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Blinken visits tiny Tonga as US continues diplomatic push to counter China in the Pacific

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:03 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the tiny kingdom of Tonga on Wednesday, as the United States continues to increase its diplomatic efforts in the Pacific while China’s influence in the region grows.Home to just over 100,000 people, Tonga last year was the site of a massive volcanic eruption that sent millions of tons of water vapor into the atmosphere and killed four people in Tonga. Blinken’s visit helped highlight the opening of a new U.S. Embassy in Tonga and the return of Peace Corps volunteers following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.Blinken met with Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni and other officials to discuss the bilateral relationship as well as regional and global issues, said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. “Secretary Blinken outlined how the United States is following through on commitments made by President Biden at last year’s historic summit with Pacific Islands leaders to elevate our diplomatic...

ESPN considers adding sports leagues as partners as it transitions from cable to digital

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:03 GMT

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said the network could take on a sports league as a minority partner as the network continues its transition from a cable channel to a digital company.“I will emphasize that we believe there are parties out there that can help us on the content side. So you can draw whatever conclusions you want from that,” Pitaro said Tuesday during a seminar sponsored by CNBC and Boardroom, a sports media company founded by Kevin Durant.Pitaro declined to say which leagues have been in talks with him and Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger, but he said there has “been a healthy level of interest” from leagues as well as technology, marketing and distribution companies.Pitaro also said it is not a question of if but when ESPN will roll out a direct-to-consumer product to view its offerings.A league having an equity stake in a network like ESPN would be groundbreaking and would pose some questions about fairness and objectivity in coverage. It would ma...

Men’s players send cease-and-desist orders to Canada Soccer sponsors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:03 GMT

The Canadian men’s soccer team has fired another salvo in its ongoing labour battle with Canada Soccer, accusing the governing body of “attempting to capitalize on the Women’s World Cup to force us into an inadequate deal.”The statement, by the Canada Men’s National Soccer Team Players Association, was released on social media on the eve of Wednesday’s showdown in Perth, Australia, between Canada and Ireland at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.Canada captain Christine Sinclair said going into the soccer showcase in Australia and New Zealand that the Olympic champion women wanted an interim agreement covering compensation at this World Cup done in advance of the opening kickoff so they could focus on football.And while that deal has yet to be confirmed, Sinclair has said it is all but done and the women are concentrating on their on-field mission.The men are not satisfied, however.#CMNSTPA Statement re Ongoing Labour Negotiations (July 25, 2023) pi...

Family of Amber Alert kids calls disappearance ‘devastating’ to their siblings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:03 GMT

The family of two British Columbia children who are the subject of an Amber Alert says their disappearance has had a “devastating” effect on their big sisters and brother.Surrey RCMP says the whereabouts of eight-year-old Aurora and 10-year-old Joshuah Bolton remain unknown, with the last confirmed sighting at a Merritt, B.C., gas station on July 7.A written statement by their family says the children are loved and missed.It says Aurora and Joshuah love family picnics, movie nights with popcorn, playing pranks and having water fights in their front yard.The statement also says the missing pair are “exceptionally close” to their entire extended family, particularly their cousins, who they visit often and with whom they enjoy swimming, having sleepovers and playing outdoors.Amber Alert issued on July 19Surrey RCMP says Verity Bolton, the kids’ mother, failed to return them to their father earlier this month, and authorities suspect the trio is living R...

Biden's dog bit Secret Service officers 10 times in four months: records

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:03 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's dog Commander bit or otherwise attacked Secret Service personnel at least 10 times between October 2022 and January, including one incident that required a hospital visit by the injured law enforcement officer, according to records from the Department of Homeland Security.The conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch on Tuesday released nearly 200 pages of Secret Service records that it obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The group said it filed suit after the agency, a division of DHS, “failed to respond adequately” to its request last December for records about biting incidents involving the purebred German shepherd. The group said it filed the request after receiving a tip about Commander's behavior.Commander is the second dog of Biden's to behave aggressively, including biting Secret Service personnel and White House staff. They eventually sent the dog, a German shepherd named Major, to live with friends ...

Are we alone? House hearing seeks extraterrestrial explanations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:03 GMT

As the House prepares to hear from a UFO whistleblower who claims the U.S. is concealing evidence of nonhuman craft, the question looms over members of Congress: Are we alone?Many members insist they have not seriously considered the question or are keeping their concern focused on national security risks from not knowing the cause of UFO sightings.But some members say they have seen enough to think that the unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) — a more recent term for sightings of strange objects or effects in the sky — are of nonhuman extraterrestrial origin.“It’s either something extraterrestrial, or something extraterrestrial that they reverse-engineered,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), a leader of Wednesday’s UAP hearing, said when asked about the possibility of the sightings being secret Chinese or Russian technology.Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) also said he thinks the UAPs were of nonhuman extraterrestrial origin.“Listen, God made a phenomenal planet with phenomenal people, e...

Wildfire in northeast Burnet County approximately 33 acres, fully contained

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:03 GMT

BURNET COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Crews are fighting a wildfire in northeast Burnet County, near the Bell County line, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service website.The reported size of the fire was 33 acres and was fully contained shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday, the agency said. Named the Happy Ridge Fire, it's burning an area between Oakalla and Briggs near Farm-to-Market Road 2657.Officials first reported the fire shortly after 4 p.m., according to the forest service.As of right now, the cause of the fire is undetermined, officials said.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

U.S. Rep. Greg Casar stages “thirst strike” to advocate for federally mandated water breaks in extreme heat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:03 GMT

AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) -- As outdoor workers in Texas battle extreme heat, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, launched a daylong “thirst strike” in Washington, D.C., as he pushes for a federal workplace standard that would mandate water breaks for people whose jobs require them to work in the heat.“It’s challenging and it’s hot, but it’s not as hot as it is in Texas,” Casar said as he kicked off the event, during which he’ll forgo water for eight hours.On Tuesday morning, Casar was joined on the steps of the U.S. Capitol by other lawmakers, labor union members and activists.Many held up posters that read: “Working shouldn’t be a death sentence,” “Water breaks = basic rights” and “People over profit.”There are no federal or state standards that specifically protect workers from heat stress. And a recently passed Texas law will soon bar cities and counties from mandating that private employers offer paid water breaks. House Bill 2127 limits Texas cities and counties from creating rul...

Twins’ bullpen implodes in late innings in loss to Mariners, 9-7

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:03 GMT

When the Twins saw George Kirby last week, he shut them out for seven innings, allowing just four hits. Five batters into Tuesday night’s game, the Twins had already batted for the cycle against Seattle’s All-Star starter.Couple that with a strong seven-inning start from Pablo López, and it seemed as if the Twins were well on their way to their fifth straight win. But instead, the Twins, who mounted two comebacks in the previous nights, saw their bullpen implode late, giving up seven runs in two innings in a 9-7 loss to the Mariners on Tuesday night at Target Field.Things unraveled quickly for the Twins.The Mariners’ four-run eighth inning started with a pair of Jovani Moran walks. The next batter he faced, Cal Raleigh, doubled, ending Moran’s night without the lefty having retired a batter. Seattle grabbed its second run on the inning on a groundout and completed their furious comeback when Julio Rodríguez mashed an Emilio Pagán fastball to right for his second home run of the game...

Rotterdam researching legal options for migrant situation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:04:03 GMT

ROTTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Rotterdam Town Council passed a resolution to call on Schenectady County to stop accepting any more asylum seekers. Even though there are residents who want to help the new arrivals become Rotterdam residents, not everyone agrees.“The migrants should stay in New York City until they have a real home for them,” Rashad Rahim said. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Other residents still feel upset that the owner of Super 8 suddenly kicked out guests and long-term residents to make room for the asylum seekers.“I feel it was really wrong what happened to those people. I don’t think it was fair at all,” Gail Ristau said. “They didn’t have any notice. They had been staying there because they needed a place to go.”The Town Council is now working with a lawyer to research the next steps for possible legal actions.“We’re all just, you know, very frustrated,” Joe Mastroianni, Rotterdam Town Councilman, said. “...