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Tense face-off: Philippines confronts China over sea claims

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

ABOARD BRP MALABRIGO (AP) — A Chinese coast guard ship blocked a Philippine patrol vessel steaming into a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, causing a frightening near-collision in the latest act of Beijing’s aggression in the strategic waterway.The high seas face-off Sunday between the larger Chinese ship and the Philippine coast guard’s BRP Malapascua near the Second Thomas Shoal was among the tense moments it and another Philippine vessel encountered in a weeklong sovereignty patrol in one of the world’s most hotly contested waterways.The Philippine coast guard had invited a small group of journalists, including three from The Associated Press, to join the 1,670-kilometer (1,038-mile) patrol for the first time as part of a new Philippine strategy aimed at exposing China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea, where an estimated $5 trillion in global trade transits each year.In scorching summer heat but relatively calm waters, the Malapascua and another Phili...

Florida Gov. DeSantis says Disney lawsuit is political

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday shrugged off Disney's lawsuit against him as politically motivated, and that it was time for the iconic company to stop enjoying favorable treatment in his state.Disney sued DeSantis on Wednesday over the Republican’s appointment of a board of supervisors in its self-governed theme park district, alleging the governor waged a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” after the company opposed a law critics call, “Don’t Say Gay.”The legal filing is the latest salvo in a more than year-old feud between Disney and DeSantis that has engulfed the governor in criticism as he prepares to launch an expected 2024 presidential bid.“They’re upset because they’re having to live by the same rules as everybody else. They don’t want to pay the same taxes as everybody else and they want to be able to control things without proper oversight," DeSantis said during a visit to Israel. “The days of putting one company on a pedestal with no accou...

WWE and Vince McMahon sued by former writer alleging 'racist' scripts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

(KTLA) - World Wrestling Entertainment and Vince McMahon are being sued by a former writer over what she called “offensively racist and stereotypical jargon” in scripts.The complaint was filed on April 24 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on behalf of Britney Abrahams by the Cochran Firm, according to Bloomberg.Abrahams, a Black woman, worked for WWE Smackdown! and WWE Monday Night RAW in 2020. Former WWE wrestler charged with theft of millions from Mississippi welfare According to the complaint, she complained of the use of racist and stereotypical language in scripts for Black wrestlers like Bianca Belair and Apollo Crews. The scripts had Belair saying, “Uh-Uh! Don’t make me take off my earrings and beat your a--!" and Crews to speak with a “stereotypical and exaggerated Nigerian accent," the publication reported. Abrahams said her complaints were ignored. She claimed she witnessed racist pitches while on a Slack thread that included McMahon and hi...

Ukraine's fate hangs in balance in 2024 clash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

(The Hill) - President Biden's reelection bid on Tuesday set in motion an incoming clash with leading Republican candidates in the 2024 White House race over the war in Ukraine, with the outcome potentially proving decisive for Kyiv.Biden’s vow to stick with Ukraine until the war is won stands in stark contrast to former President Trump’s promise to negotiate peace as soon as he reenters America’s highest office.Other GOP candidates and potential candidates like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are offering mixed views on the war, setting it up to be a central foreign policy issue in the months ahead.Andrew Albertson, executive director of Foreign Policy for America, said the 2024 election is evolving into a “leadership test” when it comes to foreign policy and the Ukraine war.“On the one hand, you've got the normal traditional role that the U.S. has played as a principled leader in the world, in this case, rallying our allies to support Ukrainians to defend themselves against Russia's hor...

Trump allies who stole from border wall donors sentenced to prison

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

(The Hill) - Two founders of an online fundraising scheme to help former President Trump build a border wall were sentenced to prison Wednesday for participating in a fraud scheme that stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors. Brain Kolfage and Andrew Badolato were each sentenced for their alleged involvement in the scheme, which siphoned the money from hundreds of thousands of people that donated to their "We Build the Wall" campaign. The campaign promised the donors that their funds would go toward construction of a wall at the border with Mexico, which is part of Trump's core platform. The fundraising campaign raised more than $25,000,000 from thousands of donors, with Kolfage promising that "100% of the funds raised … will be used in the execution of our mission and purpose," according to court documents. The court documents said this was false, alleging that Kolfage alone took more than $350,000 for personal funds. Kolfage was sentenced to 51 months in prison while B...

Generous pension plans for MN school superintendents could violate state law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

The school superintendent contracts in St. Paul and a few other metro districts contain taxpayer-funded retirement benefits that appear to be more generous than permitted under state law.The excess benefits range from a few thousand dollars in some cases to tens of thousands in others. By law, those funds are supposed to be returned to the school districts if the retirement plans do not comply with the requirements.However, the statute contains no enforcement mechanism, so it’s not clear who, if anyone, might make that happen.Peter Hendricks, an attorney and parent who served on the St. Paul school district’s defunct budget finance committee, has been researching the matter and spoke last week before the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement.“Many school districts do comply with the statute, but there are four districts that clearly do not,” he said, detailing contract provisions from St. Paul, Anoka-Hennepin, Minnetonka and Hopkins.Spokespeople for three of the district...

Family Ethiopian recipes are coming to Lowertown at new restaurant Erta Ale

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

A new Ethiopian restaurant called Erta Ale is opening soon in Lowertown in the former home of sushi restaurant Kyatchi and, previously, longtime Japanese noodle shop Tanpopo.The restaurant is named after the Erta Ale volcano, one of the most active in Africa. Owner Amy Abebe Tsegaye picked the name to “symbolize the fiery and flavorful nature of Ethiopian cuisine,” she said in a news release.Tsegaye, who’s from Ethiopia, is basing the menu around recipes she learned from her mother and grandmother. Along with classic Ethiopian stewed meats and vegetables served on spongy injera bread, Erta Ale will offer a weekend buffet to coincide with the nearby St. Paul Farmers’ Market. Injera, a tangy flatbread with a bouncy texture, is used as the primary eating utensil in many Ethiopian dishes; it’s typically made with a grain called teff, which is naturally gluten-free.They’ll also perform traditional coffee ceremonies, an important cultural custom.Erta Ale is set to soft-open the last...

98.3 TRY Social Dilemma:  Is It Okay To Date Your Child's Sixth-Grade Teacher?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma came from William, and it's about dating after divorce. Here's his email: Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Hi Jaime...here's a dilemma. Last night, my sixth-grade daughter had a school recital that I attended alone…while my ex-wife sat on the complete other side of the auditorium. The ex-wife thing is relatively new, and it apparently caught the attention of one of my daughter’s teachers who…without going into too much detail…made it clear to me that she was interested in going out on a date. As flattering as that is, I’ve seen enough TV and movies to know that dating a teacher that’s going to be in my daughter’s life for a couple more years can be a risky deal. Do I go for it? What are the pitfalls of this? It’s a weird world getting back into the dating scene, and I definitely need some help. Thanks so muchWilliamWell, I think William should steer clear of dating the...

Danes drop hard-fought home battle with No. 12 Penn

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Despite jumping out to a five-goal advantage midway through the second quarter, and leading for the majority of the game, the University at Albany men's lacrosse team could not hang on against the University of Pennsylvania, the No. 12 ranked team in the nation, at home Wednesday night, falling to the Quakers 14-11. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Key StatsPeter Salit scored four goals and recorded one assistJake Piseno recorded one assist, won eight ground balls, and caused four turnoversAlex Pfeiffer scored twiceTJ Sheehan scored once with two assistsPenn won 20 of 29 faceoffs, but committed 23 turnovers to UAlbany's 13Head Coach Scott Marr: "We had a solid effort, really from start to finish.  The game comes down to the last couple of minutes, and I thought we played real well offensively in the first half.  They made some adjustments at halftime, but we ha...

Shen's Salati shuts down Shaker

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

LATHAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Shaker baseball team hosted a rivalry matchup with Shenendehowa on Wednesday. The Plainsmen put their 6-2 record on the line against the 6-4 Blue Bison. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Shen jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to a 3-run blast from Austin Caldwell in the first inning. That was all the run support Nino Salati would need. Salati threw a complete game, two-hit shutout, striking out six along the way. The Plainsmen held on for the 3-0 win. Shenendehowa improves to 7-2 on the season, while Shaker drops to 6-5.