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Home Stretch Property Management Launched Turn Key Property Solutions to Address Saint Louis’ Real Estate ChallengesThe Novak Djokovic -founded PTPA (Professional Tennis Players Association) has hit back at the WTA over their claim that Iga Swiatek’s suspension was an “unfortunate incident”. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed that Swiatek had received a one-month suspension, the majority of which has been completed, after it was deemed the Polish star carried “no significant fault or negligence.” The world No. 2 was found to have had trimetazidine (TMZ) in her system shortly before the Cincinnati Open, before serving 22 days of her ban during the Asian swing. A swift statement was released by the WTA describing the situation as an “unfortunate incident” as their support was offered to Swiatek as she navigated the suspension and subsequent fall-out. But the PTPA have taken issue with that labelling by the WTA, as the association’s executive director Ahmad Nassar took to social media to lament the response. “I’m sorry. This was not an “unfortunate incident,” Nassar wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “A real unfortunate incident is something you cannot control. Tennis can – and should! – no, must! – control its own anti-doping process. “Athletes indeed face ‘challenges.’ Like, the weather. And their opponents. But the messy, tennis-establishment imposed anti-doping process is not some ‘challenge’ athletes must overcome. That’s a cop-out. “What ‘precaution’ should Iga have taken here? Pre-test melatonin on the minuscule chance it was contaminated? Come on. “Perhaps the tours which claim to ‘fully support’ players should offer pre-tested common medications, like melatonin, to all players? What’s that? Sounds unreasonable? Oh ok – then why do we place even more unreasonable standards and burdens on individual athletes??? “And dropping this on Thanksgiving morning in the US is classic subterfuge.” With just eight days left on Swiatek’s suspension, she will be able to return and compete in her next two events at the United Cup and the Australian Open , months after men’s No. 1 Jannik Sinner was cleared following his positive test for a banned anabolic steroid. Swiatek was found to have been “at the lowest end of the range for no significant fault or negligence” and explained her violation was caused by a contaminated supply of the non-prescription medication melatonin. The ITIA accepted Swiatek’s explanation that the melatonin provided to the 23-year-old by her physio was contaminated during manufacturing, resulting in an extremely low trace of TMZ. But the PTPA have since been up in arms at the WTA’s reaction. Djokovic founded the association with Vasek Pospisil in 2020, which represents players in both the ATP and WTA in an attempt to "provide players with a self-governance structure that is independent from the ATP and is directly responsive to player-members needs and concerns".

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A United Nations watchdog has been selected to lead an external probe into allegations of sexual misconduct against the top prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, The Associated Press learned Tuesday. The move will likely generate conflict of interest concerns owing to the prosecutor’s wife’s past work for the oversight body. Chief prosecutor Karim Khan provided updates on the court’s politically sensitive investigations into war crimes and atrocities in Ukraine, Gaza and Venezuela among other conflict areas during the institution’s annual meeting this week in The Hague, Netherlands. But hanging over the gathering of the ICC’s 124 member states are allegations against Khan himself. An in October found that at the same time the ICC was readying a warrant for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Khan was facing internal accusations that he tried to coerce a female aide into a sexual relationship and groped her against her will over a period of several months. The Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, which oversees the ICC, into the allegations but hadn’t said who it would select to conduct the probe. At this week’s meeting, Päivi Kaukoranta, a Finnish diplomat currently heading the ICC’s oversight body, told delegates that she has settled on the U.N.’s Office of Internal Oversight Services, two diplomats told the AP on the condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks. Two respected human rights group last month already expressed concern about the possible selection of the U.N. because Khan’s wife, a prominent human rights attorney, worked at the agency in Kenya in 2019 and 2020 investigating sexual harassment. The International Federation for Human Rights and Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice, in a joint statement, said Khan should be suspended while the probe is being carried out and called for “thoroughly vetting the chosen investigative body, firm, or institution to ensure it is free from conflicts of interest and possesses demonstrated expertise.” What they described as Khan’s “close relationship” with the U.N. agency deserved added scrutiny, the two groups said. “We strongly recommend ensuring that these concerns are openly and transparently addressed before assigning the mandate to the OIOS,” the two organizations said. Kaukoranta declined to comment when asked about the investigation by the AP on Tuesday on the sidelines of the annual meeting. The U.N. and Khan’s attorney didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The accusations against Khan surfaced when two court employees in whom the alleged victim confided came forward with the accusation in May, a few weeks before Khan , his defense minister and three Hamas leaders on war crimes charges. A three-judge panel last month for the Israelis and the sole remaining Hamas leader whose death from Israel’s bombing campaign hasn’t been confirmed. AP reported that Khan traveled frequently with the woman after transferring her to his office from another department at the ICC’s headquarters. During one foreign trip, Khan allegedly asked the woman to rest with him on a hotel bed and then “sexually touched her,” according to whistleblower documents shared with the court’s watchdog and seen by the AP. Later, he came to her room at 3 a.m. and knocked on the door for 10 minutes. Other allegedly nonconsensual behavior cited in the documents included locking the door of his office and sticking his hand in her pocket. He also allegedly asked her on several occasions to go on a vacation together. After the two co-workers reported the alleged behavior, the court’s internal watchdog interviewed the woman but she opted against filing a complaint due to her distrust of the watchdog, according to the AP investigation. Khan was never questioned and the watchdog’s inquiry was closed within five days. Although the 900-employee ICC has long had a “zero-tolerance” policy on sexual harassment, an outside review of the court’s inner-workings in 2020 found an unacceptable level of predatory behavior by male bosses, a lack of women in senior positions and inadequate mechanisms for dealing with complaints and protecting whistleblowers. “There is a general reluctance, if not extreme fear, among many staff to report any alleged act of misconduct or misbehavior” by a senior official, the experts concluded in their 348-page report. “The perception is that they are all immune.” Although the ICC’s policies have been updated since the report, a 2024 internal reported obtained by AP showed that 30% of respondents to a staff survey reported they had experienced discrimination, abuse or harassment in the previous 12 months. While the court’s watchdog could not determine wrongdoing, it nonetheless urged Khan in a memo to minimize contact with the woman to protect the rights of all involved and safeguard the court’s integrity. Complicating any truth-seeking investigation have been attempts by Israel and others to undermine the court’s credibility. Under Khan, the ICC has become more assertive in combating crimes against humanity and along the way it has added to a growing list of enemies. Last September, following the opening of a probe into Russian atrocities in Ukraine, the court suffered a debilitating cyberattack that left staff unable to work for weeks. It also hired an intern who was later criminally charged in the U.S. with being a Russian spy. Israel has also been waging its own influence campaign ever since the ICC recognized Palestine as a member and in 2015 opened a preliminary investigation into what the court referred to as “the situation in the State of Palestine.” London’s The Guardian newspaper and several Israeli news outlets reported this summer that Israel’s intelligence agencies for the past decade have allegedly targeted senior ICC staff, including putting Khan’s predecessor under surveillance and showing up at her house with envelopes stuffed with cash to discredit her. Netanyahu himself, in the days leading up to Khan’s announcement of war crimes charges, called on the world’s democracies “to use all the means at their disposal” to block the court from what he called an “outrage of historic proportions.” ___ Goodman reported from Miami. Molly Quell And Joshua Goodman, The Associated PressAbdelgowad scores 26 in UMass’ 86-52 victory over UMass-BostonBritt Baker says she’s ‘exhausted’ by social media critics: ‘I’m done being polite’

AIA Middle East Conference concludes, MDD wins awardTeam Canada Rosters for the upcoming Four Nations Tournament are set to be released tomorrow, and Insiders Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun now has a full read on the roster - that has left off Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard, and Stuart Skinner. Johnston and LeBrun evaluated every position with what they've heard from Canadian executives about fringe pieces on the roster. The only Oiler is Connor McDavid, playing first line center. The fourth line spots are expected to go to Anthony Cirelli, Sam Bennett, and Travis Konecny as Team Canada targets grit and penalty killing in their bottom six. There was significantly lobby from the Edmonton Oilers to get Zach Hyman on the Canada roster playing next to McDavid, but it seems he's been passed over. Hyman recently opened up about potentially missing out on the Canada roster . On defence, the locks for Canada are reported to be: Cale Makar, Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore, Devon Toews, and Travis Sanheim. Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard was in the conversation to make the roster, but instead, the last two spots are going to Josh Morrissey and Colton Parayko. In goal, Team Canada is expected to be going with Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, and Samuel Montembault. After Stuart Skinner took the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final last year, he was surely in conversation for Team Canada. However, Skinner's inconsistent start to this season has taken him off this roster . The full roster for Team Canada is expected to look as follows: Specifically leaving out Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard are some controversial choices. Hyman plays a hard checking game that would be great for the top line or the fourth line, and Evan Bouchard is an elite puck mover which could capitalize on Canada's talent up front. It'll be very unfortunate for the Oilers to be cut from Team Canada and only send Connor McDavid after they had so many candidates, but still, Oilers fans and the players cut will still be cheering their hearts out for Canada. This article first appeared on Oilers Daily and was syndicated with permission.

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This photo provided by Brian Glenn shows what appears to be multiple drones flying over Bernardsville, New Jersey, on Dec. 5. | Brian Glenn/TMX/AP via CNN Newsource New York (CNN) — Federal agencies are facing intense pressure to give the public more details on unexplained drone sightings in the New York City metropolitan area and beyond that have been going on for weeks over residential neighborhoods as well as restricted sites and critical infrastructure. On Saturday, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey posted on X about the “growing number of drone sightings” there, making her state the latest to report such sightings, joining New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Federal officials have sought to calm the concerns about the sightings, but without giving further details about what they might be. They say there’s no evidence of a public safety threat, and many of the reported sightings are cases of mistaken identity. “The bottom line is this: They’re not providing enough information to the public, and the public is concerned,” US Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat and member of the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN’s Kate Bolduan Friday. “Believe me, I’m hearing from my constituents about this all the time, and I think it’s time for them to immediately get out there and brief.” A drone sighting prompted the temporary closure of runways at New York’s Stewart International Airport on Friday night, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the Orange County airport about 70 miles north of New York City. There were no impacts to the airport’s flight operations during the closure, which lasted about an hour, according to the Port Authority, which was alerted to the sighting by the Federal Aviation Administration. “This has gone too far,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement Saturday, adding that last month she “directed the New York State Intelligence Center to actively investigate drone sightings and coordinate with federal law enforcement to address this issue.” Earlier Friday, New York Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis called the response to the sightings “outrageous,” saying there are “drones and unmanned aerial systems flying above us and our government is not telling us who’s operating them and for what purpose?” Malliotakis joined Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella in demanding answers. Fossella said the drones, often seen flying at night, have been spotted hovering over critical infrastructures including Port Liberty New York near the Goethals Bridge, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and Fort Wadsworth, one of the oldest military installations in the country. Representatives of the federal agencies investigating the drones who have briefed local officials behind closed doors said the drones sometimes appear to fly in a coordinated pattern and can sometimes be in flight for up to six hours, according to Montvale, New Jersey, Mayor Mike Ghassali. And though federal officials have said there is no evidence the drone sightings pose a public safety threat, Belleville, New Jersey, Mayor Michael Melham has said he has received guidance police should call the county bomb squad if they encounter a downed drone. In addition, local fire departments should wear hazmat suits when they respond, Melham said, saying the information was shared by his Office of Emergency Management following recent state-level meetings. “We just don’t know what these things are, so we are being cautious,” Melham said. One New Jersey lawmaker is accusing federal officials of lying about the presence and purpose of the mysterious drones. “They’re lying. That’s the long and the short of it,” Republican Assemblyman Erik Peterson said in an interview Saturday with CNN’s Victor Blackwell. Like several other officials and lawmakers, Peterson said he’s personally seen drones hovering near his rural New Jersey home, where he said the absence of street lights and nearby flight paths allows for clear visibility. Peterson referenced the government’s response to the Chinese spy balloon that traversed over parts of the United States in 2023 to illustrate his point that the government is either embarrassed or unwilling to disclose the truth about the mystery drones due to security concerns. “Why would you lie? Either because the reason that this is happening is incredibly embarrassing to the administration or it’s an incredibly high security risk for the country and they don’t want to tell us,” he said. President-elect Donald Trump, meanwhile, has called on the Biden administration to either release any information it has about the mysterious sightings or shoot the drones out of the sky. “Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge. I don’t think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!! DJT,” Trump posted on Truth Social. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Friday his agency knows of “no threat or of any nefarious activity” related to the sightings. Mayorkas pledged to be transparent “if we learn of any cause for concern.” Officials are currently prioritizing the use of sophisticated radio frequency technology that can geolocate the operator of a drone, a source familiar with the investigation told CNN. There are multiple technical capabilities authorities can use to try and “defeat” a drone, including jamming a signal, disconnecting it from the operator or remotely “hijack” a drone but every option can pose numerous risks, the source said. “Blowing it out of the sky is the last resort,” the source said, noting the option is always on the table if an aircraft presents a threat. Federal and state officials said using offensive techniques to bring down the drones poses an unnecessary risk to people on the ground and legal challenges, especially as they have not been deemed threatening, the source said. New Jersey’s Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has formally requested additional resources from the Biden administration to better address the ongoing situation. “While I am sincerely grateful for your administration’s leadership in addressing this concerning issue, it has become apparent that more resources are needed to fully understand what is behind this activity,” Murphy said in a letter dated Thursday. CNN has reached out to the White House for comment. Murphy’s concerns come as Naval Weapons Station Earle, a US Navy base south of Middletown, New Jersey, acknowledged Friday it had spotted “several instances of unidentified drones entering the airspace” above the facility despite no direct threats being identified. “The base remains prepared to respond to any potential risks, leveraging robust security measures and advanced detection capabilities,” station spokesperson Bill Addison said in an email to CNN, adding there are airspace restrictions above the station. The energy company PSEG on Saturday said it has “contacted the appropriate authorities” about reports of drones flying over its Salem and Hope Creek nuclear power plants in New Jersey. Democratic Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey posted videos to his X account showing what appeared to be a cluster of drones over the Round Valley Reservoir Thursday night. “This has gone on for weeks,” Kim wrote. “It’s hard to understand how with the technology we have we aren’t able to track these devices to determine origin and this makes me much more concerned about our capabilities more broadly when it comes to drone detection and counter measures.” Morris County, about 30 miles west of New York City, issued a statement calling for “the federal government to marshal all federal resources at its disposal, including the military, to end the unauthorized flight of drones over our county and other parts of New Jersey.” “Morris County and our communities have deployed considerable resources daily since the first drones were spotted,” the statement continued. The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office similarly said in a Facebook post they had “increased vigilance” at sensitive locations and “are analyzing data and information on a daily basis.” New York State Police said Friday afternoon in a post on X they had received “numerous reports of drone sightings over the past 24 hours” and they were investigating the reports. “We have no evidence at this time that any of the reported sightings pose a public safety threat,” reads the post. Connecticut State Police announced Friday they have deployed a drone detection system to assist in investigative efforts into unauthorized drone sightings reported over Fairfield County. “It’s very unsettling to public safety and security, both here in Fairfield and elsewhere,” Republican state Sen. Tony Hwang said in a statement Friday. “What we have is a lack of information at all levels of government. It’s really a breakdown of communication. Without that vital communication, you lose the public’s confidence, you get speculation and you get fear,” he said. And in Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro said his administration is “aware of” the reported drone sightings and is taking them seriously. The Democratic governor said Friday evening he directed the Pennsylvania State Police to look further into the sightings, and police will be flying helicopters to try to “determine where these drones are originating from and what the purpose of these drones are.” White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby, in a press briefing Thursday, said there was “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus.” Kirby added many of “the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully.” Mayorkas echoed Kirby’s explanation Friday, telling CNN some reported drone sightings were cases of “mistaken identity.” Addressing calls to shoot down unidentified drones, he said, “It’s not as though anyone can just take down a drone in the sky. That in and of itself would be dangerous.” Mayorkas added he has been in communication with New Jersey’s governor daily. Officials from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI briefed top committees in the House and Senate as well as a delegation of New Jersey lawmakers on the reported drone sightings, a source familiar with the situation tells CNN. The source said while there have been eyewitness reports of what appear to be drones over New Jersey, agency officials stressed in meetings Thursday many videos on social media appear to be civilian airplanes or helicopters. “I don’t believe with all of these sightings, none of them are drones,” Gottheimer said, adding, “You can’t have the Wild West of drones out there,” with unmanned aircraft threatening infrastructure. The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness said there was “an active federal investigation” into the drone sightings, but elected officials want to hear more. “We should be doing smart intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases,” US Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who sits on the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said Thursday. “They should be shot down, if necessary, because they’re flying over sensitive areas.” Residents in New York’s Rockland County reported drone sightings starting as early as November. County Executive Ed Day sent a letter to President Joe Biden Friday seeking answers and urging his administration, along with the FAA and FBI, to investigate and provide clarity on the matter. “The fact that this issue has persisted for weeks without clear answers is completely unacceptable — not just to the people of Rockland County, but to communities across the nation,” Day said in the letter. “It’s time for the Federal government to step up, take responsibility, and provide the answers we all deserve.” Malliotakis said the situation “is creating havoc, people are confused, they’re concerned, they have anxiety, they don’t know what’s going on.” The US intelligence community and federal law enforcement do not suspect foreign involvement in the drone sightings across New Jersey, security officials told members of Congress Thursday at one private briefing. Key lawmakers assigned to congressional national security committees were told investigators do not currently believe the sightings involved an overseas connection, the use of foreign drones, nor an operator on the ground connected to a foreign government, according to a source familiar with the briefing conducted by representatives from the FBI, FAA and the Department of Homeland Security. Officials said sighted drones have been observed with FAA-required anticollision lights and are not believed to have entered any restricted airspaces, according to the source. While authorities have not yet identified the origin of the mysterious drone flights, the source said an active FBI investigation remains underway to identify the person or persons operating them, and to determine whether any criminal violations of law have occurred. Some of the more recent drone operations may be from copycats trying to play on people’s worries as the sightings get more news coverage, former FBI supervisory special agent Tom Adams told CNN. He said there are often innocent explanations, as well. “I can tell you from my firsthand experience conducting operations for the FBI, as well as investigations into the suspected sighting of drones at critical infrastructure, it was fairly common for planets, crewed aircraft and even low Earth orbit satellites to be misidentified as drones at night,” Adams said. Drones – unmanned aerial vehicles – are widely owned across the US. A total of 791,597 drones are registered with the FAA, split almost evenly between commercial drones and recreational drones. Although the drones often display flashing lights, they frequently turn off the lights and evade police helicopters when approached, Mayor Michael Melham of Belleville Township said in a Facebook video update on Wednesday. The FAA issued temporary flight restrictions over the Picatinny Arsenal, a US military research facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster after drones were spotted in those areas, one week after the FAA received its first report of an unauthorized drone operation in the New York metro area on November 18. “Until you know the origin and what these drones’ intent is, how can you tell me there’s no imminent threat?” Mayor Tony Perry of Middletown, New Jersey, told CNN Thursday. The sense that local officials are being left in the dark is partially a result of outdated laws keeping regulation of the skies entirely in federal hands, according to the chief executive of a company tracking unauthorized drone flights. “The laws that regulate aircraft are not built to empower police to deal with the drones,” Axon CEO Rick Smith told CNN News Central Friday, “so if your local state fair has a drone coming towards it that police believe might be dangerous, right now there’s nothing they can do about it.” Hochul, the Democratic New York governor, called on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act, which she said would give state and local authorities more power in dealing with unmanned aircraft systems and strengthen the FAA’s oversight of drones. The governor said that until these “powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden Administration must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people.” FAA regulations allow operators of recreational drones to fly up to 400 feet above the ground in airspace not controlled by FAA air traffic controllers. The FAA does grant waivers on a case-by-case basis to those wanting to operate drones in more congested airspace or at higher altitudes. Giving local law enforcement more authority over drones is under consideration, Smith said, because traditional aircraft tracking technology is ineffective for vehicles hovering only a few hundred feet off the ground. “The same radar and tracking system you use for a 747 just doesn’t work,” said Smith. CNN’s Gloria Pazmino, Zoe Sottile, Taylor Romine, Kate Sullivan, Alayna Treene, Brynn Gingras, Samantha Waldenberg, Ted Barrett, Holmes Lybrand, Maria Aguilar Prieto, Polo Sandoval, Lauren Mascarenhas, Elizabeth Wolfe, Haley Britzky, Hanna Park, Omar Jimenez and Dakin Andone contributed to this report. The-CNN-Wire TM & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. To remove this article -always wants to play, no matter what it takes. A non-surgical, lower-body procedure, as opposed to surgery, has sidelined the top-pairing defenceman for eight weeks. It’s not the best news, but a combination of not requiring right shoulder surgery and dealing now with a lower-body ailment, will add up to bringing him back for the stretch drive and playoffs. Hronek could have been sidelined for remaining of this NHL season if surgery was the only option for a shoulder that has also caused him problems in the past. Hronek was injured in the final minute of on Nov. 27 when drilled by Jack St. Ivany into the end boards. Hronek fell awkwardly as he absorbed the heavy impact on the back of his right shoulder. He was seen grimacing in pain, as he fell to the ice. In his absence, the Canucks have juggled their pairings and blueliners have soaked up more minutes and gone to the grind to get wins. They have deployed — he had five blocks and five hits Sunday in a 5-4 overtime win at Detroit — and to work with Hughes. The adjustments helped forge a 4-1-0 road record heading into the finale of a six-game trip on Tuesday in St. Paul, Minn. against the league-leading Wild. “Throughout the road trip, guys have done something to help the team,” Canucks head coach said Tuesday. “I could go down the list with key moments and has been unreal. We’re a team that can’t have four or five passengers. “Everybody has to contribute something, whether it’s Juulsen with blocked shots, or one night the penalty kill and another the power play. That’s the key.” Hronek made a seamless trade transition to the Canucks and a pairing with Hughes. His team-leading plus-14 rating speaks to how he and the Canucks captain control play at even strength by playing off each other and denying the opposition turnovers to swing momentum. Hronek was logging an average of 23:36 per outing and had 24 shots when sidelined to put a talented pairing on hold. Hughes is the get-out-of-jail card to quickly transition from the back end and Hronek is always one of his exit options, unless the Norris Trophy leader unleashes a long passing bomb. Hronek’s nine points (1-8) are a product of being responsible and opportunistic with an underrated shot to help guide the second power-play unit from the point. And he’s a big reason why the once inept penalty kill is ranked 11th at 80.6 per cent efficiency. Hronek, 27, was a restricted free agent at the end of last season. He signed an eight-year, US$58 million extension on June 18 that carries and $7.25 million annual salary-cap hit. Hronek has also had a history of shoulder trouble. He had an ailment when the Canucks traded for him on March 1, 2023 and didn’t make his Vancouver debut until March 23. He played just four games and was then shut down. Tocchet said at the time that Hronek hadn’t suffered a setback, but implied he was still lacking strength to compete. Had the Canucks advance to the playoffs, he would have been back. bkuzma@postmedia.com

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The St. Petersburg City Council reversed course Thursday on whether to spend more than $23 million to repair the hurricane-shredded roof of the Tampa Bay Rays' ballpark , initially voting narrowly for approval and hours later changing course. The reversal on fixing Tropicana Field came after the council voted to delay consideration of revenue bonds for a proposed new $1.3 billion Rays ballpark. Just two days before, the Pinellas County Commission postponed a vote on its share of the new stadium bonds, leaving that project in limbo. “This is a sad place. I'm really disappointed,” council chair Deborah Figg-Sanders said. “We won’t get there if we keep finding ways we can’t.” The Rays say the lack of progress puts the new stadium plan and the future of Tropicana Field in jeopardy. “I can't say I'm confident about anything,” Rays co-president Brian Auld told the council members. The Trop's translucent fiberglass roof was ripped to pieces on Oct. 9 when Hurricane Milton swept ashore just south of Tampa Bay. There was also significant water damage inside the ballpark, with a city estimate of the total repair costs pegged at $55.7 million. The extensive repairs cannot be finished before the 2026 season, city documents show. The Rays made a deal with the Yankees to play next season at 11,000-seat Steinbrenner Field, New York's spring training home across the bay in Tampa. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said MLB wants to give the Rays and Tampa-area politicians time to figure out a path forward given the disruption caused by the hurricane. Assuming Tropicana Field is repaired, the Rays are obligated to play there for three more seasons. “We’re committed to the fans in Tampa Bay,” Manfred said at an owners meeting. “Given all that’s happened in that market, we’re focused on our franchise in Tampa Bay right now.” The initial vote Thursday was to get moving on the roof portion of the repair. Once that's done, crews could begin working on laying down a new baseball field, fixing damaged seating and office areas and a variety of electronic systems — which would require another vote to approve money for the remaining restoration. The subsequent vote reversing funding for the roof repair essentially means the city and Rays must work on an alternative in the coming weeks so that Tropicana Field can possibly be ready for the 2026 season. The city is legally obligated to fix the roof. “I’d like to pare it down and see exactly what we’re obligated to do,” council member John Muhammad said. The city previously voted to spend $6.5 million to prevent further damage to the unroofed Trop. Several council members said before the vote on the $23.7 million to fix the roof that the city is contractually obligated to do so. “I don’t see a way out of it. We have a contract that’s in place,” council member Gina Driscoll said. “We’re obligated to do it. We are going to fix the roof.” The council had voted 4-3 to approve the roof repair. Members who opposed it said there wasn't enough clarity on numerous issues, including how much would be covered by the ballpark's insurance and what amount might be provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. They also noted that city residents who are struggling to repair their homes and businesses damaged by hurricanes Helene and Milton are dismayed when they see so many taxpayer dollars going to baseball. “Why are we looking to expend so much money right away when there is so much uncertainty?” council member Richie Floyd said. The new Rays ballpark — now likely to open in 2029, if at all — is part of a larger urban renovation project known as the Historic Gas Plant District, which refers to a predominantly Black neighborhood that was forced out to make way for construction of Tropicana Field and an interstate highway spur. The broader $6.5 billion project would transform an 86-acre (34-hectare) tract in the city’s downtown, with plans in the coming years for a Black history museum, affordable housing, a hotel, green space, entertainment venues, and office and retail space. There’s the promise of thousands of jobs as well. St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, a prime mover behind the overall project, said it's not time to give up. “We believe there is a path forward to success,” the mayor said. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlbNone

Middle East latest: Israeli strikes on Gaza hospital wound 3, Netanyahu vows 'iron fist' in Lebanon

The 49ers are going to have to dip into their quarterback depth this weekend. Head coach Kyle Shanahan announced on Friday that backup Brandon Allen will get the starting nod for San Francisco against the Packers. The move comes as starter Brock Purdy is dealing with shoulder soreness , which limited him in practice this week. The issue was enough to have him ruled out for Sunday, which is a key road matchup in the middle of the season for the 49ers. The 49ers — which will also be without star edge rusher Nick Bosa (left hip and oblique) — are 5-5 entering the game against 7-3 Green Bay, sitting10th in the NFC, meaning they are on the outside looking in for the playoff picture. They now will turn to Allen, who has not started a game in three years. His biggest action in the NFL came in the 2020 season when he started five games (1-4 records), completing 63.4 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and four interceptions. Since that season, he’s thrown just 37 passes in the regular season. He’ll face off against a Packers defense that ranks 15th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game this season (329) and will be without cornerback Jaire Alexander and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. Allen will have Joshua Dobbs as his backup on Sunday. The 49ers next face the Bills next Sunday night, making this Packers game all the more important.NoneCHICAGO (AP) — Jacob Meyer scored 23 points as DePaul beat Wichita State 91-72 on Saturday. Meyer shot 6 of 9 from the field, including 4 for 6 from 3-point range, and went 7 for 7 from the line for the Blue Demons (8-2). CJ Gunn scored 22 points, shooting 9 for 12, including 4 for 6 from beyond the arc. Isaiah Rivera shot 6 for 11, including 5 for 8 from beyond the arc to finish with 17 points, while adding seven rebounds. Harlond Beverly led the Shockers (8-2) in scoring, finishing with 14 points. Xavier Bell added 14 points for Wichita State. Quincy Ballard also had 12 points. Rivera scored 14 points in the first half and DePaul went into halftime trailing 47-42. Meyer led DePaul with 14 points in the second half and the Blue Demons outscored Wichita State by 24 points over the final half. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from . The Associated Press

Kakko's late goal lifts Rangers past Canadiens 4-3Tottenham Hotspur make Ben Davies contract decision Tottenham Hotspur, off to an inconsistent start to the season, face AS Roma on home soil in the Europa League on Thursday evening. The North London club faces a dilemma with certain players whose contracts are expiring at the end of the ongoing campaign. However, the Lilywhites are growing increasingly confident of keeping a player on board for another year. According to a report from The Athletic , Tottenham plan to exercise the one-year contract extension option in Ben Davies’ deal, keeping the defender at the club until the end of 2025/26 season. https://twitter.com/TheLaneAndBack/status/1861757791188492767 The Wales international’s current deal runs out at the end of the season ( Transfermarkt ), but Spurs do not intend to part ways with him yet. The 31-year-old is the longest-serving member of Ange Postecoglou’s side, having arrived at the Hotspur Way from Swansea City back in 2014. He has racked up 338 appearances across all competitions so far for Tottenham, scoring three goals and supplying 23 assists. Ben Davies will now extend his stay in North London to 12 years after the club triggers a one-year option in his contract. The left-back may have not received the appreciation and plaudits he deserves from the fans over the course of his Tottenham career, but that is now apparently starting to change especially following his latest performance. Without the first-choice centre-back pairing of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, Big Ange had no option but to pair Davies with Radu Dragusin against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. The duo performed extremely well, helping the visitors keep a clean sheet in the stunning 4-0 win over Man City. Davies, being the senior-most member, marshalled the backline extremely well. He used his experience and reading of the game to great effect on Saturday. The Neath-born star, who signed a three-year deal in the summer of 2022, is by no means a regular starter at the club, with four of his six starts this season coming in the Europa League. However, the left-footed defender has shown that he is more than capable of stepping up and doing a job for the team when most required. At 31, Davies will be wary that he is seen more as a squad player than a mainstay in the first XI by Big Ange. Having a player of the Welshman’s experience, versatility, commitment and leadership skills is vital for Spurs. So, the club would be doing a wise job by extending his stay in North London for another season. This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.Beacon Healthcare Systems Expands Leadership Team with Addition of Ayman Mohamed as Chief Technology Officer