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Netherlands beats South Africa 2-0 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:44:00 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — Netherlands advanced to the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup on Sunday with a 2-0 win over South Africa. Jill Roord and Lineth Beerensteyn scored in each half at the Sydney Football Stadium to secure the 2019 runners-up a place in the last eight. But South Africa, one of the surprise teams of the tournament, gave the Dutch some nervous moments, forcing goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar into a string of saves to keep Thembi Kgatlana at bay. Netherlands lost to the U.S. team in the World Cup final four years ago and look like contenders again after finishing above the Americans in Group E.South Africa had already exceeded expectations by advancing to the knockout stage for the first time after its dramatic 3-2 win over Italy in its final group game. But goals from Roord in the ninth minute and Beerensteyn in the 68th, after an error from keeper Kaylin Swart, ended its unlikely run. Netherlands went close to taking the lead just before Roord’s goal when Es...

George Kirby, Julio Rodríguez power Mariners past Angels 3-2 for their 4th straight victory

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:44:00 GMT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — George Kirby pitched seven stellar innings of three-hit ball for his career-best 10th victory, and Julio Rodríguez had a two-run double among his three hits in the Seattle Mariners’ fourth straight win, 3-2 over the stumbling Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.Brandon Drury drove in a run on a ground-rule double off Mariners reliever Andrés Muñoz during the Angels’ two-out rally in the ninth, but the ball bouncing over the fence prevented pinch-runner Andrew Velazquez from easily scoring the tying run. Muñoz then struck out Hunter Renfroe with the bases loaded to end the Mariners’ third straight win in this four-game series.Ty France added an RBI single in the eighth for the Mariners (59-52), who have won 12 of 16 while moving 3 1/2 games ahead of Los Angeles (56-56) in the crowded race behind Toronto for the final AL wild-card spot.Randal Grichuk homered and Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 4 for the Angels, who have lost five consecutive games si...

Netherlands 2, South Africa 0

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:44:00 GMT

South Africa00—0Netherlands11—2First Half_1, Netherlands, Roord, 9th minute.Second Half_2, Netherlands, Beerensteyn, (Martens), 68th.Goalies_South Africa, Kaylin Swart, Andile Dlamini, Kebotseng Moletsane; Netherlands, Daphne Van Domselaar, Lize Kop, Jacintha Weimar.Yellow Cards_Van de Donk, Netherlands, 67th.Referee_Yoshimi Yamashita. Assistant Referees_Makoto Bozono, Naomi Teshirogi, Carol Anne Chenard. 4th Official_Hyeon Jeong Oh.A_40,233.___Source

Italy yearns to breathe polluted air

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:44:00 GMT

The EU’s pollution problem child is throwing a tantrum.Italy, one of the bloc’s most polluted countries, has repeatedly failed to meet the EU’s air quality guidelines, prompting the European Commission to take it to court more than once. Now Rome is lobbying hard to stop Brussels from tightening those guidelines further, arguing that specific geographic and climate conditions — particularly in its northern, industrial regions — prevent it from meeting existing targets.That’s an argument being pushed by Lombardy, one of the country’s wealthiest and most industrialized regions — and home to one of the cities with the worst air quality in Europe. Meeting tighter guidelines could cause GDP in Lombardy and other wealthy northern regions to drop significantly, according to Giorgio Maione, Lombardy’s minister for environment and climate. “There is only one consequence for all of this, which is poverty,” he warned.The region has found a friendly ear ...

9 ways Dutch political paralysis hits the EU

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:44:00 GMT

It’s hard to punch above your weight if you’re handcuffed. In Brussels, the Netherlands is known for its assertive positioning in EU legislation in a wide range of policy files. Despite its relatively small size, the Netherlands has a tendency to get involved, even on files that are not at the core of the Dutch domestic debate. Its prime minister, Mark Rutte, is the second-longest serving European Union leader after Hungary’s Victor Orbán, giving him the benefit of institutional memory and moral authority when speaking with fellow EU leaders. But just as the EU is racing to seal a number of key files before European election in June next year, the Netherlands finds itself in political limbo. Not only did the current governing coalition collapse; Rutte also announced he won’t run again. The next Dutch elections are slated for November, and are likely to lead to long searches for a new prime minister and enough coalition partners, given the fragmented politi...

As clinics pivot post-Roe, battle rages over syringe service in opioid-ravaged West Virginia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:44:00 GMT

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Staff at Women’s Health Center of West Virginia know what it’s like to provide controversial health services that government officials have sought to ban or restrict. The Charleston clinic was the state’s only abortion provider for years until the state Legislature passed a near-total ban on the procedure last year. The clinic remained open, providing other reproductive care. Now it’s trying to open a syringe service program for drug users, which is another contentious health service that has been regulated by Republican lawmakers in the deep red state. The proposal, which is scheduled to go before Charleston City Council for a pivotal vote Monday, comes as abortion providers across the country are pivoting or expanding services post-Roe, often to other hard-to-access care for marginalized communities they say face stigma and barriers similar to abortion patients. Some, like the Women’s Health Center of West Virginia, have added...

One home destroyed, multiple evacuations from Oak Grove wildfire, estimated at 400 acres, 20% contained

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:44:00 GMT

HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — At least one home was destroyed and multiple homes were evacuated after a wildfire in Hays County on Saturday.City of Kyle Mayor Travis Mitchell said that approximately 30 homes were evacuated by 7 p.m. Officials responded to the fire, named the Oak Grove Fire, shortly after 3 p.m., according to the Hays County Office of Emergency Services website.The fire was first reported to be in the 200 block of Oak Grove Road near San Marcos. It is estimated at 400 acres and 20% contained just before midnight Saturday, according to the Hays County Office of Emergency Management (Hays OEM) and the Texas A&M Forest Service.For any homes that have evacuated due to the wildfire, Hays OEM said that the Promised Land Church, at 1650 Lime Kiln Road in San Marcos, and First Baptist Church, at 15951 Winters Mill Parkway in Wimberley, are open as temporary shelters.By 8:30 p.m., Mitchell said containment was increasing, and there is a massiv...

Marin County driver pulled over for carpool violation after using mannequin in back seat: CHP

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:44:00 GMT

(KRON) -- A North Bay driver seemed really desperate to get into the carpool lane. In an attempt to fulfill the multiple-passenger requirement, the driver thought they can get away by doing this.Not so fast. CHP Marin pulled over a driver for using a mannequin (view below) and making it seem they met the requirement to drive in the carpool lane, the law enforcement agency posted to their Facebook story on Thursday. Popular matcha cafe in SF’s Mission District to close A driver was pulled over for using a mannequin to get in the carpool lanes (CHP Marin).To the driver's credit, an effort was made to dress the mannequin up and make it look like a real person from afar. The mannequin was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle. It had clothes, a hat, sunglasses and tattoos."That moment you get pulled over for a carpool violation and your passenger in the back chooses to remain silent," CHP Marin wrote in its social media post.

Loyd scores 32, Whitcomb hits key short and Storm defeat mercury 97-91 despite 28 by Taurasi

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:44:00 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Jewell Loyd scored 17 of her 32 points in the fourth quarter and Sami Whitcomb hit a back-breaking 3-pointer with 27 seconds left to lift the Seattle Storm to a 97-91 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday night.Brittney Griner had 22 points for the Mercury after sitting out the previous three games for a mental health break and Diana Taurasi had 28 points in the game after she scored 42 and surpassed 10,000 in her legendary career but it wasn’t enough against the last-place Storm. Seattle is now 7-20 this season with three wins coming over the Mercury. Unlike the first two matchups, won by an average of 18.5 points, this game had seven ties and 12 lead changes, eight of those in the first half of the fourth quarter. Loyd had six points in an 8-0 run that put Seattle up 87-81 with 3:18 to play.A Griner three-point play made it 89-87 with 2:31 to go but Loyd banked in 3-pointer at 1:03. Taurasi scored on a drive but then Whitcomb beat the shot clock with a 3 fo...

Machado hits a home run and a 2-run, go-ahead single to lift the Padres over the Dodgers 8-3

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:44:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado homered into the second deck in left field in the fourth inning and then hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the seven-run eighth inning for the San Diego Padres, who beat NL West-leading Los Angeles 8-3 Saturday night to snap a six-game losing streak to the Dodgers. The Dodgers’ bullpen meltdown was similar to the one by the Padres on Friday night that helped Los Angeles rally for a 10-5 win.With the Dodgers leading 3-1, Yency Almonte (3-2) loaded the bases with one out and was replaced by Caleb Ferguson. Juan Soto hit an RBI infield single and a throwing error by second baseman Kiké Hernàndez on the play brought in the tying run. Machado then singled to left to bring in two more runs for a 5-3 lead.Machado was caught in a rundown but ended up on third after a throwing error by Ferguson. Machado was checked by a trainer and manager Bob Melvin said he has hamstring tightness.The Padres had six singles and three walks while sending 12 batters to the...