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198-pound Burmese python caught in Florida: ‘It was more than a snake, it was a monster’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:42 GMT

Professional python hunter Amy Siewe said this is the fattest python she’s ever seen. (Amy Siewe) Professional python hunter Amy Siewe said this is the fattest python she’s ever seen. (Amy Siewe) Conservationist Mike Elfenbein was at Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida with his teen son hunting for pythons when they both spotted the largest snake they had ever seen slithering across the gravel road.“It was more than a snake, it was a monster,” Elfenbein told CBS News. Elfenbein said he occasionally hunts Burmese pythons in the 729,000-acre preserve but had never seen a snake that large.Three other hunters – Trey Barber, Carter Gavlock and Holden Hunter – saw the snake at the same time. There was n...

Stock market today: Wall Street ticks higher to firm up what’s been a mostly quiet week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:42 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is ticking higher Friday to firm up what’s been a mostly listless week following its fireworks since the summer.The S&P 500 was up 1.1% in afternoon trading and on track to end the week with a gain of slightly less than that. That would follow its best week of the year, which itself came after months of sharp losses.The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 257 points, or 0.8%, as of 12:41 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.5% higher.More companies reported better profits for the latest quarter than analysts expected, but the focus is swinging toward what companies will do later this year and beyond amid high interest rates and expectations for a slowdown in economic growth.Illumina tumbled 13.1% even though the maker of DNA-sequencing and other technology products reported better results for the third quarter than expected. It cut its financial forecasts for the full year and said “the environment remains challenging.”Wynn Resorts ...

Danielle Collins gives United States 1-0 lead over Czechs at Billie Jean King Cup Finals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:42 GMT

SEVILLE, Spain (AP) — Danielle Collins gave the United States a 1-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals by beating Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-2 on Friday.The winner will advance to play Canada in the semifinals on Saturday.Collins broke her opponent three times, with Siniakova double-faulting five times on the indoor hard court in Seville.Sofia Kenin can clinch the win for the U.S. if she beats Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the second singles match. These are the the two most successful teams in the competition’s history — the U.S. has the most titles with 18 and the Czechs the second most with 11.The Czechs have won their last two meetings with the Americans.The U.S. beat defending champion Switzerland in their group-phase opener on Thursday.The Americans are without their two highest-ranked players. No. 3 Coco Gauff and No. 5 Jessica Pegula both played in the WTA finals in Mexico, which finished just before the Billie Jean King Cup Fina...

Peso Pluma, Karol G y Rauw Alejandro entre los nominados a los Grammy 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:42 GMT

LOS ÁNGELES, California – Peso Pluma, Karol G y Rauw Alejandro están entre los aspirantes a las categorías latinas de la 66 edición de los Grammy que se llevará a cabo el 4 de febrero de 2024 en Los Ángeles, informó este viernes la Academia de la Grabación de Estados Unidos. El cantante mexicano Peso Pluma recibió una nominación en la categoría de mejor álbum de música mexicana (incluyendo tejano) con su álbum “Génesis”, mientras que el disco de la colombiana Karol G, “Mañana será bonito”, y el del puertorriqueño Rauw Alejandro, “Saturno”, compiten en la categoría de mejor álbum de pop latino.TODOS LOS NOMINADOS A LOS GRAMMY 2024SZA es la principal contendiente de los premios Grammy, con nueve nominaciones. “Kill Bill”, su himno de venganza envuelto en una balada de R&B, le valió nominaciones a grabación del año, canción del año y mejor interpretación de R&B. “SOS” también está nominado a álbum del año y mejor álbum de R&B progre...

Air Force general named new executive director of the College Football Playoff on eve of expansion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:42 GMT

IRVING, Texas (AP) — Lt. Gen. Richard Clark, the superintendent of the Air Force Academy, was announced Friday as the new executive director of the College Football Playoff.Clark will replace Bill Hancock, who is retiring, and will take over as the playoff prepares for its expansion to a 12-team format in the 2024 season.“Gen. Clark’s experience leading the U.S. Air Force Academy as a three-star general and also being a four-year letter winner with the U.S Air Force football team gives him a strong background to excel in this crucial leadership role,” said Mark Keenum, Mississippi State president and chairman of the CFP Board of Managers.Hancock was the first full-time director of the NCAA Final Four for men’s basketball and the first administrator of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), which was replaced by the CFP. He took that job in 2012 and as the CFP’s only employee at the time, he was charged with finalizing a media rights agreement, negotiating agreements with bowl gam...

US and India reaffirm security ties as their top diplomats and defense officials hold talks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:42 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — India and the U.S. underlined their commitment to boosting security ties Friday as their top diplomats and defense chiefs met to discuss regional security, China and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with their Indian counterparts in New Delhi as part of an Asian trip aimed at showing unity over Russia’s war in Ukraine and preventing differences on the Israel-Hamas war from deepening.Blinken said the U.S. and India were continuing to “deepen our collaboration on everything from emerging technologies to defense to people-to-people ties” and align diplomacy for “an Indo-Pacific region that’s free, that’s open, that’s prosperous, that’s resilient.”He said the two sides discussed the crisis in the Middle East and “we appreciate the fact that from day one India has strongly condemned the attacks of Oct. 7. And as our joint statement makes clear, India and the United States...

Max Homa shares lead of Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa after Round 2

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:42 GMT

SUN CITY, South Africa (AP) — Max Homa maintained a share of the lead at the Nedbank Golf Challenge by shooting a 4-under 68 in the second round on Friday, with Matthieu Pavon joining him atop the leaderboard. Homa, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 8, followed up his 66 on Thursday with another bogey-free round at the Gary Player Country Club. He hasn’t played since the Ryder Cup in Italy that finished Oct. 1, and where he collected 3 1/2 points to be the highest scorer for the United States in its loss to the Europeans. His last strokeplay event was the Fortinet Championship in mid-September.Homa said that he is surprised at how well is playing after his break.“It’s been nice, the body’s feeling better as the week’s gone on,” Homa said. “I woke up today and felt like a golfer again, so that was nice.“If you fly 20-odd hours over here, you may as well play some good golf. So it’s nice that I’m doing that.”Pavon shot a 66 — the joint best score of the round — thank...

File-transfer software data breach affected 1.3M individuals, says Maine officials

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:42 GMT

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The state of Maine has begun notifying people whose personal information was included in a data breach impacting as many as 1.3 million individuals, state officials announced Thursday.The notifications began after the state completed an assessment once they discovered that hackers exploited a vulnerability in a widely used file-transfer software. Other government agencies, major pension funds and private businesses also have been affected by a Russian ransomware gang’s so-called supply chain hack of the software MOVEit.The specific type of data depended on the individual but could include their date of birth, driver’s license number, social security number and health and medical information.The state said it began taking steps to patch the vulnerability, engaged with experts and legal counsel, and carried out evaluations after being alerted on May 31 of the widespread breach.The state created a website devoted to the breach. People are encouraged...

New Speaker Mike Johnson grasps for a funding plan with a government shutdown rapidly approaching

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — With just a week left to avert a government shutdown, new House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing his first big test as he tries to win House Republican support for a short-term funding plan — a task that looks increasingly difficult amid stubborn divisions in the party over federal spending.Federal agencies are making plans for a shutdown that would shutter government services and halt paychecks for millions of federal workers and military troops.It’s a disruption that Johnson — just two weeks into his job running the House — has said he wants to avoid. Yet House lawmakers left Washington for the weekend without a plan in hand after several setbacks. Johnson is still sounding out support among Republicans about what to do and is expected to unveil funding legislation over the weekend, according to Republicans granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.The shrinking calendar gives Johnson, a Louisiana Republican who has vaulted from ...

Patriots QB Mac Jones seems to want to throw deep more often

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:06:42 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany — It seems that Patriots quarterback Mac Jones praises a question when he likes the subject matter.It happened twice Friday when Jones held court at DFB Campus, where the German national soccer team trains, ahead of Sunday’s game against the Colts at Frankfurt Stadium.The first time was when a reporter asked pointed out that the offensive line was improving before asking if Jones felt more comfortable in the pocket.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Bill Belichick addresses ‘personal’ Patriots player absences from Germany trip New England Patriots | Bill Belichick sees Patriots rookie Kayshon Boutte ‘trending in the right direction’ New England Patriots | Patriots look healthy at lone Germany practice before international game New England Patriots | Patriots mailbag: What is Mac Jones’ future beyond 2023 season? New England Patriots | Patriots offense gets bad news bef...