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Voting closes in New Zealand’s election, with polls indicating people favor a conservative change

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:12:19 GMT

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Voting closed Saturday in New Zealand and ballot counting was underway in a general election, with opinion polls indicating people were favoring a conservative change after six years of a liberal government led for most of that time by Jacinda Ardern.Warm spring weather in the largest city of Auckland seemed to encourage voters, with queues forming outside some polling places. Early voting before Election Day was lower than in recent elections.Ardern unexpectedly stepped down as prime minister in January, saying she no longer had “enough in the tank” to do the job justice. She won the last election in a landslide, but her popularity waned as people got tired of COVID-19 restrictions and inflation threatened the economy.Her departure left Chris Hipkins, 45, to take over as leader. He had previously served as education minister and led the response to the coronavirus pandemic. But polling indicated his conservative rival, former businessman Christopher Lux...

CU Buffs blow 29-point halftime lead, lose 46-43 to Stanford in double-OT

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:12:19 GMT

BOULDER — The Buffs were on the doorstep of bowl eligibility, and one win from checking off a major milestone in Deion Sanders’ transformative program overhaul.That is, until they blew a 29-point halftime lead in one of the most shocking losses in program history, an epic collapse that saw CU fall to Stanford in double-OT at Folsom Field, 46-43.“I’m truly upset and truly disturbed,” a stunned Coach Prime said. “We finally put it together in the first half like the players desired… Then we come out and surrender three unanswered touchdowns to start (the second half). I can’t fathom it or wrap my head around it.“Big win by them, horrible loss by us.”Instead of sitting at 5-2 heading into the second half of the season with a gust of momentum, the Buffs spiraled with a disastrous second half on Friday to fall to 4-3 after suffering the largest blown lead in program history. Stanford roared back thanks to an unstoppable performa...

CU Buffs vs. Stanford: Travis Hunter returns, but how the heck did Shedeur Sanders, Buffs blow 29-0 lead?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:12:19 GMT

Initial observations from the CU Buffs’ 46-43 double-overtime loss to the Stanford Cardinal in head coach Deion Sanders’ second Pac-12 home game at Folsom Field on Friday:1. This is was 6-6 looks like, kids. Or … 5-7. Remember that stuff that got Coach Prime heated in Tempe? Yeah, well, half of it is still there. On the plus side, hey, the Buffs shook off that slow-start thing, right? CU came out rolling one-win Stanford like the Homecoming cupcake they were supposed to be, notching TDs on their first four drives to take a commanding 29-0 lead. Then the old Buffs showed up: Missed assignments, bad angles, bad fits, inconsistent pass protection and kickoffs — again — that went out of bounds. Again. Oh, and penalties, penalties, penalties. Early in the third quarter, Stanford scored 19 points in a span of just 3:46. The Buffs got USC-ed in their own house.2. Travis Hunter is bionic … to a point. If you’d have guessed that CU’s two-way star would hav...

Crowds flock to Bellflower to watch Mater Dei take on St. John Bosco 

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:12:19 GMT

The two best high school football teams in the Golden State are located right here in Southern California, and they met head-to-head on the gridiron Friday night.Thousands were in attendance Friday night at St. John Bosco High School's Panish Family Stadium to watch the Braves take on the Mater Dei High School Monarchs in what has become one of the most riveting high school football games in the country.Fans of St. John Bosco – the nation’s ninth-highest ranked high school football team – were out voicing their support well before kickoff. “It’s the biggest game of the year,” said Larry James, a St. John Bosco fan. “It’s the best game in Southern California, it’s the best game in the country and Bosco is the best team in the country.” Mater Dei fans weren’t shy about voicing their support for the nation’s top-ranked high school football team. “It’s become a phenomenon [over] the last ten, 15 years,” said Mater Dei supporter Aaron Fogelsong. “It’s become the game every...

Unbelievable finish: De La Salle survives San Ramon Valley’s stunning rally to win in OT

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:12:19 GMT

DANVILLE — What unfolded on Friday night between De La Salle and San Ramon Valley might never be forgotten by anyone who was there to see it.The fourth quarter was wild, zany, unbelievable.It ended with San Ramon Valley, which trailed by 15 points with less than four minutes to play, missing a 36-yard field goal with 5.1 seconds left that would have broken a tie and ended De La Salle’s 32-year unbeaten streak against North Coast Section opponents.In overtime, after SRV didn’t score on its possession, Derrick Blanche ran across the goal line for the winning touchdown, the 6-yard run giving De La Salle an absolutely remarkable 33-27 victory.“I’ve been coaching for 26, 27 years,” DLS coach Justin Alumbaugh said. “I’ve never had a quarter like that. This place was packed and everybody got their money’s worth. A lot of resilience showed on both sides of the field tonight.”SRV coach Aaron Becker called it “one of the wildes...

How a halftime adjustment put Alhambra in front of the DAL-Valley title race

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:12:19 GMT

MARTINEZ – Alhambra went into the halftime locker room incapable of tackling Mt. Diablo’s superb running back Herschel Turner. The three-star prospect with offers from FBS schools had torn Alhambra’s defense apart, toting the ball 10 times for 242 yards and four touchdowns.But when the game resumed for the second half, those gaps Mt. Diablo had exploited for huge gains were nowhere to be seen, replaced by a swarm of ready Bulldog tacklers. Alhambra jumped out to a three-touchdown lead and held on for the thrilling 49-47 victory.So what was that critical adjustment, the change that held its league rivals to just over just 90 rushing yards in the second half, the modification that unofficially clinched the Diablo Athletic League Valley title for Alhambra?“We widened our defensive ends, got our safeties a little deeper, because they were running by us,” Alhambra coach Alan Hern said. “A couple of nice adjustments really helped us out, and the kids really started swarming to the b...

Daniels, Ayomanor help rally Stanford Cardinal from 29 points down, stun Colorado 46-43 in 2OT thriller

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:12:19 GMT

The biggest receiving game in Stanford football history led to the biggest comeback in school history.Redshirt freshman Elic Ayomanor set a Stanford record with 294 receiving yards, including 97- and 60-yard touchdowns in the second half and a 30-yard highlight-reel touchdown in overtime while being blanketed by star wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, as Stanford defeated Colorado 46-43 in double overtime on Friday night in Boulder, Colorado.“For our guys, to know what they went through, to be down 29-0 on the road against a really good team, and just continue to compete and believe, a number of times they could have succumbed, I’m really proud of them,” said first-year coach Troy Taylor, who recorded his first Pac-12 win. “They don’t stop, they come in every week with incredible focus and tenacity. They inspire me every day.”Stanford (2-4, 1-3 Pac-12) broke a four-game losing streak at Folsom Field in a game that had been sold out since mid-July. Alaka’i Gilman intercepted She...

Surfer injured in apparent shark attack at Pacifica beach

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:12:19 GMT

PACIFICA – A surfer was injured in an apparent shark attack Friday afternoon in Pacifica, police said.Related ArticlesCalifornia News | Park Service says search for missing Point Reyes swimmer is now a ‘recovery effort’ California News | Coast Guard suspends search for missing swimmer following apparent shark attack near Point Reyes California News | Point Reyes: Search underway for missing swimmer following reports of shark attack off of Wildcat Beach The incident happened around 3:45 p.m. at Linda Mar Beach, the Pacifica Police Department said in a statement. Officers and North County Fire Authority firefighters arrived to find a 52-year-old man suffering from an injury to his lower leg.The man told officers he was bitten while surfing. He did not see what bit him and could not confirm if it was a shark, police said.The man was taken to a hospital to be treated for his injury, which was not considered life-threatening.The...

Brothers arrested outside Maryland State House take case to Supreme Court

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:12:19 GMT

Jeff Hulbert, one of two protesters arrested in February 2018 in Annapolis at a gun rights rally, addressed a larger group of 2nd Amendment supporters that turned out to rally at the State House after his arrest. (File photo by Bruce DePuyt.) Jeff Hulbert, one of two protesters arrested in February 2018 in Annapolis at a gun rights rally, addressed a larger group of 2nd Amendment supporters that turned out to rally at the State House after his arrest. (File photo by Bruce DePuyt.) An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court by Second Amendment activists in Maryland could affect protections for police officers and the public’s right to document the activities of law enforcement.The case, which began as the arrest of ...

Prince William Co. human rights commission condemns Hamas attack on Israel

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:12:19 GMT

The Prince William Human Rights Commission on Friday afternoon issued a statement condemning the attacks carried out against Israel by Hamas last weekend.“As the most diverse County in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the tenth most diverse County in the nation, reflecting the rich tapestry of our racial, ethnic, and religious diversity, we join our Jewish citizens and residents in condemning acts of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, in particular the antisemitism terrorist acts carried out by Hamas this week,” commission Chair Curtis Porter said in a statement.“The Prince William County Human Rights Commission will continue fighting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination in our community and pledge our support for all victims of discrimination,” Porter continued.Hamas, a Gaza-based terrorist organization that controls Palestine, launched a surprise attack on Israel last Saturday, bringing a decades-long conflict between the nations to a head and resulting in the ...