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GOP candidates fight each other — and mostly line up behind Trump — at first debate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

By SARA BURNETT, JILL COLVIN and JONATHAN J. COOPER (Associated Press)MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Republican presidential candidates vying to be the leading alternative to front-runner Donald Trump fought — sometimes bitterly — over abortion rights, U.S. support for Ukraine and the type of experience needed to manage an expansive federal government during the first debate of the 2024 campaign. But when it came to arguably the most consequential choice facing the party, virtually everyone on the debate stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday night lined up behind Trump, who declined to participate, citing his commanding lead. Most said they would support Trump as their nominee even if he is convicted in a series of cases that range from his handling of classified documents to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his role in making hush money payments to a porn actress and other women.“Let’s just speak the truth,” said tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. &...

Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant begins releasing treated radioactive wastewater into the sea

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

OKUMA, Japan (AP) — The tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant ‘s operator says it began releasing its first batch of treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday — a controversial step, but a milestone for Japan’s battle with the growing radioactive water stockpile.In a live video from a control room at the plant, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings showed a staff member turn on a seawater pump with a click of a mouse, marking the beginning of the controversial project that is expected to last for decades.“Seawater Pump A activated,” the main operator said, confirming the release was underway. TEPCO later confirmed that the seawater pump was activated at 1:03 p.m. (0403 GMT), three minutes after the final step began. TEPCO said an additional wastewater release pump was activated 20 minutes after the first. Plant officials said everything was moving smoothly so far. Japanese fisher groups have opposed the plan for fear it will further dam...

3 small Palestinian villages emptied out this summer. Residents blame Israeli settler attacks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

AL-QABUN, West Bank (AP) — The Palestinian hamlet of al-Qabun in the central occupied West Bank was silent this week — the grazing fields for sheep deserted, the empty schoolhouse locked, the makeshift homes left as steel carcasses.The last families living there packed up two weeks ago, driven from their homes of nearly three decades by what they said was a year of intensified attacks and harassment by armed Jewish settlers living in unauthorized outposts on neighboring hilltops.“I feel like I’m a refugee here, and settlers are the owners of our land,” said Ali Abu Kbash, a shepherd who fled al-Qabun with his four children and 60 sheep for the rocky slopes of a neighboring village. He said life had become unbearable as settlers tried to take over his fields with their sheep, tampered with the village’s water supply, and routinely burst into his village to harass residents.The exodus from al-Qabun, a small Bedouin village northeast of the city of Ramallah that numbered 89 people befo...

Fukushima’s radioactive wastewater is being released in the Pacific. Here’s what you need to know

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

OKUMA, Japan (AP) — Treated and diluted but still slightly radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is being discharged into the Pacific Ocean. The first batch being released over the next 17 days is a small part of the tons of water that have accumulated at the plant. But the Japanese government and the plant’s operator say releasing the water is an unavoidable step in the decommissioning of the plant, which already will take decades. They say the water is treated and diluted to levels that are safer than international standards. But the plan faces opposition in and outside Japan. Here is a look at the controversy. WHY IS THERE SO MUCH WASTEWATER?The March 2011 earthquake and tsunami destroyed the plant’s cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt. Highly contaminated cooling water applied to the damaged reactors has leaked continuously to building basements and mixed with groundwater.The plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holding...

Oklahoma schools head takes aim at Tulsa district. Critics say his motives are politically driven

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — In his first year as head of Oklahoma’s public schools, State Superintendent Ryan Walters has taken on what he describes as “radical leftists” indoctrinating students. He has sought to ban certain books from school libraries and gone after efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the classroom.Now, the Republican who has fully embraced so-called culture war issues has a new target in his sights: Tulsa Public Schools, which is Oklahoma’s largest school district and has a student body of more than 33,000 students, nearly 80% of whom aren’t white. It’s a notable shift for Walters to move beyond conservative rhetoric by taking substantive action against a district viewed as more liberal, and it mirrors takeover actions by leaders in other Republican-led states such as Texas that Democrats see as driven by politics.While every other Oklahoma school district had its accreditation routinely approved by the state school board l...

California may pay unemployment to striking workers. But the fund to cover it is already insolvent

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Southern California’s summer of discontent — marked by a series of work stoppages from hotels to Hollywood — has inspired labor-supporting Democrats in the state Legislature to try and change the law so striking workers can get unemployment checks while they picket for better pay and working conditions.The bill, introduced this week, would make California just the third state to do this, joining New York and New Jersey. But unlike most states, California currently doesn’t have enough money to pay the benefits owed to unemployed workers. Business groups who oppose the bill argue making more people eligible for those checks will only make the problem worse.Labor unions and progressive policy groups say businesses are to blame for not putting enough money into the fund that pays unemployment benefits. The fund is filled by a tax that businesses must pay per each worker. But the tax only applies to the first $7,000 of employee wages — a figure that ...

Woman arrested in connection with July robbery in Thousand Palms 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

A second suspect has been arrested in connection with a robbery in Thousand Palms. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, the robbery originally occurred on July 29 in the area of Ramon Road and Thousand Palms Canyon Road.Preliminary investigation by authorities indicated that the victim was contacted by a woman at a business in the 32200 block of Bob Hope Drive in Rancho Mirage and eventually lured into a vehicle in the parking lot. “Two additional suspects were in the vehicle and the victim left the area with the three suspects,” RCSO said in a statement. “After driving the victim to the area of Ramon Road and Thousand Palms Canyon Road, the driver of the vehicle brandished a black semi-automatic handgun and demanded all the victim’s belongings.”  Four killed at famous Orange County biker bar, including gunman The driver of the vehicle was described as a white or light-skinned Hispanic man with several tattoos covering his face and body, authorities s...

Angels’ Shohei Ohtani suffers torn ulnar collateral ligament, ending his season as a pitcher

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

ANAHEIM —Shohei Ohtani has a torn ulnar collateral ligament, ending his season as a pitcher and dramatically shifting his prospects for what was expected to be a record-setting free agency this winter.Ohtani returned to the mound on Wednesday afternoon and left after just 26 pitches with what the team initially described as “fatigue.” Manager Phil Nevin said that Ohtani “didn’t feel any pain.”After the second game, though, the Angels revealed that imaging between games identified the tear. The Angels and Ohtani have not yet decided if he will undergo a second Tommy John surgery or how much he will hit for the rest of the season.Ohtani did not speak to the media on Wednesday, between games or after their doubleheader loss to the Cincinnati Reds. The Angels lost the first game 9-4 and the second game 7-3, losing for the 16th time in 21 games.Ohtani is set to be a free agent at the end of the season, and his contract was expected to be at least $500 million. With his future as a pitche...

Lafayette: Arrest made in shooting last month on Highway 24

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

VALLEJO – A nearly month-long investigation into a shooting on Highway 24 in Lafayette culminated Tuesday in the arrest of one suspect, as well as five others in connection with a different probe into a series of robberies and stolen vehicles, the California Highway Patrol said.The shooting happened around 11 a.m. on July 26 near Pleasant Hill Road, just west of Interstate 680. The CHP said someone in a vehicle traveling west on the highway opened fire on another vehicle. One of those vehicles then crashed into a third vehicle.The vehicles involved in the shooting left the scene before officers arrived, the CHP said. No one in the third vehicle was injured.Investigators went on to identify the shooting suspect as a 24-year-old Vallejo man.On Tuesday, authorities arrested the suspect at his apartment in Vallejo. He was booked into Contra Costa County jail on charges of attempted murder, discharging a firearm at an occupied vehicle and assault with a firearm.Five other people at the a...

Messi gets 2 assists as Miami beats Cincinnati and reaches US Open Cup final vs Houston

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:47 GMT

CINCINNATI (AP) — Lionel Messi had two assists and converted in a shootout to lead Inter Miami over MLS-leading Cincinnati 5-4 on penalty kicks after a 3-3 draw on Wednesday night and into a U.S. Open Cup final against Houston.Miami remained unbeaten in eight matches with Messi heading into his Major League Soccer debut on Saturday at the New York Red Bulls. The 36-year-old, a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, joined the team last month and led it to the title of the Leagues Cup.Cincinnati led 2-0 on goals by Luciano Acosta in the 18th and Brandon Vazquez in the 53rd before Messi set up goals by Leonardo Campana in the 68th minute and seventh minute of stoppage time.Josef Martínez put Miami ahead 3-2 three minutes into extra time, but Yuya Kubo retied the score in the 114th minute.Messi made Miami’s first attempt in the shootout, and the teams were perfect through four rounds. Herons goalkeeper Drake Callender saved Nick Hagglund’s kick in the fifth round, and Ben Cremaschi made his PK...