Juan Soto agreed to a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets on Sunday, heating things up at baseball’s winter meetings. Ashley Landis/Associated Press DALLAS — The major league winter meetings started with a bang. Juan Soto agreeing to a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets broke a logjam that had some of the top-spending clubs waiting for a decision. There wasn’t a flurry of announcements in the immediate aftermath Monday, but plenty of rumors were flying. The Boston Red Sox were one of several teams that just missed out on Soto, offering him a deal reportedly worth over $700 million. The Red Sox, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays were all in on Soto; now all three AL East teams are pivoting to Plan B. For Boston, that means pitching. Top-line starting pitchers are now taking center stage, with Corbin Burnes and Max Fried looking at nine-figure contracts. It’s a lot of money, but a lot less than what Soto got. And the Sox need a starting pitcher more than they need a left-handed bat, even if it’s in the hands of one of the game’s top hitters. Talking to Red Sox front office staff in Boston, it would seem the left-handed Fried is a slightly better fit than Burnes. The Sox rotation is stocked with righties, and a left-handed ace would give Manager Alex Cora more versatility in any series. Make no mistake, either would help Boston. The Red Sox are reportedly interesting in adding left-handed starting pitcher Max Fried. John Bazemore/Associated Press So would a right-handed bat. That’s why talk of a Teoscar Hernandez or Alex Bregman signing picked up just moments after the Soto announcement. Either free agent would help balance Cora’s lineup, which is predominantly left-handed. Having a right-handed bat between Rafael Devers and Triston Casas would help fire up the engine that powers the Red Sox offense. The Sox could add to either the offense or pitching staff via a trade. They have one of the top farm systems in the game, and certainly have the prospect capital to bring in a top-of-the-line starter like Garrett Crochet or a veteran slugger like Nolan Arenado. Hitting on two or three of these plans could make the Sox a contender next year. Imagine an offense bolstered by Fried and Crochet, and a lineup with Hernandez driving bombs over the Green Monster. You could argue that’s a far more successful offseason than one that saw Soto and Soto only coming to town. In recent years the meetings have been a bore. Deals are done before or, more often, after the meetings themselves. Last year teams waited months before top free-agent pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery signed. That’s why the activity – even though it’s only in the discussion stage – is so much fun. This is a big week for the baseball industry. When news breaks at the winter meetings, there is a massive contingent of media on hand to cover it. Those reports fuel the hot stove discussions that teams want people to have over the holidays. Last year the winter was hamstrung by free agents who waited well into the winter to make decisions. The Montgomery and Snell signings didn’t happen until spring training was starting. Teams were waiting to see if they could land either. Those who didn’t had little time to move on to other plans. That’s not the case here. Soto made his decision early. Now we’ll see if the Red Sox are willing to use some of the money they offered him to improve the roster in other ways. The buzz here in Dallas is that the Red Sox are acting like one of the most aggressive teams this offseason. Back in Boston, that’s good news. But after three years without a playoff appearance, fans want to see an official announcement before buying into the plan. That plan, even if it’s Plan B, is coming together behind closed doors. Tom Caron is a studio host for the Red Sox broadcast on NESN. Comments are not available on this story. Send questions/comments to the editors. « PreviousHow technology is streamlining B2B payment landscape in IndiaMILWAUKEE — Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams left Saturday night's 125-119 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks late in the fourth quarter with a right knee injury. “I think it has just been diagnosed as a right knee injury,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said after the game. “We’ll continue to get some imaging and evaluations. The most important thing is that all of our prayers are with Grant and hoping the news comes back as good as possible.” Williams was hurt on a drive to the basket with just under four minutes remaining with the Bucks leading 114-101. He finished 2 of 6 with eight points and seven rebounds in 32 minutes.
Abdelgowad scores 26 in UMass' 86-52 victory over UMass-Boston
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Former Temple basketball standout Hysier Miller sat for a long interview with the NCAA as it looked into concerns about unusual gambling activity, his lawyer said Friday amid reports a federal probe is now under way. “Hysier Miller fully cooperated with the NCAA’s investigation. He sat for a five-hour interview and answered every question the NCAA asked. He also produced every document the NCAA requested,” lawyer Jason Bologna said in a statement. “Hysier did these things because he wanted to play basketball this season, and he is devastated that he cannot.” Miller, a three-year starter from South Philadelphia, transferred to Virginia Tech this spring. However, the Hokies released him last month due to what the program called “circumstances prior to his enrollment at Virginia Tech.” Bologna declined to confirm that a federal investigation had been opened, as did spokespeople for both the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia. ESPN, citing unnamed sources, reported Thursday that authorities were investigating whether Miller bet on games he played in at Temple, and whether he adjusted his performance accordingly. “Hysier Miller has overcome more adversity in his 22 years than most people face in their lifetime. He will meet and overcome whatever obstacles lay ahead," Bologna said. Miller scored eight points — about half his season average of 15.9 — in a 100-72 loss to UAB on March 7 that was later flagged for unusual betting activity. Temple said it has been aware of those allegations since they became public in March, and has been cooperative. “We have been fully responsive and cooperative with the NCAA since the moment we learned of the investigation,” Temple President John Fry said in a letter Thursday to the school community. However, Fry said Temple had not received any requests for information from state or federal law enforcement agencies. He vowed to cooperate fully if they did. “Coaches, student-athletes and staff members receive mandatory training on NCAA rules and regulations, including prohibitions on involvement in sports wagering," Fry said in the letter. The same week the Temple-UAB game raised concerns, Loyola (Maryland) said it had removed a person from its basketball program after it became aware of a gambling violation. Temple played UAB again on March 17, losing 85-69 in the finals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. League spokesman Tom Fenstermaker also declined comment on Friday. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Northwestern Lehigh and Scranton Prep are facing off Saturday at Berwick’s Crispin Field in a PIAA 3A football quarterfinal game. Kickoff is 7 p.m. Our own Tom Housenick is there covering the action live. Refresh the page to see his latest updates below (the feed will not update automatically). NOTE: You must be signed into X , formerly known as Twitter, to see our feed. If you are seeing tweets from 2017, you are not signed in!) Tweets by TomHousenickdbeard@dominionpost.com MORGANTOWN – Mon Health Medical Center is once again on the leading edge of surgery – this time with a new technology to treat enlarged prostate in men. The condition is called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The procedure to remove tissue causing urinary obstruction doesn’t use knives or heat or icy cold; it uses water – called aquablation. Mon Health urologist Dr. Jaschar Shakuri-Rad, medical director of Robotic Surgery, is the first in the state and local region to use the latest advance in that technology: the HYDROS Robotic System. HYDROS is a person-sized tower on wheels, with touch screens and robotic arms. One of the chief assets, Dr. Rad said, is the built-in artificial intelligence. The manufacturer, Procept BioRobotics, calls it FirstAssist AI. The AI gathers data and learns from each procedure, Rad said. And it uses that to help plan the subsequent operations. “So it’s getting smarter every time we feed it more data. So the more cases it does, the smarter it gets. ... It helps me plan the surgery very quickly because it has a very good algorithm. ... The operation is more streamlined, it’s safer, more efficient.” Here’s how it work. Dr. Rad and HYDROS are stationed at the foot of the patient bed. The tower has two robotic arms. One has an ultrasound device inserted rectally to just under the prostate, to offer images of the prostate in multiple dimensions. The other arm has two tools inserted through the urethra: a camera to offer images inside the prostate and a water jet to cut away the tissue. Dr. Rad calls it a pressure washer and a video of it at work shows the nozzle swishing back and forth. The AI-assisted visuals, he said, help them mark areas of the prostate they want opened up. “We only open up what’s necessary,” and leave the rest alone. This helps them avoid critical muscles such as the sphincter, the rectum and the nerves around the prostate that preserve sexual function. A traditional BPH procedure can run anywhere from 45-90 minutes, Dr. Rad said. The morning of our visit to the operating room, he’d done three procedures of 20-25 minutes each. This means less time under anesthesia for the patient, he said. It uses less water. He’d recently spoken with a colleague who performs laser procedures that require 25-30 3-liter bags of water. Rad’s AI-assisted procedure uses just two bags. All of this means less cost for the patient. The procedure typically requires an overnight stay, but can sometimes be outpatient, he said. There are no negative effects on sexual function or urinary continence, and no recurrence of symptoms for a decade or more. The current research shows about 10 years but more data from more procedures will give a picture of the full duration. Rad said Mon Health had a prior version of the company’s system, but just acquired this newer AI-assisted one. It’s the first in the area. And patients are coming from as far as Florida for the therapy. “They come because they understand the technology helps them preserve those functions.” Rad calls this steady advancement in robotic surgery – from multi-port robots to single-port to this natural orifice surgery – “minimizing minimally invasive surgery.” This new aquablation requires no incisions and leaves no scars. “We are offering these advanced things at a community hospital, which I think is very unique.” It levels the playing field somewhat against giant academic centers in surrounding states. And for the patients, “It makes them feel better when they see that homey, close-knit community that we have in our health system. I think that’s the special sauce for us.” Mon Health Medical Center is part of Vandalia North, and the Vandalia Health System. David Goldberg, president and CEO of Vandalia North, commented, “We are proud to be at the forefront of medical innovation by introducing HYDROS technology for Aquablation therapy. This milestone reflects our unwavering commitment to investing in the latest technologies to improve patient care and provide advanced treatment options to our community.”
ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Ghana’s former leader John Dramani Mahama was declared the winner of the presidential election on Monday and pledged a “a life of limitless opportunity” for citizens after voters vented their anger over the country’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. Previously president of the West African nation between 2012 and 2017, the 65-year-old Mahama received 56.5% of votes cast, or 6.3 million votes, the electoral commission said. His main opponent from the current governing party, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, conceded defeat on Sunday and got 41%, or 4.6 million votes. Electoral commissioner Jean Mensa said vote-counting continued in nine constituencies but would not change the final result. Turnout was just over 60%. Mahama had promised to “reset” the country on various fronts. His campaign prioritized the economy and largely appealed to young Ghanaians who saw the vote as a way out of the economic crisis . In his victory speech on Monday, Mahama said Ghana must be able to meet the basic needs of its people including affordable housing, health care, food, clean water, safe work and fair wages. “We want a Ghana that considers the well-being of all her citizens and affords them each the ability to live a life of dignity, a life of limitless opportunity,” he said. “This country, this land, is not for one person or for one family or for one tribe or ethnic group.” He said the last eight years under outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo have "left a scar on our national psyche, which may take some time to erase.” Mahama’s win is viewed as following the trend of elections around the world, favoring opposition parties against incumbents. Mahama’s National Democratic Congress also won the majority in parliament. After Bawumia conceded defeat, celebrations broke out among opposition supporters in the capital, Accra, and elsewhere. Women and young people danced to music and trumpet blasts. The election for both the president and members of parliament was seen as a litmus test for democracy in a region shaken by extremist violence and coups . West Africa’s regional bloc, ECOWAS, called the election generally peaceful, not unusual for Ghana. The governing New Patriotic Party has struggled to resolve the economic crisis under outgoing Akufo-Addo. The former president is “the only person” who can fix the ailing economy in Ghana, one of West Africa’s economic powerhouses, said Jude Agbemava, a policy analyst who voted for him. The people made their disaffection known against a government that has lost goodwill, said Seidu Alidu, head of the department of political science at Ghana’s University of Legon. The economy is “largely a bread and butter issue for every Ghanaian,” Alidu said. “When the people elect you, they require you to do certain things for them. But it was also about the style of governance (because) even in other countries facing economic challenges, governments were being honest with the people, telling them what the reality is, and the steps they have taken to manage it.”
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Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album 'GNX' LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present with a new album. The Grammy winner released his sixth studio album “GNX” on Friday. The 12-track project is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Lamar’s new album comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. The rap megastar will headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. The 37-year-old has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Ancient meets modern as a new subway in Greece showcases archaeological treasures THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, is opening a new subway system, blending ancient archaeological treasures with modern transit technology like driverless trains and platform screen doors. The project, which began in 2003, uncovered over 300,000 artifacts, including a Roman-era thoroughfare and Byzantine relics, many of which are now displayed in its 13 stations. Despite delays caused by preserving these findings, the inaugural line has been completed, with a second line set to open next year. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict. At least 19 people are sick in Minnesota from ground beef tied to E. coli recall U.S. health officials say at least 19 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli poisoning tied to a national recall of more than 167,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef. Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. recalled the meat sent to restaurants nationwide. Minnesota state agriculture officials reported multiple illnesses and found that a sample of the product tested positive for E. coli, which can cause life-threatening infections. No illnesses have been reported outside of Minnesota. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of dehydration. Actor Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend drops assault and defamation lawsuit against once-rising star NEW YORK (AP) — Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend has dropped her assault and defamation lawsuit against the once-rising Hollywood star after reaching a settlement. Lawyers for Majors and Grace Jabbari agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice Thursday. Jabbari is a British dancer who had accused Majors of subjecting her to escalating incidents of physical and verbal abuse during their relationship. Representatives for Majors didn’t respond to emails seeking comment Friday. Jabbari’s lawyer said the suit was “favorably settled” and her client is moving on with “her head held high.” Majors was convicted of misdemeanor assault and harassment last December and sentenced to a yearlong counseling program. Hyundai, Kia recall over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix problem that can cause loss of power DETROIT (AP) — Hyundai and Kia are recalling over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix a pesky problem that can cause loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. The recalls cover more than 145,000 Hyundai and Genesis vehicles including the 2022 through 2024 Ioniq 5, the 2023 through 2025 Ioniq 6, GV60 and GV70, and the 2023 and 2024 G80. Also included are nearly 63,000 Kia EV 6 vehicles from 2022 through 2024. The affiliated Korean automakers say in government documents that a transistor in a charging control unit can be damaged and stop charging the 12-volt battery. Dealers will inspect and replace the control unit and a fuse if needed. They also will update software. Christmas TV movies are in their Taylor Swift era, with two Swift-inspired films airing this year Two of the new holiday movies coming to TV this season have a Taylor Swift connection that her fans would have no problem decoding. “Christmas in the Spotlight” debuts Saturday on Lifetime. It stars Jessica Lord as the world’s biggest pop star and Laith Wallschleger, playing a pro football player, who meet and fall in love, not unlike Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. On Nov. 30, Hallmark will air “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.” Instead of a nod to Swift, it’s an ode to family traditions and bonding, like rooting for a sports team. Hallmark’s headquarters is also in Kansas City. Top football recruit Bryce Underwood changes commitment to Michigan instead of LSU, AP source says ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Top football recruit Bryce Underwood has flipped to Michigan after pledging to play at LSU. That's according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the recruit’s plans to join the Wolverines. Underwood pinned a post on his Instagram account, showing a post in which On3.com reported that he has committed to Michigan. The 6-foot-3 quarterback played at Belleville High School about 15 miles east of Michigan's campus, and told LSU nearly a year ago he intended to enroll there. Emperor penguin released at sea 20 days after waddling onto Australian beach MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The only emperor penguin known to have swum from Antarctica to Australia has been released at sea 20 days after he waddled ashore on a popular tourist beach. The adult male was found on Nov. 1 on sand dunes in temperate southwest Australia about 2,200 miles north of the Antarctic coast. He was released Wednesday from a boat that traveled several hours from Western Australia state's most southerly city of Albany. His caregiver Carol Biddulph wasn't sure at first if the penguin would live. She said a mirror was important to his rehabilitation because they provide a sense of company. Biddulph said: “They’re social birds and he stands next to the mirror most of the time.”