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Venezuelan triple jumper Yulimar Rojas earns 4th straight world title on final attempt

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:27 GMT

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Down to her last jump and her rhythm uncharacteristically off, Yulimar Rojas gave herself an animated pep talk.Something the Venezuelan triple jumper muttered finally sank in. Because Rojas turned into the version of Rojas everyone knows so well — the one who wins everything in sight.Rojas jumped 15.08 meters (49 feet, 5 3/4 inches) on her sixth and final attempt Friday night to rally for her fourth straight title at world championships. Add in her Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Games and that makes her 5 for 5 in major meets since 2017.The 27-year-old Rojas is as close to automatic these days as Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt was in his heyday.Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk finished runner-up to earn the first medal for Ukraine in Budapest. Bekh-Romanchuk was in the lead most of the night courtesy of a big opening jump of 15 meters (49-2 1/2). Leyanis Perez Hernandez of Cuba took bronze.For quite a while, this contest looked wide open with Rojas, the world record hol...

Descendants of a British owner of slaves in Guyana apologize as Caribbean nation seeks reparations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:27 GMT

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — The descendants of a 19th-century Scottish sugar and coffee planter who owned thousands of slaves in Guyana apologized Friday for the sins of their ancestor, calling slavery a crime against humanity with lasting negative impacts.Charles Gladstone, a descendant of former plantation owner John Gladstone, traveled to Guyana from Britain with five relatives to offer the formal apology.“It is with deep shame and regret that we acknowledge our ancestors’ involvement in this crime and with heartfelt sincerity, we apologize to the descendants of the enslaved in Guyana,” he told an audience at the University of Guyana. “In doing so, we acknowledge slavery’s continuing impact on the daily lives of many.”Neither Guyana President Irfaan Ali, who on Thursday demanded reparations and lashed out at the descendants of European slave traders, nor other senior government officials were in the audience of a couple hundred students, university staff members and rep...

US to play CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 16

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:27 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — The United States will play its first competitive match in Gregg Berhalter’s second term as coach in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal at Austin, Texas, on Nov. 16.The U.S. Soccer Federation announced the site Friday. The second leg of the home-and-home, total-goals series will be on the road Nov. 19-21. The opponent will be determined after group play in September and October.Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica also received byes to the quarterfinals and cannot be opponents.Quarterfinal winners will qualify for next year’s Copa América, South America’s championship, and the losing quarterfinalists will compete in playoffs for two additional Copa América berths.The U.S. beat Canada 2-0 in June to win its second straight Nations League title.Berhalter was hired in December 2018 after the U.S. failed to qualify for that year’s World Cup. He led the Americans to the second round last year in Qatar before a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands.He was discussing the possibility of a...

New Nebraska coach Matt Ruhle is having the time of his life ahead of opener against Gophers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:27 GMT

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A year ago, Matt Rhule was not in a good place. He was about to break training camp with the Carolina Panthers and dealing with a host of injury and personnel issues that hastened his firing five games into the season.Friday, six days before his first game as Nebraska’s coach, he showed a sunny demeanor much like he in previous meetings with the media since he arrived in Lincoln almost nine months ago.“I’m having the time of my life, I really am,” he said. “So this is as happy as I’ve been in a really, really long time. My family’s here now. My girls are happy, my family’s happy, my wife’s happy, the son’s doing well. I really enjoy this team.”It’s been a whirlwind for the 48-year-old Rhule since Nebraska landed him as one of the splash hires of the 2022-23 coaching cycle.Rhule and his assistants have visited towns and cities across the state to immerse themselves in its passion for football and build relationships with high school coache...

Months after historic flooding in Broward, residents and officials monitor potential tropical system

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:27 GMT

A potential tropical system brewing in the Caribbean Sea is raising concerns among Broward County residents who were impacted by historic flooding earlier in the year.Speaking with 7News on Friday, Fort Lauderdale resident Chris Armstrong said he is still dealing with the ripple effects of the relentless rains that swept through the region back in April.“Yeah, the insurance money is hopefully going to arrive,” he said.Armstrong’s home was heavily damaged, and he’s hoping to start repairs next week.“It was a long back-and-forth process but, you know, it happened in April, and here we are in August,” he said.Residents are not only concerned over the potential tropical system that could impact South Florida next week, but also about the return of king tides.Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Chief Stephen Gollan said city leaders met earlier in the day.“This afternoon, leaders from the City of Fort Lauderdale met, just to see what’s out there an...

Crews extinguish flames after minibus catches on fire in NW Miami-dade

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:27 GMT

Crews battled fierce flames after a minibus became engulfed in flames in Northwest Miami-Dade.Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units sprung into action at the scene of the blaze that completely gutted this minibus near Northwest 135th Street and 27th Avenue, Friday.According to officials, the bus was empty and no one was hurt.The fire was put out, but what exactly sparked the flame remains under investigation.

Mark Wahlberg surprises fans at Publix Liquors in Cooper City to promote tequila brand

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:27 GMT

There was a star studded surprise at a South Florida Publix.Mark Wahlberg showed up for a special event at a Publix Liquors at 10018 Griffin Road to promote bottles of his signature new tequila brand Flecha Zul.Fans filled up the lines to pose for pictures and showed off their brand new bottles of tequila. “In my hand is a bottle of Mark’s reposado tequila,” said Alexa, a fan. “It was very nice, he was very sweet. He actually did like, he posed a couple of times and was actually really cool about it.”Mr. Wahlberg’s team said the money raised will go directly to helping the devastated community on the island of Maui.

Florida woman who was pierced by stingray in Tampa speaks out

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:27 GMT

A woman was stabbed in the back but there was no need for an arrest in this case. While wading in the water, she was caught in a stinging situation when a venomous stingray sunk its barb into her back.“I remember saying, ‘I’m going to black out, I’m about to black,'” Kristie O’Brien said. O’Brien, talked about the stingray strike that sent her to the hospital for at least a week.She was at Bahia Beach in Ruskin, outside Tampa Tuesday as she wading in knee-deep water.When she leaned back to wet her hair, she felt a sharp stab in her back.She then leaned forward and her husband saw an angry stingray on her back, hanging by its tail.It pierced her four inches deep, missing her lungs by just centimeters.Paramedics arrived at the scene and went in the water to free her.“I know they had put the IV in while I was still standing on the beach because I told them I need fluids, I need pain medicine, I’m about to pass out, I need some oxyg...

Broward County woman charged in $190.7 million Ponzi fraud scheme targeting investors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:27 GMT

The former Chief Executive Officer of MJ Capital Funding, LLC was indicted on charges of orchestrating an investment Ponzi fraud scheme totaling around $190.7 million from the business. The South Florida federal grand jury indictment accuses Johanna Michely Garcia, 40, of Broward County, of conspiring to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, multiple counts of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering, the Department of Justice said in a news release. MJ Capital Funding, LLC, based in Pompano Beach, offered merchant cash advances (MCAs) to small and medium-sized businesses. The indictment alleges that between October 2020 and Aug. 12, 2021, Garcia, along with Pavel Ramon Ruiz Hernandez and accomplices, fraudulently collected funds from investors under the pretext of financing MCAs. Recruits were also used to attract additional investors, earning a 10% commission.Garcia appeared in U.S. Magistrate Court on Friday, and a subsequent hearing is scheduled for August 28. If convicted, Garcia c...

Car crashes into ice cream shop in Gloucester

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:27 GMT

Emergency crews responded in Gloucester after a car slammed into an ice cream shop on Washington Street Friday. The crash happened at Carl’s Cones at the corner of Washington Street and Grove Street and was caught on camera by nearby surveillance video. The driver was taken to a hospital. The shop, officials said, was closed at the time of the crash because of rainy weather, meaning no one was inside. “That’s good because they’re usually open all the time,” said neighbor Patrick Hunt.Video shared with 7NEWS showed the car involved in this crash first come around a corner before drifting off the road and smashing into the building. Neighbors said they heard a loud bang at the moment of impact and soon saw the car in the front of the shop.“Obviously, it’s pretty insane when the ice cream place right next to you has a car through it,” Hunt said. Gloucester’s Acting Building Commissioner Donald Belanger was on scene with board-up crews around 4 p.m. Friday after...