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Kidnapped teen rescued from Southern California motel room after 4 days of being held hostage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:25:17 GMT

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (AP) — Authorities rescued a 17-year-old boy in Southern California after he was kidnapped and held hostage for four days by captors who threatened to harm him if his family did not pay a $500,000 ransom.The teen was rescued Friday after law enforcement tracked him and his three kidnappers to a motel in Santa Maria, a city about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The nightmare began Monday morning, when the kidnappers caused a car crash in San Bernardino County, roughly 200 miles (320 kilometers) from Sant Maria, and abducted the teen when he got out of his vehicle to look at the damage, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. A doorbell camera recorded the kidnapping.The kidnappers called the teen’s mother from a Mexican phone number and demanded $500,000, saying it should be delivered to Nogales, Mexico, federal prosecutors said. The men repeatedly called her over the four days and threatening to harm her s...

Breakers Dominika Banevič and Victor Montalvo qualify for next year’s Paris Olympics

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:25:17 GMT

LEUVEN, Belgium (AP) — Lithuanian teenager Dominika Banevič and American Victor Montalvo both qualified for next year’s Paris Olympics after winning the World Breaking Championship on Sunday.The 16-year-old Banevič, known as B-Girl Nicka, was the youngest in the women’s category at the event in Leuven, Belgium. She concluded her battle by lifting herself up on her right arm and twisting her body almost completely around. She drew finger-clicking appreciation from her beaten opponent, 40-year-old Ayumi Fukushima of Japan, known as B-Girl Ayumi.The 29-year-old Montalvo, ranked No. 5 in the world and competing under the name of B-Boy Victor, broke into a huge grin after completing his battle. He was lifted up triumphantly by his opponent, Philip Kim of Canada, known as B-Boy Phil Wizard.Breakdancing originated 50 years ago in the United States and the hip-hop dance form makes its official debut at the Paris Games. Rankings are tabulated by the World DanceSport Federation, the Int...

Patrick Mahomes throws 3 TD passes as Chiefs rout Bears 41-10

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:25:17 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns, Travis Kelce hauled in one of them to the delight of Taylor Swift, and the Kansas City Chiefs blew out the inept Chicago Bears 41-10 on Sunday.Jerick McKinnon had a pair of touchdown catches and Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire added touchdown runs, helping the Super Bowl champion Chiefs (2-1) deal the Bears (0-3) their 13th consecutive loss dating to last season.Kelce finished with seven catches for 69 yards and the 3-yard score, which made it 41-0 early in the second half. The All-Pro tight end celebrated by revving the engine of an imaginary motorcycle while Swift, whom Kelce had invited amid rumors of their budding relationship, joyfully pounded the glass of her Arrowhead Stadium suite and his mother, Donna Kelce, cheered alongside.The game was so lopsided by the third quarter that Mahomes and most of the Chiefs' starters got the rest of the day off.Embattled Bears quarterback Justin Fi...

Taylor Swift attends Chiefs game against Bears amid Kelce dating rumors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:25:17 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — Travis Kelce seems to be a man of his word. After weeks of rumors that the Kansas City Chiefs tight end is dating music superstar Taylor Swift, Kelce offered the singer an invite to watch him play. She seems to have followed up on the invite. Swift was seen in a box suite at Arrowhead Stadium standing next to Travis's mother, Donna Kelce, ahead of the Chiefs' game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The dating rumors between the two have been swirling for a few weeks. Travis Kelce addresses Taylor Swift rumors, says he invited her to Chiefs game Travis Kelce discussed the rumors on his podcast, "New Heights," with his brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce. “I threw the ball in her court and told her, ‘I’ve seen you rock the stage in Arrowhead. You might have to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead and see which one’s a little more lit,’” he said. Swift performed two concerts at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City back on July 7-8 during her E...

Gophers pick up pieces after allowing biggest comeback in P.J. Fleck era

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:25:17 GMT

P.J. Fleck lightly crumpled up a stat sheet and gently tossed it in a gray trash can inside Ryan Field after the Gophers’ colossal cave-in at Northwestern on Saturday.A spike into the bin might have been more fitting after the 37-34 overtime loss.That same box score flattened out didn’t reveal the true depths of the defeat. Fleck had built a 40-2 record when leading after three quarters, but on Saturday his team allowed a third loss in what became the largest fourth-quarter comeback of his U career. And it came against a Wildcats team projected to finish last in the Big Ten West.The Gophers had given up a 17-point lead to Maryland in the awkward pandemic year of 2020, and Fleck’s flawed first team in 2017 gave up a one-point lead on the road at Purdue. That was the precedent.This enters a new subcategory.Minnesota needed this September victory before it hits the truly daunting part of its schedule — Northwestern was supposed to be a win, especially amid a recent downturn seemingly e...

John Shipley: What if? Who cares? The Vikings are 0-3

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:25:17 GMT

Well, here’s a first.Usually after a tough loss, a football player or coach asked about some sort of failure that led to the team’s defeat — as in, why or how did that happen? — answers with, “I don’t know, I’ll have to look at the film.”After the Vikings’ fairly brutal 28-24 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, dropping Minnesota to 0-3 this season, receiver K.J. Osborne was asked if there were, nonetheless, positives Minnesota can build on.“I’d have to go back and look at the tape,” he said. “Everything didn’t go bad.”In the aftermath, Vikings players were asked a lot of questions about how close they came to making some big plays, and whether that was encouraging for a team facing the closest thing to a death sentence in the NFL. Yes, there are 14 games left, but since the league expanded in 1979, only five NFL teams have recovered to make the playoffs after starting 0-3 in a non-strike year.The Vikings didn’t do a whole lot Sunday to suggest they will...

Juan Soto's soaring homer and 4 RBIs help the Padres rout the Cardinals 12-2

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:25:17 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Juan Soto hit a 461-foot homer and had four RBIs for the San Diego Padres, who were pushed closer to elimination from the playoff picture even as they beat the St. Louis Cardinals 12-2 in their home finale Sunday.Right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. made a spectacular leaping catch to rob pinch-hitter Michael Siani of a home run in the sixth. Tatis did a little dance and acknowledged the crowd's ovation. Tatis began his career as a shortstop but took over in right after he returned April 20 from an 80-game PED suspension. He missed all of last year with injuries and the suspension.Jose Azocar also homered for the Padres, who had nine extra-base hits in winning for the ninth time in 10 games. Their best stretch of the season is likely coming too late to avoid an embarrassing pratfall.The Padres came into this season with World Series aspirations after reaching the NL Championship Series last fall but have been a major disappointment. They've been under .500 since May 12 ...

PHOTOS: Miami Dolphins clobber Denver Broncos 70-20 in NFL Week 3

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:25:17 GMT

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — It took Denver eight games to score 10 touchdowns last season. They gave up 10 Sunday alone.The Broncos did not give up an all-time, single-game record number of points to the Dolphins on Sunday. Not because they did anything to deserve avoiding that scarlet letter piled on top of a 70-20 loss at Hard Rock Stadium.Only because Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel opted not to listen to the bloodthirsty, blissfully bewildered fans on hand who saw their side score 10 touchdowns, knew no team had ever scored 73 in a regular-season game and booed McDaniel’s humanity while chanting, “three more points.”Related ArticlesDenver Broncos | Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton after fumbling ball twice: “Unacceptable” Denver Broncos | Broncos rookie Drew Sanders’ first start comes on historically bad day, but his role going forward looks primed to increase Denver Broncos | Broncos report card: You can spell historic blowout ...

Broncos take historic beatdown in 70-20 loss to Dolphins: “That’s the most embarrassing game I’ve ever been a part of”

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:25:17 GMT

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — By the end, the beatdown got so bad Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel didn’t know what to do.He tried to run the clock out, but the Broncos simply couldn’t or wouldn’t tackle his running backs.He had long since put his backups in the game, but they ran roughshod over Sean Payton’s team, too.Finally, McDaniel had to order his team to sit on the ball to save the Broncos, the franchise he said this week caused him to fall in love with football way back when he was a kid in Aurora, one final, historic indignity.The Broncos did not give up an all-time, single-game record number of points to the Dolphins on Sunday. Not because they did anything to deserve avoiding that scarlet letter piled on top of a 70-20 loss at Hard Rock Stadium, mind you.Only because McDaniel opted not to listen to the bloodthirsty, blissfully bewildered fans on hand who saw their side score 10 touchdowns, knew no team had ever scored 73 in a regular-season game and booed McDaniel’s humani...

1-year-old airlifted to hospital for burn injuries

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:25:17 GMT

An infant who suffered serious burn injuries in Lancaster on Sunday was airlifted to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, authorities announced.  Tactical medics with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Air Rescue team assisted medical personnel with the Los Angeles County Fire Department by flying the 1-year-old child to the hospital, authorities said in a post to X, formerly known as Twitter.  Tactical medics with Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department seen flying a 1-year-old child suffering from burn injuries to the hospital on Sept. 24, 2023. (LASD)No information was provided on how the child was injured, nor the extent of the burns.