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Introducing The Los Angeles Ignite: A New Era in Basketball Fueled by Purpose

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:32 GMT

The city of Los Angeles, known for its glitz, glamour, and thriving sports culture, is about to witness a new spark igniting its basketball scene. Welcome to the world of the Los Angeles Ignite, a dynamic and passionate basketball organization that has recently joined The Basketball League known as the TBL (Led by Owner/CEO Evelyn Magley), poised to compete on the court, but also positively impact the community off the court.Philip McDonald, M.D.,  is at the helm of the Los Angeles Ignite venture, as our founder and Team Market Owner (TMO), after purchasing the team in June of 2023.  Dr McDonald is a board certified physician specializing in sports medicine radiology and completed his medical training from two of the countries most storied college basketball campuses in the University of Connecticut (UConn School of Medicine – MD 2006) and Duke University (Fellowship in Sports Medicine Radiology – 2012).  He is the Founder and CEO of his teleradiology practice, PrimeTime...

Warriors star Steph Curry wants to play for Team USA at 2024 Olympics

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:32 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry has accomplished just about all that a basketball player can over the course of his career, but there’s one thing still missing on his Hall of Fame résumé. Curry has never played in the Olympics, and he’s hoping that soon could change.Speaking Monday at Warriors media day, Curry said he intends to suit up for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.“If all things stay the same, I want to be playing,” Curry said. “Definitely want to be there, definitely want to be on the team and hopefully all things line up that way.” Curry’s comments come shortly after Kevin Durant shared his intentions to play for the U.S. at the upcoming Summer Games. LeBron James also appears to be on board and was reportedly spearheading a movement to convince some of the NBA’s top players, including Curry, to join him. Curry has won gold with Team USA in the 2010 and 2014 FIBA World Cup, but he has yet to play in the Olympics. H...

Oakland: Citing rising costs and crime, Irish pub Slainte makes ‘heartbreaking’ decision to close

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:32 GMT

Nearly seven years after opening in Oakland’s Jack London Square area, the modern Irish pub Slainte will shut its doors on Oct. 31.“Summer was very slow and between decreasing business and rising costs of supplies and labor, along with the rising crime in the area, we just can’t make the numbers work anymore,” the owners announced Monday on social media. “This means we, like so many others, have made the heartbreaking decision to close.”Irish-born executive chef Jackie Gallanagh and co-owner Jenny Schwarz opened the pub just after St. Patrick’s Day in 2017, offering an authentic food and bar menu and live music in this historic building on Broadway.In the farewell note, Slainte’s management implored the public to support them and the musicians they feature in this last month of business.This is a breaking story; please come back for details.Details: 131 Broadway, Oakland   

Former 49ers’ tight end Russ Francis dies in plane crash

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:32 GMT

Russ Francis, the free-spirited tight end who won a Super Bowl as a member of the 49ers in 1984, was killed along with another aviation enthusiast when the single-engine plane the two men were in crashed shortly after takeoff from an airport in upstate New York.Francis, 70, and Richard McSpadden, 63, had taken off from the Lake Placid Airport shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday in a Cessna 177 plane when the plane had some kind of problem. The New York State Police said it crashed into an embankment at the corner of the airport.A longtime flying enthusiast dating back to his pre-NFL days, Francis was the president of Lake Placid Airways, which runs charter and scenic flights. The airline’s website said Francis had been a pilot for almost 50 years and had run a charter service in Hawaii.Francis played six seasons for New England, made three Pro Bowls and was dubbed “All-World” by ABC announcer Howard Cosell following a big performance on a Monday Night Football game. He ret...

N.D. state senator, wife, 2 kids die in Utah plane crash

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:32 GMT

By Jack Dura and Mead Gruver | Associated PressBISMARCK, N.D. — A state senator from North Dakota, his wife and their two young children died when the small plane they were traveling in crashed in Utah, a Senate leader said Monday.Doug Larsen’s death was confirmed Monday in an email that Republican Senate Majority Leader David Hogue sent to his fellow senators and was obtained by The Associated Press.The plane crashed Sunday evening shortly after taking off from Canyonlands Airfield about 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of Moab, according to a Grand County Sheriff’s Department statement posted on Facebook. The sheriff’s office said all four people on board the plane were killed.“Senator Doug Larsen, his wife Amy, and their two young children died in a plane crash last evening in Utah,” Hogue wrote in his email. “They were visiting family in Scottsdale and returning home. They stopped to refuel in Utah.”“I’m not sure where the bere...

Russ Francis, tight end on SF 49ers’ 1984 Super Bowl team, dies in plane crash

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:32 GMT

Russ Francis, a popular free-spirited tight end who won a Super Bowl as a member of the 49ers in 1984, was killed along with another aviation enthusiast when the single-engine plane the two men were in crashed shortly after takeoff from an airport in upstate New York.Francis, 70, and Richard McSpadden, 63, had taken off from the Lake Placid Airport shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday in a Cessna 177 plane when the plane had some kind of problem. The New York State Police said it crashed into an embankment at the corner of the airport.A longtime flying enthusiast dating back to before his days in the NFL, Francis was the president of Lake Placid Airways, which runs charter and scenic flights. The airline’s website said Francis had been a pilot for almost 50 years and had run a charter service in Hawaii.Francis played six seasons for New England, made three Pro Bowls and was dubbed “All-World” by ABC announcer Howard Cosell following a big performance on Monday night. He abr...

‘Pearls Before Swine’ comics creator Stephan Pastis doesn’t mean to be prophetic …

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:32 GMT

Stephan Pastis is a lot of things – creator of the comic “Pearls Before Swine,” New York Times bestselling author, Disney movie writer — but one thing he probably never expected was to be a guy who predicted January 6.The moment came in a “Pearls” strip when Rat, a character who’s become president of the United States, is overthrown in a coup staged by a pith helmet-wearing duck. Pastis wrote this plot in 2020 but, due to advanced scheduling, they were slated to run right after the Trump-fueled D.C. riots.“If you do a strip about a plane crash, it’s always a risk because you never know what’s going to happen in the news when the strip comes out much later,” Pastis says. “But when you do a strip about an attempted coup in the federal government — you NEVER think that’s going to happen. That was so strange and unexpected.”The syndicate wound up temporarily pulling the strips. But you can find them in Pastis’ newest comics compendium, “Pearls S...

Feinstein to lie in state at SF City Hall Wednesday

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:32 GMT

The late Sen. Dianne Feinstein will lie in state at San Francisco City Hall on Wednesday, the senator's office confirmed Sunday night. The public is invited to pay their respects and sign a condolence book Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.On Thursday, a funeral service for Feinstein will be held at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in the Herbst Theatre beginning at 1 p.m. Due to limited space, the funeral service will not be open to the public, according to Feinstein's office. SF Fleet Week 2023: schedule, events, what you need to know A simulcast of the service will be available for public viewing at the North Light Court at San Francisco City Hall and online. A link to the online simulcast will be made available later this week, the office said.Following the service, the senator will be buried at a private, family-only ceremony, Feinstein's office said.Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

San Francisco 1 of 7 counties to begin Care Court on Monday

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:32 GMT

(BCN) -- Starting Monday, family members, behavioral health providers and first responders with a history of engagement with individuals struggling with untreated mental illness, may begin using a new program for government assistance called Care Court.San Francisco is one of the first of seven California counties to implement the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Act. The new state law includes a civil court process designed to provide community-based behavioral health services to residents who are living with untreated schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders. SF Fleet Week 2023: schedule, events, what you need to know "While participation in the program is voluntary, it will provide another tool to engage those who are not currently seeking care," according to a statement from San Francisco Mayor London Breed. But for gravely disabled people who decline voluntary care, this law includes a potential work-around.Care Court can be used by two parties. A pet...

Coach Eddie Jones backed by union amid Australia’s worst Rugby World Cup campaign

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:30:32 GMT

SAINT-ETIENNE, France (AP) — Rugby Australia has doubled down on backing coach Eddie Jones while the Wallabies are on the brink of missing the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals for the first time.CEO Phil Waugh also criticized Jones for partly excusing their results as preparation for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, which Australia will stage.“We’re committed to Eddie in the commitment we made to him earlier in the year,” Waugh said after Australia completed the pool stage by beating Portugal 34-14 on Sunday.“I’ve been pretty forthright around the fact we are committed to Eddie and he probably looks at the campaign and is bitterly disappointed about his performance and the Wallabies’ performance. It’s a pretty challenging world being a coach and I can understand that.”Jones was contracted to the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.He was criticized before coming to France after picking a young squad — 25 of the 33-man squad were going to their first Rugby World Cup — and c...