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MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the Wisconsin Lottery's "Pick 3 Midday" game were:
0-0-5
(zero, zero, five)
MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the Wisconsin Lottery's "Pick 3 Midday" game were:
0-0-5
(zero, zero, five)
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-3-Midday-game-16915139.php
| 2022-02-13T20:24:25
|
en
| 0.870765
|
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the Iowa Lottery's "Pick 4 Midday" game were:
1-6-1-4
(one, six, one, four)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the Iowa Lottery's "Pick 4 Midday" game were:
1-6-1-4
(one, six, one, four)
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-4-Midday-game-16915029.php
| 2022-02-13T20:24:31
|
en
| 0.934288
|
BEIJING (AP) — The U.S. speedskating team had been waiting for someone, anyone, to win an Olympic medal. The sport that has delivered more medals than any other for the U.S. in the history of the Winter Games has been in a deep freeze.
Erin Jackson provided a welcome thaw with a victory in the 500 meters Sunday, becoming the first Black woman to win an Olympic speedskating medal. It was the first speedskating medal of the Beijing Games for the Americans, and their first individual medal since 2010.
“We needed that bad,” Brittany Bowe said. “Obviously we’ve had a ton of success at the world level and have fallen far short at the Olympic level. That race was bigger than just Erin. That's for Team USA.”
The U.S. won just one medal four years ago in Pyeongchang, a bronze in women's team pursuit. At the 2014 Sochi Games, the Americans were shut out.
“We’ve taken a lot of punches on the chin the last couple Olympics, so it’s great we could celebrate tonight,” national team coach Ryan Shimabukuro said.
They hope to be doing a lot more of it in the second week of the games.
Jackson's gold is the lone U.S. medal through eight events at the Ice Ribbon oval. The Americans didn't qualify anyone in the women's 5,000 or men's 10,000.
“I hope that that can be a springboard for something special to happen here in the next couple days,” Bowe said.
Kimi Goetz added, “It’s a good sign for our program.”
The U.S. men advanced to the team pursuit semifinals on Tuesday and are a favorite for gold.
Bowe next competes in the 1,000 on Wednesday, along with Goetz. Bowe finished 10th in the 1,500 and 16th in the 500. Goetz was 18th in the 500.
Joey Mantia skates in the 1,000 on Friday and returns in the mass start on Saturday, the last day of speedskating. He finished sixth in the 1,500, where he had been a favorite to medal.
Jackson's gold was the first for an American woman since Chris Witty won the 1,000 at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and the first in the 500 since Bonnie Blair won three straight titles from 1988 to 1994.
Jackson came into Beijing ranked No. 1 in the world in the sprint, having won four of eight races during the World Cup season.
“Even though she was one of the favorites going in, she knows how tight the field is. She knows that anything in the 500 can go wrong and you’re out, but she never let it get to her,” Shimabukuro said. “She focused on the process and didn’t worry about the results.”
No American had won a long-track speedskating gold since Shani Davis took the 1,000 in 2010. He was the first Black American to win an individual gold at the Winter Olympics. Jackson was the first Black woman to make a U.S. long-track speedskating team four years ago.
Allyson Felix, the most decorated woman in Olympic track and field history, saluted Jackson with the tweet: “This!! Wow! Congrats @ErinJackson480.”
American Joey Cheek, the men's 500 champion at the 2006 Turin Games, tweeted, “YEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!”
Jackson had been waiting a week to compete in her lone event in Beijing.
“I saw no nerves,” Bowe said of her longtime friend. “For her to be able to achieve that with the pressure she had on her, with the story, coming in as No. 1 ranked in the world, the level of respect is out of this world.”
Jackson almost didn't make it to Beijing. She slipped in the 500 at the U.S. trials and finished third. Bowe won the event and later gave up her spot on the team to Jackson. The U.S. ended up with a third quota spot, which allowed Bowe to compete in the sprint.
“What she did is going to be a springboard to give so many little girls and boys the opportunity to look up to someone that they haven’t been able to look at and relate to,” Bowe said. “That goes far beyond what any of us can imagine. She’s an incredible human, an incredible athlete.”
___
More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
|
https://www.expressnews.com/sports/article/US-looks-to-build-off-Jackson-s-historic-16915048.php
| 2022-02-13T20:24:35
|
en
| 0.977015
|
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the Missouri Lottery's "Pick 4 Midday" game were:
7-4-2-2
(seven, four, two, two)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the Missouri Lottery's "Pick 4 Midday" game were:
7-4-2-2
(seven, four, two, two)
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-4-Midday-game-16915039.php
| 2022-02-13T20:24:37
|
en
| 0.901003
|
LEICESTER, England (AP) — West Ham’s week of controversy ended with some relief after Craig Dawson scored a late equalizer off his shoulder to earn a 2-2 draw against Leicester in the Premier League after Kurt Zouma pulled out in the warmup at King Power Stadium on Sunday.
Dawson salvaged a point in the first minute of second-half stoppage time after Jarrod Bowen put the Hammers ahead in the 10th.
Youri Tielemans’ 45th-minute penalty made it 1-1 before Ricardo Pereira’s header appeared to clinch Leicester’s first win in five matches in all competitions.
Zouma was named in the team but reported to be feeling sick with problems with his vision, so substitute Issa Diop started instead with goalkeeper Darren Randolph making up the bench.
Zouma's withdrawal came at the end of a week that saw him fined two weeks’ wages and lose Adidas as a sponsor after he was filmed kicking and slapping his cat. Two cats have been removed from his property and an animal charity has launched an investigation.
West Ham seemed unaffected by the late change to the team and settled quickly before taking the lead.
Diop lofted the ball forward and Leicester’s defense was caught napping as Bowen controlled before firing a left-footed drive across Kasper Schmeichel for his ninth league goal of the season.
It was Bowen’s seventh goal in as many games, making it 12 in all competitions this season.
Leicester, short of confidence after three defeats in its last four including a hammering at second-tier Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup, struggled early on and its supporters were quick to show their frustration with pockets of boos around the stadium.
The home side gradually improved, with Tielemans and Harvey Barnes both off target with angled shots from distance.
The equalizer came in the 45th minute after Leicester was awarded a penalty as Aaron Cresswell handled as he tried to head away James Maddison’s corner on the edge of the six-yard box.
Tielemans confidently drove the spot kick low to the right of Lukasz Fabianski, who guessed correctly but was beaten by the power and accuracy of the shot.
Leicester began the second half with much more purpose than the first and soon put West Ham under pressure.
Barnes was the dangerman, with one of his several crosses leading to Leicester’s second goal. Ricardo beat Cresswell to plant a bullet header into the top corner of the net.
Tielemans flashed a rising shot just wide as Leicester sought a third goal but, after Hammers substitute Said Benrahma produced two efforts, the visitors salvaged a point when Bowen’s corner went in off Dawson’s upper arm, looping high into the net.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
|
https://www.expressnews.com/sports/article/West-Ham-ends-week-of-controversy-with-2-2-draw-16915056.php
| 2022-02-13T20:24:41
|
en
| 0.974583
|
MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the Wisconsin Lottery's "Pick 4 Midday" game were:
3-1-7-4
(three, one, seven, four)
MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the Wisconsin Lottery's "Pick 4 Midday" game were:
3-1-7-4
(three, one, seven, four)
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-4-Midday-game-16915138.php
| 2022-02-13T20:24:43
|
en
| 0.920247
|
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the "Pick Four-Midday" game were:
7-0-1-3, Fireball: 6
(seven, zero, one, three; Fireball: six)
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the "Pick Four-Midday" game were:
7-0-1-3, Fireball: 6
(seven, zero, one, three; Fireball: six)
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-Four-Midday-game-16915031.php
| 2022-02-13T20:24:50
|
en
| 0.801388
|
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the "Pick Three-Midday" game were:
5-9-3, Fireball:
(five, nine, three; Fireball: zero)
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the "Pick Three-Midday" game were:
5-9-3, Fireball:
(five, nine, three; Fireball: zero)
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Pick-Three-Midday-game-16915030.php
| 2022-02-13T20:24:56
|
en
| 0.833643
|
ROCKY HILL, Conn. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the Connecticut Lottery's "Play3 Day" game were:
3-2-5, WB: 7
(three, two, five; WB: seven)
ROCKY HILL, Conn. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the Connecticut Lottery's "Play3 Day" game were:
3-2-5, WB: 7
(three, two, five; WB: seven)
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Play3-Day-game-16915066.php
| 2022-02-13T20:25:02
|
en
| 0.866579
|
ROCKY HILL, Conn. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the Connecticut Lottery's "Play4 Day" game were:
8-6-6-6, WB: 4
(eight, six, six, six; WB: four)
ROCKY HILL, Conn. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the Connecticut Lottery's "Play4 Day" game were:
8-6-6-6, WB: 4
(eight, six, six, six; WB: four)
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Play4-Day-game-16915065.php
| 2022-02-13T20:25:08
|
en
| 0.830846
|
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the Indiana Lottery's "Quick Draw Midday" game were:
02-08-09-14-15-24-25-27-35-36-38-39-40-43-45-52-57-58-61-76, BE: 35
(two, eight, nine, fourteen, fifteen, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-seven, thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty, forty-three, forty-five, fifty-two, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, sixty-one, seventy-six; BE: thirty-five)
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Quick-Draw-Midday-game-16915026.php
| 2022-02-13T20:25:15
|
en
| 0.872746
|
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the New York Lottery's "Take 5 Midday" game were:
13-19-31-35-38
(thirteen, nineteen, thirty-one, thirty-five, thirty-eight)
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the New York Lottery's "Take 5 Midday" game were:
13-19-31-35-38
(thirteen, nineteen, thirty-one, thirty-five, thirty-eight)
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Take-5-Midday-game-16915115.php
| 2022-02-13T20:25:21
|
en
| 0.919162
|
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the New York Lottery's "Win 4 Midday" game were:
0-0-7-7
(zero, zero, seven, seven)
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon's drawing of the New York Lottery's "Win 4 Midday" game were:
0-0-7-7
(zero, zero, seven, seven)
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/lottery/article/Winning-numbers-drawn-in-Win-4-Midday-game-16915113.php
| 2022-02-13T20:25:27
|
en
| 0.862175
|
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — An affordable housing plan initiated months before tornadoes struck Bowling Green in December is moving forward at the right time to help dozens of residents displaced by the storms.
Warren Fiscal Court on Friday approved an agreement with the Housing Authority of Bowling Green to use $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act money to finance infrastructure for a 40-unit housing complex, the Daily News reports.
The ARPA funds will be funneled through the Housing Authority’s Live the Dream nonprofit arm, established to help low-income families achieve home ownership.
Magistrate Doug Gorman, who has been working with the housing authority for several months to get the affordable housing community started, said the need was there before the storms destroyed dozens of homes.
“The issue is the land prices are so high that it’s hard to build homes that are affordable," he said. “The Housing Authority has this property, so we worked with them to find a way to offset the infrastructure cost. It will allow them to discount the lot prices.”
Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon said the December tornadoes increased the need for new homes.
“We need affordable housing now more than ever," he said.
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/news/article/Bowling-Green-affordable-housing-plan-gets-rescue-16915092.php
| 2022-02-13T20:25:34
|
en
| 0.965726
|
WINDSOR, Ontario (AP) — Canadians who have occupied downtown Ottawa, disrupted travel and trade with the U.S. and inspired copycat protests from New Zealand to the Netherlands sound a common note when asked about their motivation: Decisions about their health shouldn't be made by the government.
“We stand for freedom,” said Karen Driedger, 40, who home-schools her kids and attended protests in Ottawa and Windsor. “We believe that it should be everyone’s personal decision what they inject into their bodies.”
The refrain isn't new to a pandemic-weary world, two years after the COVID-19 virus prompted curfews and closures, face-mask mandates and debates over vaccine requirements. Still, the timing of the protests has raised some eyebrows, since they began just as many of the toughest pandemic-era restrictions were being lifted across Canada, the U.S. and Europe; experts say antipathy toward Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a significant underlying force.
The in-your-face protests that have fueled frustrations around the country and world have been aided by publicity and support from far-right and anti-vaccine groups. And influential Americans such as former U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk have rallied behind the protesters.
Most Canadians have been supportive of the pandemic restrictions, which health officials have stressed are necessary to protect the public from a virus that has killed at least 5.8 million people globally. The vast majority of Canadians are vaccinated, and the COVID-19 death rate is one-third that of the United States.
Trudeau has labeled the protesters a “fringe,” and authorities have braced for violence because some have expressed hope that the rally will become the Canadian equivalent of last January's riot at the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.
The Canadian “freedom convoy” was announced last month by a group founded by a QAnon conspiracy theory supporter and other organizers, and includes the ex-leader of Alberta's far-right Maverick Party.
Protesters who spoke to The Associated Press this week defended their actions and argued that they represent many more frustrated residents.
Don Stephens, a 65-year-old retired graphic designer, said he’s come into Ottawa twice to show support for protesters there. He views them as representatives of a “silent majority that had been longing to have their voice heard.”
Mat Mackenzie, a 36-year-old trucker from Ontario, said he’s been among the protesters in Ottawa for 15 days, feeling “a duty” to show his opposition. Citizens should be in charge of making decisions around masks, vaccines and other COVID mitigation efforts, not government officials, he said.
“I can tell you 90% of truckers here are likely vaccinated. We’re here for freedom of choice," Mackenzie said. "And that’s what we’re here to fight for.”
Michael Kempa, a criminology professor at the University of Ottawa, said there are two faces of the protest. It isn't just about vaccine mandates and other COVID restrictions; organizers have said they want to oust Trudeau’s Liberal government and be part of forming a new one, he said.
“In many ways, the friendly face protesters are acting as the foot soldiers of the organizers,” Kempa said. “We are seeing a huge amount of misinformation. People who are legitimately angry are being manipulated by the protest leadership.”
Many Canadians have been outraged over the crude behavior of some demonstrators. Some urinated on the National War Memorial and danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, while others carried signs and flags with swastikas and used the statue of Canadian hero Terry Fox to display an anti-vaccine statement, sparking widespread condemnation.
The images of protests across Canada have ignited copycats elsewhere.
In Paris, police prevented a threatened blockade of the French capital on Saturday. But a few dozen vehicles were able to disrupt traffic on the famed Champs-Elysees, prompting police to fire tear gas to disperse the crowd.
"The convoys are for the restoring of our liberties,” said Pierre-Louis Garnier, a 64-year-old who attended a protest in Paris on Friday to welcome an anticipated convoy that never materialized.
In the Netherlands, dozens of trucks and other vehicles, some waving Canadian flags, have descended on The Hague, the historic Dutch parliamentary complex.
“We are living now in police state,” said Hans Evenstain, a 76-year-old protester said Sunday. “That’s not a good life anymore. We want to move freely and that’s why we are here for us and for our children and our grandchildren.”
In Belgium, federal police were urging people to avoid Brussels on Monday, when a convoy is expected to gather in the country's capital, and the headquarters of the 27-nation European Union.
In the New Zealand capital of Wellington, authorities have turned to blasting Barry Manilow songs and the 90s dance hit “Macarena” on loop to break up a convoy of protesters encamped outside Parliament this week.
In Windsor, where protesters had blocked the entrance to the Ambassador Bridge that is a crucial conduit for the auto industry in both the U.S. and Canada, police moved to end the demonstration Sunday, arresting about a dozen protesters and beginning to tow vehicles.
Before Sunday's crackdown, the shutdown often had the feel of a block party.
Protesters milled about, carrying Canadian flags affixed to the ends of hockey sticks while music blared and food was handed out. They put up signs bearing slogans such as “Freedom Is Essential,” “Say No To Mandatory Vaccines” and “End Mandates.”
Troy Holman, a 32-year-old Windsor resident who has been at the protest every day since its start on Monday, said he believes the government overreached with its COVID-19 restrictions, which negatively impacted his wife’s small business.
“If we weren’t doing something such as this, no one would pay attention to us,” he said Saturday. “Unfortunately, we have to be here, because this is what’s going to get the attention of the government.”
____
Shaffrey reported from Ottawa and Foody reported from Chicago. Associated Press reporters Rob Gillies in Toronto, Elaine Ganley in Paris, and Thomas Adamson in The Hague contributed to this story.
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/news/article/Canada-protests-sound-common-refrain-We-stand-16915073.php
| 2022-02-13T20:25:40
|
en
| 0.970832
|
WASHINGTON (AP) — Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is blaming President Joe Biden for a sense of lawlessness across the country, but declined to criticize him for saying he'll appoint a Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Earle-Sears, a Republican and the first Black woman in Virginia elected to statewide office, spoke Sunday on Fox News' “Sunday Morning Futures.”
When host Maria Bartiromo asked about lawlessness in the form of unconstitutional mandates and street crime, Earle-Sears said it starts with the president, a Democrat.
“There is no leadership,” she said. “They follow the polls. And they don’t have a righteous bone in their body.”
Later in the interview, Bartiromo asked if it was racist of Biden to say he plans to nominate a Black woman to replace the retiring Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court. Earle-Sears declined to characterize it that way.
“It really isn’t unheard of for America to pick certain people to be on the Supreme Court,” she said “We clamored for a female judge. And we got Sandra Day O’Connor. That was a good thing. We clamored for a black judge. And we got Thurgood Marshall. That was a good thing.”
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/news/article/Earle-Sears-criticizes-Biden-but-not-for-Supreme-16915055.php
| 2022-02-13T20:25:46
|
en
| 0.951743
|
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan is calling for an investigation into whether some student loan providers mislead millions of borrowers about their rights if they declare bankruptcy.
The New Hampshire Democrat said Saturday that she's signed onto a letter with her Senate colleagues seeking a review by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
She cited a recent report from the non-profit Student Borrower Protection Center that found that some lenders offering “non-qualified” loans have misstated the details about how different loans can be discharged through bankruptcy. While qualified student loans can only be discharged due to undue hardship, non-qualified private loans do not carry that requirement.
More than 2 million borrowers with non-qualified loans may not have understood their rights under bankruptcy, according to the senator's letter.
"Private student loan lenders took advantage of the widespread belief that all private student loans are non-dischargeable in bankruptcy and that lenders marketed their non-qualified education loans under this false pretense,” the Senators wrote in their letter.
The letter urges the CFPB to review the center's findings and take appropriate action against lenders who aren't being transparent with borrowers.
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/news/article/Hassan-seeks-review-into-misleading-student-loan-16915112.php
| 2022-02-13T20:25:52
|
en
| 0.957894
|
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján, who is recovering from a stroke in January, says he plans to be back at work in “just a few short weeks” to vote on President Joe Biden's forthcoming Supreme Court nominee.
In a video released Sunday by his office, the New Mexico senator said he is at the University of New Mexico Hospital after surgery to relieve pressure on his brain and soon will go to an inpatient rehabilitation facility for "a few more weeks.”
“I’m doing well. I’m strong. I’m back on the road to recovery, and I’m going to make a full recovery,” the 49-year-old Luján said in the video, which showed him seated next to two of his doctors. “I’m going to walk out of here, I’m going to beat this, and I’m going to be stronger once I come out.”
"Now I’m proud to report, then I’ll be back on the floor of the United States Senate in just a few short weeks to vote on important legislation and to consider a Supreme Court nominee,” he added.
According to his office, the Luján began experiencing dizziness and fatigue on Jan. 27 and checked himself into a hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Luján was transferred to the hospital in Albuquerque for further evaluation and treatment.
His absence from the Senate came as Biden considers a nominee to replace the retiring Justice Stephen G. Breyer. Biden has said he wants to announce a pick by the end of February.
In a 50-50 Senate, Luján's vote would be critical if Democrats wanted to confirm Biden's nominee without the help of Republicans.
“Rest assured, New Mexicans can know they will have a voice and a vote during this process,” Luján said in the video. “That has never changed.”
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/news/article/Luj-n-plans-return-to-Senate-in-weeks-for-16915111.php
| 2022-02-13T20:25:59
|
en
| 0.97712
|
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police were searching Sunday for a gunman who shot four people after a brawl erupted outside a Los Angeles restaurant hosting a party that followed a Justin Bieber concert, authorities said.
Detectives are asking witnesses to come forward to help them identify the suspect in the shooting early Saturday outside The Nice Guy restaurant.
The victims' names were not released, but NBC News reported rapper Kodak Black was among the wounded. Four men ages 60, 24, 22 and 19 were hospitalized in stable condition, LA police Officer Mike Lopez said.
Videos posted on TMZ.com and on social media show Black, 24, posing for photos with a group of people outside the restaurant when the brawl broke out. Black is among several people involved in the fight before shots rang out, sending everyone running for cover.
Law enforcement sources told NBC News that Black, whose legal name is Bill Kapri, was among the people shot. A message to his publicist at Atlantic Records has not been returned.
The party followed Bieber’s private concert at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood as part of a Super Bowl-week party dubbed “Homecoming Weekend.” The guests at the star-studded event included Jeff Bezos, TV host Lauren Sánchez, “Hamilton” actor Anthony Ramos and NFL Hall-of-Famer Tony Gonzalez.
Bieber and his wife Hailey Baldwin, Drake, Khloe Kardashian and Tobey Maguire were also among the celebrities seen entering the afterparty, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/news/article/Police-seek-suspect-in-shooting-outside-LA-Super-16915120.php
| 2022-02-13T20:26:05
|
en
| 0.968829
|
NORTH SMITHFIELD, R.I. (AP) — Congress has approved legislation to name a Rhode Island post office after a fallen soldier.
The legislation to name the facility in the Slatersville section of North Smithfield after Spc. Matthew R. Turcotte, which previously passed the U.S. Senate in July, now goes to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law, according to a statement from Rhode Island's congressional delegation.
Turcotte, a lifelong resident of North Smithfield, was serving with the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division when he was killed in August 2017 during a live ammunition training exercise at Fort Carson in Colorado. He was 20 years old. He is survived by his wife, parents and two sisters.
Turcotte joined the Army in 2015 after graduating from North Smithfield High School where he was co-captain of the football team. He was deployed to Kosovo while in the Army.
“We are forever grateful for Matthew’s devoted service to the nation. He died in the line of duty and naming this post office after him is a way to honor and remember him," U.S. Jack Reed said in a statement.
A formal dedication ceremony at the post office will be scheduled for the spring.
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/news/article/Rhode-Island-post-office-to-be-named-for-fallen-16915146.php
| 2022-02-13T20:26:11
|
en
| 0.982579
|
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Saudi Arabia views Cyprus as a “bridge” between the Middle East and the European Union, helping the 27-nation bloc “understand what’s going on” in the region, the Saudi foreign minister said Sunday.
Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, speaking after talks with his Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides, said that Cyprus helps “really focus the attention” on all the opportunities and challenges in the Middle East.
Cyprus has ramped up its outreach to Gulf states in recent years to act as a broker as the closest EU-member country to the region.
The Saudi top diplomat said both his country and Cyprus have a “very, very strong alignment” regarding regional stability and terrorism “whether it is (Yemen’s) Houthis or others.”
He said both countries agree in the primacy of international law.
“If we do not all agree that international law is the primary guide of state relations, we risk the instability for all,” Al Saud said. “I think it’s important that we all stand together to defend the primacy of international law or state sovereignty, a rejection of interventionism of all sorts.”
A coalition led by the Saudis entered Yemen’s civil war in 2015 to try and restore the country’s internationally recognized government, which had been ousted by the Iran-backed Houthis the year before. The conflict has turned into the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with international criticism of Saudi airstrikes that have killed hundreds of civilians and targeted the country’s infrastructure.
The Houthis, meanwhile, have used child soldiers and indiscriminately laid landmines across the country.
Some 130,000 people, including over 13,000 civilians, have been killed in the Yemen conflict, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Project.
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/news/article/Saudi-sees-Cyprus-as-bridge-between-Europe-16915034.php
| 2022-02-13T20:26:17
|
en
| 0.956082
|
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A plane crashed and caught fire Sunday morning at the Johnson County Executive Airport in Olathe.
The plane crashed shortly before 10:30 a.m. Sunday shortly after taking off from the airport. The Olathe Fire Department responded and put out the flames and a small grass fire near the wreckage.
The plane involved was a Piper Meridian Turbo Prop heading to Albuquerque. It wasn't immediately clear how many people were aboard the plane when it crashed between the airport and 151st Street.
Olathe Fire Captain Mike Hall said a large section of 151st Street between Pflumm and Quivira was closed Sunday after the crash, and the airport was shut down.
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/news/article/Small-plane-crashes-Sunday-morning-near-airport-16915046.php
| 2022-02-13T20:26:23
|
en
| 0.981914
|
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Police officers shot and wounded a robbery suspect after he fired at them in St. Louis Sunday morning.
St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden said officers were called to a check-cashing business around 8:45 a.m. Sunday after a man handed a note to a teller demanding money and displayed a handgun. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the teller ran to the back of the store and didn't hand over any money. Hayden said two customers were also in the Currency Exchange store at the time.
When two officers arrived, the suspect was leaving the store in the Grand Center neighborhood. Hayden said the man fired at police, and officers fired back, shooting the suspect in the right leg.
The man was taken to a hospital in critical but stable condition. The officers were not hurt.
Hayden said social workers spoke to the customers and teller after the “traumatic incident.” He said he was thankful the officers weren’t hurt.
One of the officers involved in the shooting is 33 and has five years of experience on the force. The second officer is 35 and has three months of experience.
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/news/article/St-Louis-Police-shoot-and-wound-man-after-he-16915024.php
| 2022-02-13T20:26:29
|
en
| 0.985986
|
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The owners of a business in Forest Lake said a thief broke into their game shop and stole Pokémon merchandise they estimate was worth $250,000.
The Star Tribune reports the thief avoided the store’s extensive security system Thursday morning by breaking into a vacant business next door and then busting through the wall to enter the gaming store’s storage areas.
Security footage shows the intruder crawling through the hole, noticing the camera and then covering it up with tape, leaving fingerprints in the process. The thief removed two room’s worth of inventory without entering the main store, which would have triggered an alarm.
Twin brothers Eric and Mike Johnson are co-owners of Punch-Out Gaming. Eric Johnson said the thief focused on Pokémon, leaving behind a brand-new X-Box One gaming system as well as their bank cash bag.
Pokémon are a hot commodity these days. The value of some trading cards has skyrocketed, in part due to speculators who buy new cards as soon as they arrive at stores and then resell them online for hundreds of dollars.
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/news/article/Thief-steals-250K-in-Pokemon-goods-from-Forest-16915143.php
| 2022-02-13T20:26:36
|
en
| 0.967658
|
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Aliyah Boston scored 18 points with 12 rebounds and No. 1 South Carolina coasted after a strong start to beat No. 17 Georgia 72-54 on Sunday.
Boston posted her 18th double-double in 24 games. Destanni Henderson added 15 points for the Gamecocks, who led by 30 points in the first half.
South Carolina (23-1, 11-1 Southeastern Conference) has won 11 consecutive games since losing at Missouri in overtime to open its conference schedule on Dec. 30.
Georgia (17-7, 6-6) suffered its third consecutive loss despite Jenna Staiti's 15 points and 10 rebounds.
South Carolina, which had to hold on late to win at Kentucky 59-50 on Thursday night, was dominant in another road game against Georgia.
Staiti went to the bench with two fouls midway through the opening period. Soon after Staiti's exit, teammate Maiury Bates was called for her second foul.
South Carolina immediately seized the advantage, finishing the first period with an 18-2 run, including the final 10 points, for a 29-10 lead.
The Gamecocks attacked with an impressive inside-outside balance. South Carolina was good on each of its four 3-pointers in the first period while also building an advantage near the basket.
South Carolina stretched its lead to 30 points in the second period and led 51-25 at halftime.
Georgia scored the final six points of the third period and the first six points of the final period to pull to within 15 points at 61-46.
South Carolina won easily despite playing without its top two reserves. Forwards Laeticia Amihere and Kamilla Cardoso are competing with their national teams, Canada and Brazil, respectively, in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 Qualifying Tournament.
Que Morrison, who had 11 points, provided a highlight for Georgia in the third period when she went behind her back for a fancy layup despite being fouled by Henderson. Morrison sank the free throw for the three-point play.
BIG PICTURE
South Carolina: The Gamecocks look postseason ready. They improved to 10-0 against Top 25 teams with their 15th consecutive win over Georgia since 2013.
Georgia: The Lady Bulldogs couldn't come close to their first win over a top-ranked team since beating Tennessee in the semifinals of the 2004 SEC tournament. They're left with a three-game losing streak that includes two home losses. The sudden downturn has dropped Georgia to .500 in the SEC and in danger of taking a fall in the Top 25.
UP NEXT
South Carolina hosts Auburn on Thursday. Amihere and Cardoso are expected to be back with the team.
Georgia hosts Missouri on Thursday when it will look for its first win since Feb. 3 against Vanderbilt.
___
More AP women’s basketball: https://apnews.com/Womenscollegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Poll: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/sports/article/Boston-leads-No-1-South-Carolina-past-No-17-16915027.php
| 2022-02-13T20:26:42
|
en
| 0.967982
|
BEIJING (AP) — Erin Jackson bolted off the line, her powerful legs attacking the ice, her destiny awaiting at the end of a frenetic dash around Beijing's magnificent speedskating oval.
She didn't view herself as some sort of trailblazer. She didn't think about the slip that could've snatched away her spot on the U.S. Olympic team. She simply wanted to go faster than everyone else.
“I came here to win,” the 29-year-old said.
Mission accomplished.
Jackson became first Black woman to win a speedskating medal at the Olympics — and it was the best color of them all.
Gold.
“A lot of shock, a lot of relief and a lot of happiness,” Jackson said after her victory in the 500 meters.
It was an immensely personal moment for an inline skating champion from balmy Ocala, Florida, who traded her wheels for blades in order to chase an improbable Olympic dream.
But it meant so much more than that.
Jackson's skin color makes her an anomaly at the speedskating oval. She joined fellow American Shani Davis as the only Black athletes to win long-track medals at the Olympics.
“I just hope that it will do something for the sport,” Jackson said of her groundbreaking victory. “Hopefully, more people will see this and be like, ‘Ohhh, maybe I should try some of these winter sports.’"
Back in Florida, Jackson's longtime inline coach, Renee Hildebrand, cheered her on at an early-morning watch party thrown by one of her roller sport sponsors, Bont.
Hildebrand, too, hopes that Jackson's victory will bring some much-needed diversity to skating — no matter if it's wheels or blades.
“She's such a fantastic role model,” Hildebrand said in a telephone interview. “Maybe little girls and little boys who are not all about roller skating or ice skating will see her and say, ‘Hey, people my color are there. She looks like me.’”
The coach noted the impressive accomplishments of Davis, who won two golds and two silvers at the Olympics, and now Jackson.
“There's not a lot of African Americans in speedskating, but the ones who are have been are really, really good,” Hildebrand said. “If others will come, they'll be good.”
Jackson won with a time of 37.04 seconds, giving the American speedskating program its first medal of the Beijing Games, its first individual medal since 2010, and its first victory in the women's 500 since Bonnie Blair in 1994.
Jackson’s gold came after she slipped at the U.S. trials and shockingly finished third, putting her spot on the Olympic team in jeopardy.
But teammate Brittany Bowe, another Ocala skater who finished first at the trials, gave up her spot in the 500 to ensure Jackson would get to compete in Beijing.
“She made a really big sacrifice for me,” Jackson said. “I’ll be grateful to her forever.”
As it turned out, the Americans received a third slot in the 500 when the final allocations were made, so Bowe got to skate as well. She finished 16th.
The two close friends embraced after Jackson clinched the gold.
“She hugged me and we cried,” the winner said. “She said she’s really proud of me and I said a lot of thank-yous.”
Jackson skated in the next-to-last of 15 pairs with the time of 37.12 — set about a half-hour earlier in the fourth pairing by Japan's Miho Takagi — in her sights.
She didn’t think at all about that slip at the U.S. trials.
“It’s not something to really focus on,” Jackson said. “That was a fluke.”
Jackson darted off the line and and essentially won the gold in the first 100 meters, before she negotiated the first turn. Her opening split was 10.33 seconds, compared to 10.41 for Takagi.
That was the margin at the end, too.
“When it comes to the 500, it's a matter of hundredths and sometimes thousandths of a second,” said Ryan Shimabukuro, Jackson's coach when she's on ice. “I knew she had the speed and it was going to come down to the opener. When I saw she opened in 10.3, which is pretty much the fastest she's ever done, I knew we had a chance for the gold.”
Jackson kept up her speed through the first turn, down the crossing straight and on through the final turn, even though every stride brought more and more pain. Both arms were swinging furiously as she came down the final straightaway of speedskating’s shortest race.
As soon as her skates crossed the line, Jackson’s head turned toward the scoreboard.
She broke into a big smile when she saw the “1” beside her name, her time a scant 0.08 faster than Takagi's. Shimabukuro pumped his arms and slapped hands with Jackson as she glided by.
There was still one pair left to skate, but Jackson knew she could do no worse than bronze.
A few minutes later, the gold was hers.
“You’re an Olympic champion,” Shimabukuro told her.
Jackson sat on the padding along the infield, shedding a few tears with her head bowed.
She was no doubt reflecting, as well, on her remarkable journey.
Making the switch from inline to ice just months before the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, Jackson was such a fast study that she earned a spot on the U.S. team. She finished 24th in the 500, but it was clear that she had barely tapped into her potential.
During the current World Cup season, Jackson suddenly emerged as one of the world’s best sprinters. She won four of eight 500 races — the first Black woman to earn one of those titles, as well — and came to the Olympics as one of the favorites.
“When I won the first World Cup, I was like, ‘OK that’s strange. Let’s see where it goes,’” Jackson recalled. “Then I won another and I was like, ‘Well, maybe I can do this.’”
She lived up to the billing in Beijing, becoming the first American woman to win an individual speedskating medal since 2002.
“Words cannot explain how proud I am of her,” Bowe said. “I knew she had the chance to do something really special, and she just showed the world why she deserved to be here.”
Jackson grabbed an American flag and did a victory lap around the Ice Ribbon oval, the stars and stripes fluttering above her head.
“It’s been a wild ride,” she said, “but that makes it even sweeter.”
___
Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963 and find his work at https://apnews.com/search/paulnewberry
___
More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/sports/article/Golden-moment-Jackson-1st-Black-woman-16915134.php
| 2022-02-13T20:26:48
|
en
| 0.98324
|
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) —
Jordan Horston had 16 points and 13 rebounds and No. 13 Tennessee used a strong second half to defeat Vanderbilt 66-52 on Sunday in a Play4Kay game.
Tennessee opened the fourth quarter with a 14-1 run that put the game well in hand. The lead peaked at 62-40 when Horston hit a 3-pointer near the six-minute mark of the period.
After leading by five at halftime, a 10-0 run to open the third quarter gave the Lady Vols a 41-26 lead. Vanderbilt drew within single digits only one more time, when Brinae Alexander hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 48-39 entering the fourth.
Rae Burrell added 15 points for the Lady Vols. Tennessee shot 43% from the field but just 5 of 19 (26%) from 3-point distance. Tennessee had a 48-29 rebounding advantage.
Alexander led Vanderbilt with 19 points and Iyana Moore added 17. The rest of the team scored 16 points. The Commodores shot 31% from the field and made only 6 of 27 3-pointers (22%).
Tennessee (20-4, 10-2 SEC) swept the regular-season series and defeated Vanderbilt (12-14, 3-9) for the fourth consecutive time and 14th in the last 15 matchups. Tennessee leads 76-10 all-time.
The game was a matchup of coaches who won NCAA championships as players. Third-year Lady Vols coach Kellie (Jolly) Harper won two championships as a player at Tennessee (1997 and ’98). First-year Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph won a title as a player at Connecticut in 2000. They faced each other as players four times, with Tennessee winning three of the four.
Tennessee, which remains one game behind top-ranked South Carolina in the SEC standings, plays at Alabama on Thursday.
Vanderbilt plays at Kentucky on Thursday.
—-
More AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/sports/article/Horston-leads-No-13-Tennessee-women-past-16915096.php
| 2022-02-13T20:26:54
|
en
| 0.965093
|
ATLANTA (AP) — Eylia Love scored a career-high 26 points — offsetting a career-best 40 points by Clemson's Delicia Washington — and No. 11 Georgia Tech survived an upset bid, defeating the Tigers 92-84 in overtime on Sunday.
Love sank 10 of 16 shots as the Yellow Jackets (19-6, 10-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) ended a two-game skid by beating the Tigers (9-17, 3-12) for the ninth straight time.
Sarah Bates had 15 points and Love scored 13 to guide Georgia Tech to a 40-32 lead at halftime.
Washington, who had 16 points in the first half, scored 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting with two 3-pointers in the third quarter and Daisha Bradford added nine points as Clemson battled back to take a 62-59 lead into the final period after falling behind 9-0 to begin the game.
Love opened the fourth quarter with a three-point play to pull Georgia Tech even, and after a basket by Washington, Lorela Cubaj's three-point play gave the Yellow Jackets a 65-64 lead with 7:43 remaining. It remained a one-possession game the whole fourth quarter.
Lotta-Maj Lahtinen buried a jumper with 3 seconds left to put Georgia Tech on top 77-75, but Washington scored in the paint at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.
Georgia Tech never trailed in the extra period after Nerea Hermosa and Lahtinen had back-to-back layups to open the scoring.
Cubaj finished with 22 points and seven assists for the Yellow Jackets. Hermosa added 19 points and nine rebounds. Bates scored 17.
Washington did her damage on 16-of-23 shooting with three 3-pointers for Clemson. Bradford added 18 points.
The Clemson single-game scoring record is 45 set by Barbara Kennedy against Claflin in 1979. Kennedy owned nine of the Tigers' top 10 scoring efforts until Washington cracked the list.
The Yellow Jackets have won 12 of the last 13 match-ups with Clemson to grab a 46-45 lead in the all-time series.
Georgia Tech will host No. 18 Notre Dame on Thursday.
_____
More AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/sports/article/Love-leads-No-11-Georgia-Tech-women-past-Clemson-16915150.php
| 2022-02-13T20:27:00
|
en
| 0.951085
|
NEW YORK (AP) — Tyrese Martin scored all 17 of his points in the second half and No. 24 Connecticut rallied past St. John's 63-60 on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
R.J. Cole added 14 points and Andre Jackson grabbed 16 rebounds to help the weary Huskies (17-7, 8-5 Big East) win despite shooting only 36% from the field. They swept the season series from St. John's and moved into sole possession of third place in the conference standings behind Villanova and first-place Providence.
Montez Mathis had 14 points off the bench to spark the Red Storm (13-11, 5-8), who played without Posh Alexander for the second consecutive game. The star point guard, last season's Big East freshman of the year, is sidelined with a sprained ankle.
Julian Champagnie and Aaron Wheeler each had 13 points for St. John's. Dylan Addae-Wusu scored all 12 of his points in the first half.
Cheers for both schools echoed back and forth around Madison Square Garden coming down the stretch.
Left out of the starting lineup for the first time all season, Mathis scored six points in an 11-0 run for St. John's that was capped by Stef Smith's 3-pointer with 7:46 remaining. That gave the Red Storm a 55-48 lead — the largest for either team.
But the Huskies responded immediately with an 11-0 surge of their own. Isaiah Whaley was fouled on a putback and converted the three-point play to put UConn back in front with 3:46 left. Adama Sanogo banked in a shot off a pass from Cole to extend UConn's lead to 59-55 with 2:19 to go.
A drive by Mathis with 2:10 left ended the Red Storm's scoring drought at 5:36, but he missed a free throw that could have made it a three-point play.
Champagnie missed the front end of a 1-and-1, and Martin scored on a putback to make it 61-57 with 20.6 seconds left.
Wheeler drained a 3 with 14.3 seconds remaining to cut the margin to one before Cole sank two free throws to make it 63-60.
Guarded closely on the right wing, Wheeler missed a 3 just before the final horn that could have tied it.
BIG PICTURE
UConn: It was the second road game in 41 hours for Connecticut, capping a rugged stretch of three games in six days and four in nine — three away from home. The Huskies are still looking to hit their stride and really get on a roll. But they have the talent to be dangerous in March — they beat Auburn in double overtime on a neutral floor in November before the Tigers ascended to No. 1 in the nation.
St. John's: Dropped to 0-6 against Top 25 teams in a frustrating season that was expected to yield more success. St. John's went 1-4 in five regular-season games at Madison Square Garden, with the only win coming against last-place Georgetown.
WATCH WHAT YOU SAY
The Big East issued a statement Saturday night scolding UConn coach Dan Hurley for criticizing some of the officiating in Friday night's loss at Xavier.
Hurley said certain calls were “brutal” and “a joke.”
“Big East sportsmanship rules prohibit our coaches from public criticism of our game officials,” the release read. “We have established protocols in place for feedback by our schools regarding any officiating matter, and while we understand that tensions run high during the season, we expect these protocols to be honored.”
LINEUP CARD
UConn forward Akok Akok missed his fourth straight game with a tendon injury in his foot. He is day-to-day, the team said. ... Mathis, who shot 1 for 14 in Tuesday’s loss to No. 15 Villanova, was replaced in the starting lineup by Smith.
UP NEXT
UConn: Returns home to face Seton Hall (15-8, 6-7) on Wednesday night. The Huskies lost 90-87 in overtime at then-No. 24 Seton Hall on Jan. 8 despite 18 points and 16 rebounds from Sanogo.
St. John’s: Plays at No. 25 Xavier (17-7, 7-6) on Wednesday night, the first of two meetings in two weeks. The Musketeers snapped a two-game skid Friday night with their 74-68 win over UConn.
___
More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
|
https://www.lakecountystar.com/sports/article/Martin-s-big-2nd-half-leads-No-24-UConn-past-St-16915103.php
| 2022-02-13T20:27:06
|
en
| 0.961886
|
BEIJING (AP) — The U.S. speedskating team had been waiting for someone, anyone, to win an Olympic medal. The sport that has delivered more medals than any other for the U.S. in the history of the Winter Games has been in a deep freeze.
Erin Jackson provided a welcome thaw with a victory in the 500 meters Sunday, becoming the first Black woman to win an Olympic speedskating medal. It was the first speedskating medal of the Beijing Games for the Americans, and their first individual medal since 2010.
“We needed that bad,” Brittany Bowe said. “Obviously we’ve had a ton of success at the world level and have fallen far short at the Olympic level. That race was bigger than just Erin. That's for Team USA.”
The U.S. won just one medal four years ago in Pyeongchang, a bronze in women's team pursuit. At the 2014 Sochi Games, the Americans were shut out.
“We’ve taken a lot of punches on the chin the last couple Olympics, so it’s great we could celebrate tonight,” national team coach Ryan Shimabukuro said.
They hope to be doing a lot more of it in the second week of the games.
Jackson's gold is the lone U.S. medal through eight events at the Ice Ribbon oval. The Americans didn't qualify anyone in the women's 5,000 or men's 10,000.
“I hope that that can be a springboard for something special to happen here in the next couple days,” Bowe said.
Kimi Goetz added, “It’s a good sign for our program.”
The U.S. men advanced to the team pursuit semifinals on Tuesday and are a favorite for gold.
Bowe next competes in the 1,000 on Wednesday, along with Goetz. Bowe finished 10th in the 1,500 and 16th in the 500. Goetz was 18th in the 500.
Joey Mantia skates in the 1,000 on Friday and returns in the mass start on Saturday, the last day of speedskating. He finished sixth in the 1,500, where he had been a favorite to medal.
Jackson's gold was the first for an American woman since Chris Witty won the 1,000 at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and the first in the 500 since Bonnie Blair won three straight titles from 1988 to 1994.
Jackson came into Beijing ranked No. 1 in the world in the sprint, having won four of eight races during the World Cup season.
“Even though she was one of the favorites going in, she knows how tight the field is. She knows that anything in the 500 can go wrong and you’re out, but she never let it get to her,” Shimabukuro said. “She focused on the process and didn’t worry about the results.”
No American had won a long-track speedskating gold since Shani Davis took the 1,000 in 2010. He was the first Black American to win an individual gold at the Winter Olympics. Jackson was the first Black woman to make a U.S. long-track speedskating team four years ago.
Allyson Felix, the most decorated woman in Olympic track and field history, saluted Jackson with the tweet: “This!! Wow! Congrats @ErinJackson480.”
American Joey Cheek, the men's 500 champion at the 2006 Turin Games, tweeted, “YEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!”
Jackson had been waiting a week to compete in her lone event in Beijing.
“I saw no nerves,” Bowe said of her longtime friend. “For her to be able to achieve that with the pressure she had on her, with the story, coming in as No. 1 ranked in the world, the level of respect is out of this world.”
Jackson almost didn't make it to Beijing. She slipped in the 500 at the U.S. trials and finished third. Bowe won the event and later gave up her spot on the team to Jackson. The U.S. ended up with a third quota spot, which allowed Bowe to compete in the sprint.
“What she did is going to be a springboard to give so many little girls and boys the opportunity to look up to someone that they haven’t been able to look at and relate to,” Bowe said. “That goes far beyond what any of us can imagine. She’s an incredible human, an incredible athlete.”
___
More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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https://www.lakecountystar.com/sports/article/US-looks-to-build-off-Jackson-s-historic-16915048.php
| 2022-02-13T20:27:13
|
en
| 0.977015
|
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Sam Vinson had 20 points as Northern Kentucky turned back Wright State 75-71 on Sunday.
Marques Warrick had 16 points and sank two foul shots with 10 seconds remaining to help the Norse (15-10, 11-5 Horizon League) notch their fifth straight win on the road. Bryson Langdon added 12 points and six assists, while Adrian Nelson scored 10.
Wright State scored 49 points in the second half, a season high for the team.
Grant Basile had 25 points and nine rebounds to pace the Raiders (15-12, 12-6). Trey Calvin had 13 points, six rebounds and five steals. Tanner Holden added 13 points.
The Norse improve to 2-0 against the Raiders on the season. Northern Kentucky defeated Wright State 73-63 on Jan. 25.
___
For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25
___
Portions of this story were generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com
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https://www.lakecountystar.com/sports/article/Vinson-sparks-Northern-Kentucky-past-Wright-State-16915151.php
| 2022-02-13T20:27:19
|
en
| 0.949276
|
- XRP price recently broke the bear market trendline on its $0.02/3-box reversal Point and Figure chart.
- A prior long trade setup identified on Friday returned to a price level that allows for another entry if it was missed.
- Downside risks exist but are likely limited.
XRP price recently broke the bear market trendline on its $0.02/3-box reversal Point and Figure chart. That break occurred when XRP tagged the $0.92 price level, but it promptly sold off from there.
XRP price experienced a strong bounce on Saturday, extending gains into Sunday
Since converting into a bull market, the first pullback reached a low at $0.75. XRP price was not immune to the selling pressure that affected nearly all risk-on markets after last Thursday’s US CPI data release. However, buyers stepped and generated a new reversal column of Xs, indicating continued bullish momentum for XRP price.
This past Friday, a bullish entry pattern was developing that looked like a setup for a breakout above a Triple Top pattern. However, it was augmented slightly due to the current O-column being the first reversal column after converting to a bull market. The entry, therefore, was on the three-box reversal, not the breakout above the Triple Top pattern.
The theoretical long opportunity for XRP price was a buy stop order at the three-box reversal, which triggered at $0.84. That theoretical long entry is still valid as XRP is currently trading near $0.81. The stop loss is at $0.78, with a profit target at $1.58. Profit-taking will likely occur before the projected profit target, near a former dominant subjective trendline (black diagonal line) around the $1.15 value area.
XRP/USDT $0.02/3-box Reversal Point and Figure Chart
The long trade idea for XRP price is a 12.33:1 reward/risk if the target is at $1.58 and 5.17:1 if the target at $1.15.
Invalidation of this long opportunity would only occur if the current O-column returned to bear market conditions – which would occur if it moved to $0.62.
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Ethereum holders have accumulated $20 million worth of Shiba Inu through the recent bloodbath. Analysts believe Shiba Inu could recover from its price drop and rally towards its target of $0.000035.
XRP price finds stable support, targeting $1.20
A brief technical and on-chain analysis on Ripple price. Here, FXStreet's analysts evaluate where XRP could be heading next.
Bitcoin Weekly Forecast: BTC to confirm bullish outlook under one condition
Bitcoin price is at an inflection point of its recent uptrend and is likely to reverse and establish a directional bias. If BTC sets a higher low, there is a good chance the rally will continue; else, investors can expect a steep correction.
Algorand price in a bullish triangle, ready to make 25% gains
Algorand (ALGO) has been starting its uptrend since the fall in January, bouncing off $0.80 and the monthly S2 support level. Since then, ALGO price action has been trading sideways to higher, forming a bullish triangle with the ascending side at the bottom already tested twice these past few days and the base to the upside at $1.10 tested twice in a row for resistance.
Bitcoin: BTC to confirm bullish outlook under one condition
Bitcoin price is at an inflection point of its recent uptrend and is likely to reverse and establish a directional bias. If BTC sets a higher low, there is a good chance the rally will continue; else, investors can expect a steep correction.
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https://www.fxstreet.com/cryptocurrencies/news/xrp-price-breaks-a-bear-market-trendline-returns-ripple-to-bull-mode-202202131942
| 2022-02-13T20:33:28
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| 0.947715
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U.S. President Joe Biden spoke at length Sunday with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky about Russia's military buildup along Ukraine's borders, with the pair committing to pursue "diplomacy and deterrence," the White House said.
"The two leaders agreed on the importance of continuing to pursue diplomacy and deterrence in response to Russia's military build-up on Ukraine's borders," according to a readout of the roughly 50-minute call.
"President Biden reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the White House added, referring to the American president's position he has established on multiple occasions when addressing Moscow's brinkmanship.
With Western fears growing that Russia is about to invade the ex-Soviet state, the readout added that Biden "made clear that the United States would respond swiftly and decisively, together with its allies and partners, to any further Russian aggression against Ukraine."
Washington and its allies have warned that Russia has massed well over 100,000 troops on its borders with Ukraine.
Earlier Sunday, top American officials offered grim assessments of the situation, with US national security advisor Jake Sullivan saying a Russian invasion of Ukraine could begin "any day now," and would likely start with "a significant barrage of missiles and bomb attacks" leading to civilian deaths.
Biden on Saturday held an hour-long call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But with that conversation failing to move the needle or significantly tamp down sky-high tensions, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that was "certainly not a sign that things are moving in the right direction."
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https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/02/13/biden-zelensky-pursue-diplomacy-and-deterrence-in-ukraine-crisis-a76366
| 2022-02-13T20:34:37
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| 0.963904
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Miami Valley Hospital South is celebrating the Cincinnati Bengals by dressing newborn babies in the team clothes ahead of tonight’s Super Bowl.
Nurses made the following onesies and sleep-sack blankets in honor of the Cincinnati Bengals going to the Super Bowl, the hospital said in releasing the photos.
Baby Jackson
Baby Harp
Baby Allen
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About the Author
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https://www.journal-news.com/local/newborn-babies-cheer-on-bengals-at-miami-valley-hospital-south/6EOMK7BLI5ETLF3PHFGUO363U4/
| 2022-02-13T20:35:20
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| 0.874219
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Ohio’s hospitalizations and cases for coronavirus continue to mostly decrease across the state, but some regions saw a slight increase in hospitalizations and ICU admissions.
There were 2,246 people are currently hospitalized as an inpatient with COVID-19 throughout the state as of Sunday, according to the Ohio Hospital Association. There were 463 patients.
Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble and Shelby counties are located within Ohio’s West Central region. Across these counties, 1 in 8 patients are hospitalized with the COVID-19. One in nine patients are currently hospitalized in the ICU with the coronavirus. 259 patients are hospitalized with the coronavirus and 35 of them are in the ICU with the coronavirus, according to the OHA dashboard.
In Ohio’s southwestern region, which includes Butler, Warren, Clinton Hamilton, Clermont, Brown and Adams counties, one in six patients are hospitalized with the coronavirus. One in four patients are currently hospitalized in the ICU with the coronavirus. There are 504 people hospitalized with the coronavirus, including 111 of them in the ICU, according to the OHA dashboard.
Ohio’s coronavirus cases throughout the pandemic total 2,632,336, according to ODH.
The total amount of coronavirus cases reported by ODH in the past 24 hours went from from 2,032 as of Saturday to 1,490 on Sunday. The 21-day average of coronavirus cases fell to about 6,008.
As of Sunday, there were 33 new hospitalizations. The 21-day average for reported hospitalizations is 275.
There were five new cases reported ICU admissions for COVID-19 patients in the previous 24 hours. The 21-day average for ICU admissions is 25.
About the Author
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https://www.journal-news.com/local/sunday-update-covid-19-ospitalizations-below-three-week-average-in-ohio/22TNLTSWTZGNDFYMK6Q7QLXLRE/
| 2022-02-13T20:35:27
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| 0.970852
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WINDSOR, Ontario (AP) — Canadians who have occupied downtown Ottawa, disrupted travel and trade with the U.S. and inspired copycat protests from New Zealand to the Netherlands sound a common note when asked about their motivation: Decisions about their health shouldn't be made by the government.
“We stand for freedom,” said Karen Driedger, 40, who home-schools her kids and attended protests in Ottawa and Windsor. “We believe that it should be everyone’s personal decision what they inject into their bodies.”
The refrain isn't new to a pandemic-weary world, two years after the COVID-19 virus prompted curfews and closures, mask mandates, and debates over vaccine requirements. Still, the timing of the protests has raised some eyebrows, since they began just as many of the toughest pandemic-era restrictions were being lifted across Canada, the U.S. and Europe; experts say antipathy toward Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a significant underlying force.
The in-your-face protests that have fueled frustrations around the country and world have been aided by publicity and support from far-right and anti-vaccine groups. And influential Americans such as former U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk have rallied behind the protesters.
Most Canadians have been supportive of the pandemic restrictions, which health officials have stressed are necessary to protect the public from a virus that has killed at least 5.8 million people globally. The vast majority of Canadians are vaccinated, and the COVID-19 death rate is one-third that of the United States.
Trudeau has labeled the protesters a "fringe," and authorities have braced for violence because some have expressed hope that the rally will become the Canadian equivalent of last January's riot at the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.
The Canadian "freedom convoy" was announced last month by a group founded by a QAnon conspiracy theory supporter and other organizers, and includes the ex-leader of Alberta's far-right Maverick Party.
Protesters who spoke to The Associated Press this week defended their actions and argued that they represent many more frustrated residents.
Don Stephens, a 65-year-old retired graphic designer, said he’s come into Ottawa twice to show support for protesters there. He views them as representatives of a “silent majority that had been longing to have their voice heard.”
Mat Mackenzie, a 36-year-old trucker from Ontario, said he’s been among the protesters in Ottawa for 15 days, feeling “a duty” to show his opposition. Citizens should be in charge of making decisions around masks, vaccines and other COVID mitigation efforts, not government officials, he said.
“I can tell you 90% of truckers here are likely vaccinated. We’re here for freedom of choice," Mackenzie said. "And that’s what we’re here to fight for.”
Michael Kempa, a criminology professor at the University of Ottawa, said there are two faces of the protest. It isn't just about vaccine mandates and other COVID restrictions; organizers have said they want to oust Trudeau’s Liberal government and be part of forming a new one, he said.
“In many ways, the friendly face protesters are acting as the foot soldiers of the organizers,” Kempa said. “We are seeing a huge amount of misinformation. People who are legitimately angry are being manipulated by the protest leadership.”
Many Canadians have been outraged over the crude behavior of some demonstrators. Some urinated on the National War Memorial and danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, while others carried signs and flags with swastikas and used the statue of Canadian hero Terry Fox to display an anti-vaccine statement, sparking widespread condemnation.
The images of protests across Canada have ignited copycats elsewhere.
In Paris, police prevented a threatened blockade of the French capital on Saturday. But a few dozen vehicles were able to disrupt traffic on the famed Champs-Elysees, prompting police to fire tear gas to disperse the crowd.
"The convoys are for the restoring of our liberties,” said Pierre-Louis Garnier, a 64-year-old who attended a protest in Paris on Friday to welcome an anticipated convoy that never materialized.
In the Netherlands, dozens of trucks and other vehicles, some waving Canadian flags, have descended on The Hague, the historic Dutch parliamentary complex.
“We are living now in police state,” said Hans Evenstain, a 76-year-old protester said Sunday. “That’s not a good life anymore. We want to move freely and that’s why we are here for us and for our children and our grandchildren.”
In Belgium, federal police were urging people to avoid Brussels on Monday, when a convoy is expected to gather in the country's capital, and the headquarters of the 27-nation European Union.
In the New Zealand capital of Wellington, authorities have turned to blasting Barry Manilow songs and the 90s dance hit "Macarena" on loop to break up a convoy of protesters encamped outside Parliament this week.
In Windsor, where protesters had blocked the entrance to the Ambassador Bridge that is a crucial conduit for the auto industry in both the U.S. and Canada, police moved to end the demonstration Sunday, arresting about a dozen protesters and beginning to tow vehicles.
Before Sunday's crackdown, the shutdown often had the feel of a block party.
Protesters milled about, carrying Canadian flags affixed to the ends of hockey sticks while music blared and food was handed out. They put up signs bearing slogans such as “Freedom Is Essential,” “Say No To Mandatory Vaccines” and “End Mandates.”
Troy Holman, a 32-year-old Windsor resident who has been at the protest every day since its start on Monday, said he believes the government overreached with its COVID-19 restrictions, which negatively impacted his wife’s small business.
“If we weren’t doing something such as this, no one would pay attention to us,” he said Friday. “Unfortunately, we have to be here, because this is what’s going to get the attention of the government.”
____
Shaffrey reported from Ottawa and Foody reported from Chicago. Associated Press reporters Rob Gillies in Toronto, Elaine Ganley in Paris, Thomas Adamson in The Hague and Nick Perry in Wellington, New Zealand, contributed to this story.
Credit: Ted Shaffrey
Credit: Ted Shaffrey
Credit: Ted Shaffrey
Credit: Ted Shaffrey
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https://www.journal-news.com/nation-world/canada-protests-sound-common-refrain-we-stand-for-freedom/XEBTDBGCQBGBJFBCMTNJUK5NYY/
| 2022-02-13T20:35:33
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| 0.970235
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BEIJING (AP) — Erin Jackson bolted off the line, her powerful legs attacking the ice, her destiny awaiting at the end of a frenetic dash around Beijing's magnificent speedskating oval.
She didn't view herself as some sort of trailblazer. She didn't think about the slip that could've snatched away her spot on the U.S. Olympic team. She simply wanted to go faster than everyone else.
“I came here to win,” the 29-year-old said.
Mission accomplished.
Jackson became first Black woman to win a speedskating medal at the Olympics — and it was the best color of them all.
Gold.
“A lot of shock, a lot of relief and a lot of happiness,” Jackson said after her victory in the 500 meters.
It was an immensely personal moment for an inline skating champion from balmy Ocala, Florida, who traded her wheels for blades in order to chase an improbable Olympic dream.
But it meant so much more than that.
Jackson's skin color makes her an anomaly at the speedskating oval. She joined fellow American Shani Davis as the only Black athletes to win long-track medals at the Olympics.
“I just hope that it will do something for the sport,” Jackson said of her groundbreaking victory. “Hopefully, more people will see this and be like, ‘Ohhh, maybe I should try some of these winter sports.’"
Back in Florida, Jackson's longtime inline coach, Renee Hildebrand, cheered her on at an early-morning watch party thrown by one of her roller sport sponsors, Bont.
Hildebrand, too, hopes that Jackson's victory will bring some much-needed diversity to skating — no matter if it's wheels or blades.
“She's such a fantastic role model,” Hildebrand said in a telephone interview. “Maybe little girls and little boys who are not all about roller skating or ice skating will see her and say, ‘Hey, people my color are there. She looks like me.’”
The coach noted the impressive accomplishments of Davis, who won two golds and two silvers at the Olympics, and now Jackson.
“There's not a lot of African Americans in speedskating, but the ones who are have been are really, really good,” Hildebrand said. “If others will come, they'll be good.”
Jackson won with a time of 37.04 seconds, giving the American speedskating program its first medal of the Beijing Games, its first individual medal since 2010, and its first victory in the women's 500 since Bonnie Blair in 1994.
Jackson's gold came after she slipped at the U.S. trials and shockingly finished third, putting her spot on the Olympic team in jeopardy.
But teammate Brittany Bowe, another Ocala skater who finished first at the trials, gave up her spot in the 500 to ensure Jackson would get to compete in Beijing.
“She made a really big sacrifice for me,” Jackson said. “I’ll be grateful to her forever.”
As it turned out, the Americans received a third slot in the 500 when the final allocations were made, so Bowe got to skate as well. She finished 16th.
The two close friends embraced after Jackson clinched the gold.
“She hugged me and we cried,” the winner said. “She said she’s really proud of me and I said a lot of thank-yous.”
Jackson skated in the next-to-last of 15 pairs with the time of 37.12 — set about a half-hour earlier in the fourth pairing by Japan's Miho Takagi — in her sights.
She didn’t think at all about that slip at the U.S. trials.
“It’s not something to really focus on,” Jackson said. “That was a fluke.”
Jackson darted off the line and and essentially won the gold in the first 100 meters, before she negotiated the first turn. Her opening split was 10.33 seconds, compared to 10.41 for Takagi.
That was the margin at the end, too.
“When it comes to the 500, it's a matter of hundredths and sometimes thousandths of a second,” said Ryan Shimabukuro, Jackson's coach when she's on ice. “I knew she had the speed and it was going to come down to the opener. When I saw she opened in 10.3, which is pretty much the fastest she's ever done, I knew we had a chance for the gold.”
Jackson kept up her speed through the first turn, down the crossing straight and on through the final turn, even though every stride brought more and more pain. Both arms were swinging furiously as she came down the final straightaway of speedskating’s shortest race.
As soon as her skates crossed the line, Jackson’s head turned toward the scoreboard.
She broke into a big smile when she saw the “1” beside her name, her time a scant 0.08 faster than Takagi's. Shimabukuro pumped his arms and slapped hands with Jackson as she glided by.
There was still one pair left to skate, but Jackson knew she could do no worse than bronze.
A few minutes later, the gold was hers.
“You’re an Olympic champion,” Shimabukuro told her.
Jackson sat on the padding along the infield, shedding a few tears with her head bowed.
She was no doubt reflecting, as well, on her remarkable journey.
Making the switch from inline to ice just months before the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, Jackson was such a fast study that she earned a spot on the U.S. team. She finished 24th in the 500, but it was clear that she had barely tapped into her potential.
During the current World Cup season, Jackson suddenly emerged as one of the world's best sprinters. She won four of eight 500 races — the first Black woman to earn one of those titles, as well — and came to the Olympics as one of the favorites.
“When I won the first World Cup, I was like, ‘OK that’s strange. Let’s see where it goes,’” Jackson recalled. “Then I won another and I was like, ‘Well, maybe I can do this.’”
She lived up to the billing in Beijing, becoming the first American woman to win an individual speedskating medal since 2002.
“Words cannot explain how proud I am of her,” Bowe said. “I knew she had the chance to do something really special, and she just showed the world why she deserved to be here.”
Jackson grabbed an American flag and did a victory lap around the Ice Ribbon oval, the stars and stripes fluttering above her head.
“It’s been a wild ride,” she said, “but that makes it even sweeter.”
___
Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963 and find his work at https://apnews.com/search/paulnewberry
___
More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Credit: Ashley Landis
Credit: Ashley Landis
Credit: Ashley Landis
Credit: Ashley Landis
Credit: Sue Ogrocki
Credit: Sue Ogrocki
Credit: Ashley Landis
Credit: Ashley Landis
Credit: Ashley Landis
Credit: Ashley Landis
Credit: Ashley Landis
Credit: Ashley Landis
Credit: Ashley Landis
Credit: Ashley Landis
Credit: Ashley Landis
Credit: Ashley Landis
Credit: Sue Ogrocki
Credit: Sue Ogrocki
Credit: Sue Ogrocki
Credit: Sue Ogrocki
Credit: Sue Ogrocki
Credit: Sue Ogrocki
Credit: Sue Ogrocki
Credit: Sue Ogrocki
Credit: Sue Ogrocki
Credit: Sue Ogrocki
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https://www.journal-news.com/nation-world/golden-moment-jackson-1st-black-woman-speedskating-medalist/AHNVX5G255HEZMUEF3NUHVSU4E/
| 2022-02-13T20:35:40
|
en
| 0.978532
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján, who is recovering from a stroke in January, says he plans to be back at work in "just a few short weeks" to vote on President Joe Biden's forthcoming Supreme Court nominee.
In a video released Sunday by his office, the New Mexico senator said he is at the University of New Mexico Hospital after surgery to relieve pressure on his brain and soon will go to an inpatient rehabilitation facility for "a few more weeks."
“I’m doing well. I’m strong. I’m back on the road to recovery, and I’m going to make a full recovery,” the 49-year-old Luján said in the video, which showed him seated next to two of his doctors. “I’m going to walk out of here, I’m going to beat this, and I’m going to be stronger once I come out.”
"Now I’m proud to report, then I’ll be back on the floor of the United States Senate in just a few short weeks to vote on important legislation and to consider a Supreme Court nominee,” he added.
According to his office, the Luján began experiencing dizziness and fatigue on Jan. 27 and checked himself into a hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Luján was transferred to the hospital in Albuquerque for further evaluation and treatment.
His absence from the Senate came as Biden considers a nominee to replace the retiring Justice Stephen G. Breyer. Biden has said he wants to announce a pick by the end of February.
In a 50-50 Senate, Luján's vote would be critical if Democrats wanted to confirm Biden's nominee without the help of Republicans.
“Rest assured, New Mexicans can know they will have a voice and a vote during this process,” Luján said in the video. “That has never changed.”
Credit: J. Scott Applewhite
Credit: J. Scott Applewhite
Credit: J. Scott Applewhite
Credit: J. Scott Applewhite
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https://www.journal-news.com/nation-world/lujan-plans-return-to-senate-in-weeks-for-supreme-court-vote/6AUBRECTXFGLBHP7PFLVD3FGVE/
| 2022-02-13T20:35:46
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| 0.972857
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police were searching Sunday for a gunman who shot four people after a brawl erupted outside a Los Angeles restaurant hosting a party that followed a Justin Bieber concert, authorities said.
Detectives are asking witnesses to come forward to help them identify the suspect in the shooting early Saturday outside The Nice Guy restaurant.
The victims' names were not released, but NBC News reported rapper Kodak Black was among the wounded. Four men ages 60, 24, 22 and 19 were hospitalized in stable condition, LA police Officer Mike Lopez said.
Videos posted on TMZ.com and on social media show Black, 24, posing for photos with a group of people outside the restaurant when the brawl broke out. Black is among several people involved in the fight before shots rang out, sending everyone running for cover.
Law enforcement sources told NBC News that Black, whose legal name is Bill Kapri, was among the people shot. A message to his publicist at Atlantic Records has not been returned.
The party followed Bieber’s private concert at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood as part of a Super Bowl-week party dubbed “Homecoming Weekend.” The guests at the star-studded event included Jeff Bezos, TV host Lauren Sánchez, “Hamilton” actor Anthony Ramos and NFL Hall-of-Famer Tony Gonzalez.
Bieber and his wife Hailey Baldwin, Drake, Khloe Kardashian and Tobey Maguire were also among the celebrities seen entering the afterparty, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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https://www.journal-news.com/nation-world/police-seek-suspect-in-shooting-outside-la-super-bowl-party/XREQAXBGZ5AVBLRVP5YGK2ZRPA/
| 2022-02-13T20:35:53
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| 0.968829
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukraine's president urged calm amid intensified warnings of a possible Russian invasion within days, saying he had yet to see convincing evidence of that, even as the U.S. reported Sunday that Moscow positioned more of its troops closer to Ukraine's borders and some airlines canceled flights to the capital of Kyiv.
President Joe Biden spoke for about 50 minutes Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and renewed promises of what the West says will be tough economic sanctions against Moscow and a NATO buildup in the event of “any further Russian aggression” against Ukraine, the White House said. They agreed to pursue both deterrence and diplomacy in the crisis, it added.
The U.S. updated its estimate for how many Russian forces were now staged near Ukraine's borders to more than 130,000, up from the 100,000 the U.S. has cited publicly in previous weeks. A U.S. official gave the estimate, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration's conclusion.
Zelenskyy's repeated statements playing down the U.S. warnings — while Moscow's forces surround Ukraine on three sides in what the Kremlin insists are military exercises -- grew this weekend to his questioning the increasingly strident statements from U.S. officials in recent days that Russia could be planning to invade as soon as midweek.
While Zelenskyy has urged against panic that he fears could undermine Ukraine's economy, he and his civilian and military leaders also are preparing defenses, soliciting and receiving a flow of arms from the U.S. and other NATO members.
Zelenskyy wore military olive drab at a drill with tanks and helicopters near Ukraine's border with Russian-annexed Crimea this weekend. In the nearby city of Kalanchak, some expressed disbelief that Russian President Vladimir Putin would really send the troops poised along Ukraine's borders rolling into the country.
“I don’t believe Russia will attack us," said resident Boris Cherepenko. “I have friends in Sakhalin, in Krasnodar,” he said, naming Russian locations. "I don’t believe it.”
The U.S. picked up intelligence that Russia is looking at Wednesday as a target date, according to a U.S. official familiar with the findings. The official, who also was not authorized to speak publicly and did so only on condition of anonymity, would not say how definitive the intelligence was.
“We’re not going to give Russia the opportunity to conduct a surprise here, to spring something on Ukraine or the world,” Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, told CNN on Sunday, about the U.S. warnings.
“We are going to make sure that we are laying out for the world what we see as transparently and plainly as we possibly can," he said.
The U.S. largely has not made public the evidence it says is underlying its most specific warnings on possible Russian planning or timing.
The Russians have deployed missile, air, naval and special operations forces, as well as supplies to sustain an invasion. This week, Russia moved six amphibious assault ships into the Black Sea, augmenting its capability to land on the coast.
Zelenskyy's comments this weekend indicated frustration at the warnings from Washington.
“We understand all the risks, we understand that there are risks," he said in a live broadcast. "If you, or anyone else, has additional information regarding a 100% Russian invasion starting on the 16th, please forward that information to us.”
In an hourlong call Saturday with Putin, Biden said an invasion of Ukraine would cause “widespread human suffering” and that the West was committed to diplomacy to end the crisis but “equally prepared for other scenarios,” the White House said. It offered no suggestion that the call diminished the threat of an imminent war in Europe.
Reflecting the West's concerns, Dutch airline KLM has canceled flights to Ukraine until further notice, the company said.
Dutch sensitivity to potential danger in Ukrainian airspace is high following the 2014 shooting down of a Malaysian jetliner flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur as it flew over a part of eastern Ukraine held by Russia-backed rebels. All 298 people aboard died, including 198 Dutch citizens.
The Ukrainian charter airline SkyUp said Sunday its flight from Madeira, Portugal, to Kyiv was diverted to the Moldovan capital of Chisinau after the plane's Irish lessor said it was banning flights in Ukrainian airspace.
Ukrainian presidential spokesman Serhii Nykyforov told The Associated Press that Ukraine has not closed its airspace.
But Ukraine’s air traffic safety agency Ukraerorukh issued a statement declaring the airspace over the Black Sea to be a “zone of potential danger” and recommended that planes avoid flying over the sea Feb. 14-19.
The Putin-Biden conversation, following a call between Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron earlier in the day, came at a critical moment for what has become the biggest security crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War. U.S. officials believe they have mere days to prevent an invasion and enormous bloodshed in Ukraine.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will fly to Kyiv on Monday and Moscow on Tuesday to meet with the presidents in those capitals.
While the U.S. and its NATO allies have no plans to send troops to Ukraine to fight Russia, an invasion and resulting punishing sanctions could reverberate far beyond the former Soviet republic, affecting energy supplies, global markets and the power balance in Europe.
Preparing for a worst-case scenario, the United States was pulling most of its staff from the embassy in Kyiv and urged all American citizens to leave Ukraine immediately. Britain joined other European nations in telling its citizens to leave.
Biden has bolstered the U.S. military presence in Europe as reassurance to allies on NATO’s eastern flank. The 3,000 additional soldiers ordered to Poland come on top of 1,700 who are on their way there. The U.S. Army also is shifting 1,000 soldiers from Germany to Romania, which like Poland shares a border with Ukraine.
Russia is demanding that the West keep former Soviet countries out of NATO. It also wants NATO to refrain from deploying weapons near its border and to roll back alliance forces from Eastern Europe — demands flatly rejected by the West.
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly leader was driven from office by a popular uprising. Moscow responded by annexing the Crimean Peninsula and then backing a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine, where fighting has killed over 14,000 people.
A 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany helped halt large-scale battles, but regular skirmishes have continued, and efforts to reach a political settlement have stalled.
“My family has always been prepared, we have all the stuff gathered for like a couple of years now. Honestly, I’m not afraid because the war wouldn’t start like in a week,” 21-year-old Yuliia Zaets said at a pro-government rally on Saturday.
___
Heintz reported from Moscow. Yuras Karmanau and Nebi Qena in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Oleksandr Stashevsky in Kalanchak, Ukraine, contributed.
Credit: Efrem Lukatsky
Credit: Efrem Lukatsky
Credit: Efrem Lukatsky
Credit: Efrem Lukatsky
Credit: Efrem Lukatsky
Credit: Efrem Lukatsky
Credit: Efrem Lukatsky
Credit: Efrem Lukatsky
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Credit: Efrem Lukatsky
Credit: Efrem Lukatsky
Credit: Efrem Lukatsky
Credit: Efrem Lukatsky
Credit: Efrem Lukatsky
Credit: Efrem Lukatsky
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https://www.journal-news.com/nation-world/us-over-130000-russian-troops-now-staged-outside-ukraine/QGMO3ADXABHKFA423D3LK4ZEXI/
| 2022-02-13T20:35:59
|
en
| 0.966013
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DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Sam Vinson had 20 points as Northern Kentucky turned back Wright State 75-71 on Sunday.
Marques Warrick had 16 points and sank two foul shots with 10 seconds remaining to help the Norse (15-10, 11-5 Horizon League) notch their fifth straight win on the road. Bryson Langdon added 12 points and six assists, while Adrian Nelson scored 10.
Wright State scored 49 points in the second half, a season high for the team.
Grant Basile had 25 points and nine rebounds to pace the Raiders (15-12, 12-6). Trey Calvin had 13 points, six rebounds and five steals. Tanner Holden added 13 points.
The Norse improve to 2-0 against the Raiders on the season. Northern Kentucky defeated Wright State 73-63 on Jan. 25.
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For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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Portions of this story were generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com
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https://www.journal-news.com/news/ohio/vinson-sparks-northern-kentucky-past-wright-state-75-71/EVU5ASL2ZJC4FDAEFJEXAAIAMI/
| 2022-02-13T20:36:06
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| 0.949276
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Two teams of adoptable dogs are on the Puppy Bowl XVIII gridiron to prove they have what it takes to entertain and delight their potential future owners.
Hosted by coaches Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart, the match, airing from 2-5 p.m. Eastern on Animal Planet, features two teams — Team Fluff and Team Ruff. When the show opened, Stewart, holding a dog named Buttons, said many of the dogs featured in the show were in need of FUR-ever homes.
Odell Barkham, representing Animal Friends Humane Society in Hamilton, is assigned to Team Ruff. The dog received many votes from fans in the Pupularity Playoffs on Animal Planet’s website.
Odell Barkham is a beagle/chow chow mix and is already adopted, officials with AFHS said.
Today’s Puppy Bowl included the national anthem, with dogs staying well-behaved during the music.
The winning team in today’s game receives the Chewy Lombarky trophy.
Dr. Jill Biden, the nation’s first lady, spoke at the beginning of the Puppy Bowl to wish folks a Happy Valentine’s Day and encourage pet adoption.
To adopt one of the dogs in today’s match, visit puppybowl.com/adopt.
Toward the end of the second quarter, Team Fluff was leading 28-24.
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https://www.journal-news.com/news/puppy-bowl-xviii-dog-from-butler-county-is-on-team-ruff/EYBFTRY3LJERRMHSZ5WR2HWSNU/
| 2022-02-13T20:36:12
|
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| 0.945725
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T7L Keith Hernandez tee
by: Shannon Shark @metspolice — The Mets Police 5h
I don’t like this design at all, but I need something to post and you might need something to wear while visiting Mar-a-lago or reading an RFK Jr. book. Available from The T-Shirt Guy.
More Recent New York Mets Articles
MMO’s Great 8 Teams, Semifinals #2: Team 8 vs. Team 3
by: Patrick Glynn — Mets Merized Online 8h
People have been asking us all winter what we’ve been doing to pass the time during the MLB lockout. I’ll tell you what we do here at MMO — we come up with ideas that not only help us stay b
Tom Brennan - Mets' Killer Opponent - Willie Mays
by: Tom Brennan — Mack's Mets 7h
Mack's Mets Blog, Mets News, #Mets Twitter Feed, Mets Minor Leagues, Winter Ball, Mets opinion,Mets Trades, Mets Stats
Top 5 NY Mets MVP snubs in team history
by: N/A — Fansided: Rising Apple 6h
The New York Mets have always been known for their starting pitching. It’s because of the starting pitching that they have seven Cy Young award winners. What ha
Mets Morning News for February 13, 2022
by: Allison McCague — SB Nation: Amazin' Avenue 5h
Your Sunday morning dose of Mets and Major League Baseball news, notes, and links.
It’s about time: the Mets bring back Old Timers’ Day
by: Charlie Hangley — Mets 360 4h
Ya see? Speaking up works, even if it did take seven years. The above article was written on the cusp of a season of Mets glory, had we but known at the time. Its not new thing.
Darryl Strawberry reflects on ‘98 Yankees, ‘86 Mets, Doc, Keith and the Gospel: ‘I’m at peace with everyone’ | Klapisch - nj.com
by: Bob Klapisch | bklapisch@njadvancemedia.com — NJ.com 3h
The once-volatile slugger is now an evangelist touring the country spreading the Gospel. But he hasn't forgotten the 80s in Flushing or the 90s in the Bronx.
MLB really hates minor leaguers, doesn’t want to pay them
by: James Kelly — Elite Sports NY 3h
A Major League Baseball lawyer appeared in federal court Friday, arguing that minor league players shouldn't be paid during spring training.
See All New York Mets Articles
Tweets
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RT @baseballinpix: Pat Mahomes holds future Super Bowl Quarterback, his son Patrick Mahomes. #SuperBowl #SuperBowlLVI https://t.co/FhDhVLwqQdBlogger / Podcaster
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RT @donnyshell: Yesterday @dailykos republished my series on cannabis fairness, a term that @shaleentitle reminds me I nicked from @KillerMike & his San Francisco equity talk of, like ‘19 https://t.co/Vl4dDm7jNoBeat Writer / Columnist
-
Check out the @Metsmerized staff picks for the #SuperBowl! Who do you think will win tonight? https://t.co/9c8OgQ9vkIBlog / Website
-
Really informative thread.The MLBPA's proposals of a $775k minimum and $100m pre-arb bonus pool would inject about $180m into the most productive and under-paid cohort of players they represent. Taking earlier FA off the table and keeping these on were correct priorities, imo. https://t.co/jXyuptu6N4 https://t.co/5G4pQdrwtPBlogger / Podcaster
-
RT @Travis_Sawchik: The MLBPA's proposals of a $775k minimum and $100m pre-arb bonus pool would inject about $180m into the most productive and under-paid cohort of players they represent. Taking earlier FA off the table and keeping these on were correct priorities, imo. https://t.co/jXyuptu6N4 https://t.co/5G4pQdrwtPBlogger / Podcaster
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https://sportspyder.com/teams/new-york-mets/articles/38494777
| 2022-02-13T20:36:13
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| 0.911247
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Top 5 NY Mets MVP snubs in team history
by: N/A — Fansided: Rising Apple 6h
The New York Mets have always been known for their starting pitching. It’s because of the starting pitching that they have seven Cy Young award winners. What ha
More Recent New York Mets Articles
MMO’s Great 8 Teams, Semifinals #2: Team 8 vs. Team 3
by: Patrick Glynn — Mets Merized Online 8h
People have been asking us all winter what we’ve been doing to pass the time during the MLB lockout. I’ll tell you what we do here at MMO — we come up with ideas that not only help us stay b
Tom Brennan - Mets' Killer Opponent - Willie Mays
by: Tom Brennan — Mack's Mets 7h
Mack's Mets Blog, Mets News, #Mets Twitter Feed, Mets Minor Leagues, Winter Ball, Mets opinion,Mets Trades, Mets Stats
T7L Keith Hernandez tee
by: Shannon Shark @metspolice — The Mets Police 5h
I don’t like this design at all, but I need something to post and you might need something to wear while visiting Mar-a-lago or reading an RFK Jr. book. Available from The T-Shirt Guy.
Mets Morning News for February 13, 2022
by: Allison McCague — SB Nation: Amazin' Avenue 5h
Your Sunday morning dose of Mets and Major League Baseball news, notes, and links.
It’s about time: the Mets bring back Old Timers’ Day
by: Charlie Hangley — Mets 360 4h
Ya see? Speaking up works, even if it did take seven years. The above article was written on the cusp of a season of Mets glory, had we but known at the time. Its not new thing.
Darryl Strawberry reflects on ‘98 Yankees, ‘86 Mets, Doc, Keith and the Gospel: ‘I’m at peace with everyone’ | Klapisch - nj.com
by: Bob Klapisch | bklapisch@njadvancemedia.com — NJ.com 3h
The once-volatile slugger is now an evangelist touring the country spreading the Gospel. But he hasn't forgotten the 80s in Flushing or the 90s in the Bronx.
MLB really hates minor leaguers, doesn’t want to pay them
by: James Kelly — Elite Sports NY 3h
A Major League Baseball lawyer appeared in federal court Friday, arguing that minor league players shouldn't be paid during spring training.
See All New York Mets Articles
Tweets
-
RT @baseballinpix: Pat Mahomes holds future Super Bowl Quarterback, his son Patrick Mahomes. #SuperBowl #SuperBowlLVI https://t.co/FhDhVLwqQdBlogger / Podcaster
-
RT @donnyshell: Yesterday @dailykos republished my series on cannabis fairness, a term that @shaleentitle reminds me I nicked from @KillerMike & his San Francisco equity talk of, like ‘19 https://t.co/Vl4dDm7jNoBeat Writer / Columnist
-
Check out the @Metsmerized staff picks for the #SuperBowl! Who do you think will win tonight? https://t.co/9c8OgQ9vkIBlog / Website
-
Really informative thread.The MLBPA's proposals of a $775k minimum and $100m pre-arb bonus pool would inject about $180m into the most productive and under-paid cohort of players they represent. Taking earlier FA off the table and keeping these on were correct priorities, imo. https://t.co/jXyuptu6N4 https://t.co/5G4pQdrwtPBlogger / Podcaster
-
RT @Travis_Sawchik: The MLBPA's proposals of a $775k minimum and $100m pre-arb bonus pool would inject about $180m into the most productive and under-paid cohort of players they represent. Taking earlier FA off the table and keeping these on were correct priorities, imo. https://t.co/jXyuptu6N4 https://t.co/5G4pQdrwtPBlogger / Podcaster
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https://sportspyder.com/teams/new-york-mets/articles/38495035
| 2022-02-13T20:36:19
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en
| 0.911247
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- IN
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Tom Brennan - Mets' Killer Opponent - Willie Mays
by: Tom Brennan — Mack's Mets 7h
Mack's Mets Blog, Mets News, #Mets Twitter Feed, Mets Minor Leagues, Winter Ball, Mets opinion,Mets Trades, Mets Stats
More Recent New York Mets Articles
MMO’s Great 8 Teams, Semifinals #2: Team 8 vs. Team 3
by: Patrick Glynn — Mets Merized Online 8h
People have been asking us all winter what we’ve been doing to pass the time during the MLB lockout. I’ll tell you what we do here at MMO — we come up with ideas that not only help us stay b
Top 5 NY Mets MVP snubs in team history
by: N/A — Fansided: Rising Apple 6h
The New York Mets have always been known for their starting pitching. It’s because of the starting pitching that they have seven Cy Young award winners. What ha
T7L Keith Hernandez tee
by: Shannon Shark @metspolice — The Mets Police 5h
I don’t like this design at all, but I need something to post and you might need something to wear while visiting Mar-a-lago or reading an RFK Jr. book. Available from The T-Shirt Guy.
Mets Morning News for February 13, 2022
by: Allison McCague — SB Nation: Amazin' Avenue 5h
Your Sunday morning dose of Mets and Major League Baseball news, notes, and links.
It’s about time: the Mets bring back Old Timers’ Day
by: Charlie Hangley — Mets 360 4h
Ya see? Speaking up works, even if it did take seven years. The above article was written on the cusp of a season of Mets glory, had we but known at the time. Its not new thing.
Darryl Strawberry reflects on ‘98 Yankees, ‘86 Mets, Doc, Keith and the Gospel: ‘I’m at peace with everyone’ | Klapisch - nj.com
by: Bob Klapisch | bklapisch@njadvancemedia.com — NJ.com 3h
The once-volatile slugger is now an evangelist touring the country spreading the Gospel. But he hasn't forgotten the 80s in Flushing or the 90s in the Bronx.
MLB really hates minor leaguers, doesn’t want to pay them
by: James Kelly — Elite Sports NY 3h
A Major League Baseball lawyer appeared in federal court Friday, arguing that minor league players shouldn't be paid during spring training.
See All New York Mets Articles
Tweets
-
RT @baseballinpix: Pat Mahomes holds future Super Bowl Quarterback, his son Patrick Mahomes. #SuperBowl #SuperBowlLVI https://t.co/FhDhVLwqQdBlogger / Podcaster
-
RT @donnyshell: Yesterday @dailykos republished my series on cannabis fairness, a term that @shaleentitle reminds me I nicked from @KillerMike & his San Francisco equity talk of, like ‘19 https://t.co/Vl4dDm7jNoBeat Writer / Columnist
-
Check out the @Metsmerized staff picks for the #SuperBowl! Who do you think will win tonight? https://t.co/9c8OgQ9vkIBlog / Website
-
Really informative thread.The MLBPA's proposals of a $775k minimum and $100m pre-arb bonus pool would inject about $180m into the most productive and under-paid cohort of players they represent. Taking earlier FA off the table and keeping these on were correct priorities, imo. https://t.co/jXyuptu6N4 https://t.co/5G4pQdrwtPBlogger / Podcaster
-
RT @Travis_Sawchik: The MLBPA's proposals of a $775k minimum and $100m pre-arb bonus pool would inject about $180m into the most productive and under-paid cohort of players they represent. Taking earlier FA off the table and keeping these on were correct priorities, imo. https://t.co/jXyuptu6N4 https://t.co/5G4pQdrwtPBlogger / Podcaster
- More Mets Tweets
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https://sportspyder.com/teams/new-york-mets/articles/38495309
| 2022-02-13T20:36:26
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| 0.911247
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- IN
- Mets News
- News Article
MMO’s Great 8 Teams, Semifinals #2: Team 8 vs. Team 3
by: Patrick Glynn — Mets Merized Online 8h
People have been asking us all winter what we’ve been doing to pass the time during the MLB lockout. I’ll tell you what we do here at MMO — we come up with ideas that not only help us stay b
More Recent New York Mets Articles
Tom Brennan - Mets' Killer Opponent - Willie Mays
by: Tom Brennan — Mack's Mets 7h
Mack's Mets Blog, Mets News, #Mets Twitter Feed, Mets Minor Leagues, Winter Ball, Mets opinion,Mets Trades, Mets Stats
Top 5 NY Mets MVP snubs in team history
by: N/A — Fansided: Rising Apple 6h
The New York Mets have always been known for their starting pitching. It’s because of the starting pitching that they have seven Cy Young award winners. What ha
T7L Keith Hernandez tee
by: Shannon Shark @metspolice — The Mets Police 5h
I don’t like this design at all, but I need something to post and you might need something to wear while visiting Mar-a-lago or reading an RFK Jr. book. Available from The T-Shirt Guy.
Mets Morning News for February 13, 2022
by: Allison McCague — SB Nation: Amazin' Avenue 5h
Your Sunday morning dose of Mets and Major League Baseball news, notes, and links.
It’s about time: the Mets bring back Old Timers’ Day
by: Charlie Hangley — Mets 360 4h
Ya see? Speaking up works, even if it did take seven years. The above article was written on the cusp of a season of Mets glory, had we but known at the time. Its not new thing.
Darryl Strawberry reflects on ‘98 Yankees, ‘86 Mets, Doc, Keith and the Gospel: ‘I’m at peace with everyone’ | Klapisch - nj.com
by: Bob Klapisch | bklapisch@njadvancemedia.com — NJ.com 3h
The once-volatile slugger is now an evangelist touring the country spreading the Gospel. But he hasn't forgotten the 80s in Flushing or the 90s in the Bronx.
MLB really hates minor leaguers, doesn’t want to pay them
by: James Kelly — Elite Sports NY 3h
A Major League Baseball lawyer appeared in federal court Friday, arguing that minor league players shouldn't be paid during spring training.
See All New York Mets Articles
Tweets
-
RT @baseballinpix: Pat Mahomes holds future Super Bowl Quarterback, his son Patrick Mahomes. #SuperBowl #SuperBowlLVI https://t.co/FhDhVLwqQdBlogger / Podcaster
-
RT @donnyshell: Yesterday @dailykos republished my series on cannabis fairness, a term that @shaleentitle reminds me I nicked from @KillerMike & his San Francisco equity talk of, like ‘19 https://t.co/Vl4dDm7jNoBeat Writer / Columnist
-
Check out the @Metsmerized staff picks for the #SuperBowl! Who do you think will win tonight? https://t.co/9c8OgQ9vkIBlog / Website
-
Really informative thread.The MLBPA's proposals of a $775k minimum and $100m pre-arb bonus pool would inject about $180m into the most productive and under-paid cohort of players they represent. Taking earlier FA off the table and keeping these on were correct priorities, imo. https://t.co/jXyuptu6N4 https://t.co/5G4pQdrwtPBlogger / Podcaster
-
RT @Travis_Sawchik: The MLBPA's proposals of a $775k minimum and $100m pre-arb bonus pool would inject about $180m into the most productive and under-paid cohort of players they represent. Taking earlier FA off the table and keeping these on were correct priorities, imo. https://t.co/jXyuptu6N4 https://t.co/5G4pQdrwtPBlogger / Podcaster
- More Mets Tweets
|
https://sportspyder.com/teams/new-york-mets/articles/38496060
| 2022-02-13T20:36:32
|
en
| 0.911247
|
BEIJING (AP) — Across two pandemic Olympics set in Asian countries, Asian American women fronting the Games have encountered a whiplashing duality — prized on the global stage for their medal-winning talent, buffeted by the escalating crisis of racist abuse at home.
The world’s most elite and international sporting event, which pits athletes and countries against each other, underscores along the way the crude reality that many Asian women face: of only being seen when they have something to offer.
“It’s like Asian American women can’t win,” says Jeff Yang, an author and cultural critic. “Asian American female athletes, like most Asian American women in many other spaces, are seen as worthy when they can deliver … and then disposed of otherwise.”
The issue is playing out at the Beijing Winter Games, the third straight Olympics set in Asia and the second held during the unrelenting global coronavirus crisis — and playing out, too, during a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans.
Here, U.S. snowboarder Chloe Kim and China’s freestyle skier Eileen Gu are the latest additions to the list of American women of Asian descent who have been “It Girls” of the Winter Games, joining icons like American figure skaters Kristi Yamaguchi and Michelle Kwan.
When Kim and Gu earned their gold medals in Beijing, it was the perfect bow on professional narratives that have been covered incessantly leading up to the actual event. Their star power and talent made them two of the de facto spokeswomen for the Olympics.
Meanwhile, other Asian American women like figure skaters Karen Chen and Alysa Liu of the U.S. team and Zhu Yi of the China team have also been promoted by their national teams and scrutinized — sometimes harshly — by Olympic fans.
Commentators have mocked Yi for falling in the team event, as if she deserved the mistake after giving up her U.S. citizenship to compete for her ancestral homeland. Others are angry that she “stole” the Olympic spot from an actual China-born athlete.
Even the winners struggle to feel fully embraced in America.
Kim, who won the halfpipe at the Beijing and Pyeongchang Olympics, has revealed she was tormented online daily. She says she was consumed by fear that her parents could be killed whenever she heard news about another brutal assault on an Asian person.
There have been more than 10,000 reported anti-Asian incidents — from taunts to outright assaults – between March 2020 and September 2021, according to Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition that gathers data on racially motivated attacks related to the pandemic.
“The experience of hate is withering, and it takes a huge mental health toll,” says Cynthia Choi, the coalition’s co-founder. “When we think about the Olympics, it’s really incredibly powerful to have taken place in Asia three times in a row. That context is very significant, and to have Asian Americans and Asians representing the United States in these games is more than symbolic.”
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across the country have endured racist verbal, physical and sometimes deadly attacks for two years now, fueled by the pandemic.
Some perpetrators have based their hate on the fact that the virus was first detected in Wuhan, China. Adding to the mix: former President Donald Trump, who regularly talked about COVID-19 in racial terms.
Gu, the daredevil freestyle skier who placed first in the big air competition, said she’d never been as scared as when a man directed a tirade about the coronavirus’ Chinese origins against her and her immigrant grandmother at a San Francisco pharmacy.
The San Francisco native, fashion model and social media figure has also been criticized with anti-China rhetoric for switching from the U.S. team to the China team. Conservative Fox News personalities Tucker Carlson and Will Cain even dedicated a segment to berating Gu, saying she was “ungrateful” and is “betraying her country.”
Those racially charged denunciations have been called out on social media for being hypocritical. Phil Yu, who runs the popular Angry Asian Man blog, tweeted succinctly: “Oh sure, it’s always ‘go back to your country’ but not ‘go back to your country and win a gold medal.’”
The dichotomy of the Asian American woman’s existence is not limited to Winter Olympians, though. In October, Hmong American gymnast Sunisa Lee said she was pepper sprayed by someone shouting racist slurs while driving by in a car. At the time, she was standing outside with a group of Asian American friends in Los Angeles while filming the “Dancing with the Stars” TV show.
Lesser-profile Olympians from the Tokyo Games like golfer Danielle Kang and karateka Sukura Kokumai spoke about their experiences with anti-Asian hate last summer.
Kang said she’s fought racism all her life and urged for a broader social studies curriculum that could better capture today’s multicultural America.
“I’ve been told to go back to China. I don’t know why they think China is the only Asian country,” said the Korean American athlete. “I also have heard, ‘Do you eat dogs for dinner?’ It’s nothing new to me. However, the violence was very upsetting. But the violence also has been around. I’ve gotten into fist fights. I’ve grown up like this.”
Kokumai, who is Japanese American, was angry to discover that the same man who had harassed her in April with racist slurs also assaulted an elderly Asian American couple.
Equally painful: colleagues’ silence when the incident was reported. She said Japan’s coach called her about it before members of her U.S. team did.
“It was really hurtful that it took so long for my side of the federation to address it,” Kokumai said last summer.
In July, when Lee became the surprise breakout star of the Tokyo Olympics by winning gold in the all-around event and bronze on uneven bars, Sung Yeon Choimorrow, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, said she felt conflicted about seeing Lee on a pedestal given the way Hmongs have been marginalized.
“I’m really wrestling with this idea that we’re all ‘American’ only when it comes to us being excellent and winning medals for the country,” Choimorrow said. “Asian American women are hyper-visible in ways that dehumanize us and completely invisible in the ways that humanize us.”
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https://www.wowktv.com/2022-olympics/olympics-reveal-a-harsh-duality-for-asian-american-women/
| 2022-02-13T20:40:34
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en
| 0.972942
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NEW YORK (AP) — Transit officials in New York are hoping a recent uptick in subway ridership is a sign that the city is bouncing back from the omicron surge.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority reported subway ridership topped 3 million for three days in a row last week. It was the first time that had happened since the omicron wave hit New York in mid-December.
Weekday ridership regularly topped 5.5 million before COVID-19, but it cratered during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and fell as much as 95%. Riders gradually returned during 2021 and ridership regularly surpassed 3 million beginning in late September, until omicron hit in December.
The MTA has projected the residual effect of the pandemic ridership decreases will produce a $1.4 billion operating deficit by 2025, despite billions in aid from the federal government. The authority projects ridership will still lag pre-pandemic levels by 10% to 20% by the end of 2024.
The MTA recently introduced fare discounts to try to attract more riders, including a program in which users of a contactless payment system get free rides on subways or buses after they reach 12 rides in a week.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/business/nyc-subway-ridership-rebounding-after-drop-due-to-omicron/
| 2022-02-13T20:40:40
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en
| 0.967458
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MYSTIC, Conn. (AP) — The second of five whales brought from Canada to Connecticut’s Mystic Aquarium last year for research purposes has died.
The aquarium announced on its website that the female had been receiving intensive care for the past several months for multiple health issues but died early Friday morning. A necropsy was to be performed to determine the cause of death.
“Veterinarians and animal care experts at Mystic Aquarium, with the support of veterinarians and animal husbandry members from other aquariums worldwide, devoted the full capacity of their expertise to the whale, providing round-the-clock medical treatment, testing, and 24-hour monitoring,” the aquarium said in a statement.
A male beluga named Havok, who had a preexisting gastrointestinal issue, died in August. The two whales were among five brought to Mystic last spring from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario, after a lengthy battle to obtain permits from both the United States and Canada.
Animal rights activists had sued unsuccessfully to block the transport, alleging a permit granted by the U.S. Commerce secretary and National Marine Fisheries Service didn’t adequately address the potential harm to the belugas from being moved to Mystic.
The whales, which ranged in age from 7 to 12 at the time of the transport, were born in captivity, and officials say they cannot safely be released into the ocean. Mystic officials said at the time that the five whales left an overcrowded habitat with about 50 other Belugas in Canada.
The Animal Welfare Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based animal protection advocacy organization, called for an investigation into the deaths in a statement on its website.
In the aquarium’s statement, Dr. Stephen Coan, the aquarium’s president and CEO, said Mystic has addressed issues raised during a visit last fall by the U.S. Department of Agriculture after the first whale died. Those included the handling of animals with vision challenges, certain fluctuations in water quality and shade for animals.
“Inspections, investigations when an animal dies, and accreditation processes are essential learning tools to advance the care and welfare of animals,” Coan said. “We are constantly seeking to evolve and learn in our mission to provide the best possible care for animals.”
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/2nd-of-5-whales-brought-from-canada-to-mystic-aquarium-dies/
| 2022-02-13T20:40:46
|
en
| 0.971874
|
Minneapolis Police Chief Amelia Huffman was taking questions about the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Amir Lockewhen a reporter challenged the police account that Locke’s gun was pointed toward officers serving a search warrant. Huffman’s attempt to explain was too much for one local activist.
“ This is what I would call the anatomy of a cover-up,” Nekima Levy Armstrong said, striding forward to confront Huffman and Mayor Jacob Frey at the news conference. “Amelia, you’re saying you want to be the chief. Then act like it. … Don’t cover up for what those cops did.”
The exchange underscores the fraught situation that Huffman — named interim chief just weeks ago and a candidate to take the job permanently — faces as she attempts to steer a department in tatters since George Floyd’s killing20 months ago shattered community trust.
Huffman, who joined the department in 1994, built a wide-ranging resume before Frey tapped her to replace the retiring Medaria Arradondo. Huffman investigated financial crimes, crimes against children and Internal Affairs cases, served as a department spokeswoman and commanded units including Homicide.
A police spokesman didn’t respond to a request to interview Huffman. In a 2019 interview with a Minneapolis weekly, Huffman, of Springfield, Ohio, described studying constitutional law at Smith College before joining the police department.
“Minneapolis was looking to hire people who had backgrounds in things other than law enforcement,” Huffman told the paper. “I wanted to do something that would make a difference — not just pushing meaningless papers from one place to another.”
John Swenson, the director of public safety in Lino Lakes, Minnesota, worked with Huffman in Minneapolis’ Internal Affairs division for about a year in the early 2000s. Both sergeants, they handled investigations within the department and for agencies that needed an outside perspective.
He recalled teaming with her on an investigation into an allegation of sexual assault against a police officer in rural Minnesota. Huffman’s compassion while interviewing both the victim and the suspect as well as her attention to detail stuck out, he said.
“She’s an incredibly smart individual who cares a tremendous amount about her work product and being professional, and wants to see the organization and our profession continue to move forward,” Swenson said.
While homicide chief in 2007, Huffman, who is white, clashed with a high-profile Black investigator over her public suggestion that a man’s murder was connected to a drug purchase — upsetting the victim’s family and the investigator.
Then-Chief Tim Dolan backed Huffman and transferred the sergeant to another department. Dolan said in an interview that the investigating sergeant undermined Huffman by going public with his opposition to her comments and had been warned before.
“But you have to decide whether you back the commander or you back the sergeant,” Dolan said. (Huffman) “is bright, fair and capable. She deserves my support.”
Arradondo, who is Black, had worked with Frey on a raft of policy changes aimed at overhauling the department’s policies and culture following Floyd’s death. He also came out publicly against a voter referendum in November to replace the department with a new public safety unit, which was defeated. But soon after, he announced he would retire anyway.
Reaction to Huffman’s interim appointment was largely muted, with Levy Armstrong and other activists saying they didn’t know her well. Much of the anger since Locke’s death has focused on the department for executing a no-knock warrant — Locke’s parents said body-camera video suggested Locke had been startled awake and then “executed” by officers swarming into the apartment — and for its initial account of events, including a news release that called Locke a “suspect” even though he wasn’t named in the search warrants.
For the activists, those actions fit the pattern of a department focused on protecting its own.
“She stepped into that role knowing that we are still grappling with the impacts of the murder of George Floyd … knowing the expectations for accountability and transparency,” Levy Armstrong said this week. “That is the standard you are held to. I don’t feel that she rose to the occasion.”
Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, said she initially questioned whether Huffman had the ability to transform the department and considers the interim chief’s handling of Locke’s death confirmation of that fear.
“Own the mistake, apologize for it and tell us it’s not going to happen again,” Gross said. “She did none of that.”
When Huffman was made inspector of the Fifth Precinct spanning southwest Minneapolis, the city was still reeling from the 2017 fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damondby a police officer. In the 2019 interview on taking that new position, Huffman pledged that she and officers in the area would focus on being out in the community, creating low-pressure opportunities to get to know people.
“Healing that chasm is going to take time and work,” Huffman said. “We need to engage with folks during the course of their regular life.”
But she was also focused on bread-and-butter policing, saying residents were unlikely to see major changes in priorities and specifically listed a focus on drug and property crimes including burglary and theft.
Floyd’s murder put the city’s police force under a microscope again the following year. While many large protests in Minneapolis remained peaceful, some people looted and vandalized businessesin the Uptown neighborhood, within the precinct Huffman oversaw.
Jill Osiecki, executive director of the Uptown Association, said those attacks were “catastrophic” for some businesses and credited Huffman for making one-on-one visits to each affected place and never rushing those conversations.
“It was so impressive to see somebody rise to that occasion in such a difficult time,” Osiecki said. “For many reasons, it’s very difficult to be a police officer in Minneapolis. I truly feel she is a compassionate human being.”
Huffman became part of Arradondo’s leadership team in February 2021 as a deputy chief overseeing professional standards, including training. Her interim chief appointment was announced in December and she took over on Jan. 15.
Frey credited her with steering the department’s adoption of training that emphasizes officers’ responsibility to intervene when a coworker is putting someone in danger and reforming its field training officer program.
“She has an encyclopedic knowledge of policy, procedure, and training — the building blocks of enacting a culture shift across the department and keeping our city safe,” Frey said when he announced Huffman as interim chief.
Asked about activists’ calls to fire Huffman, Frey stood by her this week without any commitment for the future.
“I didn’t appoint interim Chief Huffman to serve as interim chief only in good times,” he told Minnesota Public Radio News, adding that the city is “moving forward with a national search to make sure we end up with the best possible person in our police department.”
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Find AP’s full coverage of the death of Amir Locke at: https://apnews.com/hub/amir-locke
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Foody reported from Chicago.
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| 2022-02-13T20:40:52
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NEW YORK (AP) — Parishioners worshipping at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Harlem are greeted by a framed portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. — a Baptist minister named after a rebellious 16th century German priest excommunicated from the Catholic Church.
The Rev. Bryan Massingale, who sometimes preaches at St. Charles, pursues his ministry in ways that echo both Martin Luthers.
Like King, Massingale decries the scourge of racial inequality in the United States. As a professor at Fordham University, he teaches African American religious approaches to ethics.
Like the German Martin Luther, Massingale is often at odds with official Catholic teaching — he supports the ordination of women and making celibacy optional for Catholic clergy. And, as a gay man, he vocally disagrees with the church’s doctrine on same-sex relations, instead advocating for full inclusion of LGBTQ Catholics within the church.
The Vatican holds that gays and lesbians should be treated with dignity and respect, but that gay sex is “intrinsically disordered” and sinful.
In his homily on a recent Sunday, Massingale – who became public about being gay in 2019 — envisioned a world “where the dignity of every person is respected and protected, where everyone is loved.”
But the message of equality and tolerance is one “that is resisted even within our own faith household,” he added. “Preach!” a worshiper shouted in response.
Massingale was born in 1957 in Milwaukee. His mother was a school secretary and his father a factory worker whose family migrated from Mississippi to escape racial segregation.
But even in Wisconsin, racism was common. Massingale said his father couldn’t work as a carpenter because of a color bar preventing African Americans from joining the carpenters’ union.
The Massingales also experienced racism when they moved to Milwaukee’s outskirts and ventured to a predominately white parish.
“This would not be a very comfortable parish for you to be a part of,” he recalled the parish priest saying. Thereafter, the family commuted to a predominantly Black Catholic church.
Massingale recalled another incident, as a newly ordained priest, after celebrating his first Mass at a predominantly white church.
“The first parishioner to greet me at the door said to me: ‘Father, you being here is the worst mistake the archbishop could have made. People will never accept you.‘”
Massingale says he considered leaving the Catholic Church, but decided he was needed.
“I’m not going to let the church’s racism rob me of my relationship with God,” he said. “I see it as my mission to make the church what it says it is: more universal and the institution that I believe Jesus wants it to be.”
For Massingale, racism within the U.S. Catholic Church is a reason for the exodus of some Black Catholics; he says the church is not doing enough to tackle racism within its ranks and in broader society.
Nearly half of Black U.S. adults who were raised Catholic no longer identify as such, with many becoming Protestants, according to a 2021 survey by the Pew Research Center. About 6% of Black U.S. adults identify as Catholic and close to 80% believe opposing racism is essential to their faith, the survey found.
The U.S. Catholic Church has had a checkered history with race. Some of its institutions, such as Georgetown University, were involved in the slave trade, and it has struggled to recruit African American priests.
Conversely, Catholic schools were among the first to desegregate and some government officials who opposed racial integration were excommunicated.
In 2018, U.S. bishops issued a pastoral letter decrying “the persistence of the evil of racism,” but Massingale was disappointed.
“The phrase ‘white nationalism’ is not stated in that document; it doesn’t talk about the Black Lives Matter movement,” he said. “The problem with the church’s teachings on racism is that they are written in a way that is calculated not to disturb white people.”
At Fordham, a Jesuit university, Massingale teaches a class on homosexuality and Christian ethics, using biblical texts to challenge church teaching on same-sex relations. He said he came to terms with his own sexuality at 22, upon reflecting on the book of Isaiah.
“I realized that no matter what the church said, God loved me and accepted me as a Black gay man,” he said.
His ordination in 1983 came in the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic that disproportionately affected gay men and Black Americans. Among his first funerals as a priest was that of a gay man whose family wanted no mention of his sexuality or the disease.
“They should have been able to turn to their church in their time of grief,” Massingale said. “Yet they couldn’t because that stigma existed in great measure because of how many ministers were speaking about homosexuality and AIDS as being a punishment for sin.”
Pope Francis has called for compassionate pastoral care for LGBTQ Catholics. However, he has described homosexuality among the clergy as worrisome, and Vatican law remains clear: same-sex unions cannot be blessed within the church. Some dioceses have fired openly LGBTQ employees.
Massingale has a different vision of the church: one where Catholics enjoy the same privileges regardless of sexual orientation.
“I think that one can express one’s sexuality in a way that is responsible, committed, life giving and an experience of joy,” he said.
Massingale has received recognition for his advocacy from like-minded organizations such as FutureChurch, which says priests should be allowed to marry and women should have more leadership roles within the church.
“He is one of the most prophetic, compelling, inspiring, transforming leaders in the Catholic Church,” said Deborah Rose-Milavec, the organization’s co-director. “When he speaks, you know very deep truth is being spoken.”
Along with his many admirers, Massingale has some vehement critics, such as the conservative Catholic news outlet Church Militant, which depicts his LGBTQ advocacy as sinful.
At Fordham, Massingale is well-respected by colleagues, and was honored by the university with a prestigious endowed chair. To the extent he has any critics among the Fordham faculty, they tend to keep their misgivings out of the public sphere.
He says he receives many messages of hope and support, but becoming public about his sexuality has come at a cost.
“I have lost some priest friends who find it difficult to be too closely associated with me because if they’re friends with me, ‘what will people say about them?’” he said.
Massingale remains optimistic about gradual change in the Catholic Church because of Pope Francis and recent signals from bishops in Europe who expressed a desire for changes, including blessing same-sex unions.
“My dream wedding would be either two men or two women standing before the church; marrying each other as an act of faith and I can be there as the official witness to say: “Yes, this is of God,” he said after a recent class at Fordham. “If they were Black, that would be wonderful.”
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
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| 2022-02-13T20:40:58
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WINDSOR, Ontario (AP) — Police moved in to clear and arrest the remaining protesters near the busiest U.S.-Canadian border crossing on Sunday, ending a demonstration against COVID-19 restrictions that has hurt the economy of both nations even as they held back from a crackdown on a larger protest in the capital, Ottawa.
Local and national police formed a joint command center in Ottawa, where protests have paralyzed downtown, infuriated residents who are fed up with police inaction and turned up pressure on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The protests have reverberated across the country and beyond, with similar convoys in France, New Zealand and the Netherlands. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned that truck convoys may be in the works in the United States.
Windsor police said about 12 people were peacefully arrested and seven vehicles were towed just after dawn near the Ambassador Bridge that links their city — and numerous Canadian automotive plants — with Detroit.
“Today, our national economic crisis at the Ambassador Bridge came to an end,” said Windsor’s Mayor Drew Kiklen, who expressed hope the bridge would reopen Sunday. “Border crossings will reopen when it is safe to do so and I defer to police and border agencies to make that determination.
Only a few protesters had remained after police on Saturday persuaded demonstrators to move the pickup trucks and cars they had used to block a crossing that sees 25% of all trade between the two countries.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration on Sunday acknowledged the seemingly peaceful resolution to the demonstration, which it said had “widespread damaging impacts” on the “lives and livelihoods of people” on both sides of the border.
“We stand ready to support our Canadian partners wherever useful in order to ensure the restoration of the normal free flow of commerce can resume,” Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall said in a statement.
In Ottawa, the ranks of protesters swelled to what police said were 4,000 demonstrators by Saturday, and a counter-protest of frustrated Ottawa residents attempting to block the convoy of trucks from entering the downtown emerged Sunday.
Clayton Goodwin, a 45-year-old military veteran who was among the counter-protesters, said it was time for residents to stand up against the protestors.
“I’m horrified that other veterans would be down there co-opting my flag, co-opting my service,” said Goodwin, who is the CEO of the Veterans Accountability Commission, a nonprofit advocacy group. “It’s a grift. The city was free. We’re 92% vaccinated. We’re ready to support our businesses.”
The city has seen similar expansions of the protest on past weekends, and loud music played as people milled about downtown where anti-vaccine demonstrators have been encamped since late January.
“The whole city is furious at being abandoned by the people who are supposed to protect us. They have completely abandoned the rule of law. @OttawaPolice have lost credibility. #OttawaPoliceFailed,” tweeted Artur Wilczynski, a senior government national security official at Canada’s Communications Security Establishment.
A former minister in Trudeau’s Cabinet also blasted her former federal colleagues as well as the province and city for not putting an end to the protests.
“Amazingly, this isn’t just Ottawa. It’s the nation’s capital,” Catherine McKenna tweeted. “But no one — not the city, the province or the federal government can seem to get their act together to end this illegal occupation. It’s appalling. … Just get your act together. Now.”
Trudeau has so far rejected calls to use the military, but had said that “all options are on the table” to end the protests. Trudeau has called the protesters a “fringe” of Canadian society. Both federal and provincial politicians have said they can’t order police what to do.
Ottawa police said in a statement late Saturday that a joint command center had been established with the Ontario Provincial Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They said that would beef up enforcement capabilities that had been limited by “safety concerns — arising from aggressive, illegal behavior by many demonstrators.”
Police earlier issued a statement calling the protest an unlawful occupation and saying they were waiting for reinforcements before implementing a plan to end the demonstrations.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency last week for the capital, where hundreds of trucks remained in front of the Parliament Buildings and demonstrators have set up portable toilets outside the prime minister’s office where Trudeau’s motorcade usually parks.
On Friday, a judge ordered an end to the blockade at the crossing in Windsor and Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency allowing for fines of 100,000 Canadian dollars and up to one year in jail for anyone illegally blocking roads, bridges, walkways and other critical infrastructure.
Partial closures at the bridge started on Feb. 7 and by midweek the disruption was so severe that automakers began shutting down or reducing production. The standoff came at a time when the industry is already struggling to maintain production in the face of pandemic-induced shortages of computer chips and other supply-chain disruptions.
“We are protesting the government taking away our rights,” said Windsor resident Eunice Lucas-Logan. “We want the restrictions removed. We have to wait to find out.”
The 67-year-old has been out supporting the protest for the past four days. She said she appreciated that police have been patient.
On the other side of the country, a major truck border crossing between Surrey, British Columbia, and Blaine, Washington, was closed on Sunday, a day after Canadian authorities said a few vehicles had breached police barricades and a crowd entered the area by foot.
The RCMP issued a statement saying that while no one had been injured, the actions were dangerous and being investigated.
A border crossing in Alberta remained shut down as well.
While the protesters are decrying vaccine mandates for truckers and other COVID-19 restrictions, many of Canada’s public health measures, such as mask rules and vaccine passports for getting into restaurants and theaters, are already falling away as the omicron surge levels off.
Pandemic restrictions have been far stricter there than in the U.S., but Canadians have largely supported them. The vast majority of Canadians are vaccinated, and the COVID-19 death rate is one-third that of the United States.
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Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Ted Shaffrey in Ottawa, Ontario, contributed to this report.
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| 2022-02-13T20:41:04
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NEW YORK (AP) — Family has always held an important place in Brandon Maxwell’s fashion shows, but never more than in his latest — a deeply emotional tribute to his grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s, and the prominence of family in his life and career.
Saturday night’s show in a dimly lit theater near Union Square also featured a return to the runway of supermodel Karlie Kloss, who both opened and closed the proceedings.
Unlike past shows brimming with bold colors, psychedelic patterns, blaring music and even a pink runway, Maxwell’s Fall-Winter 2022 collection featured neutral tones and warm, comforting ensembles like chunky fisherman sweaters paired with satiny long skirts and lush shawls.
The vibe was intentionally quiet and intimate, with the focus on his 84-year-old grandmother, affectionately called Mammaw. Maxwell said he’d found his way to fashion through his grandmother’s closet of treasures.
“We go on this road of going, going, moving forward,” Maxwell said in a post-show interview. “In the end, we are lucky if we have one person that really just sits by the bedside with us.”
The designer opened his show with a video montage asking “Who is Brandon Maxwell?” and the sound of Siri reading his Wikipedia page. Videos and photos of his family, friends and especially Mammaw filled the screen before it cut to black and her own words, “We had a good time, didn’t we?” echoed into the darkness.
Maxwell noted that he had told his models before the show about the significance of his collection. “I said to them before the show that this is the one chance I get to honor her life,” he said.
To Brandi Carlile’s cover of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” — a nod to his hometown of Longview, Texas — models walked in tailored jackets paired with flowing dresses and those knitted fisherman sweaters over ballgown skirts. Maxwell also brought back his signature ready-to-wear red carpet looks and showcased figure-hugging floor-length dresses.
Kloss made a return to the runway to open and close Maxwell’s show. The two have become close over the years after appearing on “Project Runway” together as judges.
A big hit of the night was the feathered shawls that draped the models’ shoulders as they wound their way around the catwalk.
The last sounds of the show, fittingly, came from Maxwell’s grandmother. He was heard asking her what she wanted him to remember most about their relationship. “Just remember how much I loved you,” came the reply.
“I’ve done a lot of shows where I was thinking about the process of what everybody else would think,” Maxwell said after the show, “and this was probably the first one where I did not consider it.”
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/brandon-maxwell-pays-emotional-tribute-to-his-grandmother/
| 2022-02-13T20:41:11
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| 0.981199
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WINDSOR, Ontario (AP) — Canadians who have occupied downtown Ottawa, disrupted travel and trade with the U.S. and inspired copycat protests from New Zealand to the Netherlands sound a common note when asked about their motivation: Decisions about their health shouldn’t be made by the government.
“We stand for freedom,” said Karen Driedger, 40, who home-schools her kids and attended protests in Ottawa and Windsor. “We believe that it should be everyone’s personal decision what they inject into their bodies.”
The refrain isn’t new to a pandemic-weary world, two years after the COVID-19 virus prompted curfews and closures, mask mandates, and debates over vaccine requirements. Still, the timing of the protests has raised some eyebrows, since they began just as many of the toughest pandemic-era restrictions were being lifted across Canada, the U.S. and Europe; experts say antipathy toward Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a significant underlying force.
The in-your-face protests that have fueled frustrations around the country and world have been aided by publicity and support from far-right and anti-vaccine groups. And influential Americans such as former U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk have rallied behind the protesters.
Most Canadians have been supportive of the pandemic restrictions, which health officials have stressed are necessary to protect the public from a virus that has killed at least 5.8 million people globally. The vast majority of Canadians are vaccinated, and the COVID-19 death rate is one-third that of the United States.
Trudeau has labeled the protesters a “fringe,” and authorities have braced for violence because some have expressed hope that the rally will become the Canadian equivalent of last January’s riot at the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.
The Canadian “freedom convoy” was announced last month by a group founded by a QAnon conspiracy theory supporter and other organizers, and includes the ex-leader of Alberta’s far-right Maverick Party.
Protesters who spoke to The Associated Press this week defended their actions and argued that they represent many more frustrated residents.
Don Stephens, a 65-year-old retired graphic designer, said he’s come into Ottawa twice to show support for protesters there. He views them as representatives of a “silent majority that had been longing to have their voice heard.”
Mat Mackenzie, a 36-year-old trucker from Ontario, said he’s been among the protesters in Ottawa for 15 days, feeling “a duty” to show his opposition. Citizens should be in charge of making decisions around masks, vaccines and other COVID mitigation efforts, not government officials, he said.
“I can tell you 90% of truckers here are likely vaccinated. We’re here for freedom of choice,” Mackenzie said. “And that’s what we’re here to fight for.”
Michael Kempa, a criminology professor at the University of Ottawa, said there are two faces of the protest. It isn’t just about vaccine mandates and other COVID restrictions; organizers have said they want to oust Trudeau’s Liberal government and be part of forming a new one, he said.
“In many ways, the friendly face protesters are acting as the foot soldiers of the organizers,” Kempa said. “We are seeing a huge amount of misinformation. People who are legitimately angry are being manipulated by the protest leadership.”
Many Canadians have been outraged over the crude behavior of some demonstrators. Some urinated on the National War Memorial and danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, while others carried signs and flags with swastikas and used the statue of Canadian hero Terry Fox to display an anti-vaccine statement, sparking widespread condemnation.
The images of protests across Canada have ignited copycats elsewhere.
In Paris, police prevented a threatened blockade of the French capital on Saturday. But a few dozen vehicles were able to disrupt trafficon the famed Champs-Elysees, prompting police to fire tear gas to disperse the crowd.
“The convoys are for the restoring of our liberties,” said Pierre-Louis Garnier, a 64-year-old who attended a protest in Paris on Friday to welcome an anticipated convoy that never materialized.
In the Netherlands, dozens of trucks and other vehicles, some waving Canadian flags, have descended on The Hague, the historic Dutch parliamentary complex.
“We are living now in police state,” said Hans Evenstain, a 76-year-old protester said Sunday. “That’s not a good life anymore. We want to move freely and that’s why we are here for us and for our children and our grandchildren.”
In Belgium, federal police were urging people to avoid Brussels on Monday, when a convoy is expected to gather in the country’s capital, and the headquarters of the 27-nation European Union.
In the New Zealand capital of Wellington, authorities have turned to blasting Barry Manilow songs and the 90s dance hit “Macarena”on loop to break up a convoy of protesters encamped outside Parliament this week.
In Windsor, where protesters had blocked the entrance to the Ambassador Bridge that is a crucial conduit for the auto industry in both the U.S. and Canada, police moved to end the demonstration Sunday, arresting about a dozen protesters and beginning to tow vehicles.
Before Sunday’s crackdown, the shutdown often had the feel of a block party.
Protesters milled about, carrying Canadian flags affixed to the ends of hockey sticks while music blared and food was handed out. They put up signs bearing slogans such as “Freedom Is Essential,” “Say No To Mandatory Vaccines” and “End Mandates.”
Troy Holman, a 32-year-old Windsor resident who has been at the protest every day since its start on Monday, said he believes the government overreached with its COVID-19 restrictions, which negatively impacted his wife’s small business.
“If we weren’t doing something such as this, no one would pay attention to us,” he said Friday. “Unfortunately, we have to be here, because this is what’s going to get the attention of the government.”
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Shaffrey reported from Ottawa and Foody reported from Chicago. Associated Press reporters Rob Gillies in Toronto, Elaine Ganley in Paris, Thomas Adamson in The Hague and Nick Perry in Wellington, New Zealand, contributed to this story.
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| 2022-02-13T20:41:17
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NEW YORK (AP) — Hollywood’s Super Bowl weekend largely fizzled with the muted debut of Kenneth Branagh’s long-delayed Agatha Christie whodunit, “Death on the Nile,” a tepid reception for the Jennifer Lopez romantic-comedy “Marry Me” and modest box-office bumps for Oscar nominees.
“Death on the Nile,” Branagh’s follow-up to the 2017 hit “Murder on the Orient Express,” led all films with $12.8 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. Produced under 20th Century Fox before its acquisition by the Walt Disney Co., “Death on the Nile” had been delayed by the pandemic and by scandal that engulfed one of its stars, Armie Hammer.
Last March, Hammer was put under investigationby Los Angeles police in a sexual assault. Hammer has denied the allegation.
After considering other avenues, reportedly including reshooting parts of the film without Hammer, Disney opted to release “Death on the Nile” as it was — albeit with less fanfare on a weekend the film industry often yields to football. The $90 million film, which also stars Gal Gadot, Emma McKay and Branagh, reprising his role as detective Hercule Poirot, had once seemed a reliable money-maker. “Murder on the Orient Express” launched with $28.7 million in 2017 and ended up grossing $352.8 million worldwide against a $55 million budget. “Death on the Nile” added $20.7 million in international receipts.
Hollywood’s biggest pitch to moviegoers over the weekend wasn’t in theaters but in television ads. After two years of the pandemic, a heavy-hitting lineup of blockbusters were set to roll out trailers during the Super Bowl broadcast and try to lure still-reluctant moviegoers back to theaters. Last year, when many theaters were still shuttered and few films were being released, Hollywood largely sat out the game. Jordan Peele’s “Nope” kicked off the daywith its first trailer early Sunday.
“Marry Me” opened with $8 million while simultaneously streaming on Peacock. The Universal Pictures release, which was timed to Valentine’s Day on Monday, stars Lopez as a pop star who, after finding out her fiancé has been cheating, marries a stranger (Owen Wilson) at one of her concerts. In recent years, streaming platforms have increasingly been the rom-com’s primary home. Netflix, in particular, has pumped out a constant stream of new entries in the genre. On Friday, Amazon Prime Video debuted its own: “I Want You Back,” with Charlie Day and Jenny Slate.
The lukewarm performance of “Marry Me” allowed last week’s top film, “Jackass Forever,” to narrowly edge it for second place. Johnny Knoxville’s sequel dropped a steep 65% from last weekend, coming in with an estimated $8.1 million for Paramount Pictures. Its grossed $37.4 million in total.
Another once dependable ticket-seller at the box office — a Liam Neeson thriller — also struggled. Briarcliff Entertainment’s “Blacklight,” a poorly reviewed action film starring the 69-year-old Neeson as a shadowy government agent, opened with $3.6 million.
Few films were set to capitalize in theaters on Tuesday’s Academy Awards nominations. As nominations came later than usual this year, most Oscar contenders — a field that Netflix led with 24 nominations — have been available for weeks, if not months, in the home. But a few films sought a post-nominations lift at the box office, even if the once expected “Oscar bump” is all but dead.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza,” up for three awards including best picture, had its widest week of release in its 12th week of release, playing in 1,977 theaters. It managed $922,500 in ticket sales, bringing its cumulative total to $14 million.
Branagh’s other film in release, “Belfast,” followed up its seven nominations by playing in 928 theaters and adding $285,000 to its $7.9 million gross. Other best-picture contenders — “Nightmare Alley” ($85,000) and “West Side Story” ($235,000) — made only minor blips.
The biggest bumps out there may have been for a few of the international contenders. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car,” which is nominated for four Oscars including best picture, saw a 92% spike in grossing $192,000 from 127 theaters. Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World,” nominated for best original screenplay and best international film, earned $255,395 on 49 screens in its second weekend.
The film expected to lead the box office next weekend — Sony’s video-game adaptation “Uncharted,” staring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg — began its release overseas, where it took in $21.5 million in 15 territories.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Death on the Nile,” $12.8 million.
2. “Jackass Forever,” $8.1 million.
3. “Marry Me,” $8 million.
4. “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” $7.2 million.
5. “Blacklight,” $3.6 million.
6. “Sing 2,” $3 million.
7. “Moonfall,” $2.9 million.
8. “Scream,” $2.8 million.
9. “Licorice Pizza,” $922,500.
10. “The King’s Man,” $433,000.
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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
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| 2022-02-13T20:41:23
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WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Among the stars, Drake still shined the brightest.
In an all-white outfit, the multi-Grammy winner had many concertgoers jostling for position to watch him perform at the Super Bowl eve party dubbed “Homecoming Weekend” on Saturday night. He made a dramatic entrance, darting down an aisle before performing center stage under an airy tent at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California.
The crowd included many entertainers and athletes: Issa Rae, a mask-wearing Mike Tyson, Lil Wayne, Paul Pierce, Derrick Henry, Ricky Gervais, Jon Hamm, Nicole Scherzinger, Cedric the Entertainer, Karrueche Tran and Flava Flav.
While waiting for Drake, attendees mingled for a couple hours. Once he arrived, many flocked toward the stage and pulled out their phones to capture his 45-minute set.
Drake told the crowd that he was initially asked to deliver around five songs, but felt compelled to triple that amount because of where he traveled from.
“They flew me out of like three feet of snow for this, so I got to perform for you,” said Drake, who went on to perform bangers including “No Friends in the Industry” and “Girls Want Girls” from his recent album “Certified Lover Boy.”
The rap star talked about being able to perform in person and showed appreciation to everyone in attendance.
“I’m sure at one point we’re all sitting at home – maybe a little depressed, maybe a little frustrated, maybe a little confused,” he said. “I want to make a toast to how grateful I am for being in this (expletive) room with each and every one of you. I wasn’t sure how and when we would be able to do this again. But cheers to each and everyone of you. More life.”
Drake went on to perform hits including “Controlla,” “God’s Plan,” “Too Much” and “Passionfruit.” He surprised the crowd with a guest appearance by Future, who performed “Way 2 Sexy” with Drake before his uber-popular “March Madness.”
At the end, Drake paid homage to Lil Wayne – who watched from a VIP section – before closing out his set by playing “I Will Always Love You,” the Dolly Parton song that Whitney Houston made famous. He sang every word along with many in the crowd.
Proof of vaccination was required of the 1,500 guests. Only a few wore masks, including Tyson.
The “Homecoming Weekend” show helped cap a full week of entertainment events leading up to Sunday’s Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, the first in the Los Angeles area in nearly three decades, with the hometown Rams facing off against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Justin Bieber sang and danced on the first night of the event, presented by The h.wood Group, REVOLVE, PLACES.CO and Uncommon Entertainment.
Staffers were dressed in football uniforms, making the rounds with fancified versions of stadium food, including plant-based chicken bites, garlic fries and tiny pizzas.
Miley Cyrus and Green Day performed across town at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
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| 2022-02-13T20:41:29
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ACEREDO, Spain (AP) — Roofs peeking out of the water have become a common sight every summer at the Lindoso reservoir in northwestern Spain. In especially dry years, parts would appear of the old village of Aceredo, submerged three decades ago when a hydropower dam flooded the valley.
But never before has the skeleton of the village emerged in its entirety in the middle of the usually wet winter season.
With almost no rain for two months and not much expected any time soon, the ruins of Aceredo are dredging up a mix of emotions for locals as they see the rusted carcass of a car, a stone fountain with water still spouting and the old road leading to what used to be the local bar.
“The whole place used to be all vineyards, orange trees. It was all green. It was beautiful,” said 72-year-old José Luis Penín, who used to stop at the bar with pals at the end of a day’s fishing.
“Look at it now,” said Penín, who lives in the same county, pointing at the cracked, yellow bed of the reservoir. ”It’s so sad.”
While the arid zones of the Iberian Peninsula have historically experienced periods of drought, experts say climate change has exacerbated the problem. This year, amid record levels of low or no rainfall at all, farmers in both Portugal and Spain, who are growing produce for all of Europe, are worried that their crops for this season will be ruined.
In the last three months of 2021, Spain recorded just 35% of the average rainfall it had seen during the same period from 1981 to 2010. But there has been almost no rain since then.
According to the national weather agency AEMET, in this century, only in 2005 has there been a January with almost no rain. If clouds don’t unleash in the next two weeks, emergency subsidies for farmers will be needed, authorities said.
But Rubén del Campo, a spokesman for the weather service, said the below-average rainfall over the last six months is likely to continue for several more weeks, with hopes that spring will bring much-needed relief.
While only 10% of Spain has officially been declared under a “prolonged drought,” there are large areas, particularly in the south, which are facing extreme shortages that could impact the irrigation of crops.
The valley around the Guadalquivir River in Spain’s southwest was declared under prolonged drought in November. It is now the focus of a fierce environmental dispute over water rights near Doñana National Park, a World Heritage wetland site. The government of the Andalusia region wants to grant water rights to farmers on land near the park, but critics say the move will further endanger a major wildlife refuge that is already drying up.
“The past two, three years have been dry, with the tendency toward less and less rain,” said Andrés Góngora, a 46-year-old tomato farmer in southern Almería.
Góngora, who expects the water he uses from a desalinating plant to be rationed, is still better off than other farmers who specialize in wheat and grains for livestock feed.
“The cereal crops for this year have been lost,” Góngora said.
Other areas in central and northeast Spain are also feeling the burn.
The leading association of farmers and livestock breeders in Spain, COAG, warns that half of Spain’s farms are threatened by drought this year. It says if it does not rain heavily in the coming month, rain-fed crops including cereals, olives, nuts and vineyards could lose 60% to 80% of their production.
But the association is also worried about crops that depend on irrigation, with reservoirs under 40% of capacity in most of the south.
Spain’s left-wing government plans to dedicate over 570 million euros ($647 million) from the European Union’s pandemic recovery fund to make its irrigation systems more efficient, including incorporating renewable energy systems.
Spanish Agriculture Minister Luis Planas said this week the government will take emergency measures if it doesn’t rain in two weeks. Those would likely be limited to economic benefits to palliate the loss of crops and revenues for farmers.
Neighboring Portugal has also seen little rain since last October. By the end of January, 45% of the country was enduring “severe” or “extreme” drought conditions, according to the national weather agency IPMA.
Rainfall from Oct. 1 through January was less than half the annual average for that four-month period, alarming farmers who are short of grass for their livestock.
Unusually, even the north of Portugal is dry and forest fires have broken out there this winter. In the south, crickets are already singing at night and mosquitoes have appeared — traditional signs of summer.
The IPMA doesn’t forecast any relief before the end of the month.
Portugal has witnessed an increase in the frequency of droughts over the past 20-30 years, according to IPMA climatologist Vanda Pires, with lower rainfall and higher temperatures.
“It’s part of the context of climate change,” Pires told The Associated Press.
And the outlook is bleak: Scientists estimate that Portugal will see a drop in average annual rainfall of 20% to 40% by the end of the century.
___
Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain, Barry Hatton in Lisbon and Aritz Parra in Madrid contributed to this report.
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Follow all AP stories on climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/dry-winter-drains-reservoirs-ruins-crops-in-spain-portugal/
| 2022-02-13T20:41:35
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| 0.965121
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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s former president on Sunday called a White House order to unfreeze $3.5 billion in Afghan assets held in the U.S. for families of 9/11 victims an atrocity against the Afghan people.
Former President Hamid Karzai at a packed news conference sought the help of Americans, particularly the families of the thousands killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, to press President Joe Biden to rescind last week’s order. He called it “unjust and unfair,” saying Afghans have also been victims of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
Bin Laden was brought to Afghanistan by Afghan warlords after being expelled from Sudan in 1996. Those same warlords would later ally with the U.S.-led coalition to oust the Taliban in 2001. However, it was Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar who refused to hand over bin Laden to the U.S. after the devastating 9/11 attacks that killed thousands.
“The people of Afghanistan share the pain of the American people, share the pain of the families and loved ones of those who died, who lost their lives in the tragedy of September 11,” said Karzai. “We commiserate with them (but) Afghan people are as much victims as those families who lost their lives. … Withholding money or seizing money from the people of Afghanistan in their name is unjust and unfair and an atrocity against Afghan people.”
President Biden’s order signed last Fridayfreed $7 billion in Afghan assets currently held in the United States, to be divided between 9/11 victims and humanitarian aid to Afghans.
Sept. 11 victims and their families have legal claims against the Taliban and the $7 billion in the U.S. banking system. The $3.5 billion was set aside for a U.S. court to decide whether it can be used to settle claims by families of 9/11 victims. U.S. courts would also have to sign off before the release of humanitarian assistance money.
We “ask the U.S. courts to do the opposite, to return the Afghan money back to the Afghan people,” said Karzai. “This money does not belong to any government ,,, this money belongs to the people of Afghanistan.”
Meanwhile, Biden’s order calls for the $3.5 billion allocated to humanitarian aid to be put into a trust and be used to assist Afghans, bypassing their Taliban rulers.
But Karzai demanded all $7 billion be returned to Afghanistan’s central bank to further its monetary policy. He argued against giving Afghan reserves to international aid organizations to provide humanitarian aid.
“You give us our own money so that it can be spent for those foreigners who come here, to pay their salaries, to give it to (non-governmental organizations),” he said.
Afghanistan’s economy is teetering on the brink of collapse after international money stopped coming into the country with the arrival in mid-August of the Taliban. Last month, the United Nations made a $5 billion appeal for Afghanistan. The U.N. warns that 1 million children are in danger of starving and 90% of Afghans live below the poverty level of just $1.90 a day.
Karzai was Afghanistan’s first democratically elected president after the U.S.-led coalition ousted the Taliban in 2001. He served until 2014 before Ashraf Ghani, who fled the country on Aug. 15, leaving the doors open for the Taliban takeover of Kabul. Karzai was highly regarded as embracing all of Afghanistan’s many ethnic groups but his administration, like subsequent Afghan administrations, was dogged by charges of widespread corruption.
Karzai spoke to a packed press conference inside his sprawling compound in the capital of Kabul. Dozens of Afghanistan’s Pashto- and Persian-language journalists jockeyed for space in a second-floor conference room with more than a dozen television cameras.
Karzai used the news conference to press the country’s Taliban rulers and their opponents to find a way to come together. He lobbied for the traditional Afghan grand council, or loya jirga, as a means to find consensus and establish a more representative administration.
“We, as Afghans, and the current acting Islamic government must do our best to not give America or any other country any excuse to be against us,” he said.
Anger has been growing in Afghanistan since Friday’s White House announcement. Demonstrators marched again in Kabul on Sunday demanding the money be returned to Afghanistan. However, the Taliban, who have also condemned Biden’s order, dispersed protesters as they tried to gather near the city’s Eid Gah mosque.
Meanwhile the United Nations Assistance Mission in a tweet late Sunday said four women activists who disappeared more than two weeks ago have returned home.
In late January Tamana Zaryabi Paryani, and her three sisters disappeared,allegedly seized by a group of men after they participated in a demonstration against the forced wearing of the Islamic hijab.
The Taliban denied taking them.
“The UN welcomes the encouraging reports that the four ‘disappeared’ Afghan women activists, some missing for weeks, are being enabled to return home. Their well-being and safety is of paramount concern,” the U.N. agency said.
International media, however, has reported that several British nationals and an American are still being held by the Taliban, including freelance cameraman Peter Jouvenal, a dual British and German citizen who has covered Afghanistan for more than 40 years. He has been missing since December and the Taliban have not responded to queries by the Associated Press.
His wife, an Afghan, has issued a plea for his release.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday on CNN’s `State of the Union,’ that an American was in Taliban custody along with “a number of U.K. nationals.” He gave no further information, saying only that Washington was “ actively working to get his release.”
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/ex-afghan-president-biden-order-on-frozen-funds-an-atrocity/
| 2022-02-13T20:41:41
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| 0.969441
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Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC.
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https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/ap-top-business-news-at-1139-a-m-est-11/
| 2022-02-13T20:41:47
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukraine’s president urged calm amid intensified warnings of a possible Russian invasion within days, saying he had yet to see convincing evidence of that, even as the U.S. reported Sunday that Moscow positioned more of its troops closer to Ukraine’s borders and some airlines canceled flights to the capital of Kyiv.
President Joe Biden spoke for about 50 minutes Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and renewed promises of what the West says will be tough economic sanctions against Moscow and a NATO buildup in the event of “any further Russian aggression” against Ukraine, the White House said. They agreed to pursue both deterrence and diplomacy in the crisis, it added.
The U.S. updated its estimate for how many Russian forces were now staged near Ukraine’s borders to more than 130,000, up from the 100,000 the U.S. has cited publicly in previous weeks. A U.S. official gave the estimate, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s conclusion.
Zelenskyy’s repeated statements playing down the U.S. warnings — while Moscow’s forces surround Ukraine on three sides in what the Kremlin insists are military exercises — grew this weekend to his questioning the increasingly strident statements from U.S. officials in recent days that Russia could be planning to invade as soon as midweek.
While Zelenskyy has urged against panic that he fears could undermine Ukraine’s economy, he and his civilian and military leaders also are preparing defenses, soliciting and receiving a flow of arms from the U.S. and other NATO members.
Zelenskyy wore military olive drab at a drill with tanks and helicopters near Ukraine’s border with Russian-annexed Crimea this weekend. In the nearby city of Kalanchak, some expressed disbelief that Russian President Vladimir Putin would really send the troops poised along Ukraine’s borders rolling into the country.
“I don’t believe Russia will attack us,” said resident Boris Cherepenko. “I have friends in Sakhalin, in Krasnodar,” he said, naming Russian locations. “I don’t believe it.”
The U.S. picked up intelligence that Russia is looking at Wednesday as a target date, according to a U.S. official familiar with the findings. The official, who also was not authorized to speak publicly and did so only on condition of anonymity, would not say how definitive the intelligence was.
“We’re not going to give Russia the opportunity to conduct a surprise here, to spring something on Ukraine or the world,” Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, told CNN on Sunday, about the U.S. warnings.
“We are going to make sure that we are laying out for the world what we see as transparently and plainly as we possibly can,” he said.
The U.S. largely has not made public the evidence it says is underlying its most specific warnings on possible Russian planning or timing.
The Russians have deployed missile, air, naval and special operations forces, as well as supplies to sustain an invasion. This week, Russia moved six amphibious assault ships into the Black Sea, augmenting its capability to land on the coast.
Zelenskyy’s comments this weekend indicated frustration at the warnings from Washington.
“We understand all the risks, we understand that there are risks,” he said in a live broadcast. “If you, or anyone else, has additional information regarding a 100% Russian invasion starting on the 16th, please forward that information to us.”
In an hourlong call Saturday with Putin, Biden said an invasion of Ukraine would cause “widespread human suffering” and that the West was committed to diplomacy to end the crisis but “equally prepared for other scenarios,” the White House said. It offered no suggestion that the call diminished the threat of an imminent war in Europe.
Reflecting the West’s concerns, Dutch airline KLM has canceled flights to Ukraine until further notice, the company said.
Dutch sensitivity to potential danger in Ukrainian airspace is high following the 2014 shooting down of a Malaysian jetliner flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur as it flew over a part of eastern Ukraine held by Russia-backed rebels. All 298 people aboard died, including 198 Dutch citizens.
The Ukrainian charter airline SkyUp said Sunday its flight from Madeira, Portugal, to Kyiv was diverted to the Moldovan capital of Chisinau after the plane’s Irish lessor said it was banning flights in Ukrainian airspace.
Ukrainian presidential spokesman Serhii Nykyforov told The Associated Press that Ukraine has not closed its airspace.
But Ukraine’s air traffic safety agency Ukraerorukh issued a statement declaring the airspace over the Black Sea to be a “zone of potential danger” and recommended that planes avoid flying over the sea Feb. 14-19.
The Putin-Biden conversation, following a call between Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron earlier in the day, came at a critical moment for what has become the biggest security crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War. U.S. officials believe they have mere days to prevent an invasion and enormous bloodshed in Ukraine.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will fly to Kyiv on Monday and Moscow on Tuesday to meet with the presidents in those capitals.
While the U.S. and its NATO allies have no plans to send troops to Ukraine to fight Russia, an invasion and resulting punishing sanctions could reverberate far beyond the former Soviet republic, affecting energy supplies, global markets and the power balance in Europe.
Preparing for a worst-case scenario, the United States was pulling most of its staff from the embassy in Kyiv and urged all American citizens to leave Ukraine immediately. Britain joined other European nations in telling its citizens to leave.
Biden has bolstered the U.S. military presence in Europe as reassurance to allies on NATO’s eastern flank. The 3,000 additional soldiers ordered to Poland come on top of 1,700 who are on their way there. The U.S. Army also is shifting 1,000 soldiers from Germany to Romania, which like Poland shares a border with Ukraine.
Russia is demanding that the West keep former Soviet countries out of NATO. It also wants NATO to refrain from deploying weapons near its border and to roll back alliance forces from Eastern Europe — demands flatly rejected by the West.
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly leader was driven from office by a popular uprising. Moscow responded by annexing the Crimean Peninsula and then backing a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine, where fighting has killed over 14,000 people.
A 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany helped halt large-scale battles, but regular skirmishes have continued, and efforts to reach a political settlement have stalled.
“My family has always been prepared, we have all the stuff gathered for like a couple of years now. Honestly, I’m not afraid because the war wouldn’t start like in a week,” 21-year-old Yuliia Zaets said at a pro-government rally on Saturday.
___
Heintz reported from Moscow. Yuras Karmanau and Nebi Qena in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Oleksandr Stashevsky in Kalanchak, Ukraine, contributed.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/flights-to-ukraine-halted-redirected-as-crisis-brews/
| 2022-02-13T20:41:48
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| 0.965294
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Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC.
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https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/ap-top-business-news-at-1151-a-m-est-19/
| 2022-02-13T20:41:53
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| 0.82511
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PARIS (AP) — A conservative politician vying to become France’s first female leader is hoping to boost her declining fortunes in the campaign so far with her first major rally.
Less than 60 days from the April 10 first round of France’s presidential election, Valérie Pécresse, 54, is struggling to take off in the polls — despite having had an initial boost last year when she was picked to be the French conservatives’ first female presidential candidate.
The fact that Pécresse has not held any major launch rallies like other candidates, owing to earlier concerns over soaring omicron infections, seems to have hurt her. She is stalling in popularity behind far-right leader Marine Le Pen and frontrunner President Emmanuel Macron, who has still not officially declared his candidacy. All potential candidates must do so by March 4.
On Sunday in the Zenith Arena in Paris, Pécresse, tried to reverse that stall. To chants of “Valerie” and “We will win!” the head of the Paris region and former conservative minister brandished her credentials for France’s top job to thousands of supporters.
“Even if you fail, it means you’ve tried … I’m this indomitable French woman. Nothing will stop me!” she said to cheers.
An experienced politician, Pécresse has been the French minister for higher education, for the budget and was a government spokesperson under former President Nicolas Sarkozy from 2007 to 2012.
In the often tough-talking speech, she again backed a hard stance on immigration, apparently seeking backing from both conservatives and the far right. She said the symbol of France, Marianne, “was not veiled” and has said that people who entered the country illegally should be deported.
On Sunday, she went even further in her rhetoric, defending the idea of building “walls” to seal off the borders of the 27-nation European Union.
“If we have to build walls like some states do, I would support them. I want us to fight together against immigration that leads to areas beyond France. If a country refuses to take back its illegal immigrants, with me there will be zero visas,” she said.
A supporter of the EU, Pécresse left The Republicans party in 2019 amid leadership divisions after the party had a poor showing in EU elections. She rejoined the party last year.
She also tried to cast herself as strong on families, promising a substantial increase in small pensions and pledging to slash inheritance taxes for many and hire an extra 25,000 caregivers. Pécresse said her first action as president would be to end France’s 35-hour workweek so employees can work and earn more.
If elected, Pécresse vowed again to break with the centrist policies of incumbent Macron, who is expected to seek a second term. She has also warned voters against backing far-right candidates, arguing that only the conservatives can unite the French people and ease political tensions in the country.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/french-conservative-pecresse-holds-big-presidential-rally/
| 2022-02-13T20:41:54
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| 0.971942
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America’s elite colleges are facing growing calls to end the decades-old tradition of giving an admissions boost to the children of alumni — a practice that critics say is rooted in racism and bestows an unfair advantage to students who need it least.
Fueled by the national reckoning with racial injustice, opponents say they are gaining momentum in the battle over the contentious policy of legacy preferences.
Ivy League students are pressing administrators to abandon the policy. Yale’s student government took a stance against the practice in November. A recent vote of Harvard students found that 60% oppose it. Hundreds of students and alumni across 30 colleges have promised to withhold financial donations over the issue.
Civil rights groups are increasingly adding their support, including the American Civil Liberties Union, which is tackling legacy preferences as part of a campaign against systematic racism.
And a bill in Congress aims to eliminate the practice.
The proposal from Democrats would outlaw preferences for children of alumni or donors at colleges that receive federal money. It’s being pushed by the party’s progressive wing but has gained support from some conservative activists who want college admissions to be based on merit alone.
Legacy preferences give an extra boost to predominantly white and wealthy legacy students, while “leaving out millions of Black and brown kids,” said Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., a sponsor.
“There has been a shift in the consciousness of the country around issues of inequity and inequality,” Bowman said in an interview. “There’s a real yearning to right the wrongs of our past.”
In the heavily guarded world of college admissions, it’s hard to know exactly how many legacy students get a nudge. But at some of the most selective colleges, students with family ties make up 10% to 20% of the latest incoming class, according to data released by colleges in response to an Associated Press request.
On many campuses, the opposition is being led by students of color and those who are the first in their families to attend college. They say legacy status is one more advantage for students who are already more likely to have access to tutoring, test prep and other help applying to college.
Zoe Fuad, a junior at Brown University, said it reinforces a “cycle of inequity” that was designed to serve wealthy white men.
“By perpetually giving advantages to their descendants, we’re ensuring that those who were systemically favored continue to be favored,” said Fuad, 20, who leads a student group that’s challenging the practice at Brown.
Many prestigious colleges defend legacy admissions, saying it helps build an alumni community and encourages donations. Officials at Harvard and other schools argue that legacy status is just one of many factors considered in admissions, along with grades, test scores and pursuits outside school. At most, they say, it can provide a slight tip in a student’s favor.
Still, two colleges have ended the practice recently, giving opponents hope that others will follow.
Amherst College in Massachusettsdropped the policy in October, saying it “inadvertently limits educational opportunity.” Johns Hopkins University announced in 2020 that it had phased out legacy preferences. Since then, the school has drawn growing numbers of Black and Hispanic students, along with those from low-income families.
The pushback against legacy preferences is advancing amid a broader debate over fairness in college admissions.
Last month the Supreme Court agreed to review whether colleges can consider applicants’ race as a way to expand diversity. The court will take up lawsuits alleging that Harvard University and the University of North Carolina discriminate against Asian American applicants in favor of Black and Hispanic students.
In a rare moment of bipartisan unity, the conservative strategist behind those suits voiced support for the Democrats’ bill against legacy benefits. In a statement, Edward Blum said too many colleges “lower the admissions bar for the children of their alumni.”
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., a sponsor of the bill, said it aims to level the playing field for minority students and those from working-class families.
“More and more of the good-paying jobs in America require a college education,” he said. “It’s important that ordinary students from regular backgrounds have a fair chance to go to these institutions.”
Most schools are not required to disclose how many legacy students they enroll, and many keep it private. Among the nation’s 30 most selective colleges, only eight provided basic data on the subject in response to an AP request.
At those colleges, the share of legacy students in this year’s freshman class averaged 12%. The lowest share was at Rice University in Houston, where 4% of this year’s first-year class had legacy status. The University of Notre Dame said legacy students have averaged 23% of the student body over the past decade.
Legacy students outnumbered Black students in freshman classes at four schools: Notre Dame, Cornell, Dartmouth and the University of Southern California. At Brown, the share of legacy and Black students was about even.
Harvard refused to disclose details, but data made public during its trial over affirmative action showed that family ties carry outsize weight. From 2014 to 2019, the acceptance rate for legacy applicants was 34%, compared with 6% for applicants without legacy status, according to an analysis by the suit’s plaintiffs.
Critics of the practice say it contributes to persistently low numbers of Black students at top colleges. During the racial reckoning following the killing of George Floyd by police, hundreds of students at Georgetown University signed a letter calling for an end to legacy preference, saying it “relegates qualified Black students to second-tier status.”
Historians have traced legacy preference to the 1920s as elite colleges sought to limit the number of Jewish students. It continued for decades at a time when the vast majority of college students in the U.S. were white men.
At many schools with legacy preferences, Black students were not admitted until the 1960s, said Michael Dannenberg, a vice president at the Education Reform Now think tank.
“White applicants have between eight and 16 generations of ancestors on which to establish an alumni connection,” said Dannenberg, who has opposed the practice since he was an aide to Sen. Ted Kennedy, the late Massachusetts Democrat, two decades ago. “For the vast majority of Black and Latino applicants, there’s maybe one or two generations.”
On college campuses, student activists say they continue to face resistance from school leaders who defend the policy. But at a time of rising populism in the United States, colleges are unlikely to find allies in Congress and other halls of power, said Richard Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, a progressive think tank in Washington.
Especially in the wake of the Varsity Blues admissions scandal, he said, it’s becoming more difficult for colleges to defend policies that benefit the wealthy.
“They are clearly vulnerable on this issue,” he said.
In the wake of that scandal, Colorado became the first state in the nation to outlaw legacy preferences at public colleges. California lawmakers required colleges to disclose how many legacy students get accepted.
Among campus activists, there’s a driving desire to change the perception that top colleges are ivory towers reserved for the wealthy. When Viet Andy Nguyen applied to Brown University as a low-income, first-generation student, he knew he was competing against wealthier students with alumni connections. It made him question whether Brown was really a place for people like him.
After graduating from Brown in 2017, he launched the nonprofit EdMobilizer with the goal of expanding access to college and ending legacy preferences. He has orchestrated a donation boycott at schools across the U.S., and he’s helping students fight the practice on scores of campuses.
It isn’t lost on him that he’s challenging a policy that could benefit his future children. He has faced resistance from some students of color who wonder why he wants to end it now, when campuses are more racially diverse than ever. But to him, the goal is to open doors for students who have been excluded, not to create “an elite lineage of people of color.”
“My kids will be fine,” he said. “They don’t need an additional bump just for being my offspring.”
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/from-campus-to-congress-colleges-urged-to-end-legacy-boost/
| 2022-02-13T20:41:54
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| 0.966347
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Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC.
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https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/ap-top-business-news-at-1220-p-m-est-22/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:00
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| 0.82511
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BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is flying to Ukraine and Russia this week in an effort to help defuse escalating tensions as Western intelligence officials warn that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is increasingly imminent and Germany has called on its citizens to leave Ukraine as quickly as possible.
Ahead of his first visits as chancellor to Kyiv on Monday and Moscow on Tuesday for meetings with the Ukrainian and Russian presidents, Scholz has renewed his warning to Russia, as well as his advocacy of continuing diplomacy in multiple formats.
“It is our job to ensure that we prevent a war in Europe, in that we send a clear message to Russia that any military aggression would have consequences that would be very high for Russia and its prospects, and that we are united with our allies,” Scholz told the German parliament’s upper house on Friday.
“But at the same time that also includes using all opportunities for talks and further development,” Scholz said.
Russia has concentrated more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s border and launched a series of military maneuvers in the region, but says it has no plans to invade the nation.
Moscow wants guarantees from the West that NATO won’t allow Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to join as members, and for the alliance to halt weapon deployments to Ukraine and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe. The U.S. and NATO flatly reject these demands.
Scholz has repeatedly said that Moscow would pay a “high price” in the event of an attack, but his government’s refusal to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine or to spell out which sanctions it would support against Russia have drawn criticism abroad and at home and raised questions about Berlin’s resolve in standing up to Russia.
Germany’s reluctant position is partly rooted in its history of aggression during the 20th century when the country’s own militarization in Europe during two world wars led many postwar German leaders to view any military response as a very last resort.
Despite this historic burden, experts say it is of utmost importance now that Scholz stresses Germany is in sync with its European and American allies, especially when he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Scholz has to convey a very clear message in Moscow, and it can really only be: There is unity and oneness in the Western alliance. There is no possibility of driving a wedge into the Western alliance, and that must be understood in Moscow. I think that’s the most important message he has to convey there,” said Markus Ziener, an expert with the German Marshall Fund.
“At the same time, he has to make it clear that the costs are high,” Ziener added. “That’s basically the message that is most likely to catch on in Moscow as well. So a military invasion of Ukraine has significant consequences for Russia.”
Scholz has not explicitly said what kind of consequences or sanctions Russia would have to face if it invades Ukraine, but it is clear that the future of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline that seeks to bring Russian natural gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea, bypassing Ukraine, is at stake.
U.S. President Joe Biden threatened last week that the pipeline would be blocked in the case of an invasion.
That would hurt Russia economically but also cause supply problems for Germany. Construction of the pipeline has been completed, but it is not yet operating.
“Germany doesn’t have much leverage, except for saying that it won’t approve Nord Stream 2, which is the only political leverage,” Claudia Kemfert, the head of department of energy, transport and environment at the German Institute for Economic Research, said.
“Otherwise, Germany is very susceptible to blackmail. We can’t do too much. We have committed ourselves to getting the gas supplies, unlike other European countries we have not diversified our gas supplies and we have dragged our feet on the energy transition. So we did a lot of things wrong, and now we are paying the price,” Kemfert added.
It is not surprising, then, that Scholz has stressed the need to keep some ambiguity about sanctions to press Russia to deescalate and has so far avoided mentioning Nord Stream 2 specifically.
“The hesitancy of Olaf Scholz obviously leads to the fact that one does not really know what the Germans actually want,” Ziener said. “With regard to Nord Stream 2, I think there should have been a clear statement that if it comes to a military intervention, then Nord Stream 2 is off the table.”
Asked on Friday whether Scholz will be taking any new initiative to Kyiv and Moscow or the positions that are already on the table, his spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, replied that he will stick with “the positions that we have already set out.”
Scholz can only hope that in his talks with Putin he can dissuade him from taking military action with a face-saving solution, says Ziener.
“He can actually only hope that at the end of this whole round of negotiations there will be a success, that the war is prevented. Then Scholz will be praised for his negotiating skills,” Ziener added. “If not, the question will be asked: What was actually the line of the German government?”
___
Geir Moulson and Kerstin Sopke contributed reporting from Berlin.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/german-leader-travels-to-russia-ukraine-as-tensions-grow/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:00
|
en
| 0.976112
|
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC.
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https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/ap-top-business-news-at-1220-p-m-est-23/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:06
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en
| 0.82511
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BERLIN (AP) — German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was re-elected for a second term of five years by a special parliamentary assembly on Sunday and vowed to heal the wounds left by the coronavirus and fight the enemies of democracy.
The president was elected with a big majority by a special assembly made up of the members of parliament’s lower house and representatives of Germany’s 16 states.
Steinmeier had been endorsed by most mainstream political parties ahead of the election for the largely ceremonial head of state.
“My responsibility is for all the people who live in our country. Non-partisan, yes — but I am not neutral when it comes to the cause of democracy. Whoever fights for democracy will have me on his side. Whoever attacks it will have me as an opponent,” Steinmeier said in a speech to the special assembly after accepting his election.
In reaction to the escalating crisis on the border of Ukraine where Russia has massed well over 100,000 troops, Steinmeier warned that “we are in the midst of the danger of a military conflict, a war in Eastern Europe — Russia bears the responsibility for this.”
“Russia’s troop buildup cannot be misunderstood. It is a threat to Ukraine and it is supposed to be one,” he added. “But the people there have a right to live without fear and threat, to self-determination and sovereignty. No country in the world has the right to destroy that — and whoever tries to do so, we will answer you decisively.”
The re-elected president vowed that he would continue to work on strengthening democracy in Germany and help take away fears of the future, giving the country’s citizens the confidence to handle the challenges ahead. He also vowed to help heal wounds created by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Let us not underestimate the strength of democracy. But let us also not underestimate the challenges it faces,” Steinmeier said. “Opponents of democracy, from without and within, are sowing doubts during this pandemic about our ability to act and our institutions, about free science and free media.”
But, Steinmeier stressed, “the decisive breakthrough in the fight against the pandemic, the development of the vaccine in record time — that was achieved here, in free science, thanks to brilliant researchers and courageous entrepreneurs … in Germany, with our partners in Europe and the USA.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulated Steinmeier, saying that “he has shown that he is in a position to talk directly to the people, to ensure solidarity in our society, but also to provide guidance.”
“That’s what we need right now with all the challenges we’re experiencing with regard to the pandemic, but also, of course, with regard to securing peace in Europe. He is the right president at exactly the right time,” Scholz said.
Before first becoming president in 2017, Steinmeier, 66, served two stints as Chancellor Angela Merkel’s foreign minister and earlier was chief of staff to Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
Germany’s president has little executive power but is considered an important moral authority. After a messy parliamentary election result in 2017, Steinmeier helped prod politicians to form a new coalition government rather than holding out for a new vote.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/german-president-set-to-be-elected-for-another-term/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:06
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| 0.963623
|
WASHINGTON (AP) — The list of Republicans willing to support President Joe Biden’s forthcoming nominee to the Supreme Court “is longer than you would initially imagine,” the Senate’s second-ranking Democrat recently teased to reporters.
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin declined to name names. But it’s clear that Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is near the top of the list.
Graham, who tethered himself to former President Donald Trump, is among a handful of Republicans declaring their willingness to break party lines and vote for the yet-to-be-announced White House choice to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer.
Whether Graham or any Republican ends up backing Biden’s eventual nominee in the 50-50 Senate will be a new test for the president’s long stated and rarely achieved ambitions to see Washington embrace a more bipartisan approach after the bitterness of the Trump era.
Democrats say obtaining a bipartisan vote is a top priority during the upcoming confirmation battle. “It will be great for the Senate. It will be great for the Supreme Court,” Durbin said after a White House meeting Thursday. “I hope we can achieve that goal.”
That effort will make Graham a senator to watch.
Whether Democrats can win Graham’s vote — and that of other Republicans such as Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — remains to be seen. Enduring bitterness over the way Republicans steamrolled their way to a Supreme Court majority under Trump is still a dividing line.
Graham has at times signaling a willingness to partner initially with Democrats, only to retreat to a partisan corner.
Graham led efforts in the Senate to defend Brett Kavanaugh, a Trump nominee for the high court, from accusations of sexual assault, and it was Graham who brazenly abandoned a promise to refrain from confirming a justice in a presidential election year. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he helped to seat Amy Coney Barrett on the court just days before Biden’s election win in November 2020.
But Graham also has a history of working with Democrats and has long said lawmakers should show deference to a president’s picks. He was the only Republican on the committee to vote for two of President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominees. Graham also has voted against only a handful of Biden’s judicial nominees while supporting about 30.
“I’m playing the game different than everybody else,” Graham told The Associated Press in explaining his votes.
While some in the GOP have mocked Biden’s promise to nominate a Black woman, a historic first, Graham was quick to defend it. “Put me in the camp of making sure the court and other institutions look like America,” he said.
But there’s a catch. Graham wants the choice to be a fellow South Carolinian, U.S. District Judge Michelle Childs, and has said his vote will be “much more problematic” if it isn’t her. He calls Childs someone “I can see myself supporting — if she does well here” and argues that she could win the most GOP support.
“She has a hell of a story, and she would be somebody I think that could bring the Senate together and probably get more than 60 votes,” Graham said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”
The White House says Childs, who had been nominated for a federal appeals court at the time Breyer made his retirement announcement, is under consideration even as some liberal advocacy groups and labor unions question her record.
While Durbin has not endorsed a specific candidate, he said he appreciates Graham’s strategy. “Starting off with one or two Republican votes is a good start for any nominee,” he said, adding that “Lindsey is and will always be an independent.”
Part of Graham’s pitch on Childs is that — unlike all the current Supreme Court justices other than Barrett — she didn’t go to an Ivy League school. Matt Moore, a GOP strategist who served as a consultant for Graham in his 2020 campaign, said promoting Childs also appeals to voters back home.
“There’s a certain amount of state pride seeing someone from South Carolina considered for the Supreme Court,” Moore said.
While Graham has supported many Democratic judicial nominees, he also has hewed to the party line in two critical moments — the first in blocking now-Attorney General Merrick Garland from even getting a hearing when he was nominated for the Supreme Court during the final year of Barack Obama’s presidency. Then, four years later, he did an an about-face as chairman of the Judiciary Committee and shepherded Barrett’s nomination through just days before the presidential election.
Those stands helped secure a 6-3 conservative majority on the high court, an ideological balance of power that will remain in place even after Breyer’s replacement is confirmed.
But it was Graham’s defense of Kavanaugh that stands as perhaps the senator’s defining moment. Graham erupted at Democrats during a hearing where Christine Blasey Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in high school. Kavanaugh denied the charges.
Anger in his voice, Graham upbraided Democrats for their treatment of Kavanaugh in a viral moment that was celebrated by conservatives.
“Boy, you all want power,” Graham said, turning to the Democrats on the committee. “God, I hope you never get it. … I hate to say it because these have been my friends.”
Now, there are signs senators want a détente. Mindful of the vote to come once Biden makes his pick, Democrats are reluctant to focus on the times that Graham has angered them.
“I think he’s looking at the merits of these individuals and their qualifications, which is to be commended,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who serves with Graham on the committee.
Democratic leaders also praised Graham this past week for his work on a bill ending forced arbitration for sexual assault and sexual harassment claims in the workplace. Durbin called him a “vital partner” on it. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was even more effusive.
“When he gets behind something, it gets done,” Schumer said. “So I want him behind more things with us in the future.”
Still, some won’t be surprised if Graham ends up opposing Biden’s choice.
Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono, a Democrat on the Judiciary Committee who has worked with Graham in the past, said “pretty much whatever Lindsey does, the back and forth and all that, no longer shocks me, which is too bad. Because I think Lindsey is a far, far better person than these kinds of flip flops indicate.”
Graham was first elected to the Senate in 2002, about a decade after the Senate had voted 96-3 for the liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg for the Supreme Court, and about 16 years after the Senate voted 98-0 for the conservative Antonin Scalia. Graham said the overwhelming confirmation of ideological opposites shows what has been lost.
“One is very conservative, the other is very liberal, but they were clearly qualified,” Graham said. “That’s the way it used to be. Now, it’s all about tribal politics and people are worried about primaries.”
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/graham-becomes-early-player-to-watch-in-supreme-court-drama/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:12
|
en
| 0.968878
|
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC.
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https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/ap-top-business-news-at-1225-p-m-est-17/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:12
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en
| 0.82511
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LARISSA, Greece (AP) — Greek farmers say they are determined to shut down all the country’s major highways to protest rising energy costs.
At a gathering south of the city of Larissa in central Greece, they decided Sunday to demand a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
As all of Europe is facing rising energy costs, Greek farmers are demanding subsidies to reduce their fuel costs and an end to the electricity price adjustment cost, which reflects changes in the price of oil and natural gas imports.
Greece has among the highest taxes on fuel in the 27-nation European Union, accounting for about two-thirds of the price.
“Diesel costs about 1.60 euros (per liter), while in other European countries it is 70 cents,” Asterios Tsikritsis, president of the farmers’ union in the city of Tirnavos, north of Larissa, told The Associated Press.
Greek farmers have already been blocking a major road connecting Larissa to the city of Kozani to the northwest for about ten days. On Sunday, they spilled milk on the road as part of their protest.
“At present, it is questionable whether us and our flocks will survive,” said Argiris Bairachtaris, president of the Tirnavos animal farmers’ union.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/greek-farmers-threaten-to-block-highways-in-energy-protest/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:14
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en
| 0.943762
|
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC.
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https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/ap-top-business-news-at-1237-p-m-est-19/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:18
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en
| 0.82511
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján, who is recovering from a stroke in January, says he plans to be back at work in “just a few short weeks” to vote on President Joe Biden’s forthcoming Supreme Court nominee.
In a video released Sunday by his office, the New Mexico senator said he is at the University of New Mexico Hospital after surgery to relieve pressure on his brain and soon will go to an inpatient rehabilitation facility for “a few more weeks.”
“I’m doing well. I’m strong. I’m back on the road to recovery, and I’m going to make a full recovery,” the 49-year-old Luján said in the video, which showed him seated next to two of his doctors. “I’m going to walk out of here, I’m going to beat this, and I’m going to be stronger once I come out.”
“Now I’m proud to report, then I’ll be back on the floor of the United States Senate in just a few short weeks to vote on important legislation and to consider a Supreme Court nominee,” he added.
According to his office, the Luján began experiencing dizziness and fatigue on Jan. 27 and checked himself into a hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Luján was transferred to the hospital in Albuquerque for further evaluation and treatment.
His absence from the Senate came as Biden considers a nominee to replace the retiring Justice Stephen G. Breyer. Biden has said he wants to announce a pick by the end of February.
In a 50-50 Senate, Luján’s vote would be critical if Democrats wanted to confirm Biden’s nominee without the help of Republicans.
“Rest assured, New Mexicans can know they will have a voice and a vote during this process,” Luján said in the video. “That has never changed.”
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/lujan-plans-return-to-senate-in-weeks-for-supreme-court-vote/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:20
|
en
| 0.975791
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Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC.
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https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/ap-top-business-news-at-1240-p-m-est-13/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:25
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en
| 0.82511
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PARIS (AP) — He has a full campaign team that’s fanning out around France, meeting with voters. He makes speeches about his future plans for the country. The problem? French President Emmanuel Macron hasn’t officially declared that he’s a candidate for April’s presidential election yet.
Critics say he’s unfairly using his taxpayer-funded presidential pulpit to campaign for a second term while dragging out his widely expected announcement as long as possible.
Less than two months before April 10’s first round, Macron’s intention is no mystery. He said last month that he has “the desire” to run for a second term, but he wanted to wait for the COVID-19 situation to improve before making a decision. The deadline to formally declare candidacy is March 4.
Far-right presidential contender Eric Zemmour accused Macron of trying to use the pandemic to make French voters forget about what he considers France’s decline.
“Is Emmanuel Macron using the health crisis to start campaigning? The answer is yes,” Marine Le Pen, the other far-right candidate, charged. Like the U.S. and most European countries, France recently started easing most virus restrictions as the infection rate slows down.
Macron also explained he wanted to focus on the Ukraine-Russia crisis first. On the flight between Moscow and Kyiv last week, he told reporters that he will “think about” declaring his candidacy later.
“Everything comes in due time,” he said.
Yet his recent trips across French regions tend to increasingly look like campaign events.
A visit this month to northern France, during which he announced an additional 100 million euros ($113 million) to boost the economy in a former mining area, was followed by dozens of journalists from national and international media. A meeting with local officials included a key political rival from The Republicans party, Xavier Bertrand, who is actively campaigning with conservative candidate Valérie Pécresse.
So close to the election, “that visit is a candidate’s visit, with lies and untruths. The hypocrisy must stop. An electoral trip cannot be paid for by the Republic,” Bertrand said after listening to Macron’s plans for the region.
The head of The Republicans’ party, Christian Jacob, denounced “misuse of public money” and said he reported the issue to the National Commission on Elections Financing.
France has strict rules about financing a presidential campaign. The amount of money a presidential contender is allowed to spend for the first round is 16.8 million euros ($19.1 million), with an additional 5.6 million euros ($6.4 million) for those who qualify for the runoff. After the election, France reimburses candidates who won at least 5% of the votes half of their campaign costs.
In 2012, conservative former President Nicolas Sarkozy announced his bid for a second term — which he lost to Socialist Francois Hollande — just over two months before the election. The National Commission on Election Financing later ruled that some expenses he incurred months before to organize a rally in southern France were to be included in campaign counts, even though he had not formalized his candidacy at that time.
Sarkozy was last year sentenced to a year of house arrest for illegal campaign financing. He has appealed the ruling.
Macron’s party has already launched a “campaign of the presidential majority” that is being deployed across the country via posters and leaflets promoting a website called “With You.” The website doesn’t mention Macron’s name but invites internet users to subscribe to follow “campaign news.”
The Constitutional Council recently announced that Macron was the first to receive the 500 signatures from elected officials that are required under French law to allow someone to run in the presidential election. The rule is meant to limit the number of candidates.
Since Jan. 1, French television and radio broadcasters are also required by law to provide “fair” exposure to all candidates and would-be candidates — based on their estimated weight in the campaign. The rule includes Macron himself, yet its implementation is complex because all comments considered part of the political debate are to be counted but those attributed to the role of president are not.
The difference can sometimes be subtle. On Thursday, Macron went to the eastern town of Belfort to announce the construction of six new nuclear reactors. It is up to the president to decide France’s energy strategy.
In his speech, he also harshly criticized “those who say we don’t need nuclear (energy),” in a reference to the Greens and far-left presidential candidates’ campaign platforms.
“Can you imagine France in 30 years time with 40,000 windmills instead of 8,000 now?” he asked. “That’s what supporters of phasing out nuclear power are proposing today to the French. It’s not serious.”
Rivals also said Macron, a pro-European, is using France’s six-month presidency of the European Union as a springboard toward reelection.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/macron-not-candidate-but-already-campaigning-for-reelection/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:26
|
en
| 0.971873
|
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC.
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https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/ap-top-business-news-at-1252-p-m-est-17/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:31
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en
| 0.82511
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BANGOR, Maine (AP) — A Maine man who was shot twice and whose home was destroyed by a police bomb is forgoing, for the time being, his plan to rebuild at the scene of the standoff.
Michael Grendell, 65, won a $400,000 settlement in November 2020 after suing members of the Maine State Police and one member of the state attorney general’s office. That’s the maximum allowed under statute for suing government entities.
Grendell says he was in the midst of a mental health crisis on June 28, 2018, when police arrived at his home after a neighbor reported that Grendell shot at him the day before in Dixmont.
Officers shot Grendell after the 20-hour standoff when they drew him out of the house by detonating an explosive. It was the first time in Maine that police detonated explosives using a robot to end a standoff.
Grendell, who was shot in the face and torso, spent several months in the hospital, according to the lawsuit.
Grendell said previously that he wanted to rebuild on the property where the home was blown up, the Bangor Daily News reported.
But records indicate he purchased a home last year in Bangor, and it’s unclear what will happen to the property in Dixmont. He still owns the Dixmont property, the town clerk told The Associated Press.
Grendell’s attorney, N. Laurence Willey, said a confidentiality agreement prevented him from discussing the matter with The Associated Press. Grendell didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.
State police have not employed the tactic of using a robot to deliver an explosive since using the tactic on Grendell.
The attorney general’s office has not yet completed its report on the tactics employed in the standoff, a spokesperson said.
Grendell’s lawsuit indicated that he had mental health problems and that the neighbor alerted police to his deteriorated mental health and implored police not to hurt him, according to court documents.
Things quickly went downhill when police used a bullhorn to order him out of the house, according to court documents. Grendell emerged in his underwear and asked if they were the “real police.”
Later, he emerged with his dog on a leash and a Civil War-type rifle strapped to his shoulder, and he exchanged fire with troopers when state police used a robot to break a window in his home.
Police later detonated a bomb called an “explosive breaching charge” that was supposed to knock down a wall — but the blast obliterated the house and caused the roof line to fall to the ground.
Grendell pleaded no contest to reckless conduct with a firearm, and all other charges were dismissed in 2018.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/man-whose-home-was-bombed-by-police-holds-off-on-rebuilding/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:32
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en
| 0.980093
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https://www.tayyar.org/PhotosAndVideos/460488
| 2022-02-13T20:42:34
|
en
| 0.94178
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police were searching Sunday for a gunman who shot four people after a brawl erupted outside a Los Angeles restaurant hosting a party that followed a Justin Bieber concert, authorities said.
Detectives are asking witnesses to come forward to help them identify the suspect in the shooting early Saturday outside The Nice Guy restaurant.
The victims’ names were not released, but NBC News reported rapper Kodak Black was among the wounded. Four men ages 60, 24, 22 and 19 were hospitalized in stable condition, LA police Officer Mike Lopez said.
Videos posted on TMZ.com and on social media show Black, 24, posing for photos with a group of people outside the restaurant when the brawl broke out. Black is among several people involved in the fight before shots rang out, sending everyone running for cover.
Law enforcement sources told NBC News that Black, whose legal name is Bill Kapri, was among the people shot. A message to his publicist at Atlantic Records has not been returned.
The party followed Bieber’s private concert at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood as part of a Super Bowl-week party dubbed “Homecoming Weekend.” The guests at the star-studded event included Jeff Bezos, TV host Lauren Sánchez, “Hamilton” actor Anthony Ramos and NFL Hall-of-Famer Tony Gonzalez.
Bieber and his wife Hailey Baldwin, Drake, Khloe Kardashian and Tobey Maguire were also among the celebrities seen entering the afterparty, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/police-seek-suspect-in-shooting-outside-la-super-bowl-party/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:34
|
en
| 0.968765
|
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC.
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https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/ap-top-business-news-at-133-p-m-est-14/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:37
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en
| 0.82511
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SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The Port of Savannah has added another month to its streak of record cargo volumes amid a surge that’s forced U.S. seaports to scramble to meet demand.
The Georgia Ports Authority reported nearly 480,000 container units of imports and exports moved across Savannah’s docks last month. That’s an increase of 4% compared with January 2021, when cargo volumes were already unusually high.
Business has been booming at U.S. seaports as the economy rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic, retailers rush to keep their inventories stocked and online shopping continues to grow.
The port authority reported last month that Savannah saw a 20% increase in shipping containers for all of 2021, when it handled a record total of 5.6 million container units.
Port officials said Savannah posted record container numbers for all 12 months of last year.
To alleviate traffic jams last fall that kept ships waiting at sea and containers piling up on land, the port authority added workers and new equipment. The agency also set up inland sites to temporarily store cargo and free up space at Savannah’s container terminal.
The Port of the Savannah is the fourth-busiest U.S. seaport for cargo in shipping containers, giant metal boxes used to transport goods ranging from consumer electronics to frozen chickens.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/port-of-savannah-reports-record-cargo-volumes-for-january/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:40
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en
| 0.934749
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Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC.
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https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/ap-top-business-news-at-138-p-m-est-16/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:43
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en
| 0.82511
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia said Sunday it will transfer 4% of the stock in the state-run oil giant Aramco to a sovereign wealth fund, an infusion valued at nearly $80 billion as the kingdom tries to overhaul its energy-dependent economy.
The announcement on the state-run Saudi Press Agency comes as the oil firm is valued at just under $2 trillion and as oil trades above $90 a barrel — its highest level since 2014.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the assertive son of King Salman, made the decision to transfer the stock, the state media report said. It will go to the Public Investment Fund, the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, which has been Prince Mohammed’s vehicle to invest in everything from Uber to British soccer team Newcastle United. The fund also is part of the prince’s Neom project along the Red Sea coast.
“His Highness added that the transfer of these shares is part of the kingdom’s long-term strategy aimed at supporting the restructuring of the national economy,” the report said. That will include creating private-sector jobs in the kingdom, it added.
Saudi Arabia has reaped the benefits of a spike in oil prices after the coronavirus pandemic crashed prices at one point into negative territory, but it also sees the growing worldwide concern over climate change being fueled by burning fossil fuels. Prince Mohammed’s plans hope to see that oil wealth pay to create jobs for the kingdom’s youth to pivot away from oil over time.
The Public Investment Fund also has invested in the electric car manufacturer Lucid Motors Inc. of Newark, California.
The fund did not immediately acknowledge what its plans for the stock would be and did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service last week said the fund’s assets had grown to $412 billion in 2020, up from $152 billion in 2015.
The kingdom remains the largest shareholder in the firm with some 94% of the company. The Saudi Arabian Oil Co. long has served as both the main economic engine in the kingdom and the main source of funds for its ruling Al Saud royal family.
Saudi Arabia offered a sliver of shares of the oil firm on Riyadh’s Tadawul stock market in 2019. That listing made Aramco one of the world’s most-valued companies alongside Apple and Microsoft.
A share of Aramco stood at 37.3 Saudi riyals, or $9.94, ahead of trading Sunday.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/saudi-arabia-gives-4-of-aramco-to-investment-fund/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:46
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| 0.957692
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Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC.
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https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/ap-top-business-news-at-221-p-m-est-17/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:50
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| 0.82511
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NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Saudi Arabia views Cyprus as a “bridge” between the Middle East and the European Union, helping the 27-nation bloc “understand what’s going on” in the region, the Saudi foreign minister said Sunday.
Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, speaking after talks with his Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides, said that Cyprus helps “really focus the attention” on all the opportunities and challenges in the Middle East.
Cyprus has ramped up its outreach to Gulf states in recent years to act as a broker as the closest EU-member country to the region.
The Saudi top diplomat said both his country and Cyprus have a “very, very strong alignment” regarding regional stability and terrorism “whether it is (Yemen’s) Houthis or others.”
He said both countries agree in the primacy of international law.
“If we do not all agree that international law is the primary guide of state relations, we risk the instability for all,” Al Saud said. “I think it’s important that we all stand together to defend the primacy of international law or state sovereignty, a rejection of interventionism of all sorts.”
A coalition led by the Saudis entered Yemen’s civil war in 2015 to try and restore the country’s internationally recognized government, which had been ousted by the Iran-backed Houthis the year before. The conflict has turned into the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with international criticism of Saudi airstrikes that have killed hundreds of civilians and targeted the country’s infrastructure.
The Houthis, meanwhile, have used child soldiers and indiscriminately laid landmines across the country.
Some 130,000 people, including over 13,000 civilians, have been killed in the Yemen conflict, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Project.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/saudi-sees-cyprus-as-bridge-between-europe-middle-east/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:52
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| 0.956082
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GENEVA (AP) — Swiss voters on Sunday rejected a government plan to inject more than 150 million francs (about $163 million) into broadcast and print media every year, including support for early-morning newspaper delivery and online media to the tune of 70 million francs (nearly $76 million) a year, according to exit polls.
Some 56% of voters rejected the measure, public broadcaster SRF reported.
Opponents of the plan, which had been passed by Swiss lawmakers in June, had pulled together enough signatures in a petition to put the issue before the public, part of Switzerland’s particular form of democracy that gives voters in the country of 8.5 million a direct say in policymaking.
Foes of the plan had said the cash injection would waste taxpayer money, benefit big newspaper chains and the media moguls who run them and hurt journalistic independence by making media outlets more dependent on state handouts and thus less likely to criticize public officials. They also said it was discriminatory, since free newspapers wouldn’t benefit.
“A media subsidized by the state is a media under control. As the adage goes: ‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,’” wrote the opponents who pressed for the referendum. They say big print-media groups together took in more than 300 million in profits in 2020, even during the COVID-19 crisis.
Many other countries in Europe and beyond offer support to newspapers through postal fee discounts, tax breaks and other measures.
Supporters of the cash injection had countered that journalism, especially in local areas ill-served by big media groups, should be considered a public service, as are many public radio and television broadcasters in Switzerland and around Europe.
“Media groups are fighting to survive. Ad revenues for print press haven’t stopped declining or are getting swallowed up by giants like Facebook and Google, and subscriptions aren’t enough,” the Swiss Green party, which supported the measure, had argued before the vote.
Proponents said more than 70 papers have disappeared since 2003. Advertising revenue in all print publications plunged 42% between 2016-2020 in Switzerland.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/swiss-voters-consider-public-aid-plan-for-newspapers-media/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:54
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| 0.971059
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Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2022 Good Karma Brands Milwaukee, LLC.
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https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/ap-top-business-news-at-225-p-m-est-18/
| 2022-02-13T20:42:56
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| 0.82511
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MADRID (AP) — Fernando León de Aranoa’s “The Good Boss” was the big winner of Spain’s most prestigious film awards, winning six prizes including best picture and best actor for Javier Bardem.
Shortlisted for an Oscar in international feature film category, the workplace satire of an owner set on winning a business prize also earned León de Aranoa the award for best director and original screenplay, and also picked up prizes for editing and best score at Saturday’s gala.
“The Good Boss” entered the night with a record 20 nominations for the Spanish Academy’s Goya awards.
Blanca Portillo beat out Penelope Cruz for best actress for her role in “Maixabel,” the true story of the widow of a politician who was assassinated by the Basque separatist group ETA.
Cruz will have another shot for her in role Pedro Almodóvar’s “Parallel Mothers” after being nominated for best actress for the Academy Awards. Bardem, her husband, will also compete for an Oscar for his part in “Being the Ricardos.”
The Goyas gala of over three hours was held in Valencia with all the traditional pomp after last year’s edition was broadcast virtually due to the pandemic.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/the-good-boss-starring-bardem-big-winner-at-spains-goyas/
| 2022-02-13T20:43:00
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| 0.968161
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BEIJING (AP) — Across two pandemic Olympics set in Asian countries, Asian American women fronting the Games have encountered a whiplashing duality — prized on the global stage for their medal-winning talent, buffeted by the escalating crisis of racist abuse at home.
The world’s most elite and international sporting event, which pits athletes and countries against each other, underscores along the way the crude reality that many Asian women face: of only being seen when they have something to offer.
“It’s like Asian American women can’t win,” says Jeff Yang, an author and cultural critic. “Asian American female athletes, like most Asian American women in many other spaces, are seen as worthy when they can deliver … and then disposed of otherwise.”
The issue is playing out at the Beijing Winter Games, the third straight Olympics set in Asia and the second held during the unrelenting global coronavirus crisis — and playing out, too, during a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans.
Here, U.S. snowboarder Chloe Kim and China’s freestyle skier Eileen Gu are the latest additions to the list of American women of Asian descent who have been “It Girls” of the Winter Games, joining icons like American figure skaters Kristi Yamaguchi and Michelle Kwan.
When Kim and Gu earned their gold medals in Beijing, it was the perfect bow on professional narratives that have been covered incessantly leading up to the actual event. Their star power and talent made them two of the de facto spokeswomen for the Olympics.
Meanwhile, other Asian American women like figure skaters Karen Chen and Alysa Liu of the U.S. team and Zhu Yi of the China team have also been promoted by their national teams and scrutinized — sometimes harshly — by Olympic fans.
Commentators have mocked Yi for falling in the team event, as if she deserved the mistake after giving up her U.S. citizenship to compete for her ancestral homeland. Others are angry that she “stole” the Olympic spot from an actual China-born athlete.
Even the winners struggle to feel fully embraced in America.
Kim, who won the halfpipe at the Beijing and Pyeongchang Olympics, has revealed she was tormented online daily. She says she was consumed by fear that her parents could be killed whenever she heard news about another brutal assault on an Asian person.
There have been more than 10,000 reported anti-Asian incidents — from taunts to outright assaults – between March 2020 and September 2021, according to Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition that gathers data on racially motivated attacks related to the pandemic.
“The experience of hate is withering, and it takes a huge mental health toll,” says Cynthia Choi, the coalition’s co-founder. “When we think about the Olympics, it’s really incredibly powerful to have taken place in Asia three times in a row. That context is very significant, and to have Asian Americans and Asians representing the United States in these games is more than symbolic.”
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across the country have endured racist verbal, physical and sometimes deadly attacks for two years now, fueled by the pandemic.
Some perpetrators have based their hate on the fact that the virus was first detected in Wuhan, China. Adding to the mix: former President Donald Trump, who regularly talked about COVID-19 in racial terms.
Gu, the daredevil freestyle skier who placed first in the big air competition, said she’d never been as scared as when a man directed a tirade about the coronavirus’ Chinese origins against her and her immigrant grandmother at a San Francisco pharmacy.
The San Francisco native, fashion model and social media figure has also been criticized with anti-China rhetoric for switching from the U.S. team to the China team. Conservative Fox News personalities Tucker Carlson and Will Cain even dedicated a segment to berating Gu, saying she was “ungrateful” and is “betraying her country.”
Those racially charged denunciations have been called out on social media for being hypocritical. Phil Yu, who runs the popular Angry Asian Man blog, tweeted succinctly: “Oh sure, it’s always ‘go back to your country’ but not ‘go back to your country and win a gold medal.’”
The dichotomy of the Asian American woman’s existence is not limited to Winter Olympians, though. In October, Hmong American gymnast Sunisa Lee said she was pepper sprayed by someone shouting racist slurs while driving by in a car. At the time, she was standing outside with a group of Asian American friends in Los Angeles while filming the “Dancing with the Stars” TV show.
Lesser-profile Olympians from the Tokyo Games like golfer Danielle Kang and karateka Sukura Kokumai spoke about their experiences with anti-Asian hate last summer.
Kang said she’s fought racism all her life and urged for a broader social studies curriculum that could better capture today’s multicultural America.
“I’ve been told to go back to China. I don’t know why they think China is the only Asian country,” said the Korean American athlete. “I also have heard, ‘Do you eat dogs for dinner?’ It’s nothing new to me. However, the violence was very upsetting. But the violence also has been around. I’ve gotten into fist fights. I’ve grown up like this.”
Kokumai, who is Japanese American, was angry to discover that the same man who had harassed her in April with racist slurs also assaulted an elderly Asian American couple.
Equally painful: colleagues’ silence when the incident was reported. She said Japan’s coach called her about it before members of her U.S. team did.
“It was really hurtful that it took so long for my side of the federation to address it,” Kokumai said last summer.
In July, when Lee became the surprise breakout star of the Tokyo Olympics by winning gold in the all-around event and bronze on uneven bars, Sung Yeon Choimorrow, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, said she felt conflicted about seeing Lee on a pedestal given the way Hmongs have been marginalized.
“I’m really wrestling with this idea that we’re all ‘American’ only when it comes to us being excellent and winning medals for the country,” Choimorrow said. “Asian American women are hyper-visible in ways that dehumanize us and completely invisible in the ways that humanize us.”
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https://www.ktsm.com/2022-olympics/olympics-reveal-a-harsh-duality-for-asian-american-women/
| 2022-02-13T20:43:01
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| 0.972942
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By COSTAS KANTOURIS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LARISSA, Greece (AP) — Greek farmers, taking a page from the Canadian truckers’ protest handbook, say they are determined to shut down all the country’s major highways to protest rising energy costs.
At a gathering south of the city of Larissa in central Greece, they decided Sunday to demand a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
As all of Europe is facing rising energy costs, Greek farmers are demanding subsidies to reduce their fuel costs and an end to the electricity price adjustment cost, which reflects changes in the price of oil and natural gas imports.
Greece has among the highest taxes on fuel in the 27-nation European Union, accounting for about two-thirds of the price.
“Diesel costs about 1.60 euros (per liter), while in other European countries it is 70 cents,” Asterios Tsikritsis, president of the farmers’ union in the city of Tirnavos, north of Larissa, told The Associated Press.
Greek farmers have already been blocking a major road connecting Larissa to the city of Kozani to the northwest for about ten days. On Sunday, they spilled milk on the road as part of their protest.
“At present, it is questionable whether us and our flocks will survive,” said Argiris Bairachtaris, president of the Tirnavos animal farmers’ union.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/greek-farmers-threaten-to-block-highways-in-energy-protest-2/
| 2022-02-13T20:43:02
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| 0.929851
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ISTANBUL (AP) — The leaders of six opposition parties in Turkey have met to strategize about the future of the country’s governing system — a move that aims to unseat the country’s longtime ruler.
In a statement following the dinner Saturday night, the party leaders said Turkey was experiencing “the deepest political and economic crisis” of its history and blamed it on the executive presidential system. They said their joint goal was to transform Turkey’s governance to a “strengthened parliamentary system.”
They did not mention President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by name, but their clear aim is to find a way to work together to unseat him.
After more than 11 years as Turkey’s prime minister, Erdogan was elected president in 2014. At the time, the position was primarily ceremonial. But in 2017, Turkish voters approved an executive presidential system, greatly expanding Erdogan’s powers at the expense of those of the prime minister and parliament. Erdogan was re-elected the following year. Critics call the system “one-man rule.”
The leaders at the dinner were Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the head of the main opposition Republican People’s Party; Meral Aksener from the nationalist Good Party; Temel Karamollaoglu from the conservative Felicity Party; Gultekin Uysal from the Democrat Party; Democracy and Progress Party’s Ali Babacan; and Future Party’s Ahmet Davutoglu. They had previously conducted bilateral meetings but Saturday’s meeting was their first all together. They are expected to release details of their agreement on Feb. 28.
Davutoglu and Babacan were co-founders of Erdogan’s ruling party and served in top positions but broke away to form their own parties in criticism of Erdogan’s policies.
The second-largest opposition party, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party, was not at the meeting. The government has attacked that party and many of its members, including its former leaders, have been imprisoned over alleged links to outlawed Kurdish militants. Erdogan has also accused the Republican People’s Party of siding with “terrorists,” claims the party denies.
The next parliamentary and presidential elections in Turkey are scheduled for June 2023.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/turkish-opposition-leaders-meet-to-counter-erdogans-system/
| 2022-02-13T20:43:06
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| 0.978181
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LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The desert in the southwest is filled with strange, historical, and downright odd things. This past week, two properties with quite a salacious and scandalous history appeared on the market.
For sale is Dennis Hof’s Love Ranch brothel in the tiny community of Crystal, Nevada. In Sandy Valley, the former Nevada Sun Rancho nudist ranch is also up for grabs.
LOVE RANCH BROTHEL
The brothel in Crystal is located just over 80 miles northwest of Las Vegas, and Sandy Valley is about 45 miles to the southwest directly on the Nevada-California border.
The Love Ranch might now be best known as the brothel where Lamar Odom overdosed in 2015. It is also where its owner, Dennis Hof, died in 2018.
In the $1.2 million listing, the Love Ranch sale includes much more than the brothel, which has 15 one bedroom suites, two new kitchens and a new bar. A backhoe, track hoe, advertising truck and limousine are included as well, plus 75 acres of land.
The sale also includes another newly remodeled bar, two manufactured homes and another 21 developed lots ready to build on in Crystal and Pahrump.
NEVADA SUN RANCHO/LAS VEGAS SUN CLUB
Drive about 65 miles south on Highway 160 and a few miles through the desert and you get to Sandy Valley, population about 1,700.
It is in Sandy Valley where the property once known as the Nevada Sun Rancho and before that as the Las Vegas Sun Club is for sale. The property was a nudist ranch for at least 12 years from 1989 to 2007.
The ranch is listed for $475,000 and is described as a seven-bedroom, five-bathroom property, covering 2.25 acres.
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https://www.ktsm.com/news/local-news/brothel-nudist-ranch-up-for-sale-near-las-vegas/
| 2022-02-13T20:43:07
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| 0.96792
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By COSTAS KANTOURIS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LARISSA, Greece (AP) — Greek farmers say they are determined to shut down all the country’s major highways to protest rising energy costs.
At a gathering south of the city of Larissa in central Greece, they decided Sunday to demand a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
As all of Europe is facing rising energy costs, Greek farmers are demanding subsidies to reduce their fuel costs and an end to the electricity price adjustment cost, which reflects changes in the price of oil and natural gas imports.
Greece has among the highest taxes on fuel in the 27-nation European Union, accounting for about two-thirds of the price.
“Diesel costs about 1.60 euros (per liter), while in other European countries it is 70 cents,” Asterios Tsikritsis, president of the farmers’ union in the city of Tirnavos, north of Larissa, told The Associated Press.
Greek farmers have already been blocking a major road connecting Larissa to the city of Kozani to the northwest for about ten days. On Sunday, they spilled milk on the road as part of their protest.
“At present, it is questionable whether us and our flocks will survive,” said Argiris Bairachtaris, president of the Tirnavos animal farmers’ union.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/greek-farmers-threaten-to-block-highways-in-energy-protest-4/
| 2022-02-13T20:43:09
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| 0.931781
|
HONOLULU (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his Japanese and South Korean counterparts Saturday in Hawaii to discuss the threat posed by nuclear-armed North Korea afterPyongyang began the year with a series of missile tests.
Blinken said at a news conference after the meeting that North Korea was “in a phase of provocation” and the three countries condemned the recent missile launches.
“We are absolutely united in our approach, in our determination,” Blinken said after his talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong.
He said the countries were “very closely consulting” on further steps they may take in response to North Korea, but didn’t offer specifics.
The three released a joint statement calling on North Korea to engage in dialogue and cease its “unlawful activities.” They said they had no hostile intent toward North Korea and were open to meeting Pyongyang without preconditions.
Hayashi later told Japanese reporters the three ministers had “very fruitful” discussion on the North. He declined to give details on additional measures they may take.
North Korea has a long history of using provocations such as missile or nuclear tests to seek international concessions. The latest tests come as the North’s economy, already battered by decades of mismanagement and crippling U.S.-led sanctions, is hit hard by pandemic border closures.
Many see the tests as an attempt to pressure President Joe Biden’s administration into easing the sanctions. The Biden administration has shown no willingness to do so without meaningful cuts to the North’s nuclear program, but it has offered open-ended talks.
North Korea has rebuffed U.S. offers to resume diplomacy, saying it won’t return to talks unless Washington drops what it says are hostile polices. The North bristles at both the sanctions and regular military exercises the U.S. holds with South Korea.
The tests also have a technical component, allowing North Korea to hone its weapons arsenal. One of the missiles recently tested — the Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile — is capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam. It was the longest-distance weapon the North has tested since 2017.
North Korea appears to be pausing its tests during the Winter Olympics in China, its most important ally and economic lifeline. But analysts believe North Korea will dramatically increase its weapons testing after the Olympics.
The recent tests have rattled Pyongyang’s neighbors in South Korea and Japan. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who helped set up the historic talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and former President Donald Trump in 2018 and 2019, said last month that the tests were a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and urged the North to cease “actions that create tensions and pressure.”
The Security Council initially imposed sanctions on North Korea after its first nuclear test in 2006. It made them tougher in response to further nuclear tests and the country’s increasingly sophisticated nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
China and Russia, citing the North’s economic difficulties, have called for lifting sanctions like those banning seafood exports and prohibitions on its citizens working overseas and sending home their earnings.
Blinken arrived in Hawaii from Fiji, where he met with Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and other Pacific leaders to talk about regional issues, especially the existential risk posed by climate change. It was the first visit by a U.S. secretary of state to Fiji since 1985.
He started his Pacific tour in Australia, where he met his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan. The four nations form the “Quad,” a bloc of Indo-Pacific democracies that was created to counter China’s regional influence.
Hayashi and Chung held a separate bilateral meeting Saturday for about 40 minutes before seeing Blinken. Japan’s Foreign Ministry said they reaffirmed the importance of cooperating together and with the United States to respond to North Korea and to achieve regional stability.
The ministry said they also “frankly” exchanged views on ongoing disputes between the two countries, including wartime Korean laborers and sexual abuse of Korean women forced into sexual servitude by Japan’s imperial army.
Chung proposed the two countries accelerate diplomacy to find solutions to the disagreements, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Blinken also met separately with Chung. He met Hayashi earlier this week in Australia.
___
Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/u-s-world/us-japan-south-korea-meet-in-hawaii-to-discuss-north-korea-2/
| 2022-02-13T20:43:12
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| 0.963294
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SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The Port of Savannah has added another month to its streak of record cargo volumes amid a surge that’s forced U.S. seaports to scramble to meet demand.
The Georgia Ports Authority reported nearly 480,000 container units of imports and exports moved across Savannah’s docks last month. That’s an increase of 4% compared with January 2021, when cargo volumes were already unusually high.
Business has been booming at U.S. seaports as the economy rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic, retailers rush to keep their inventories stocked and online shopping continues to grow.
The port authority reported last month that Savannah saw a 20% increase in shipping containers for all of 2021, when it handled a record total of 5.6 million container units.
Port officials said Savannah posted record container numbers for all 12 months of last year.
To alleviate traffic jams last fall that kept ships waiting at sea and containers piling up on land, the port authority added workers and new equipment. The agency also set up inland sites to temporarily store cargo and free up space at Savannah’s container terminal.
The Port of the Savannah is the fourth-busiest U.S. seaport for cargo in shipping containers, giant metal boxes used to transport goods ranging from consumer electronics to frozen chickens.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/port-of-savannah-reports-record-cargo-volumes-for-january-3/
| 2022-02-13T20:43:15
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| 0.927529
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EDINBURGH, Scotland (StudyFinds.org) – Acetaminophen is one of the most common medications worldwide for treating and managing both short-term and chronic aches and pains. Now, however, researchers from the University of Edinburgh say long-term use of these pain relievers may increase the risk of both heart attack and stroke among those with high blood pressure.
In light of these results, study authors recommend patients with a long-term prescription for acetaminophen do their best to lower their dosages and overall intake as much as possible while still relieving their pain. This is the first ever large randomized clinical trial to investigate this topic.
Acetaminophen, of course, is best known under brand names Tylenol, Mapap, and Panadol. However, in other parts of the world such as Europe and Australia, acetaminophen is known as paracetamol.
“This is not about short-term use of paracetamol for headaches or fever, which is, of course, fine – but it does indicate a newly discovered risk for people who take it regularly over the longer term, usually for chronic pain,” says lead investigator Dr. Iain MacIntyre, a consultant in clinical pharmacology and nephrology at NHS Lothian, in a university release.
“This study clearly shows that paracetamol – the world’s most used drug – increases blood pressure, one of the most important risk factors for heart attacks and strokes. Doctors and patients together should consider the risks versus the benefits of long-term paracetamol prescription, especially in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease,” explains Professor James Dear, Personal Chair of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh.
Acetaminophen as bad as NSAIDs?
Typically, doctors consider acetaminophen a safer alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) painkilling drugs. Studies show NSAIDs can increase blood pressure and a person’s risk of heart disease.
In the new study, participants with a history of high blood pressure took one gram of acetaminophen four times daily for two weeks. That dose is quite common and a normal prescription for patients dealing with chronic pain. Meanwhile, another sub-set of participants received a placebo to take for two weeks. In all, 110 subjects took part in this project. Importantly, all of the patients received both treatments, with researchers randomizing the prescriptions in a blind clinical trial.
While the placebo groups saw no or minimal increases in blood pressure, those taking acetaminophen experienced significant increases. In fact, study authors explain that the increases in blood pressure while taking acetaminophen were quite similar to those seen in people taking NSAIDs. They estimate such blood pressure fluctuations may increase the risk of heart disease or stroke by roughly 20 percent. Study authors believe an extensive, long-term review of prescribing practices for the pain reliever is now necessary to examine risks to patients.
Occasional use is still safe
“We would recommend that clinicians start with a low dose of paracetamol, and increase the dose in stages, going no higher than needed to control pain. Given the substantial rises in blood pressure seen in some of our patients, there may be a benefit for clinicians to keep a closer eye on blood pressure in people with high blood pressure who newly start paracetamol for chronic pain,” explains principal investigator Professor David Webb, Chair of Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh.
“This research shows how quickly regular use of paracetamol can increase blood pressure in people with hypertension who are already at increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. It emphasizes why doctors and patients should regularly review whether there is an ongoing need to take any medication, even something that may seem relatively harmless like paracetamol, and always weigh up the benefits and risks. However, if you take paracetamol occasionally to manage an isolated headache or very short bouts of pain, these research findings should not cause unnecessary concern,” concludes Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation.
The study is published in the journal Circulation.
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https://www.ktsm.com/news/local-news/taking-acetaminophen-regularly-linked-to-high-blood-pressure/
| 2022-02-13T20:43:15
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en
| 0.941236
|
By JAMEY KEATEN
Associated Press
GENEVA (AP) — Swiss voters on Sunday rejected a government plan to inject more than 150 million francs (about $163 million) into broadcast and print media every year, including support for early-morning newspaper delivery and online media to the tune of 70 million francs (nearly $76 million) a year, according to exit polls.
Some 56% of voters rejected the measure, public broadcaster SRF reported.
Opponents of the plan, which had been passed by Swiss lawmakers in June, had pulled together enough signatures in a petition to put the issue before the public, part of Switzerland’s particular form of democracy that gives voters in the country of 8.5 million a direct say in policymaking.
Foes of the plan had said the cash injection would waste taxpayer money, benefit big newspaper chains and the media moguls who run them and hurt journalistic independence by making media outlets more dependent on state handouts and thus less likely to criticize public officials. They also said it was discriminatory, since free newspapers wouldn’t benefit.
“A media subsidized by the state is a media under control. As the adage goes: ‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,’” wrote the opponents who pressed for the referendum. They say big print-media groups together took in more than 300 million in profits in 2020, even during the COVID-19 crisis.
Many other countries in Europe and beyond offer support to newspapers through postal fee discounts, tax breaks and other measures.
Supporters of the cash injection had countered that journalism, especially in local areas ill-served by big media groups, should be considered a public service, as are many public radio and television broadcasters in Switzerland and around Europe.
“Media groups are fighting to survive. Ad revenues for print press haven’t stopped declining or are getting swallowed up by giants like Facebook and Google, and subscriptions aren’t enough,” the Swiss Green party, which supported the measure, had argued before the vote.
Proponents said more than 70 papers have disappeared since 2003. Advertising revenue in all print publications plunged 42% between 2016-2020 in Switzerland.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
|
https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/swiss-voters-reject-public-aid-plan-for-newspapers-media-4/
| 2022-02-13T20:43:21
|
en
| 0.966338
|
HOUSTON (AP) — Israel Adesanya defeated Robert Whittaker by unanimous decision to retain his title and maintain control of the middleweight division at UFC 271 on Saturday night.
Adesanya (23-1) won his 11th straight middleweight fight in the UFC and remained undefeated. The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 in favor of Adesanya, who has won all four of his title defenses — three by unanimous decision and one by knockout.
“Seven out of 10,” Adesanya said of his performance. “Not bad. Good night in the office. Good chess match.”
The fight, which was a rematch of Adesanya’s title win over Whittaker (23-6) by second-round knockout at UFC 243 in 2019, was even throughout, with Whittaker taking the champion down several times. But, Adesanya also landed punches to Whittaker’s face and kicks to his ribs.
Following the bout, Adesanya said he told Whittaker that he respected him.
“We’re just two guys trying to be the best in the world, but tonight, I’m the best in the world,” Adesanya said.
After Adesanya controlled most of the first round, Whittaker rebounded in the second to take the champion down against the cage midway through the round and land a couple punches to the face. But, Adesanya was able to get out of Whittaker’s hold and land a couple punches.
Following a fairly even third round, Whittaker took down Adesanya 1 1/2 minutes into the fourth round and got on the champion’s back to try to lock in a choke, but Adesanya again broke free of the hold.
In the final round, Whittaker tried twice to take Adesanya down, but the champion got up both times. The two locked up several times against the cage, with Adesanya able to break from of Whittaker’s grasp each time and landing punches to Whittaker’s face.
“This one was better than the first one,” Whittaker said. “I thought I did enough. I thought I did enough. Breaking it down, I thought I lost the first round. I put myself together. I think I beat him to every punch. I had takedowns. I thought I did enough. It is what it is. That’s how work goes in the office.”
Whittaker said he thought he beat Adesanya.
“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want this popping up in a highlight reel screaming ‘Robert thinks he won, blah, blah, blah,’” Whittaker said. “I’m not taking anything away from him. He won. Literally, he won. He’s got the belt, that’s how it works. The judges gave it to him. That’s the game. That’s the business.”
The next contender for the UFC middleweight title might be Jared Cannonier (15-5), who knocked out Derek Brunson (23-8) in the second round of their fight earlier in the night.
After being taken down three times in the first round, Cannonier, the third-ranked middleweight, fought back in the second round, elbowing the fourth-ranked Brunson and dazing him before taking him down to the mat and knocking Brunson out with punches to the head, forcing the referee to end it.
Cannonier said in the post-fight interview in the Octagon he wanted the next shot at the middleweight champion, demanding UFC president Dana White, who was cage side, give him the opportunity.
White said in the post-fight press conference he wouldn’t say no to Cannonier, but he was non-committal on a date for a title fight between Cannonier and Adesanya despite the champion saying in the post-fight press conference that the two should fight in June.
“I wasn’t really looking past Robert,” Adesanya said. “I took him seriously and right all the way to the last bell I knew he was dangerous. … I had fun in there. I just want to watch it and back and study that fight. I look forward to fresh meat.”
In the co-main event, Tai Tuivasa (14-3) knocked out Houston native and third-ranked heavyweight Derrick Lewis (26-7) in the second round. Tuivasa, who has won five straight fights by knockout, recovered from a first round in which he was taken to the mat twice.
“I got a few bumps on the head, that’s for sure,” Tuivasa said. “It was nothing. I didn’t feel I was in too much danger. He’s the knockout king. He’s got big hands. … I definitely felt him, but I was still in the game.”
Tuivasa came out in the second round landing punches on Lewis and backing him up to the cage before landing a right elbow to the left side of his face, knocking out Lewis, who fell face-first onto the mat.
Lewis has lost two of his last three fights, with both losses coming in Houston.
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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https://www.wowktv.com/sports/adesanya-tops-whittaker-keeps-middleweight-title-at-ufc-271/
| 2022-02-13T20:43:20
|
en
| 0.979103
|
GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — A scary case of apparent road rage in North Carolina was caught on camera, including the moment law enforcement stopped one of the vehicles involved.
Witnesses say it happened around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday along Interstate 73 in Guilford County, located in the north-central part of the state.
In the full video, you can see a white work van appearing to chase a black sedan weaving in and out of traffic on the southbound lanes.
Pete Denny witnessed the road rage unfold from start to finish. He said it lasted nearly 10 minutes and he captured it all on camera.
“They have been going at it 6 or 8 minutes before I even started recording, and matter of fact, the guy even tried to cut me off two or three times, and I didn’t want to confront it. So I backed off, and then that’s when the black car got involved. It was like a boxing match,” Denny told Nexstar’s WGHP.
In the video, a white van is seen going full speed, chasing down a black car using multiple lanes to catch up, nearly causing several accidents.
The video shows the van using off-ramp exits to get around other vehicles, to get closer to the car. At one point, the van got directly behind the car before the driver slammed on the brakes.
Denny said the driver of the black car threw a cup full of liquid at the van before veering off the road into a median.
Shortly after, a North Carolina Trooper pulled over the work van.
Denny said he first captured the video to send to his brother, who works with the North Carolina Highway Patrol. Denny said he’s thankful no one was hurt.
“Very fortunate that neither one of them wrecked or hurt anyone seriously,” said Denny.
According to North Carolina Highway Patrol, the driver of the van, 62-year-old Jerry Wyatt, and the driver of the black sedan, 25-year-old Joshua Livesay, have both been charged with failure to maintain lane control and careless/reckless driving. Both are scheduled to appear in court in April.
North Carolina Highway Patrol says the case remains an open matter and additional charges may be filed.
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https://www.ktsm.com/news/local-news/watch-video-shows-apparent-road-rage-chase-along-busy-nc-highway/
| 2022-02-13T20:43:22
|
en
| 0.968224
|
By MARK STEVENSON
Associated Press
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has acknowledged that the U.S. government has suspended all imports of Mexican avocados after a U.S. plant safety inspector in Mexico received a threat.
The surprise suspension was confirmed late Saturday on the eve of the Super Bowl, the biggest sales opportunity of the year for Mexican avocado growers.
Avocado exports are the latest victim of the drug cartel turf battles and extorsion of avocado growers in the western state of Michoacan, the only state in Mexico fully authorized to export to the U.S. market.
The U.S. government suspended all imports of Mexican avocados “until further notice” after a U.S. plant safety inspector in Mexico received a threatening message, Mexico’s Agriculture Department said in a statement.
“U.S. health authorities … made the decision after one of their officials, who was carrying out inspections in Uruapan, Michoacan, received a threatening message on his official cellphone,” the department wrote.
Because the United States also grows avocados, U.S. inspectors work in Mexico to ensure exported avocados don’t carry diseases that could hurt U.S. crops.
It was only in 1997 that the U.S. lifted a ban on Mexican avocados that had been in place since 1914 to prevent a range of weevils, scabs and pests from entering U.S. orchards.
The inspectors work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services.
It is not the first time that the violence in Michoacan — where the Jalisco cartel is fighting turf wars against a collection of local gangs known as the United Cartels — has threatened avocados, the state’s most lucrative crop.
After a previous incident in 2019, the USDA had warned about the possible consequences of attacking or threatening U.S. inspectors.
In August 2019, a U.S. Department of Agriculture team of inspectors was “directly threatened” in Ziracuaretiro, a town just west of Uruapan. While the agency didn’t specify what happened, local authorities say a gang robbed the truck the inspectors were traveling in at gunpoint.
The USDA wrote in a letter at the time that, “For future situations that result in a security breach, or demonstrate an imminent physical threat to the well-being of APHIS personnel, we will immediately suspend program activities.”
Many avocado growers in Michoacan say drug gangs threaten them or their family members with kidnapping or death unless they pay protection money, sometimes amounting to thousands of dollars per acre.
On September 30, 2020, a Mexican employee of APHIS was killed near the northern border city of Tijuana.
Mexican prosecutors said Edgar Flores Santos was killed by drug traffickers who may have mistaken him for a policeman and a suspect was arrested. The U.S. State Department said investigations “concluded this unfortunate incident was a case of Mr. Flores being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2022/02/13/us-suspends-mexican-avocado-imports-on-eve-of-super-bowl-2/
| 2022-02-13T20:43:27
|
en
| 0.961207
|
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — Felix Auger-Aliassime won his first career title at the ninth attempt, upsetting top-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-2 in the Rotterdam final on Sunday to deny his opponent an eighth title.
Victory at the indoor tournament came as a relief for the 21-year-old Canadian after losing his previous eight finals dating back to 2019.
“It has not been the smoothest road since my first final,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It is an amazing day for me to get my first title and especially here. I played my first ATP main draw here a couple of years ago, so it is right I won my first title here.”
The third-seeded Auger-Aliassime hit seven aces and won 93% of his first serve points, compared to just one ace for Tsitsipas.
The big-serving Greek was unusually poor on his serve with four double-faults and only 31 of 55 first serves landing in. His second serve let him down, too, and he won only 33% of points on it.
It was Auger-Aliassime’s third win in eight matches against Tsitsipas, and he did not face a break point in a dominant performance where he broke Tsitsipas three times.
“He was playing very good tennis, producing good shots and serving incredibly well throughout the match. I wasn’t able to respond,” Tsitsipas said. “I wasn’t able to respond. I wasn’t able to serve well today and my percentages were so low.”
The 23-year-old Tsitsipas dropped to 7-11 in finals.
___
More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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https://www.wowktv.com/sports/auger-aliassime-beats-top-seeded-tsitsipas-to-win-1st-title/
| 2022-02-13T20:43:28
|
en
| 0.980536
|
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