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Live updates | Gaza sees more airstrikes and UN says half a million people are ‘starving’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:11 GMT

A report released Thursday by the U.N. finds that more than half a million people in Gaza are “starving” because of not enough food entering the territory since the outbreak of war more than 10 weeks ago. Tens of thousands of people are crammed into shelters and tent camps amid shortages of food, medicine and other basic supplies. A World Health Organization official who visited two hospitals in northern Gaza said they were doing more amputations because of staff, electricity and supply shortages. As diplomatic efforts to secure aid deliveries and another cease-fire in the conflict, Israel carried out more strikes and other operations across Gaza, but a territory-wide communications outage made it difficult to confirm details about the fighting. Hamas, meanwhile, fired a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv, underscoring the militant group’s resilience in the face of Israel’s blistering campaign to destroy it.Roughly 20,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel declared w...

A Republican proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Wisconsin is coming soon

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:11 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Republicans plan to unveil a proposal soon to legalize medical marijuana in the state and could vote on it sometime in 2024, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said.Republicans have been working behind closed doors for years on a medical marijuana bill. Along the way, they have rejected calls from Gov. Tony Evers and other Democrats to legalize all uses of marijuana, including medical and recreational.Vos, in an interview Wednesday, said the proposal will be limited and modeled after the medical marijuana law that had been in place in neighboring Minnesota before it moved to full legalization.“It is not going to be widespread,” he said. “We are not going to have dispensaries on every corner in every city.”He said Assembly Republicans are on board in concept, but no one has seen the actual proposal yet. He expected to unveil it in January. Vos had said in April that he hoped to have the bill by the fall of 2023, but he said it took more time to find consensus.“...

Baumgart out as Cologne coach with team stuck in Bundesliga relegation zone

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:11 GMT

COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — Relegation-threatened Cologne is parting ways with coach Steffen Baumgart because of the team’s difficult start to the season.The Bundesliga club said Thursday that the 51-year-old coach had jointly agreed with managing director Christian Keller and sporting director Thomas Kessler not to continue.“After the current unsatisfactory start to the season, we were very open, direct, factual and respectful in the last days and weeks, as to whether or not the strength and conviction are there in the required amount,” Keller said. “For that reason, it is to be fully respected that Steffen questioned his own personal conviction. As a result, we collectively decided to end our working relationship — even when that hurts, personally.”Baumgart’s last game in charge was a 2-0 loss at his ex-club Union Berlin on Wednesday. Both teams had been level on just 10 points going into their last game before the winter break. Cologne remained in the relegation zone after the defeat...

Congo conducts a 2nd day of voting after delays and closed polls keep people from casting ballots

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:11 GMT

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo entered a second day of voting Thursday after a chaotic rollout and lengthy delays forced officials to extend the balloting in the general election, drawing criticism from some opposition candidates as concerns mount that the logistical hurdles could affect the credibility of the results. At stake is the future of one of Africa’s largest nations and one whose mineral resources are increasingly crucial to the global economy. Congo has a history of disputed elections that can turn violent, and there’s little confidence among many Congolese in the country’s institutions. President Felix Tshisekedi, who is seeking his second and final five-year term, has spent much of his time in office trying to gain legitimacy after a disputed 2018 election. Some 44 million people — almost half the population — were expected to vote in this year’s presidential contest and in legislative and provincial elections held simultaneously. Tshisekedi is the likely winner of ...

Grammy nominee Gracie Abrams makes music that unites strangers — and has Taylor Swift calling

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:11 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The year 2023 was good to Gracie Abrams. She released her debut album. She opened for Taylor Swift. She sold out a U.S. tour, and took that tour to Europe. She started writing new music. And to cap it all off, she got her first Grammy nomination: best new artist.When the nominations dropped in early November, Abrams, 24, was at home, alone. “I just couldn’t have anticipated it less, you know. And so it was kind of this really, extremely exciting honor and a really sweet cherry on top to a year of so many gifts.”Abrams immediately called her mom. But the first person to call her was fellow best new artist and first-time nominee, Noah Kahan. (They were “screaming on the phone,” she says.) The two are joined in the category by Ice Spice, Victoria Monét, Fred again.., Jelly Roll, Coco Jones and The War and Treaty.Looking ahead to the Feb. 4 Grammy ceremony in Los Angeles, Abrams said: “I’m really stoked to just cheer really loudly for everyone.”Her debut album, “ Good Ri...

Man indicted in tourist stabbing death at DC hotel

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:11 GMT

A D.C. man was indicted Wednesday on five counts stemming from the March 2023 stabbing murder of a 31-year-old Virginia woman in Northeast D.C.George Sydnor Jr., a 44-year-old from D.C., was indicted by a D.C. Superior Court on charges of first-degree murder while armed, burglary, kidnapping and other charges. The indictment included an aggravating circumstance enhancement on all five counts, which found the offenses to be “especially heinous, atrocious or cruel.”On March 31, 2023, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department responded to a 911 call at the Ivy City Hotel in Northeast D.C., where they found Christy Bautista dead on the floor at the foot of the first bed. Sydnor was found sitting on the second bed covered in blood with cuts to his right hand, alongside a bloody knife, according to court documents.An autopsy determined that Bautista, who was visiting D.C. from Harrisonburg, Virginia, for a concert, had been stabbed approximately 30 times. Bautista had been stabbed ...

Driver charged in Broomfield crash that killed mom, son

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:11 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A man has been charged with vehicular homicide and driving under the influence after allegedly crashing into a mother and her teenager near Broomfield High School.On Thursday, the 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office charged 37-year-old Jose Menjivar with the following: Vehicular homicide - Class 3 felonyVehicular homicide - Class 4 felonyDriving under the influence - Fourth or subsequent offenseDriving under the influence per se - Fourth or subsequent offenseOn Dec. 12, Menjivar was allegedly driving at speeds of up to 100 mph down Main Street in Broomfield when he struck a 2016 Mazda CX-5 at Miramonte Boulevard. Melissa Powell, 47, and her son, 16-year-old Riordan Powell died in the crash. Riordan was a student at nearby Broomfield High School and Boulder TEC. Woman shot while inside Aurora home Police searched Menjivar’s Toyota and found at least two empty beer cans on the front passenger floorboard. Police also found a beer can on the road near the crash si...

Powerball jackpot climbs to $620 million. Colorado ticket wins $2 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:11 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — The Powerball prize continues to climb ahead of the holidays after no one won the big prize in Wednesday night's drawing. Three tickets sold in Colorado, Kentucky and Virginia were worth $2 million apiece, while two tickets sold in Kentucky and Rhode Island won $1 million each.The winning numbers drawn Wednesday were 27, 35, 41, 56, 60, and red Powerball 16. The Power Play was 2X.Powerball officials now estimate the jackpot to be $620 million with a cash value of $310.8 million ahead of Saturday night's drawing. How did two tickets sold at the same gas station win the Mega Millions jackpot? There are two payout options a Powerball jackpot winner chooses from: the cash lump sum payment (the most common, but the one you may want to think twice about) and the annuitized option. The cash payout is worth about $310.8 million in this drawing — it's the amount of money Powerball officials believe they’ll have in the prize pool at the time of the drawing, which would be enoug...

Colorado 20-year-old becomes world rodeo champion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:11 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A 20-year-old from Colorado's Yampa Valley is the world bareback riding champion. Keenan Hayes, of Hayden, secured the win at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas earlier this month. Denver restaurant recognized nationally for having one of best dishes in US According to ProRodeo, Hayes started riding mini steers when he was eight years old, then progressed to junior bulls and smaller horses.He competed in three roughstock events in high school before shifting his focus to bareback riding in 2021.This season, Hayes accumulated $434,050 in prizes for his success as a bareback rider and finished as the No. 1 bareback rider in the world.

Rudy Giuliani files for bankruptcy days after being ordered to pay $148 million in defamation case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:11 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Rudy Giuliani has filed for bankruptcy, days after being ordered to pay $148 million in a defamation lawsuit.The former New York City mayor listed nearly $153 million in existing or potential debts. Those included hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax liabilities, money he owes his lawyers and many millions of dollars in potential legal judgements in lawsuits against him.The biggest of those is the $148 million he was ordered to pay a week ago for making false statements about election workers in Georgia stemming from the 2020 presidential contest.