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Ryan Poles is confident he has upgraded the Chicago Bears roster. The next step is translating that into wins.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:00 GMT

The NFL draft had ended less than a hour earlier, and general manager Ryan Poles still was trying to fully assess and contextualize the Chicago Bears’ weekend gains.Over 47 hours, Poles had assembled a 10-man draft class — seven on defense, three on offense — and was convinced the Bears had taken important strides. He also was certain he had just completed the most eventful three-month stretch of his professional life.“Oh, yeah,” Poles said. “It’s been awesome. I’m excited about where we’re headed. We’ve been able to do things the right way, and that’s opened up opportunity.”With all the intense pre-draft work in the rearview mirror — the combine, the pro days, the prospect visits and staff meetings at Halas Hall — with the most critical stages of free agency complete and with the draft frenzy over as quickly as it had begun, Poles was asked how he might decompress Saturday night.He chuckled at first...

3 things to watch in May for the Chicago White Sox, including José Abreu’s return to Guaranteed Rate Field

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:00 GMT

The Chicago White Sox were on the verge of their 11th consecutive loss, trailing the Tampa Bay Rays by four runs in the ninth inning Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field.But the team put together an epic ninth-inning comeback featuring five two-strike hits. Andrew Vaughn capped the seven-run inning with a game-winning three-run homer, sending the Sox to a 12-9 victory.An awful lot went wrong for the Sox (8-21) in the first month-plus of the season. They were one of four teams with at least 20 losses entering May.Sunday provided some positives as April concluded.“We’ve got some fight in that clubhouse,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “It takes the ball bouncing your way one time to just lift everybody up and put us in that mindset of ‘this can happen.’ Just like I say flush it on the bad ones — I’m not going to say that yet on this one because I still want to enjoy it a little bit — but we’ve got to flush this one, too, at some point...

Long-unfinished blue Strip tower sets date for grand opening

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:00 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A soaring blue-glass tower that has sat empty for more than a decade on the Las Vegas Strip — through the Great Recession and an unprecedented pandemic that shut down the famed tourist corridor for months — is set to open its doors to the public in December as the gambling center’s latest resort and casino.Company executives for Fontainebleau Las Vegas made the announcement Tuesday morning, more than a year after the company publicly set a goal to open before the end of 2023. In a statement, chief operating officer Colleen Birch said the long-awaited resort on the north end of the Strip represents “a rich heritage of luxury hospitality, chic elegance and unforgettable experiences.” The announcement marked the beginning of hiring efforts for a 3,700-room resort and casino that is expected to create thousands of jobs.Named after Miami Beach’s 1950s-era Fontainebleau hotel, the luxury resort is one of the tallest buildings in Las Vegas.Construction on...

On board a Philippine patrol in contested South China Sea

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:00 GMT

ABOARD BRP MALABRIGO (AP) — When two Philippine coast guard vessels set out to patrol the volatile South China Sea recently, they had to face more than China’s growing territorial ambitions. The patrols are a constant battle against sun, sea, stress and gnawing isolation. The Associated Press joined a recent voyage, which provided a glimpse of what it’s like for Filipino coast guard personnel to work on the front lines of multiple geopolitical conflicts in one of the world’s most fiercely contested seas.The BRP Malabrigo and BRP Malapascua, Japanese-built 44-meter (144-foot) patrol ships, planned to make a circuit of disputed islands, islets and reefs claimed by the Philippines in the Spratly Islands, some occupied by Philippine garrisons and some by Chinese military installations.China has rapidly built up its military presence in the area in recent years, pushing back other claimants like the Philippines and building artificial islands with airstrips and military garrisons. The ri...

Sweden’s king, queen visit Baltic neighbor Estonia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:00 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia began a three-day state visit to Estonia Tuesday — their first official visit to the former Soviet repubic in more than 30 years. Estonian President Alar Karis and his wife welcomed the Swedish king and queen at Tallinn’s central Freedom Square with full military honors, and an enthusiastic crowd of adults and children alike waved the Estonian and Swedish flags.The president’s office said the visit, to both Tallinn and the second city of Tartu, “underscores the close friendship between Estonia and Sweden, all the more so given that it is taking place during the 50th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne.” The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — all former Soviet republics that are members of the European Union and NATO — are Sweden’s neighbors across the Baltic Sea and have close business and political ties with Stockholm. Estonia also has historical links to Sweden, as the sm...

Tim Hortons parent Restaurant Brands reports Q1 profit and revenue up from year ago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:00 GMT

TORONTO — Restaurant Brands International Inc. reported a first-quarter profit of US$277 million, up from US$270 million a year earlier, as its revenue also climbed higher.The parent company of Tim Hortons, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says the profit amounted to 61 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31, up from 59 cents per diluted share in the same quarter last year.Revenue totalled US$1.59 billion, up from US$1.45 billion in the first three months of 2022.On an adjusted basis, Restaurant Brands says it earned 75 cents per diluted share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 64 cents per diluted share in the same quarter last year.Analysts on average had expected an adjusted profit of 64 cents per share, according to estimates compiled by financial markets data firm Refinitiv.In addition to Tim Hortons, Restaurant Brands includes Burger King, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Firehouse Subs.This report by The Canadian Press was first published ...

Canelo Álvarez returning home to Guadalajara to fight Ryder

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:00 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Fighting in his native Guadalajara for the first time in 12 years has presented some different challenges for Saúl Álvarez, like finding out just how many tickets he needs to accommodate family and friends.“Canelo” Álvarez is one of the best boxers in the world and he will return home on Saturday to face British rival John Ryder at the Akron Stadium in the western Mexican city. He hasn’t fought in Guadalajara since June 2011, when he defeated British fighter Ryan Rhodes.Back then, Álvarez’s career was on the rise. In March of that year, he won his first world title, the World Boxing Council welterweight belt.Now he comes home as a more mature boxer who has already won world titles in four different weights classes and was the unified champion at three of those.That’s why it shouldn’t be surprising that the bout at the Akron Stadium sold out in a matter of hours, leaving “Canelo” with the prospect of both preparing himself for the fight and attend...

Millennial Money: Trusts can aid those with mental illness

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:00 GMT

More than 50% of Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder during their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chances are, some of these individuals will be inheriting wealth at some point.If a family member’s mental health issues may interfere with their ability to manage finances, answering these questions could help them create long-term financial stability.HAVE I SET UP A TRUST?Setting up a trust is one way to transfer wealth to a loved one and create financial stability for them. A trust enables you to leave specific instructions for trustees about how to care for your loved one and distribute assets.Trusts can be especially helpful for transferring assets to loved ones who have a mental illness but are still able to function independently. While these loved ones are often independent, they may still have difficulty managing assets on their own, says Lillie Nkenchor, an attorney who does estate planning in New York. One examp...

Small business owners balance rising costs with keeping customers happy: survey

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Almost a third of Canadian small business owners raised prices by more than 10 per cent in 2022 to offset rising costs, a survey found — and the trend is continuing this year.The survey by Ownr, a small business and legal management platform backed and operated by RBCx, found that so far in 2023, more than 23 per cent of small business owners have raised prices by more than 10 per cent. “The two major concerns for entrepreneurs right now are both cash flow issues and then the backdrop of inflation,” said Derek Hopfner, chief revenue officer at Ownr. Inflation has been moderating from last year’s highs, but remains elevated, with a reading of 4.3 per cent in March. Meanwhile, the Bank of Canada is holding interest rates high in its bid to fight inflation.Some of the other pressures most acutely facing small firms right now are labour supply and cost, borrowing costs and supply chain issues, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business’ monthly Business Barometer...

4 fatally shot in California in latest US mass killing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:00 GMT

MOJAVE, Calif. (AP) — Four people were found fatally shot inside an RV in a small Mojave Desert community over the weekend, authorities said, yet another act of deadly violence that keeps the U.S. on a record pace for mass killings this year.The victims were three women and a man, authorities said Monday. There were no immediate arrests, but two people were being sought for questioning as “persons of interest” and there was no ongoing threat to others in the unincorporated community of Mojave, said Lori Meza, a spokesperson for the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.It is the 19th mass killing of 2023, the most through the end of April of any year since at least 2006, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. A mass killing is defined as the slaying of four or more people other than the assailant.This year has set a record pace with roughly one a week. Among the latest violence, a 38-year-old man remai...