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Congress departs without a deal on Ukraine aid and border security, but Senate will work next week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:37 GMT

By STEPHEN GROVES, LISA MASCARO and SEUNG MIN KIM (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress was departing Washington on Thursday without a deal to pass wartime support for Ukraine, but Senate negotiators and President Joe Biden’s administration were still racing to wrap up a border security compromise to unlock the stalemate before the end of the year.The Senate planned to come back next week in hopes of passing the $110 billion package of aid for Ukraine, Israel and other national security and finalizing a deal to place new restrictions on asylum claims at the U.S. border. But the House showed no sign of returning to push the legislation through the full Congress.Lawmakers leaving the impasse unresolved through the holidays would mean the Biden administration would have to rely on a dwindling supply of funds for Ukraine. The wartime aid has so far been vital to Ukraine’s defending against Russia’s invasion, but an emboldened Russian President Vladimir Put...

Mayor Karen Bass wants to bring more businesses to L.A. as part of her 2024 goal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:37 GMT

It's been one year since Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was sworn in.She's made solving homelessness a top priority for the city. Last year, she launched the "Inside Safe" program, which helped relocate about 2,000 people through Nov. 30 of this past year. However, close to 400 of those left the program. This comes as 46,000 people are experiencing homelessness in L.A. "Overall, if you look at how many people were moved off the streets this year, we're talking about 21,000 in a variety of different ways, a lot of things to do in the next year," Bass explained the KTLA 5's Frank Buckley and Megan Telles. "But I think one of the most important things that we accomplished is destroying the myth that people won't leave the streets."She then provided an example of how unhoused people are telling others about the program. "We go to house people in an encampment, and there'll be 20 people. We've counted two days ahead of time, the move-out day 30 people show up. So people are coming, the unh...

Why SF Giants are all-in on pitching, defense after missing out on Ohtani

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:37 GMT

In the wake of missing out on Shohei Ohtani, a unique opportunity to add superstar-sized thump to their lineup, the San Francisco Giants are going all-in on pitching and defense, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi suggested this week.“The fact that we have a staff that throws a ton of strikes, gets a lot of ground balls, if we can put a good defense behind that group, I think we have a chance to be really good next year,” Zaidi said. “We’re going to continue to look for athleticism up the middle of the diamond, look for players whether it’s by trade or free agency who will put our players in their best defensive spots, not having guys playing out of position, and really support our pitching staff, which we’ve talked about as a strength of our team.”A quick pivot to 25-year-old Korean outfielder Jung-Hoo Lee, pending a physical, is only step one.If all is well with his surgically repaired left ankle, Lee’s reported six-year, $113 million deal ...

Human remains found in June near Oakland Zoo officially identified; police say man was a homicide victim 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:37 GMT

OAKLAND — The skeletal remains of a man found in June near the Oakland Zoo have been identified as a 63-year-old Oakland man who had been reported missing in February, authorities said.Although they won’t say exactly how the man died, police investigators have officially classified his death as a homicide.Working with the coroner’s office, police have identified the man as Julio Chavez-Montoya, a boiler maintenance worker in downtown Oakland.His remains were found about 1:09 p.m. June 23 in the 10100 block of Golf Links Road near Elysian Fields Drive by a man whose goats were performing wildfire fuel mitigation in the area, authorities said.He was last seen alive in late January and was reported missing by his family on Feb. 13, police said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Alameda County DA dismisses double murder case after lawyer found second gun at crime scene Crime and Public Safety | Jewish community replaces Lake Merritt me...

Warriors face potential franchise-altering questions after Draymond Green suspension, GM Dunleavy says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:37 GMT

LOS ANGELES — Draymond Green’s indefinite suspension not only leaves Golden State without a key cog for an undetermined time period, but opens up a defining stretch for the Warriors’ future, general manager Mike Dunleavy said.Green will be around the team for practices while also taking time away to tend to a personal matter that is connected to his recent on-court outbursts, Dunleavy said. Green has now been suspended twice this season, first for five games for putting Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert in a chokehold and, his latest, for hitting Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face with a flailing arm.“The biggest thing to me right now isn’t the punishment, it’s helping him out and giving him assistance,” Dunleavy said at the Warriors’ shootaround on Thursday.The NBA passed down an indefinite suspension with his return to play contingent on completing required work on himself, which Dunleavy said was an agreement between Green and his age...

Castro Valley: Witness-turned-murder-defendant released from jail in latest twist during contentious case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:37 GMT

OAKLAND — A California woman has been released from jail less than a month after prosecutors charged her with murder in the gruesome 2021 death of a San Leandro man, the latest twist in a case against four people that largely hangs on her word.Mashonna Whittle, 35, was originally viewed by police and prosecutors as a witness in the death of 37-year-old Benjamin Hemmann, whose gagged and bound body was discovered along a Castro Valley roadway in September 2021. Whittle gave statements to police implicating her husband and two other men, then attempted to retract them, refused to testify at the preliminary hearing, and told her husband she wouldn’t take the stand during trial, according to police.Now, Whittle stands alongside three co-defendants — her husband, Kevin Woodruff, a friend named Brian Wu, and a third person, Steve Hanna, aka Richardo Onteveros — all facing charges of murdering Hemmann during a robbery. Hanna is accused of personally killing Hemmann by stranglin...

'I'm sick of the lies': Frank Somerville owns up to dark side, problems with alcohol

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:37 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- "I'm sick of the lies. I'm sick of the chaos, and I'm sick of being sick," Frank Somerville said. The former Bay Area TV news anchor said he is done with drinking alcohol and brave enough to admit that he has a problem."I hurt my ex-wife and my kids because of my selfish behavior. That's the hardest one. I did it because I was drinking and I did it because I was a selfish prick," Somerville said.In a one-on-one interview with KRON4 special contributor Pam Moore, Somerville revealed he had an awakening on June 6. It was the day he was arrested in Berkeley twice in less than 24 hours.The former anchor said he was angry when he went to his brother's Berkeley house. The brother called police. After Somerville was released from jail, he returned to his brother's house 3:30 a.m. The police were called again, Somerville was arrested for DUI, and he displayed "objective signs and symptoms of public intoxication," police said.Frank Somerville talks to Pam Moore at his...

Stock market today: Wall Street rises again and the Dow reaches another record

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:37 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks closed modestly higher on Wall Street, enough to push the Dow Jones Industrial Average to its second straight record high. The middling gains followed a big rally the day before on excitement that several cuts to interest rates may indeed be coming next year. The S&P 500 climbed 0.3% Thursday and is within 1.6% of the all-time high it set early last year. The Dow added 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.2%. Treasury yields fell again, a day after the Federal Reserve indicated it may cut rates by more in 2024 than it had earlier forecast. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.NEW YORK (AP) — Most of Wall Street is rising Thursday following its big rally the day before on excitement that several cuts to interest rates may indeed be coming next year.The S&P 500 was 0.2% higher in late trading and within 1.7% of its all-time high set early last year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 117 points, or 0.3%, and on track t...

Panthers look to slow down Falcons versatile rookie running back Bijan Robinson

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:37 GMT

ATLANTA (6-7) at CAROLINA (1-12)Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox.BETTING LINE: Falcons by 3, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.AGAINST THE SPREAD: Atlanta 4-9; Carolina 2-9-2SERIES RECORD: Falcons lead 36-21.LAST MEETING: Falcons won 24-10 on Sept. 10, 2023, in Atlanta. LAST WEEK: Falcons lost to Buccaneers 29-25; Panthers lost to Saints 28-6. FALCONS OFFENSE: OVERALL (15), RUSH (6), PASS (21), SCORING (24).FALCONS DEFENSE: OVERALL (11), RUSH (15), PASS (9), SCORING (12).PANTHERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (30), RUSH (21), PASS (31), SCORING (30).PANTHERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (4), RUSH (19), PASS (3), SCORING (31).TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Falcons minus-4; Panthers minus-8. FALCONS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Bijan Robinson has 396 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns over the past four games. He totaled 63 yards from scrimmage and a score in Atlanta’s Week 1 home win over Carolina. The Panthers have struggled at times against the run and Robinson’s speed and quickness is of concern to Carolina. Panthers interim h...

Md. governor: 2024 will be ‘the year for military families’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:37 GMT

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Annapolis, Md., Thursday, March 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)(AP/Susan Walsh) Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Annapolis, Md., Thursday, March 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)(AP/Susan Walsh) Gov. Wes Moore (D) declared 2024 “the year for military families in the state of Maryland” on Wednesday, as he rolled out his first legislative priorities for the New Year.Moore’s administration will sponsor four bills in the 2024 General Assembly and support five others that aim to recognize the sacrifice of military families in the state and provide support.Moore, himself a veteran U.S. Army capt...