Jordan Fletcher

Matt Blake texted Cleveland Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber a conciliatory message over the weekend. As a member of the Cleveland player-development system in the 2010s, Blake aided Bieber’s rise from college walk-on to unanimous American League Cy Young Award winner in 2020. For a time, Bieber represented the modern model for the manufacturing of a big-league ace, a player who added strength to his frame, velocity to his fastball and spin to his offspeed pitches as he ascended the ranks.By the time Blake sent his text, though, Bieber had become part of a growing, more troubling demographic: talented young pitchers…

The deaths of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers at the hands of Israeli troops was “unforgivable,” the organization’s founder, José Andrés, said on Sunday, assailing Israel for waging what now seems to be “a war against humanity itself.”In an emotional interview on ABC’s “This Week,” Mr. Andrés reiterated his calls for an independent investigation into the April 1 airstrikes on his organization’s aid convoy in the Gaza Strip. The deaths drew global condemnation and prompted President Biden to suggest for the first time that he could change policy toward Israel if it does not alter course in its war…

Insurance companies have long blamed private-equity-owned hospitals and physician groups for exorbitant billing that drives up health care costs. But a tool backed by private equity is helping insurers make billions of dollars and shift costs to patients.The tool, Data iSight, is the premier offering of a cost-containment firm called MultiPlan that has attracted round after round of private equity investment since positioning itself as a central player in the lucrative medical payments field. Today Hellman & Friedman, the California-based private equity giant, and the Saudi Arabian government’s sovereign wealth fund are among the firm’s largest investors.The evolution of Data…

AUSTIN, Texas — There was a moment on a recent random Wednesday, as the world champion sprinter and Olympic medalist Gabrielle Thomas juggled emails about a meeting she had to run at a volunteer health clinic and readied for a voiceover for a commercial with a blue-chip sponsor and figured out the logistics of an upcoming weight-training session, when she had something of an epiphany.“I really did not perceive my life being the way it is now,” she said, looking up from her phone as she sipped a coffee at a cafe.She’s not kidding.Pretty much everything Thomas has accomplished in…

Lynne Reid Banks, a versatile British author who began her writing career with the best-selling feminist novel “The L-Shaped Room” but found her biggest success with the popular children’s book “The Indian in the Cupboard,” died on Thursday in Surrey, England. She was 94.Her death, at a care facility, was caused by cancer, said James Wills, her literary agent.Ms. Banks was part of a generation of writers, including Shelagh Delaney and Margaret Drabble, that emerged in postwar Britain and whose books explored the struggles of young women seeking personal and financial independence, in sharp contrast to the contemporaneous “angry young…

Bird flu outbreaks among dairy cows in multiple states, and at least one infection in farmworker in Texas, have incited fears that the virus may be the next infectious threat to people.The influenza virus, called H5N1, is highly pathogenic, meaning it has the ability to cause severe disease and death. But while its spread among cows was unexpected, people can catch the virus only from close contact with infected animals, not from one another, federal officials said.“It’s really about folks who are in environments where they may be interacting with cattle that are infected with this virus,” said Dr. Demetre…

NBA players have always gotten an earful from fans, whether at home or on the road. It comes with the job.But this season, it’s getting darker.The recent surge in legalized gambling in every pro league, and throughout college athletics, has impacted American sports in ways thought unimaginable just a few years ago. But along with the potential good that hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenues bring to the NBA and other leagues, something new and ominous has arrived: verbal abuse directed at players and coaches based solely on fans’ wagers.GO DEEPERTrotter: With legalized betting, could society be the…

Panama, known for its natural beauty and thriving economy, has become an attractive destination for international real estate investors. One of the most prominent projects is Ocean Reef Islands, a private residential community located in the heart of Panama City. Comprising two stunning islands, Island I and Island II, connected by an elegant bridge, this Panama real estate project offers a unique experience that combines island living with all the modern conveniences, if you live in United States. Island living a stone's throw from the heart of Panama City Ocean Reef Islands proudly presents a unique opportunity for residents to…

Endometriosis is a gynecological issue that impacts a significant number of women and poses risks to fertility. This condition is defined by the abnormal presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, potentially resulting in adhesions in surrounding organs and disrupting the function of the fallopian tubes, thereby complicating egg retrieval and, ultimately, the process of conception.Regrettably, this condition is more widespread than commonly thought, and it can shatter dreams of beginning a family through conventional means.With advancements in modern medicine, a variety of options are now available; however, it is essential to comprehend the root causes of these complications, their…

President Biden threatened on Thursday to condition future support for Israel on how it addresses his concerns about civilian casualties and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, trying for the first time to leverage American aid to influence the conduct of the war against Hamas.During an evidently tense 30-minute call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, Mr. Biden went further than ever in pressing for change in the military operation that has inflamed many Americans and others around the world. But the White House stopped short of directly saying the president would halt arms supplies or impose limits on their…