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Biden set for critical talks on Ukraine this week with Denmark’s Frederiksen, UK’s Sunak

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:41 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is welcoming Denmark and Britain’s prime ministers this week to Washington for talks that will focus heavily on what lays ahead in the war in Ukraine —including the recently-launched effort to train, and eventually equip, Ukraine with American-made F-16s fighter jetsBritain and Denmark are playing a pivotal role in the nascent joint international plan that Biden recently endorsed after months of resisting calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for U.S. aircraftBiden’s separate meetings with the leaders of two key NATO allies — he’ll huddle with Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen on Monday and the UK’s Rishi Sunak on Thursday — come at a crucial period in the 15-month war as Ukraine readies to launch a counteroffensive. It’s also a moment when the U.S. and Europe are looking to demonstrate to Moscow that the Western-alliance remains strong and focused on cementing a longer-term commitment to Ukraine with n...

Pride becomes a minefield for big companies, but many continue their support

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:41 GMT

Many big companies, including Target and Bud Light’s parent, are still backing Pride events in June despite the minefield that the monthlong celebration has become for some of them.Target and Bud Light recently came under fire for their efforts to appeal to the LGBTQ+ community, only to come under more fire when they tried to backpedal.But even as they battle the negative publicity, Target and Bud Light haven’t pulled away from this year’s Pride celebrations. Target is a platinum sponsor of NYC Pride, which requires a $175,000 donation. And Bud Light’s parent Anheuser-Busch is a sponsor of Pride celebrations in Chicago, San Francisco, Charlotte and elsewhere.Many other big companies are sticking to their sponsorships as well, including PepsiCo, Starbucks, General Motors and Jeep parent Stellantis — all of which said they have been supporting Pride events for decades and aren’t hesitating to back them again this year. Jeff Gennette, CEO of Macy’s, another major Pride sponsor, t...

Federal trial set to begin over Oregon’s tough gun control measure approved by voters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:41 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal trial over Oregon’s voter-approved gun control measure is set to open Monday in Portland, marking a critical next step for one of the toughest gun control laws in the nation after months of being tied up in the courts.The trial, which will be held before a judge and not a jury, will determine whether the law violates the U.S. Constitution. The protracted legal battle over the law could well last beyond the trial. Whatever the judge decides, the ruling is likely to be appealed, potentially moving all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court.Oregon voters in November narrowly passed Measure 114, which requires residents to undergo safety training and a background check to obtain a permit to buy a gun. The legislation also bans the sale, transfer or import of gun magazines with more than 10 rounds unless they are owned by law enforcement or a military member or were owned before the measure’s passage. Those who already own high-capacity magazines can only po...

California attorney general says Florida responsible for flying migrants to Sacramento

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:41 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s attorney general said the state of Florida appears to have arranged for a group of South American migrants to be dropped off outside a Sacramento church. “While this is still under investigation, we can confirm these individuals were in possession of documentation purporting to be from the government of the State of Florida,” Bonta said in a statement late Saturday. The documents indicate the Florida Division of Emergency Management coordinated the flights, Bonta told the Los Angeles Times. Florida paid contractor Vertol Systems Inc. $1.56 million to fly migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, last year.The 16 migrants who arrived in Sacramento on Friday are from Colombia and Venezuela. They entered the U.S. through Texas. They were transported to New Mexico then flown by a charter plane to California’s capital, where they were then dropped off in front of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento, California o...

Soccer authorities move toward tougher sanctions for racial abuse over last decade

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:41 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — When Kevin-Prince Boateng walked off the field to protest being racially abused by an opposing team’s fans a decade ago, he set soccer authorities on a path toward tougher sanctions in cases of discrimination.His teammates at Italian club AC Milan had his back when Boateng, who is Black, refused to tolerate the abusive chants he heard from fans of a small provincial club during a mid-season exhibition game in 2013.Boateng kicked the ball toward the opposing fans before striding back to the locker room, his teammates right behind him.At FIFA headquarters in Zurich, then-president Sepp Blatter seized the moment to demand tougher punishments for clubs, national federations and their teams — or the players responsible — in cases of racism and discrimination.Longer bans. Point deductions. Relegation or expulsion from competitions and tournaments.FIFA created a racism task force and strengthened its disciplinary code within months of Boateng’s actions. So did European soccer...

Undercover observers track racism, discrimination at European soccer games

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:41 GMT

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Blend in. Stay alert. Feign excitement if you must.Among the thousands of fans in the stands at Europe’s biggest soccer games are a few people operating undercover. Trained volunteer observers listen for racist chants and watch for extremist symbols on banners.“You have to be aware of the environment and fit in without standing out. You have to be discreet,” one observer, who has worked at games involving some of soccer’s best-known clubs and national teams, told The Associated Press.“Obviously nothing gets published on social media. You have to be anonymous. You have to just sort of blend in. Don’t engage in conversations with anybody.”The observer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the job requires it, is part of a program run on behalf of European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, by the Fare Network, a prominent anti-discrimination group. Fare monitors about 120 games per season in Europe’s main three men’s club co...

Racism on the soccer field took a toll on Black players in England

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:41 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — When racism was rife in English soccer and hooliganism was on the rise, Black players were only just beginning to integrate into some of the league’s biggest teams.Liverpool, arguably the most famous soccer club in the world at the time, fielded its first Black player in 1980. Chelsea followed two years later by bringing in Paul Canoville.The Chelsea player was regularly called “the N-word,” often told to “go home” and had bananas thrown at him. “Why do they always throw fruit like a banana?” the British-born Canoville said in an interview with The Associated Press. “What, I’m going to act like an ape?”Even more astounding was the source of the vitriol.“It wasn’t the away fans that were racially abusing me. It was the majority of my own fans,” Canoville said. “I didn’t expect that at all.”Now 61, Canoville has become a reference point to a shameful period in Chelsea’s — and English soccer’s — past, and provides a constant reminder of the work the sport sti...

Grand Old Day returns to St. Paul

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:41 GMT

Grand Old Day returned to St. Paul on Sunday after a three-year absence.The festival drew large crowds to Grand Avenue, where festival-goers enjoyed food vendors, live music and a parade.Grand Old Day co-chairman Chris Jensen told WCCO-TV that the event’s return revived the street’s connection to the community.“We call it the main street of St. Paul,” he said.  “What it really does is get everyone back out in the community to celebrate each other, celebrate St. Paul and Grand Avenue, get people to see the businesses that are here, and maybe what they’ve missed and some of the new places that have opened in the last couple years.”The event included more than 200 vendors.Related ArticlesLocal News | Billy’s on Grand liquor license hearing draws dozens of residents Local News | The Jayhawks and Bad Bad Hats will provide tunes for revived Grand Old Day Local News | With its licenses in the balance...

Family of Fargo man killed in crash say charges reflect bias in case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:41 GMT

The family of a man killed in a crash last August is claiming prosecutors in the case are biased and justice is not being served.Washington Weanquoi, 47, of Fargo, was on his way home from his job at Bobcat in Gwinner on Aug. 27 around 2 a.m. when his Toyota Corolla was struck by a Nissan Altima driven by 19-year-old Kash Cutler, from Frederick, South Dakota, according to court documents.Cutler and his 19-year-old friend were leaving a barn dance near Fargo when Cutler’s vehicle slid into Weanquoi’s lane. Cutler fell asleep, he told troopers with the North Dakota Highway Patrol, and woke up to see headlights coming, according to court documents.Washington Weanquoi, 47, from Fargo, was killed Aug. 27, 2022, in a crash on Highway 13. (Contributed)Both drivers attempted to avoid each other, but Cutler’s Altima, traveling about 85 mph in a 65 mph zone, struck Weanquoi’s Corolla, which was going about 40 mph, according to court documents.Weanquoi, originally from Liberia, die...

Kiszla: Nuggets meekly cower in shadow of center Nikola Jokic’s 41 points in NBA Finals loss to Heat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:41 GMT

Let’s hope Nuggets coach Michael Malone saved room in his suitcase for that timeout to take with him on the trip to Miami. Or maybe he ate it as a midnight snack. For whatever reason, Malone took home a timeout from a 111-108 loss to the Heat in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.It is moments like this when a player, coach and team write basketball legacies. On this sad Sunday night, the Nuggets played like chumps instead of champs, failing to give the effort required to beat the desperate Heat.“It’s the (bleeping) Finals,” Nuggets veteran Jeff Green said. “Our energy has to be better.”Know what’s worse? This team’s mental fortitude could use a good swift kick in its tender feelings.Nikola Jokic was as good as any MVP can possibly be, scoring 41 points. But it wasn’t good enough, because guard Jamal Murray failed to come up big with a chance to send the game to overtime on a 3-point shot at the buzzer.“I think you guys have seen me ...