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US approves $1.3 billion package of long-term military aid for Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:25 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon announced a new $1.3 billion package of long-term military aid to Ukraine on Wednesday, including four air defense systems and an undisclosed number of drones.The new assistance comes on the heels of a meeting Tuesday by defense and military leaders from around the globe to discuss ongoing efforts to give Ukraine the weapons it needs in its battle to retake territory seized by Russian forces.Included in the aid, which is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, will be funding for four National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS, and munitions for them, as well as Phoenix Ghost and Switchblade drones. Unlike the presidential drawdown authority that the Pentagon has used repeatedly over the past 17 months to pull weapons from its own stocks and quickly ship them to Ukraine, the USAI-funded equipment could take a year or two to get to the battlefront. As a result, this new package will do little to help Ukraine in i...

Ex-officer Derek Chauvin to ask US Supreme Court to review his conviction in murder of George Floyd

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:25 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review his conviction for second-degree murder in the killing of George Floyd, now that the Minnesota Supreme Court has declined to hear the case, his attorney said Wednesday.The state’s highest court without comment denied Chauvin’s petition in a one-page order dated Tuesday, letting Chauvin’s conviction and 22 1/2-year sentence stand. Chauvin faces long odds at the U.S. Supreme Court, which hears only about 100 to 150 appeals of the more than 7,000 cases it is asked to review every year.Floyd, who was Black, died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, who is white, pressed a knee on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes on the street outside a convenience store where Floyd tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill. A bystander video captured Floyd’s fading cries of “I can’t breathe.” Floyd’s death touched off protests worldwide, some of which turned violent, and forced a national reckoning with police b...

A powerful storm sweeps Croatia and Slovenia after days of heat, killing at least 4 people

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:25 GMT

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — A powerful storm with strong winds and heavy rain hit Croatia and Slovenia on Wednesday, killing at least four people and injuring several others, police and local media outlets said. The storm was the second in two days to sweep over the two countries following a string of extremely hot and dry days. Elsewhere in Europe, a heat wave caused wildfires and public health warnings. Two men died in Croatia’s capital, Zagreb, after they were hit by falling trees, Croatian police said. A 50-year-old man was struck while outside in the street, and a 48-year-old man was in his car, a police statement said. Earlier, emergency doctor Ljupka Hitrova told the official Hina news agency that the two victims had multiple head injuries. The civil protection service in eastern Croatia reported that one person died when a tree fell on their car in the town of Cernik.Elsewhere in Zagreb, a 36-year-old man was severely injured when a construction crane collapsed, the police ...

Researchers hope undersea work yields new information on 1994 Baltic Sea ferry disaster

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:25 GMT

HELSINKI (AP) — A research vessel carrying investigators from Sweden and Estonia was scheduled to arrive Wednesday at the Baltic Sea site where a passenger ferry sank almost 30 years ago to conduct underwater studies that might produce new information about one of Europe’s deadliest maritime disasters.Representatives of the Estonian Safety Investigation Bureau and the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority plan to study the wreckage of the M/S Estonia in cooperation with Finnish authorities over the next eight days.The ferry sank in heavy seas on Sept. 28, 1994, killing 852 people, most of them Swedes and Estonians. The ferry was traveling from Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, to Stockholm when it sank about 30 minutes after an initial distress call. Only 137 people survived. Among other activities, the investigators plan to collect bedrock samples from the bottom of the sea near the wreckage site, film the ferry’s car deck and retrieve the vessel’s bow ramp from the seabed. They...

Israeli president tells Congress his country is committed to democracy but concedes ‘painful debate’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:25 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Israeli President Isaac Herzog sought to reassure Congress on Wednesday about the state of Israel’s democracy and the strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship, acknowledging “heated and painful debate” at home and criticism abroad over actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline government.Herzog, whose post in Israel is largely symbolic, became the second Israeli president, after his father, Chaim Herzog, to address Congress. While his speech officially marked modern Israel’s celebration of its 75th year, he also indirectly addressed unease in the Biden administration and among Democratic lawmakers over the Netanyahu government’s planned sweeping overhaul of Israel’s judicial system, expanded Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank and other matters.The divide was reflected in his audience. While lawmakers repeatedly rose to their feet in thundering applause of Herzog’s recounting of Israel’s founding, a handful ...

Judge rejects Trump’s bid to move hush money case to federal court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:25 GMT

(The Hill) -- A judge on Wednesday rejected former President Donald Trump’s bid to move his hush money criminal case to federal court, ruling that the allegations are not connected to Trump’s role as president.U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, a Clinton appointee, granted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s (D) office’s request to keep the case in New York state court.Trump had argued the case must be moved to federal court because he was being prosecuted for an act under the color of his office as president and that Bragg’s prosecution was politically motivated.Manhattan prosecutors charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records, accusing him of making a series of false entries as he reimbursed his then-fixer, Michael Cohen, in part to conceal a $130,000 hush payment that Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump pleaded not guilty.The former president’s lawyers argued that Trump hired Cohen to handle his per...

‘Is watching a movie crossing the picket line?’ and other Hollywood strike fan questions answered

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:25 GMT

You watch movies. You watch TV. And now you're wondering how the dual Hollywood strikes — a pitched battle with actors and writers on one side, and studios and streaming services on the other — will affect you. We have answers.Do the strikes mean “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” aren't coming out?They — and all other summer releases — are still on track! Many flashy premieres have been canceled, however, or dramatically scaled down.Am I crossing the picket line by seeing one of those movies?No, the unions have not asked fans to boycott productions, and are quick to make that explicit. Instead, the guilds have asked supporters who aren't members to post on social media and donate to community funds. These notable movies, TV shows are on hold because of the actors strike Should I cancel Netflix, MAX or the 16 other streaming services I subscribe to if I want to show support?Nope, there's been no consumer boycott of any kind called yet. Some guild members have said watching their programs ...

Feds launch probe after 16-year-old boy dies at Mississippi poultry plant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:25 GMT

(The Hill) -- Federal authorities confirmed Tuesday that they are investigating the death of a 16-year-old boy at a poultry plant in Mississippi.The Department of Labor’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration and Wage and Hour Division have both “opened inspections” at the Mar-Jac Poultry plant in Hattiesburg in the wake of the Friday incident, according to a DOL spokesperson. The victim has been identified as Duvan Tomas Perez, originally from Guatemala, by local authorities and a family member, according to NBC News, which noted that workers under the age of 18 are not allowed to work in poultry plants for safety reasons.Forrest County Deputy Coroner Lisa Klem told NBC that Perez’s death was due to equipment at the plant, and that his autopsy results will be released Wednesday. Delta flight canceled after passengers suffer heat illnesses amid triple-digit temps in Las Vegas A fellow worker at the plant, on duty at the time of the incident, reportedly said he heard Per...

Kyle's Pie in the Sky 2023 live music lineup announced

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:25 GMT

KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — Austin may be the Live Music Capital, but a trip 20 miles south on Interstate 35 will take you to another capital. Kyle is the official, trademarked Pie Capital of Texas, and it celebrates that title every year with its Pie in the Sky Hot Air Balloon Festival.The festival this year will take place on Friday, Sept. 1, and Saturday, Sept. 2, at Lake Kyle Park. There will be live music, a mini carnival, tethered hot air balloon rides, hot air balloon glows, a vendor market, food and drinks, a 3.14-mile walk/run, a "Tiny Tot PIEathalon" for kids, a pie-eating contest, a Pi Recital Contest, fireworks and more, according to the city. Live music performances begin at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, then at 3 p.m. on Saturday. A schedule of performances is below: Friday, Sept. 1: 5:30-7 p.m. - Guy Forsyth 8-9 p.m. - Del Castillo 9:30-10:30 p.m - Roger Creager Saturday, Sept. 2:  3-4 p.m. - Destiny Navairo featuring Raulito 4:30-5:30 p.m. - Las Fenix 6-7:30 p.m. - Los Texmaniacs fe...

Reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, World No. 18 Cameron Young commits to 3M Open

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:37:25 GMT

The 3M Open added its second top-20 player in the world to its field, with the tournament announcing the commitment of Cameron Young to next week’s field.Young is the No. 18 player in the world and the reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. He had five top-three finishes last season, with two of those coming in majors.This season hasn’t yet proved as fruitful for the 26-year-old long-ball hitter. Heading into this week’s Open Championship, Young has managed just one top-30 showing in his last eight starts. That was his most recent start, though, when Young finished in a tie for sixth at the John Deere Classic.That was a start Young made in hopes of finding his form and improving his FedExCup playoff standing. He may have similar motivation for teeing it up in Blaine next week. He currently finds himself in 46th place in the season-long standings.While the top 70 players after the Wyndham Championship, which is played in the first weekend in August, will reach the pl...