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Parity, bigger field mean there could be surprises at the Women’s World Cup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:40:06 GMT

There could be some some surprises at the Women’s World Cup.Sure, the U.S. is still considered dominant, and those elite European teams have developed even more with the rise of competitive clubs. Then there’s Brazil, which always seems on the verge of a breakout. But an expanded field of 32 teams at the tournament starting Thursday in Australia and New Zealand means more players will see the international spotlight — and they no doubt want to prove they belong. Consider Japan. Back in 2011, Japan wasn’t expected to make the semifinals, let alone the championship match. But the Japanese, reeling from the earthquake and tsunami that devastated their country earlier that year, rallied and beat the Americans on penalties after a 2-2 draw, and in the process became the first Asian team to win soccer’s top prize. That was the last Women’s World Cup that wasn’t won by the United States. The No. 1-ranked Americans aim to make it three in a row.U.S. coach...

Cubs take on the Nationals in first of 3-game series

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:40:06 GMT

Washington Nationals (37-56, fifth in the NL East) vs. Chicago Cubs (43-49, third in the NL Central)Chicago; Monday, 8:05 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Nationals: MacKenzie Gore (4-7, 4.42 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 108 strikeouts); Cubs: Drew Smyly (7-6, 4.50 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 79 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cubs -145, Nationals +124; over/under is 8 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Chicago Cubs host the Washington Nationals to begin a three-game series.Chicago has a 22-24 record in home games and a 43-49 record overall. The Cubs have hit 100 total home runs to rank 10th in the NL.Washington is 37-56 overall and 22-24 on the road. Nationals hitters are batting a collective .260, which ranks third in the NL.Monday’s game is the fifth time these teams square off this season. The Nationals are ahead 3-1 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Nico Hoerner has 15 doubles, four triples and five home runs for the Cubs. Cody Bellinger is 16-for-37 with a double, five home runs and 12 RBI over the past...

Reds take 4-game losing streak into matchup against the Giants

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:40:06 GMT

San Francisco Giants (52-41, second in the NL West) vs. Cincinnati Reds (50-44, second in the NL Central)Cincinnati; Monday, 7:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Giants: Logan Webb (8-7, 3.36 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 127 strikeouts); Reds: Brandon Williamson (1-2, 5.01 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 38 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Giants -156, Reds +134; over/under is 10 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Cincinnati Reds come into a matchup with the San Francisco Giants as losers of four games in a row.Cincinnati is 50-44 overall and 23-24 in home games. The Reds have gone 40-9 in games when they scored five or more runs.San Francisco is 52-41 overall and 26-19 on the road. The Giants have a 37-12 record in games when they record at least eight hits.Monday’s game is the first time these teams match up this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Spencer Steer leads the Reds with 14 home runs while slugging .467. Elly De La Cruz is 14-for-42 with three doubles, a home run and four RBI over the last 10 games.Michael Conforto ...

Marlins look to break 3-game slide, take on the Cardinals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:40:06 GMT

Miami Marlins (53-42, second in the NL East) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (40-53, fifth in the NL Central)St. Louis; Monday, 7:45 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Marlins: Jesus Luzardo (8-5, 3.29 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 129 strikeouts); Cardinals: Miles Mikolas (5-5, 4.12 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 80 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cardinals -122, Marlins +102; over/under is 8 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Miami Marlins, on a three-game losing streak, take on the St. Louis Cardinals.St. Louis is 40-53 overall and 19-26 at home. Cardinals hitters have a collective .431 slugging percentage to rank third in the NL.Miami is 53-42 overall and 23-24 on the road. Marlins hitters are batting a collective .264, the fourth-best team batting average in MLB play.The matchup Monday is the fifth time these teams match up this season. The Marlins have a 3-1 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Nolan Arenado leads St. Louis with 20 home runs while slugging .516. Willson Contreras is 14-for-29 with three home runs an...

Scorching heat prompts Miami-Dade’s first excessive heat warning from National Weather Service

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:40:06 GMT

Sweltering temperatures across South Florida had first responders issuing words of caution and led meteorologists to issue a first-of-its-kind warning for Miami-Dade County.Sunday was another scorching summer day for the region.“It makes you want to stay inside,” said Juriea Williams, who is visiting from Orlando.“I probably drank about five bottles of water today,” said Miami resident Moses Colon.Residents and visitors who spoke with 7News said the difference from prior summers is quite striking.“It’s not the typical Florida heat that I grew up with,” said Williams. The heat index reached 112 degrees Fahrenheit. “It reminds you that water is your best friend,” said Miami resident Julissa Pozos.For the first time ever, the National Weather Service in Miami issued an excessive heat warning for Miami-Dade County.With the combination of extreme heat and humidity, first responders say, knowing the signs and symptoms of heat-related i...

2 hospitalized following crash in Miami Gardens

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:40:06 GMT

Two people were hospitalized after a crash in Miami Gardens led to road closures. On Monday morning, emergency vehicles shut down the intersection at 183rd Street and 27th Avenue as they investigated the incident. Two cars involved in the crash were completely demolished. As of this writing, at least one person was airlifted to an area hospital. Police have been contacted for more information on this crash. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Russia blames Ukraine for attack on key Crimea military supply bridge that kills 2

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:40:06 GMT

Traffic on a key military supply bridge connecting Crimea to Russia’s mainland came to a standstill Monday after one of its sections was blown up, killing two people and wounding their daughter. Russian officials blamed the attack on Ukraine, but Kyiv officials didn’t openly admit it.The strike on the 19-kilometer (12-mile) Kerch Bridge was carried out by two Ukrainian sea drones, Russia’s National Anti-Terrorist Committee said.Ukrainian officials didn’t claim responsibility for the attack, which is the second major strike on the bridge since October, when a truck bomb blew up two of its sections.The bridge is a conspicuous symbol of Moscow’s claims on Crimea and an essential land link to the peninsula, which Russia captured from Ukraine in 2014. The $3.6 billion bridge is the longest in Europe and is crucial for enabling Russia’s military operations in southern Ukraine during the almost 17-month-long war.Russia has expanded its presence in Crimea since its full-scale invasion...

Brussels says glyphosate safe enough for ‘full’ re-approval

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:40:06 GMT

The European Commission is readying a proposal for the controversial herbicide glyphosate to receive a full stamp of approval from member states and be re-authorized for use in the EU, according to a leaked draft document.The document, in which the Commission refers to the recent conclusions of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on glyphosate’s safety, states that “it may be expected” that pesticide products based on the herbicide will continue to meet the safety requirements laid down in EU legislation.The opinion could pave the way for the chemical to be approved for a standard 15-year period.Developed in the 1970s, glyphosate is the active ingredient in the world’s most widely used pesticides, but critics say it has been linked to cancer and can be harmful to wildlife. It was last approved for use in the EU in 2017 — but only for five years — in a highly controversial process. That five-year license was extended for another 12 month...

Too American? The top US economist under fire for taking an EU job

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:40:06 GMT

She’s described as one of the “best economists in the world” for her area with “excellent credentials” as an academic and a record of public service. Yet Fiona Scott Morton’s appointment as the European Commission’s chief competition economist has unleashed a wave of protest, largely from French politicians. The Commission’s decision to pluck Scott Morton from her life as a professor at Yale University has pulled her into a row over her passport and her past: She’s a U.S. citizen and she’s the first non-EU person to take such a senior Commission post. She has also consulted regularly for Big Tech firms — most recently for Microsoft on its Activision deal — as she takes a job advising on investigations and regulation against many U.S. tech giants.Scott Morton is not just any economist; she’s also a former U.S. antitrust regulator and an influential academic who has stoked the U.S.’s renewed interest in tackling the ma...

Newton man facing assault to murder charge in wife’s beating death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:40:06 GMT

A Newton man is facing a charge of assault with intent to murder in connection with the beating death of his wife in their home on Brookline Street on Saturday night, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office announced.Officers responding to a 911 call reporting an ongoing assault inside the home around 8:20 p.m. found Nancy Hanson, 54, suffering from apparent blunt force injuries, police said. She was taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where she died. A preliminary investigation suggests her husband, Richard Hanson, 64, hit her with one of more objects multiple times. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has ruled the death a homicide and the cause was blunt force trauma. Hanson was issued a restraining order in Newton District Court on Thursday, July 13, which Newton police were attempting to service. He is being ordered held without bail pending his arraignment Monday in Newton District Court.In a statement, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said, “Our communi...