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Lamar Jackson deal instant analysis: Reactions to Ravens’ 5-year pact with star QB

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens finally have a deal. Here’s what the Baltimore Sun staff had to say immediately after the team agreed in principle to a five-year contract with the star quarterback on Thursday.Childs Walker, reporter: The Ravens made a move that will eclipse anything they do in the draft and set up the immediate future of their franchise when they signed Lamar Jackson to a five-year extension Thursday.We still don’t know what nudged the process forward after more than a year of difficult negotiations and a trade request from Jackson. But it seems Jalen Hurts’ recent $255 million deal with the Eagles gave the Ravens a target to beat, and their move to sign wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. did not hurt. If a reported $260 million is the number, the Ravens and Jackson compromised on a deal that’s good for both player and team.Meanwhile, Ravens fans will exhale en masse and get back to celebrating Jackson as the next in a line of transcendent Baltimor...

Tableside bong service? A Denver weed lounge aims to reinvent nightlife

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

When Denverite Arend Richard looks at the local and national landscape for cannabis lounges, he sees a homogenous smattering of spaces designed for men. That’s why when Richard opens his own hospitality establishment this fall, the aesthetic and amenities will be specifically curated to attract women and gay individuals, as well as the canna-curious looking for a comfortable environment where they can try some of Colorado’s locally grown herb.Cirrus Social Club, opening in Denver, combines Richard’s experiences teaching people to smoke weed on YouTube under the moniker The Gay Stoner and working in high-end restaurants. And the way he describes it, the 420-friendly lounge is posed to be unlike anything else in Denver with lavish decor, custom furniture and florals, and a pink Steinway & Sons player piano to help set the ambiance.Arend Richard is founder of Cirrus Social Club, a lavish new weed smoking lounge coming to Denver in fall 2023. (Provided by Coryn Nelson Photography)Th...

Boston COVID wastewater data plunging, Massachusetts virus cases drop 16%

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

COVID wastewater data in the Boston-area continues to take a plunge, as state health officials on Thursday also reported a drop in virus cases and hospitalizations.Data from the Boston Public Health Commission’s wastewater surveillance program shows that the number of COVID particles in the city’s wastewater decreased 71% over the past two weeks. The wastewater data helps predict virus waves and lulls in the community.For the north-of-Boston region, the wastewater data has gone down 44% in the same time period. The south-of-Boston region has seen a 32% drop.Related ArticlesHealth | Watchdog report questions Boston’s ability to sustain ARPA-funded projects Health | Flynn to other Boston city councilors: Hearings should not be virtual Health | What you need to know about COVID variant arcturus — and a new, odd symptom Health | As pandemic emergencies end, people battling long COVID feel ‘swept under the rug’ ...

Lamar Jackson, Ravens agree to 5-year deal, ending difficult standoff with their franchise player

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

After more than a year of complicated negotiations and a trade request, Lamar Jackson will be the Ravens’ quarterback for the long term after he agreed to a five-year contract extension, the team announced Thursday.Terms of the deal were not immediately announced, but ESPN reported Jackson will receive $260 million with $185 million in guarantees, figures that would push him past the $255 million extension Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts agreed to earlier this month.“You know, for the last few months, there’s been a lot of he-said, she-said, a lot of nail-biting, a lot of head scratching going on,” Jackson said in a video posted by the team. “But for the next five years, there’s a lot of ‘Flock’ going on. Let’s go, baby. Can’t wait to get there. Can’t wait to be there. Can’t wait to light up M&T Bank [Stadium] for the next five years. Let’s get it.”News of the extension broke as the R...

What they’re saying about Lamar Jackson and Ravens agreeing to a 5-year deal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

After two years of contract negotiations, the Ravens and star quarterback Lamar Jackson have a deal.The team announced Thursday that it has agreed in principle to a five-year contract extension with the 2019 NFL Most Valuable Player, just one month after Jackson tweeted that he requested a trade from the organization. ESPN reported that Jackson will receive $260 million with $185 million in guarantees, figures that would push him past the $255 million extension Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts agreed to earlier this month.The news caught many by surprise, and as word trickled out on social media, there were plenty of reactions.Even Orioles manager Brandon Hyde was excited: “I think that’s awesome. I’m excited for him to come to Camden Yards, maybe take a little batting practice and be around the guys. But really cool for the city and happy for him. … I’m a huge football fan and a Ravens fan and a John Harbaugh fan, and so for him to be signed...

Mets still searching for last year’s offense with rocky start to season at the plate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

The Mets are searching for any type of spark at the dish.The not-so-Amazins have gotten off to a very slow offensive start and those woes at the plate have been front and center during their four-game losing streak — dropping two to the fourth-place Giants and two to the last-place Nationals — where they’ve scored nine runs combined.Against the Nats specifically is where the concerns heightened. The Mets were shutout in the opener of the series and scored just one run in their loss on Wednesday going 9-for-63 (.143) in the first two games against the sewer of the NL East.While it is early, there are stark differences with this year’s squad from the team that won 101 games last season that warrants some legitimate concern.Brandon Nimmo (.925 OPS this season) and Pete Alonso (.882 OPS) — although he has just two hits in his last 25 at-bats — have been the only notable forces in Buck Showalter’s lineup.The rest of the lineup leaves a lot to be ...

Lamar Jackson sets new NFL contract with monster five-year Baltimore Ravens extension

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

Lamar Jackson went from requesting a trade out of Baltimore to setting a new NFL contract record to stay with the Ravens.Baltimore and its quarterback agreed on Thursday in principle to a monster five-year contract extension to resolve the offseason standoff between the former MVP and the franchise that drafted him.The contract is a five-year, $260 million extension with $185 million in total guarantees, according to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson.Jackson’s $52 million average annual value is the largest in NFL history, just above Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts’ $51 million average on his recent extension in Philadelphia.Jackson himself delivered the official confirmation of the pact on the team’s social media accounts.“You know for the last few months, there’s been a lot of he-say, she-say, a lot of nailbiting and a lot of headscratching going on,” Jackson said in a video. “But for the next five years it’s a lot of Flock going on.&...

Ticker: Economy grew at weak 1.1% in Q1; Gap slashing 1,800 jobs 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

The U.S. economy slowed sharply from January through March, decelerating to just a 1.1% annual pace as higher interest rates hammered the housing market and businesses reduced their inventories.Thursday’s estimate from the Commerce Department showed that the nation’s gross domestic product — the broadest gauge of economic output — weakened after growing 3.2% from July through September and 2.6% from October through December.But consumer spending, which accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic activity, remained resilient, growing at a 3.7% annual pace, the fastest such rate in nearly two years. Spending on goods, in particular, was solid: It rose at its fastest pace since the second quarter of 2021.Gap slashing 1,800 jobsThe Gap is laying off 1,800 corporate workers, roughly three time the number of headquarters jobs it cut last fall, as the struggling chain cuts costs in a bid to become more nimble.More layoffs at the struggling chain follow similar cuts at large U.S. co...

CFL reaches multi year broadcast agreement with CBS Sports Network

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

The CFL has reached a multi-year broadcast agreement with CBS Sports Network, the league announced Thursday.The deal will see CBS Sports Network carry 34 games this year.CBS Sports Network is the 24-hour cable home of CBS Sports. Financial details of the agreement weren’t divulged.“We’re looking forward to working closely with CBS Sports Network to serve our loyal fans in the U.S. and grow our base there,” CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement. “CBS Sports is synonymous with the finest in sports broadcasting and we’re proud to showcase our product on its network.”The American network will kick off its coverage by carrying the ’23 regular-season opener June 8 between the B.C. Lions and Calgary Stampeders.“The CFL is an exciting brand of football, with a great history that has long included some of the stars of the game,” said Dan Weinberg, executive vice-president, programming, CBS Sports. “We are excited...

Biden plan aims to stem border migration as restrictions end

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — With COVID-19 immigration restrictions set to expire, the Biden administration on Thursday announced measures meant to stop migrants from illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, both by cracking down on many of those who do come, and by creating new pathways meant to offer an alternative to the dangerous journey.The effort includes opening processing centers outside the United States for people fleeing violence and poverty to apply to fly in legally and settle in the United States, Spain or Canada. The first processing centers will open in Guatemala and Colombia, with others expected to follow. The administration also plans to swiftly screen migrants seeking asylum at the border itself, quickly deport those deemed as not being qualified, and penalizing people who cross illegally into the U.S. or illegally through another country on their way to the U.S. border.But it is unclear whether the measures will do much to slow the tide of migrants fleeing countries marr...