s)K8*Q0"`Vumd
\B3ۨ,y)]1uf[O-* 2BalO#Jlz9CzkMD %5V؋^,ǩ33h o@ {5 fv&LºJ4buvJ>%"!5l`OeQ;A&e! M#Xa0ax8 ۠鐴c=O?ҨqB9Q)c08.Lyqx6F7L}Fmz K'Xc}H|ZU VeL.O=&v+i Bud 7a*8K /y< Y ?xDۯx">7O) _B쭣ԙ~dOLs)K8*Q0"`Vumd
\B3ۨ,y)]1uf[O-* 2BalO#Jlz9CzkMD %5V؋^,ǩ33h o@ {5 fv&LºJ4buvJ>%"!5l`OeQ;A&e! M#Xa0ax8 ۠鐴c=O?ҨqB9Q)c08.Lyqx6F7L}Fmz K'Xc}H|ZU VeL.O=&v+i Bud 7a*8K /y< Y ?xDۯxThe Rangers endured what was a chaotic Friday that included a booting of former captain Jacob Trouba to the Ducks and an historic extension for goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin . Somehow in the middle of both deals, they played a game that night, beating the Penguins 4-2 at Madison Square Garden, and turning a new page in welcoming former Duck Urho Vaakanainen to the mess in Trouba’s wake. Nevertheless, it doesn’t seem to make a difference to the 25-year-old on his third NHL team in seven years. “Shock at first, then excited,” Vaakanainen, who was acquired along with a conditional fourth-round pick in 2025, said on Saturday after Rangers practice in Tarrytown. “First thought is like awesome. Rangers is an Original Six team,” he continued. “Obviously, a big team and I’m super excited to be here. First thoughts were obviously a big shock. You don’t really expect to get traded but when I heard the Rangers, I was hype.” The new energy will certainly be welcomed by the Rangers, who have taken a complete downhill turn after building a cushion on a 5-0-1 run that quickly spiraled after a 1-6 stretch that the team brought into Friday’s game. Trouba’s trade was a first step toward a new start, and head coach Peter Laviolette believes Friday’s events helped quiet things down around his team that lacked motivation, a sense of fight and a leadership figure. “I think so. It’s always a tough day. Jacob is a terrific teammate and person. Did a really good job here with the New York Rangers,” the head coach said on Saturday. “It’s an emotional day for everyone in short. I thought we were able to get past that. I thought we had a pretty decent morning skate and it transferred to the game last night.” However, it’s unknown where the Rangers’ new piece will fit at the moment. Vaakanainen, who took a red eye flight to New York, could be found on the Rangers ice on Saturday afternoon already getting himself acclimated to the system. However, the Rangers are receiving the defender on injury reserve with an upper-body injury. He was wearing a green non-contact jersey with No. 18. Vaakanainen is unaware of the timeline of his return, but feels he is “getting closer” as he can currently shoot and pass the puck routinely. Laviolette was also vague on the timeline, saying it was “somewhere” between a day-to-day and week-to-week status. “We’ll get to that when we get there,” Laviolette said when asked if Vaakanainen will stay with the group or go off to one of the team’s affiliates. “Right now, he’s on the IR and out on the ice. That’s a good thing for us.” Vaakanainen, a Finland native who was drafted 18th overall in 2017 by Boston, believes he can bring “steady defense” to the Rangers while being “reliable” and one that will “play hard.” His seven NHL seasons have been plagued by injuries and he has tallied one goal and 24 assists across 141 games. This season, Vaakanainen had only played in five games for the Ducks, averaging nearly 14 minutes on the ice. He put up one assist and seven blocks. Despite the injury and coming into a Rangers team six points away from the first place Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division standings, Vaakanainen isn’t coming into the group completely blind. He has a familiar face in fellow Finland native Kaapo Kakko, who he played World Juniors with in 2019. “It’s been a long time since I played with him, but pretty good player,” Kakko said on Saturday. “Good D-man ... pretty good player.” The lefty has the potential to slot in as an inexpensive Rangers depth piece with a $1.1 million cap hit to switch up a stalling defense. He will become a restricted agent this summer. Yet, rather more importantly, the Rangers got themselves away from what was a toxic situation with Trouba.
None
Met Office says it is 'committed to learning the lessons' of Storm Bert after criticism but defends forecastsMarqeta, Inc. Announcement: If You Have Suffered Losses in Marqeta, Inc. (NASDAQ: MQ), You Are ...
Full House Resorts CFO Lewis Fanger sells $230,460 in stockKuster wants to lead by example; that’s why she’s retiring from Congress
Keen NBL observers might have noticed that the usually boisterous Justin Tatum was quieter than usual, pacing the sidelines during the Illawarra Hawks win over the Perth Wildcats in Wollongong. Subscribe now for unlimited access . Login or signup to continue reading The Hawks head coach joked afterwards he was on his best behaviour as his parents and daughter were courtside watching Sunday's game at WIN Entertainment Centre. They had arrived in the country to spend the Christmas holidays with Tatum. Not that the Hawks coach will have much time off, considering his team plays the Sydney Kings on Christmas Day. Two days later, they head to Brisbane to take on the Bullets before returning to Wollongong for a New Year's Eve showdown against the South East Melbourne Phoenix. Despite the gruelling schedule, Tatum was happy to have his family with him during the festive period. "They got here Saturday. I was very excited for them to be there, and my daughter gave me a high-five. She pays attention to the game as much as she can," he said. "It's good to have family here, go home, and be able to talk to somebody. "I was on my best behaviour. Mom and Dad were in town, so I behaved best. "I might have little pictures of them on the seats, so they remind me to be good when they leave. "It was good to have them there." He was also happy they saw him enjoying success as a coach. Tatum originally joined the Hawks at the start of the NBL24 season as an assistant to then-coach Jacob Jackomas. He became interim head coach after Jackomas was sacked after struggling to a 2-7 win/loss record. Tatum guided Illawarra to one win short of a grand final appearance after the Hawks were beaten by Melbourne United 2-1 in a seesawing semifinal series. The Hawks then locked in Tatum as permanent head coach on a three-year deal. The move has paid immediate dividends, with the ladder-leading Hawks considered NBL25 championship favourites. Tatum said he was happy his family saw how good the Hawks were. "It's cool, mostly for my 10-year-old daughter, to show her that you can achieve anything you want, as long as you put your mind to do it," he said. "Her coming across the world and seeing her dad having some impact on the team, the city, and the country in general means a lot to me. "My mom and dad are just proud of me no matter what, but it's just building confidence in her to let her know, 'Hey, whatever you want to achieve, whatever you want to do, believe in that because dad is doing his best to give you that confidence'." Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure. Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure. More from Basketball Newsletters & Alerts DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Find out what's happening in local business. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!Ongoing Israel-Gaza war: Views from Indian Muslims
The secret of the centenarians in SwitzerlandSANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — Persistent high surf and flooding threats along California’s coast had residents on high alert a day after a major storm was blamed for one man’s death and the partial collapse of a pier , which propelled three people into the Pacific Ocean. The National Weather Service on Christmas Eve warned of dangerous, large-breaking waves of up to 35 feet (10.7 meters). Its latest high surf warning will be in effect until 6 p.m. Tuesday. “Large waves can sweep across the beach without warning, pulling people into the sea from rocks, jetties and beaches,” the weather service said in a Christmas Eve bulletin. In Santa Cruz, where a municipal wharf under construction partially collapsed on Monday, most beaches were cordoned off as they were inundated with high surf and debris. Residents received an alert on their phones Tuesday morning notifying them to “avoid all beaches including coastal overlook areas such as rocks, jetties or cliffs.” It warned powerful waves could sweep entire beaches unexpectedly. Local officials said there could be further damage to the wharf, but no more pieces broke off overnight. The wharf collapsed and fell into the ocean midday Monday, taking three people with it. Two people were rescued by lifeguards and a third swam to safety. No one was seriously injured. Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley said in the weeks and months ahead officials will have to assess long-term solutions for protecting the coastal city from the impacts of climate change . “Hallelujah that no one was hurt in this, which could have been orders of magnitude worse in terms of any injuries to human beings and damage to property onshore and offshore,” he said at a media briefing Tuesday. “But I think we have somewhat of a question mark as we move through time,” he added. “And I don't think we're by ourselves. I think this is what coastal communities around the world are probably dealing with.” The structure was in the middle of a $4 million renovation following destructive storms last winter about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of San Francisco. “It’s a catastrophe for those down at the end of the wharf,” said David Johnston, who was allowed onto the pier on Monday to check on his business, Venture Quest Kayaking. Tony Elliot, the head of the Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation Department, estimated that about 150 feet (45 meters) of the end of the wharf fell into the water. It was immediately evacuated and will remain closed indefinitely. Some of the wharf’s pilings are still in the ocean and remain “serious, serious hazards” to boats, the mayor said. Each piling weighs hundreds of pounds and is being pushed by powerful waves. “You are risking your life, and those of the people that would need to try and save you by getting in or too close to the water,” the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office said on the social platform X. Building inspectors were looking at the rest of the pier’s structural integrity. Some California cities ordered beachfront homes and hotels to evacuate early Monday afternoon as forecasters warned that storm swells would continue to increase throughout the day. In Watsonville along the Monterey Bay, first responders were called to Sunset State Beach, a state park, around 11:30 a.m. Monday for a report of a man trapped under debris. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office believes a large wave pinned him there. The man was pronounced dead at a hospital. The storm’s high surf also likely pulled another man into the Pacific Ocean around noon Monday at Marina State Beach, nearly 13 miles (21 kilometers) south of Watsonville, authorities said. Strong currents and high waves forced searchers to abandon their efforts roughly two hours later as conditions worsened. The man remained missing Monday evening. Further south in Carmel Bay, a man remained missing as of Tuesday afternoon after reports that someone was swept off the rocks into the ocean at Pebble Beach on Monday, local emergency responders said. The U.S. Coast Guard will "transition to a recovery search as ocean conditions improve in the coming days,” officials said in a statement. In a post on X, the National Weather Service office in Portland, Oregon, said, “It will likely go down as some of the highest surf this winter.” Dazio reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Sophie Austin in Sacramento and Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles contributed.