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While visiting wartime Israel, New York governor learns of her father’s sudden death back home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:41 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The New York governor’s father died overnight while she was visiting wartime Israel, with the governor slipping a note grieving her loss into Jerusalem’s Western Wall holy site on Thursday. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul learned of her 87-year-old father John Courtney’s sudden death from a brain hemorrhage in Florida as she embarked on the second day of a trip to show support for Israel during its war with Hamas. At the Western Wall, Hochul appeared to wipe away a tear before placing a handwritten note with prayers for Israel and for her father into a crack in the limestone wall. “As the state with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, New York and Israel share a bond that will never be broken,” Hochul posted on X, formally Twitter.The governor’s sojourn comes as the Israeli military has relentlessly attacked Gaza in retaliation for a bloody cross-border massacre by Hamas militants in southern Israel almost two weeks ago.Gaza’s Health Mini...

14 cows killed, others survive truck rollover crash in Connecticut

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:41 GMT

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — A tractor-trailer carrying 44 dairy cows crashed on a Connecticut highway exit ramp early Thursday, killing eight of the animals immediately while another six had to be euthanized because of their injuries, state police and agriculture officials said.Police and firefighters responded to the wreck on an exit off Interstate 84 westbound in Newtown at about 3:30 a.m. and found the truck tipped over on the driver’s side. The driver was not seriously injured, firefighters said.Authorities summoned a state veterinarian, who decided six other cows needed to be put down. State troopers euthanized the animals at the scene, police said.The remaining 30 cows were doing well after having been loaded onto another truck and taken to a veterinarian for evaluation, the state Department of Agriculture said.It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the crash. State police were investigating.The truck was transporting the cows from Maine to Ohio, state agriculture offic...

No gun, no car, no living witnesses against man charged in Tupac Shakur killing, defense lawyer says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:41 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A lawyer speaking for the former street gang leader charged with killing Tupac Shakur in 1996 said Thursday he sees “obvious defenses” in the murder case in Las Vegas.“There’s no gun, there’s no car and there’s no witnesses from 27 years ago,” attorney Ross Goodman told reporters after the briefest of court hearings, at which he told a Nevada judge he was close to being hired to represent Duane “Keffe D” Davis.Clark County District Judge Tierra Jones gave Davis and Goodman two weeks to reach agreement, saying she wants to “get this case moving.” She reset Davis’ arraignment for Nov. 2.Goodman told reporters that although he doesn’t yet represent Davis, he expects Davis will plead not guilty and seek release from jail pending trial. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson did not respond to messages about Goodman’s comments.Davis, 60, is being held at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas without bail. He is originally from Compton, Ca...

Carbon capture key to net-zero electricity, but federal timelines too tight: Report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:41 GMT

CALGARY — Carbon capture and storage is key to greening Canada’s electricity grid, but meeting the proposed time frame laid out by the federal government will be extremely difficult based on the current state of the technology, a new report says.Ottawa has proposed clean electricity regulations aimed at getting Canada’s electricity grid to net-zero by 2035.This will likely require large-scale deployment of carbon capture and storage technology at natural gas and coal-fired power plants in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia, due to a lack of availability of hydroelectric power in those provinces.In a new report, the Regina-based International CCUS Knowledge Centre says in order to be compliant with the federal regulations, natural gas-fired power plants would need to achieve a nearly 95 per cent CO2 capture rate.But the organization points out that no carbon capture facility in the world is currently achieving that level of performance.The only large-scale carbon captu...

Journalists in Gaza wrestle with issues of survival in addition to getting stories out

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:41 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A limited number of journalists in Gaza are trying to report on the war with Israel while facing the same problems as the besieged Palestinian population there — wondering where to live, where to get food and water, and how to stay safe.The aftermath of Tuesday’s explosion that killed hundreds at a Gaza City hospital is the latest example of how that reality hinders the world’s ability to get a full picture of what is happening to the Palestinian population In Gaza.Outside journalists have been unable to enter Gaza since the Hamas attack in Israel on Oct. 7. The sole entry point for journalists, Israel’s Erez crossing, was attacked in the rampage and remains closed. A handful of news organizations had maintained a regular presence with bureaus there, including The Associated Press, the BBC, Reuters, Agence France-Presse and Al-Jazeera, with a network of stringers helping others.Israel’s order to Palestinians to evacuate the northern part of Ga...

Teen reaches $1.9 million settlement after officer shot him in gun battle with bank robbery suspect

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:41 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — A teenager who was shot and wounded during a 2019 shootout between suburban Chicago police and a bank robbery suspect inside a music school has reached a $1.9 million settlement with the city of Des Plaines.Rylan Wilder signed off this week on the settlement, nearly four years after a bullet fired by Des Plaines Officer James Armstrong tore a hole through his left arm, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.Armstrong was chasing an armed man who had shot another officer after a bank robbery in Des Plaines when the suspect ran into Upbeat Music & Arts on Chicago’s Northwest Side. Armstrong followed him inside, shooting and killing him. In the process, he also accidentally shot Wilder, who was 15 and working as an intern at the school.The bullet that hit the crook of Wilder’s left elbow destroyed an artery, shredded a nerve and obliterated bone, threatening his guitar-playing dreams.Wilder’s parents sued in Cook County circuit court, alleging that the officer...

Fewer Californians are moving to Texas, but more are going to Florida and Arizona

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:41 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The number of former Californians who became Texans dropped slightly last year, but some of that slack was picked up by Arizona and Florida, which saw their tallies of ex-Californians grow, according to new state-to-state migration figures released Thursday.The flow of Californians to Texas has marked the largest state-to-state movement in the U.S. for the past two years, but it decreased from more than 107,000 people in 2021 to more than 102,000 residents in 2022, as real estate in Texas’ largest cities has grown more expensive. In Florida, meanwhile, the number of former Californians went from more than 37,000 people in 2021 to more than 50,000 people in 2022, and in Arizona, it went from more than 69,000 people to 74,000 people during that same time period.California had a net loss of more than 113,000 residents last year, a number that would have been much higher if not for people moving to the state from other countries and a natural increase from mor...

GOP opposition builds to empowering McHenry as temporary Speaker: Live coverage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:41 GMT

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) will back a resolution to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) as he continues to work to shore up support for his Speaker bid — but GOP opposition to the idea is building.The Ohio Republican failed to win the gavel on the second ballot Wednesday, losing even more Republicans than on the first ballot Tuesday. That — combined with the war in Israel and looming shutdown deadline — prompted increased chatter about granting McHenry temporary power to move legislation.It's not clear yet when such a resolution could come to the floor, or what Democrats would do once it does.Follow along with live updates below.

Alderwoman physically attacked during migrant site construction protest in Brighton Park: Mayor's office

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:41 GMT

CHICAGO -- During a protest against the construction site of a tent camp meant to house newly arrived migrants in Brighton Park Thursday, the mayor's office says Alderwoman Julia Ramirez was physically attacked. The owner of the site located near the intersection of 38th Street and California, the Sanches Group, submitted an application with the city when proposals were released to identify potential properties to house newly arrived migrants. During the protest, Ramirez was chased by people demanding answers and she was then escorted out by police.According to the mayor's office, Ramirez was a victim of a physical attack by area residents and released a statement: "Any violent act against an elected official in our city is unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest terms. My office and the Chicago Police Department are currently investigating this incident, and we will provide updates as they become available.” Residents upset by the plan mentioned feelings ...

Fisher-Price recalling thousands of Thomas & Friends toys over choking risk

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:41 GMT

(WHTM) – Fisher-Price is recalling about 21,000 Thomas & Friends train car toys due to a choking hazard.A small plastic piece with a high-powered magnet inside can loosen or detach, possibly causing a child to choke or even swallow the magnet, according to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission.The recall involves about 21,000 of the Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway Troublesome Truck & Crates and Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway Troublesome Truck & Paint toys in the U.S. Around 400 more were sold in Canada. Protein powder recalled over potential plastic contamination The Truck & Crates toys (model number HBJ89) are black and gray with brown crates as cargo, while the Truck & Paint toys (model number HBJ90) are gray and black with gray paint cans as cargo.The magnets are used to attach the affected toys to compatible Thomas & Friends train toys. The train cars have faces on them that look like the characters from "Thomas & Friends"...