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Biden’s Cabinet secretaries will push a divided Congress to send aid to Israel and Ukraine

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:40 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken will make the case Tuesday that the United States should immediately send aid to Israel and Ukraine, testifying at a Senate hearing as the administration’s massive $105 billion emergency aid request for conflicts in those countries and others has already hit roadblocks in the divided Congress.President Joe Biden’s Cabinet secretaries will be advocating for the foreign aid to a mostly friendly audience in the Senate, where majority Democrats and many Republicans support tying aid for the two countries together. But it faces much deeper problems in the Republican-led House, where new Speaker Mike Johnson has proposed cutting out the Ukraine aid and focusing on Israel alone, and cutting money for the Internal Revenue Service to pay for it. The drastically narrowed House proposal, which would cost more than $14 billion, faced immediate resistance among Senate Democrats — and put pressure on Sena...

Judge dismisses Brett Favre defamation suit, saying Shannon Sharpe used hyperbole over welfare money

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:40 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A federal judge on Monday dismissed Brett Favre’s defamation lawsuit against fellow retired NFL player Shannon Sharpe, ruling that Sharpe used constitutionally protected speech on a sports broadcast when he criticized Favre’s connection to a welfare misspending case in Mississippi.U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett ruled that Sharpe, a former tight end, was using “rhetorical hyperbole” in saying on air that Favre was “taking from the underserved,” that the former quarterback “stole money from people that really needed that money” and that someone would have to be a sorry person “to steal from the lowest of the low.” Favre sued Sharpe in February, saying that the fellow Pro Football Hall of Fame member made “egregiously false” statements about him on the Fox Sports talk show “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed.” The case was moved to federal court in March, and Sharpe left the sports show in June.Discussion of Mississippi welfare spending on “Undispu...

Seager stars with 2-run homer, Rangers edge Diamondbacks 3-1 in World Series

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:40 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Corey Seager launched a two-run homer and made a slick defensive play in the eighth inning to start a crucial double play, Max Scherzer combined with four relievers for a gem on the mound and the Texas Rangers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 to take a 2-1 lead in the World Series on Monday night.Texas overcame injuries to Scherzer and slugger Adolis García in improving to 9-0 on the road this post-season, this time in front of more than 48,000 fans at Chase Field.“We’re just coming ready to play every night, no matter where we are,” Seager said. “That’s what the focus is.”The 29-year-old Seager — in the second year of a $325 million contract — once again showed he was worth every penny on the game’s biggest stage.The shortstop smoked a two-run homer into the right-field seats as part of a three-run third after Diamondbacks rookie starter Brandon Pfaadt left a first-pitch change-up high in the zone. The ball left Seager’s bat at 114.5 m.p.h., which was the hardest-hi...

L.A.‘s Jews are buying guns, some for the first time

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:40 GMT

As the war between Israel and Hamas rages, local gun shop owners say concerns fueled by the bloody conflict have led to a surge in sales in Southern California, with many Jewish people arming themselves for the first time.  Jewish himself, Charles Jasper, Director of Aegis Private Security which also provides gun training, told KTLA’s Jennifer McGraw that his business has doubled since the war began.  “The idea that people can go door-to-door, terrorists can go door-to-door with impunity and not face hard resistance is something difficult to process, especially as an American,” he said.  In Studio City last week, the home of a Jewish family was broken into by a man threatening to kill them while hurling anti-Semitic insults. The victim, who is nine months pregnant, told KTLA that the intruder first kicked in the door to their master bedroom. Her husband fought with him while she called 911. Officers arrived and found him armed with a kitchen knife, Key News repor...

L.A. deputies investigating multi-victim shooting

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:40 GMT

Three people were taken to the hospital after a shooting Monday in Arcadia, authorities confirmed to KTLA.  Medical personnel with the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to calls of the shooting, located on North Lenore Avenue at around 5:25 p.m., fire officials said.  Details are limited and it’s unclear what led to the multi-victim shooting, but deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department located two of the gunshot in Arcadia while a third victim who drove to themselves to the 4300 block of Peck Road was located in El Monte.  L.A. deputies on the scene of a multi-victim shooting in Arcadia on Oct. 30, 2023. (KTLA)Aerial footage of Sky5 showed the scene in Arcadia cordoned off by tape while authorities investigated the shooting and questioned any possible witnesses.   Wildfire explodes in Riverside County, prompting evacuation orders The sheriff’s department did not provide any details about the age or gender of the victims nor was any informatio...

AP PHOTOS: 3-day Halloween festival draws huge crowds to Romania’s capital, Bucharest

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:40 GMT

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — The Romanian capital Bucharest boasts a perfect location for Halloween festivities — and visitors love it.More than 80,000 people descended last weekend on Bucharest’s Insula Ingerilor, or Angels’ Island peninsula, for the three-day West Side Hallo Fest, the largest Halloween festival in the Eastern European nation since the fall of communism.The venue was carefully chosen. Both the Angels’ Island and the surrounding Lacul Morii lake have been shrouded in mystery stories ever since the lake was artificially created in the late 1980s.When the lake was created, hundreds of homes, two schools and a church had to be demolished, along with a cemetery. Authorities moved about 11,000 graves, but left many others behind, feeding spooky tales of lost souls, wandering ghosts and strange lights appearing at night.The area around the lake remained deserted for years and later became a popular recreation area for Bucharest residents. But its reputation of eerie mystery ...

Stafford Co. fire and rescue employee charged with murdering infant son

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:40 GMT

A Stafford County fire and rescue employee has been charged with murdering his 3-month-old son.On Oct. 27 at 12:25 p.m., deputies were called to Richland Road, where they found the infant unresponsive, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.Deputies attempted life-saving measures until fire and rescue arrived and took the baby to the hospital, where he died, the release said.The state medical examiner’s office ruled the death a homicide, but the sheriff’s office has not released details on how the child died.On Oct. 28, detectives charged the baby’s father, 19-year-old Dallas Bowling, with second-degree murder and felony child abuse, the release said.He was held without bond at Rappahannock Regional Jail.In a statement posted on social media, Stafford County Fire and Rescue officials did not identify Bowling by name, but said the employee charged with second-degree murder and child abuse had been placed on administrative leave pending the...

Lions lean on Jahmyr Gibbs’ legs, Jared Goff’s arm in 26-14 win over offensively challenged Raiders

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:40 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions can trace their turnaround to hitting more than missing in the draft.Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta are the latest examples.Gibbs ran for a season-high 152 yards and a touchdown, LaPorta had eight receptions for 57 yards with a score, and the rookies helped the Lions beat the Las Vegas Raiders 26-14 on Monday night.“We wanted to get Gibbs going,” coach Dan Campbell said. “You could tell he was feeling it.”The NFC North-leading Lions (6-2) stalled on three early drives, turned the ball over three times, missed a field goal and still won by double digits.“When your defense plays that good, you can overcome that,” Campbell said.Jared Goff threw an interception that Marcus Peters returned 75 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter, allowing Las Vegas (3-5) to pull within two points. Detroit’s next drive ended when Craig Reynolds fumbled at the Raiders 3.The Lions kept the ball on their third drive of the second half, taking a two-score lead ...

Luka Doncic’s 58th career triple-double powers Mavericks past Grizzlies 125-110

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:40 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Luka Doncic had 35 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists and Derrick Jones Jr. added 22 points as the Dallas Mavericks remained undefeated with a 125-110 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points for Dallas and Grant Williams finished with 15. Doncic, who had 49 points in Friday’s 125-120 win over the Brooklyn Nets, recorded his 58th career triple-double, shooting 11 of 22 from the field, including 6 of 12 from 3-point range. Dallas improved to 3-0.“It’s a great start,” Doncic said. “We know we have a lot of games left, but it’s always (nice) to have a great start.”Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 30 points apiece. Jackson grabbed nine rebounds. Marcus Smart finished with 23 points before fouling out late in the game.The loss left the Grizzlies at 0-4, the first time Memphis has lost its first four games in a season since 2004. Monday’s game was the largest losing margin.“We’...

Today in History: October 31, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:40 GMT

Today in HistoryToday is Tuesday, Oct. 31, the 304th day of 2023. There are 61 days left in the year. This is Halloween. Today’s Highlight in History: On Oct. 31, 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two Sikh security guards. On this date: In 1864, Nevada became the 36th state as President Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation. In 1941, work was completed on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, begun in 1927. In 1961, the body of Josef Stalin was removed from Lenin’s Tomb as part of the Soviet Union’s “de-Stalinization” drive. In 1964, Theodore C. Freeman, 34, became the first member of NASA’s astronaut corps to die when his T-38 jet crashed while approaching Ellington Air Force Base in Houston. In 1967, Nguyen Van Thieu (nwen van too) took the oath of office as the first president of South Vietnam’s second republic.In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered a halt to all U.S. bombing of North Vietnam, saying he hoped for fruitful peace ne...