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Jude Bellingham scores for fourth game in a row to ease Real Madrid's Champions League elimination fears in 3- - Daily MailStarting on Jan. 1, 2025, the city of Moline plans to hire six new firefighters/paramedics with the intention of staffing a third ambulance in the city. This will be the first major staffing increase for the department in more than 40 years. According to a city press release, an additional ambulance will help reduce response times, improve service and ease the workload faced by current staff. Moline Fire Chief Steve Regenwether said that his top priority is the safety and well-being of the community and his staff. “Adding six additional firefighters to staff a full-time third ambulance is not just a necessity; it’s a commitment to the people of Moline. With over 90% of our 9,100 annual calls being EMS-related, ensuring prompt emergency response can be the difference between life and death for our citizens. At the same time, this addition will alleviate the strain on our current firefighters, improving their safety and morale,” Regenwether said in the press release. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
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DALLAS — Third base has quickly become the hot topic of discussion for the Cardinals this “hot stove” season, particularly as it pertains to eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove Award winner Nolan Arenado and his future in St. Louis. Depending upon your perspective, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak either added heat to the situation with his straightforward comments on Monday, or he simply acknowledged the already rising temperature. Mozeliak’s declaration that he intends to try to trade Arenado this winter likely directly affects the future of the Cardinals’ other Nolan. If the Cardinals execute an Arenado trade, Nolan Gorman instantly becomes a front-runner to take over at third base. When asked about Gorman’s best fit defensively with the current roster, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol hedged. “It’s hard to speak to that definitively,” Marmol said. “We don’t know what our roster is going to look like in a few weeks. Once we get past some of this, we’ll have a better understanding. But right now, he’s ready to do whatever he’s asked to do, and he’s in a good head space to be able to do that.” Regarding the specific fit at third base for Gorman, Marmol walked a tightrope and tacitly acknowledged the fit without disregarding the fact that Arenado remains a Cardinal for the moment. “He feels comfortable at multiple positions — third, second,” Marmol said of Gorman. “He came up as a third baseman. He’s obviously done a nice job at second. He turns a good double play. He’ll do whatever he’s asked to, and he’s in a good spot, mentally, to be able to do it.” Coming off a productive season in 2023 when he led the team in home runs (27) and slugging percentage (.478), Gorman had wildly varying stretches at the plate in 2024. Gorman, 24, slashed .196/.261/.363 with four home runs through his first 28 games (26 starts). Then the left-handed-hitting slugger’s offense picked up in May to the tune of a .242/.359/.561 with six home runs in 21 games (19 starts). After a dreadful June, he again experienced an uptick in July (.262/.304/.477 in 20 games). However, his at-bats featured too much swing-and-miss. He registered a whiff rate of 38.7% and a strikeout rate of 37.6%, both among the bottom 1% in the majors. Ultimately, Gorman’s struggles outweighed his periods of success this past season, and he ultimately finished the year back in the minors. Both Mozeliak and Marmol expressed optimism in the impact newly hired hitting coach Brant Brown will have on Gorman’s performance this coming season. Brown has already made a trip to Arizona and spent time with Gorman since joining the coaching staff in late October. “I think he’s in a really good spot; Brownie was able to spend some time with him and just candidly speak to what he feels, what he feels hasn’t gone well,” Marmol said. “Here is what I like about Brownie: He’s able to speak different languages in a sense of if someone is a highly analytical, he’s able to speak to that. If someone is more off feel he’s able to speak to the swing and has a really, really good understanding of that swing. If someone wants to just talk about mechanics, he can do that. He’s been able to relate to a variety of our guys how they like taking in information.” In Gorman’s case, that means understanding how Gorman’s “gather” plays a crucial role in his success or lack thereof in the batter’s box. Marmol characterized Brown’s ability to speak to that as “amazing.” Not only did Gorman begin his professional career in the minors as a third baseman, but defensive metrics show that Gorman struggles more when fielding balls hit to his right. At third base, the foul line is to Gorman’s right and cuts down the amount of territory he’ll have to cover in that direction. Gorman’s fit at third also potentially opens up more time at second base for Brendan Donovan, who improved defensively at that position this past season. Intriguing prospect Thomas Saggese, who the Cardinals acquired at the trade deadline in 2023, also seems to fit best defensively at second base. If the old adage about needing power hitters at the corner infield positions still applies, Gorman might be the biggest power threat the Cardinals currently have along with Willson Contreras. This coming season, Contreras will shift from catcher to first base. In a season that the Cardinals profess will be about opportunity for their young players, Gorman and third base almost seem a destined match. “Nolan Gorman, what is he if he gets 550 plate appearances,” Mozeliak said. “Is he going to be someone that can put up 35 home runs but still have a strong on-base percentage and slug to go with it or is it going to be too much swing and miss? If he becomes the hitter we believe he’s capable of, we believe he can be that middle-of-the-order bat.” How did Mozeliak respond to notion of it being difficult to find the sort of playing time that will grant Gorman 550 at-bats with the current roster? “It’s not hard, ultimately, the roster is going to have to change a little bit,” Mozeliak said. “As far as mapping it out as we’re currently constructed, you could argue it is (hard), but my point is the roster is going to change between now and the time we get to February.”Hundreds of schools in England will soon offer 30 minutes of free childcare every morning as the government pushes forward with its breakfast club programme with the launch of a new trial. Applications are now open for 750 state schools with primary aged-pupils to join the “early adopter scheme”, with the first breakfast clubs expected to be running from April, the Department for Education (DfE) said. The clubs will provide a free breakfast as well as valuable extra childcare before the school day begins. In last month's Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves revealed that the government's investment in breakfast clubs would receive a significant boost, tripling to over £30 million by 2025/26. READ MORE: Delay to permanent high school building means pupils will be taught in temporary block for a second year Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "This is a landmark opportunity for schools to be in the vanguard of change as we build back the foundations of an education system that breaks the link between children’s background and the opportunities they have in life. "From helping with flexible working for families to improving behaviour and attendance, the supportive start to the day that breakfast clubs provide will help drive high and rising standards for every child. "This Government is delivering change that will make a real difference to families up and down the country." The £7 million trial – which will test the model ahead of a wider national introduction – was initially announced at the Labour party conference in September. Schools interested in the scheme can apply to participate from Wednesday, November 27. The Department for Education (DfE) has announced that details of the national rollout will soon follow. Lindsey MacDonald, chief executive of the charity Magic Breakfast, commented: "It’s vital that the free school breakfast policy set to be rolled out for all primary pupils in England is fit for purpose and will achieve its intended benefits. "The scheme must ensure schools have appropriate, adequate funding which covers set-up costs and ongoing staffing, support and guidance, a nutritional and healthy menu, with flexibility being a key part of the offer to address the variety of facilities and needs of different schools. "This requires a variety of breakfast models as one size does not fit all. "Breakfast clubs offer a social and supportive start for students, and we equally want to ensure that those children who are unable to come to the club have a healthy and nutritious breakfast to kick start their day." Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said: "It is sensible that this scheme is to be piloted on a voluntary basis, so that we can learn the lessons of what does and doesn’t work. "There are a number of important issues that will need to be teased out through the pilot, including how schools that already provide wraparound care can support the scheme. "It is critical that the Department for Education listens to the feedback of schools that participate in the pilot before moving on to a wider rollout. “The scheme must be fully funded, and it is important that the scheme doesn’t drive additional workload for already stretched school leaders.” Tiffnie Harris, primary specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We welcome the early adopters scheme as a first step in identifying and resolving any barriers to delivering this provision ahead of it being rolled out to all primary schools. “It is important to ensure schools have sufficient staffing, space and funding to be able to manage this expectation on top of the other expectations upon them.”
AQABA, Jordan — Top U.S. officials were in the Middle East on Thursday, pushing for stability in Syria and an end to Israel’s 14-month war in the Gaza Strip in a last-ditch diplomatic push by the outgoing Biden administration before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in a few weeks. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Jordan and Turkey for talks on how to ensure a peaceful transition of power in Syria following the ouster of longtime President Bashar Assad , while White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was in Israel in a bid to wrap up a ceasefire with Hamas militants. A ceasefire would give President Joe Biden a final diplomatic victory after a turbulent term in which his administration has been unable to halt a brutal war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives in Gaza and plunged the territory into a humanitarian crisis. Trump has demanded the immediate release of hostages , threatening on social media that otherwise there would be “HELL TO PAY,” and has urged the U.S. not to get involved in Syria , where some 900 troops are based to combat the Islamic State militant group. Speaking to reporters in Tel Aviv, Sullivan expressed cautious optimism that conditions were ripe for halting the long-running conflict before the Biden administration leaves office. “I wouldn’t be here now if I didn’t think this thing was just waiting until after January 20,” he said. That’s when Trump will be inaugurated. The war erupted with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack, in which militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took 250 others hostage. Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed nearly 45,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza health officials, caused widespread displacement and led to severe hunger across the territory. U.S.-led ceasefire efforts have repeatedly faltered throughout the war, with the warring sides blaming each other for the failure. Israel has said it is seeking the destruction of Hamas’ governing and military capabilities, and at times has pressed ahead with the offensive in the face of U.S. calls for restraint. Hamas, meanwhile, has stuck to its demands that any ceasefire include a permanent end to the fighting and full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The U.S. has backed Israel with key military and diplomatic support. But at times, it also has appeared helpless in urging Israel to minimize civilian casualties and to enable the delivery of more humanitarian aid into Gaza. Sullivan said the rapid-fire changes across the region have improved the chances for success. He said Israel’s ceasefire with Hezbollah last month, ending more than a year of fighting, the collapse of Syria’s government and the heavy blow Israel has inflicted on Hamas have all changed the negotiating climate. He also said there has been good cooperation with the incoming Trump administration , with widespread agreement between them. “The surround sound of these negotiations is different today than it has been in the past,” Sullivan told reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I got the sense from the prime minister that he’s ready to do the deal,” Sullivan added. “We see movement from Hamas.” Sullivan is now scheduled to head to Qatar and Egypt — two Middle Eastern powers that have served as mediators throughout the war. Any deal would include the release of hostages held by Hamas, an exchange of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and a surge in badly needed humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel says Hamas is holding about 100 hostages — at least one-third of whom are believed to have died. As Sullivan was in Israel, Blinken was meeting with Jordanian and Turkish leaders to push for a peaceful transition of power in post-Assad Syria. “We’re back in the region at a time of both real promise but also peril for Syria and for its neighbors,” Blinken told reporters in Aqaba, Jordan, after meeting with King Abdullah II. He said the U.S. was working with its partners across the region to help Syria “transition away from Assad’s brutal dictatorship” and toward a new government that isn’t dominated by any single religious or ethnic group or by an outside power or the Islamic State militant group. “We’re determined to do everything we can, working in close coordination with partners, to help the Syrian people realize that aspiration,” Blinken said. Syria is home to an array of armed groups with competing interests and allies. In northern Syria, U.S.-backed Kurdish separatists are battling to fend off fighters supported by Turkey. In the country’s center and northeast, the extremist Islamic State group maintains a presence that generates concern for the U.S. And the rebels, hailing mainly from the Sunni Muslim majority in Syria, face the daunting task of creating a transitional government for the war-ravaged country. The leader of Syria’s biggest rebel faction is a former al-Qaida commander whose Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group is poised to chart the country’s future. The U.S. and the U.N. have designated the hard-line Sunni Islamist group a terrorist organization. The goal of creating a free and pluralistic Syria will be a challenge given the bad blood stretching across Syria’s sectarian lines after over half a century of Assad family rule and more than 13 years of civil war that claimed an estimated 500,000 lives. Blinken started his trip in Jordan, a close U.S. ally whose fragile economy has been strained over the years by an influx of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees. Next, he was headed to Turkey — a backer of Sunni rebels but a foe of the Kurds. Israel, meanwhile, has sent troops into Syria — its northern neighbor — and seized a former buffer zone that had been demilitarized since a 1974 truce. Israel has described the move as defensive, meant to protect its border and to prevent armed groups from seizing weapons left behind by Assad’s army. Netanyahu said Thursday that the move was temporary. But he said Israel would remain inside Syria until another party can secure the border, raising the likelihood of a prolonged and open-ended presence. Sullivan tried to play down the Israeli move, noting that Assad was toppled just days ago and it is too early to jump to any conclusions. But Blinken was more cautious as he called for restraint by all regional players with interests in Syria. He said the U.S. is “already talking to Israel” and others about the future of Syria. “Across the board, when it comes to any actors who have real interests in Syria, it’s also really important at this time that we all try to make sure that we’re not sparking any additional conflicts,” he said. Federman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Chris Megerian contributed from Washington.
The holiday season is upon us. For me, it seems like yesterday that Thanksgiving was mere hours away, leaving some of us stressing out on what to cook, wondering for how many, and praying for a peaceful Thanksgiving table without any rancorous political discussions ruining the mood for what would otherwise be a fun day of feasting and football. Growing up, Thanksgiving was a time that everyone in my family got together. This included my mom, dad, and sister along with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. It was a fun time. The turkey was almost always as dry as the desert, except for the time that the heating element burned out in the big white turkey cooker. The timer, however, continued to work, so when the buzzer went off the turkey had to be ready, right? This time the turkey was not dry, in fact it was raw. Everyone got a big laugh, except for my sister who was responsible for cooking the bird. She was mortified and probably scarred for life. Cranberry sauce came out of a can. Green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and fried onions came out of a can. Sweet potatoes came out of a can but at least the marshmallows came out of a bag. The potatoes were often lumpy and full of melted margarine. For some unknown reason my mom preferred the taste of margarine to butter. Do not, for a minute, think that these snarky, foodie criticisms detracted from the day. Thanksgiving was wonderful in the Patillo household. It was filled with love and laughter and the food was always good if not great by today’s standards. What memories. As the years have passed, my mom, dad, and sister, have gained their angel wings. As have my aunt, uncle, and cousin. My grandparents are also waiting at the pearly gates for my arrival to complete the circle. I am the last living member of my family that celebrated Thanksgiving in my childhood. Sign up to get our free daily email of the biggest stories! While listing the foods that were present at our Thanksgiving table, you may have noticed that there was no mention of dressing. My mother’s dressing was my favorite. Thanksgiving would not be complete for me without making her dressing. It is a very simple cornbread dressing, with sage croutons, celery, onions, and plenty of chicken stock. It is by no means fancy. I have had many more “chefy” versions with exotic ingredients, but no other recipe vividly revives my childhood memories as my mother’s dressing. As I count down the many things for which I am grateful, her dressing is near the top of the heap. In the fall of 1621, about 90 members of the Wampanoag tribe joined around 52 Pilgrims to celebrate the settlers’ first successful harvest. Without the success of that harvest, the Pilgrims’ chance of surviving the winter would have been very slim. Historians believe that the feast included lobster, shellfish and cod. Members of the tribe contributed deer, waterfowl, and carrier pigeons. Flint corn was made into a porridge. There were no mashed potatoes. White potatoes had not been brought up from South America. There was no sweet potato casserole. Sweet potatoes had not been brought up from the Caribbean. There would be no cranberry sauce. There was no processed sugar and cranberries at this time were used primarily to dye cloth. The Pilgrims did not wear black coats over white shirts, pointy hats, and square toed shoes. The natives wore substantially more than loin cloths. It was fall in New England, after all. The pilgrims and the natives did not sit down at a table and eat off plates. Food was laid out on any flat surface and people ate when they got hungry. The feast lasted for a full three days. Thanksgiving has come a long way. There are so many things that I am grateful for, but none more than the memories I have with my family. Shortly, I will make my mom’s dressing. This year, I intend to document the recipe so that my sons can have a hint of what I love so much. I will share the recipe with you also, at the end of this column.Dallas Cowboys star guard Zack Martin is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders due to ankle and shoulder injuries. Martin didn't practice at all this week. He also physically struggled during Monday night's loss to the Houston Texas. Martin, who turned 34 on Wednesday, has started all 162 games played in 11 seasons with the Cowboys. He's a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and a seven-time first-team All-Pro. Tight end Jake Ferguson (concussion) and safety Markquese Bell (shoulder) have been ruled out. Neither player practiced this week after being hurt against the Texans. Cornerback DaRon Bland (foot) practiced in full this week and will make his season debut. He was injured in August. Star wideout CeeDee Lamb (back/foot) was a full practice participant on Friday and is good to go. Cornerback Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) and receiver Brandin Cooks (knee) are among six players listed as questionable. The others are offensive tackle Chuma Edoga (toe), guard Tyler Smith (ankle/knee), defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (knee) and linebacker Nick Vigil (foot). --Field Level Media
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