Latest news with #Dominican-born
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Baseball legend José Bautista is not 'super fun.' Instead, the former Blue Jays star likes to 'stay curious'
José Bautista felt "humbled and very honoured" to be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame (Photo illustration: Yahoo Canada; Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB via Getty Images). There are legendary baseball players — and then there's José Bautista. A figure who, at least to Toronto Blue Jays fans, is in a league of his own. During his 10 seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, the six-time MLB All-Star blossomed into "one of the best power hitters" in the league — and a superstar player on Canadian soil. The Dominican-born athlete helped the Jays break a 23-year postseason drought — the longest playoff drought by any North American professional sports team at the time — was a top-10 MVP vote-getter four times, and produced one of the most memorable home runs in Blue Jays history — the iconic bat flip. José Bautista produced one of the most memorable home runs in Blue Jays history — the iconic 2025 bat flip (Photo by). Bautista parted ways with the franchise in 2017. However, he was immortalized as a member of the Blue Jays' level of Excellence in 2023 and officially retired from the team after signing a symbolic one-day contract. He wrapped up his 15-season major league career with short stints with the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and Philadelphia Phillies in 2018. Advertisement As one of the greatest players to ever wear a Blue Jays uniform, the 44-year-old was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this year. In conversation with Yahoo Canada for OT Diaries, Bautista recalls how "emotional" he felt during the June induction ceremony. "[I was] humbled and very honoured," he says. "[I was] in awe. It was a pleasant surprise." While Bautista no longer lives in Toronto — he resides with his family in Tampa Bay, Fla. — he has previously called Canada his "second home." His high regard for Canada — and Canadians — hasn't diminished since his retirement from the Jays. To read what Bautista thinks about the Great White North — and its "chirpy" sports fans — plus his post-retirement schedule, businesses and eating habits, scroll below. As one of the greatest players to ever wear a Blue Jays uniform, José Bautista was inducted as a member of the Blue Jays' level of Excellence in 2023 (Photo by). You shared on Instagram that "Canada will always feel like a second home." What (if anything) do you miss about living in Toronto? Of course, I miss it. Toronto in the summer is great. I love the diversity. I love the fact that everybody is very educated, professional and looking to enjoy life. [Canadians] are very welcoming and very polite. I miss being out and about and enjoying the vibrancy of [the city]. But the diversity is the one that I always come back to — getting to know people from all over the world was always something that was very enjoyable for me. How would you describe Canadian sports fans? Ultra passionate. Canada and the Blue Jays kind of go hand-in-hand, so it feels a bit patriotic when you play for the Blue Jays and you represent the whole country. [Fans] can get rowdy. Advertisement I know that Canadians' first love is hockey, and people can get chirpy, but some of that [chirpiness] also translates into baseball. They're passionate, they're chirpy, they love their teams, and they're very supportive. I won't say it's the same kind of support when the team is losing versus when they're winning, but they're always there, and they always make you feel like they're there. I went through some ups and downs during my stay in Toronto, where the team wasn't so great, and when we started playing better, you could see the difference in the stadium. Everybody was hungry and thirsty for a winner. Canadian fans are "passionate, they're chirpy, they love their teams, and they're very supportive." (Photo by) You retired from professional baseball in 2018. Do you miss playing professionally? Or are you enjoying your well-deserved retirement? I did a little bit at the beginning, I'm not going to lie, but then when COVID-19 hit, with all that uncertainty, I was like, no, this is it. Selfishly, it was kind of an easy way to close that chapter, even though the world was falling apart. That said, the first year, year-and-a-half I wasn't playing, I did miss it, and now I try and get those competitive juices flowing in different ways, whether it's playing golf, riding my bike or playing pick-up soccer with some buddies in Tampa, and that's good enough. Advertisement You get out of baseball shape, both physically and mentally, and it's really hard to get back there. Elite athletes' jobs require intensive health and wellness routines to ensure they're always at peak performance levels. But what do they do on their days off? And is there anything we can learn from them? In our new series OT Diaries, we ask your favourite players the things they do to get their minds and bodies ready for game day that have absolutely nothing to do with their sport — from how they unwind and what they're binge-watching to their favourite eats, what products they swear by and what fitness looks like for fun. Speaking of soccer, you bought a team: the Las Vegas Lights FC. Do you think it came as a surprise to fans that an iconic baseball player acquired a soccer team? I think it was a surprise, but at the end of the day, business is business, and good investments are good investments. I'm always driven by taking advantage of good opportunities in business and I've always been a fan of soccer. Since retirement, you've partnered with Mary Brown's Chicken and you've been busy launching and investing in different businesses. Outside of work, how are you spending your time? I always work out, spend time with family and just enjoy life. Life is plenty busy when you have four daughters and three dogs. Have your eating habits changed since you were playing professionally? I'm way less conscious of what I eat now, but I do try and negate whatever ill effects of eating more with more physical activity. I always try to be mindful of that. I wouldn't say I eat recklessly, but I don't have as many rules because I don't need to be as physically productive with my body. I enjoy things a little more and I have more options open. What kind of foods are you indulging in now? I like food in general, no matter what. I like everything. I think there's great food from every culture, every cuisine. I like trying new things, but nothing too crazy. I'm not super into seafood, but you know, everything else, I'll try. My go-tos are probably Spanish, Italian and Greek food. If I had to pick something quick and easy, my go-to would be pizza. When you were with the Blue Jays, you were playing dozens of games a year, plus practice. What did your recovery routine look like? I think recovery is as much mental as it is physical, so I try to do both. Be mindful, do some breathing exercises, sauna and cold plunging, hot tub, and getting good sleep is always the best recipe for recovery. I did things that I knew would incentivize getting better sleep. I had my bedtime routine down where I'd start winding down, put away screens, relax and get ready for bed. When you're disciplined and you're habitual, you get into that routine, and your body knows it's time to go to bed, so you fall asleep easier and quicker. What is a non-sports related fun fact about yourself? I'm not the most unplugged, super fun, you know, enjoy everything [kind of person]. I'm always somewhat connected and trying to be productive. So even when I'm on vacation or just hanging out, I always try to let curiosity lead the way. I am very curious. I always like to learn. As someone who is ultra-productive, do you have a favourite productivity hack that helps you get through your days? I stick to my routine, stick to the plan. I get some physical activity out of the way early in the morning, and it gives me a boost. When I don't work out, I feel more lethargic, so I try and do that first thing in the morning. Advertisement Other than that, sticking to my routine, I would say I keep a really clean, precise, concise calendar. I try to make my meetings short — just get to the point. When you don't, there's a lot of chit-chat and a lot of wasted time. I get to the point. Meetings that used to last an hour now get done in 20 minutes when you get to the point. It still gives you time on the back end to catch up and socialize. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Let us know what you think by emailing us, commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Was Tekashi 6ix9ine's girlfriend Ariella La Langosta killed in NYC shooting? What we know about the influencer found dead at 29
Social media influencer and rapper Takeshi 6ix9ine's girlfriend, Ariella La Langosta, has tragically passed away at 29. According to multiple social media pages, she was shot dead on Sunday, August 17, 2025. The news was later confirmed by 6ix9ine himself, who shared an emotional tribute on Instagram following Ariella's death. What makes the tragedy even more shocking is that before her passing, the rapper had never publicly acknowledged his relationship with Ariella, leaving many fans wondering who she was. Now, questions are being raised about whether her death is connected to the New York City restaurant shooting that claimed at least three lives and left eight others injured. Here's everything we know so far. Influencer Ariella La Langosta killed in NYC Ariella La Langosta, better known to fans as 'Ariela the Lobster', has tragically died. The 29-year-old influencer and well-known New York City bartender was reportedly found inside a vehicle on the Cross County Parkway in Mount Vernon. Police are treating her passing as a suspicious death and have launched an investigation. Tekashi 6ix9ine mourns Ariella La Langosta's demise After the news broke, Tekashi 6ix9ine took to his Instagram account to share a deeply personal tribute to Ariella. Posting photos and videos of their moments together, he described her as having 'the most beautiful heart' and someone whose presence lit up his life. His message, raw and emotional, marked the first time he publicly acknowledged their relationship, making the loss feel even more profound to fans who had never seen him post about her before. 6ix9ine's girlfriend got murdered last night#6ix9ine Was she shot in the NYC restaurant shooting? After news of Ariella's passing broke, many wondered if it was tied to Sunday's New York City restaurant shooting that left three people dead and eight others injured. But that doesn't appear to be the case. According to reports, Ariella was not among the victims of that incident. Instead, she was allegedly shot while returning home from work. Some accounts claim she was inside a vehicle with Tekashi 6ix9ine at the time, raising speculation that he may have been the intended target. Still, neither the authorities nor her family have confirmed those details. Who was Ariella La Langosta? Ariella La Langosta—also known online as Ariiela Lalangosta or Ariela the Lobster—was a Dominican-born influencer and entertainer who built a name for herself on social media. She first joined Instagram back in 2018 and over the years grew a following of more than 551,000 people, thanks to her bold personality, modelling, and dance content. Beyond social media, Ariella spent time performing at venues across the U.S., from clubs to live events. In 2023, she even appeared on stage alongside Tekashi 6ix9ine at the Taboga Room in New York, a moment that marked one of her career highlights. At the time of her passing, she was working at IKON New York, a popular lounge in Manhattan's Inwood neighbourhood. After the news broke, the lounge shared a touching tribute, remembering her as a 'shining star' whose kindness and energy lit up every room she walked into. Meanwhile, fans have filled Ariella's Instagram posts with heartfelt messages, flooding the comments as they mourn a life lost too soon. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending.
Refinery29
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Refinery29
In Puerto Rico, Immigrants Are Being Tracked, Detained & Deported — But Communities Are Fighting Back
Dominican-born Aracelys Terrero Mota went to register her small business in the municipal office of Cabo Rojo in Puerto Rico on June 5. She gave her passport, visa, and migration and work permits — all updated and in good order. As a domestic violence survivor, she is legally protected under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to work and live on the archipelago, the place she's called home for 21 years. But when she left the office, she was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. According to the executive director of the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Annette Martinez-Orabona, Terrero disappeared from the system and was held in various detention centers in Florida, Texas, and New Mexico. After protests and demands from human rights organizations and activists, she was returned to Puerto Rico on June 28. 'My soul cried, and even my heart ached. … It was like a horrible nightmare,' Terrero told Telemundo Puerto Rico in Spanish. Terrero's immigration case — drawing outcry and attention from thousands of Puerto Ricans and fellow migrants across the archipelago via social media and the press — has become the most visible in Puerto Rico, but her experience isn't a solitary one. As the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on immigrants through controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, arrests, and deportations, agents in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, have followed suit — disproportionately impacting Dominican migrants on the island. In fact, as of June 2025, 500 people have been detained in Puerto Rico, and nearly three-quarters of those arrested are from the Dominican Republic. 'We are currently being persecuted, rounded up, deported, and there have even been deaths,' José Rodríguez, president of the Dominican Human Rights Committee of Puerto Rico, told Somos. The committee was born during the late 1980s and early '90s, when there was an uptick of Dominicans leaving their island to find better employment opportunities in Puerto Rico. In 1997, Dominican migrant Rafael Herrera was beaten to death by a Puerto Rican police officer during a drug bust. In 2009, police struck and handcuffed undocumented Dominican immigrant Franklin Cáceres Osorio before throwing him from a two-story building and leaving him to die. Most recently, on March 28, Dominican worker Antonio Báez climbed onto the roof of the warehouse where he was employed — about 30 to 35 feet high — to avoid arrest during an ICE inspection. While attempting to hide, he fell and died. Dominicans make up one of the largest immigrant populations in Puerto Rico. But despite having lived on the sister island for generations and contributing significantly to its social and economic fabric, the community has increasingly been targeted by state-sanctioned xenophobia and anti-Blackness — sentiments that have been emboldened under President Donald Trump and Puerto Rican Governor Jenniffer González's anti-immigration rhetoric and policy. ' "There are people hiding out of fear." ' For instance, in 2013, then-governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla, a Democrat from the pro-commonwealth status party in Puerto Rico, approved Law 97, which allowed for people without official immigration status to obtain a driver's license. 'That's one of the achievements we've had, and close to 20,000 people have that license — before New York and a lot of other states,' Rodríguez said. However, in the last year, González, a Republican and Trump ally from the island's pro-statehood party, and her government has used it to betray the entire undocumented population in Puerto Rico. In June, both the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP) and ICE confirmed private data had been shared between the two agencies for several months. ICE subpoenaed the Puerto Rican government for the information, and it quietly did as it was told, without public hearing or warning beforehand. ICE proceeded to use the data to detain people in their homes. Now in Barrio Obrero, a San Juan neighborhood known for its Dominican population, people are afraid — to stay inside or leave their homes. 'There are many people who live in fear. There are many people who do not want to leave their homes, who find it difficult to get to work,' a pro-immigrant organizer in Puerto Rico, who preferred to stay anonymous, told Somos. 'It's dangerous. People are coming here as if it's the Nazi times. There are people hiding out of fear.' This fear is deliberate and strategic. González and her pro-statehood party have aligned themselves closely with Trump and his hardline immigration policies, pressuring local institutions to follow suit or face consequences. In January, González warned that public workers and Puerto Rican agencies refusing to cooperate with ICE or attempting to block raids could jeopardize federal funding. But that claim doesn't hold up. Sanctuary cities and counties across the U.S. have successfully challenged similar threats in court, affirming that federal funds cannot be withheld on that basis. If Puerto Rico's government chose to, it could adopt sanctuary policies just as states like California and New York have. For now, however, only two municipalities — Aguadilla and Hormigueros — have declared themselves sanctuaries. ' "We know and we recognize that anti-Black racism is what it perpetuates." Gloriann Sacha Antonetty Lebrón ' As González's government preys on immigrant communities, it also proposed an extension to the controversial Act 60, which allows 'investors' — often white, wealthy, and American — to come to Puerto Rico and take advantage of tax incentives, until 2055. This extension was approved on June 25, just days before Terrero returned to Puerto Rico after being illegally detained. Even more, like in the U.S., where Puerto Ricans, who are born U.S. citizens, have been detained during immigration raids, Afro-Boricuas in their homeland have also been targeted and racially profiled by ICE agents. 'We know and we recognize that anti-Black racism is what it perpetuates,' Gloriann Sacha Antonetty Lebrón, founder of the popular Black Puerto Rican magazine Revista Étnica, told Somos. 'This is not the first time this has happened. This is a pattern that keeps repeating itself to benefit a few, to generate power for a few. [They want to] take away what belongs to us and what is ours. [To] tell our people, our neighbors, to the caribeños, any other person who wants to come here to live and have opportunities for a dignified life, that they can't be here." While much of the government is actively participating in its own colonialism, many Puerto Ricans have been pushing back, speaking out, and protesting against escalating raids and deportations, which is also impacting Haitian and South American migrants. ' "What the Puerto Rican government hasn't done for the community, the Puerto Rican people are doing." José Rodríguez ' 'In many ways, Puerto Rico is a safe haven in the Caribe,' Antonetty Lebrón said. Her publication has been attempting to keep it that way, directly supporting immigrant communities through reporting immigration news, sharing educational tools, and leading mutual aid efforts. Like them, other grassroots community organizations like Taller Salud, Centro de Apoyo Mutuo, Brigada Solidaria del Oeste, Enlace Volunteering Group, and more have been expanding their focus to support immigrants. On social media, even Bad Bunny has spoken out about the raids, recording and posting an Instagram Story showing ICE agents in unmarked RAV4s on Avenida Pontezuela in Carolina. 'Instead of leaving the people alone and working," he's heard criticizing the agents. 'What the Puerto Rican government hasn't done for the community, the Puerto Rican people are doing,' Rodríguez said. 'I go out running in the morning, and sometimes I have to stop to talk to people in their cars, or they honk and yell, 'we are with you.' That has never been seen before.'
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Auburn forward Chad Baker-Mazara announces transfer to USC for final year of eligibility
Former Auburn forward Chad Baker-Mazara is heading to USC for his final year of eligibility, the senior announced in an Instagram post on Monday. The 25-year-old forward had announced that he was transferring earlier this month after two years at Auburn. "Dreams turned into reality!" Baker-Mazara wrote in Monday's post. "Let's go to work!" Advertisement Baker-Mazara's post received messages of support from several of his Auburn teammates, including fellow starter Denver Jones, who told him to "go be great." Tigers star Johni Broome reposted Baker-Mazara's post on his Instagram in an apparent show of support as well. USC will mark Baker-Mazara's fifth school in six seasons in the NCAA. The Dominican-born forward started his collegiate career at Duquesne in the 2020-2021 season before transferring to San Diego State. Baker-Mazara then spent a year at Northwest Florida State College, a junior college, before transferring to Auburn in 2023. Baker-Mazara spent two successful season with the Tigers, becoming a starter this past season. He averaged 12.9 points per game — second on the team behind Broome — and logged the fourth-most minutes on the team. Advertisement Baker-Mazara helped lead Auburn to a Final Four appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers fell to Florida, the eventual NCAA champions, in that matchup.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pedro Martinez says he has family members unaccounted for in Dominican nightclub roof collapse
Dominican-born Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez said Wednesday he has family members unaccounted for who were inside the Santo Domingo nightclub when its roof collapsed. The 53-year-old Martinez was born in Manoguayabo, about 10 miles west of the Dominican Republic's capital city. At least 124 people were killed and hundreds more injured when the roof collapsed early Tuesday. 'We are all affected,' he said. 'I still have family members who are still in the rubbles and we don't know what happened to them. But we just want to be strong, like we have always been. We're a country that prays a lot and remains united all the time, so I just hope everybody has the same courage.' Authorities confirmed former major league pitcher Octavio Dotel and former major league utility player Tony Blanco were among the dead. Also killed was Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the Monte Cristi province in the country and sister of seven-time MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz. Dozens of people clad in black and white streamed into a funeral home Wednesday to pay their respects to Dotel. 'This has been devastating for our country,' former sports minister Danilo Díaz told TV station CDN. 'He was always positive, a collaborator, a friend.' Among those attending the funeral was Hall of Fame inductee David Ortiz, formerly of the Boston Red Sox baseball team. The Jet Set club was packed with musicians, professional athletes and government officials when dust began falling from the ceiling and into people's drinks early Tuesday. Minutes later, the entire roof collapsed. Concrete slabs killed some instantly and trapped dozens of others on a dancefloor where hundreds had been dancing to a lively merengue concert. 'It is with a heavy heart that it is my turn to actually send condolences to all our family members and the people here in the United States who have family over there,' Martinez said. 'We're all sad." ___ AP MLB:
