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Early signing period: Bay Area standouts sign with San Jose State, Cal and others

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:00 GMT

SAN MATEO – Joseph Bey and Jabari Mann spent this fall headlining one of the Bay Area’s all-time great high school teams, leading powerhouse Serra to a fourth consecutive championship in the Central Coast Section’s top division.When pen hit paper in the San Mateo school’s gymnasium on Wednesday, it became official that the duo would be staying close to home for college as the hard-hitting defenders donned San Jose State hats.“What kept me committed there is that it looked a lot like Serra to me,” said Bey. “I’ve talked to a lot of players there, they’ve said that this really is a brotherhood.”Mann had an offer from Oregon State and originally wanted to go somewhere outside of the Bay. But in the end, the three-star linebacker couldn’t pass up a chance to play with his Serra teammate down the road. “That’s my guy, and I love him to death,” Mann said of Bey. “We’ve got that trust from freshman year, and we’ve got four more years.”Bey and Mann were the crown jewels and highest ra...

Stanford signs 2024 class, including top recruit in remission from lymphoma

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:00 GMT

Seven four-star players highlight Troy Taylor’s second recruiting class at Stanford, including Mater Dei quarterback Elijah Brown, two star teammates from Miami and a Canadian lineman who is in remission from Stage 4 lymphoma less than a year after his diagnosis.Because of Stanford’s high academic standards, high school recruiting remains vital to the Cardinal’s success, even in the transfer-portal era.In total, the Cardinal on Wednesday signed 23 players who will join Stanford for its first year in the ACC.Brown, who will enroll early next month, was ranked as high as the No. 7 quarterback (Rivals) and is currently ranked No. 15 (233 overall) by ESPN.Defensive end Dylan Stephenson and tight end Benjamin Blackburn from Christopher Columbus High in Miami, Florida will also join the team. Stephenson is the 203rd-ranked overall prospect and Blackburn was ranked as high as the No. 10 tight end.Stanford’s top overall recruit, though, is Benedict Umeh of Toronto an...

Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly in merger talks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:00 GMT

By Oliver Darcy | CNNWarner Bros. Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav met on Tuesday with Paramount Global Chief Executive Bob Bakish, and they broached a potential merger between the two companies, two people familiar with the matter told CNN.A potential merger of the two media giants would create an entertainment and news juggernaut, encompassing Warner Bros. and Paramount studios as well as CBS, CNN, and other cable television assets.The discussion over lunch, which was first reported by Axios, took place at Paramount’s global headquarters in New York City’s Times Square.Spokespeople for Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount declined to comment.While a potential merger between the two studios could once again upend the media industry, the talks aren’t a complete surprise. Zaslav, who executed a number of acquisitions at Discovery, has talked in recent months about going shopping for additional assets to boost Warner Bros. Discovery’s content offerings.Meanwhile, Paramount is in...

Israel says it has uncovered major Hamas command center

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:00 GMT

By Josef Federman, Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | Associated PressJERUSALEM — The Israeli military on Wednesday said it had uncovered a major Hamas command center in the heart of Gaza City, inflicting what it described as a serious blow to the Islamic militant group as pressure grows on Israel to scale back its devastating military offensive in the coastal enclave.The army said it had exposed the center of a vast underground network used by Hamas to move weapons, militants and supplies throughout the Gaza Strip. Israel has said destroying the tunnels is a major objective of the offensive.The announcement came as Hamas’ top leader arrived in Egypt for talks aimed at brokering a temporary cease-fire and a new deal for Hamas to swap Israeli hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.Israeli leaders have vowed to press ahead with the two-month-old offensive, launched in response to a bloody cross-border attack by Hamas in October that killed some 1,200 people and saw 240 other...

Packers’ Campbell declines to discuss the cause of his frustrations after venting on social media

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:00 GMT

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell didn’t want to discuss on Wednesday whatever frustrations he’s experiencing this season that led to a social media post in which he announced he would no longer play through injuries.Posting on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, the eighth-year veteran wrote on Tuesday. “Not going out my way anymore and I’m not playing through injuries anymore cause when (stuff) goes wrong they always use it against you.”Campbell, who wears No. 59, then offered himself some advice, adding, “I’m treating everyone accordingly and giving them the same energy they giving me. Focus on yourself and your mental 59 you owe it to yourself.”At 6-8 after back-to-back losses to the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which the defense failed in key situations, the Packers likely need to win their final three games in order to make the NFC playoffs, starting with Sunday’s road game at Carolina (2-12). When repor...

Lo que sabemos de los estadounidenses que liberó el Gobierno de Venezuela

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:00 GMT

(CNN Español) — Estados Unidos llegó a un acuerdo para asegurar la liberación de seis estadounidenses detenidos injustamente y otros cuatro estadounidenses retenidos en Venezuela, anunciaron este miércoles altos funcionarios estadounidenses. A cambio, EE.UU. liberó a Alex Saab, descrito por el Gobierno venezolano como un diplomático de su país.La liberación incluye a seis estadounidenses que fueron declarados como detenidos injustamente: Eyvin Hernández, Jerrel Kenemore, Joseph Cristella y Savoi Wright, según un alto funcionario de la administración de Biden.Luke Denman y Airan Berry también están en el grupo de 10 estadounidenses liberados de Venezuela, dijo un funcionario estadounidense a CNN. Los dos exboinas verdes fueron encarcelados en Venezuela en mayo de 2020 por su presunto papel en lo que Maduro llamó un “golpe fallido”. Fueron condenados a 20 años de prisión.El alto funcionario de la administración dijo que no identificarían a las demás personas por motivos de priva...

Signing day: Georgia has top class with 5-star flip; Ohio St breathes sigh of relief on No. 1 player

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:00 GMT

The early signing period in college football opened Wednesday with some five-star drama.Georgia likely locked up the top recruiting class by flipping an in-state blue-chip player away from Florida State; the consensus No. 1 recruit in the country had Ohio State coach Ryan Day literally sighing with relief; and a five-star defensive lineman committed to Florida decided to delay his official decision — and that was the least of the bad news for the Gators.Meanwhile, the long and winding recruitment of Dylan Raiola ended bright and early with the highly touted quarterback signing a national letter of intent with Nebraska, the school where his father was an All-American offensive lineman.College football’s early signing period, jammed into what has become an overloaded December calendar with postseason games and players transferring, has become THE signing period.“The schedule is not good. It’s chaotic,” Penn State coach James Franklin told reporters.The big schools sign the...

SEC Signing Day: Georgia grabs top class after five-star flip, followed by Alabama

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:00 GMT

The Southeastern Conference, currently chasing its fifth consecutive national championship, racked up another collection of talent and a couple of five-star quarterbacks on Wednesday.Georgia coach Kirby Smart is bringing in the nation’s top-ranked class, just ahead of playoff-bound Alabama at No. 2, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. The early signing period runs through Friday.Two of the top three high school quarterbacks in the composite rankings have landed at SEC schools, with No. 1 Julian Sayin already practicing at Alabama ahead of the Rose Bowl against Michigan and Florida nabbing No. 3 DJ Lagway. Hugh Freeze’s first full-year recruiting efforts at Auburn are paying off with a class ranked eighth, followed by LSU (11th), Tennessee (13th) and Florida (15th). Eleven of the 14 SEC teams rank in the Top 25. And that doesn’t count incoming SEC members Texas (No. 5) and Oklahoma (No. 9), who led the way in the Big 12. LEADER OF THE PACKThe Georgia Bull...

UN Security Council again delays Gaza aid resolution vote as high-level talks try to avoid US veto

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:00 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council again Wednesday delayed the vote on a new U.N. resolution on desperately needed aid to Gaza for another day as the Biden administration struggles to change key wording in high-level negotiations seeking to avoid a U.S. veto.The United States is seeking to change the text’s references to a cessation of hostilities in the Israel-Hamas war and to putting the United Nations in charge of inspecting trucks to ensure they are actually carrying humanitarian goods, which Israel opposes.U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters on his way back from Milwaukee, Wisconsin that “we’re negotiating right now at the U.N. the contours of a resolution that we may be able to agree to.”Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh of the United Arab Emirates, which sponsored the Arab-backed resolution, said earlier that very high-level discussions are underway to try to reach agreement on a text that can be adopted.“Everyone wants to see a resolution that has impact...

Liverpool routs West Ham 5-1 and advances to the League Cup semifinals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:43:00 GMT

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — After finishing last season empty-handed, Liverpool kept its four-pronged trophy pursuit alive Wednesday by advancing to the League Cup semifinals with a 5-1 win over West Ham.Curtis Jones scored twice, with Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah also getting goals in the largely one-sided game at Anfield.Jarrod Bowen struck a consolation goal for West Ham.Liverpool will play Fulham in the two-legged semifinals, and second-division Middlesbrough will face Chelsea.“The performance, the scoresheet, the result and the individual performances put together to make a team on the pitch,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said. “We were brave in our positioning, our second ball game was exceptional. It was a really, really good performance from start to finish.”Liverpool can move atop the Premier League when it hosts first-place Arsenal on Saturday, is in the Europa League round of 16, and starts its FA Cup campaign next month.The Merseysid...