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Chris Perkins: Breaking down the Dolphins’ 2019 and 2020 drafts, classes key to the rebuild and win-now window

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:42 GMT

Draft and develop. It’s a big key to NFL success in the salary-cap era.Teams can fill some key positions through trades and free agency, which the Dolphins are doing in their current win-now window. But ultimately, to keep labor costs within limits, you need low-cost talent, which means young players.Roughly three weeks before the NFL draft (April 27-29), we’re reminded that three draft classes form the basis of the Dolphins’ rebuild — 2019, 2020 and 2021.It usually takes three years to fairly evaluate a draft class, so we’ll look back at the 2019 and 2020 classes, grading both the draftee right now and the organization’s ability to develop that draftee.We’ll grade those two classes even though the 2021 class — which includes wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips as first-round picks and safety Jevon Holland and guard Liam Eichenberg as second-round pick — is among the franchise’s best in recent memory...

Yankees Notebook: Josh Donaldson likely heading to IL with hamstring injury

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:42 GMT

BALTIMORE — Nothing is official yet, but Josh Donaldson is “likely” heading to the injured list following the Yankees’ Friday afternoon game against the Orioles, according to Aaron Boone.An IL stint was a known possibility on Wednesday, when the third baseman hurt his right hamstring in the Yankees’ series finale against the Phillies. Donaldson stayed back in New York for a workout on Friday, though he has not had an MRI.“We’ll make that call right at the end of the day,” Boone said. “Don’t feel like it’s too serious, but enough that it would probably knock him down four or five days. So we’re gonna likely be cautious in this situation.”Donaldson is off to a quiet start this season, his second with the Yankees following an offensively disappointing debut campaign. The 37-year-old is hitting .125 with one home run over five games.If Donaldson lands on the IL, Boone considers DJ LeMahieu his primary third ba...

This is the way: Probation officer visits 50 states as Spider-Man, other superheroes for sick kids, homeless adults

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:42 GMT

When Yuri Williams was 8 years old, his mother sometimes took him with her to work at the Los Angeles County’s Central Juvenile Hall when she couldn’t find a sitter. Lynda C. Hubbard worked there, with troubled children and young adults as a juvenile correctional officer, for more than three decades.“There was this one big guy banging on the walls in his room,” Williams recalled, who is now 46 and lives in Signal Hill. “My mom walked in and asked him what was going on and he just started crying and she was holding this much bigger person in her arms.”Williams ended up following in his mother’s footsteps, becoming a deputy juvenile correctional officer for the Orange County Probation Department. Over the years, he sought guidance from his mother, who told him how to speak with those in custody, how to help the boys and girls.When Hubbard died from cancer in 2009, Williams fell into a deep depression for five years.“One day I was just sitting there and tried calling her phone and just...

Newest Celtics F Justin Champagnie opens up about signing with Boston

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:42 GMT

Earlier this week, Justin Champagnie boarded a flight to South Dakota eager to hear back from his agent.The Celtics were supposedly interested in signing him, a 6-foot-6, second-year forward, for the remainder of their season. Champagnie had spent most of this year playing in the G-League for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, a stint that followed a two-month stay with the Raptors which ended in December. Another NBA deal could be close.Related ArticlesBoston Celtics | With No. 2 seed locked up, how will Celtics approach final two regular season games? Boston Celtics | Celtics react to clinching No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs: Boston Celtics | Malcolm Brogdon bolsters Sixth Man of the Year case as Celtics hold off Raptors, clinch No. 2 seed in East Boston Celtics | Celtics’ Jayson Tatum opens up about upcoming shoe release Boston Celtics | Is Celtics-Raptors a first-round playoff series preview? ...

Heat get reinvigorated Lowry before playoffs; Love taking charge(s); Butler, Adebayo out vs. Wizards

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:42 GMT

The goal after a month off due to knee pain and then a return 10 games ago was to be here, with a better Kyle Lowry, a productive Lowry, something close to the player the veteran point guard was at both the start of this season and the start of his Heat tenure at the beginning of 2021-22.For the Miami Heat, it is an ongoing process, but one moving toward mission accomplished at the most important stage of the season.“I could not feel better about it than when we started the process, and we knew we were going to have to shut him down,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of the 37-year-old former All-Star being out from Feb. 4 through March 10 due to knee pain and then returning March 11.“There’s an unknown with that, and you know the clock is ticking against you. But he handled those five weeks really well, behind the scenes, and I think our communication between myself, Kyle, the training staff and our medical staff was as good as it’s ever been, which really he...

Bruins notebook: Offense stuck in neutral at the Garden

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:42 GMT

The Bruins have earned home ice advantage for the entire playoffs and their fans should be pleased about that. The team’s 32-4-3 record at the Garden says so.But is their recent power outage on Causeway Street any cause for concern?In their last four games at home, the B’s have scored a grand total of five regulation goals, one of which came with less than two seconds left and the game having already been lost to Nashville.Now, granted, that was the only game that the B’s lost in the four-game set, and winning is all that matters. And it could be dangerous to look for any kind of trend in a team’s play after they’ve clinched the Presidents’ Trophy.But coach Jim Montgomery sees a little more at issue than having secured the top spot.“I don’t think it’s because we clinched because we’re scoring on the road, right? I think it’s more that teams come in here wanting to shut us down first. I don’t think we get as many odd-m...

How the 41% of Americans with a travel card can boost rewards

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:42 GMT

Travel points/miles could make your next trip cheaper, or even free, and many Americans could benefit from the help this year. A new NerdWallet survey finds that the majority of U.S. adults (84%) have taken or plan to take a vacation that requires a flight or hotel stay in 2023, spending $3,916, on average, on those travel expenses. That’s nearly 218 million Americans spending close to $853 billion on travel expenses this year, according to NerdWallet analysis.The NerdWallet survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults — among whom 899 say they currently have a travel rewards credit card — conducted online by The Harris Poll asked Americans about their 2023 travel plans. We also asked Americans about their travel rewards credit cards and how they use points/miles.About one-fifth of Americans have a new travel rewards credit cardTravel rewards credit cards can be a great way to earn points/miles for free travel. According to the survey, over 2 in 5 Americans (41%) currently have a travel re...

CHP pursuit ends on I-8

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:42 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A vehicle pursuit ended Friday morning on eastbound Interstate 8 in East County.SkyFOX aerial video showed a white pickup truck being pursued by several California Highway Patrol vehicles. The hood of the truck was up when the truck pulled over on the side of the highway. The driver got out and ran, making it only a short distance before a K-9 took down the driver. Officers followed and appeared to take the suspect into custody.It was not immediately known why the driver was being pursued. Boy, 14, among 2 arrested in deadly park shooting This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Warmer days ahead: Here are San Diego's forecast highs for Easter Sunday

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:42 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The National Weather Service says San Diego can expect scattered clouds Friday and Saturday as a precursor to warmer days.Low clouds are more likely along the coast Friday, but weather officials say those clouds may reach as far inland as the western San Diego valleys by early Saturday morning. Come Easter Sunday, NWS predicts less clouds and warmer temperatures an an upper ridge builds in from the west. Inland areas can expect temperatures in the upper 70s while coastal areas can anticipate temperatures in the upper 60s, according to weather officials.This may come as good news for those hoping for dry and warm conditions in time for Easter activities and egg hunting across the region. Easter egg hunts in San Diego this week The warming is expected to continue across the region into Monday with even higher temperatures in the forecast. NWS says highs in the lower deserts could be between 95 and 100 degrees while the upper deserts are expected to be in the mid-80s. In...

Ontario nurses eye B.C.’s plan to cap nurse to patient ratio

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:42 GMT

Nurses in Ontario and British Columbia say the western province’s plan to set minimum nurse-to-patient ratios could help burnt-out nurses elsewhere in Canada by encouraging more provinces to adopt similar measures expected to reduce workloads and increase patient safety.Angela Preocanin, who was among dozens of rain-soaked nurses who gathered near Queen’s Park this week to protest “unsafe working conditions,” said she would not be surprised if Ontario lost nurses to British Columbia.“But I am hopeful, very hopeful, that this negotiated (plan) is going to be helpful to all of us across the country,” said Preocanin, first vice-president of the Ontario Nurses’ Association.British Columbia has outlined a plan to become the first province to adopt minimum nurse-to-patient ratios and better retain and recruit nurses, all backed by $750 million in funding over three years.The BC Nurses’ Union said it worked alongside the government to come up...