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Jaden McDaniels isn’t focused on extension negotiations, but it’s a clear priority for Timberwolves

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:18:47 GMT

Timberwolves fans are patiently awaiting news that one of the franchise’s young core pieces will be locked up for the long-term.After Anthony Edwards signed his max extension in July, the next logical step was for Minnesota to also extend Edwards’ wingman, two-way standout Jaden McDaniels.“Oh, Jaden is the most important person on the team, for sure, because he has the most potential,” Edwards said on media day. “So, yeah, I think the world knows we wouldn’t be Minnesota Timberwolves without Jaden McDaniels. So yeah, I’m looking forward to him having a phenomenal season.”The deadline to extend McDaniels is in October. If Minnesota can’t reach an agreement with the defensive stopper by then, McDaniels would then enter restricted free agency next summer – where the Timberwolves would have the right to match any offer any other team would extend to McDaniels.Minnesota doesn’t plan on it getting that far.“I think we want to be an organization that rewards our players. Super proud of Jad...

On Oct. 1, thousands of Minnesotans will be newly eligible for driver’s licenses

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:18:47 GMT

By Estelle Timar-Wilcox, MPR NewsStarting Sunday, all eligible Minnesotans — regardless of immigration status — can start getting their driver’s licenses.On Oct. 1, the state will start accepting applications without requiring proof of legal residency in the U.S. under the law passed earlier this year. An estimated 81,000 people are newly eligible for licenses, permits and state ID cards.In a news conference Thursday, Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobsen said the state is ready for the rule change.“Too many people have been denied the opportunity to obtain a driver’s license due to documentation restrictions,” he said. “We fully expect this to be an immensely popular program. And it should be — it’s life-changing for very many people.”To prepare for the new applicants, DPS and several community organizations have been expanding resources for immigrants. DPS is offering informational documents, forms and the written driver’s test in various languages.Several or...

Yes, Deion Sanders lost CU’s 17th straight game to USC. But Buffs might have found run game, identity, in the process.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:18:47 GMT

BOULDER — Lincoln Riley got the Buffs right. And he knew it. Heck, he darn near admitted it.“They obviously RPO-ed some in the run game, you know, they did commit to it a lot more than they have in the  the previous game,” USC’s visored head coach said after CU piled up the program’s most rushing yards in two years on his unbeaten Trojans, who held on for a 48-41 victory at Folsom Field.“So obviously, (I’d) have to go back and look at the tape, but they put you in some of those positions where it’s either going to be one-on-one on the perimeter, if you get those extra hats to the run game. Or you’re going to give them potentially favorable numbers in the box.”The Trojans (5-0, 3-0 Pac-12) went with the latter. And the Buffs (3-2, 0-2), for maybe the first time all season, really made those favorable numbers count.Using a combination of bruising Anthony Hankerson (16 carries, 74 yards, one score) and shifty Dylan Edwards (12...

USC coach Lincoln Riley, Trojans players heap praise on Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:18:47 GMT

BOULDER — For the second consecutive week, Colorado faced one of the Pac-12’s top teams and a College Football Playoff contender.The result was dramatically different, but how USC reacted to the Buffaloes was also quite a change from the week before in Oregon. Trojans coach Lincoln Riley and several of his players offered plenty of praise Saturday after hanging on to defeat Colorado, 48-41, at Folsom Field.“We give Colorado and their fans, everybody, a ton of credit,” Riley said. “It was a really tremendous road atmosphere, even when we got up. That they kept it loud in there, I felt like they kind of kept their team in it in a lot of ways.”USC held leads of 34-7 and 41-14, and the tenor of the game looked like it was drifting toward a redux of Oregon’s 42-6 thumping of the Buffaloes last week in Eugene. Instead, Colorado staged a furious rally and even had an onside kick with a chance to gain possession and try for a game-tying score with 1:48 le...

Iron Fire in northwest Colorado now burning over 7,300 acres

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:18:47 GMT

The Iron Fire in northwest Colorado that ballooned to over six thousand acres within hours Friday is now burning at over 7,300 acres as of Saturday afternoon.The fire, which is about 18 miles northwest of Craig in Moffat County, is at 7,361 acres, Moffat County sheriff’s officials said in a 2:21 p.m. update, and six structures are threatened.No evacuations have been ordered.The burn area is a mix of private ranch land and BLM land, according to Moffat County property records.The fire was first reported just before noon Friday, and early updates from the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office estimated the fire at only 170 acres, but high winds caused the fire to spread, BLM Colorado Communications Director Steven Hall said on Friday.Gusty winds, receptive fuel bed, remote, and rugged terrain led to initial large fire growth, Moffat County officials said.Over 50 firefighters are currently working toward containing the blaze, officials said, but as of the update, the fire was 0% contain...

Big sky, big skills for Big Sky Conference on FCS football stage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:18:47 GMT

As of earlier this week, seven Big Sky Conference teams were ranked in a Football Championship Subdivision coaches’ poll.One of those teams was Weber State, which of course is Northern Colorado’s opponent Saturday afternoon at Nottingham Field.Weber State was No. 14 in the Sept. 24 poll and the Wildcats were the highest ranked team with a .500 record. Weber (0-1 Big Sky, 2-2 overall) earned the ranking after losing 40-0 a day before to No. 3 Montana State, which is also in the Big Sky Conference and the highest-ranked conference team in the poll.Other Big Sky teams in the poll were No. 6 Idaho, No. 9 Sacramento State, No. 16 Montana, No. 20 UC Davis and No. 25 Eastern Washington. UC Davis and Eastern Washington are also 2-2.So what makes the conference so tough in football?“It’s the SEC of FCS football,” UNC offensive coordinator Blair Peterson said. “Missouri Valley is a great conference, so you can put that up there. Those are the premier conferences in FCS.”The now 12-team Missou...

Blustery, wet weather to make way for summertime conditions by midweek 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:18:47 GMT

Fall seems like it has arrived in Southern California, but the cold and moist conditions won’t linger for long. Reports from the National Weather Service indicate that a cold low-pressure system will hover over L.A. County all day Saturday and into Sunday. L.A. County mountain communities and San Gabriel Valley residents are advised to brace for isolated showers, NWS said. Anywhere from a quarter inch to one inch of rain is expected. Temperatures will also be ten to 20 degrees below normal in most areas, according to the National Weather Service.  These classic amusement parks inspired Walt Disney’s creation of Disneyland Coastal and desert regions will experience the most wind, with gusts forecast to reach up to 35 miles per hour. A wind advisory remains in effect for communities in the Indian Wells Valley, Mojave Desert Slopes and Mojave Desert until 11 p.m. Saturday evening.“[There is] a ten to 20 percent chance of thunderstorms on Saturday anywhere,” NWS s...

Cal Golden Bears hold off Arizona State for first Pac-12 win of season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:18:47 GMT

BERKELEY — Jaydn Ott rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown and Cal earned its first Pac-12 Conference victory of the season with a 24-21 win over Arizona State in front of 34,353 at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.The Bears (3-2, 1-1) never trailed but never could pull away from the Sun Devils (1-4, 0-2), who still have not beaten an FBS team.Cal nearly put the game away with just under 3 minutes left but ASU stopped Ott on a fourth-and-goal run to take over at its own 1-yard line.The Sun Devils got to their own 39-yard line before running out of time after a fourth-down incompletion by Bourguet.Cal started Sam Jackson V at quarterback and he was 12 for 29 for 130 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions.The Bears got a significant contribution from punter Lachlan Wilson, who averaged 49.7 yards on seven kicks, with four of at least 50 yards and four downed inside the 20-yard line, including at the 2 and 5.Cal padded its three-point halftime lead when Jackson delivered a 21...

Martínez comes off bench to score 4 goals for Inter. Pulisic goal helps AC Milan beat Lazio

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:18:47 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Lautaro Martínez came off the bench to score four goals in 27 minutes and help Inter Milan win 4-0 at Salernitana in Serie A on Saturday.Martínez has now scored nine goals in the league this season and tops the goalscoring charts just as his side tops Serie A.Inter is level on points with AC Milan, which beat Lazio 2-0 following a goal from United States standout Christian Pulisic. Napoli is third, four points behind, after winning 4-0 at Lecce.Inter saw its perfect start to the season ended midweek with a 2-1 loss at home to Sassuolo but coach Simone Inzaghi opted against starting Martínez ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League match against Benfica.With Inter struggling to turn its domination into goals, however, Martínez was brought on in the 55th minute and broke the deadlock just seven minutes later.Marcus Thuram got down the left and picked out Martínez with a perfect pass for the Argentine World Cup winner to dink the ball over Guillermo Ochoa and into the bottom le...

Drew Allar throws a TD and runs for another as No. 6 Penn State beats Northwestern 41-13

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:18:47 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Out of sync and tied at halftime, Penn State found its rhythm. Once the Nittany Lions did, there was no stopping them.Drew Allar threw a touchdown and ran for another and No. 6 Penn State beat Northwestern 41-13 on Saturday.“That was my message to the team,” coach James Franklin said. “The first half is gone. Let’s play really well in the second half.”Penn State (5-0, 3-0 Big Ten) did just that, outscoring the Wildcats (2-3, 1-2) 31-3 over the final two quarters. A 17-0 third broke open a game that was tied at 10 at halftime and sent the Nittany Lions to their 10th straight win since losing to Ohio State last October.Allar completed 18 of 33 passes for 189 yards. He scored from the 1 on Penn State’s first possession of the second half and threw a 2-yard TD to Nick Singleton in the closing minutes of the third to make it a 17-point game.Singleton ran for 80 yards and a score to go with his touchdown catch. That helped make up for a fumble deep in Penn State terr...