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Dear Abby: The reason her fiance hid his phone was something she never guessed

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:14 GMT

DEAR ABBY: My daughter and her fiance are intelligent, successful professionals in their early 30s. Her fiance just informed her he was a sperm donor for a friend and his wife a few years ago, resulting in two biological children with one more on the way.He never mentioned this to my daughter before. She suspected that something wasn’t right because he would hide his phone (he keeps the children’s pictures on it), and she finally confronted him last week.He bonded with the children during the first year of their lives with frequent visits, then tapered off because the friends had become uncomfortable with his being around (the children both closely resemble him).Her fiance says he hasn’t seen the children since my daughter began dating him two years ago. He says he tried to put the situation behind him, but confessed that he misses them and didn’t realize he would feel this way at the time he donated.Neither he nor the children’s parents have legal docu...

Marlins aim to sweep 3-game series over the Cubs

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:14 GMT

Chicago Cubs (14-12, third in the NL Central) vs. Miami Marlins (15-13, third in the NL East)Miami; Sunday, 12:05 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Cubs: Justin Steele (4-0, 1.19 ERA, .89 WHIP, 29 strikeouts); Marlins: Bryan Hoeing (0-1, 9.82 ERA, 2.18 WHIP, two strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cubs -166, Marlins +141; over/under is 8 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Miami Marlins and the Chicago Cubs play the last game of a three-game series. The Marlins can sweep the series with a victory.Miami has a 15-13 record overall and a 9-6 record in home games. The Marlins have a 12-6 record in games when they record at least eight hits.Chicago has a 6-4 record in road games and a 14-12 record overall. The Cubs have a 7-2 record in games when they hit at least two home runs.The teams match up Sunday for the third time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Luis Arraez leads the Marlins with a .442 batting average, and has five doubles, a triple, a home run, 14 walks and nine RBI. Jazz Chisholm is 11-for-41 with...

Braves face the Mets with 1-0 series lead

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:14 GMT

Atlanta Braves (18-9, first in the NL East) vs. New York Mets (15-12, second in the NL East)New York; Sunday, 1:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Braves: Spencer Strider (3-0, 1.80 ERA, .83 WHIP, 49 strikeouts); Mets: Tylor Megill (3-1, 3.96 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 19 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Braves -176, Mets +149; over/under is 7 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves take a 1-0 lead into the next game of the series against the New York Mets.New York has a 15-12 record overall and a 5-5 record at home. The Mets rank 10th in the NL with 27 total home runs, averaging 1.0 per game.Atlanta has an 18-9 record overall and an 11-2 record in road games. The Braves rank fourth in the majors with 41 total home runs, averaging 1.5 per game.Sunday’s game is the second meeting between these teams this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Brandon Nimmo has a .330 batting average to lead the Mets, and has six doubles and two home runs. Jeff McNeil is 13-for-34 with a home run and three RBI over the...

Dodgers aim to sweep series against the Cardinals

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:14 GMT

St. Louis Cardinals (10-17, fifth in the NL Central) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (14-13, second in the NL West)Los Angeles; Sunday, 4:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Cardinals: Jake Woodford (1-2, 5.47 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 16 strikeouts); Dodgers: Noah Syndergaard (0-3, 6.58 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 21 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Dodgers -145, Cardinals +124; over/under is 10 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals square off in the final game of a three-game series. The Dodgers will sweep the series with a win.Los Angeles is 14-13 overall and 8-6 in home games. The Dodgers have gone 11-3 in games when they record eight or more hits.St. Louis is 10-17 overall and 5-10 in road games. The Cardinals have a 6-3 record in games when they did not give up a home run.Sunday’s game is the third time these teams meet this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Max Muncy has 11 home runs, 23 walks and 22 RBI while hitting .250 for the Dodgers. James Outman is 10-for-38 with three d...

Rockies aim to break skid in game against the Diamondbacks

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:14 GMT

Arizona Diamondbacks (16-12, first in the NL West) vs. Colorado Rockies (8-20, fifth in the NL West)Denver; Sunday, 3:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Diamondbacks: Ryne Nelson (1-1, 5.33 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 17 strikeouts); Rockies: Austin Gomber (1-4, 9.28 ERA, 1.92 WHIP, 15 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Diamondbacks -125, Rockies +105; over/under is 12 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Rockies enter a matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks as losers of three straight games.Colorado is 8-20 overall and 3-9 in home games. The Rockies are 6-3 in games when they scored at least five runs.Arizona is 16-12 overall and 8-6 on the road. The Diamondbacks have the eighth-ranked team slugging percentage in the NL at .425.Sunday’s game is the third time these teams match up this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Charlie Blackmon has six doubles and two home runs for the Rockies. Ryan McMahon is 12-for-39 with five doubles and a home run over the last 10 games.Christian Walker has six doubles, fo...

Pirates bring road win streak into matchup with the Nationals

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:14 GMT

Pittsburgh Pirates (20-8, first in the NL Central) vs. Washington Nationals (9-17, fifth in the NL East)Washington; Sunday, 1:35 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Johan Oviedo (2-1, 3.03 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 29 strikeouts); Nationals: Josiah Gray (1-4, 2.93 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 25 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Pirates -142, Nationals +121; over/under is 8 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Pirates hit the road against the Washington Nationals looking to extend a five-game road winning streak.Washington is 9-17 overall and 2-11 in home games. The Nationals have a 5-12 record in games when they have allowed at least one home run.Pittsburgh has a 20-8 record overall and an 11-4 record in road games. The Pirates have the second-ranked team on-base percentage in the NL at .346.The teams play Sunday for the third time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Jeimer Candelario has five doubles and four home runs for the Nationals. C.J. Abrams is 8-for-34 with a double and two home runs over the last 10...

Estrada leads Giants against the Padres after 4-hit game

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:14 GMT

San Francisco Giants (11-15, fourth in the NL West) vs. San Diego Padres (14-14, third in the NL West)Mexico City; Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Giants: Alex Cobb (1-1, 1.91 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 26 strikeouts); Padres: Yu Darvish (1-2, 3.00 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 25 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Padres -147, Giants +126; over/under is 20 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The San Francisco Giants play the San Diego Padres after Thairo Estrada’s four-hit game on Saturday.San Diego has a 14-14 record overall and a 6-8 record at home. The Padres have gone 10-2 in games when they scored five or more runs.San Francisco is 11-15 overall and 4-8 in road games. The Giants have a 5-1 record in games when they did not give up a home run.The teams meet Sunday for the second time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Xander Bogaerts is third on the Padres with 10 extra base hits (four doubles and six home runs). Manny Machado is 9-for-39 with two doubles, three home runs and four RBI over the last 10 ga...

FDIC, Wall Street scramble to pull together sale of First Republic Bank

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:14 GMT

Federal regulators are rushing to seal a deal to sell troubled lender First Republic to a larger bank, with JPMorgan Chase as a top contender, two people involved in the talks said on Saturday.The FDIC wants to complete an agreement by Sunday evening that would likely include the government taking on some of First Republic’s troubled assets or offering other guarantees that would make buying the bank less risky for would-be suitors.Formal bids for First Republic — which has seen heavy deposit outflows and suffered massive share price declines in recent weeks — are due to the FDIC by the middle of the day on Sunday, according to the people, who requested anonymity to provide details of the discussions.Federal regulators are hoping to put an end to turmoil in the banking industry following the stunning collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank last month. First Republic’s problems largely stemmed from the panic that engulfed those two banks amid a run on deposits.First Republ...

How a late-night text brought Lamar Jackson and the Ravens to the end of 2-plus years of tense negotiations

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:14 GMT

The back-and-forth wore on both parties.Five proposals into his quest to sign star quarterback Lamar Jackson to the largest contract in Baltimore sports history, Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta tried to maintain optimism but wondered if a resolution would ever come. He asked himself, could he have done something different to accelerate the process or make it happier for everyone?On the other side, Jackson, an ebullient presence over his first three seasons in Baltimore, seemed to fall out of love with the franchise he had promised to lead to a Super Bowl. He snapped at a Twitter critic after a loss in November and felt the need to go outside team channels to explain the severity of his season-ending knee injury. In late March, he told his 1.1 million Twitter followers that he had asked the Ravens to trade him because they had “not been interested in meeting my value.”DeCosta was watching his beloved Boston Celtics squander a lead to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night...

Five things we learned from the Ravens’ 2023 draft

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:14 GMT

Before the Ravens ever made a pick, they executed a move that would eclipse their draft, signing quarterback Lamar Jackson to a five-year extension that will keep him at the center of everything the franchise does. The Ravens also drafted six players, led by another target for their franchise quarterback, shifty wide receiver Zay Flowers from Boston College. Their 2023 team is taking shape.Here are five things we learned from the draft.The Ravens made good on their promise to ‘attack’ their wide receiver shortage, but there’s risk in using another first-round pick on the position.General manager Eric DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh were not kidding when they said wide receivers would be their No. 1 project of the offseason, aside from extending Jackson. They began with a modest free-agent addition, Nelson Agholor, turned up the heat by signing injury-prone superstar Odell Beckham Jr. and garnished their meal with Flowers, a 5-foot-9, 182-pound bundle of gliding spe...