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4 things we learned as the Craig Counsell era began for the Chicago Cubs, including hiring a coaching staff and the impact on free agency

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:14 GMT

A grin broke across Craig Counsell’s face while putting on his pinstriped Chicago Cubs home jersey for the first time.“It feels good,” Counsell said Monday at Wrigley Field.The Counsell era is officially underway for the Cubs, who closed the book on David Ross’ tenure. Ross texted Counsell before the news broke last week of Counsell’s five-year, $40 million deal, prompting Counsell to immediately call Ross.“I’ve always had great respect for David,” Counsell said. “That gave me the ultimate respect for David the way he handled the conversation. Part of this business is really difficult, it’s really cutthroat. And as a player I’ve lived it, David’s lived it, every player lives it every day. But I respect the heck out of David Ross.”Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts spoke to Ross on Nov. 6 after President Jed Hoyer delivered the news at Ross’ home in Tallahassee, Fla.“These decisions aren’t ever ea...

Andover teachers strike: Massachusetts judge orders $50,000 fine for educator union; Andover Public Schools battles union on social media

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:14 GMT

The Andover teachers union is facing a $50,000 fine for continuing its strike while classrooms remain empty, as the school district on Monday started to go after the educator union on social media to “clear up inaccurate information.”An Essex Superior Court judge has ordered that the Andover Education Association pay a $50,000 fine to the state for failing to end its strike by Monday evening. In Massachusetts, teachers strikes are illegal.If the Andover teachers continue to strike after 3 p.m. on Tuesday, the union will pay an additional $60,000 fine. The next fine would be $70,000 if the union keeps striking after 3 p.m. on Wednesday — for a total fine of $180,000 after three days. The fine would keep going up $10,000 each day until the strike ends.“These fines will completely deplete the AEA’s cash reserves, which are built through membership dues,” the Andover Education Association posted on Facebook. “However, we anticipated these fines....

Nikki Haley to launch $10M push in Iowa, NH 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:14 GMT

NEW YORK — Nikki Haley ‘s presidential campaign will reserve $10 million in television, radio and digital advertising across Iowa and New Hampshire beginning in the first week of December, a massive investment designed to give the former United Nations ambassador an advantage over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at a critical moment in the GOP nomination fight.Details of the advertising plans, which represent the Haley campaign’s first official advertising reservation, were obtained by The Associated Press ahead of a public announcement Monday.Haley’s planned investment, as of now, is more than five times larger than DeSantis’ current advertising reserves for the same time period, according to the media tracking firm AdImpact.Haley’s move comes as she fights to emerge as the clear alternative to former President Donald Trump to represent the GOP against President Joe Biden next fall. DeSantis stands as Haley’s strongest competition for her party’s...

High school roundup: Upcoming playoff schedule

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:14 GMT

FIELD HOCKEYDIVISION 1 STATE SEMIFINALS – WednesdayFranklin vs. Walpole, 5 (Taunton)Andover vs. Wachusett, 6 (Assabet Valley)DIVISION 1 STATE FINAL – Saturday at WPIFranklin/Walpole vs. Andover/Wachusett, TBADIVISION 2 STATE SEMIFINALS – TuesdayReading vs. Hingham, 6 (Canton)Somerset Berkley vs. Norwood, 6 (Middleboro)DIVISION 2 STATE FINAL – Saturday at WPIReading/Hingham vs. Somerset Berkley/Norwood, TBADIVISION 3 STATE SEMIFINAL – TuesdayNewburyport vs. Dover-Sherborn, 6 (Burlington)DIVISION 3 STATE SEMIFINAL – WednesdaySandwich vs. Watertown, 7 (Hingham)DIVISION 3 STATE FINAL – Saturday at WPINewburyport/Dover-Sherborn vs. Sandwich/Watertown, TBADIVISION 4 STATE SEMIFINAL – TuesdayUxbridge vs. Sutton, 6 (Shepherd Hill)DIVISION 4 STATE SEMIFINAL – WednesdayMonomoy vs. Manchester-Essex, 5 (Hingham)DIVISION 4 STATE FINAL – Saturday at WPIUxbridge/Sutton vs. Monson/Manchester-Essex, TBAFOOTBALLTHURSDAY’S GAMEDIVISION 2 STATE SEMIFINALKing Philip vs. Barnstable, 6 (Weymouth)FRIDAY’S ...

Prince’s puffy ‘Purple Rain’ shirt up for auction

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:14 GMT

Fans of Prince, who was known nearly as much for his extravagant wardrobe as for his chart-topping hits, will have a chance to bid on some of the late musician’s sartorial splendor in an online auction this week.The collection, including more than 200 lots up for sale, was assembled by a French collector who initially hoped to open a museum celebrating the musician but later scrapped the plan, according to RR Auction of Boston, which is overseeing the sale.The collector had reached out to individuals who worked closely with Prince to gather the items, believing that the trendsetting artist, who died in 2016, was not only a musical virtuoso but also a fashion icon, according to the auction house.One of the highlights of the auction is a white ruffled shirt worn by Prince during his 1985 American Music Awards performance of the song “Purple Rain.”The auction house estimated its value at $15,000.The auction traces Prince’s evolution in music and fashion from his...

Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson named AL Rookie of the Year, becoming first Baltimore player to win award since 1989

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:14 GMT

What’s been known for months finally became official Monday: Gunnar Henderson is the American League Rookie of the Year.The 22-year-old infielder emerged this season as not just the circuit’s best rookie but as the best player on the AL’s best regular-season team and one of the most valuable players in the major leagues. He was recognized for his stellar rookie campaign Monday evening by unanimously winning the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s AL Rookie of the Year Award, beating out Boston’s Triston Casas and Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee and receiving all 30 first-place votes.Henderson hit .255 with a team-best .814 OPS, 28 home runs, 29 doubles, nine triples and 10 stolen bases. He overcame a slow start and popped in the summer when he regularly impacted games at the plate, on the bases and in the field. His 6.2 wins above replacement were easily the most among Baltimore players, and he earned the designation of Most Valuable Oriole,...

Men die nearly 6 years before women, as US life expectancy gap widens: Harvard Public Health

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:14 GMT

The life expectancy of American women is now 5.8 years longer than that of men, a trend that researchers say is driven by the COVID pandemic and the opioid overdose epidemic.U.S. men dying nearly 6 years before women is now the largest life expectancy gap between sexes since 1996, according to new research led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and UC San Francisco.The life expectancy gender gap of 5.8 years in 2021 was a jump from 4.8 years in 2010, when the gap was at its smallest in recent history.The pandemic, which took a disproportionate toll on men, was the biggest contributor to the widening gap from 2019 to 2021 — followed by unintentional injuries and poisonings (mostly drug overdoses), accidents, and suicide.“There’s been a lot of research into the decline in life expectancy in recent years, but no one has systematically analyzed why the gap between men and women has been widening since 2010,” said first author Brandon Yan, a UCSF interna...

Supreme Court adopts ethics code

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:14 GMT

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday adopted its first code of ethics, in the face of sustained criticism over undisclosed trips and gifts from wealthy benefactors to some justices, but the code lacks a means of enforcement.The policy, agreed to by all nine justices, does not appear to impose any significant new requirements and leaves compliance entirely to each justice.Indeed, the justices said they have long adhered to ethics standards and suggested that criticism of the court over ethics was the product of misunderstanding, rather than any missteps by the justices.“The absence of a Code, however, has led in recent years to the misunderstanding that the Justices of this Court, unlike all other jurists in this country, regard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules,” the justices wrote in an unsigned statement that accompanied the code. “To dispel this misunderstanding, we are issuing this Code, which largely represents a codification of principles tha...

MIAA to study exclusion scheduling

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:14 GMT

Scheduling changes may be coming for MIAA member schools.The MIAA Board of Directors on Monday voted unanimously to allow the Tournament Management Committee to examine whether or not exclusionary and endowment games are of use in the future.The Tournament Management Committee (TMC) is expected to recommend a proposal to the Board by its March meeting. Along with exclusion and endowment games, the matter of tournament cutoff dates will also be examined.“We need to look at whether there is still a purpose to the concept of endowment and exclusion games and whether there is a more efficient way to explain scheduling,” TMC liaison Sherry Bryant said.For decades the MIAA has allowed a set list of schools who otherwise struggle to find opponents to be considered “exclusion schools” to allow them to more easily schedule. These games counted for tournament eligibility for the exclusion school but not for the school’s opponent. Since the inception of the MIAA S...

Alaska House Republicans confirm Baker to fill vacancy left when independent Rep Patkotak resigned

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:14 GMT

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska House Republicans have confirmed Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s appointment of Republican Thomas Baker to the state House. Baker was sworn in Monday, the Republican-led House majority said. Dunleavy had appointed Baker to replace independent Rep. Josiah Patkotak, who resigned last month after being elected North Slope Borough mayor.Because Patkotak was an independent, Dunleavy was not bound by party affiliation in choosing a replacement, but there were questions around who would be involved in confirming his pick. Dunleavy’s office had said Baker’s name would be sent to Republican House members for a confirmation vote. Provisions of law dealing with vacancies were tweaked under a 2020 ballot measure. Scott Kendall, an attorney and an author of that measure, has said the confirmation should be voted on by members of the House majority, regardless of their party affiliation.Patkotak was one of four rural lawmakers — independents and Democrats — who this year j...