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Carlos Alcaraz’s variety makes it tough to choose shots at the US Open. He still keeps winning

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:26 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Ever since Carlos Alcaraz was 12 or so — OK, not forever ago, considering he’s still just 20 — he made sure variety was a key element of his game.Back then, he explained, there were so many options at his disposal that he might encounter a bit of trouble figuring out which to employ. And, he acknowledged, that can even be the case to this day.Alcaraz was by no means perfect during a 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over the 26th-seeded Dan Evans in the U.S. Open’s third round on Saturday — there was that wayward set, after all — but the defending champion produced enough moments of brilliance to keep himself smiling and his many fans in New York roaring in approval.To hear the No. 1-seeded Alcaraz explain it, “a lot of different” possibilities enter his mind in the midst of a point — “the dropshot, big forehand, go to the net, multiple things” — before he selects which stroke to try. It can make things “difficult” on occasion, he said.“Most of the t...

Charlotte’s Arfield, Nashville’s Mukhtar trade stoppage-time goals in 1-1 draw

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:26 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Reigning MVP Hany Mukhtar scored on a penalty kick in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time for Nashville SC after Scott Arfield had given FC Charlotte the lead five minutes earlier in a wild 1-1 draw on Saturday night.Neither team scored until Arfield took a pass from Adilson Malanda three minutes into extra time and found the net for the second time in six career appearances for Charlotte (7-9-10).Mukhtar answered with his league-leading 14th goal of the season for Nashville (11-9-7) after defender Lukas MacNaughton drew a foul on Charlotte defender Nathan Byrne.Joe Willis totaled one save for Nashville. Kristijan Kahlina saved four shots for Charlotte, which was making its first visit to Nashville. The clubs split a pair of matches in Charlotte.Nashville is 0-4-2 in its last six regular-season matches with just two goals scored.Charlotte is 3-2-9 in its last 14 matches in all competitions. The club has conceded more than one goal just once in in i...

Donovan Smith throws 2 TD passes, Houston holds off UTSA 17-14

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:26 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Donovan Smith threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns, Samuel Brown had 106 yards receiving and Houston held on for a 17-14 win over UTSA on Saturday night in a season opener and the Cougars’ first game as a Big 12 Conference member.Smith, who was 22-of-34 passing, threw touchdown passes of eight yards to Joseph Manjack IV in the first quarter and six yards to Matthew Golden in the third as Houston built a 17-7 lead. The Cougars finished with 334 yards of offense.Frank Harris was 18 of 36 for 209 yards passing with a touchdown, but he was intercepted three times. Kevorian Barnes rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown for UTSA, which finished with 417 yards.After UTSA cut the lead to three on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Harris to Joshua Cephus with 5:42 remaining, Houston was able to run out the clock, including a crucial 3-yard gain by Smith to just get the first down with 1:45 remaining.Houston has beaten UTSA in consecutive season openers after outlasting the Roadrun...

Milroe has 5 TDs — 3 passing, 2 rushing — to lead No. 4 Alabama past Middle Tennessee, 56-7

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:26 GMT

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Jalen Milroe threw three long touchdown passes and ran for a pair of scores to lead No. 4 Alabama to a 56-7 season-opening victory over Middle Tennessee State on Saturday night.Milroe emerged on top of a three-man battle to replace Bryce Young in fall camp for the Crimson Tide, and delivered big plays and no costly mistakes in his second career start. He launched on-target touchdown passes of 47 yards to Isaiah Bond, 48 to Jermaine Burton and 29 to Amari Niblack.“I think he’s more confident, doing a good job in the passing game,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “His athleticism helps him. He scored a touchdown on a fumbled snap, which wasn’t his fault.”A much bigger challenge awaits Alabama with a visit from No. 11 Texas. The Tide gets a better chance to demonstrate its championship mettle after uncustomarilly dropping two regular-season games a year ago. But Milroe easily passed his first test.He showcased his running ability in turning a bad snap into a 21-y...

Antoni: Bidenomics robs from poor, gives to donor class

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:26 GMT

The radical disconnect between Washington’s ruling elites and working-class folks is perhaps best illustrated by President Joe Biden touting his economic record. For most Americans, Bidenomics has been a disaster marked by a cost-of-living crisis. Its true “success” has been in transferring wealth from the average American to Biden’s donor class.There’s no denying that many Americans’ wages have risen at a brisk pace the last two years, but prices have risen even faster, an astonishing 16%. Forty-year-high inflation has eaten away the real value of incomes and savings — a direct result of the government spending, borrowing and creating too much money out of thin air.This robbing of purchasing power tends to fall heaviest on low-income earners because their wages and salaries usually adjust to inflation slower than those of high-income earners. Sure enough, since Biden took office, real (meaning inflation-adjusted) incomes for the lowest income quartile and second-lowest income quart...

Teens and depression a concern as school starts

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:26 GMT

With many teens heading back to school, peer pressure and academic expectations are once again a reality. These added pressures can cause ups and downs during what can be an already tumultuous time of life. For some teens, though, the lows are more than just temporary feelings. They’re symptoms of depression.Depression is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Teen depression is a serious mental health problem. It affects how teenagers think, feel and behave, and it can cause emotional, functional and physical problems. Although depression can occur at any time in life, symptoms can differ between teens and adults.What to look forSigns and symptoms a teen may be depressed include a change in his or her previous attitude and behavior that can cause significant distress and problems at school or home, in social activities, or in other areas of life.Be alert for emotional changes, including:R...

Is it OK to feed a pooch some pork?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:26 GMT

Dear Dr. John,Our dog seems to have a gut that can tolerate anything. He gets into things that he shouldn’t and consumes them, occasionally gets a little vomiting and diarrhea but it always resolves, and we never need to have him seen for an upset stomach. Is this unusual? Recently, he got into some of our leftovers and there was pork in it. It caused no problems. As I think about it, I never see pork in dog food but rather almost every other kind of meat such as beef, chicken, lamb, and even special diets with items such as duck or venison. Is there a reason for this and if so, why? Would it be problematic to give a dog pork once in a while? B.G.Dear B.G.,It is not unusual for some dogs to have stronger digestive tolerance than others and it seems clear that your dog does. Pork is not usually found in many dog foods since so much of a pig is utilized for human consumption and there are some risks such as higher fat content depending on the cuts of meat used which in turn can cause ...

Can your child hear the teacher?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:26 GMT

Checking your child’s hearing should be on your back-to-school list. Dr. Kelly Conroy, a Mayo Clinic audiologist, says children with an undiagnosed hearing issue can face both academic and social struggles.You know your child can see the video board, but what if he can’t hear the teacher?“Hearing loss on school performance is quite impactful,” says Dr. Conroy.She says it’s especially true in kindergarten and elementary school-aged kids.“That’s when they’re really learning a lot of their language and speech skills. They’re also learning to get along socially with other children,” adds Dr. Conroy.Hearing loss in children can result in a variety of ways, but noise is a big culprit.“One of the major issues we’re seeing right now are children that have listened to MP3 players or iPods very loudly for long periods of time,” explains Dr. Conroy.Besides noise, infections and other problems in the middle ear can le...

4-day workweeks hot as data points to productivity boost

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:26 GMT

The four-day workweek is the latest buzzy workplace trend, with experiments and surveys touting improved employee morale, retention and productivity.In one study of 41 businesses across the U.S. and Canada — the majority with 25 or fewer employees — 40% of employees surveyed said they were less stressed after trying out a shorter workweek. In addition, 60% of employees reported a better work-life balance and 32% said they were less likely to quit, according to a July 2023 report by 4 Day Week Global, a nonprofit that promotes shorter workweeks.ThredUp has seen this play out in-house over the past two years. The online clothing reseller shifted to a four-day week for corporate employees in 2021. Voluntary turnover among that group dropped 55% compared with 2019, and hiring got a boost. Most new hires cited the company’s shorter week as a deciding factor in employment, Natalie Breece, chief people and diversity officer at ThredUp, said by email.Can a shorter workweek do the same for y...

Kailyn loves sports, art, and animals

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:26 GMT

Kailyn is an easygoing and lovely teenage girl. She is described as athletic and enjoys participating in sports, especially swimming. Kailyn recently expressed an interest in cheerleading and wants to join her school’s squad. She loves animals and aspires to be a veterinarian and wants to be an artist as well.Kailyn attends a school based on a structured learning program for children with emotional needs and does well with the support of an IEP. She attends school regularly and has positive connections with staff and caretakers.Kailyn would do best with in a two-parent family with a father and mother or two mothers. A single mother could also be considered if she has considerable support in her extended family and community. Although it is preferable for the pre-adoptive family to have parenting experience, first time parents could also be considered if they have had appropriate life preparation for meeting the needs of older children. Kailyn’s social worker recommends that she begi...