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AP News in Brief at 6:09 p.m. EDT

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:47 GMT

Ukrainian troop positions spark counteroffensive speculationKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian military forces have successfully established positions on the eastern side of the Dnieper River, according to a new analysis, giving rise to speculation Sunday that the advances could be an early sign of Kyiv’s long-awaited spring counteroffensive.The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, reported late Saturday that geolocated footage from pro-Kremlin military bloggers indicated that Ukrainian troops had established a foothold near the town of Oleshky, along with “stable supply lines” to their positions. Analysts widely believe that if Ukraine goes ahead with a spring counteroffensive, a major goal would be to break through the land corridor between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula, which would necessitate crossing the Dnieper River in the country’s south.Responding to Ukrainian media reports proclaiming that the establishment of such positions ind...

Biden expected to tap Julie Chavez Rodriguez to run campaign

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:47 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is expected to tap Julie Chavez Rodriguez, a senior White House adviser, to manage his reelection campaign, according to a person familiar with deliberations on the matter.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Chavez Rodriguez’s appointment has not been finalized and Biden has yet to formally launch his reelection campaign. CBS News was first to report that Biden has decided to pick Chavez Rodriguez.Chavez Rodriguez, a longtime Democratic party activist, also worked in former President Barack Obama’s White House. She’s the granddaughter of labor leader Cesar Chavez and labor activist Helen Fabela Chávez. Growing up in California she was active in campaigns, picket lines, boycotts, marches and union meetings.She has served as Biden’s director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs since the beginning of his presidency and added the senior adviser role last June.Chavez Rodriguez also has deep ti...

Stranger Things: The Experience comes to Canada

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:47 GMT

Fans of the Netflix show Stranger Things can now have a seemingly supernatural immersive experience, as a new event has launched in Canada for the first time.Stranger Things: The Experience kicked off in Toronto in March, and the opening weekend saw more than 3,000 guests attend.“Fans are thrown into a world of supernatural mystery, enduring friendships, and ‘80s nostalgia in an atmospheric celebration of the show’s unique universe,” a news release from Fever, a live-entertainment discovery platform that paired up with Netflix for the event, reads.Stranger Things: The Experience, kicked off in Toronto in March of 2023. (Courtesy Fever media kit)General Manager George Anthony says guests who come will be led through some familiar, and perilous, sites.“You get to walk through them, and you get to touch them, potentially meet some of the favourite characters of the show and, together, you guys will fight the demons inside Hawkins Lab, and hopefully, make your wa...

Vigil held on 4th anniversary of the murder of Marlen Ochoa Lopez and her infant son

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:47 GMT

CHICAGO — Church clergy and the family of Marlen Ochoa Lopez held a vigil Sunday on the fourth anniversary of the grisly murder of her and her infant son.Attendees gathered in front of a large Pilsen mural that pays homage to the two, honoring her memory with a celebration of life that also functioned as a call for justice. ‘Day of the Dead’ altar built in honor of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez and infant son "I was there in the hospital. I held the baby. I saw the baby," said Attorney Frank Avila, who is representing the family in court. "I had been in a lot of cases, but this is probably one of the most heart wrenching cases.”Ochoa Lopez was a 19-year-old pregnant mother two weeks away from her due date when she was murdered on April 23, 2019. On that day, she went to Clarisa Figueroa's home under the impression she was getting free items for her soon-to-arrive toddler after the two of them connected in a group on Facebook.When she arrived, prosecutors assigned to her case alleged Figuero...

'Coffee, Hip Hop and Mental Health:' Chicago non-profit to expand

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:47 GMT

CHICAGO — The road to mental health may not be the easiest to navigate but Coffee, Hip Hop and Mental Health is striving to expand it. "The goal is to serve a cup of coffee to anyone who walks through the door," Christopher Lemark, the founder, said six months ago right after the shop opened. The shop located on Belmont near Seminary in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood not only serves coffee creations but serves as a place for group therapy sessions. The non-profit uses the donations customers pay to provide free therapy sessions, up to 10, for those who want it and cannot otherwise afford it."It's a safe space but the beautiful thing is the donation for the cafe... which means that everyone's invited, right? So, if you have funds to donate, do that but if you don't have funds, you're still invited and you can choose your price," Lemark said. Hundreds clean up Humboldt Park on Earth Day Next month, the organization will look to expand its reach when it hosts its first-ever black-ti...

Chicago police: 3 men shot while outside in Morgan Park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:47 GMT

CHICAGO — Three people were shot late Saturday night on the far South Side of Chicago, police said. Chicago Police Department officers found the three men shot just before 11:30 p.m. in the 1300 block of West 11th Street. This is in Morgan Park. Man dead after shooting in Niles nightclub parking lot A 24-year-old man was shot once in the torso and taken to Christ Hospital in serious condition, police said. Two men, a 37-year-old man and a 38-year-old man, were taken to Christ Hospital in good condition.One of the men told police they were outside when someone shot at them and left. No one has been arrested and Area Two detectives are investigating.

Phil Dawson's advice to Cameron Dicker: 'Give yourself space to enjoy moments'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:47 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — After bouncing around the NFL during his rookie season, former Longhorns kicker Cameron Dicker will start the 2023 season with the team he ended it with.In a conversation with Phil Dawson that aired April 21 on Longhorn Network, Dicker said the Los Angeles Chargers tendered him as an exclusive rights free agent and he'll have a chance to earn the full-time kicking job out of fall camp.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersDawson and Dicker, two of Texas' most prolific kickers, chatted about Dicker's clutch kicks and what the future could possibly hold for Dicker. And like any true great, Dawson offered the youngster some advice. Dawson came back to Austin last year to take over the football program and become the assistant athletic director at Hyde Park Schools after a 21-year NFL career."I never lost that mentality of thinking I was one kick away from it bei...

Alex Kirilloff homers twice to lead Saints past RailRiders

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:47 GMT

Alex Kirilloff, on a rehab assignment from the Twins, homered twice to lead the St. Paul Saints to an 8-5 victory over the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders in a Triple-A baseball game Sunday afternoon at CHS Field.Kirilloff, nursing a wrist injury, lifted the Saints (13-7) to their fourth consecutive victory with help from starting pitcher Randy Dobnak, who was dominant in his four shutout innings on the mound.Kirilloff homered in the first inning for a 2-0 lead and again in the seventh for a 6-1 lead. He finished 2-for-4 with five RBIs on his first two home runs of the season.The RailRiders fell to 8-13 on the season.The Saints are off on Monday, then begin a six-game series against the Rochester Red Wings at Innovative Field in Rochester, N.Y., on Tuesday.Related ArticlesMinnesota Twins | Ober is day’s big winner as Saints rout RailRiders Minnesota Twins | Kyle Garlick’s three-run blast lifts Saints past RailRiders in 11 Minnesota Twins ...

Quality pitching depth in Triple-A helps Twins feel comfortable building in rest for their starters

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:47 GMT

Before the season even began, Sunday was a day that the Twins had circled on the calendar as one when they might insert a starter to give the five members of the rotation a breather.Mired in the middle of a stretch of 13 games in as many days, Bailey Ober became the beneficiary of this plan, making his season debut in Sunday’s 3-1 win over the Nationals. Ober threw 5 2/3 solid innings in his start, giving up just one first-inning run.It came a little later than it might have otherwise — as the last man out of the rotation, Ober was always supposed to be first in line in the event that the Twins needed a spot starter. But when that situation arose on April 14 in New York, Ober had just pitched in a game for the Saints, prompting Louie Varland to get the call instead.Having that depth — Ober and Varland with others, like Simeon Woods Richardson also at Triple-A — has helped make the Twins feel even more comfortable with their plans to give their starters a day of rest, something which...

Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek out for Game 4. No further update provided.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:47 GMT

After leaving less than 20 seconds into Game 3, it seemed like a longshot that Joel Eriksson Ek would be ready for Game 4.He wasn’t.A couple of hours before puck drop, coach Dean Evason confirmed that Eriksson Ek would not play Sunday night at Xcel Energy Center when the Wild played host to the Dallas Stars. Asked about the potential of Eriksson Ek returning at some point down the road, Evason sidestepped the question as best he could.“I don’t think there’s anything announced yet,” the coach said. “He’s just not available to us tonight.”The ongoing saga with Eriksson Ek started during an April 6 road game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He blocked a shot from Penguins star Evgeni Malkin and immediately exited stage left in a ton of pain. Originally ruled as week-to-week with a lower-body injury, Eriksson Ek resumed skating shortly before the playoffs started.That proved to be a good sign, and after missing Game 1 and and taking morning skate ahead of G...