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Stefan Bondy: NBA commish Adam Silver predictably went soft on Ja Morant with a 25-game ban

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:50 GMT

Ja Morant can count his blessings, and 70% of a splendid salary, that Adam Silver is the NBA commissioner and not David Stern.Stern, who oversaw the NBA’s rise to international prominence, dropped hammers. Silver drops plastic spoons unless they’re on Donald Sterling.To recap, Morant embarrassed the NBA, himself and especially Silver. He flashed a gun in March at a club while “in an intoxicated state,” according to the league, and then went to a meeting with Silver that supposedly demonstrated Morant’s “sincere contrition.” The commissioner added at the time, “Ja has also made it clear to me that he has learned from this incident.”Clearly, Morant doesn’t take Silver seriously. And why should he? Why should he worry about anything? His PR cleanup consisted of a short stay (emphasis on short) at a counseling facility and dancing around softball questions from ESPN’s Jalen Rose. Then Morant flashed another gun in another...

Recipe: Grilled asparagus with figs, blue cheese and sherry vinegar is a tasty summertime dish

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:50 GMT

Grilled Asparagus with Figs, Blue Cheese and Sherry Vinegar Sauce is a scrumptious concoction. It’s a great dish for summertime entertaining because much of the work can be done in advance. The asparagus can be grilled a day in advance and refrigerated. The vinegar sauce, a vinegar reduction sweetened with honey and minced orange zest, can be prepared a day in advance and kept in the fridge.Assemble the dish 30 to 60 minutes before serving, placing the grilled spears on a platter, and then topping them with quartered fresh figs, blue cheese, and sauce.Grilled Asparagus with Figs, Blue Cheese and Sherry Vinegar SauceYield: 4 to 6 servingsINGREDIENTS2 cups Sherry vinegar1 small shallot, finely diced2 tablespoons honey, clover honey preferred1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (colored portion of peel)Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus more for garnish, see cook’s notesAbout 24 asparagus spears, trimmed, see coo...

Patriotic 4th of July recipes you need to try

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:50 GMT

Kaitlyn Keegan | Hartford CourantFor this Fourth of July, bring something special to your cookout with friends and family.Spice up the drink table with a Firecracker Sangria or add a touch of sweetness for dessert with Puff Pastry Star Cookies. Your friends will love a tasty, simple peach cobbler with homemade whipped cream and will be snacking away on Cornmeal Hushpuppies.If you’re an adventurous cook in the kitchen, try making the Crab Cake Sliders. They’re a bit of work, but sure to be absolutely delicious and something new and different to serve.You’ll be sure to make these again as a summer treat.Puff Pastry Star CookiesRecipe by Country LivingNote: If at any point the dough starts to feel soft during assembly, put it on parchment paper-lined baking sheets and refrigerate until slightly firm, but not stiff. Then proceed.IngredientsAll-purpose flour, for work surface2 sheets (1 17.3 ounce package) puff pastry, thawed1 large egg, beaten1/4 cup jam, jelly or fruit preservesSanding...

Decent: Growing up near London’s Wembley Stadium offers glimpse into what Bears could bring to Naperville

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:50 GMT

Speaking as someone who has twice visited Alaska but failed to see a bear in its natural habitat, I was interested to see another breed by the same name is considering a move to Naperville.Earlier this month, Chicago Bears officials met with our new mayor, Scott Wehrli, in response to a letter he sent them suggesting our city would be a much better fit for a new football stadium than their current plan to build on the site of the old Arlington International Racecourse.Since I’m obviously a bigger bear deterrent than a bucket of freshly ground cayenne peppers, I believe this is never going to happen. Like many others, I think they only listened to Naperville’s pitch because it might provide some kind of leverage with their ongoing negotiations with Arlington Heights. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy having a reason to visit our fair city?In a statement, the team said plans to build “the largest single development project in Illinois history” are at risk for th...

Chicago Bears begin demolishing grandstand exterior at Arlington Park with stadium issue still up in the air

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:50 GMT

The Chicago Bears began demolition Friday of the grandstand exterior at the former Arlington International Racecourse — considered for many years to be one of the most beautiful racetracks in the country.The Bears have plans to build an enclosed football stadium on the site as part of a $5 billion housing and entertainment district. But team officials have said they will not build there unless they get an agreement on property taxes and public subsidies for infrastructure such as roads and utilities.The team began demolition of the interior of the grandstand on May 30. Piles of rubble could be seen on the paddock track, where spectators previously could see horses up close before they raced.The village of Arlington Heights and Cook County approved the permits to begin tearing down the grandstand and related structures.There are more than 30 buildings or structures on the property, including stables, offices and dorms where jockeys, trainers and their families used to live. Fut...

Maine man charged with killing his parents and 2 others indicted, faces more charges

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:50 GMT

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A man charged with four counts of murder for allegedly killing his parents and two others in a series of shootings that shook Maine earlier this year has been indicted, officials said on Friday.Law enforcement officials say 34-year-old Joseph Eaton confessed to police to the killings at a property in rural Bowdoin and injuring three people while shooting at vehicles on Interstate 295 in Yarmouth. He faces additional charges related to the highway shootings.The bodies were found in Bowdoin on April 18, days after Eaton’s release from prison. Eaton’s parents, Cynthia Eaton, 62, and David Eaton, 66, were killed along with their longtime friends, Bowdoin homeowners Robert Eger, 72, and Patti Eger, 62, officials said. Soon after the bodies were discovered, police responded to gunshots fired at several vehicles more than 20 miles (about 32 kilometers) to the south on the busy highway in Yarmouth. Bullets struck a family in one of the vehicles, wounding Sean Ha...

Despite widespread protest, Reddit CEO says company is ‘not negotiating’ on changes to data access

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — If you hopped on Reddit to scroll through your favorite forums this week, you may have encountered “private” or “restricted” messages. That’s because thousands of subreddits chose to go dark in an ongoing protest of some controversial changes announced by the online discussion network.The blackout, which began Monday, emerged out of outrage over Reddit’s upcoming changes to its application programming interface (API) access — notably the company’s plan to start charging high usage third-party apps, who have long-used the Reddit data at no cost to build resources for users not available through the official site or app.Organizers of the protest say that Reddit’s new policy threatens to end key ways of historically customizing the platform, which relies heavily on the volunteer labor of subreddit moderators. Many users currently rely on third-party apps to access features that are unavailable in the official Reddit app, particularly for content mode...

Swiss cyclist Gino Mäder dies after falling down a ravine in the Tour de Suisse

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:50 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — Swiss cyclist Gino Mäder died Friday, one day after crashing and falling down a ravine during a descent at the Tour de Suisse.The 26-year-old Mäder crashed after a left-hand turn on a fast downhill road approaching the end of the mountainous fifth stage into La Punt. His fall of about 30 meters was stopped by a stream. “Gino lost his battle to recover from the severe injuries he sustained,” his Bahrain-Victorious team said in a statement. “Despite the best efforts of the phenomenal staff at Chur hospital, Gino couldn’t make it through this, his final and biggest challenge, and at 11:30 a.m. we said goodbye to one of the shining lights of our team.”Medical staff who reached Mäder found him motionless in the water, race organizers said Thursday. CPR was performed on him before he was airlifted to the hospital.“Our entire team is devastated by this tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with Gino’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult ti...

Donald Triplett, the 1st person diagnosed with autism, dies at 89

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:50 GMT

FOREST, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi man known as “Case 1,” the first person to be diagnosed with autism, has died.Donald G. Triplett was the subject of a book titled “In a Different Key,” a PBS documentary film, BBC news magazine installment and countless medical journal articles.But to employees at the Bank of Forest, in a small city about 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of Jackson, he was simply “Don,” WLBT-TV reported.Triplett died Thursday, confirmed Lesa Davis, the bank’s senior vice president. He was 89.Triplett worked for 65 years at the bank where his father Beamon Triplett was a primary shareholder.“Don was a remarkable individual,” CEO Allen Breland said of Triplett, who was known as a fiercely independent savant. “And he kept things interesting.”Triplett, a 1958 graduate of Millsaps College, enjoyed golf and travel and was frequently flying to exotic locales, Breland said. “He was in his own world, but if you gave him two, three-digit numbers, he could multiply...

NCAA medical committee recommendations include removal of marijuana from banned drug list

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:18:50 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An NCAA medical committee wants to remove marijuana from the banned drug list and consider whether testing should be limited to performance-enhancing drugs.The legislation must still be introduced and approved by all three NCAA divisions. Administrators from Division II and Division III asked the committee to look into the marijuana issue and a final decision is expected this fall. The NCAA’s committee on safeguards and medical aspects of sports also recommended suspending marijuana testing at NCAA championship events until a final judgment about the proposal is made, establishing a trace-level threshold for a banned hormone and metabolic modulator and updates to the governing body’s best practices on mental health.But the marijuana proposal will likely be the most pivotal change.Last December, at a summit on marijuana use among college athletes, it was determined the drug is not performance enhancing and that NCAA schools should focus more on educating ath...