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Grading The Week: A toast to Jared Goff, Lions for showing Broncos how to (finally) beat Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:44:20 GMT

Vic Fangio would’ve shown up to a Wednesday news conference wearing a Speedo thong before he’d call a fake punt on fourth down from his own 17.Nathaniel Hackett? Not on your stinking life.So the Grading The Week crew would like to finish the week by tipping a collective cap — er, caps — to Lions coach Dan Campbell and his staff. We salute the Columbia Blue today for a.) having no fear, on the road, against the defending Super Bowl and AFC West champs; and b.) showing the rest of the division, especially the part of the rest of division with offices in Dove Valley, how to beat the Chiefs.Jared Goff 2, Patrick Mahomes 0 — ANow we know what you’re saying, Broncos Country. Why the heck can’t we ever get the stars to align like that at Arrowhead?No Travis Kelce. No Chris Jones. About 36 KC drops. Almost everything that could go wrong for the reigning world champs in their home opener did, and yet they almost still squeaked one out in Week 1.Chiefs wideout Kedarius...

Letters: The ban on pet-store sales in Aurora celebrated

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:44:20 GMT

Celebrating ban on pet salesRe: “Aurora: Retail sales of cats, dogs banned,” Sept. 6 news storyAs I read the headline announcing that Aurora had banned the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores, I immediately thought of Elijah McClain, who, until his unconscionable violent death, spent time playing violin for shelter animals so that they wouldn’t feel lonely. I was so touched by his tale that I named my own rescue pup after him. Both my beautiful boy and his angelic human namesake would be heartened by this law, designed to further animal adoption.Thank you, Aurora!Karen Dawn, Santa BarbaraGood for Aurora for prohibiting the sale of dogs from puppy mills. With the Denver area’s overpopulation of dogs, that is an environmentally sound decision.As an extremely allergic person, it is disgusting and dangerous to have restaurant patrons bringing in sniffing, jumping dogs and claim they are service animals. That is unfair to those who need a service animal trained to...

Philp: DeSantis’ fading star means Gavin Newsom will have to wait

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:44:20 GMT

Unless a Republican running for president other than Donald Trump starts to suddenly emerge as a clear and dangerous threat to Joe Biden, Gavin Newsom’s obvious national political aspirations are toast. What is emerging now on the Republican side of the ticket is clearly another Trump nomination.Newsom and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, for example, are polling as similar distant longshots. That’s horrible for Newsom.It’s ironic how much DeSantis and Newsom need each other to end the geriatric stranglehold on the nation’s presidential politics. But as Trump’s indictments mount, and both he and Biden get older, their dominance within their respective parties only seems to grow stronger.DeSantis is fading into a thicket of also-ran candidates after an unremarkable debate performance Aug. 23 in Milwaukee. That makes Newsom a never-ran.DeSantis began his campaign “with every sort of political and public relations (advantage) that he could possibly have,” said David Metz, a veteran Calif...

Mathews: If you want to see the future of California, look to Oregon

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:44:20 GMT

In this era of exodus, if you want to see the future of California, you have to leave the state.I got an unexpected glimpse of that future recently in Bend, a small city in east-central Oregon.I spent most of my time in Bend at the new high school on the city’s southeastern edge. CalderaHigh School, and its two pristine baseball fields, hosted the regional tournament for the best14-years-and-under all-star baseball teams in the West.My hometown team, from South Pasadena, had won the Southern California championship forthe first time our Little League’s history. In Bend, our children’s friends would compete againstthe champions of Northern California and nine other states — Arizona, Nevada, Oregon,Washington, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Alaska and Hawaii.That might sound like a diverse Western gathering. But the families of the other teams includedso many former Californians that the whole thing resembled a Golden State reunion. That wasno surprise. In recent years, departures from Califor...

Brooks: Surprise, surprise. The American renaissance is already at hand

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:44:20 GMT

Two megatrends have shaped American life since the 1980s: The rise of China and the hollowing out of U.S. industry.China’s economic boom prompted a thousand predictions — that it will soon surpass us as an economic power; that the 21st century is going to be a Chinese century; that America is an aging, decadent nation destined for second place.The hollowing out of U.S. industry fed the sense that capitalism is betraying the middle class. America has a parasitic financial sector, but we don’t make things anymore. Manufacturing jobs got outsourced to China and Mexico, and wages stagnated.These two trends contributed to the sense that America is in decline — to the angry, gloomy pall that has settled over political life.But it’s beginning to look as if those two megatrends are reversing.China does not look like a growing dynamic power, but a troubled, stagnating one. Growth rates are falling. The unemployment rate for those ages 16 to 24 in urban areas is at a demoralizing 21%. Private...

Older home sellers can send the home flippers away while reaping the rewards

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:44:20 GMT

Question: We are about to sell our Bay Area house of 50 years. It is an emotional event. It is time for us to move. We bought our house when it was new. We have kept it in pristine condition. Those sold neighborhood properties are remodeled homes. We did not engage in remodeling.   We cannot sell for a low price. We fear home flippers will buy our house. That is a terrible thought. The house needs work. We also fear homebuyers will not want our home. How can we compete with the beautifully remodeled homes on the market on a shoestring budget? Answer: You must take control of the situation. I always turned this situation into an opportunity. You can, too! Marketing must repeat the headline “First time on the market” and subheads should read “Original owners” and “Rare homebuyer opportunity.” Your home-selling plan must take the motto “Honesty is the best policy” to new heights. In other words, create an online presale home seller’s disclosure package that commands the respect and adm...

49ers at Steelers: 5 keys to win in Pittsburgh in Brock Purdy’s comeback

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:44:20 GMT

PITTSBURGH – Six months since Brock Purdy’s elbow surgery, he and the 49ers now begin an exhaustive march toward Super Bowl LVIII.“It was somewhat of a long six months,” Purdy said Thursday. “But at the same time, it’s like, ‘Man, I feel like that Eagles game was just yesterday.’ ”So much chaos has transpired since the 49ers’ Jan. 29 loss in the NFC Championship Game at Philadelphia. So much beyond Purdy’s elbow tendon getting torn on the offense’s opening drive to detonate title aspirations and a 12-game win streak.New players came aboard, such as a No. 2 quarterback in Sam Darnold and arguably the NFL’s No. 1 free agent in defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. Some teammates left, such as 2021 draft bust Trey Lance, for a 2024 fourth-round pick from Dallas.Completing the turbulence was Nick Bosa. The NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year sacked the NFL’s richest contract ever for a non-quarterback (five years, $170 million), after being a no-show through training camp and t...

There’s a tradition in Basketball World Cup play. Pregame handshakes often include gifts

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:44:20 GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Not everybody who plays in the Basketball World Cup goes home with a medal. Most players don’t even come close to that level.But everybody goes home with something.It’s a tradition that goes back at least a half-century at most FIBA events. The pregame handshake between teams is a gift exchange. That ritual has continued at this World Cup, which ends with the medal games on Sunday.Players listen to their anthems, standing in unison on opposite foul lines, then approach midcourt for a handshake and each player and coach presents an opposing contemporary with a gift. For USA Basketball this summer, opponents received a blue baseball cap featuring the federation’s logo. The Americans brought about 300, just in case.“It’s obviously different,” U.S. guard Austin Reaves said. “The first time we did it, I thought it was different. But it’s cool. It’s a sign of respect before the game … mutual respect that kind of sets the...

Whole Foods Market opening larger, relocated store this fall in Springfield

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:44:20 GMT

This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.Whole Foods Market will open a new 49,499-square-foot store in Springfield Plaza on Oct. 4.The store is a relocation of the existing Springfield store at 8402 Old Keene Mill Road, which has been serving the community for more than 25 years.The new location nearly doubles the size of the original store and offers a full-service meat department, additional prepared foods bars and an expanded product assortment which includes more than 600 local items sourced with the help of Daniela D’Ambrosio, a local forager for Whole Foods Market.During its grand opening, Whole Foods will present a refrigerated van to the Northern Virginia Food Rescue, donated through Whole Foods Market’s Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program.Features of the Springfield Plaza store include:Produce sourced from 14 regional farms, including apple t...

El secreto de una anciana para vivir 105 años, y el aterrador oso de tres patas: lo más insólito

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:44:20 GMT

Si crees que lo has visto todo, estás equivocado. Estas son algunas de las noticias más insólitas de esta semana.El secreto de Vivian, la anciana que cumplió 105 añosVivian tiene la salud que muchos envidiamos. Esta residente de Mesa, Arizona, celebró sus 105 años por lo alto: comiendo pastel y rodeada de las personas que más la quieren.¿Cuál ha sido su secreto? Todos los días camina, hace 20 minutos de ejercicios y usa las escaleras, nunca toma el ascensor.“No me duele nada. Me siento igual que cuando tenía 100!”, bromeó durante la celebración.Qué pasó con Baby Mary, la recién nacida abandonada en 1984El famoso caso sin resolver de “Baby Mary”, la recién nacida abandonada que murió hace casi cuatro décadas en NJ, finalmente se resolvió. La policía ahora sabe quiénes eran sus padres, y uno de ellos enfrenta cargos.El caso se remonta a la Nochebuena de 1984 en una remota zona boscosa cerca del municipio de Mendham. Dos niños encontraron el cuerpo de una niña recién nacida...