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Callahan: Patriots’ upset in Pittsburgh feels bittersweet in the big picture

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

PITTSBURGH — Would it have been too much to ask for a tie?A way to salvage pride and continue tracking for a top-3 pick?Yes?Fine. Call me a scrooge.Losing was the optimal outcome Thursday night in Pittsburgh, home to one of the most entertaining Patriots games of the season. The Pats upset the Steelers 21-18, a win that could ripple far into their future. But let’s leave the future to the future for a second.How refreshing, how fulfilling, how doggone good did it feel to watch decent football again? Thursday brought scoring, stakes and a tight finish. For three sweet hours, the doldrums of this miserable season felt distant.This was prime time. This was an old AFC rivalry pumping with fresh blood. This was football, in its best, most unexpected and unpredictable form.Why do we watch, if not for games like this? And yet, of course, the best outcome for the Patriots was a close loss.The franchise needs a reset. The Pats’ bottom-5 roster talent can’t be replaced...

Bailey Zappe leads Patriots to 21-18 win over Steelers with impressive first half

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

Quarterback Bailey Zappe had the Patriots looking like a completely different team in the first half of his second start of the season Thursday night in a 21-18 win over the Steelers.Zappe won’t be losing his grip on the starting job anytime soon after going 14-of-21 for 196 yards with three touchdowns in the first half. Zappe’s performance through two quarters was as surprising as it was impressive just one game after the Patriots were shut out at home by the Chargers with him at the helm.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots’ Bill Belichick to make rare media appearance this weekend New England Patriots | Patriots will be extra shorthanded at wide receiver vs. Steelers New England Patriots | Source: Patriots claim experienced linebacker off waivers from Eagles New England Patriots | Patriots elevate two skill players off practice squad ahead of Steelers game New England Patriots | Patriots-S...

After day of rest at climate summit, COP28 negotiators turn back to fossil fuels

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Nations climate conference on Friday began its final week with negotiators expected to zoom in on the future of fossil fuels on a dangerously warming planet.Thursday was a rest day, a bit of quiet before talks at COP28 grow even more intense. Negotiators will work to finalize a key document called the Global Stocktake.It evaluates the world’s climate change progress since the 2015 Paris agreement and what needs to be done now to avoid blowing past its goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) compared to preindustrial times.“You start off very hopeful, euphoria,” COP28 CEO Annan Amin said. “Things are happening. Then the negotiations get hard and people start spreading rumors and conjecture and a little bit of depression, and then things start to come up again. And the clarity of the negotiations process becomes clearer. Then you have the political engagement, and that’s where the real intensity and excitement come...

Saudi Royal Air Force F-15SA fighter jet crashes, killing 2 crew members aboard

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Saudi Royal Air Force F-15SA fighter jet crashed Thursday, killing its two crew members on board, the kingdom said. The state-run Saudi Press Agency, quoting military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Turki al-Maliki, said the crash occurred during a training mission at King Abdulaziz Air Base in Dhahran in the kingdom’s east. Al-Maliki offered no other details about the crash. The F-15SA is a variant of the McDonnell Douglas fighter jet, which the kingdom has dozens of in its fleet.In July, another crash happened near the King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, killing its two pilots. The Associated Press

Family speaking out about stillbirths to honor son's memory

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

It’s news that brings shock and profound sadness. A stillbirth happens in one out of every 175 pregnancies. For a local family, sharing their son’s story is a way to heal as they take steps to educate others and make sure no one suffers in silence.Kathleen McCoy and her husband Adam Wilson spoke to WGN’s Medical Watch about their efforts to honor their son.“A year ago we were preparing, getting everything lined up, to bring home a baby, and then to come home empty handed is heartbreaking,” McCoy said. “The word stillbirth was never uttered.”They held their son James who was delivered at 39 weeks stillborn.“I can say in my doctor’s appointments it was simply, ‘Are you feeling fetal movement?’ And that’s it,” McCoy said. “’Is the baby moving? Ok, great.’”For the parents of two older boys, Connor and Brayden, with their third child, it was another normal, healthy pregnancy. Recent Coverage from Medical Watch: Using radiation from the inside out to target cancer “And in hindsight mayb...

Liberty Hill is playing its best ball when it matters most, meets Port Neches-Groves in 5A DII semifinals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Liberty Hill finished a game above .500 during the regular season, but they're undefeated when it counts the most in the postseason.The Panthers (10-4) take on 2022 5A Division II runner-up Port Neches-Groves (13-1) in the state semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium in Cypress, and two dominant rushing offenses are set to clash for a spot in the state title game.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/newslettersThe teams have combined to rumble for more than 9,000 yards this season, and while Port Neches-Groves mixes in a pass quite a bit more than Liberty Hill does, expect two teams who know how to run go at each other with brute force.Liberty Hill head coach Kent Walker said the Panthers' path to the postseason was one of overcoming adversity time and time again."We've overcome a lot this year and I've never doubted them once," he said. "This team's toughn...

Concert review: Doja Cat stuns in her arena debut at Target Center

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

Doja Cat set Minneapolis’ Target Center on fire Thursday night during a tour stop on her first headlining arena tour.The 28-year-old rapper/vocalist born Amala Dlamini delivered an impressive, highly theatrical and expertly paced show that had the sold-out crowd screaming, swooning and singing along. And it was very much a show, with tight choreography and almost as much fire and pyro as a Kiss concert.A high school dropout who taught herself to sing, rap and use GarageBand, Doja spent the mid-’10s establishing herself as an extremely online star. After her 2018 major-label debut “Amala” largely flopped, Doja went ahead and recorded a novelty song “Mooo!” and released it via a homemade video that soon went viral.The success of “Mooo!” — which very pointedly did not make Thursday’s set list — all but forced her label, and soon after audience, to take her seriously. She was set to embark on a major tour in 2020 that was ultimately scrapped due to the pand...

Ballwin police chief terminated in closed-door meeting, reason undisclosed

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

BALLWIN, Mo. - Douglass Schaeffler is no longer the Ballwin Police Chief. He has been terminated from the role, nearly two months after the city's board of aldermen voted to put him on leave. FOX 2 learned Thursday that Schaeffler was fired in a closed-door meeting without explanation, and residents want to know why. Schaeffler was hired to lead the department back in 2019. He had been collecting checks for nearly two months while on leave. Highway with ‘Loneliest Road in America’ also runs through St. Louis region Some Ballwin residents feel the city owes taxpayers an explanation for the decision. "The citizens of Ballwin have the right to ask the question and get a solid answer that they're comfortable with," said Sonya Straight, who recently moved back from Atlanta. She says while she'd like to know why the chief was fired, she also understands the city might not want certain details to come out."All I can say is there's probably more to the story than we all know, so you migh...

St. Louis city report shows improvement in emergency call response times

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The City of St. Louis shared a report Thursday indicating there has been an improvement in response times for answering emergency calls. The public safety department said they are looking to fill more than a dozen dispatcher positions as quickly as possible.That comes months after the FOX Files revealed a St. Louis City police memo showing only one dispatcher working to answer three radio channels, the city claims it is making major waves to protect you. Alderman proposes open-carry trigger law in St. Louis "We are improving. We're getting where we need to be," said Charles Coyle, Director of Public Safety. He said the national standard for answering 911 calls is within ten seconds of the first ring. That wasn't the case during the severe weather this summer. A 33-year-old woman died after a tree fell on her car and bystanders said they couldn't get a dispatcher on the phone.  Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. ...

Menorah lighting at Kiener Plaza carries new meaning for St. Louis Jewish community

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The Jewish community in St. Louis honored the start of Hannukah on Thursday by lighting the menorah at Kiener Plaza. As the war between Israel and Hamas persists, this year's celebration of Hannukah holds more meaning for some. "It’s a peaceful celebration in America where we have a right to celebrate our religious freedoms and that’s unique to the world, and it's wonderful," said Mark Cantor, a Staenberg Menorah Sponsor. "The hate is the darkness. There is something about light that invariably, always defeats the darkness," said Rabbi Yosef Landa. "Celebrating a festival of light is the best message. Goodness and light and truth will prevail. ” Alderman proposes open-carry trigger law in St. Louis Despite the hostile attacks taking place in Israel, Jewish Americans are still celebrating through Hanukkah traditions.“We started it this evening," said Robin Rickerman. "I had a get-together with some girlfriends at my house, and we lit menorahs each singularly. We had don...