Author: umer

The Mets won the Juan Soto sweepstakes last week, signing the superstar slugger to a record-breaking contract.The Yankees were unable to retain the outfielder in the Bronx, and he’ll shed his pinstripes and move over to Queens. On Monday, Soto posted a photo on Instagram celebrating the new signing. In the comments was Red Sox legend David Ortiz: “The……. Yankees lose,” he wrote, wit laughing emojis.The Red Sox were among teams pursuing Soto.“We wanted him in Boston,” Ortiz said on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast last week. “Unfortunately, it didn’t work out”Soto’s deal for 15 years includes a $75 million…

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The weather is turning cold again, but a trip outside to scan the night sky might be worth the chill, because one of the biggest meteor showers of the year is expected to reach its peak this weekend.Experts say the colorful Geminid meteor shower is already active, but it will be at its best from the late-night hours on Friday, Dec. 13, into the early morning hours on Saturday, Dec. 14.The annual Geminid shower often generates 50 to 100 meteors per hour, and even as many as 120 to 150 per hour in dark locations during its peak period, astronomy…

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The number of school districts that only offer free half-day kindergarten is slowly shrinking in New Jersey, and could become even smaller if a referendum is passed in one South Jersey town this week.In Haddonfield, a referendum will be up for a vote Tuesday to approve the funds needed for more kindergarten classroom space. Previous efforts to refurbish old buildings did not pan out.The vast majority of districts in New Jersey offer free-full day kindergarten as the standard option, an N.J. Advance Media analysis of state data shows. Several are even offering it for the first time this school year.But…

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By Angelo M. ValenteThe holiday season is a time for family, reflection and connection. When school goes out for winter break, this downtime offers parents a unique opportunity to have meaningful conversations with their kids — especially about the potential risks of adolescent marijuana use.For New Jersey teens, the numbers tell a concerning story. The 2021 New Jersey Student Health Survey found that 17 percent of students had reported using marijuana in the past 30 days, and 3 percent tried it before the age of 13. These figures are alarming, particularly as recreational cannabis becomes more accessible to adults in…

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Rite Aid is closing a total of 131 stores in 2024.It has closed hundreds of stores since it first filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2023 and started the restructuring process.Rite Aid announced the closures in an attempt to offload more than 3.3 million in debt while tackling more than a thousand federal lawsuits alleging it oversupplied opioids.The number of Rite Aid locations has dwindled from more than 2,000 to 1,260 nationwide as of Dec. 10.Here is the most up-to-date list of Rite Aid closings in 2024:California5520 Woodruff Ave., Lakewood8694 Lake Murray Blvd., San Diego1020 East Broadway St., Needles11350…

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Oh, how we like to frighten ourselves and allow our imaginations and superstitions to reign supreme. Now, some in New Jersey believe they are seeing drones in the night sky nearly everywhere, and a few who believe the drones are from a “mothership” parked off the Atlantic Ocean coast.The media are promoting it all. Even New Jersey’s governor has expressed concern, asking the federal government for assistance. Why do we so embrace nonsense?I recall the Y2K (Year 2000) bug at the turn of the century that was supposed to destroy our computers. Consultants made fortunes performing studies, and it was…

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NEW YORK (WABC) — SantaCon 2024 is coming to town this weekend and mass transit agencies are trying to keep the party off the trains.NJ Transit is prohibiting all beverages on its trains, light rail vehicles and buses on Saturday, December 14 to coincide with the SantaCon event in New York City and on Saturday, December 21 to coincide with the SantaCon event in Hoboken.No beverages of any kind, in any type of container, open or closed, will be permitted on board trains, buses or light rail vehicles during this time, NJ Transit said warning the policy will be strictly…

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MUNICH – One by one, NFL Academy players march in all black, their rubber cleats click-clacking on asphalt paths through see-your-breath cold, to Field No. 5 inside the Freiham Sports Park on a Friday night.They have come to rekindle a rivalry with IMG Academy’s Varsity team two days prior to the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers playing at Allianz Arena. Inside the gate, there are no bleachers or game clock, and while the turf is lined for 100 yards, it measures seven yards short. Beers are three and a half euros; spectators drink in the scene as staffers on…

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Parts of New Jersey could get a light coating of snow or a wintry mix at the tail end of the upcoming weekend, posing a risk of some slippery roads, the National Weather Service said.A weak storm system is expected to arrive in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey either Sunday evening or Sunday night, with temperatures cold enough to support some snow in areas near and north of Interstate 78, the weather service said.Some computer guidance models are projecting “a fairly long duration” of precipitation, but the storm system shouldn’t have much moisture. “So even for areas that see a…

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