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Biden condemns Hamas for ‘unadulterated evil’ in attack on Israel, vows US resolve in backing Israel

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:13 GMT

By AAMER MADHANI, TARA COPP and DARLENE SUPERVILLE (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday condemned the militant group Hamas for “sheer evil” for its shocking multipronged attack on Israel launched from the Gaza Strip that has killed hundreds of civilians, including at least 14 American citizens.Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone earlier on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the situation on the ground. Biden spoke out of the actions he and other allies have taken to support Israel in the aftermath of the attack and expressed his horror about “sickening” reports of torture inflicted by militants on innocent civilians.“Our hearts may be broken but our resolve is clear,” Biden said. He added, “Let there be no doubt. The United States has Israel’s back. We’ll make sure the Jewish and democratic state of Israel can defend itself today, tomorr...

US Border Patrol has released thousands of migrants on San Diego’s streets, taxing charities

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:13 GMT

By ELLIOT SPAGAT (Associated Press)SAN DIEGO (AP) — Over five years, the largest U.S. city on the Mexican border developed a well-oiled system to shelter asylum-seekers. That system is being tested like never before as U.S. Customs and Border Protection releases migrants to the streets of California’s second-largest city because shelters are full. Since Sept. 13, about 13,000 have been dropped at transit stations with notices to appear in immigration court at their final destinations in the U.S., with about 500 more arriving daily.Migrant aid groups blame a mix of circumstances for the shelter crunch: reduced government funding; CBP’s practice of sending migrants from Texas and Arizona to be processed in San Diego; and a surge in illegal crossings. Last week, President Joe Biden’s administration advanced plans for a border wall in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley and said it would resume deportation flights to Venezuela.Before they are released in San Diego...

Orange County school district to consider a parental notification policy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:13 GMT

The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District in Orange County is the latest California school district to consider a parental notification policy.However, unlike other California school districts that have adopted a policy to inform parents if their child is transgender, the PYLUSD proposal currently doesn’t specifically mention gender identity but focuses on mental health, the Orange County Register reported.Under the proposal, a designated school counselor would notify a student’s family within 24 hours if they have a “reasonable cause that doing so will avert a clear and present danger to the health, safety, or welfare” of the student or those around them. Chemical additive ban targeting popular candies signed into California law “Due to the current nationwide mental health crisis exacerbated by the global pandemic, the Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District recognizes the need for frequent, ongoing and oftentimes immediate communication between school administratio...

Kylie Jenner deletes pro-Israel post while pro-Palestine Bella Hadid remains silent: Stars struggle to react to war

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:13 GMT

As harrowing reports continue to pour out about Hamas militants massacring Israeli civilians, kidnapping mothers and their young children and parading a young woman’s body through the streets of Gaza, Kylie Jenner may regret giving into backlash and deleting her pro-Israel Instagram post Sunday, while her supermodel friend, Bella Hadid, and other celebrities are being trolled for their prior support for Palestine.Indeed, the brutal attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas Saturday, sparking the Israel-Gaza War, has created a dilemma for celebrities like Hadid, who have long used their star power to lend support to Palestinian rights and to denounce the Israeli government for what international human rights organizations have said is its improper use of military occupation and community settlements to control the Palestinian territories.But Hamas’ killing of more than 200 concert-goers and threats to execute hostages amid Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, have changed the...

Mother who died shielding her son among 11 US dead in Israel

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:13 GMT

By Celina Tebor, Alberto Moya, David Williams, Christina Zdanowicz, Lauren Mascarenos and Chris Boyette | CNNDeborah Matias, an American citizen who lived in Israel, was shot and killed by Hamas gunmen while shielding her teenage son from their bullets, her father told CNN.Hayim Katsman, an Israeli-American academic, was hiding in a closet with his neighbor when he was fatally shot, his sibling said.They are among at least 11 US citizens who were killed in Israel after the Gaza-based militant group launched a devastating attack early Saturday that left at least 900 people there dead.There are also Americans who remain unaccounted for, President Joe Biden said in a Monday statement, adding it is “likely” some are among those being held hostage by Hamas.In response to the attack, Israel has pounded Gaza with airstrikes, displacing more than 100,000 people. More than 760 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and medical care has been hampered by Israel cut...

East Oakland’s harsh realities on full display at start of trial over gas station shootout that killed bystander

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:13 GMT

OAKLAND — On the night of March 19, 2022, 24-year-old Tamia Foster was standing in line at a gas station cashier booth on International Boulevard when set her bag down a little too close to 22-year-old Tyja Braswell’s bag.The two argued, and within minutes, the gas station would erupt in gunfire, killing bystander Rodney Davis, 64, and leaving Braswell paralyzed from multiple gunshot wounds. Now, 19 months later, Foster’s fiancé is on trial facing charges of murdering Davis and attempting to murder Braswell, allegations his attorney says will be disproved by a closer look at surveillance footage from that night.Stavon Moore, 29, escaped injury that night, but was arrested days later after police used security footage from the Royal Gas Station at 10151 International Blvd. to identify him as the person who killed Davis and shot Braswell. Braswell has also been charged with murdering Davis and attempting to kill Moore, but will be tried separately after both defense ...

Finland: Undersea pipelines damaged by ‘external activity’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:13 GMT

By Jari Tanner | Associated PressHELSINKI — Damage to an undersea gas pipeline and telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Estonia appears to have been caused by “external activity,” Finnish officials said Tuesday, adding that authorities were investigating.Finnish and Estonian gas system operators on Sunday said they noted an unusual drop in pressure in the Balticconnector pipeline after which they shut down the gas flow.The Finnish government on Tuesday said there was damage both to the gas pipeline and to a telecommunications cable between the two NATO countries.Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stopped short of calling the pipeline leak sabotage but said it could not have been caused by regular operations.“According to a preliminary assessment, the observed damage could not have occurred as a result of normal use of the pipe or pressure fluctuations. It is likely that the damage is the result of external activity,”...

Biden confirms Americans among those held hostage by Hamas

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:13 GMT

President Biden on Tuesday confirmed that American citizens are among those being held hostage by Hamas in the wake of an unprecedented coordinated attack by the militant group over the weekend that killed thousands of people in Israel.The president also said in remarks at the White House that the number of Americans killed in the attacks had risen to 14.“We now know that American citizens are among those being held by Hamas,” Biden said.“I’ve directed my team to share intelligence and deploy additional experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts,” he said. “Because as president, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans being held hostage around the world.”U.S. officials had previously warned that it was likely that Americans are among those being held by Hamas but were working on Monday to confirm. John Kirby, a White House spokesperson on national security issues, told reporters on a cal...

Video: 5 suspects steal $50k in Gucci merch from San Jose store, 1 arrested

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:13 GMT

(KRON) -- Five masked suspects are shown on surveillance video shoving past a Gucci store security guard at Valley Fair Mall on Oct. 5 before running off with approximately $50,000 worth of purses and merchandise, according to the San Jose Police Department.Reserve officers with San Jose PD working at the mall responded to the call of an organized retail theft in progress. One of the suspects attacked an officer as they were being detained, SJPD said.Watch the surveillance video in the player above.With the assistance of mall security, the reserve officer took the suspect into custody. The remaining four suspects fled the area before additional police officers arrived, police said. Detectives with San Jose police’s Robbery Unit are investigating the video footage and other evidence to identify the other suspects. Good Samaritan shot by Oakland robbers: police Police identified the suspect in custody as Shawn Pruitt of Henderson, Nev., who had an active warrant out for his arrest. ...

NCAA President Charlie Baker to testify during Senate hearing on college sports next week

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:42:13 GMT

NCAA President Charlie Baker is expected to testify in front of a Senate committee next week during the 10th hearing on Capitol Hill over the last three years on college sports.The Senate Judiciary Committee announced it has scheduled a hearing on Name, Image and Likeness, and the Future of College Sports for next Tuesday.Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts, took over as NCAA president in March and has been spending a lot of time in Washington lobbying lawmakers to help college sports with a federal law to regulate how athletes can be compensated for their fame.Several bills have been introduced by federal lawmakers lately, including two bipartisan efforts from the senate, but still there has been little movement toward serious action on a issue that has been a topic of conversation since the summer of 2020.“I do get worried about Congress micromanaging the rules of endorsement deals or transfer portals or compensation,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told members of the athlet...