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Former Treasury Secretary Lew, Biden’s pick for ambassador to Israel, to face senators at hearing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:54 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is moving quickly to confirm Jacob Lew as ambassador to Israel, holding a hearing on his nomination Wednesday as President Joe Biden heads to the region to reinforce U.S. support for Israel and try to ease tensions in its new war with Hamas. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing comes as the White House has told lawmakers that it is considering a request of between $90 billion and $100 billion for the wars in Israel and Ukraine, and for Taiwan as it faces threats from China, according to four people familiar with the conversations. The request to Congress would cover a year, according to another person familiar with the administration’s expected request. Lew, a Treasury Secretary under former President Barack Obama, was nominated by Biden last month after former Ambassador Tom Nides left the post in July. Democrats say Lew’s wealth of government experience — he also served as a White House chief of staff and director of the Office of Management ...

Republicans and Democrats agree on one thing: The Afghan war wasn’t worth it, AP-NORC poll shows

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:54 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — At a time when Americans are deeply divided along party lines, a new poll shows considerable agreement on at least one issue: The United States’ two-decade-long war in Afghanistan was not worth fighting.The poll from the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research comes two years after the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan in August 2021 and the Taliban returned to power. The war was started to go after the masterminds of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the Taliban who allowed them to use Afghan territory. It ended in frantic scenes of Afghans and Americans desperately trying to get on one of the last flights out of Kabul.Polls suggest the withdrawal, seen by many as chaotic and ill-planned, may have been a turning point for President Joe Biden’s approval ratings, which started a downward slide around that time and have not recovered since. Two-thirds of Americans sa...

Suspect in Natalee Holloway case expected to enter plea in extortion charge

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:54 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The chief suspect in Natalee Holloway’s 2005 disappearance is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning, where he is expected to plead guilty to trying to extort money from her mother and provide new information about what happened to the missing teen.Joran van der Sloot, 36, charged with extortion and wire fraud, is scheduled to go before a federal judge in Birmingham, Alabama, for a plea and sentencing hearing. Attorney John Q. Kelly, who represented Holloway’s mother during the alleged extortion attempt, said the plea deal was contingent on van der Sloot providing details about what happened to Holloway.Van der Sloot is not charged in Holloway’s death. He is charged with trying to extort $250,000 from Holloway’s mother, Beth Holloway, in 2010 to reveal the location of her daughter’s remains. Holloway went missing during a high school graduation trip to Aruba with classmates from Mountain Brook High School. She was last seen lea...

China’s Xi promises more market openness and new investments for Belt and Road projects

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:54 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping promised greater access to China’s market for international firms and new financing exceeding $100 billion for other developing economies as he opened a forum Wednesday on his signature Belt and Road infrastructure policy.The initiative has built power plants, roads, railroads and ports around the world and deepened China’s relations with Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Mideast. But the massive loans that funded the projects have burdened poorer countries with heavy debts, in some cases leading to China taking control of those assets.At the forum’s opening ceremony at the cavernous Great Hall of the People, Xi promised two Chinese-backed development banks – the China Development Bank and the Export–Import Bank of China – will each set 350 billion yuan ($47.9 billion) financing windows, while an additional 80 billion yuan ($11 billion) will be injected into the Silk Road Fund to support BRI projects.“We will comprehensively remove...

Colorado teens accused of taking ‘memento’ photo after rock-throwing death set to appear in court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:54 GMT

GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) — Three teenagers charged with murder in the death of a 20-year Colorado driver who was struck by a rock that investigators say was thrown through her windshield are set to appear in court Wednesday for an evidentiary hearing to determine if their case should go to trial.Joseph Koenig, Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak were arrested several days after Alexa Bartell was hit in the head by a rock while driving northwest of Denver on April 19 and talking on the phone with a friend. After the call went silent, the friend tracked Bartell’s location with a phone app and found the suburban Denver woman dead in her car, which had crashed into a field. Investigators have said Bartell was killed by the rock and not the crash.According to court documents, the teens, all 18 at the time, circled back to take a photo of the crashed car as a “memento.”Investigators said at the time that they believed the attack was linked to several other similar incidents in which ro...

Calvin Booth addresses comments made about Michael Porter Jr., Bones Hyland: “Mike is a core piece of our program”

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:54 GMT

LOS ANGELES — Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth appeared on ESPN’s broadcast of the Nuggets-Clippers preseason game Tuesday night and addressed recent comments attributed to him in an article by The Ringer.Booth reaffirmed his appreciation of Michael Porter Jr. in the brief, live interview on ESPN. “Obviously, Mike is a core piece of our program with his character and offensive and defensive prowess,” Booth said.In the article published Monday, Booth was quoted in a way that he described Tuesday as “unfair” while explaining his rationale for last season’s trade of Bones Hyland. “I knew you couldn’t have two guys that couldn’t guard, and we couldn’t have two guys that were young and kind of more ‘me guys,’” Booth told The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor. “Mike makes $30 million. He’s one of the best shooters in the NBA. So, Bones, there’s no place for you.”Given the opportunity to address those comments, Booth told ESPN: &#...

Malibu crash leaves 4 dead

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:54 GMT

Four people died Tuesday night following a multi-vehicle crash in Malibu.The crash happened around 8:30 p.m. on the 21500 block of the Pacific Coast Highway.According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, four people were pronounced dead at the scene. Two others were injured and crews were working to remove them from the vehicles and transport them to the hospital. The severity of their injuries is unclear at this time.One of the involved vehicles in a deadly crash in Malibu is seen on its side on Oct. 17, 2023. (KTLA)Video from Sky5 showed at least two vehicles that sustained major damage, including one vehicle that rolled onto its side. Severe front end damage to one of the vehicles seemed to indicate that the crash was a head-on collision.The circumstances of the crash are under investigation. Check back for details on this developing story.

Armed man taken into custody at Palo Alto shopping center

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:54 GMT

PALO ALTO – Officers on Tuesday night took an armed man into custody at a Palo Alto shopping center, police said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | 2 vehicles stolen, 6 others burglarized Monday in Los Altos Crime and Public Safety | San Jose police say teen pistol-whipped resident during home invasion Crime and Public Safety | Body found in pond on Evergreen Valley College campus Crime and Public Safety | Fundraisers underway for parents of 18-month-old girl who drowned at San Jose daycare Crime and Public Safety | Sheriff’s office investigating fatal shooting in hills east of San Jose The incident happened at Town & Country Village, located at 855 El Camino Real, the Palo Alto Police Department said in a community message.Officers took the man into custody and recovered a loaded firearm, according to police.Police said no one was injured and no force was used.Additional details about t...

2 vehicles stolen, 6 others burglarized Monday in Los Altos

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:54 GMT

LOS ALTOS – Two vehicles were stolen and another half dozen were burglarized Monday morning in Los Altos, authorities said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Armed man taken into custody at Palo Alto shopping center Crime and Public Safety | San Jose police say teen pistol-whipped resident during home invasion Crime and Public Safety | Body found in pond on Evergreen Valley College campus Crime and Public Safety | Fundraisers underway for parents of 18-month-old girl who drowned at San Jose daycare Crime and Public Safety | Sheriff’s office investigating fatal shooting in hills east of San Jose In addition, the suspects tried to enter homes, garages and other vehicles, the Los Altos Police Department said in a news release.The incidents happened between 1:20 a.m. and 4:20 a.m. in the 1000 block of Laureles Drive, 300 block of Lunada Drive, 400 block of Pine Lane, 800 block Patrick Way, 800 b...

Street vending to be banned on SF's Mission Street

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:54 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Selling goods on San Francisco's Mission Street will soon be banned, city supervisor Hillary Ronen confirmed to KRON4. Ronen said allowing vendors was creating hazards in the area. "Unfortunately a good intentioned State Law SB 946, which legalized street vending in any public space in California, has led to problems in the Mission District and in many other areas around the City," she said. Suspect in armed home invasion robbery arrested in San Jose There have long been people selling goods on the street in the Mission District, particularly near the BART stations. Items include anything from clothing, pharmacy products and grocery items. However, Ronen said San Francisco Department of Public Works employees had been assaulted and threatened by people selling stolen goods on the streets. Other workers wore bulletproof vests to work and filed grievances allowing them to avoid working in the Mission due to fears for their safety. "The Mission’s vulnerable s...