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Texans’ C.J. Stroud is off to a sizzling start as several other NFL rookie QBs struggle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:10 GMT

Rookie quarterbacks are getting their chances early this season.One is taking advantage of the opportunity in extremely impressive fashion.After all three first-round quarterbacks started the opener, two more were forced into action because of injuries this week, with Aidan O’Connell getting the nod for the Raiders and Dorian Thompson-Robinson for the Browns.This marked just the third season since the 1970 merger when at least five rookie quarterbacks started in the same week this early in the season, with it also happening in 2012 and 2021.While Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, O’Connell and Thompson-Robinson all ended up on the losing side, No. 2 overall draft pick C.J. Stroud extended the solid start to his career.Stroud threw for 306 yards and two TDs to lead Houston to its second straight win, 30-6 over Pittsburgh. Stroud’s 1,212 yards are the second-most ever for a player in his first four games — trailing only Cam Newton’s 1,386 in 2011 for Carolina — but it...

SoftBank’s Son says AI will surpass human intelligence in a decade, urges Japanese firms to adopt it

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:10 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son on Wednesday said he believes artificial intelligence will surpass human intelligence within a decade, urging Japanese companies to adopt it or be left behind.Son, speaking at a corporate conference in Tokyo, said “artificial general intelligence will surpass the total intelligence of humankind by 10 times in 10 years.”It will affect every industry, from transportation and pharmaceuticals to finance, manufacturing, logistics and others, and the companies and people that work with AI will be the leaders in the next 10 to 20 years, Son said.Son, who founded SoftBank and is a leading figure in Japan’s business world, has enjoyed both victories and defeats in his array of technology investments. He latched on to the potential of the internet decades ago, and now is seeking to invest in AI-related companies.“I want to be on the side of progress,” he said. “It would be sad to be on the side that gets left behind, like an old, shutt...

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wants Tottenham game to be replayed after VAR error

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:10 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Jurgen Klopp is calling for Liverpool’s Premier League game against Tottenham to be replayed after a VAR error cost his team a goal. The governing body of England’s referees admitted its mistake when Luis Diaz’s strike was wrongly ruled offside and announced changes to protocols to avoid a repeat in the future. But the Liverpool manager does not appear to be ready to let the issue drop after his team’s 2-1 loss. “I think there should be solutions for that. I think the outcome should be a replay,” Klopp said Wednesday. “The argument against that would be it opens the gates. It is unprecedented, it has not happened before.“I’m used to wrong and difficult decisions, but something like this never happened and so that is why I think a replay is the right thing to do.”The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) announced the findings of its review into the incident on Tuesday. Changes implemented as a result include improv...

These Halloween pop-up bars are open in Denver

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:10 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — The beginning of October marks the opening of Halloween-themed bars in Denver. While some of these bars are open in Denver year-round, their spookiness will only last for 31 days. Visit these Halloween bars before it's too late.Shriekeasy at the 13th Floor The Shriekeasy opened in late September. It's one of the only bars that stays open past Halloween. While the bar closes on Nov. 5, there's no reason to wait. Things to do in October: 2023 events in Denver The 13th Floor is a haunted house that has a few scary bar options to choose from. The Shriekeasy is a bar to try out before or after you go through the haunted house. There's also a hidden bar inside called The Piggy Bank Shot Spot where you can take shots "straight out of a nightmare fairy tale."Spirits Bar This pop-up bar is open for all 31 days of October, but only for 31 days. The bar is known as Spirits Halloween, but it's not affiliated with the costume store. It serves specialty cocktails...

Florida State adds women’s lacrosse after a report showed school was not Title IX compliant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:10 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Seventeen months after a report showed Florida State was not in compliance with Title IX laws, the Seminoles formally added women’s lacrosse to become more equitable with its athletic scholarships.Athletic director Michael Alford on Tuesday announced the addition of the varsity sport and said it’s projected to begin competition in spring 2026.“Lacrosse is the fastest-growing college sport nationally and it is evident that our culture and community will enthusiastically embrace it,” Alford said. “Lacrosse provides another opportunity to compete at a championship level.”FSU, which will compete in the formidable Atlantic Coast Conference, becomes one of 118 Division 1 NCAA women’s lacrosse programs spanning 16 leagues. The ACC has produced 17 NCAA women’s lacrosse national champions and has placed a team in the national title game in 13 of the last 14 seasons.Alford will begin searching for a coach in the coming weeks.The move comes more than a year a...

Judy Blume, James Patterson and other authors are helping PEN America open Miami office

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:10 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Judy Blume, James Patterson and Michael Connelly are among 24 prominent writers who have raised more than $3 million to help PEN America open an office in Miami and expand it efforts to counter Florida’s surge in book bannings in recent years.“What PEN America is doing in Florida is very important to us and our neighbors,” Connelly, who spent part of his childhood in Florida, said in a statement issued by PEN on Wednesday. “We have been astonished to see books ripped off the shelves and students forced into the middle of a fight they didn’t ask for or deserve. All of us, especially those of us who make our living in the literary world, are called upon to defend against book bans and legislation that suppresses new voices.”Other authors contributing money include Amanda Gorman, Nora Roberts, David Baldacci, Nikki Grimes, Suzanne Collins and Todd Parr. The announcement comes in the midst of Banned Books Week, when schools and libraries hi...

U.S. sending seized Iranian ammunition to Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:10 GMT

The Pentagon has transferred more than 1 million rounds of ammunition seized from Iran to Ukraine, the U.S. military announced Wednesday, a move that comes as congressional infighting threatens to delay or derail aid to Kyiv.The transfer, which took place Monday, is aimed at helping Kyiv’s forces push through Russia’s defensive lines before winter arrives. It comes as funding for Ukraine has fallen victim to political infighting in the House, where a group of hardline Republican members are opposing any additional aid to the conflict.Lawmakers over the weekend passed a last-minute spending bill to avert a government shutdown through mid-November, but stripped the legislation of Ukraine funding.The shipment of 1.1 million 7.62 mm rounds to the Ukrainian armed forces has been in the works for months, according to U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Abigail Hammock.U.S. Navy forces originally seized the munitions, which can be fired by AK-47 rifles, from a stateless dhow that was s...

Meloni claims win as EU approves final plank of migration reform

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:10 GMT

BRUSSELS — EU countries on Wednesday struck a deal on the last piece of a flagship migration package.In a concession to win Italy’s crucial backing, a version of the text circulated Tuesday night and seen by POLITICO removed a reference favored by Germany on rescue missions by nongovernmental organizations. EU countries approved the deal Wednesday morning, with Poland and Hungary voting against, while Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia abstained. The move paves the way for the EU to reach a deal on reform of its asylum rules after nearly 10 years of failed attempts. As a front-line country managing soaring migrant arrivals, Italy’s support was essential to unblock the deal on the so-called crisis regulation, which details measures to lift pressure on EU border countries facing spikes in people seeking asylum.Italy unexpectedly blocked an initial compromise during a meeting of interior ministers last Thursday where Germany dropped its veto; German Greens had expressed concerns...

Beijing ready for big fight with Brussels over EV probe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:10 GMT

BRUSSELS — China reacted with anger on Wednesday to the European Union’s announcement that it was going ahead with an investigation into its subsidies for electric vehicles, upping the stakes in a geopolitical spat that could well escalate into a wider trade war.In a strongly worded statement, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce vowed to “steadfastly safeguard the legitimate interests of Chinese companies” and took exception to the tight timelines foreseen in the EU probe.The response puts Beijing — and its global industrial ambitions — on a collision course with Ursula von der Leyen’s increasingly assertive “geopolitical” Commission. Stirring in the hypernationalist political atmosphere in China and the fact that the probe was launched during the week-long National Day holidays makes for a combustible mix.Beijing essentially accused the EU of failing to ensure due process in the probe. The EU probe, it said, is purely based on “so-called subsidy proje...

FIFA ends total ban on Russian football teams

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:33:10 GMT

FIFA on Wednesday ended its blanket ban on Russian football teams competing in international tournaments, in a decision set to provoke renewed outcry from Ukraine’s Western allies. The global governing body said it would once again allow Russian youth teams to participate in the men’s and women’s under-17 World Cup tournaments since expelling all Russian teams in February 2022, after the start of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. FIFA’s move follows a similar decision last week from UEFA, European football’s governing body, relating to continental club competitions. That choice triggered a backlash around Europe with several countries saying they won’t play against Russian teams despite UEFA’s ruling. Ukraine’s football federation said last week that it “will not take part in any competitions with the participation of Russian teams, and appeal to other UEFA member associations to boycott pos...