed pitcher Jackson Baumeister. At No. 63 overall in the Competitive Balance Round B, Baumeister is the highest Baltimore has taken a pitcher since selecting Grayson Rodriguez in the first round of the 2018 draft, before Elias took over.In 96 1/3 innings at Florida State in 2022 and 2023, Baumeister, who turns 21 Monday, posted a 5.23 ERA and 1.464 WHIP. But the 6-foot-4, 224-pound righty struck out 31.4% of the batters he faced and ...

Shaw, White go in MLB Draft

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:41 GMT

Matthew Shaw’s professional baseball dreams are now a reality.On Sunday night, Shaw was selected No. 13 overall by the Chicago Cubs in the first round of the 2023 Major League Baseball amateur draft. A Springfield native, Shaw played his high school baseball for Worcester Academy before most recently starring at the University of Maryland.The slot for Shaw’s selection is valued at $4.85 million. Shaw impressed evaluators throughout the year as he showcased power to all fields coupled with a high walk rate and low strikeout percentage. He is the highest Terrapin ever taken in the draft.“He is relentless in terms of his work ethic. He lives baseball,” director of Nokona Baseball Dan Sullivan said. “Everything he does is geared towards getting better. That is what has elevated him above kids of equal talent putting in whatever it takes to make himself better.”Shaw played for Nokona for nine seasons on the club circuit before heading to Maryland.Thoma...

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele nominated for re-election despite constitutional questions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:41 GMT

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — President Nayib Bukele was officially nominated by his New Ideas party Sunday to run for reelection next year, brushing aside objections from legal experts and opposition figures who say El Salvador’s constitution prohibits his candidacy. New Ideas also announced that current Vice President Felix Ulloa would run for reelection in the ballot scheduled for Feb. 4, 2024. Bukele is highly popular among Salvadorans because of his harsh crackdown on street gangs, but he is considered controversial internationally. He announced in September that he planned to seek a second five-year term. That came after the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court, handpicked by his supporters in Congress, ruled in 2021 that his candidacy for reelection was permitted and ordered the electoral court to allow it.Constitutional lawyers maintain that Bukele’s candidacy would violate at least four articles of the constitution, including Article 154, which states: “The presid...

Blue Jays make Arjun Nimmala highest-drafted Indian American

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:41 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays selected 17-year-old shortstop Arjan Nimmala with the 20th overall pick in the first round of Sunday’s MLB Draft.One of the best stories in the 2023 Draft, Nimmala became the highest-selected first-generation Indian American and is looking to become the first player of Indian descent to play Major League Baseball.Nimmala was one of the highest-touted high school hitters in the draft, coming off a 2022-23 season in which he won the Gatorade Florida Baseball Player of the Year while playing at Strawberry Crest High School in Dover, Fla. He was also an Under Armour All-American and first-team All-Conference selection.The @BlueJays select Arjun Nimmala with the 20th pick! We sat down with the standout high school shortstop and his family leading up to the @MLBDraft to discuss his baseball journey. pic.twitter.com/bX9H8mvZPl— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 10, 2023In one of the deepest drafts in recent memory, the Blue Jays were able to add MLB Pipeline’s No. ...

Sunday Night Forecast: Partly cloudy, low of 63

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:41 GMT

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy. WSW 3-15 mph. Low 63Monday: Sunny, hot & more humid. Cooler lakeside. SW 10-15 mph. High near 90 Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Extended outlook calls for hot and humid weather again on Tuesday with highs likely in the mid to upper 80s—though a few spots could hit 90. Chance of showers/thunderstorms and some of those in the afternoon and evening could be strong to severe. Wednesday looks like on off showers and thunderstorms with highs in the upper 70s. 

Man charged with kidnapping, weapons possession in San Bernardino County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:41 GMT

A 43-year-old Apple Valley man has been arrested on charges of kidnapping and being a felon in possession of firearms, officials with the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department announced Sunday.  Deputies from the Apple Valley Police Department responded to a report of a kidnapping on July 7, at around 12:40 a.m. near the intersection of Apple Valley and Siskiyou roads where they located the victim and her vehicle.  An investigation into the kidnapping allegations revealed that the suspect, now identified as Larry Johnson, and the victim had been in a relationship. The two had traveled out of state together and when the unidentified woman did not wish to return, the 43-year-old allegedly forced her to return to Apple Valley with him and assaulted her on the trip back, a SBSD news release stated.  “The victim was able to get away from the suspect when they returned to the suspect’s residence in the 17800 block of Siskiyou Road,” the release noted.  A search warrant was ex...

Boston rallies to beat A’s, who lose their fourth straight game

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:41 GMT

BOSTON — A’s starting pitcher JP Sears took a no-hitter into the fifth inning on Sunday. However, Oakland, as the case has often been this season, still took home the loss.Sears had allowed just an unearned run thanks to one of three A’s errors, but the Red Sox rallied against Oakland relievers, scoring the eventual game-winner in the eighth inning when Masataka Yoshida homered off reliever Ken Waldichuk (2-6) for a 4-3 win.The loss was the A’s fourth straight as they were swept by the Red Sox, who have won eight of their last nine games. At the All-Star break, Oakland sits last in Major League Baseball with a 25-67 record and is on pace to finish 44-118, which would be the most losses since the Mets went 40-120 in 1962.On Sunday, Boston trailed 3-1 in the middle of the sixth before Adam Duvall hit a solo homer to lead off the bottom half, then Yoshida singled, stole second, took third on a bad throw from catcher Manny Piña and scored on Christian Arroyo’s double to tie it.Yos...

NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 available at Walmart Results

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:41 GMT

SundayAt Atlanta Motor SpeedwayHampton, Ga.Lap length: 1.54 miles(Start position in parentheses)1. (18) William Byron, Chevrolet, 185 laps, 46 points.2. (26) Daniel Suárez, Chevrolet, 185, 35.3. (19) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 185, 40.4. (20) Michael McDowell, Ford, 185, 39.5. (22) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 185, 32.6. (11) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 185, 41.7. (24) JJ Yeley, Ford, 185, 0.8. (17) Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 185, 33.9. (2) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 185, 47.10. (29) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Chevrolet, 185, 27.11. (25) Erik Jones, Chevrolet, 185, 26.12. (10) Austin Cindric, Ford, 185, 36.13. (23) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 185, 24.14. (14) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 185, 23.15. (15) Chris Buescher, Ford, 185, 30.16. (9) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 185, 21.17. (4) Joey Logano, Ford, 185, 27.18. (1) Aric Almirola, Ford, 185, 20.19. (27) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 185, 18.20. (35) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 185, 17.21. (33) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 185, 16.22. (3) Chase Briscoe, Ford, 185, 15.23. (34) Christopher ...

Gabby Thomas holds off Sha’Carri Richardson to win the 200 at the US track and field championships

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:48:41 GMT

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Gabby Thomas held off Sha’Carri Richardson with the best time in the world this year to win the women’s 200 meters at the U.S. track and field championships on Sunday night.Thomas caught up to Richardson rounding the curve and powered to the finish in 21.60 seconds. Kayla White took third.The 26-year-old Thomas skipped the 100 to conserve her energy for the 200. She finished eighth at nationals last season as she dealt with a hamstring injury.“It felt really good,” Thomas said of her race.Richardson accomplished precisely what she wanted to at nationals — qualify in both sprint events for worlds next month in Budapest, Hungary. Richardson won the 100 on Friday. Two years ago, Richardson had her national title in the 100 stripped after she tested positive for marijuana.In the men’s 200, Erriyon Knighton held off Kenny Bednarek for the win in a time of 19.72 seconds. Courtney Lindsey grabbed third. Bednarek and Knighton won the silver and bronze medals, respectivel...