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Giants offensive lineman Justin Pugh tells the story behind his ‘straight off the couch’ intro

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — After overcoming a major knee injury and playing for the first time in more than a year, all New York Giants offensive lineman Justin Pugh wanted to do was call his wife and hear her voice.When Angela Viscount took the call at the couple’s Arizona home, Pugh didn’t get much of chance to say much about playing 77 snaps in the Giants’ 14-9 at Buffalo last Sunday night.“She’s like, ‘Have you seen the internet?’” Pugh recalled Wednesday. “I was like, ‘I’ve seen I have 400 or 500 text messages right now.’ And then I checked my phone and saw.”What many people wanted to talk about was the way Pugh introduced himself to the television audience on the NBC broadcast of the nationally televised game: “Justin Pugh, straight off the couch.”Most players will say their name and the college or high school they attended.The 33-year-old Pugh, who was drafted by the Giants in the first round in 2013 and later signed with Arizona as a free agent, has alway...

Santa Claus and Rudolph help Md. Boys & Girls Clubs to celebrate National Unity Day

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

Fifty Maryland Boys & Girls Club kids gathered Wednesday at the Gaylord National Resort at the National Harbor to celebrate National Unity Day — a day dedicated to kindness, acceptance and inclusion.“One of the things that we strive for on a daily basis at every Boys & Girls Club, no matter who you are, no matter what you’re walking into a club from — you’re walking into a club where you’re safe, where you feel surrounded by adults that care about your well-being and where you are part of a greater community that is all committed to kindness and unity,” said Derek DeWitt, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club for Harford and Cecil counties.This event was the launch of the Boys & Girls Club’s “Spread Kindness & Shine Bright” campaign, aimed to end bullying. During the launch, kids met with Santa and Rudolph and wrote their own promises to spread kindness on special Shine Bright Stars, which will be displayed th...

Chargers safety Derwin James looking to eliminate penalties while preparing to face Chiefs, Kelce

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) — Derwin James has more to worry about this week than preparing to face Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs.The Los Angeles Chargers safety is leading in the league in a category few players want to top. James has been called for three unnecessary roughness penalties in the four games he has played. Before this year, he had been flagged for unnecessary roughness three times in five seasons.James acknowledged Wednesday that his hit on Indianapolis’ Ashton Dulin late last season during a Monday night game is one reason he’s drawn more attention from officials. He was ejected from that game after hitting a defenseless receiver with the crown of his helmet.“I think I am a little bit,” James about receiving increased scrutiny. “I’m not here to referee what they need to call. I’m here to play football and help my team win games.”James received two 15-yard penalties during the second quarter of Monday night’s 20-17 loss to Dallas. He was flagge...

GOP’s Jim Jordan fails again on vote for House speaker as frustrated Republicans search for options

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Firebrand Republican Rep. Jim Jordan failed again Wednesday on a crucial second ballot to become House speaker, but the hard-fighting ally of Donald Trump showed no signs of dropping out despite losing support from even more of his GOP colleagues.Next steps were highly uncertain as angry, frustrated Republicans looked at other options. A bipartisan group of lawmakers floated an extraordinary plan — to give the interim speaker pro tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., more power to reopen the immobilized House and temporarily conduct routine business. But that seems doubtful, for now.What was clear was that Jordan’s path to become House speaker was almost certainly lost. He was opposed by 22 Republicans, two more than he lost in first-round voting the day before. Many view the Ohio congressman as too extreme for a central seat of U.S. power and resented the harassing hardball tactics from Jordan’s allies for their votes. One lawmaker said they had recei...

Costco’s CEO will step down in January and hand the reins to the retailer’s current president

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

ISSAQUAH, Wash. (AP) — Costco announced Wednesday that CEO W. Craig Jelinek will step down in January. He’ll be succeeded by the company’s president, Ron Vachris, who has been with Costco for more than 40 years.Jelinek has been CEO of the members-only warehouse chain since 2012, when he took over from Costco co-founder James Sinegal. Vachris started with Costco as a forklift driver and worked his way into management. The company based in Issaquah, Washington, said he has served in every major role related to Costco business operations and merchandising. Jelinek will remain with the company through April in an advisory role and will continue as a member of Costco’s board.Source

The Hunt: The fallout of the Israel-Hamas conflict

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

We’re learning more about how Hamas’ invasion into Israel was planned and some of the events that unfolded during and after the attack.On this week’s episode of “The Hunt with WTOP national security correspondent J.J. Green,” Green joins WTOP anchor Dimitri Sotis to take a closer look at how Hamas militants planned and executed their attack on Israel. toggle audio on and off change volume download audio Israel-Hamas conflict: The fallout and the latest on protests as a result of a hospital attack in Gaza $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-ur...

Friends of 7th grader killed on bike wear his favorite color

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

LITTLETON, Colo. (KDVR) — Dozens of friends and classmates of seventh grader Liam Stewart gathered about a block from Euclid Middle School on Wednesday to grow a memorial where he was struck and killed on his bike.“As a parent, you think about the unimaginable of losing a child," said Adam Long, a close friend of the Stewart family. "Just the deep anguish and heaviness of thinking of Liam’s parents.” FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Long said his son and Liam were best friends. “Liam was my son’s best friend for a number of years," Long said. Liam was on his everyday commute to school with just a little more than a block left when he was hit and killed.Liam loved Scouts, cello and the outdoorsLong and dozens of others set out flowers, cards and stuffed animals to show their love and support for Liam. FOX31 also learned through people at the memorial that Liam loved his Boy Scout troop, loved to play the cello and really enjoyed being outdoors. “Th...

Denver joins White House initiative to address homelessness

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced Wednesday that federal help is on the way to bring more solutions to their goal of getting more people housed.The work city leaders in Denver are doing to get more people in housing is getting national recognition. The White House wants to help Denver with that goal by giving the city a direct line to the federal government. BNSF: Tracks inspected day of deadly Colorado train derailment The leader of the nation's Interagency Council on Homelessness commended Johnston on his plan to get 1,000 people housed by the end of this year."Denver gives me hope right now," Jeff Olivet, USICH director, said about Denver's efforts to get people off the streets."Yet this is only a first step. It's a really important first step, but it's only a first step. We have to scale the work beyond just those first thousand people, and we have to ensure the permanent solutions of housing and wraparound supports are also being developed so that people ne...

Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue captain deployed to Israel shares firsthand account amid war

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

A South Florida firefighter on a mission in Israel shared his firsthand account after he answered the call for help amid the ongoing conflict.Just outside of Tel Aviv, firefighters heard sirens in the distance and missiles passing above them.Among them was Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Capt. Jason Friedman. He spoke with 7News via Zoom on Wednesday.“It was a little nerve-racking, to say the least,” he said.Heart-stopping video showed what the the first responder experienced while he was looking for shelter shortly after he arrived in Israel.Friedman is there with Emergency Volunteers Project, or EVP, and on day 6 of his deployment, he was stationed in Jerusalem, where he described it as eerily quiet.“I’m at a station that normally runs numbers between 10 and 15 calls a day. We’ve been running maybe, like, three to four calls a day,” he said.Friedman is helping respond to fire calls.“Here in Jerusalem, we’ve only had, I think, one or two ...

President Biden wraps up visit to Israel after meeting with leaders, pledging support

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:51 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — President Joe Biden swept into wartime Israel for a 7 1/2-hour visit Wednesday that produced a heaping dose of vocal support, a deal to get limited humanitarian aid into Gaza from Egypt, likely by the end of the week, and a plea for Israelis not to allow rage over the deadly Hamas attack to consume them.“I understand. Many Americans understand,” Biden said as he wrapped up his stay in Tel Aviv, likening the Oct. 7 Hamas assault to the attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, that killed nearly 3,000 people. “You can’t look at what has happened here … and not scream out for justice,” he said.“But I caution this: While you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it,” he said. “After 9/11, we were enraged in the United States. And while we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes.”Biden urged Israel to step back from the brink, not just to ease growing tensions in the Mideast that threaten to spiral into a b...