McCullers is saying the deal "is over" and official and he's pumped to have Cole aboard.

Yet Astros owner Jim Crane has been public in his desire to land another quality pitcher, telling MLB.com's Alyson Footer on Monday the team is "actively pursuing a high-end starter".

Kia Plans 16 New Electrified Vehicles by 2025
Right on the heels of introducing the plug-in hybrid Niro , Kia is previewing an all-electric version of the small wagon. Kia showed off a new all-electric SUV concept Monday that it hopes will have a range of 238 miles on a single charge.

Contrary to a prior report, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said Wednesday that a trade to acquire Cole from the Pirates is not done and not imminent, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

From Pittsburgh's perspective, losing someone of Cole's caliber is hard to swallow, especially as a smaller-market team that doesn't always attract marquee free agents.

Ford adds diesel engine to F-150 for the first time
Ford will begin taking orders, including from commercial buyers, later this month, and begin delivering it in the spring. The diesel engine costs $4,000 on the Lariat and Platinum versions of F-150, $3,000 on the King Ranch version.

Cole's wife, Amy, summed up the day by posting video of a roller-coaster ride on Twitter. This is not a one-year rental, and Houston landed a proven arm who is just 27 years old. Tampa Bay's Alex Cobb could be a more realistic target.

Cole was drafted as the first overall selection by the Pirates in the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. He then became the top-overall selection when the Pirates drafted him three years later.

Local flu-related death reported as virus continues to spread
Doing so is "very important", Tam said, "as we move ahead to future years of vaccine program planning and recommendations". Each Friday, the Kane County Health Department releases statistics providing an overview of influenza within the county.

Gerrit Cole won't be a Yankee after all.