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Final Four: Australia makes it through to Women’s World Cup semifinals seeking history for Matildas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — There will be a first-time winner of the Women’s World Cup this year, and maybe, just maybe, it will be host country Australia. The Matildas, serving as co-hosts of the tournament with New Zealand, became the first home team since the United States in 1999 to win a quarterfina l in nine Women’s World Cups. Australia has reached its first semifinal in team history and faces England on Wednesday for a chance to play for the title. “I genuinely really believe that this team can do great history in so many ways,” Australia coach Tony Gustavsson said, “not just winning football games, but the way that they can inspire the next generation, how they can unite the nation, how they can leave a legacy that is much bigger that football.”England, the European champion, advanced with a 2-1 victory over upstart Colombia. England also reached the semifinals in 2015 and 2019, only to finish third and fourth and never reach the Women’s World Cup f...

2 men have been indicted for an 8-year-old’s shooting death in Virginia last year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

HOPEWELL, Va. (AP) — Two young men have been accused of first-degree murder and other charges related to the shooting death of an 8-year-old girl at the close of 2022 in a central Virginia city.Jamari Antonio Taylor, 20, of Hopewell and Rayquan Latrel Harvell, 18, of Chesterfield, were indicted on several counts between them on Wednesday, according to a Hopewell Police Department news release. They were in the Riverside Regional Jail on Saturday without bond, according to electronic records. P’Aris Moore was shot in the chest on Dec. 30 and died later at TriCities Hospital. The police chief at the time had said that the girl was playing in a front yard when a vehicle slowed down and fired a single shot. Police had said witnesses had reported seeing a sedan with tinted windows speeding through the area that could be related to the shooting. The police news release said an “extensive investigation” into the homicide led to the arrests that involved the Office of the Commonwealth...

Police: Armed man carjacked driver in Fort Lauderdale, took off with passenger, ditched car on I-95

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

A chaotic series of events in Broward County involving an armed carjacking and an alarming abduction has triggered a search for the man responsible.According to Fort Lauderdale Police, they received a call about a possible kidnapping near the 100 block of Southwest Second Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, just before 5:25 a.m., Saturday.Investigators said a man and a woman were inside a car when they were approached by the subject, who was armed with a gun.Police said the driver got out of the vehicle and ran away, while the woman remained in the passenger seat as the subject got in and drove away.FLPD and the Broward Sheriff’s Office quickly gathered information about the victim’s car.Detectives said the vehicle and the woman were later located along Interstate 95 near Oakland Park Boulevard.Police determined the subject fled on foot prior to officers’ arrival.The woman was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.As of late Saturda...

Firefighters make progress against deadly wildfires in Maui, as officials estimate it will cost billions of dollars to rebuild

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

(CNN) — As the Maui wildfire death toll mounts and search teams and their cadaver dogs continue the grim work of sifting through the ruins of burned buildings, officials estimated on Saturday that it will cost billions to restore the once-picturesque town of Lahaina.Firefighters have made some progress in containing the blazes, which have killed at least 80 people and leveled entire communities, but officials warn they do not know exactly how many people are still missing after wildfires earlier this week began eating through neighborhoods in western Maui.The blazes, fanned by powerful winds from Hurricane Dora hundreds of miles offshore, have become the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii since statehood in 1959.As of Friday evening local time, all three fires were still active after initial reports came Tuesday. And while there have been some improvements in containment, the risk of flare-ups remains.People in Kaanapali were evacuating Friday night after spotting a fire...

Trump and DeSantis woo Iowa Republican voters in separate appearances at state fair

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

(CNN) — The 2024 Republican presidential race is playing out in close quarters Saturday at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, as former President Donald Trump and his top-polling rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, join the crowd of thousands of potential caucus-goers.The Iowa State Fair in Des Moines has been a quintessential stop on the presidential campaign trail since the Democratic Party moved the state to the first position in its nominating calendar in 1972 and Republicans made the same shift four years later.Trump and DeSantis are both skipping one state fair mainstay – making their pitches to crowds gathered around The Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox. But DeSantis, like most other GOP contenders, is participating in a one-on-one “fair-side chat” with Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds. Trump, who has repeatedly questioned Reynolds’ neutrality in the race and accused the popular governor of cozying up to DeSantis, is skipping the chat with her.The former president, meanwhile, is tr...

Scooter rider airlifted after hit-and-run in SW Miami-Dade

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

One person was airlifted to the hospital after they were struck in Southwest Miami-Dade while riding a scooter by a driver who fled the scene, authorities said.Florida Highway Patrol and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the hit-and-run along Krome Avenue, near Southwest 136th Street, just after 1 a.m., Saturday.FHP troopers arrived to find the rider of a black scooter suffering from serious injuries.The victim was airlifted to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in critical condition.Detectives have not provided details about the vehicle that struck the victim, as they continue to investigate.As of late Saturday afternoon, the motorist has not been located.Officials urge anyone with information about this crash or the driver’s whereabouts to dial *FHP (*347).

Mets allow 6 homers to powerhouse Braves in blowout loss, 21-3

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

A group of Triple-A pitchers and a lineup of mostly Triple-A hitters faced the best team in baseball Saturday afternoon at Citi Field. The results were predictable.In the first game of a twin bill, the Mets were walloped by the Atlanta Braves, 21-3. Daniel Vogelbach’s three-run homer off right-hander Michael Tonkin put the Mets (52-54) on the board in the bottom of the eighth to prevent a second shutout in as many days. They couldn’t even manage a hit off of shortstop Nicky Lopez, who pitched the ninth.It was a meaningless game in the grand scheme of the season, but it did cast a harsh spotlight on the club’s lack of organizational depth. The trade deadline was used to address that depth, but it’s clear there is still a long way to go, especially at the upper levels of the system. Other teams in baseball have long questioned the Mets’ ability to scout its own system and this game did little to answer those questions.Denyi Reyes was called up from Triple...

Future of Roxbury’s Clifford Playground hamstrung by Mass and Cass, neighborhood residents say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

Caiden Coleman just wants to play football with his teammates, but the conditions at the dilapidated Clifford Playground are making it difficult for the 11-year-old to truly find joy in the game he loves.On the first day he came to the 8-acre park in Roxbury, Coleman said he had to pick up needles with his coach. Over the past five years he’s been involved with the Boston Bengals Pop Warner football program, conditions have slightly improved, he said, but more needs to be done to ensure safety.“It’s still not perfect,” Coleman said. “We shouldn’t have to play and worry about stepping on needles. Last year, a kid was over there … I’m running, taking a lap, and he has a needle inside his leg. He shouldn’t have to go through that.”Coleman confidently pleaded for help Saturday when city officials led residents through Clifford Playground to receive feedback on what needs to be done to ensure a future where children can play their favorite game without fearing for their safety.Residents ...

Morgues short of space to handle rising death toll from Maui fires. Follow live updates

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

By REBECCA BOONE (Associated Press)Follow live updates about wildfires that have devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii this week, destroying a historic town and forcing evacuations. The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which passed south of the island chain, was partly to blame for strong winds that initially drove the flames, knocking out power and grounding firefighting helicopters.As the death toll from the fires on the island rises, it’s unclear how morgues will be able to accommodate the number of victims considering there is just one hospital and three mortuaries.The number of deaths has risen to 80, according to a statement by Maui County on Friday. The number of confirmed fatalities in the 9 p.m. announcement increased from the previous figure of 67.The fire is the deadliest in the U.S. since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise. Beyond the confirmed deaths in Maui, hundreds of other people remai...

What WooSox manager Chad Tracy wants people to know about Triston Casas and Ceddanne Rafaela

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:11 GMT

Chad Tracy does a very important job for the Red Sox.As manager of their Triple-A affiliate, the Worcester Red Sox, also known as the WooSox, it’s his responsibility to prepare the organization’s top prospects for their future, and help injured and demoted Major Leaguers work their way back.And he has to get the job done in the ever-rainy Worcester, where he’s lost count of how many rain delays and postponed games his squad has weathered this season. In April alone, the club postponed six games due to inclement weather or wet grounds.When a torrential downpour forced the WooSox to postpone yet again on Thursday, the skipper sat down with the Herald to discuss two of the organization’s brightest stars, one who’s knocking at his debut’s door, and another making his case for American League Rookie of the Year.Ceddanne RafaelaRed Sox executives already considered their No. 2 prospect a Major League-caliber defender, but plate discipline was among the areas in need of i...