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Meet Westminster’s attack dogs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:58 GMT

LONDON — The next U.K. general election is likely more than a year away, but Westminster’s political attack dogs are already flexing their muscles and entering the fray.Strategists from both main U.K. parties have spent the quiet summer months briefing that the “gloves are coming off” in their approach to their opponents and they are ready to start aggressively throwing political punches in the pre-campaign phony war. Here is POLITICO’s guide to some of the key people — both on camera and behind-the-scenes — masterminding, and hoping to land, lasting blows on their opponents. In the blue cornerAlex Wild: The Conservative Party director of communications is one of the more experienced media strategists in today’s Tory Party. He cut his teeth at the Taxpayers’ Alliance — a Westminster campaign group which digs out examples of reckless government spending, feeding them to scoop-hungry hacks. He joined Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) during Boris Johnson’s 2019 ele...

Patriots’ Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe address relationship around team’s preseason opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:58 GMT

FOXBORO — After a rainy training camp practice Monday, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones answered a question about his relationship with backup Bailey Zappe by speaking about his entire position room.“Yeah, I think I’ve definitely been in some really good quarterback rooms and learned a lot from the guys that were here when I was young,” Jones said, “and hopefully I can do the same for the guys that are younger than me.”Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Callahan: Patriots offense already operating like its preparing for O-line disaster New England Patriots | Patriots fall to Texans in preseason opener in Bailey Zappe’s extended look New England Patriots | Patriots-Texans Inactives: Nine players not spotted in pregame warmups New England Patriots | Patriots assign rookie numbers before preseason opener vs. Texans New England Patriots | The Patriots’ 4 big questions h...

Authorities still working to locate, identify bodies in Maui wildfires. Follow live updates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:58 GMT

By REBECCA BOONE (Associated Press)Follow live updates about wildfires burning across parts of Maui in Hawaii, destroying a historic town and forcing evacuations. The National Weather Service says Hurricane Dora, which passed south of the island chain, was partly to blame for strong winds that initially drove the flames, knocking out power and grounding firefighting helicopters.Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said in a news conference Thursday afternoon that authorities are still trying to locate and identify people who died in Lahaina when the fire raced through the town. “People whose homes are not damaged — you can come home as soon as we have recovered those who have perished,” he said. “Please allow us to complete this process.”Search and rescue teams from California and Washington state, which are trained in disaster skills including using dogs to find human remains, have been deployed to Maui to assist with the process, officials said.Maui Police Chief...

What Patriots told us about depth chart in preseason opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:58 GMT

FOXBORO — Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said this week that the players with the least experience would play the most in the Patriots’ preseason opener against the Houston Texans. That meant that Bailey Zappe got the start while Mac Jones stayed on the sideline in the 20-9 loss.Zappe was surrounded by Conor McDermott, Atonio Mafi, James Ferentz, Kody Russey and Sidy Sow on the offensive line and running back Pierre Strong, wide receivers Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas and tight ends Matt Sokol and Anthony Firsker at the skill positions as the Patriots’ offense took the field. Mafi, Sow, Boutte and Douglas all are rookies.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Callahan: Patriots offense already operating like its preparing for O-line disaster New England Patriots | Patriots fall to Texans in preseason opener in Bailey Zappe’s extended look New England Patriots | Patriots-Texans Inactives: Nine players not spotted in preg...

Patriots rookie Malik Cunningham makes playing QB look easy in preseason debut

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:58 GMT

FOXBORO — Patriots rookie Malik Cunningham had a novel idea midway through the fourth quarter of the team’s preseason opener against the Houston Texans after being inserted at quarterback.The Patriots should put some points on the board.“We had no touchdowns so I told the O-line, the whole group that we were going to go down to score and that’s what we did,” Cunningham said after the Patriots’ 20-9 loss to the Texans on Thursday night.Cunningham, listed as a quarterback but primarily serving as a wide receiver two weeks into training camp, scored the Patriots’ lone touchdown in the preseason loss, juking Texans linebacker Jake Hansen to score on a 9-yard scramble up the middle of the field. Cunningham was told to never let one man bring him down. He wasn’t going to let Hansen tackle him. He plowed through two other Texans defenders for good measure..@MalikMalikc10 breaking ankles.: @wbzsports pic.twitter.com/kIMDON1Pe8— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August...

Could Patriots use Ezekiel Elliott after running backs struggle in preseason opener?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:58 GMT

FOXBORO — The Patriots have had several veteran free agent running backs come in for visits this preseason, but have not pulled the trigger on signing any of them – yet.Perhaps the Patriots are waiting and hoping for any of their young running backs to impress enough in the preseason to earn an opportunity behind starter Rhamondre Stevenson, which would deem adding a veteran unnecessary. But their performances in Thursday’s preseason opener didn’t exactly eliminate the Patriots’ need in the backfield.With Stevenson taking the night off with the rest of the offensive starters, no one in the backfield stood out in the Patriots’ 20-9 loss to the Texans or emerged as a favorite as New England’s No. 2 back. Pierre Strong, Kevin Harris and J.J. Taylor each received opportunities while Ty Montgomery continued to sit out injured, but behind a makeshift offensive line that didn’t give them much room to operate, they combined for just 35 rushing yards on 18 attempts.“I mean, we’re deali...

Callahan: Patriots offense already operating like it’s preparing for O-line disaster

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:58 GMT

FOXBORO — Bill O’Brien did his job Thursday night.As a preseason play-caller, he kept his play sheet close, but his cards closer. He called a boring game. Everything about the Patriots offense was, in the favorite words of every NFL commentator, “vanilla.”That is, soft-serve vanilla with a twist of doubt.The Pats played offense in their preseason opener like they have all summer: as if they already know they can’t trust their offensive line. Like it’s a bug of their system, not a feature. And why wouldn’t they feel this way?Their most experienced O-lineman Thursday night was Conor McDermott, a 7-year veteran who started at left tackle after spending two weeks of practice on the right side. McDermott flipped because the Patriots had one other option based on their available linemen: Andrew Stueber, a 2022 seventh-rounder. But injuries, which have recently sidelined offensive tackles Trent Brown and Calvin Anderson, and guards Cole Strange and Mike ...

Orioles hold on to beat Astros, 5-4, extending MLB’s longest active streak without being swept: ‘We do fight’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:58 GMT

Brandon Hyde couldn’t believe it.How was Kyle Tucker up again?When the Houston Astros’ cleanup hitter stepped to the plate in the eighth inning Thursday, the Orioles’ manager assumed they wouldn’t have to face him in the ninth — two days after Tucker hit a go-ahead grand slam off closer Félix Bautista in the ninth.It wasn’t just Tucker who Hyde was perplexed about seeing again. With two outs in the eighth and the Astros’ No. 6 hitter up, it appeared as if Baltimore could make it through the ninth without facing each batter in the heart of the Astros’ order: Nos. 2, 3, 4 hitters Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez and Tucker. Instead, Houston mounted a comeback, bringing the terrifying trio that bats after leadoff hitter José Altuve to the plate in the ninth for the fifth time of the afternoon.“I think Bregman and Tucker and Alvarez hit every inning,” Hyde joked. “I was going to check to see if they were hitting out...

Gallery: Patriots first preseason game against Texans at Gillette

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:58 GMT

The New England Patriots lost 20-9 to the Houston Texans during the first preseason game

VIDEO: Drone 5 captures toy town-like San Diego

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:41:58 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego is not called "America's Finest City" for no reason.From its beautiful beaches and palm trees to the bustling roads and freeways, there is so much to see and do in the city.FOX 5 photojournalist Aaron Eudaley shot video with Drone 5 from a unique perspective, capturing San Diego to look like a small model toy town. ‘Best meteor shower of the year’ to peak over San Diego this weekend: NASA Some of the shots that were edited together include the San Diego skyline, street traffic, beachgoers and kayakers, a Navy ship, the Coronado Bridge, a castle-like church, among other spots.So consider yourself lucky San Diego, because there are not too many locations in the world that offer what our city provides.