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I-95 express lane extension expected to reduce congestion between northern and southern Virginia

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:55:42 GMT

A new extension of the 95 Express Lanes will partially open next month, hopefully allowing more vehicles to quickly travel from Stafford County and Fredericksburg to Northern Virginia.The Virginia Department of Transportation and Transurban North America announced the 10-mile extension running just south of Route 610 to Route 17 in Stafford County to reduce congestion along the Interstate 95 corridor.Amanda Baxter, senior vice president of the Virginia Market & Operations for Transurban North America, said the infrastructure company is delivering “faster, safer travel to Stafford and Fredericksburg” with the extension.“Whether commuting to work or road tripping with the family, the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension offers travelers 10 more miles of a stress-free, reliable drive — providing 66% more capacity during peak periods and moving 30% more people along the Main Street of the East Coast,” Baxter said.Reversible express lanes will continue to...

Live updates | Break out the brellies! British Open soaked by rain

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:55:42 GMT

HOYLAKE, England (AP) — Break out the brellies! The third round of the British Open begins with steady rain and fairways dotted with various umbrellas at Royal Liverpool. The gallery was as robust as ever for the northwest of England, and there was plenty to watch on Saturday morning.Brian Harman starts the day with a five-shot lead over Tommy Fleetwood. They don’t tee off until the middle of the afternoon.Rickie Fowler and Robert MacIntyre are in the lead group. They’re followed immediately by the likes of Adam Scott and Scottie Scheffler, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Cantlay.Scheffler had to birdie the 18th from a bunker on Friday evening to make the cut. He has yet to finish worse than 12th all year.___WHAT TO KNOW— Harman builds a 5-shot lead at British Open.— Tommy Fleetwood keeps alive English hopes of an Open champion.— Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith rally to make British Open cut; Morikawa not so lucky.— Justin Thomas goes from England to Minnesota to save his ...

Braves bring 1-0 series lead over Brewers into game 2

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:55:42 GMT

Atlanta Braves (63-33, first in the NL East) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (54-44, first in the NL Central)Milwaukee; Saturday, 7:15 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Braves: Allan Winans (0-0); Brewers: Adrian Houser (3-2, 3.79 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 39 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Braves -138, Brewers +117; over/under is 9 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves meet the Milwaukee Brewers leading the series 1-0.Milwaukee has a 54-44 record overall and a 26-22 record at home. The Brewers have a 34-13 record in games when they record at least eight hits.Atlanta has a 63-33 record overall and a 31-14 record on the road. The Braves have gone 28-10 in games when they did not allow a home run.Saturday’s game is the second time these teams square off this season.TOP PERFORMERS: William Contreras has 18 doubles, a triple, 10 home runs and 37 RBI while hitting .277 for the Brewers. Christian Yelich is 12-for-42 with six doubles and three home runs over the last 10 games.Ozzie Albies has 17 dou...

Marlins aim to stop 7-game slide, take on the Rockies

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:55:42 GMT

Colorado Rockies (38-59, fifth in the NL West) vs. Miami Marlins (53-46, third in the NL East)Miami; Saturday, 1:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Rockies: Chase Anderson (0-4, 6.26 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 38 strikeouts); Marlins: Johnny Cueto (0-1, 9.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, one strikeout)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Marlins -168, Rockies +143; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Miami Marlins will try to end their seven-game losing streak when they take on the Colorado Rockies.Miami has a 53-46 record overall and a 30-19 record in home games. The Marlins are 28-8 in games when they did not allow a home run.Colorado is 38-59 overall and 15-33 on the road. The Rockies have the eighth-ranked team batting average in the NL at .251.Saturday’s game is the sixth meeting between these teams this season. The Rockies are ahead 4-1 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Luis Arraez has three home runs, 29 walks and 46 RBI while hitting .373 for the Marlins. Jean Segura is 14-for-40 with a double, a ...

Chicago Cubs host the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:55:42 GMT

St. Louis Cardinals (44-54, fourth in the NL Central) vs. Chicago Cubs (46-51, third in the NL Central)Chicago; Saturday, 2:20 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Cardinals: Miles Mikolas (6-5, 4.14 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 83 strikeouts); Cubs: Michael Fulmer (1-5, 4.43 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 46 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cardinals -118, Cubs -102; over/under is 9 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Chicago Cubs host the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.Chicago is 25-26 in home games and 46-51 overall. The Cubs have a 35-20 record in games when they record eight or more hits.St. Louis has a 44-54 record overall and a 22-28 record on the road. The Cardinals have a 9-20 record in games decided by one run.Saturday’s game is the eighth time these teams meet this season. The Cardinals have a 4-3 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Nico Hoerner has 15 doubles, four triples and six home runs while hitting .271 for the Cubs. Cody Bellinger is 15-for-38 with two doubles and four home runs over th...

Reds host the Diamondbacks, look to extend home win streak

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:55:42 GMT

Arizona Diamondbacks (54-44, second in the NL West) vs. Cincinnati Reds (53-46, second in the NL Central)Cincinnati; Saturday, 4:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Diamondbacks: TBD; Reds: Brandon Williamson (1-2, 4.78 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 41 strikeouts)BOTTOM LINE: The Cincinnati Reds, on a three-game home winning streak, host the Arizona Diamondbacks.Cincinnati has a 53-46 record overall and a 26-26 record at home. Reds hitters have a collective .413 slugging percentage to rank sixth in the NL.Arizona has a 54-44 record overall and a 28-20 record on the road. Diamondbacks hitters have a collective .429 slugging percentage to rank fourth in the NL.The teams meet Saturday for the second time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Jonathan India has 19 doubles and 14 home runs while hitting .255 for the Reds. Will Benson is 8-for-25 with three doubles, a triple and three home runs over the past 10 games.Corbin Carroll has 20 doubles, four triples and 19 home runs while hitting .284 for the Diamondbacks....

Giants look to stop skid in matchup with the Nationals

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:55:42 GMT

San Francisco Giants (54-44, third in the NL West) vs. Washington Nationals (39-58, fifth in the NL East)Washington; Saturday, 7:05 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Giants: Logan Webb (8-7, 3.32 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 134 strikeouts); Nationals: Josiah Gray (6-8, 3.59 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 94 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Giants -190, Nationals +160; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The San Francisco Giants aim to stop a three-game slide with a win against the Washington Nationals.Washington has a 16-32 record at home and a 39-58 record overall. The Nationals have a 31-11 record in games when they have more hits than their opponents.San Francisco is 54-44 overall and 28-22 in road games. The Giants have a 26-9 record in games when they did not allow a home run.Saturday’s game is the fifth time these teams meet this season. The Nationals are up 3-1 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Lane Thomas has 24 doubles, two triples and 16 home runs while hitting .292 for the Nationals. Joe...

Putin warns Poland an attack on Belarus would be an attack on Russia

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:55:42 GMT

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Poland that any attack on Belarus will be considered an attack on Russia, in a direct threat to the NATO country televised on Friday.“Aggression against Belarus will mean aggression against the Russian Federation,” Putin told a televised Security Council meeting on Friday, shown by Reuters. “We will respond to it with all means at our disposal,” he said.Putin appeared to be responding to Warsaw’s decision this week to re-station military units to the east of the country, closer to the Belarusian border, following the Russian ally’s hosting of Wagner mercenary fighters.Putin said that Poland appears to have interests in retaking eastern territories it lost to former Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin, including “a good chunk of Ukraine … to take back the historic lands.” He added that “it’s well known that they dream of Belarusian lands as well.”Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki hit back later on Friday, tweeting that “Stalin was a war cr...

The Spanish elections and potential outcomes, explained

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:55:42 GMT

MADRID — Spain is poised on a precipice: On Sunday, voters will determine if the country will become the latest one in Europe to take a swing to the hard right or if it will slip into a state of paralysis with a caretaker government for the foreseeable future.The vote is, by far, the most consequential to be held in Spain in recent memory. For the first time since the death of dictator Francisco Franco, the election could lead to a Spanish government with far-right ministers. That eventuality could signal a wider sea-change in Europe ahead of next year’s European Parliament election and give fuel to right-wing forces that want the EU to take more hardline stances on everything from climate policy to migration.But in practical terms, this election may also stand out for being the most chaotic in the country’s history. Called after the left-wing coalition government suffered a surprise defeat in May’s local elections, the vote is being held in the dead of summer when over ...

Fierce protests have been rocking Israel for months. What’s fueling them?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:55:42 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Oceans of Israeli flags, steady drumbeats, cries of “Democracy!” Water cannons, police on horseback, protesters dragged off the ground.For seven straight months, tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in the most sustained and intense demonstrations the country has ever seen.The protesters are part of a grassroots movement that rose out of opposition to a contentious judicial overhaul spearheaded by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies.The overhaul calls for sweeping changes aimed at curbing the powers of the judiciary, from limiting the Supreme Court’s ability to challenge parliamentary decisions, to changing the way judges are selected. While the government says the overhaul is needed to reduce the powers of unelected judges, protesters, who make up a wide cross section of Israeli society, say the overhaul will push Israel toward autocracy. With a key portion of the overhaul nearing a final vote early next week, protest...