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Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson surprises UFC fighter Themba Gorimbo in Miami after inspired by his $7 journey

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:45:00 GMT

Themba Gorimbo, the dedicated UFC fighter known for his relentless commitment to training, has traded the gym floors for a new place to call his own, all thanks to an unexpected act of kindness from his idol, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.Themba, got to meet him when Johnson flew to Florida to meet him. Johnson, often referred to as “The Rock,” had initially told planned to meet up with his friend, Jay, at his Miami apartment. Little did Gorimbo know that this meetup would lead to a life-changing moment. Upon arriving at the location, Johnson was met with a heartwarming surprise — framed family photos adorned the walls, and the realization struck that this was no ordinary apartment; it was Gorimbo’s new residence.In a YouTube video, Gorimbo can be heard saying, “Isn’t that cool? Is that like Sadio Mane? Oh, it’s my family, oh my god.” Johnson, clearly moved by the significance of the occasion, responded, “I don’t know any...

Watch: Ukrainian drone attacks Russian Black Sea naval base, Moscow says

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:45:00 GMT

Ukrainian drones targeted a Russian naval base near the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk on Friday, according to Moscow’s defense ministry.In a statement, the ministry said two uncrewed drones had attacked the base, but were “detected and destroyed” by Russian ships guarding the harbor before they could damage any infrastructure. There were no casualties, according to local authorities.But footage shared widely on Telegram appeared to show a Russian warship damaged and listing in the water after the attack, seeming to undermine Moscow’s insistence that it had repelled the attack. Footage shared widely on Telegram appears to show a drone striking a Russian warship during an attack on a naval base near the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk today. https://t.co/77dGSrgqC9POLITICO has not been able to independently verify the footage. pic.twitter.com/SfDK2JsZEF— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) August 4, 2023Novorossiysk is one of Russia’s main B...

Pilot of Learjet that had ‘close call’ with JetBlue flight at Boston Logan blamed stuffy nose, cold temps

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:45:00 GMT

The pilot of the Learjet that took off without clearance and almost collided with a JetBlue flight at Logan International Airport over the winter blamed Boston’s cold temps and a stuffy nose for the near catastrophic mistake.The National Transportation Safety Board has released its final report on the investigation into the “close call” from February when the pilot of a Hop-A-Jet flight, Learjet 60, took off without clearance while a JetBlue flight was preparing to land on an intersecting runway.As the Learjet started to takeoff without clearance, the JetBlue pilot abruptly performed a go-around to avoid a collision. The JetBlue plane, which had been cleared to land, passed about 400 feet above the Learjet.“The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this incident to be: The Hop-a-Jet flight crew taking off without a takeoff clearance which resulted in a conflict with a JetBlue flight that had been cleared to land on an inters...

Column: Up next for the red-hot Chicago Cubs? A measuring-stick series for October against the MLB-best Atlanta Braves.

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:45:00 GMT

The best team in baseball comes to Wrigley Field on Friday when the Atlanta Braves meet the Chicago Cubs for a three-game series.Shortstop Dansby Swanson faces his former teammates for the first time since signing a seven-year, $177 million deal in December, and the Cubs get a chance to prove their recent 13-3 stretch isn’t just a byproduct of a soft part of the schedule.If not for Lollapalooza, the Cubs-Braves series might be the hottest ticket in town. After their 5-3 victory against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night at Wrigley Field, the Cubs are 30-17 since June 9, the second-best winning percentage in baseball behind the Braves’ .705 (32-13).They’re 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central and two games back of the third wild-card spot.It’s a proverbial measuring-stick series for a Cubs team that’s barely over .500 but looking more and more like it could do damage in the postseason if it makes it — like last ...

Pence seizes on Trump’s latest indictment as he looks to break through in crowded GOP field

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:45:00 GMT

By JILL COLVIN (Associated Press)NEW YORK (AP) — As Donald Trump was being arraigned in Washington on yet another round of criminal charges, his running mate-turned-rival Mike Pence hurried to capitalize on the news.Pence’s campaign unveiled new T-shirts and baseball caps featuring the phrase “Too Honest” in big red letters — a reference to an episode in the indictment in which the former president called Pence to berate him over his refusal to go along with Trump’s scheme to overturn the 2020 election.“You’re too honest,” Trump allegedly scoffed at his second-in-command on New Year’s Day.Pence’s decision to seize on the words marks a notable change in tone for a usually cautious candidate who has struggled to break through in a primary dominated by his former boss. Since the release of the indictment in which he plays a central role, Pence has criticized Trump more aggressively, casting himself as the person who stoo...

'We the San Diego Padres,' verses hip hopper to rally the Friar Faithful

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:45:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A love for America's Finest City and the San Diego Padres inspired one local hip hopper to hype the Friar Faithful as well as the home team by way of song.After feeling the energy of Petco Park during a game this season, San Diego-based artist Mack Reese says he sat in his car and recorded what he was thinking. The result of that moment -- a freestyle song for the MLB team so many root for in the region.With lines like "we’re the baddest in the league, cant no other team compete" and "with Musgrove on the mound, fans be rising out they seat" -- this hometown ballad may become this season's anthem as fans and players look for momentum. Padres trade with Marlins, net infielder and pitcher Reese -- who was born and raised in San Diego -- says he's been composing music since he was 12 years old, with his sounds ranging from R&B qualities to hip hop and spoken word. "My musical art I do consider a gift, and I’m prepared for whatever it takes me. Whether I go far or ju...

A cyberattack has disrupted hospitals and health care in several states

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:45:00 GMT

MANCHESTER, Conn. (AP) — A cyberattack has disrupted hospital computer systems in several states, forcing some emergency rooms to close and ambulances to be diverted, and many primary care services remained closed on Friday as security experts worked to determine the extent of the problem and resolve it.The “data security incident” began Thursday at facilities operated by Prospect Medical Holdings, which is based in California and has hospitals and clinics there and in Texas, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania. “Upon learning of this, we took our systems offline to protect them and launched an investigation with the help of third-party cybersecurity specialists,” the company said in a statement Friday. “While our investigation continues, we are focused on addressing the pressing needs of our patients as we work diligently to return to normal operations as quickly as possible.”In Connecticut, the emergency departments at Manchester Memorial and Rockville General hospital were...

Ohio K-9 officer is charged with murder in the death of a 20-year-old Black man shot in his bed

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:45:00 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A former K-9 officer has been indicted in Ohio on murder charges in the death of a Black man who was lying on his bed when he was shot by police trying to serve a warrant.Former Columbus police officer Ricky Anderson was also charged Friday with reckless homicide by a county grand jury in the August 2022 death of 20-year-old Donovan Lewis.A lawyer for the victim’s family — who earlier called the shooting “barbaric” — said the family was relieved but questioned why it took nearly a year to bring charges against Anderson, who is white. Bodycam footage appears to show that the shooting happened within a second or less of Anderson opening the door to a bedroom where Lewis was sleeping.“We are relieved that a grand jury concluded what we’ve known all along: Officer Ricky Anderson broke the law when he shot and killed an unarmed Donovan Lewis as he laid in his bed. CPD (Columbus Police Department) bodycam video showed this clearly and nothing has changed in almost a ...

Pope visits a once-troubled neighborhood in Lisbon to draw attention to the church’s charitable side

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:45:00 GMT

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Pope Francis visited a once-troubled and crime-plagued neighborhood in Portugal’s capital on Friday to draw attention to the charitable side of the Catholic Church and to press his case for a church that goes to the peripheries and welcomes everyone.Francis continued his busy schedule in Portugal, hearing confessions of some young people who were in Lisbon for World Youth Day, the big Catholic festival, and then having a festive pasta and steak lunch with others. Later Friday, he was presiding over the solemn Way of the Cross procession recreating Christ’s crucifixion.Francis visited a community center in the city’s Serafina neighborhood, which sits beneath a giant 18th-century aqueduct that is a symbol of the bounty of the bounty that gold from Portugal’s Brazilian colony once afforded the country.Two decades ago, drug and crime problems dogged the neighborhood, but Serafina has tried to put that past behind it, thanks in part to efforts by churc...

Officials urge people in Slovenia to stay home after torrential rain and flash kill at least 3

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:45:00 GMT

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Torrential rains and heavy floods ravaged Slovenia on Friday, killing at least three people, cutting off roads and bridges and surging into buildings.The Slovenian environmental agency raised the weather alert to the highest level after a month’s amount of rain fell within 24 hours in the northern, northwestern and central parts of the small European country.As rain continued to fall Friday, authorities warned of more floods in other areas because of swiftly swelling rivers. Authorities ordered evacuations of several thousand people in parts of the town of Celje along the surging Savinja River, including the old town area. Upstream in the town of Ljubno, the same river swept away houses and caused landslides. Northern Slovenia’s Koroska region, bordering Austria, was hit the hardest, with bridges and roads destroyed and the water supply cut off in some areas. Local authorities asked the Austrian government to stand ready to provide hospital car...