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Ravens alum and ‘Blind Side’ inspiration Michael Oher tells his own story in new book

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:57:29 GMT

Abigail Gruskin | (TNS) Baltimore SunYou might think you know Ravens alum Michael Oher from “The Blind Side,” the 2009 Oscar-nominated film inspired by Oher’s battle through poverty and homelessness in his youth, before being recruited to play football at the University of Mississippi. It ends with an update: Oher had made it into the NFL.That movie, based on a book of the same name, “turned me into something so rare it almost doesn’t exist — a famous offensive lineman,” Oher remarks in his new book, “When Your Back’s Against the Wall,” written with author Don Yaeger and published Aug. 8 by Avery.But the cinematic tale didn’t get his story quite right. Oher, 37, “wasn’t a poor student” despite being behind in school, he writes in his latest book, and persevered in large part on his own.“Shedding light and giving hope to people who think that someone has to rescue them” is Oher’s goal, he told The Baltimore Sun in a recent phone interview. “You have every tool that you need to be suc...

Two theories on Patriots’ recent usage of rookie QB Malik Cunningham

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:57:29 GMT

FOXBORO — All it took was 15 snaps at the end of a preseason game, but Patriots fans have become enamored with undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham.It’s understandable. In a game in which Mac Jones saw zero action and the offense looked lifeless with Bailey Zappe and Trace McSorley under center thanks in large part to an ineffective offensive line, Cunningham added life in Thursday night’s loss to the Houston Texans. The Patriots were suddenly playing much faster as Cunningham led the offense on their only touchdown-scoring drive, going 3-of-4 for 19 yards as a passer and leading the team with 34 rushing yards and a touchdown on five attempts.After barely playing quarterback for most of the first two weeks of training camp as he continued a transition to wide receiver that started in the spring, Cunningham started taking more significant reps under center in the two practices proceeding Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Houston Texans.Related ArticlesNew England...

Cold plunging is a hot trend. Here’s why

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:57:29 GMT

A plunge into ice-cold water might sound like just the thing on a hot summer day, but there’s more to the art of cold plunging than that. Hot springs and sports recovery centers are offering cold plunges as a therapeutic activity, while fans are doing the same at home or in groups.In fact, the Global Wellness Institute noted in its 2023 Hot Springs Trends report that, “The benefits of hot-cold contrast bathing have been widely recognized and is now almost universal in hot springs across the globe.”Jim Mikula, senior vice president for WorldSprings, the company behind Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, says the institute “led the charge” by promoting hot springs and cold plunges — also referred to as contrast bathing — starting 20 years ago.But “in the last four years it’s become really popular,” he said. “You feel refreshed, have more energy, and can almost see better when you go from the hot water to the cold.”The institute explains the benefits this way: “Gue...

Military responds as wildfires close evacuation routes out of N.W.T. communities

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:57:29 GMT

HAY RIVER, N.W.T. — Hundreds of northerners were being airlifted from at least three communities in the face of wind-whipped wildfires as the Canadian Forces arrived in the Northwest Territories and ashes rained down on its capital city.“Over the past 24 hours or so there has been an airlift like this territory has never seen,” N.W.T. fire information officer Mike Westwick said Monday.“Planes flying out of Hay River, planes flying out of Fort Smith, planes flying out of Jean Marie River.“The highways are compromised. It’s a very serious situation.”No injuries were reported and no one was believed to be missing.Firefighters were in tough against flames driven by winds gusting 60 to 70 kilometres an hour in some areas, said Westwick.On Sunday, those winds pushed the flames through a firebreak and within 30 kilometres of the territorial capital of Yellowknife. The city is not considered threatened, but residents have been told to prepare to leave....

Boralex shares jump 6% after reporting Q2 profit up from year ago

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:57:29 GMT

MONTREAL — Shares in Boralex Inc. rose more than six per cent Monday after the renewable power producer reported its second-quarter profit rose compared with a year ago.The company says it earned a profit attributable to shareholders of $19 million, or 19 cents per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, up from $10 million, or 10 cents per share, a year earlier.Revenue from energy sales and feed-in premiums totalled $210 million, up from $168 million in the same quarter last year.The company said the improvement was attributable to the commissioning of assets and to high electricity prices in France as well as the acquisition of wind assets in the United States.It says the gains more than offset pressure on results due to unfavourable weather conditions in North America at the end of the quarter.Boralex shares closed up $1.84, or 6.15 per cent, to $31.78 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2023.Companies in this story: ...

Dominican authorities investigate Rays’ Wander Franco for an alleged relationship with a minor

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:57:29 GMT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Authorities in the Dominican Republic are investigating Tampa Bay Rays All-Star shortstop Wander Franco for an alleged relationship with a minor, according to a statement Monday from the office of the attorney general in his native country.The Rays, meanwhile, placed the 22-year-old on the restricted list, a move that will sideline Franco for at least six games while MLB investigates social media posts involving the player.The investigations follow reported social media posts suggesting Franco was in a relationship with a minor. The Associated Press has not been able to verify the reported posts. Asked about Franco’s alleged relationship with the minor, the media office of the attorney general in the Dominican Republic said in a statement “there are investigations regarding that matter.”It was not immediately clear if Franco had retained an attorney who could speak on his behalf.The Rays did not detail the nature of the social media posts but said the tea...

S&P/TSX composite down more than 100 points, U.S. stock markets rise

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:57:29 GMT

TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index closed down more than 100 points Monday on broad-based weakness, while U.S. stock markets rose after a day of mixed trading. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 117.03 points at 20,290.54.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 26.23 points at 35,307.63. The S&P 500 index was up 25.67 points at 4,489.72,while the Nasdaq composite was up 143.48 points at 13,788.33.The Canadian dollar traded for 74.29 cents US compared with 74.39 cents US on Friday.The September crude contract was down 68 cents at US$82.51 per barreland the September natural gas contract was up three cents at US$2.80 per mmBTU.The December gold contract was down US$2.60 at US$1,944 an ounceand the September copper contract was up a penny at US$3.73 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD=X)The Canadian Press

American ambassador to Russia visits jailed reporter Gershkovich, says he’s in good health

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:57:29 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy on Monday made her third visit to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been behind bars in Russia since March on charges of espionage.Tracy last visited Gershkovich in early July. “Ambassador Tracy said that Evan appears in good health and remains strong, despite his very challenging circumstances. Embassy officials will continue to provide all appropriate support to Evan and his family. And we expect Russian authorities to provide continued consular access,” said State Department spokesman Vedant Patel.“Once again, we call on the Russian Federation to immediately release Evan Gershkovich, as well as fellow, wrongfully detained, US citizen, Paul Whelan,” he said. Whelan was arrested in 2018 and in 2020 was sentenced to 16 years in prison for espionage. A 31-year-old U.S. citizen, Gershkovich was arrested in the city of Yekaterinburg while on a reporting trip to Russia.He and his employer denied the allegations, an...

Indiana teen who shot teacher and student at a middle school in 2018 is ordered to treatment center

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:57:29 GMT

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (AP) — A teenager who opened fire at a central Indiana middle school in 2018, wounding another student and a teacher, should go to a residential treatment center, a judge ordered Monday. Hamilton Superior Court Judge Michael A. Casati ordered that the now-18-year-old be held in the Hamilton County Juvenile Service Center for 120 days while a probation department finds a suitable secure residential facility for him, news outlets reported. “The juvenile is a risk to the community,” Casati said in a five-page order. A hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 4 to determine where he will be placed. He will be held in the facility for at least a year. The judge ordered him to appear for a permanency hearing in June 2024. Under Indiana law, he can be detained as a juvenile until the day before he turns 22. The teenager, who was 13 at the time of the shooting, had been detained since shortly after he opened fire at Noblesville West Middle School in May 2018. He shot a seventh-...

Germany’s foreign minister delayed in Abu Dhabi after technical problem forces plane to turn back

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:57:29 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s foreign minister had to spend hours waiting in Abu Dhabi on Monday after a technical problem on her government plane — the latest in a succession of such incidents — forced it to return to the airport in the Emirati capital rather than continue to Australia.Annalena Baerbock had been due to arrive in Canberra on Monday night, to star her visit to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. But her German air force Airbus A340 had to return to Abu Dhabi after a refueling stop because of “a mechanical problem with the landing flaps,” ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.The pilot noticed the problem minutes after the plane took off from Abu Dhabi, and landed it again safely two hours later, after dumping some 80 tons of fuel, German news agency dpa reported.The German air force said later Monday that it had carried out a test flight without problems and the aircraft would fly on to Sydney later in the evening. Fischer confirmed ...