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US kills 5 Iran-backed militia members in drone strike in Iraq

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:53 GMT

(CNN) — US forces killed at least five Iran-backed militia members in a drone strike after the US “identified an imminent attack” was likely to be launched by militia forces in Kirkuk, Iraq, on Sunday, a US official said.It wasn’t immediately clear which group the forces killed on Sunday belonged to.The number of attacks by Iran-backed proxy groups on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria has risen to 76 since October 17, a defense official told CNN.The latest attack occurred on Sunday morning, when a multi-rocket attack was launched against US and coalition forces at Rumalyn Landing Zone, Syria; no infrastructure damage or injuries were reported.The near-daily attacks on US and coalition forces by Iranian-backed groups began in the weeks following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7.The US has responded to these near-daily attacks in recent months by launching strikes in eastern Syria and Iraq, targeting weapons depots and storage facilities being used by Iran’s...

Meet ‘Cuyahoga,’ a harbor seal weanling now recovering after rescue in Essex, Mass.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:53 GMT

A small harbor seal weanling is on the mend after a marine mammal rescue team found her struggling in Essex, Massachusetts.The Seacoast Science Center’s Marine Mammal Rescue team said they were first alerted to the animal on Monday, Nov. 27, when they learned that a female harbor seal had been making its way onto the decking of the Essex Marina boat ramp.Officials initially found small wounds on the seal’s mouth and other minor maladies, but opted to monitor the seal for the time being, noting that she would continue to come and go over the following days.It was on Wednesday when the rescue team noticed the seal was struggling with breathing and congestion, leading to personnel taking her in.“Her blood values and examination showed that she’s fighting an infection and her size and weight are small for this time of year,” the SSC Marine Mammal Rescue page stated on Facebook. “Our team triaged and held her overnight to allow her some time to de-stre...

Chicago Bears rookie report: How draft picks — including Darnell Wright and Gervon Dexter — have fared through 12 games

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:53 GMT

Chicago Bears rookie running back Roschon Johnson had one of the biggest games of his NFL career last week in a 12-10 win against the Minnesota Vikings.With D’Onta Foreman out with ankle and shin injuries and Khalil Herbert still getting back to his old self after an ankle issue, Johnson received more work than he had all season. The 2023 fourth-round pick out of Texas played 74% of the offensive snaps — his previous high was 45% — and logged a career-high 10 carries for 35 yards and five catches for 40 yards as the Bears utilized their screen and short passing game.There was plenty of good to see from Johnson’s performance. A clip of him taking out two Vikings defenders while protecting quarterback Justin Fields went viral after the game. But coach Matt Eberflus also noted there were “a couple of hiccups” in pass protection against the high-pressure defense.Johnson played a part in two of the Vikings’ three sacks of Fields. He whiffed again...

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum ends 2024 Republican presidential bid days before the fourth debate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:53 GMT

By JACK DURA (Associated Press)BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum ended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination on Monday despite a stronger-than-expected showing fueled by a gift card-for-campaign donation gimmick that helped get him on the debate stage.Burgum, a second-term governor and wealthy software entrepreneur, was little known nationally when he launched his 2024 presidential campaign in June, touting his priorities of energy, the economy and national security, as well as his small-town roots and leadership of the sparsely populated state.He participated in the first two Republican debates, meeting donor requirements of the Republican National Committee by offering $20 Biden Relief Cards — a jab at rising inflation rates during President Joe Biden’s term — in exchange for $1 donations. The tactic drew skepticism over its legality, though Burgum’s campaign said its legal advisers had reviewed and approved the method.He failed to qualify for t...

3.2 magnitude earthquake strikes near San Diego County after series last week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:53 GMT

SAN DIEGO — Another earthquake shook near eastern San Diego County Sunday night, several days after the U.S. Geological Survey reported a series of quakes in the region.The 3.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Ocotillo, a census-designated place in Imperial County, just before 11 p.m. The tremor had a depth of about 4.5 miles, according to USGS.As of 7:30 a.m. Monday, no residents reported feeling the quake to the USGS's "Did You Feel It?" survey. There were also no immediate reports of damage or injuries.The quake comes after four back-to-back shocks rattled the same area late Thursday to Friday in a likely event that scientists refer to as a "swarm," which is a series of smaller earthquakes within the span of a few days to a couple weeks.The largest of the quakes recorded with the swarm reached a 4.8 magnitude at a depth of almost 6 miles in the area east of Ocotillo. This one was felt much farther than others in the series, with some feeling shaking as far west as the San Diego c...

The World Food Program will end its main assistance program in Syria in January, affecting millions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:53 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — The U.N. World Food Program said Monday it will end in January its main assistance program across war-torn Syria, where over 12 million people lack regular access to sufficient food.WFP in recent years has scaled down its support in Syria and neighboring countries that host millions of Syrians who fled the conflict, now in its 13th year. Humanitarian agencies have struggled to draw the world’s attention back to Syria as they face donor fatigue and shrinking budgets.In July, WFP said it had to cut assistance to almost half of the 5.5 million Syrians it supported in the country due to budget constraints.A month later, the agency slashed cash aid to Syrian refugees in Jordan. In November, it and the U.N. refugee agency said they will reduce the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon receiving cash assistance by a third next year.WFP in its latest statement said the cuts come as food insecurity is “worse than ever before” and that millions will be affected.The agency’s...

In some Czech villages, St Nicholas leads a parade with the devil and grim reaper in tow

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:53 GMT

LIDECKO, Czech Republic (AP) — In an eastern corner of the Czech Republic, St. Nicholas leads a procession of followers dressed in grim reaper and devil costumes on a journey through the village of Lidecko.The old pre-Christmas tradition has survived for centuries in just a few villages in the region known as Wallachia.Several groups parade together, going door to door for three days. St. Nicholas presents the children with sweets to soothe them after they see the scary costumes. The devils wear homemade masks made of sheepskin and travel with white, scythe-carrying creatures that represent death.The custom reportedly dates from the pagan era before Christianity, when the masks helped the mountainous region’s inhabitants defend themselves against the demons of winter.St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop in the ancient town of Myra who lived in the 3rd and 4th centuries and was known for his goodness and generosity. He is said to have inspired the creation of Santa Claus.The Ass...

20 years after ‘Sideways,’ Paul Giamatti may finally land his first Oscar nomination

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:53 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — When Paul Giamatti made “Sideways” with Alexander Payne, he stayed in a little house in the middle of a large vineyard. At the end of a day of shooting, he would drive home in darkness, with the hills of Napa Valley around him.Giamatti was then a respected character actor, but this was one of his first times as the lead. And he couldn’t believe it.“I remember Alexander saying, ‘You two guys are going to do it,’” recalls Giamatti of himself and Thomas Hayden Church. “And we were like, ‘Seriously?’”In the years since, Giamatti, 56, has remained a leading man, albeit an unlikely one. His ability to carry a movie is now, well, kind of obvious. That goes for indie gems like “Private Life” and “Win Win” or acclaimed series like “John Adams” and “Billions.”But two decades later, “Sideways” remains lodged in Giamatti’s memory. “I remember every second of making it,” he said on a recent afternoon in Manhattan. Wide as his travels have been since – “Hamlet” at Yale...

Book Review: David Mamet screams at clouds in new collection of grievances about Hollywood

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:53 GMT

Just in time for Christmas, when you need a gift for that weird old uncle who is upset that everyone gets a trophy in youth soccer, comes a new David Mamet book.“Everywhere an Oink Oink: An Embittered, Dyspeptic and Accurate Report of Forty Years in Hollywood” is a collection of observations, stories and aphorisms about Hollywood from one of America’s foremost writers and, these days, provocateurs. It is virtually unreadable.This is a book that resembles the idled rantings from a feverish, unsolicited email stuck in your spam folder. There are weird capitalizations, uneasy conclusions and the rat-a-tat of non-sequiturs all held together by bad faith. It’s illustrated by Mamet’s own cartoons, which echo a middle schooler’s sense of humor and maturity.He clearly hates film producers — “Village Idiots” is the nicest of adjectives — but he hates PC culture more. He lambasts “Diversity Porn,” arguing that the logical extension of color-conscious castin...

British research ship crosses paths with world’s largest iceberg as it drifts out of Antarctica

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:53 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s polar research ship has crossed paths with the largest iceberg in the world — a “lucky” encounter that enabled scientists to collect seawater samples around the colossal berg as it drifts out of Antarctic waters, the British Antarctic Survey said Monday.The RRS Sir David Attenborough, which is on its way to Antarctica for its first scientific mission, passed the mega iceberg known as the A23a on Friday near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The iceberg — equivalent to three times the size of New York City and more than twice the size of Greater London — had been grounded for more than three decades in the Weddell Sea after it split from the Antarctic’s Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986. It began drifting in recent months, and has now moved into the Southern Ocean, helped by wind and ocean currents. Scientists say it is now likely to be swept along into “iceberg alley” — a common route for icebergs to float toward the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia.“It...