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Alfonso Ribeiro can’t wait to chill with Elmo at ‘A Capitol Fourth’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:50 GMT

Hear our full chat on my podcast “Beyond the Fame with Jason Fraley.” toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley previews 'A Capitol Fourth' with Alfonso Ribeiro (Part 1) $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); He’s known for “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and “Dancing with the Stars.”This Fourth of July, Alfonso Ribeiro hosts “A Capitol Fourth”; the concer...

Dodgers bring 3-game road win streak into game against the Rockies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:50 GMT

Los Angeles Dodgers (44-34, third in the NL West) vs. Colorado Rockies (31-50, fifth in the NL West)Denver; Wednesday, 8:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Dodgers: TBD; Rockies: Kyle Freeland (4-8, 4.54 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 53 strikeouts)BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Dodgers visit the Colorado Rockies trying to prolong a three-game road winning streak.Colorado has a 31-50 record overall and an 18-21 record in home games. The Rockies have a 23-11 record in games when they have more hits than their opponents.Los Angeles has a 20-19 record in road games and a 44-34 record overall. The Dodgers have gone 26-12 in games when they hit two or more home runs.The teams meet Wednesday for the fourth time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Ryan McMahon has 20 doubles, three triples and 12 home runs for the Rockies. Ezequiel Tovar is 14-for-41 with a double, a triple and two home runs over the last 10 games.Mookie Betts leads Los Angeles with 19 home runs while slugging .503. Will Smith is 9-for-34 with two hom...

Padres take 3-game losing streak into matchup with the Pirates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:50 GMT

San Diego Padres (37-42, fourth in the NL West) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (36-42, fourth in the NL Central)Pittsburgh; Wednesday, 7:05 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Padres: Blake Snell (4-6, 3.33 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 104 strikeouts); Pirates: Mitch Keller (8-3, 3.45 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 113 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Padres -163, Pirates +138; over/under is 8 runsBOTTOM LINE: The San Diego Padres are looking to end a three-game losing streak with a win against the Pittsburgh Pirates.Pittsburgh is 36-42 overall and 19-19 in home games. The Pirates have a 22-4 record in games when they scored at least five runs.San Diego has a 17-20 record on the road and a 37-42 record overall. The Padres have the fifth-best team ERA in MLB play at 3.80.The matchup Wednesday is the second time these teams square off this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Andrew McCutchen has nine doubles and nine home runs for the Pirates. Carlos Santana is 11-for-39 with two doubles, two home runs and six RBI over the past 10 ga...

New York Mets square off against the Milwaukee Brewers Wednesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:50 GMT

Milwaukee Brewers (41-38, second in the NL Central) vs. New York Mets (36-43, fourth in the NL East)New York; Wednesday, 7:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Brewers: Wade Miley (5-2, 2.91 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 31 strikeouts); Mets: Kodai Senga (6-5, 3.52 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 93 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Mets -147, Brewers +125; over/under is 9 runsBOTTOM LINE: The New York Mets take on the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.New York has a 36-43 record overall and an 18-16 record in home games. The Mets rank fourth in the NL with 96 total home runs, averaging 1.2 per game.Milwaukee has gone 19-20 on the road and 41-38 overall. The Brewers have a 26-5 record in games when they have more hits than their opponents.The teams square off Wednesday for the sixth time this season. The Brewers are ahead 4-1 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Pete Alonso has six doubles, a triple and 24 home runs for the Mets. Francisco Lindor is 11-for-31 with two doubles, four home runs and 10 RBI over the las...

Phillies take 7-game road win streak into matchup with the Cubs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:50 GMT

Philadelphia Phillies (41-37, third in the NL East) vs. Chicago Cubs (37-40, third in the NL Central)Chicago; Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Phillies: Aaron Nola (6-5, 4.38 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 98 strikeouts); Cubs: Drew Smyly (7-4, 3.59 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 69 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Phillies -123, Cubs +104; over/under is 8 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Phillies will try to keep a seven-game road win streak alive when they take on the Chicago Cubs.Chicago is 20-18 at home and 37-40 overall. The Cubs have gone 13-26 in games when they have allowed a home run.Philadelphia is 20-23 in road games and 41-37 overall. The Phillies have gone 17-7 in games decided by one run.Wednesday’s game is the fifth time these teams square off this season. The Phillies are ahead 3-1 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS:Kyle Schwarber leads Philadelphia with 20 home runs while slugging .434. Brandon Marsh is 13-for-36 with two home runs and five RBI over the past 10 games.LA...

Jury ends 2nd day of deliberations over then-Parkland school resource officer’s fate in rare trial over police conduct in a mass shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:50 GMT

(CNN) — Jurors concluded their second day of deliberations Tuesday evening in the trial of the former school resource officer who stayed outside during the 2018 mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school – the culmination of a rare prosecution of a law enforcement officer over his response to a mass shooting.Deliberations are expected to resume Wednesday morning.Prosecutors say Scot Peterson, 60, ignored his training and common sense and chose to do nothing as 17 people, including 14 students, were gunned down at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the deadliest high school shooting in US history. His attorney argued the then-deputy for the Broward Sheriff’s Office didn’t enter the building where the carnage unfolded because he couldn’t tell where the shots were coming from.“His job was to go and investigate and make his presence known, and that simply did not happen,” Assistant State Attorney Christopher Killoran said in closing rebuttal arguments Monday.The verdict is a...

Italy voices anger at ECB interest rate hikes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:50 GMT

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has criticised the European Central Bank over repeatedly hiking interest rates to combat inflation, saying the “cure” may be worse than “the disease.”The ECB raised its interest rates to their highest level in more than 20 years this month, taking the benchmark rate in the euro area to 3.5 percent, the highest since May 2001, and signaled another hike to come next month.Addressing the Rome Parliament on Wednesday, Meloni called inflation “a hateful hidden tax” and said it was “right to fight it decisively, but the simplistic recipe for rate increases undertaken by the ECB does not appear to be the most correct path … One cannot fail to consider the risk that the constant increase in interest rates is a more harmful cure than the disease.”Members of Meloni’s government have reacted critically after ECB president Christine Lagarde said on Tuesday that rates were likely to keep going up. Speakin...

EU reaches deal on joint weapons purchases

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:50 GMT

Top European Union institutions have rubber-stamped an unprecedented scheme to make it easier for EU countries to jointly buy weapons. The deal to procure military materiel will boost Europe’s defense industry, and “EU member states will be able to more effectively replenish their stocks depleted by donations to Ukraine,” said Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson after the deal between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU was announced Tuesday evening. In the past year and a half, European countries have regularly provided weapons to Ukraine to help it fend off Russia’s all-out assault. However, the pace of production is not fast enough to replenish Europe’s stocks, as defense companies have complained they can’t ramp up without contracts. The EU legislation — known in full as the regulation on establishing the instrument for the reinforcement of the European defence industry through common procurement (EDIRPA) — has a budget of €300 m...

Fatal clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh as Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks begin in DC

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:50 GMT

YEREVAN — Four Armenian servicemen were killed after Azerbaijan carried out strikes along the tense contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh in the early hours of Wednesday morning, officials in the breakaway region have said.In a statement, the Armenian-backed government of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic said its troops came under heavy artillery fire and drone attacks overnight, but that the situation has since stabilized.The day prior, Azerbaijan’s defense ministry alleged one of its troops had been shot in the isolated mountain territory. Karabakh Armenian officials deny the claims, saying Baku created the pretext “for a new provocation.”The clashes come as high-stakes peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in Washington. Foreign ministers from both sides met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday ahead of trilateral negotiations slated to continue until Thursday.“The U.S. is encouraged by recent efforts of Armenia and Azerba...

Lawyer accused of series of sex assaults indicted in more attacks in the North End

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:40:50 GMT

A New Jersey man charged earlier this month in a series of sexual assaults in Charlestown in the 2000s was indicted Tuesday on new charges connected to a spate of rapes and sexual attacks in the North End in 2007 and 2008, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.Matthew Nilo, 35, was indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury on seven charges—one count of rape, one count of aggravated rape, three counts of assault with intent to rape and two counts of indecent assault and battery. The alleged attacks occurred between January 2007 and July 2008Nilo will be formally charged on the new counts at his next court appearance July 13. Nilo was released June 15 after posting $500,000 bail.The charges stem from five attacks on four women in the North End. One of the victims was attacked twice, 11 days apart. The attacks occurred in January 2007, July 2007, January 2008 and July 2008.The incidents followed a similar pattern. The victims were attacked while they were walking alone, in the...