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Column: Cody Bellinger’s remarkable comeback season has helped the Chicago Cubs morph from pretenders to contenders

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:21:50 GMT

Summer in Chicago is fleeting, and every moment needs to be savored.That’s exactly what a crowd of 39,525 did Saturday on a beautiful August afternoon at Wrigley Field during the Air and Water and Bellinger Show.With the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds providing the backdrop in the Chicago Cubs’ 6-4 win against the Kansas City Royals, first baseman Cody Bellinger poked a pair of opposite-field home runs and drove in four runs on a day the organization celebrated the life of legendary WXRT-FM 93.1 DJ Lin Brehmer.Justin Steele pitched six strong innings, allowing two runs while striking out seven to tie for the major-league lead with his 14th win. Adbert Alzolay converted his 13th straight save opportunity, and the Cubs evened the series at a game apiece with Kyle Hendricks taking the mound Sunday in the rubber game.But the day belonged to Bellinger, who once again carried the Cubs on his shoulders.“Putting the lineup on his back is kind of what he does,” manager D...

Boston agency approves revamped Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center in Dorchester

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:21:50 GMT

The city’s largest and most diverse neighborhood is set to receive an uptick in healthcare, with the Boston Planning and Development Agency moving forward with a revamped Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center.The BPDA Board of Directors last week unanimously approved the center relocating to three scarcely used lots next to its existing headquarters on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester. The revamped facility will create a 10 to 15% increase in staffing positions from the current employee count of 100-plus, according to project documents.HSNHC, an independent nonprofit, has operated out of 632 Blue Hill Ave., since 1976. Meeting the demand for services from residents in Dorchester and the surrounding area has been difficult as the building dates back to the early 1900s, officials say.“That building is getting very old and inefficient,” HSNHC President and CEO Charley Murphy said before the BPDA board greenlighted the project on Thursday. “The new building will allow us to house all ...

Midseason organizational talent rankings signal big things ahead for Red Sox

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:21:50 GMT

According to one well-respected evaluator, the Red Sox farm system is verging into elite territory.On Thursday, Baseball America released its midseason organization talent rankings, and gave Boston the No. 5 spot, a five-spot improvement over their preseason rankings.Coming in at No. 10 in March was an impressive jump, given that the organization hadn’t cracked the top-10 in over half a decade. Even more so, considering BA’s expert evaluators deemed them No. 30, also known as the bottom of the barrel, in 2019.No. 5 is formidable.“With a lack of recent success by the major league club, Boston has found itself at the top of the draft more frequently than Red Sox fans would like,” BA explained. “It has, however, yielded considerable fruit in recent years as Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel each represent a Top 100 prospect taken by the Red Sox in each of the past three drafts.“The depth of the Red Sox system is strong, as the emergence of s...

Ukrainian Canadians celebrate Independence Day as war rages on in their homeland

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:21:50 GMT

A symbol of pride and honour, many Ukrainian flags were on display at Centennial Park in Etobicoke as hundreds stood in unity to commemorate 32 years since Ukraine’s independence.“It’s vital for our community to come out, to commemorate, celebrate together Ukrainian resilience, Ukrainian strength, Ukrainian culture and Ukrainian love of everything that is right in this world,” said Peter Schturyn, President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Toronto branch which helped organize Saturday’s event. Ukrainian cultural food, dancing and clothing were on display to pay homage to the country despite a sombre scene back home. Ukraine’s Independence Day is officially on August 24th, but this August also marks 18 months since the start of the Russian invasion. Natalia Frolova arrived in Canada in October 2022. She is one of many who had no choice but to leave her homeland.“I ran away with my family, my daughter, my grandson and son-in-law,” said Frolova. “I was very scared that I...

Warm temperatures continue on Sunday

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:21:50 GMT

CHICAGO — Saturday started with a bit of haze from some wildfire smoke from Northwestern Canada as temperatures started to rise as a hot stretch gets underway in the Chicago area.Highs reached into the mid-80s on Saturday afternoon. Temperatures continue to climb Sunday with highs into the low to mid-90s. We'll see humidity increase and heat index values into the triple digits. A heat advisory is in effect from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Hundreds gather for 'Peace in the Streets' summer block party on South Side

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:21:50 GMT

CHICAGO — On Saturday, St. Sabina Catholic Church and other local groups teamed up for the "Peace in the Streets: Summer Block Party and Community Resource Fair."Hundreds of kids and their parents turned out to the event, sharing their energy and excitement for the upcoming school year."It's fun and I get to see my friends," said Kingston Ward, a local fourth grade student. "And I get to learn new stuff."During the event, 1,200 backpacks filled with school supplies were given away, while organizers also offered free haircuts and food while students played basketball and showed off their dance skills."Today is just a great day," said Tone Kapone, a radio host at WGCI, who were one of the organizers that helped put on the event. "Peace in the Streets, it's such a great time where you are able to bring the community together and do something positive." More from Jewell: ‘I feel good’: More than 80 Chicago CRED graduates receive diplomas Organizers said that while over a thousand back...

Weekend Break: Ribfest Chicago

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:21:50 GMT

CHICAGO — The grills are working hard all weekend on the North Side for the 23rd annual Ribfest. As WGN's Christine Flores reports, make sure to bring your appetite, and lots of wipes.

In lawsuit, Roblox accused of facilitating child gambling

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:21:50 GMT

(NewsNation) — The online gaming platform Roblox is being accused of preying on children and acting as a de-facto illegal gambling operation, according to multiple reports.The reported class action lawsuit brought against Roblox Corp. last week in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California accused the company of facilitating gambling by directing kids to third-party websites that feature blackjack, roulette and other games, according to TechCrunch. Ivermectin still not effective for COVID-19, FDA says It’s not the first time Roblox has found itself in the crosshairs of parents.In March, Roblox was accused of blurring the lines between content and commercials, NewsNation reported.The platform, which has been downloaded millions of times, was the subject of more than 1,000 complaints to the Federal Trade Commission. The concerns cited issues like lack of assistance, deceptive advertising practices and failure to protect children on multiple levels.For all its in...

Biden campaign predicts GOP candidates will 'out-MAGA each other' at debate

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:21:50 GMT

(The Hill) — President Biden's reelection campaign on Saturday predicted that the GOP presidential candidates will “out-MAGA each other,” in the first GOP debate next week, according to an email memo. Michael Taylor, communications director for Biden's 2024 campaign, detailed the “extreme MAGA” topics they expect Republican candidates to hit on the debate stage: cuts to Social Security and Medicares, tax breaks for the rich, shipping jobs overseas, protecting the gun lobby, enacting a nationwide abortion ban and undermining democracy through election denial. “The MAGA Republican presidential candidates support gutting Social Security and Medicare, support a tax giveaway to the wealthy and profitable corporations, would ship good-paying American jobs overseas, want to ban abortion, choose the NRA [National Rifle Association] over our kids, and defend attacks against our democracy,” the memo reads.“It doesn’t matter who ‘wins’ the debate on Wednesday, the MAGA Republican presiden...

American Airlines moves to crack down on ‘skiplagging’

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:21:50 GMT

(NewsNation) — American Airlines is suing a travel company that makes it easier for people to save money on flights with a clever, but risky, travel hack.American sued Skiplagged Inc. in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, this week, accusing the website of deception. It threatened to cancel every ticket that Skiplagged has sold.In the lawsuit, American accused Skiplagged of tricking consumers into believing they can tap “some kind of secret ‘loophole.’” American said the website poses as an ordinary consumer to buy tickets, and warns its customers not to tip off the airline about the arrangement. More states are embracing ‘free range’ laws that let kids be kids The practice within the travel industry is called “hidden city” fares, or “skiplagging.”It works like this:When trying to book a flight to a desired destination, travelers look to buy the cheapest airfare — even if that means booking a flight to a city that isn’t their final destination.Last month, American booted a 17-yea...