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Kurtenbach: The 49ers’ embarrassing loss to Baltimore might be the gut-check this team needed

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:11 GMT

SANTA CLARA — If you’re a 49ers fan who received Super Bowl tickets for Christmas, you might want to ask for a gift receipt.That’s because the showdown between the AFC and NFC’s top seeds, the Ravens and Niners — the biggest game of the regular season — didn’t turn out to be much of a contest.Brock Purdy threw four interceptions, the 49ers’ defense was carved up like a holiday roast by Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, and the Niners were blown out 33-19 at home in front of a national television audience.This was too big a game to now claim as unimportant or uninformative. Bad luck or injuries had nothing to do with the loss.“We got our tails kicked in,” George Kittle said.And that’s the first time that’s really happened to the Niners this season without an obvious excuse.Yes, San Francisco went up against a worthy adversary and didn’t look worthy of the stage.That’s the kind of loss that throws everything into questi...

Muni once again offering free rides all over the city on New Year's Eve

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:11 GMT

(BCN) -- For the 24th year in a row, Muni will offer free rides in San Francisco on New Year's Eve to allow for celebratory drinking of alcohol without getting behind the wheel. From Sunday night and going through to 5 a.m. Monday, Muni buses will be traversing the city to shuttle people home at no cost, with extra OWL bus routes running until the wee hours. Extra Muni subway service began at 8 p.m. Sunday and is running until 2:15 a.m. Monday. The secret life of gift cards: What happens to the billions that go unspent each year A spokesperson for Muni said the agency was taking a cue from San Francisco's Vision Zero plan to eliminate traffic fatalities. Since all rides are free, passengers are reminded not to tap their Clipper cards to make sure that they don't get charged. Muni Mobile passes will also not be necessary. All Muni fare gates will simply remain open. For a full list of Muni's New Year's Eve ride information and extra services, go to SFMTA.com/NYE. Copyright © 20...

Stock market today: Wall Street inches higher at the start of a holiday-shortened week

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:11 GMT

Stocks edged higher early Tuesday as Wall Street kicked off what’s expected to be a quiet, holiday-shortened week of trading.The S&P 500 was up 0.3%. The benchmark index is near its all-time high set nearly two years ago following its longest winning streak since 2017.The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 53 points, or 0.1%, at 37,438 as of 10:05 a.m. Eastern. The Nasdaq composite was 0.4% higher.Gains in technology stocks helped lift the market. Chipmaker Nvidia rose 1.1%. Energy stocks climbed along with crude oil prices. Hess rose 1%.Drugmaker Bristol Myers Squibb said Tuesday that it will acquire RayzeBio in a $4.1 billion deal, just days after buying Karuna Therapeutics for $14 billion. Bristol Myers shares slipped 1%, while RayzeBio doubled to $61.38, close to the $62.50 that each share will fetch in its acquisition.Treasury yields were slightly higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury was at 3.91% from 3.90% late Friday. Wall Street is coming off its eighth strai...

USC’s JuJu Watkins is poised to step in as the next big star of women’s college basketball

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:11 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Caitlin Clark — the current Associated Press national player of the year — is in what may be her final season at Iowa. She could stay one more year as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as could Angel Reese of national champion LSU.Regardless of their futures, JuJu Watkins is poised to step in as the next big star of the women’s game.The Southern California freshman guard is the nation’s second-leading scorer at 26.8 points per game, right behind Clark, who leads with 30.5.Watkins earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors in each of her first five weeks. She broke Lisa Leslie’s school record for most 30-point games by a freshman, with five in her first seven games.She’s led the Trojans to a No. 6 ranking in the AP Top 25 poll and a 10-0 record.Watkins sat out a win at Long Beach State on Dec. 21, with USC only saying she was day-to-day and not explaining further.She wasn’t feeling well in a win over Cal State Fullerton three days earlier, leaving the court twice...

Sports on TV for Wednesday, December 27

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:11 GMT

(All times Eastern)Schedule subject to change and/or blackoutsWednesday, December 27COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)7 p.m.ACCN — Morgan St. at VirginiaCOLLEGE FOOTBALL2 p.m.ESPN — The Military Bowl Presented by GoBowling.com: Virginia Tech vs. Tulane, Annapolis, Md.5:30 p.m.ESPN — The Duke’s Mayo Bowl: North Carolina vs. West Virginia, Charlotte, N.C.8 p.m.FOX — The DIRECTV Holiday Bowl: Louisville vs. Southern Cal, San Diego9 p.m.ESPN — The TaxAct Texas Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma St., HoustonIIHF HOCKEY (MEN’S)6 a.m.NHLN — World Junior Hockey Championship Group Stage: Slovakia vs. Switzerland, Group B, Gothenburg, Sweden8:30 a.m.NHLN — World Junior Hockey Championship Group Stage: Finland vs. Germany, Group A, Gothenburg, Sweden11 a.m.NHLN — World Junior Hockey Championship Group Stage: Norway Czech Republic, Group B, Gothenburg, Sweden1:30 p.m.NHLN — World Junior Hockey Championship Group Stage: Latvia vs. Canada, Group A, Gothenburg, Sweden NBA BASKETBALL7 p.m.NBATV — Toronto at ...

Today in Sports – Luka Dončić becomes 1st player to register a 60-21-10 triple-double in NBA history

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:11 GMT

Dec. 271953 — The Detroit Lions edge the Cleveland Browns 17-16 for the NFL championship. Doak Walker’s extra point, following a 33-yard scoring pass, is the difference.1959 — The Baltimore Colts beat the New York Giants 31-16 in the NFL championship. Three field goals by Pat Summerall give the Giants a 9-7 lead after three periods, but Baltimore’s defensive backfield makes three interceptions that result in scores.1964 — The Cleveland Browns break out after a scoreless first half with 17 points in the third quarter and go on to beat the Baltimore Colts 27-0 for the NFL title.1974 — Ohio State junior running back Archie Griffin wins the Heisman Trophy.1981 — Edmonton Oiler Wayne Gretzky becomes fastest NHLer to get 100 point in a season (his 38th game), with 4 goals and an assist in 10-3 win over visiting Los Angeles Kings.1987 — Steve Largent of the Seattle Seahawks becomes the NFL’s all-time reception leader in the Seahawks’ 41-20 loss to Kansas City. Largent’s six catches gives h...

Justin Thomas says new year in golf brings opportunity to everyone

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:11 GMT

The next season on the PGA Tour already has the perception of being two tours. The elite are in the $20 million signature events with a big boost in FedEx Cup points. The rest are playing for less money ($8.5 million on average) and having to play well to advance their stock.But being in that top group still has to be earned.Justin Thomas, who didn’t have an elite year, wonders why some of the rank-and-file complain about advantages for the perennially top players instead of seeking inspiration from the likes of Eric Cole and Adam Schenk.“I think it’s the easy thing to do, honestly, to sit there and say: ‘Why me? Why is this happening to me? Why are they getting this?’” Thomas said.Cole spent a decade on the mini-tours, finally worked his way up to the PGA Tour and finished at No. 43 in the FedEx Cup in his rookie season to get into all the big-money tournaments next year. He went from No. 384 to No. 41 in the world ranking and he’s headed to the Masters.Thomas singled out Schenk. H...

Sweden’s bid to join NATO is back for debate by a Turkish parliamentary committee

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:11 GMT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs committee resumed deliberations Tuesday on Sweden’s bid to join NATO, days after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan linked the Nordic country’s admission to U.S. approval of Turkey’s request to purchase F-16 fighter jets.Turkey, a NATO member, lifted its objection to Sweden joining the trans-Atlantic alliance in July but the ratification process has since stalled in parliament. Turkey accuses Sweden of not taking its security concerns seriously enough, including its fight against Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara considers to be security threats.This month, Erdogan threw up another obstacle by saying openly that Turkey would only ratify Sweden’s NATO membership bid if the U.S. Congress approved Ankara’s request to buy 40 new F-16 fighter jets and kits to modernize its existing fleet. The Turkish leader also called on the two legislatures to act “simultaneously” and said Canada and other NATO allies m...

Atomic watchdog report says Iran is increasing production of highly enriched uranium

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:11 GMT

VIENNA (AP) — Iran has increased the rate at which it is producing near weapons grade uranium in recent weeks, reversing a previous slowdown that started in the middle of this year, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report to member states.Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in the report that Iran “in recent weeks had increased its production of highly enriched uranium, reversing a previous output reduction from mid-2023,” according to an IAEA spokesperson Sunday. Iran had previously slowed down the rate at which it was enriching uranium to 60% purity. Uranium enriched at 60% purity is just a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.The U.N. nuclear watchdog said its inspectors had verified the increased rate of production since the end of November at facilities in Natanz and Fordow to about 9 kilograms per month, up from 3 kilograms per month since June and representing a return to earlier levels of production. Enriching uranium mean...

This Week: Fed manufacturing index, pending home sales, Chicago business barometer

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:11 GMT

A look at some of the key business events and economic indicators upcoming this weekEYE ON MANUFACTURINGThe Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond issues its monthly manufacturing activity index Wednesday.The index represents a weighted average of the shipments, new orders and employment indexes covering the bank’s district, which encompasses several states, including Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. Economists expect December’s reading improved to -4 from -5 in November. The index can range between +100 and -100. Readings above zero indicate expansion in manufacturing activity.Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index, monthly.July -9.0Aug. -7.0Sept. 5.0Oct. 3.0Nov. -5.0Dec. (est.) -4.0Source: FactSetTRACKING HOME SALESThe National Association of Realtors releases its latest monthly pending home sales index Thursday.Pending home sales fell 1.5% in October as the average rate on a 30-year mortgage surged to its highest level since 2000. Economists predict the index rose 0.5% last month, as e...