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CHICAGO — Pat Hughes was reciting the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue” on a chilly December morning when I realized we’d gone way off topic. The reason for the call was the official announcement that Hughes and Ron Coomer had signed a multiyear extension to continue broadcasting Chicago Cubs games for WSCR-AM 670. The two-year deal takes them through the 2026 season, and Hughes, the Hall of Famer who turns 70 in May and will be in his 30th year of doing Cubs games on the radio, is not close to contemplating retirement. It was not a surprise to anyone, of course. Hughes and Coomer are the best sports broadcasting team in town and their return was never really in doubt. But it was good to hear it was official because opening day in Tokyo is only three months away for the Cubs, and as we’ve learned the hard way in Chicago, it’s never too soon to start thinking about next year. But back to Dylan. Hughes recalled he was in college at San Jose State in 1975 when “Tangled Up in Blue” was released. “I took a class in fiction and one of the assignments was to get up in front of the class with no script and act out and enunciate every single syllable of a song,” he said. “That was the song I chose and it probably was not the greatest choice because it’s like a seven-minute song with a ton of lyrics. “The lyrics are phenomenal. It combines future, present and past: ‘Now I’m going back again, I’ve got to get to her somehow. All the people we used to know, they’re an illusion to me now. Some are mathematicians, some are carpenters’ wives. Don’t know how it all got started. Don’t know what they do with their lives.' ” I was picturing Hughes onstage in a smoky lounge in the '70s, wearing a beret and reciting Dylan’s lyrics on beat poetry night. But then we got back to talking baseball, already in progress. Hughes has called more games than any broadcaster in Cubs history, sources said. The exact number is unknown, but it’s somewhere around 4,500 regular-season games, plus spring training and the postseason. The Cubs used to make it to the postseason, in case anyone has forgotten. Overall, including stints with the Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers, Hughes said he’s called around 6,700 games. “It’s a lot of balls and strikes,” he said. And a lot of those games are forgotten in time, but memorable in the moment because Hughes and Coomer always make things interesting, whether they’re discussing the game, Jethro Tull singer Ian Anderson or any subject that pops into their heads. “You don’t always have to stay on every pitch in every situation, especially when it’s 8-2 and it’s the seventh inning and you’re doing whatever you can basically to keep your audience listening,” Hughes said. “We joke around. We tease each other. We do baseball history. We do music. Whatever. You don’t plan anything out. It’s a matter of feel. You get on a certain topic and think ‘This feels right.’ Other times, it’s ‘This doesn’t really feel good, so I’m gonna stop.' ” Hughes called Coomer one of the “smartest” baseball analysts he’s worked with, which helps make their chemistry so good. Coomer’s sense of humor also provides an outlet for Hughes to play the straight man. The 2025 season will be Coomer’s 12th season as Cubs analyst alongside Hughes. “Their voices are synonymous with Cubs baseball and the voices of our summer,” Cubs Chief Commercial Officer Colin Faulkner said in a statement. Why do they mesh so well together? “Good question,” Coomer said. “Because we are very different people, personality-wise. First, it’s on Pat. When you’re the lead guy and so good at what you do, it makes it easy to work with him. Pat is so open to everything that goes on, whether it’s plain old air-time when we’re doing the game, to wanting input, to just being a good friend, on and off the air. “We have very different interests, but he’s a very good person, very good at what he does and is open to everybody contributing. It’s blossomed into a great friendship, not just a broadcasting partner.” Knowing Hughes and Coomer will be back again helps fans look forward next season, even if they’re still waiting on Cubs President Jed Hoyer to make the kind of moves to make the team a legitimate postseason contender. Four consecutive years without playing in October is unacceptable for a franchise with as many revenue streams as the Cubs. Either way, Hughes and Coomer will be there, discussing the game or the weather or Dylan or whatever is on their minds. The times they are a-changin’, but it’s good to know some things will stay the same. ©2024 Chicago Tribune. Visit chicagotribune.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.3 Americans held for years in China have been released, the White House saysInspector general bill up for final consideration by Howard County Council Monday
MANKATO — Despite losing in overtime Friday, the Minnesota State women's hockey team felt good entering Game 2 of its series against Ohio State. MSU just needed to generate a bit more offense. The Mavericks did just that Saturday, as Taylor Otremba scored two third-period goals en route to a 4-1 WCHA victory over the No. 2 Buckeyes at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center. The victory snaps a 19-game losing streak to Ohio State dating back to the 2019-20 season. MSU got on the scoreboard first at 3:17 of the third period on a goal by Claire Vekich and held its 1-0 lead into the third period. Otremba scored the eventual game-winner at 5:14 of the third, but the Buckeyes answered with a goal at 8:31 to cut the deficit to 2-1. There was some adversity in the following minutes, but MSU was able to kill two penalties in the third while clinging to its one-goal lead. Otremba scored her second of the game at 15:58, and Madison Mashuga secured the win with an empty-net goal at 18:49. Shots on goal favored Ohio State 31-12. Hailey Hansen made 30 saves for MSU to get the victory, while MSU's skaters blocked 17 shots in front of Hansen. The Mavericks (4-7-1, 2-7-1 in WCHA) play a road nonconference series against Dartmouth next weekend.(BPT) - The holidays are almost here! It means parties and events, hustle and bustle ... and figuring out what to buy for everyone on your list. Sometimes it's hard to get inspired with great ideas that your nears and dears will love at a price you can afford, right? The good news? Inspiration + savings are covered this year. One of the top gifts of Holiday 2024 is technology, and there are a lot of deals out there right now. Done and done! Here are 5 ideas for hot tech gifts for everyone on your list. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has witnessed history, not just on the field but also in the stands. Cricket (CA) scrambled to manage an overwhelming crowd on Day 5 of the Boxing Day Test, as 51,371 fans packed the iconic venue before lunch. The total attendance of 350,700 over five days is already the highest ever for a Test match at the MCG, surpassing the previous record of 350,534 set during a six-day Ashes Test in 1937. This milestone also marks the greatest attendance for any Test played in Australia. CA did not expect such a big turnout but was caught off guard by the sheer numbers arriving to witness the thrilling climax of the Test. With limited eateries open at the venue, officials prioritised ice-cream shipments and rushed to stock up on food and beverages to meet demand. Despite the logistical challenges, the electrifying atmosphere was evident, with Indian supporters forming the majority of the crowd. “This level of support has been truly remarkable,” said Joel Morrisson, CA’s Executive General Manager of Events and Operations. “We’ve been blown away by the support of fans across the Boxing Day Test.” The decision to keep Day 5 ticket prices affordable—$10 (AUD) for adults and free for kids aged 15 and under—fueled the turnout, even on a working day in Melbourne. Fans from across the city and suburbs turned up in droves, eager to witness the conclusion of a fiercely contested match. Beyond the record-breaking numbers, the proceeds from Day 5 ticket sales hold a deeper significance. All funds will be directed toward cricket pathways for volunteers, players with disabilities, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants, reinforcing the game’s commitment to inclusivity and community impact. The Boxing Day Test will go down in history not only for but also for the incredible fan support, proving once again why Melbourne is regarded as the sporting capital of Australia.For the first time in 17 years, a Delaware County football team is set to battle for a PIAA championship. Bonner & Prendergast is one win away from claiming what would be the school’s first state football title. The District 12 champion Friars (11-2) will square off against undefeated Lampeter-Strasburg (14-0) Thursday night at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. in the PIAA Class 4A title game. “We always believed that we could do this,” senior wide receiver/defensive back Jeremiah Coleman said. “It just means so much because we have worked for it since the beginning. After last season ended (in the Class 4A quarterfinals), we’ve worked on it so much. We break down after practice every day saying the same thing, ‘State ‘chip on three.’ We’re speaking it into existence.” Not since 2007, when Garnet Valley reached the PIAA Class 3A final, has a Delaware County team advanced this far into the postseason. Now, the Friars aim to make history as the first Delco squad since Strath Haven in 2000 to bring home a state title. This season, Bonner & Prendie is one of three Philadelphia Catholic League powerhouses vying for PIAA titles, joining Roman Catholic (5A) and perennial juggernaut St. Joseph’s Prep (6A). For the Friars, the focus at this stage is straightforward. “Finish – that’s all we talk about,” coach Jack Muldoon said after practice Sunday. “Every week, the guys have been focused on the mission at hand, which is to go 1-0. We have always tried to keep that positive mindset. There was a stretch this season where ... we had too many penalties and I was constantly harping on it. I said to the guys, you know, we’re going to look at this in a positive way. I’m not going to take it from a negative point of view; instead, we’re going to continue to work on everything and get better at everything. We’re going to get better at pass (protection) and we’re going to get better on defense and get better with our discipline. I think they picked that up and carried it with them during this stretch every day. “The main thing is, this team wants to finish. They want to do something that nobody’s done in Delaware County for a while, and that nobody’s ever done at this school. That’s the thing right now. They want to finish this the right way.” The Friars have been the most dominant team in Delco, averaging 38 points per game. Their only losses were to St. Joe’s Prep and La Salle, both 6A teams. Records have fallen across the board for this squad. Sophomore quarterback Noel Campbell has rewritten the program’s history books, throwing for a team-record 2,517 yards and 27 touchdowns. On the receiving end, Jalil Hall owns the single-season record for receiving yards with 891, edging out Jeremiah Coleman’s 853 yards. Coleman had a 200-yard receiving game against Pope John Paul II in the quarterfinals. Rob Ford, Chris Jones, Ty Morris and Brady Muldoon are assets in the receiving game as well. In the backfield, Mick Johnson (1,205 yards) and Saalem Frink (915) have solidified themselves as one of the most dynamic duos in the state. Johnson set the school’s single-season touchdown record with his 25th score during last week’s 55-26 rout of Southern Lehigh. The offensive line, led by senior Chaz Ingram and sophomore Kevin Hunter, have bullied opposing defenses during the team’s run in the state playoffs. Defensively, the Friars play fast and physical. Hall, a West Virginia commit, is a nightmare off the edge, while CJ Amobi has racked up a team-high 7.5 sacks. Khalil Holley has been an enforcer with a team-leading 68 total tackles. Coleman and Robert Nettles-Carter have each picked off three passes this season, anchoring a ball-hawking secondary. The elder Muldoon has praised the emergence of the linebacker corps, led by junior Ashton Woodard (60 tackles) and sophomore Cole Romano (38), who were instrumental in last week’s victory. Lampeter-Strasburg captured the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 4 and District 3 championships. Like Bonner & Prendie, L-S has never played for a PIAA title. The Pioneers are outscoring opponents 541-145 and, according to LancasterOnline.com, have racked 360.5 offensive yards per game. They rallied from a 13-point deficit to upset Thomas Jefferson, 20-16, in the semifinals. The L-S defense has been equally impressive, registering 66 tackles for loss and 18 interceptions. Quarterback/defensive back Caileb Howse leads the way with six picks, returning four for touchdowns, while Christian Nolt has three interceptions, including a pivotal one last week against Thomas Jefferson. Per LancasterOnline.com, Howse has completed 60 percent of his passing attempts for 1,582 yards and 17 touchdowns without throwing a interception. On the ground he’s amassed 1,350 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. Last week, his 45-yard touchdown run ignited the Pioneers’ comeback and his 70-yard scoring strike to Nolt sealed the game. Howse’s favorite targets are wide receiver Danny Weichler and tight end Emory Fluhr. Running back Dominic Brown has rushed for 1,484 yards and 22 touchdowns. “They’re a physical team. They do a lot of QB runs with No. 13 (Howse) and they have some pretty good athletes,” Jack Muldoon said. “I think No. 5 (Weichler) is good, No. 7 (Brown) is good and No. 3 (wide receiver Mason Hostetter) is good. They have some big linemen. I am very impressed with them, seeing how they played Thomas Jefferson. I was a little surprised because Jefferson is always so good. But (Lampeter-Strasburg) was down 16-3 and they came back and won the game and didn’t let them score in the second half. I told our kids today, ‘They are not going to quit against you.’ This is a tough team that is going to tackle well and play hard the whole game. I said they reminded me a little bit of Dallas, who we played in states last year. We were up on them 21-7 and they came back and beat us. “Our team is pretty good at that – finishing games – but this team we are about to play is really good. The one big thing is their quarterback can run and he’s strong. I feel like we are running into another tough team from that part of the state and we’re going to have to be really good to win.”
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Three American citizens imprisoned for years by China have been released and are returning to the United States, the White House said Wednesday, announcing a diplomatic agreement with Beijing in the final months of the Biden administration. The three are Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung , all of whom had been designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained by China. Swidan had been facing a death sentence on drug charges while Li and Leung were imprisoned on espionage charges. “Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years,” the White House said in a statement. The release comes just two months after China freed David Lin, a Christian pastor from California who had spent nearly 20 years behind bars after being convicted of contract fraud. U.S.-China relations have been roiled for years over major disagreements between the world’s two largest economies on trade, human rights, the production of fentanyl precursors, security issues that include espionage and hacking, China’s aggressiveness toward Taiwan and its smaller neighbors in the South China Sea, and Beijing’s support for Russia’s military-industrial sector. The release of Americans deemed wrongfully detained in China has been a top agenda item in each conversation between the U.S. and China, and Wednesday’s development suggests a willingness by Beijing to engage with the outgoing Democratic administration before Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January. Trump took significant actions against China on trade and diplomacy during his first term. He has pledged to continue those policies in his second term, leading to unease among many who fear that an all-out trade war will greatly affect the international economy and could spur potential Chinese military action against Taiwan. Still, the two countries have maintained a dialogue that has included a partial restoration of military-to-military contacts. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met earlier this month to discuss potential improvements. A U.S. official said the Biden administration had raised the cases of the detained Americans with China in multiple meetings over the past several years, including earlier this month when Biden spoke to Xi on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru. Politico was first to report the men’s release, which it said was part of a prisoner swap with the U.S. The White House did not immediately confirm that any Chinese citizens had been returned home. Li, a Chinese immigrant who started an export business in the U.S., was detained in September 2016 after flying into Shanghai. He was placed under surveillance, interrogated without a lawyer and accused of providing state secrets to the FBI. A U.N. working group called his 10-year prison sentence arbitrary and his family said the charges were politically motivated. Leung was sentenced last year to life in prison on spying charges. He was detained in 2021, by the local bureau of China’s counterintelligence agency in the southeastern city of Suzhou after China had closed its borders and imposed tight domestic travel restrictions and social controls to fight the spread of COVID-19. Swidan had been jailed for 12 years on a drug charge and, along with Li and Leung, had considered by the State Department to be wrongfully detained.Chance of direct attack by Russia ‘remote’, says UK armed forces chief
T-Mobile says cyber attackers had no access to customer dataChance of direct attack by Russia ‘remote’, says UK armed forces chief
NEW ORLEANS, La. (AP) — A Louisiana civil court judge on Monday halted state agencies' plans to forcibly clear homeless encampments in New Orleans. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * NEW ORLEANS, La. (AP) — A Louisiana civil court judge on Monday halted state agencies' plans to forcibly clear homeless encampments in New Orleans. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? NEW ORLEANS, La. (AP) — A Louisiana civil court judge on Monday halted state agencies’ plans to forcibly clear homeless encampments in New Orleans. Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Ethel Julien issued a temporary restraining order blocking state police and two other agencies from evicting homeless people from their encampments in New Orleans or seizing their property without following city laws and due process. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry had called earlier this month for the City of New Orleans to remove a large encampment before Thanksgiving and warned he would intervene if the city did not comply. “If a judge believes that people have a right to be on whatever public space they choose, maybe that judge should have them move into her chambers and courtroom,” Landry said after the judge issued the restraining order Monday. Louisiana State Police spokesperson Sgt. Katharine Stegall said the agency’s legal team and the state Attorney General’s Office are reviewing the order. State police have “promptly halted activities” and are “complying with the restrictions” of the order, Stegall said. Landry and New Orleans officials have repeatedly clashed over how to address the issue of homelessness in the city. New Orleans City Councilmember Lesli Harris said Monday that directing more resources towards moving homeless people into stable housing was “infinitely more effective than punitive sweeps” of encampments. “Coordination between the government and service providers on the housing of people is imperative, and continuously moving people only makes it that much harder to house them,” Harris said. But the governor has pushed to clear homeless encampments. In late October, Louisiana State Police, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Department of Transportation and Development converged on a homeless encampment under a highway to remove and relocate dozens of people prior to pop star Taylor Swift’s concerts in the nearby Superdome. Some people who had been away at the time of the clearances returned to the area to find they had lost their personal property including family heirlooms, identification documents and medication, according to testimony in court documents. City officials and advocates for homeless people decried the evictions and said they disrupted ongoing efforts to secure long-term housing for these individuals because they became harder to locate. A judge later granted a temporary restraining order preventing more clearances but declined to extend it beyond early November after lawyers representing the state police indicated in court that removals tied to the Taylor Swift concerts had ceased. But on Friday, homeless people began receiving flyers from state police officers ordering them to leave their encampments within 24 hours, according to a motion for relief filed on behalf of two homeless plaintiffs by the Southern Poverty Law Center and two other legal groups. The planned sweeps preceded the Bayou Classic football game on Saturday between Southern University and Grambling State University at the Superdome. “Your presence is considered a violation,” the flyers stated, according to the motion for relief. However, they were halted by the new temporary restraining order. On Dec. 3, the judge is scheduled to deliberate on whether to issue a preliminary injunction against the three state agencies. “The vulnerable people with disabilities who make up the vast majority of people living in the street deserve to be treated with sensitivity and compassion,” said Joe Heeren-Mueller, director of community engagement for Unity of Greater New Orleans, a homeless outreach organization. There are about 1,450 homeless people in New Orleans and neighboring Jefferson Parish, according to a January survey by the nonprofit Unity of Greater New Orleans. The city has committed to securing housing for these individuals by the end of 2025. _____ Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96 Advertisement
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