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Amid strained U.S. ties, China finds unlikely friend in Utah

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:33 GMT

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — China’s global campaign to win friends and influence policy has blossomed in a surprising place: Utah, a deeply religious and conservative state with few obvious ties to the world’s most powerful communist country.An investigation by the Associated Press has found that China and its U.S.-based advocates spent years building relationships with the state’s officials and lawmakers. Those efforts have paid dividends at home and abroad, the AP found: Lawmakers delayed legislation Beijing didn’t like, nixed resolutions that conveyed displeasure with its actions and expressed support in ways that enhanced the Chinese government’s image.Its work in Utah is emblematic of a broader effort by Beijing to secure allies at the local level as its relations with the U.S. and its western allies have turned acrimonious. U.S. officials say local leaders are at risk of being manipulated by China and have deemed the influence campaign a threat to national security.Beijing’s success...

Deputies accused of shoving guns in mouths of 2 Black men

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:33 GMT

BRANDON, Miss. (AP) — Several deputies from a Mississippi sheriff’s department being investigated by the Justice Department for possible civil rights violations have been involved in at least four violent encounters with Black men since 2019 that left two dead and another with lasting injuries, an Associated Press investigation found.Two of the men allege that Rankin County sheriff’s deputies shoved guns into their mouths during separate encounters. In one case, the deputy pulled the trigger, leaving the man with wounds that required parts of his tongue to be sewn back together. In one of the two fatal confrontations, the man’s mother said a deputy kneeled on her son’s neck while he told them he couldn’t breathe. Police and court records obtained by the AP show that several deputies who were accepted to the sheriff’s office’s Special Response Team — a tactical unit whose members receive advanced training — were involved in each of the four encount...

A steel plant ready for war shows hit to Ukraine’s economy

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:33 GMT

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Flak jackets are piled up at Ukraine’s Zaporizhstal steel plant, and anti-tank traps guard the entrance. Whenever air raid sirens sound — and they go off every day — most workers head to one of the 16 bomb shelters scattered across the sprawling grounds.But some keep working — braving not only the intense heat and sparks flying from blast furnaces forging steel used in everything from railway cars to household appliances, but the threat of shelling — to keep the molten metal moving.The southwestern city of Zaporizhzhia, which gives the plant its name, is less than 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the front line and its residential buildings and energy infrastructure are a frequent Russian target. The impact of the war has left the plant running below full capacity, with a third of its 10,000 workers idle.The damage to Ukraine’s metal industry has crippled a lucrative sector and key employer needed to support an economy cratered by war. Efforts to restore pr...

Myanmar army leader calls for decisive action to crush foes

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:33 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — As Myanmar’s military put on an annual show of strength Monday, its top leader told its assembled ranks they need to take decisive action against those fighting army rule of the country. Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing spoke at a military parade on Armed Forces Day. At sunrise, members of all service branches marched in mass formations onto a huge parade ground in the capital, Naypyitaw, backed by armored vehicles, missiles and artillery as well as fighter jets and helicopters flying overhead. Myanmar’s military has been accused of indiscriminate killings of civilians as it engages in major offensives to suppress the armed resistance opposed to its takeover of the government two years ago. Min Aung Hlaing in his speech said those who condemned his military government demonstrated indifference to the violence committed by its opponents.Armed Forces Day marks the anniversary of the start of a 1945 uprising of a ragtag army against occupying Japanese forces. The country then...

Severe Weather, Precipitation and Drought Update

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:33 GMT

Weather Service office in Chicago said they received around three dozen reports of hail, most of which were close to the I-80 corridor stretching from LaSalle County, IL to Porter County, IN.  Hail as small as peas was reported, but there were some locations that saw hail at least the size of quarters.  Sheridan in LaSalle County and Shorewood in Kendall County reported hail the size of half dollars.  As of 9PM there was one report of wind damage in southern Porter County, IN where thunderstorm winds snapped wooden powerline poles around 5:45 Sunday evening.  As we enter the season of spring, some good news for Illinois and Chicagoland farmers. Thanks to the soggy conditions in February and March, there's no drought conditions anywhere in the state. The same can't be said for many places to our west where exceptional to extreme drought in still in place for much of the Great Plains states. Total ice coverage shrunk from 13.4% to 5.2% in just the past 2 weeks

Pope extends sexual abuse law to include lay leaders

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:33 GMT

Pope Francis (pictured) updated the rules regarding sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. He expanded their reach to include lay Catholic leaders, and clarified that victims can be both minors or adults.In 2019, the pope issued a landmark order requiring all priests and religious orders members to report suspicions of abuse. Bishops are also held directly responsible for any abuse or cover-up.These provisions were originally introduced temporarily, but the Vatican announced on Saturday that they would be made final starting April 30th and will include additional elements to strengthen the Church's fight against abuse.The Vatican's reputation has been damaged in many countries by abuse scandals. This has made it a significant challenge for Pope Francis who has taken a number of measures over the last 10 years to hold the Church hierarchy responsible.Critics claim that the results were mixed and accuse Francis of not being willing to defrock abusive popes.Following numerous alleg...

Single family residence in San Jose sells for $2 million

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:33 GMT

1197 Glenn Avenue – Google Street ViewA 1,894-square-foot house built in 1928 has changed hands. The historic property located in the 1100 block of Glenn Avenue in San Jose was sold on March 3, 2023, for $2,025,000, or $1,069 per square foot. The property features three bedrooms, one bath, a garage, and one parking space, as well as a pool in the backyard. The unit sits on a 6,240-square-foot lot.Additional houses that have recently been sold close by include:A 3,044-square-foot home on the 1200 block of Cherry Avenue in San Jose sold in October 2022, for $3,300,000, a price per square foot of $1,084. The home has 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.In June 2022, a 1,354-square-foot home on Britton Avenue in San Jose sold for $2,100,000, a price per square foot of $1,551. The home has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Camino Ramon, San Jose, in August 2022, a 2,580-square-foot home was sold for $2,725,000, a price per square foot of $1,056. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

Israel’s largest union launches strike over Netanyahu plans

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:33 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The head of Israel’s largest trade union group says it is launching a general strike in protest over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to overhaul the judiciary.The decision on Monday by the Histadrut, which represents more than 700,000 works in numerous sectors, from banks to transportation to health workers, could paralyze large parts of Israel’s economy.Arnon Bar-David, the group’s head, said he made the decision to steer Israel away from “an abyss.”THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the judiciary was facing mounting opposition on Monday, with the country’s ceremonial president urging for an immediate halt to the legal changes. Universities countrywide shut their doors in protest and trade unions were expected to call for a general strike.The growing resistance to the plan came hours after tens of thousands of people burst into the...

Israel’s largest trade union umbrella group launches general strike in protest at Netanyahu plans to overhaul judiciary

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:33 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s largest trade union umbrella group launches general strike in protest at Netanyahu plans to overhaul judiciary.Source

First-Citizens Bank compra oficialmente Silicon Valley Bank, dice la FDIC

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:33 GMT

(CNN) — First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company compró oficialmente Silicon Valley Bridge Bank y todos sus depósitos y préstamos, según un comunicado de prensa de la Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) este domingo.A partir de este lunes 27 de marzo, las 17 antiguas sucursales del Silicon Valley Bridge Bank abrirán como First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company, según el comunicado de prensa.El Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, National Association fue creado por la FDIC tras el cierre del SVB para “estabilizar la institución y comercializar la franquicia”, según el comunicado de prensa. Todos los depósitos, activos y contratos financieros cualificados del SVB se transfirieron al banco puente.Por qué casi nadie pudo predecir el colapso del Silicon Valley Bank“Los depositantes de Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, National Association, se convertirán automáticamente en depositantes de First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company. Todos los depósitos asumidos por First-Ci...