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VEGAS NOTEBOOK: Victor Wembanyama shuts it down; Knicks’ Trevor Keels has a lot to prove

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:00 GMT

LAS VEGAS — The curtain fell on Victor Wembanyama’s Summer League after a much better final act.The towering Frenchman put on an impressive show Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center, dropping 27 points with 12 rebounds and three blocks in San Antonio’s 85-80 defeat to the Blazers.The 19-year-old, who has been through a rollercoaster the last few weeks with the draft, media scrutiny and a beef with Britney Spears, was then shut down for the rest of the tournament, the Spurs announced.He will miss at least two games.“In the past month, I think basketball wasn’t even 50 percent of my schedule,” Wembanyama said. “I can’t stand it. I know it’s a special moment in my life, but I’m glad it’s over. Honestly, I just want to hoop.”Sunday was quite the turnaround performance from Wembanyama, who struggled mightily in his debut two days prior and acknowledged feeling lost/overwhelmed.He lasted one more Summer League game ...

Quick Fix: Beat the heat by cooking barbecue steak, corn on the cob indoors

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:00 GMT

Linda Gassenheimer | Tribune News Service (TNS)When I think of summer, steak and corn on the cob pop into my mind. But with the hot weather I don’t want to spend a lot of time outside by a hot grill. So I created this dinner cooked inside with barbecue flavors done in minutes. I use outside skirt steak. It is softer than inside skirt steak, which can be tough. Look for it in the market or ask the butcher if they have any. Instead of waiting for water to boil for the corn on the cob, I cook it in the microwave oven. It takes 5 minutes.I use a stovetop grill for the steak, but you can also make the steak in a skillet. Just follow the timing directions and use a meat thermometer.Helpful Hints:— You can use any type of quick cooking steak.— You can use any type of barbecue sauce.— You can use any type of salad greens.Countdown:— Assemble ingredients.— Microwave the corn and set aside.— Grill the steak.— Assemble the salad.— Finish the meal.Shopping List:To buy: 2 ears of corn, 3/4 pound...

How to make a bacon old fashioned, the original meat-infused cocktail

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:00 GMT

Jenn Ladd | (TNS) The Philadelphia InquirerPHILADELPHIA — If you’re under the impression that meat and booze don’t mix, bartenders have been proving otherwise for years. The trend’s been booming in Philly lately: There was the chicken martini at Martha, the Lambhattan at Andra Hem, a duck vieux carre at Fork, the Duck L’Orange at Townsend, a wagyu old-fashioned at ITV.It’s all done via fat-washing: Combine a spirit and any liquid fat (it need not be meat; think olive oil, coconut oil, butter, etc.) in a jar or a bottle, shake it up, let it sit for a few hours, then freeze and strain. The resulting liquor is not only infused with the flavor and scent of the ingredient, it also has a smoother, fuller-bodied texture thanks to trace amounts of fat left behind.The technique was first popularized in 2007 by the Benton’s Old-Fashioned at New York City speakeasy Please Don’t Tell (PDT). Four Roses bourbon was washed with fat from brown-sugar-cured, hickory-smoked Benton’s bacon, combined wi...

Russian mercenary leader Prigozhin’s commanders met Putin after short-lived mutiny, pledged loyalty

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:00 GMT

By The Associated PressJust five days after staging a short-lived rebellion, mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin ‘s commanders met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and pledged loyalty to the government, a senior government spokesman said Monday, the latest twist in a baffling episode that has raised questions about the power and influence both men wield.The three-hour meeting took place June 29 and involved not only Prigozhin but commanders from his Wagner Group military contractor, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Putin gave an assessment of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield in Ukraine — where the mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops — and of the revolt itself.“The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland,” Peskov said....

Phillips: Yankees’ oldest hand insists ‘new messenger’ is needed

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:00 GMT

There comes a time when a struggling organization determines a new voice is needed.Yankees general manager Brian Cashman reached that conclusion on Saturday when he sought permission from owner Hal Steinbrenner to fire hitting coach Dillon Lawson. The decision became official shortly after the fourth-place Yankees lost their final game of the first half on Sunday. They’re 49-42 this season.Lawson’s firing marked the first time Cashman, more than two decades into his job, has dismissed a coach mid-season.“I wanted to give things a chance to work its way through, but I feel honestly at this point, it’s not going to improve – at least as it sits,” Cashman said, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “It doesn’t mean the offense couldn’t have gotten better organically, but I feel like we’ll be better served with a new messenger.”The messages will now come from Sean Casey, who will take on the role of hitting coach, per multiple ...

How to get a credit card with no credit history

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:00 GMT

Janna Herron | Bankrate (TNS)These days, having good credit is less of a suggestion and more of a mandate. Let’s face it, when you have good credit, you have more opportunities. You can lease a nicer apartment and put a downpayment on a new car. Having good credit also comes in handy when you need to apply for a loan.So, what do you do when you have no credit history whatsoever? Do you qualify for any type of credit card? Younger people, students, immigrants and anyone afraid of the notion of debt are left wondering how they can get a credit card with no credit history.Luckily, there are ways you can get a credit card with no credit. It is possible, and while it might take some work, the benefits go well beyond getting approved. In fact, some credit cards are designed with this type of individual in mind. However, some require collateral as a result.The idea of putting down a deposit in order to get a credit card shouldn’t cause you to run for the hills. Getting a credit card with n...

When to start regular breast cancer screenings

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:00 GMT

DeeDee Stiepan | (TNS) Mayo Clinic News NetworkEarly detection and regular breast cancer screenings are key to reducing death from breast cancer. Mammograms remain the best tool available and have been shown to reduce deaths from breast cancer. That’s why Mayo Clinic recommends women start screening mammograms yearly at age 40. While that recommendation has been firm for the past 10 years, other institutions have shifted the recommended screening age over the years.The latest to consider a change is the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which is proposing changing its guidelines to recommend all women begin screening mammography at age 40, a decade earlier than previous guidelines.Dr. Sandhya Pruthi, with Mayo Clinic’s Breast Diagnostic Clinic and Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, is pleased to see the shift.“Mayo Clinic has always taken the stance to screen beginning age 40, every year. And I think other organizations are doing that. And these (recommend...

Deadly flooding hits several countries, scientists said this will be increasingly common

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:00 GMT

Schools in New Delhi had to close Monday after heavy monsoon rains battered the Indian capital. Landslides and flash floods killed at least 15 people over the last three days. Further north, the overflowing Beas River swept vehicles downstream as it flooded neighborhoods.In Japan, torrential rain pounded the southwest, causing floods and mudslides that left two people dead and at least six others missing Monday. Local TV showed damaged houses in Fukuoka prefecture and muddy water from the swollen Yamakuni River appearing to threaten a bridge in the town of Yabakei. In Ulster County, in New York’s Hudson Valley and in Vermont, some said the flooding is the worst they’ve seen since Hurricane Irene, called the worst weather event in that county’s history when it hit in 2011. Although destructive flooding in India, Japan, China and Turkey and the United States might seem like distant events, atmospheric scientists say they have this in common: Storms are forming in a warmer atmosp...

CP NewsAlert: B.C. announces total campfire ban amid huge surge in wildfires

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:00 GMT

VANCOUVER — British Columbia is imposing a total campfire ban across the entire province, except Haida Gwaii, after lightning combined with tinder-dry conditions to spark a huge surge in wildfires over the weekend.More coming.The Canadian Press

West Virginia University reviews academic programs amid budget shortfall

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:32:00 GMT

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia University announced Monday nearly half of its academic programs are under evaluation as it looks for ways to trim amid a $45 million budget shortfall.Among the departments being reviewed are law, engineering and mineral resources, education, art, music, agriculture, English, math, communications, chemistry, pharmacy and public health. The departments were identified in part through enrollment trends since 2018. The university said in a statement the goal of the review is to align its academic programs with student demand, career opportunity and market trends while ensuring an efficient delivery of its offerings.Some programs are exempt from the review along with its Potomac State and WVU Tech campuses and the WVU Extension Service, the university said.Preliminary recommendations will be made to individual colleges and departments by Aug. 11 and appeals will be heard starting later that month. The WVU Board of Governors is scheduled to make fin...