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Microsoft, U.S. regulators head to court over $69 billion deal that could reshape video gaming

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:32 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Microsoft on Thursday will try to gain clearance to complete a $69 billion takeover of video game maker Activision Blizzard in a legal showdown with U.S. regulators that will reshape a pastime that’s bigger than the movie and music industries combined.The battle will pit Microsoft’s ambition to expand its video game imprint beyond its Xbox console against the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s bid to block a deal that it contends will stifle competition and innovation to the detriment of consumers.It’s the latest twist in a deal that was announced 17 months ago. Both Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick are expected to testify at some point during five days of hearings in San Francisco before U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley that will conclude June 29.FTC lawyers will call upon experts and a top executive for Sony, the maker of the industry-leading PlayStation video game console, to show why Microso...

Air Quality issues Linger. Hot Weekend Ahead. Possible T-Storms Sunday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:32 GMT

AIR QUALITY ISSUES to persist at least through Thursday with virtually no prospect of rain through Saturday—but building weekend heat and an influx of humid air Sunday could produce t-storms Sunday—And with a jet stream in the area, ingredients for some healthy/potentially severe t-storms coming together Sunday—this plus a review of rainfall projections off an array of computer model projectionsWe are anxiously awaiting the latest THURSDAY DROUGHT MONITOR which comes out Thursday to see how the current state of drought and its areal extent has changed.One thing which is sure from the rainfall numbers here in Chicago--and that's we continue to watch as our rainfall deficit grows. The past 2 months rank 7th driest of the past 153 years at the Chicago O'Hare site. This places that 2 month period among the driest 5% of all such periods on the books here in Chicago.Rainfall since April 1 remains at an abysmal 4.20"—just 38% of the normal for the period to date of 11.18". That means the d...

Alfred, Adeleke, Smith all named to Bowerman semifinal list

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:32 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Thirty percent of the semifinalists for the women's Bowerman Award are Longhorns.Julien Alfred, Rhasidat Adeleke and Ackelia Smith were tabbed as part of 10 semifinalists for the award given to the top college track and field athlete in the country, the USTFCCCA announced Wednesday.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersAll three won national outdoor championships to help the Longhorns win the women's team title in Austin, and for Alfred, she made the semifinal cut for the second time.Alfred has been one of the best collegiate athletes the entire year — indoors and outdoors. She won national titles in the 60-meter dash and 200 meters during the indoor season and pulled off the triple in the outdoor season with golds in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay. She hasn't lost a race in the 100 in two years and was named both the indoor and outdoor women's track athlete of...

Minnesota Aurora trail early, win big over RKC Third Coast to stay unbeaten

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:32 GMT

Minnesota Aurora trailed early but not for long in an 8-1 win over RKC Third Coast on Wednesday night in Racine, Wis.The Aurora (9-0-0) stayed unbeaten in its first of three straight road matches. They lead the USL W League’s Heartland Division with 27 points with three matches remaining. Chicago City is second with 19 points.RKC (2-7-0) scored in the 27th minute to put Aurora in a deficit for one of the few times this season. Two minutes later, Hannah Adler connected with Sophie French on a corner kick to tie the game, and in the 36th minute Maya Hansen dribbled past a defender at the top of the 18-yard box and scored to give Aurora a lead it would keep extending.“Overall, I’m really happy with how our 18 players played,” Aurora coach Nicole Lukic said. “We obviously don’t want to give up a goal early, but it did provide us with an opportunity to respond which is good practice in case that happens to us later in the season.”Adler scored two goals, giving her 10 this season, and Mak...

Twins walk-off Boston, 5-4, on Kyle Farmer’s 10th-inning single

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:32 GMT

The Twins, as manager Rocco Baldelli pointed out, did a lot of big things on Wednesday, most notably Kyle Farmer’s 10th-inning, walk-off single that scored Willi Castro from third for a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Target Field.But, he also noted, they did a lot of little things, too.Castro was at third because Michael A. Taylor sacrificed him there — and Christian Vazquez to second — with a bunt so good he might actually have been safe. Carlos Correa drove in a run, but the shortstop also made a couple of fantastic plays deep in the hole to help keep a hot Boston team in check.In the second, Royce Lewis hustled out a fielder’s choice grounder, then scored all the way from first on Vazquez’s single to center field, third base coach Tommy Watkins furiously waving him home with confidence.“It didn’t always come smoothly,” Baldelli said, “but we kept working, we kept fighting.”Max Kepler homered and drove in two runs, and Correa and Vazquez one as the Twins — alone in first s...

LAPD investigating after 3 businesses broken into by 7 suspects in Northridge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:32 GMT

LAPD Detectives with the Devonshire Division are looking into a series of burglaries that occurred in Northridge. According to the LAPD, seven suspects entered three businesses on Monday night by smashing through the glass doors to the businesses near the intersection of Tampa Avenue and Roscoe Boulevard. Once inside, the suspects used tools to target an ATM, specific merchandise, cash registers, cash deposits and safes in the offices, police said.  2 arrested after looters ransack McDonald’s in South Los Angeles Video posted to YouTube by LAPD shows the suspects fleeing with stolen property in four vehicles; two white sedans, a dark sedan and an SUV. They are described only as males wearing masks and hooded clothing. Anyone with information regarding these robberies is urged to contact LAPD Devonshire Area Detective Eastburn at 818-832-0936. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-527-3247.&nb...

Street sweeper struck by hit-and-run driver in downtown Los Angeles

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:32 GMT

A $25,000 reward is being offered in the search for a hit-and-run driver who left a man hospitalized in downtown Los Angeles.Surveillance video released by LAPD captured the moment a pickup truck ran into a street sweeper while exiting the 7th Street Produce Market on Tuesday around 1:20 p.m.Video shows the suspect driving through the parking lot before approaching the street sweeper at a street exit. While turning right, the driver runs over the victim’s foot, knocking the man to the ground.The driver briefly stops before driving off towards Alameda Street, police said. As the suspect speeds away, the victim’s broom is sent flying as the truck runs over it. Video captures a pickup truck running into a street sweeper at the 7th Street Produce Market in downtown L.A. on June 20, 2023. (Los Angeles Police Department)The victim, who is a "Business Improvement Districts" employee, was transported to the hospital with severe, but non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect’s truck is desc...

No comeback necessary: SF Giants’ winning streak reaches 10 games against Padres

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:32 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Nothing, not another bullpen game, not the Padres’ star power, nor Fernando Tatis Jr.’s powerful right arm, can stop the Giants’ winning streak.It reached 10 games Wednesday with a 4-2 win over San Diego, matching the club’s longest unbeaten stretch since it was Barry Bonds, not Mike Yastrzemski, dropping walk-off splash hits into McCovey Cove. Their win Wednesday night didn’t require any such heroics, thanks to the efforts of six pitchers in a bullpen game and a crucial overturned call that turned their lone scoring rally from a one-run inning into four.San Francisco clinched a series win over the Padres — they will have a chance at a four-game sweep with Alex Wood on the mound Thursday — the first time the Giants have won a series at Oracle Park since the third weekend of May, despite owning the majors’ best record since Mother’s Day (25-9). Somehow, they don’t own the majors’ longest active winning streak, whic...

Guardians beat A’s 7-6 to send Oakland to its 7th straight loss

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:32 GMT

CLEVELAND — Rookie Bo Naylor scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning on a throwing error, Gavin Williams pitched 5 2/3 innings in his major league debut and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Oakland Athletics 7-6 on Wednesday night.The Athletics, who have the lowest batting average and highest ERA in the majors, lost their seventh in a row and have the worst record in baseball at 19-57.Ryan Noda hit a three-run homer as part of a four-run third inning that opened the scoring.Oakland had taken a 6-4 lead in the seventh on run-scoring singles from rookie Esteury Ruiz and Seth Brown off Trevor Stephan. Ruiz went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and stole two bases to increase his MLB-best total to 39.“The offense got us the lead and unfortunately, we were unable to hold onto it,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “Tito (Francona) fights and his team plays the game the same way, fighting for everything they get.”Cleveland cut it 4-3 in the bottom half when Bo Naylor, Fremont’s Steven K...

Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg challenge each other to cage match

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:32 GMT

(KRON) -- Put the fight on pay-per-view! Twitter owner Elon Musk and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg have challenged each other in a "cage match," the tech moguls went back and forth on social media. Musk says ‘cis’ and ‘cisgender’ are considered slurs on Twitter "I'm up for a cage match if he is lol," Musk tweeted Tuesday night."Send Me Location," Zuckerburg, on his platform, replied via his Instagram story.Where will this potential match take place? Musk suggests the fight take place inside an octagon in Las Vegas, the fight capital of the world. It is unclear what kind of martial arts (boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, etc.) this fight will be. If the match does indeed happen, perhaps Zuckerberg would likely be the favorite to win given his recent success at a martial arts tournament -- despite being the smaller man (Musk is approximately 6-foot-2 while Zuckerberg is approximately 5-foot-8).Last month, Zuckerberg competed at a Bay Area jiu-jitsu tournament in Woodside. He ...