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‘Swagger’ review: In Season 2, will these high school seniors see their hoop dreams deferred?

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 23:34:28 GMT

As a genre, sports dramas are wonderfully malleable and serve as a backdrop for all kinds of storytelling that isn’t about athletics. They’re metaphors for what it means to navigate through life. The pressures can be especially stark for young phenoms who are shouldering all kinds of expectations, and “Swagger,” on Apple TV+, looks at what it means to be a kid with the potential to go all the way to the pros. Initially following a group of 14-year-old elite basketball players, the show’s second season catches up with the boys in their senior year of high school, when their hopes for college recruitment are on the line.Loosely inspired by the childhood of NBA player Kevin Durant, the Durant stand-in is Jace Carson (Isaiah Hill, quietly charismatic), a star player in his final year at a ritzy, predominantly white prep school. Everyone is banking that Jace and his teammates will end the season as national champs under the watchful eye of Coach Ike (O’...

Who could Celtics select with No. 35 pick of 2023 NBA Draft?

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 23:34:28 GMT

On the surface, it may not seem likely that the Celtics will land an impact player in Thursday night’s NBA draft.The Celtics don’t own a first-round pick after trading that selection to the Pacers last July when they acquired Malcolm Brogdon. They have just one pick in this draft at No. 35 overall in the second round. Victor Wembanyama and the rest of this year’s top-end talent will obviously be long gone by then, but that doesn’t mean the Celtics can’t find a hidden gem.A glance at the history of players selected at No. 35 reveals that to be true. Draymond Green was drafted there by the Warriors in 2012 and became a fixture of their dynasty. DeAndre Jordan was picked at No. 35 in 2008 and has carved out a good career.Glen “Big Baby” Davis was the 35th choice by the Sonics in 2007 on the night he was traded to the Celtics in the Ray Allen deal. The year before, in 2006, P.J. Tucker was taken by the Raptors. As the Celtics fully know, he’s still been a factor over the last handful of...

Swedish appeals court ups surgeon’s sentence for ‘harm’ during experimental windpipe transplants

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 23:34:28 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — A Swedish appeals court on Wednesday increased a prison sentence for an Italian surgeon over experimental stem cell windpipe transplants on three patients who died. Dr. Paolo Macchiarini made headlines in 2011 for carrying out the world’s first stem cell windpipe transplants at Sweden’s leading hospital and had been sentenced to no prison time by a lower court. But the Svea Court of Appeal concluded that there were no emergency situations among two of the three patients who later died, while the procedure on the third could not be justified. The appeals court sentenced the Italian scientist to two-and-a-half years in jail for causing the death of three people between 2011 and 2014. “The patients have been caused bodily harm and suffering,” the appeals court said of the two men and one woman. The patients, it concluded, “could have lived for a not insignificant amount of time without the interventions.”Macchiarini denied any criminal wrongdoing. Once considered a lea...

Antlers and fancy dress: Stonehenge welcomes 8,000 visitors for summer solstice

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 23:34:28 GMT

STONEHENGE, England (AP) — All hail the rising sun.Around 8,000 revellers gathered around a prehistoric stone circle on a plain in southern England to express their devotion to the sun, or to have some communal fun.Druids, pagans, hippies, local residents and tourists, many clad in an array of colorful costumes and even antlers, stayed and celebrated at Stonehenge for the night and greeted sunrise on Wednesday, which is the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere. At dawn, the sun rose behind what is known as the Heel Stone in the northeast part of the horizon and the first rays shone into the heart of Stonehenge, one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments and a World Heritage Site. A sun-filled dawn followed a slightly misty sunrise, which was greeted with drumming, chanting and cheering.“Stonehenge continues to captivate and to bring people together to celebrate the seasons, just as it has done for thousands of years,” said Nichola Tasker, director of Stonehenge at Englis...

Search continues for two missing after RCAF helicopter crash near Petawawa

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 23:34:28 GMT

The Royal Canadian Air Force is continuing its search for two people missing since a C-H-147 Chinook helicopter crashed during a training mission northwest of Ottawa.Officials say their search and recovery efforts are focused on an area near Garrison Petawawa.Two other crew members were taken to hospital after the early Tuesday morning crash.Later in the morning, the prime minister caused significant confusion when he suggested the missing crew members were dead.Justin Trudeau told reporters he had spoken with General Wayne Eyre, chief of the defence staff, to express condolences for the members “who’ve been killed” and promised a “thorough investigation” into the crash.The Prime Minister’s Office offered no immediate explanation for his comments, and the Department of National Defence said in an emailed response to questions that the search was continuing and “official confirmation” would be provided once more information was availabl...

Germany frees driver sought by Italy in death of cyclist Rebellin pending extradition ruling

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 23:34:28 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors say a truck driver wanted by Italy in connection with a crash last year that killed professional cyclist Davide Rebellin has been released from jail pending a decision on his extradition.Wolfgang Rieke is accused of road homicide and leaving the scene of a crash. German authorities said he surrendered last Thursday in the western town of Rheine.A spokesperson for the regional prosecutors’ office in Hamm, Daniel Dependahl, said the driver’s release was normal in cases in which there is no flight risk. It didn’t prejudge the extradition decision, which could take several months, he said.Rebellin, one of cycling’s longest-competing professionals, was killed Nov. 30 during a training run near the northern Italian town of Montebello Vicentino. At the time, Italian media reported the truck that struck him hadn’t stopped. But prosecutors, citing roadside video and witness photos, said the driver stopped, got out of the cab and approa...

Allies pledge billions for Ukraine rebuilding and seek big-business investment at London conference

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 23:34:28 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Ukraine’s allies pledged several billion dollars in non-military aid on Wednesday to rebuild its war-ravaged infrastructure, fight corruption and help pave the country’s road to membership in the European Union.Stressing the vast scale of the task, diplomats and political leaders at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London urged private-sector companies to invest and revive an economy battered by almost a year and a half of war.Delegates from more than 60 countries attended the conference, which is both a fundraising forum and a message to Russia that Ukraine’s allies are in it for the long haul.The World Bank has estimated the cost of the reconstruction at more than $400 billion, a figure rising daily alongside the human toll of Russia’s invasion. Politicians from Europe and the U.S. vowed that Russia would one day be made to pay for the destruction — though officials acknowledged that day is some way off.Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. wo...

Edmunds: The top 6 infotainment systems available in 2023

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 23:34:28 GMT

What features do you consider a priority when car shopping? Horsepower or cargo space are often mentioned, but the reality is that today’s vehicles are quite similar in how they drive and how much stuff they can hold. However, there is one attribute that still makes a significant difference: a vehicle’s infotainment system.A new vehicle’s center display screen, software interface, audio system and associated features — all commonly known as its infotainment system — are as varied as the countless makes and models you’ll find on dealership lots. But when shopping, there’s no easy way to know if a particular vehicle’s infotainment system is innovative and user-friendly or slow to respond and counterintuitive.To help quicken your new-vehicle shopping process, the automotive experts at Edmunds have identified six of the best vehicle operating systems available today. These systems stand out from Edmunds’ testing because of their user-friendly interfaces, crisp graphics, helpful features...

Pharrell fuses entertainment and fashion for confident Louis Vuitton menswear debut

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 23:34:28 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Unveiling a new chapter in its illustrious history, Louis Vuitton made an indelible mark on Paris Fashion Week’s men’s shows as they premiered the debut collection by the acclaimed musician-turned-designer, Pharrell Williams. Appointed in February to fill the immense shoes left by the tragic departure of the late Virgil Abloh, Williams unveiled his design prowess to the fashion world with a show that exuded confidence and creativity.The breathtaking venue for this sartorial spectacle was none other than Paris’s iconic Pont Neuf. The historic bridge, typically resplendent with time-worn stone, was transformed into a golden runway — a dramatic stage set against the backdrop of the shimmering Seine, under the starlit Parisian sky.The event drew a constellation of stars in their own right, forming a stellar audience that encompassed icons of music, sports and entertainment. Among the guests lining the gilded cobbles were music royalty Beyoncé and Jay-Z, NBA superstar LeBron...

China says Biden comments likening leader Xi to a dictator ‘extremely absurd and irresponsible’

Published Mon, 30 Dec 2024 23:34:28 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China on Wednesday called comments by President Joe Biden referring to Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a dictator “extremely absurd and irresponsible.” The new clash of words comes just over a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a visit to Beijing that sought to break the ice in a relationship that has hit a historical low. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Biden’s comments at a fundraiser in California “go totally against facts and seriously violate diplomatic protocol, and severely infringe on China’s political dignity.” “It is a blatant political provocation. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition,” Mao said at a daily briefing. “The U.S. remarks are extremely absurd and irresponsible,” Mao said. Blinken’s visit, during which he met with Xi, was aimed at easing tensions between the two superpowers but appeared not to have achieved any solid results. Biden, at the fundraiser on Tuesday night local time, said that Xi was ...