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Family, feds reach $5M settlement of Park Police shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:27 GMT

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — The family of a northern Virginia man fatally shot by U.S. Park Police officers has reached a $5 million settlement in its civil lawsuit against the government.Two officers shot 25-year-old Bijan Ghaisar of McLean in November 2017 after a stop-and-go chase on the George Washington Memorial Parkway outside the nation’s capital. Ghaisar was unarmed, but the officers said they feared for their lives when Ghaisar’s car lurched forward after it had stopped and the officers stood outside the vehicle with weapons drawn.The civil settlement comes after more than five years of legal wrangling and criticism of Park Police alleging excessive force and a lack of transparency.Federal prosecutors declined to prosecute the officers, Lucas Vinyard and Alejandro Amaya, after a two-year FBI investigation. At that point, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano filed manslaughter charges against the officers in state court. That set off a tug-of-war bet...

Q&A: Benjamin Millepied on directing a reimagined ‘Carmen’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:27 GMT

When Benjamin Millepied was a teenager starting dance training in New York, he and fellow students got into ballet performances for free, but opera was another story: They had to be creative. They’d sneak into the Metropolitan Opera House during intermission, or talk their way backstage, relying on a sympathetic usher for seats. “We did these totally naughty things,” he says with a laugh.It helped Millepied, who was born and raised in France and Senegal before coming to the United States, keep his love for opera alive while climbing the ranks at New York City Ballet to principal dancer. He also maintained his passion for cinema, sparked during a childhood of watching classic films with his mother. Millepied would go on to make a number of short films, and then in 2010, he choreographed and acted in Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan,” alongside future wife Natalie Portman. Now, he’s achieving a long-held dream by making his directorial debut with “Carmen,” starring Mel...

All Things Go Music Festival announces lineup for 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:27 GMT

toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley previews All Things Go at Merriweather (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); }); }); The All Things Go music festival has released its special two-day lineup, boasting a strong, female-led headline featuring Maggie Rogers, Carly Rae Jepsen, Lana Del Rey and boygenius.The annual music festival returns to the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, for two days this fall: Saturday, ...

Espanyol ends losing streak with draw against Cadiz in Spain

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:27 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Espanyol halted its losing streak but couldn’t leave the relegation zone after drawing at home against Cadiz 0-0 in the Spanish league on Friday.The result left Espanyol in 18th place, two points from safety with eight matches remaining. Cadiz moved to 14th, four points clear from the relegation zone.Espanyol had lost six straight since February. The game against Cadiz was its third under new coach Luis Garcia.The club from Barcelona has a demanding schedule to the end, with games against Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal and Sevilla.Cadiz has won one of its last seven league matches.Barcelona has an 11-point lead over Real Madrid at the top.___More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Black softball coaches at Illinois, Michigan St make history

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:27 GMT

Tyra Perry of Illinois and Sharonda McDonald-Kelley of Michigan State will meet in a three-game series this weekend that is believed to be the first time two Black female coaches have squared off in a Power Five softball game.The Spartans were scheduled to play three games at Illinois, starting with Friday’s opener. Perry said she sees the moment as a sign of progress but was disappointed it took this long to happen. She said there are plenty of Black female head coaches and assistant coaches ready to make the jump to a Power Five program.Perry and McDonald-Kelley are good friends and they know each other’s families. Perry was hired in 2015 while McDonald-Kelley was hired before this season. Perry said she joins McDonald-Kelley and Duke’s Marissa Young as the only Black Power Five coaches. McDonald-Kelley’s younger sister, Brittney Williams, is in her second year as head coach at Southern University, a Division I program that is not Power Five.Perry is in her 22nd season as a ...

Arsenal stumbles again in comeback draw with Southampton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:27 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Arsenal dropped points for the third game in a row after having to come from two goals down to draw with last-placed Southampton 3-3, falling just short of another remarkable comeback in the English Premier League on Friday.Theo Walcott helped to deal another blow to his former team’s title hopes by putting Southampton 2-0 up after just 14 minutes as the hosts dug themselves a hole they couldn’t fully get out of.Southampton led 3-1 in the 88th minute before goals by Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka dragged Arsenal to parity, and Leandro Trossard hit the crossbar in injury time as Arsenal nearly added a winner as well.But in the end it was a third straight draw for Mikel Arteta’s team, which let a 2-0 lead slip away in its previous two games, and a result that handed Manchester City the advantage in the title race.Arsenal still leads by five points but City has two games in hand and the Gunners need a win against Pep Guardiola’s team at the Etihad on We...

La NFL suspende indefinidamente a tres jugadores por hacer apuestas con los partidos de la temporada

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:27 GMT

(CNN) — La NFL anunció este viernes que suspendió indefinidamente a tres jugadores ––Quintez Cephus y C.J. Moore, de los Lions de Detroit, y Shaka Toney, de los Commanders de Washington–– por hacer apuestas con partidos de la liga en la temporada 2022, mientras que otros dos recibieron una suspensión durante seis juegos.Según la NFL, los tres jugadores serían suspendidos al menos hasta el final de la temporada 2023 y podrán solicitar su reincorporación luego de que termina la temporada. Poco después del anuncio de la NFL, los Lions anunciaron que Cephus y Moore habían sido retirados.Además, a Stanley Berryhill y Jameson Williams, ambos de los Lions, los suspendieron por los primeros seis juegos de la temporada regular del equipo en 2023 por violar la política de apuestas, anunció la NFL.La estrella de la NFL Aaron Rodgers acudió a un retiro en la oscuridad para contemplar su futuro. ¿Qué es eso y cómo funciona?“Tras una revisión de la liga no se encontraron pruebas que indique...

Collision ends Smyly perfect game bid, Cubs top Dodgers 13-0

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:27 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Drew Smyly lost a perfect game bid when he collided with his catcher while trying to field an eighth-inning dribbler that went for an infield single in the Chicago Cubs’ 13-0 rout of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.Nico Hoerner hit a three-run homer with four hits and four RBIs as Chicago won for the fifth time in six games. Cody Bellinger went deep for the second straight day and third time this season against his former team. Trey Mancini and Patrick Wisdom also connected.Smyly (2-1) struck out 10 and walked none in 7 2/3 innings. He threw 68 of his season-high 103 pitches for strikes.David Peralta accounted for Los Angeles’ only baserunner against Smyly on a 32.9 mph leadoff dribbler in the eighth that trickled between third base and the mound. Smyly and Yan Gomes each went for the grounder, and the catcher tumbled over the pitcher as the left-hander picked up the ball.Smyly was checked by manager David Ross and an athletic trainer, but the pitcher st...

NCAA rules panel approves keeping clock running on 1st downs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:27 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel has approved rules changes that are expected to reduce the number of plays in football games, notably one that will keep the clock running when a team makes a first down except in the last two minutes of a half. The panel on Thursday approved recommendations forwarded last month by the Football Rules Committee. Since 1968, the clock had stopped on a first down until the referee gave the ready-for-play signal.The new clock rule affects only Divisions I and II. The Division III Management Council requested the proposal be referred back to the Football Rules Committee due to opposition within its division.Two other changes were approved. Penalties accepted at the end of the first and third quarters will now be enforced at the start of the following quarter rather than having an untimed down. Also, back-to-back timeouts during the same dead-ball period are no longer allowed.Steve Shaw, NCAA secretary-rules editor and national co...

Supreme Court preserves access to abortion pill for now

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:27 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday preserved women’s access to a drug used in the most common method of abortion, rejecting lower-court restrictions while a lawsuit continues.The justices granted emergency requests from the Biden administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, maker of the drug mifepristone. They are appealing a lower court ruling that would roll back Food and Drug Administration approval of mifepristone. Colorado says it won’t enforce ‘abortion reversal’ ban The drug has been approved for use in the U.S. since 2000 and more than 5 million people have used it. Mifepristone is used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol, in more than half of all abortions in the U.S. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is facing a self-imposed Friday night deadline to decide whether women's access to a widely used abortion pill will stay unchanged or be restricted while a legal challenge to it...