Kiszla: Before Brandon Royval could see dream of becoming UFC champ, he burned with desire to beat the odds

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:45 GMT

Kiszla: Before Brandon Royval could see dream of becoming UFC champ, he burned with desire to beat the odds The kid from Denver hopped on his bike and rode, chasing a dream his heart knew was real but he could not see. All Brandon Royval knew for certain: If he stopped fighting, the dream would die.And isn’t that a pretty decent definition of blind faith?Back in the day, on the streets of his Denver neighborhood, Royval recalled, “I feel like every Mexican kid had the Fernando Vargas haircut. I had my head shaved, with those bangs. Every Mexican kid was a boxing fan because of him.”So as a teenager, Royval jumped on his bike and pedaled 13 miles to the gym, where, to tell the truth, he thought all the dudes practicing mixed martial arts were doing an injustice to the sweet science of pugilism.“I was never a fan of kicking or wrestling,” Royval admitted. “If you’re a boxing fan, you think that’s kind of lame.”But now 31 years old, after chasing a dream for half his life, Royval sees his destiny inside a cage in Las Vegas, when at Ultimate Fighting Championship 296, he will do battle in a r...

SoCal Edison cuts electricity to residents in RV park

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:45 GMT

SoCal Edison cuts electricity to residents in RV park Residents in a San Bernardino County mobile home park have been scrambling after their electricity was suddenly cutoff more than 24 hours ago, leaving families, elderly residents and others with medical conditions in the lurch.  Many of the increasingly frustrated residents at Fisherman’s Retreat, an RV park off San Timoteo Canyon Road in Redlands, told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson that they are caught between Southern California Edison and Halo Resorts Inc., the owners of the park.  “Unfortunately, we’ve been told by the electric company that the people that run the place haven’t paid the bill for the last couple of months,” Pete Ridder, who has lived in the RV park for 12 years said.  A lot of the residents of Fisher’s Retreat have resorted to candles and flashlights at night, but that doesn’t help keep them warm as the temperatures drop in the evening.  “How do you do that people,” resident Denise Mahmet said. “I have a breathing machine I have to use. I can’t do that...

Steve Kerr on Draymond Green’s indefinite suspension: “To me this is about more than basketball”

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:45 GMT

Steve Kerr on Draymond Green’s indefinite suspension: “To me this is about more than basketball” LOS ANGELES — Steve Kerr addressed Draymond Green’s indefinite suspension with a message of compassion.Green will miss an undetermined number of games as he works through some personal issues that are connected to his most recent on-court outbursts, including hitting Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the head on Tuesday and choking Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert last month.“To me this is about more than basketball,” Kerr said. “It’s about helping Draymond. I think it’s an opportunity for Draymond to step away and to make a change in his approach and his life.“This is about someone who I believe in, someone who I have known for a decade, who I love for his loyalty, his commitment, his passion, his love for his teammates and family. Trying to help that guy because the one who choked Rudy, the one who flailed at Jusuf, who punched Jordan (Poole) last year. That’s the guy who has to change. Everything before that, what are we really talking about? Throwing a...

AP/NORC poll: Few US adults want a Trump-Biden rematch

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:45 GMT

AP/NORC poll: Few US adults want a Trump-Biden rematch By Seung Min Kim and Linley Sanders | Associated PressWASHINGTON — It’s the presidential election no one is really jazzed about.Relatively few Americans are excited about a potential rematch of the 2020 election between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, although more Republicans would be satisfied to have Trump as their nominee than Democrats would be with Biden as their standard-bearer, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.That palpable apathy from voters comes even as both Biden and Trump are facing relatively few obstacles in their paths to lock down their respective parties’ nominations next year. Biden has amassed broad support from Democratic officials as a handful of mostly token primary challengers have struggled to spark momentum. And despite 91 indictments across four criminal cases — including some centered on his attempts to overturn his electoral loss to Biden in 2020 — Trump’s grip on GOP primar...

PG&E gets OK to keep open Diablo Canyon nuclear plant: bills may jump

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:45 GMT

PG&E gets OK to keep open Diablo Canyon nuclear plant: bills may jump OAKLAND — PG&E has won approval to keep operating the aging Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in San Luis Obispo County, a decision that one group warns could trigger higher monthly bills.The five-member state Public Utilities Commission voted 3-0 to approve an extension of the operating license for the Diablo Canyon nuclear complex, perched near Avila Beach next to the Pacific Ocean. One commissioner was absent while another abstained.Instead of terminating service in 2025, the plant and its reactors are poised to operate until at least 2030 as a result of the just-approved extension.Before the vote, the state PUC heard from numerous residents of California who urged the PUC to not approve the extension of the operating license.Those who spoke raised issues such as the age of the plant, the integrity of the containment chambers for the nuclear reactors, and the plant’s location near what one speaker called a “latticework” of earthquake faults.Several years ago...

Bulls open 25-point first-quarter lead in Miami, team’s largest since Jordan era

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:45 GMT

Bulls open 25-point first-quarter lead in Miami, team’s largest since Jordan era MIAMI (AP) — The Chicago Bulls had a start the likes of which the franchise hadn’t seen since the Michael Jordan era on Thursday night.The Bulls jumped out to a 33-8 lead in Miami — the team’s biggest first-quarter lead in nearly 27 years. Chicago made 13 of its first 17 shots.The last time Chicago had a bigger first-quarter lead was Jan. 31, 1997, at Golden State. Jordan made a jumper late in the opening period to give the Bulls a 27-point edge at 35-8. Chicago went on to win that game 115-92 and eventually won the NBA title that season.Chicago’s 25-point first-quarter lead Thursday was the second-largest in the NBA this season. Boston led Washington by 26 in the opening quarter on Oct. 30.Miami finished the period on a 14-3 run, getting within 36-22 by the end of the first. The 25-point margin was the biggest opening-quarter deficit for the Heat since falling behind by 28 in the first quarter of a playoff game against Milwaukee on May 24, 2021.___AP NBA: https://...

Youngkin pledges to seek mental health legislation in honor of Irvo Otieno

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:45 GMT

Youngkin pledges to seek mental health legislation in honor of Irvo Otieno FILE - Caroline Ouko, mother of Irvo Otieno, holds a portrait of her son at the Dinwiddie Courthouse in Dinwiddie, Va., March 16, 2023. The family of Otieno, a man who died while handcuffed and pinned to the floor for about 11 minutes as he was being admitted to a Virginia psychiatric hospital, has reached an $8.5 million settlement, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, with the state, county and the sheriff whose deputies were involved in restraining the man. (Daniel Sangjib Min/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP, File)(AP/Daniel Sangjib Min) FILE - Caroline Ouko, mother of Irvo Otieno, holds a portrait of her son at the Dinwiddie Courthouse in Dinwiddie, Va., March 16, 2023. The family of Otieno, a man who died while handcuffed and pinned to the floor for about 11 minutes as ...

La Policía de Ecuador reporta la detención de “uno de los presuntos implicados” en el homicidio de 4 niños en Guayaquil

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:45 GMT

La Policía de Ecuador reporta la detención de “uno de los presuntos implicados” en el homicidio de 4 niños en Guayaquil (CNN Español) –– La Policía Nacional de Ecuador informó este jueves que detuvo a una persona, a quien identificó solo como Byron M., a quien acusó de ser “uno de los presuntos implicados” en el homicidio de cuatro niños y su madre tras ser atacados este lunes.Conmoción en Ecuador tras el homicidio por aparente error de cuatro niños en GuayaquilEn un mensaje en su cuenta de X, antes Twitter, añadió que continúan las investigaciones para dar con los demás responsables, sin detallar de cuántos se trata. Según las autoridades, los menores fueron muertos por error, ya que nadie en la vivienda de la familia atacada tenía antecedentes delictivos.La ministra de Gobierno, Mónica Palencia, celebró la detención, y agregó que el arrestado tenía antecedentes penales.Rosy Jimenez, coordinadora nacional de Gestoría de la Defensa Pública, confirmó a CNN que representará a Byron M. sin dar más detalles del caso.Las víctimas, quienes eran hermanos y tenían 5 meses, 3 años, 5 años y 7 años, murieron p...

Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux has gotten even better in his second season

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:45 GMT

Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux has gotten even better in his second season EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — There are days after practice when New York Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux sits in a chair in the locker room across from Saquon Barkley, stares at a chess board and mulls his next move.It usually doesn’t take long. It’s a bit of a mismatch going against the star running back. Thibodeaux has been playing a while and he seemingly is a move ahead of Barkley, who is a relative novice at the game.It’s been that way on the field for Thibodeaux, too. The No. 5 pick in the 2022 draft has gotten even better after an excellent rookie season.Through 13 games, Thibodeaux has career highs of 12 tackles for loss, 11 1/2 sacks and three forced fumbles — including one in each of the last two games.His play has been a major reason the Giants (5-8) have won three straight games and are still in the hunt for a playoff spot as they prepare to visit New Orleans (6-7) on Sunday.“He’s leading the defense,” defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said Thu...

Una tormenta poderosa se dirige hacia Florida y la costa este de EE.UU. el fin de semana: este es el pronóstico

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:45 GMT

Una tormenta poderosa se dirige hacia Florida y la costa este de EE.UU. el fin de semana: este es el pronóstico (CNN) — Una tormenta poderosa se desplazará desde el Golfo de México hasta Florida y avanzará hacia el norte por la costa este de EE.UU. durante este fin de semana, llevando posibilidad de lluvias torrenciales y ráfagas de viento a esa zona del país.La trayectoria exacta de la tormenta y su fuerza a medida que avanza a través de Florida y hacia el sureste aún no están claras, aunque determinarán la gravedad de la tormenta en distintos puntos hasta Nueva Inglaterra la próxima semana.Poderosa tormenta se dirige al este de EE.UU. con amenaza de inundaciones, fuertes vientos, nieve y tormentas severas después de generar tornados mortales en TennesseeDos escenarios son posibles: uno que muestra a la tormenta hacia el noroeste de Florida y luego más hacia el interior, y uno que la lleva a la península de Florida y luego más cerca de la costa.Por ahora, la amenaza de lluvias torrenciales y ráfagas de viento es más pronunciada en Florida, partes de la costa del Golfo y el sureste este...