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With 4 games left, where do the Chicago Bulls stand in the NBA play-in tournament?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:47:47 GMT

The Chicago Bulls are fighting for a spot in the NBA play-in tournament, a battle for the last two playoff seeds in each conference. Here’s an explainer about the history of the event and how it works — and where the Bulls stand.When did the play-in begin?The NBA introduced the idea after the restart of the pandemic-delayed 2019-20 season, with a team needing to be within four games of the No. 8 seed to force a play-in for the last playoff spot in the conference.The Memphis Grizzlies finished a half-game behind the No. 8 seed Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference, and the Blazers won the first game of a play-in, thus earning the final playoff spot. In the East, the ninth-place Washington Wizards finished 7½ games behind the eighth-place Orlando Magic, meaning a play-in was unnecessary.How has the tournament evolved?The next year, the NBA expanded its play-in rules, with only the top six seeds in each conference guaranteed of a playoff spot and the Nos. 7-...

Ryuichi Sakamoto, Japanese musician and film composer, dies

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:47:47 GMT

By YURI KAGEYAMA and MARI YAMAGUCHI (Associated Press)TOKYO (AP) — Ryuichi Sakamoto, a world-renowned Japanese musician and actor who composed for Hollywood hits such as “The Last Emperor” and “The Revenant,” has died. He was 71.Japan’s recording company Avex said in a statement Sunday that Sakamoto died on March 28 while undergoing treatment for cancer.He was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. In 2022, he revealed that he had terminal cancer, a year after he disclosed suffering from rectal cancer.Sakamoto was a pioneer of the electronics music of the late 1970s and founded the Yellow Magic Orchestra, also known as YMO, with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi.Takahashi died in January.Despite his battle with cancer, Sakamoto released a full-length album “12” on his 71st birthday in January, stating that composing had a “small healing effect on my damaged body and soul,” according to the official statement released with the latest album.He was a world-class musician, winn...

One injured, others displaced after e-bike battery sparks fire in apartment building

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:47:47 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A fire broke out in a Barrio Logan apartment building that fire officials say was caused by an electric bike battery explosion, leaving one of the residents seriously injured.Around 6 a.m., the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department was notified of the fire in one of the downstairs apartments at the complex near the corner of 30th Street and Boston Avenue. The fire was sparked by the overheating of a lithium ion battery in one of the resident's e-bike, which was plugged in to charge. Firefighters were able to knock the blaze down in a little under five minutes, according to SDFD. Authorities investigate incident involving train, pedestrian; COASTER service impacted One of the two residents in the apartment, an unidentified man, attempted to put the blaze out with water, prompting the battery to explode and spread to the entire apartment, SDFD Battalion Chief Chris Babler said.The man, who was shirtless at the time, sustained major burns after lithium got on him when the bat...

Lt. Gov. says the Texas Senate 'doesn’t have the votes' to legalize casinos, sports betting

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:47:47 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Making his rounds on radio stations last week, Lt Gov. Dan Patrick signaled it might be 'game over' in the Legislature’s renewed effort to legalize casino gambling and sports betting.Speaking on The Mark Davis Show last Tuesday, Patrick said the Senate has "zero support" for both legislative proposals. "Our members have been clear: they're not in support today. We don't have any votes in the Senate," Patrick said. "Couldn't find one Senator who supported it."However, one of Patrick’s top allies, Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Houston, is sponsoring SJR 39, a constitutional amendment that would allow Texans to wager on sports, if they were to approve it on a November ballot.Patrick made a dig at the Texas House, saying he refuses to pass a bill that has a majority of Democrats — but not Republicans — in support of the legislation. "Unless I have 15 to 16 Republicans, meaning it's a Republican-driven bill because we're a Republican-driven state, I'm...

New York State budget overdue

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:47:47 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) —The budget was due April 1st for lawmakers and was not passed. Republican Minority Leader William Barclay and Democratic Assemblyman John McDonald gave their reasons as to why bail reform and housing are causing a slowdown for the budget."Once those two items are resolved, I, and many others feel the budget falls into place very quickly," stated McDonald.Barclay sees bail reform as something that should be reworked further than what is currently proposed. The assembly member sees not enough support going towards the topic. New York State budget due on Saturday "The governor has some changes that I certainly support. I don't think that they go far enough. And the majority of both houses don't want to make any change," claimed Barclay.In the assembly there seems to be confusion on where the government stands on the matter. On the other side of the aisle, McDonald did not agree with Barclay's claim. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events d...

Put down the cookie dough, CDC warns amid salmonella outbreak affecting Missouri, other states

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:47:47 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - A salmonella outbreak that has sickened people in 11 states is renewing a call from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: stop eating raw cookie dough. The agency confirmed last week it has launched an investigation into the outbreak, noting 12 illnesses have been reported. Three individuals have required hospitalization. "The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses," the CDC warned. So far, these states have each reported one case of an individual being infected with the salmonella outbreak strain: California, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and Virginia. Illinois has reported two cases. CDC investigators say illnesses were confirmed between early December 2022 and mid-February 2023. It takes up to a month to determine if someone who falls ill is part of an outbreak, the agency explains. CDC warns...

Missouri lawmakers overwhelmingly support banning pelvic exams on unconscious patients

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:47:47 GMT

Under current Missouri law, there is no prohibition on doctors or medical school students performing pelvic, prostate or anal exams on unconscious patients without consent. A pair of bills that have received unanimous support in both the House and Senate seek to change that. On Thursday, The Senate voted 33-0 in support of legislation sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Lauren Arthur that would prohibit health care providers from performing these exams on patients under anesthesia without first receiving explicit, informed consent. A similar bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Hannah Kelly, cleared the Missouri House last week 157-0. Both bills need approval from the other chamber to go to the governor’s desk.“I’ve heard from Missourians who’ve learned only after the fact that they’ve been subjected to these exams,” Arthur said. “And understandably, they feel very violated. And for those with a history of sexual abuse, they were particularly traumatized.”These sort...

"We're not superhuman": City SC reflects on first loss

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:47:47 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- The magic runs out on St. Louis City SC."We're not superhuman after all," St. Louis City SC coach Bradley Carnell said.It might come across as an obvious statement, but for the previous five weeks, it felt as though MLS' newest team couldn't do wrong. You knew it had to happen. No team could be expected to win all of their matches. But for the sold out crowd at CITYPARK on Saturday, St. Louis City SC's first loss, a 1-0 defeat to Minnesota, still stings. It's even more upsetting for the players on the St. Louis sidelines."It's definitely disappointing, especially at home in front of our fans," St. Louis captain Roman Burki said. "We would have loved to give them again a reason to celebrate. It had to come but (the loss) was just a bit unlucky.""There is a lot to learn about the guys in the locker room when you lose a game," St. Louis Vice Captain Tim Parker said. "It's going to be good to see everyone's reactions. I'm sure training is going to be a little more intense t...

Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. power Nuggets’ dramatic win over Warriors

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:47:47 GMT

Jamal Murray jumped around just like House of Pain had preached.As the anthem blared ahead of a jump ball late in Sunday’s fourth-quarter against Golden State, Murray looked gamely at his larger opponent: Draymond Green.When the tip went awry and found its way to Aaron Gordon, Murray was waiting to deliver the 3-point dagger. But these were the defending champions. It took much more than a devastating 3-pointer and a double-digit deficit to knock them off.The Nuggets survived a frenetic finish and two Klay Thompson 3-point looks that would’ve won it to hang on Sunday, 112-110. On the second try, Murray flew out and tipped Thompson’s look to seal the game.“A team of that experience, you know they’re going to make a run,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.Murray played bigger than his stocky frame, and Michael Porter Jr. filled the scoring vacuum with 29 points. For the third consecutive game, the Nuggets were without Nikola Jokic due to a calf injury.In his st...

Autism awareness event held in Orange County

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:47:47 GMT

Paddle boarders gathered in Newport Beach on Sunday for an event meant to raise awareness about the condition of autism in hopes of making the world a better place for those living with it. A neurological condition that can affect anyone, regardless of gender, race or socio-economic status, autism manifests during early childhood and remains a condition that most people know little about.  Organizers with the nonprofit Autism By The Sea hosted the “Paddle for Autism” event, in which those attending paddle boarded around Balboa Island.  "A lot of people don’t really understand what autism is,” said Debbie Painter, president and founder of the organizing nonprofit. “Back in the ‘70s, you would find 1 in 10,000 people diagnosed with autism. Now it’s 1 in 39 children in the United States are diagnosed with autism. When my kids were diagnosed with autism, it was hard to find a parent to talk to about how to deal with this...now it’s more open. We have come a long way with understand...