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Its time to crown the champion of Americas pastimeeven if a Canadian team earned its way into the battle. The first pitch of the 2025 World Series will be thrown out tonight: Friday, October 24. The Toronto Blue Jays will try to stop the Los Angeles Dodgers from becoming the first team since the 2000 Yankees to win consecutive championships. The Blue Jays will also try to prevent Shohei Ohtani from making any baseball history. Both feats are a tall order. Before we get into how to watch the World Series, lets take a look back at how the two teams got here and speculate on Ohtanis potential firsts. The road to the World Series Ironically, the Blue Jays represent the American League in the Series, having earned 94 wins and 68 losses this season. They faced off against the Seattle Mariners to get here. George Springers game-winning home run in the final playoff matchup cemented their spot, as CNN reported. Toronto has not competed in a World Series game since 1993, which was the year the organization won its second consecutive championship. On the other side of the coin, the National Leagues Dodgers have a regular-season record of 93-69, just one win less than the Blue Jays. The boys in blue swept the Milwaukee Brewers, who had the best regular-season record, in the playoffs. This is the franchises fifth appearance in the World Series in the last nine years. Ohtani already made history in Game 4 against the Brewers with what some are calling the greatest playoff performance in Major League Baseball history. He hit three home runs and pitched six scoreless innings, only allowing two hits. He struck out 10 batters. With this kind of momentum, it’s easy to get excited about the possibilities for the World Series. What historic feats could Ohtani accomplish? Ohtani has many opportunities to make history in the Series, as reported by MLB.com. The easiest way to do so would be by breaking any number of offensive performance records, such as most hits or home runs by a pitcher. The record for most hits by a pitcher in a postseason game is three, and the one for most home runs is one. And the record for most RBIs by a pitcher is four, and the one for total bases is seven. These all seem easily attainable for the talented player. Insteador additionallyOhtani could make hitting history. He has more competition here, though, as all players can accomplish this, no matter their position. No one has ever hit four home runs in a postseason game. In this years regular season, this happened three times, which was a firstso the stage is set. Batters just have to do it during the World Series. No pressure. The least likely outcome could happen from the mound. Ohtani has the chance to become the first pitcher to throw a World Series no-hitter or perfect game since Don Larsen in Game 5 of the 1956 championship. At that point, anything at the plate would just be gravy. This accomplishment would take some cooperation from the coaching staff, as Ohtani has only pitched one full game in his career. (It is important to note this one-hit shutout against the Detroit Tigers occurred when Ohtani was still playing for the L.A. Angels in 2023.) Since recovering from Tommy John surgery on his elbow, he tends to pitch an average of six innings. How can I watch or stream the 2025 World Series? Only time will tell what Ohtani accomplishes. The best-of-seven fall classic begins on Friday, October 24, at 8 p.m. ET. The entire series will be broadcast on Fox, which means traditional cable subscribers and those with an over-the-air antenna and reception are all set. Additionally, if you have a pay-TV provider, you can stream it on FoxSports.com, the Fox Sports app, and Fox One. For those who cut the cord, try a live-TV streaming service, such as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, or Fubo. Just be sure to check regional differences before committing to a new monthly charge. Heres the full World Series Schedule. Game 1: Friday, October 24, at 8 p.m. ET (Fox) Game 2: Saturday, October 25, at 8 p.m. ET (Fox) Game 3: Monday, October 27, at 8 p.m. ET (Fox) Game 4: Tuesday, October 28, at 8 p.m. ET (Fox) Game 5: Wednesday, October 29, at 8 p.m. ET (Fox), if needed Game 6: Friday, October 31, at 8 p.m. ET (Fox), if needed Game 7: Saturday, November 1, at 8 p.m. ET (Fox), if needed
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E-Commerce
The Trump administration is deliberately pulling up the welcome mat for people seeking legal status in the United States. This Monday, the federal government rolled out a new civics test for green card holders applying for U.S. citizenshipan exam that critics have said is needlessly more complex than its predecessor. Applicants who filed for naturalization prior to October 20 will continue to take the 2008 version of exam. However, those submitting applications after that date will be subject to the 2025 civics test, with special provisions extended to applicants 65 or older who have been permanent residents for at least 20 years. Matthew Tragesser, spokesperson for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), endorsed the changes in a statement. The updated test, he said, ensures only those aliens who meet all eligibility requirements, including the ability to read, write, and speak English and understand U.S. government and civics, are able to naturalize,” and that “the American people can be assured that those joining us as fellow citizens are fully assimilated and will contribute to Americas greatness. How the new test differs from the old version The old test required 6 correct answers out of 10. While the new version asks for 12 correct out of 20. Meanwhile, the question pool has expanded from 100 to 128, with many questions now being more demanding. According to the immigration law firm Vega and Associates, roughly 75% of the 2025 test draws on prior material, and additional questions cover U.S. history and government in greater depth. Geography and holiday questionssuch as What ocean is on the West Coast?are replaced by more challenging ones, as NPR reported. Examples include, Why did the United States enter the Persian Gulf War? (Answer: To force the Iraqi military from Kuwait.) and Why did the United States enter the Vietnam War? (Answer: To stop the spread of communism.) The exam is also administered differently: Officers stop asking questions once an applicant either passes or fails. Nine incorrect answers and the assessment ends. Vega and Associates advises test takers to focus on understanding concepts rather than memorizing exact answers, as questions may be phrased differently during the exam. Civics knowledge isnt the only new requirement Applicants must now demonstrate good moral character. Previously, a clean record sufficed, but applicants may now need to provide evidence of positive contributions to American society, with officers potentially interviewing coworkers, neighbors, or family members. According to The Washington Post, these changes are part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration to make citizenship more difficult and to increase scrutiny of immigrants and visa holders. Immigration advocates worry that the updates could pose additional barriers, particularly for applicants with limited literacy or access to preparation courses. Its hard to imagine these changes dont reduce the number of people who can complete the naturalization process, Julie Mitchell, legal director at the Central American Resource Center in Los Angeles, told NPR. And this may only be the beginning. Officials are reportedly considering additional measures, such as essays demonstrating attachment to the U.S. Constitution. They are opening the door for more biased decision-making based on arbitrary factors like race, Eric Welsh, partner at Reeves Immigration Law Group, told Axios. Its extremely dangerous and a slippery slope.
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E-Commerce
You might have a tough time getting your hands on a pumpkin spice latte over the next few days. Starbucks Workers United, the union representing more than 12,000 workers across 650 stores nationwide, is planning to picket and stage rallies outside 60 locations of the coffee chain this weekend. Seventy rallies and pickets will take place from today through November 1, the union said. Today the union will begin voting on a work strike authorization, stemming from demands for new contracts that address better staffing hours, higher pay, and resolution for hundreds of outstanding unfair labor practice charges, according to the union. Starbucks has faced a myriad of challenges in the past year, including store closings, layoffs, and uniform changes that many employees seemed to hate. All of this happened under the purview of Brian Niccol, who has been CEO of Starbucks since September 2024. Niccol implemented the Back to Starbucks plan, which encourages baristas to be warm and engaging with customers in a bid to turn Starbucks visits into a repeat occurrence. Meanwhile, in September of this year, Niccol announced a $1 billion dollar restructuring plan which involves closing 500 of Starbucks retail storesof which 59 are unionized. When reached for comment, Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson had this to say: Workers United only represents around 4% of our partners but chose to walk away from the bargaining table. If theyre ready to come back, were ready to talk. Any agreement needs to reflect the reality that Starbucks already offers the best job in retail including more than $30 an hour on average in pay and benefits for hourly partners. Were investing over $500 million to put more partners in stores during busy times. The facts show people like working at Starbucks.
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E-Commerce
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