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Celtics insist on playing with their backs against the wall, and it hasn’t haunted them yet

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:54:49 GMT

Jayson Tatum put his hands on his face and rubbed his forehead as he took the last question of his postgame press conference. It was the end of a long night after another big win, but the Celtics star also looked like he was trying to come up with the answer to something that so many are wondering.Why do the Celtics only respond when they need to? Why do they thrive when their backs are against the wall?“I wish I didn’t know the answer,” Tatum said.Whatever it is, it’s ingrained in this Celtics team’s DNA. They seem to be obsessed with doing it the hard way, whether it was going down 3-2 to Milwaukee last postseason, then losing at home to Miami in Game 6 that forced them to win Game 7 on the road. The script repeated itself when they fell behind 3-2 to Philadelphia earlier this month. But now the Celtics are testing it like they’re driving high speed around a cliff. After falling behind 3-0 in these Eastern Conference Finals to the Heat, it looked like the Celtics had gone to...

Review: Pixel 7A gives you more than you pay for

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:54:49 GMT

You know that adage, “you get what you pay for.” Well, it’s not always true. With Google’s new Pixel 7A phone, you get more than you pay for, compared with other phones.At $499, the 6.1-inch Pixel 7A is $100 less than the 6.3-inch Pixel 7 and $400 less than the 6.7-inch Pixel Pro. In terms of screen size, the 7A is more than big enough. It fits in my hand better than the 7 and the 7 Pro. The 7A is bigger and a lot less expensive than the iPhone 14, which starts at $799. It’s also less expensive than most Samsung phones. Size is only one of several things to consider when buying a phone, but larger phones typically cost more than smaller ones.Android vs. iOSThere are people who dismiss Android phones, because they are wedded to iOS and the Apple eco-system. I get it. Apple does a great job integrating its products, making it easy to go back and forth among their phones, laptops, watches and tablets. But Google is starting to create its own eco-system with its Pixel watch, Fitbit trac...

Coast Guard San Diego aircrew evacuates a 3-year-old girl off cruise ship

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:54:49 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A helicopter aircrew from the Coast Guard Sector San Diego evacuated a young child from a cruise ship on Wednesday, officials said.A 3-year-old passenger on the Emerald Princess was suffering from seizure-like symptoms off the coast of Santa Barbara around 2 p.m., USCG explained in a news release. SD Wave players meet with all-female pilot squadron set to flyover game Cruise ship personnel communicated with watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach and said the child needed a medical evacuation. It was determined by USCG that launching a San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew was the "best course of action" to evacuate the child from the cruise ship, officials said.An aircrew from the San Diego Sector immediately took flight and arrived to the area where the ship was located. According to USCG, the helicopter crew hoisted the girl and her mother from the ship and safely brought them onboard the aircraft.Once back to land, the 3-year-old girl was ...

Man wanted in TTC assaults allegedly spat on people, police say

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:54:49 GMT

Toronto police are searching for a man wanted in multiple assaults on the TTC that involved the suspect spitting on people.Authorities said on May 15, a man was exiting a subway car at Coxwell Station in The Danforth when he allegedly spat at two passengers without provocation as they were boarding.A day later, on May 16, police said a man walking from Main Street Station in the east end spat at another passenger as they walked toward the TTC station.Investigators identified the suspect as 28-year-old Joseph O’Sullivan Martinez of Toronto.He’s wanted for three counts of assault and five counts of breaching probation.Joseph O’Sullivan Martinez, 28, of Toronto. Photo: Toronto police.

Doctor’s supporters, hospital at odds with Indiana penalty for talking about 10-year-old’s abortion

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:54:49 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Supporters of an Indianapolis doctor voiced frustration Friday with the Indiana medical board’s decision that she violated patient privacy laws when she talked with a newspaper reporter about providing an abortion to a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim.The board’s vote late Thursday to issue a letter of reprimand against Dr. Caitlin Bernard won’t limit her ability to practice medicine in the state, and the hospital system where she works said it stood by its finding that she followed privacy rules. The medical board rejected allegations that Bernard failed to properly report suspected child abuse and was unfit to have a medical license.Some of Bernard’s colleagues criticized the Medical Licensing Board’s vote and the state attorney general’s pursuit of disciplinary action against her as trying to intimidate doctors in Indiana, where the Republican-dominated Legislature enacted an abortion ban last year that courts have put on hold.Bernard’s revelation of the girl trav...

Reform-minded prosecutors in northern Virginia face primary challenges

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:54:49 GMT

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — In the four years since progressive reform prosecutors swept into office across northern Virginia, they have faced constant criticism, ranging from conservatives who deride them as bleeding-heart “ Soros prosecutors ” to judges who claim they abuse their discretion.Now, as these prosecutors are up for reelection in Virginia’s off-off year elections, the challengers in next month’s Democratic primaries aren’t challenging the reform agenda. Instead, they too are casting themselves as reformers.Political analysts look to Virginia’s odd-year elections for clues about voter sentiment heading into midterms and presidential years. This year, the prosecutor races may show how voters feel about crime, three years after protests over racial injustice both energized progressives and prompted a conservativebacklash. Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions from a primary that histor...

Presidential hopeful DeSantis inspires push to make book bans easier in Republican-controlled states

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:54:49 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (AP) — As he vies for the Republican presidential nomination, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is touting a series of measures he has pushed that have led to an upswing in banned or restricted books — not just in Florida schools but in an increasing number of other conservative states.Florida last year became the first in a wave of red states to enact laws making it easier for parents to challenge books in school libraries they deem to be pornographic, deal improperly with racial issues or in other ways be inappropriate for students.Books ensnared in the Florida regulations include explicit graphic novels about growing up LGBTQ+, a children’s book based on a true story of two male penguins raising a chick in a zoo and “The Bluest Eye,” a novel by Nobel laureate Toni Morrison that includes descriptions of child sexual abuse. Certain books covering racial themes also have been pulled from library shelves, sometimes temporarily, as school administrators try to assess what...

Green carpet in United Arab Emirates welcomes India’s film elite for Bollywood awards ceremony

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:54:49 GMT

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Indian celebrities and Bollywood stars on Friday walked a green carpet for a second year in a row in the United Arab Emirates — the signature color of the International Indian Film Academy awards.The 23rd edition of the “Bollywood Oscars” is being hosted at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, over two days. Friday night kicked off with performances by Bollywood A-listers such as Badshah and Rajkummar Rao.The spotlight will shift on Saturday night to the main event, a grand awards ceremony that recognizes cinematic achievements from the past year. “Often film stars and the industry are something that’s far away from things like India and with us traveling around the world, we can bring them closer and create a bigger industry.” said Noreen Khan, vice president of IIFA.Home to over 3.5 million Indians, the UAE has an undeniable link to India’s thriving multi-billion dollar film industry. Bollywood continues to extend its sway within t...

Guatemala’s top court ends candidacy of leading presidential hopeful 1 month before vote

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:54:49 GMT

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemala’s top court blocked the candidacy of another presidential hopeful on Friday, this time ending the campaign of poll leader Carlos Pineda for alleged violations of electoral law.The Constitutional Court rejected Pineda’s appeal after electoral authorities had ruled him ineligible only a month before the first round of voting June 25.Pineda is the third presidential candidate ruled ineligible to run. The court rejected the final appeals of candidate Roberto Arzú on Thursday, and previously had ruled against Thelma Cabrera because of a paperwork issue with her running mate.Some observers have accused Guatemala’s electoral authorities of using the judicial system to pare down the field to candidates acceptable to the establishment.Pineda, a conservative populist, running a campaign that caught fire on social media, emerged as the surprise leader atop the polls earlier this month.Authorities said there were problems in the way his party selected its candida...

U.S. cities reporting fewer killings hope crime strategies prevent a summer surge

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 20:54:49 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — An expected bump in violent crime this summer has mayors and police officials around the U.S. rolling out familiar strategies of making officers more visible and engaging with community groups, in some cases leaning on civilians to enforce curfews and keep the peace.Chicago is among the U.S. cities under scrutiny following a mayoral race that focused on public safety in response to demands for change. Violence often surges during summer months, so this holiday weekend will undoubtedly ramp up pressure on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new administration to deliver short-term improvement along with the long-term strategies that the former union organizer advocated while campaigning to lead the nation’s third-largest city.“It’s going to take all of us, not just the police, not just city government, to ensure that our communities can live and thrive in peace and safety,” Johnson said at a lakefront press conference promoting the city’s Memorial Day weekend strategy. Most large ...