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Mother and boyfriend convicted in torture-murder of 10-year-old California boy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:54 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The mother of a 10-year-old boy and her boyfriend were found guilty Tuesday of torturing and murdering the Southern California child, who was beaten, brutalized and starved.Heather Barron, 33, and Kareem Leiva, 37, were convicted by the judge in a non-jury trial of first-degree murder involving torture. They also were convicted of child abuse of two other children in their Lancaster home.They now face sentences of life in prison without chance of parole.Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies went to the high-desert home of the boy, Anthony Avalos, in response to a 911 call from the mother on June 20, 2018. They were told that he had been injured in a fall.He died in a hospital the next day. Doctors said he was severely malnourished and dehydrated.Prosecutors alleged that the boy was intentionally killed by torture. They said that for years the boy was routinely beaten and whipped with a belt along with the other children, repeatedly dropped on his head, smashed int...

‘Dilbert’ creator Scott Adams spills to Chris Cuomo

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:54 GMT

Weeks after making racially charged comments resulting in his nationally syndicated cartoon being pulled from newspapers nationwide, “Dilbert” creator Scott Adams pled his case to NewsNation host Chris Cuomo Monday night.The 65-year-old cartoonist made headlines late last month on his “Real Coffee with Scott Adams” web program with a rant that included the suggestion white people should “get the hell away from Black people.”He made that comment after citing a questionably worded poll claiming a sizable number of Black people take issue with the phrase “It’s okay to be white.”On Monday, Adams told Cuomo he “intentionally courted controversy” to make a larger point about how strained racial relationships are in the U.S. He said the comments making the rounds online need more context.“There’s no other way to interpret it than the worst possible way,” he conceded.He claimed to have been framing his larger point in a way he knew would “attract attention,” which, according to Adams, took ...

Hyde5: What Lamar Jackson signing franchise tag means to Dolphins (if anything at all)

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:54 GMT

The Baltimore Ravens turned on their phone for business on Tuesday by signing Lamar Jackson to a non-exclusive franchise tag.The Dolphins aren’t calling.Bigger question: Will anyone?There’s a pause right now as no team seems to have immediately stepped up to call Jackson.That’s not a great surprise from the Dolphins. I’ve said and re-said from the start of this offseason the Dolphins should explore the market for Jackson or Aaron Rodgers to measure the cost in terms of dollars and draft picks. That’s just part of doing due diligence.I’ve also written from the start the Dolphins don’t seem to have any interest – or enough capital to make a trade even if they wanted to do so.That’s why I’ve also said Tua Tagovailoa should be expected to be the Dolphins starter next year, just as general manager Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel have said all along. ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reported the Dolphins aren’t in the Jacks...

Cactus League report: Lance Lynn ‘feels good’ as he leaves for Team USA — while the long ball burns Adrian Sampson

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:54 GMT

The Cubs are streaking.Sure, the games don’t count yet, but the Cubs won’t complain about racking up Cactus League wins. They won their seventh consecutive game Tuesday with a 9-6 victory against the Texas Rangers in Surprise, Ariz. Catcher Luis Torrens hit two home runs and infielder Sergio Alcántara tallied three RBIs, including a two-run double.Elvis Andrus, Oscar Colás, Andrew Vaughn and Jake Marisnick each had two hits for the White Sox in a 5-2 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers at Camelback Ranch.Colás, vying for a roster spot and the opening in right field, also scored twice. He hit in the second spot in the lineup.“He’s put together some really good at-bats,” Sox manager Pedro Grifol said before the game of Colás, who’s hitting .429.Chicago Tribune baseball writers LaMond Pope, Meghan Montemurro and Paul Sullivan will be providing Cubs and White Sox updates throughout spring training.Adrian Sampson not stressing abo...

Chicago Bears Q&A: How plausible is it to get 3 first-rounders for the No. 1 pick? Are big moves in free agency expected?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:54 GMT

The NFL combine is in the rearview mirror. The new league year begins in one week — and with it a free-agency period in which the Chicago Bears will have nearly $100 million of salary-cap space.What can we expect from the Bears in free agency? Brad Biggs answers that and other questions in his weekly Bears mailbag.How much of Ryan Poles’ comments to Peter King about getting offers of three first-rounders do you believe vs. Poles sending a message that that’s what he wants? — @tn5280King got a long sit-down with Poles last week in Indianapolis, and the Bears general manager indicated he’d had discussions with three teams to that point and there had been enough talk to know he can get “a ‘24 one and a ‘25 one” in a trade involving the No. 1 pick.For starters, it’s pretty clear nearly all of the smoke about interest in the pick is coming from the Bears, who in a perfect world would have an agreement in place before March 15, w...

Embattled MBTA ‘confident’ it can handle St. Patrick’s Day parade crowds

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:54 GMT

City and state officials are working with the MBTA to ensure the subway system’s beleaguered Red Line can handle the soon-to-be massive crowds flocking to South Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.The MBTA is increasing typical Sunday Red Line service on the day of the parade, March 19, to more closely align with a regular weekday schedule, which was requested by lawmakers, Boston Councilor Michael Flaherty said.“The Red Line will be operating at or near weekday service levels, and last year’s data shows ridership on parade day was about 30,000 less than a regular weekday,” T spokesman Joe Pesaturo said. “The MBTA is confident the Red Line will have the capacity to handle the volume of parade-goers.”State Sen. Nick Collins, D-Boston, said out-of-town visitors are also being encouraged to take the commuter rail to relieve pressure on the Red Line, which is far outpacing other subway lines with 37 speed restrictions as of Feb. 28, according to the T’s latest slow zone data.“Generally, o...

T police on lookout for booze on St. Patrick’s Day

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:54 GMT

Underage visitors attempting to sneak booze into this month’s St. Patrick’s Day parade via Red Line trains may not make it past MBTA Transit Police, who have been directed to confiscate alcohol as it comes into stations.Boston City Councilor Michael Flaherty said Transit Police are in the perfect position to confiscate alcohol before underage and public drinking can become a problem later on, in the day and evening.These officers will be stationed at the four busiest Red Line stations along the parade route — Andrew, Broadway, JFK/UMass and South — where underage kids will be “coming in carrying 30-packs,” Flaherty said.“That’s the moment where we’re asking the MBTA police to stop that individual and to confiscate that alcohol, so that doesn’t turn into problems later on in the day and evening for our Boston police officers,” he said.“We want to make sure that day, as it pertains to public drinking and underage drinking, we want a zero-tolerance policy.”In addition to confiscating b...

‘Those precious seconds’: Orioles’ hitters having more trouble than pitchers adjusting to new pitch clock

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:54 GMT

Over time, Cedric Mullins has donned more and more equipment when he bats. At some point, he started wearing an arm guard. The next year, he added a leg sleeve. This season, he’s introducing a hand guard.But with Major League Baseball’s introduction of a pitch clock, the Orioles’ leadoff man has found he has only so much time to get dressed.“You wouldn’t think you’d have to practice putting that on as fast as you could, but it’s definitely interesting,” Mullins said. “Sometimes, I’ll put the arm guard on, and it gets stuck somewhere, and I’m like, ‘Oh, jeez,’ yanking at it. Leg guard might not clip the first time through and gotta readjust that.“You’re trying to keep those precious seconds.”Mullins will get to enjoy a break from the system while playing for the United States in the World Baseball Classic, but spring training has been an adjustment throughout the sport, with the league int...

Guregian: Making sense of the Mac Jones’ trade rumors

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:54 GMT

Mac Jones has gone from promising rookie quarterback in 2021 to whining disappointment in 2022 to somewhat of a conundrum in 2023.On one hand, given the horrible hand Jones was dealt last year with a couple of coaches who had never run an offense before, he should be afforded a get-right year with Bill O’Brien now running the show. With legitimate coaching, and the hope of better weapons arriving, Jones should be able to produce.On the other hand, there are hints that Jones might be on the trading block. After all, why the persistent trade rumors involving Las Vegas and Jones? Why interview Florida’s Anthony Richardson, one of the top quarterback prospects in the draft?Just to tweak Jones, and give him a not-so-subtle push? Or is there more to it?More to the point: do the Patriots want him, or don’t they?Because they should want him. The best path for the Patriots at the quarterback position in 2023 is obvious. Jones is headed into the third year of his rookie deal. He c...

How the Patriots can fix their offense in free agency

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:19:54 GMT

Ready to move on from the 2022 season?Good. So are the Patriots.Starting next week, the Pats will begin to build their 2023 team by signing external free agents to fill the roster holes that doomed their latest campaign. Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft have already reshuffled the coaching staff, the other culprit behind the team’s second losing season in three years. The earliest the Patriots can reach a deal with an outside free agent is Monday at noon, the start of the NFL’s “legal tampering” period.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Long football careers linked to impulsive behavior, less white matter in the brain: Boston University CTE study New England Patriots | The risk and reward of the Patriots re-signing Jakobi Meyers New England Patriots | NFL Draft: Patriots bolster offense with top 3 picks in 7-round mock draft New England Patriots | Predicting the Patriots’ draft, Bill Belichic...