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Critical raw materials: Securing the EU's supply and sovereignty 

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:54 GMT

Last week, MEPs adopted their position on boosting the supply of strategic raw materials, crucial to secure the EU’s transition to a sustainable, digital and sovereign future, Plenary session, ITRE.The Critical Raw Materials Act is intended to make the EU more competitive and autonomous. It will cut red tape, promote innovation along the entire value chain, support SMEs and boost research and the development of alternative materials and more environmentally-friendly mining and production methods.Strategic PartnershipsIn their negotiating position ahead of talks with the Council, MEPs highlight the importance of securing strategic partnerships between the EU and third countries on critical raw materials, in order to diversify the EU's supply, on equal footing, with benefits for all sides. They want to pave the way for long-term partnerships with knowledge- and technology-transfer, training and upskilling for new jobs with better working and income conditions, as well as extraction an...

2 Las Vegas teens charged with murder in death of retired Bell Police Chief

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:54 GMT

Two teens from Las Vegas have been arrested and are facing murder charges in connection with the fatal hit-and-run of 64-year-old Andreas “Andy” Probst, a retired chief of police for the city of Bell, as he was riding his bike in a residential area of Las Vegas last month.  The incident, which authorities at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department are calling intentional, occurred on Aug. 14 near Tenaya Way and Centennial Parkway in a neighborhood community approximately 16 miles from the Las Vegas Strip. Officers arrived at the scene just after 6 a.m. and found the 64-year-old cyclist suffering from life-threatening injuries. Probst was taken to UMC Trauma where he later died of his injuries.  On August 29, LVMPD detectives learned of a video circulating on social media showing the fatal hit-and-run, which was taken by the teen passenger in the car.  “The video showed how the driver intentionally sideswiped a sedan as they traveled northbound on Tenaya. A f...

Man armed with sledgehammer dies during confrontation at Long Beach school

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:54 GMT

A man with a sledgehammer died during a confrontation while attempting to enter a Long Beach elementary school on Tuesday.The suspect was only identified as an adult male by the Long Beach Police Department.Officers responded to calls of a home invasion robbery on the 6700 block of Orizaba Avenue around 2:27 p.m.The suspect, who was armed with a sledgehammer, had walked over to the nearby parking lot of McKinley Elementary School.As the man attempted to climb a fence and enter the school grounds, a group of males pulled him down and detained him while awaiting officers. At some point during the confrontation, he became unresponsive, authorities said.Police are investigating after a man died during a confrontation while attempting to enter a Long Beach school on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)Police are investigating after a man died during a confrontation while attempting to enter a Long Beach school on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)Police are investigating after a man died during a confrontation ...

Kotsay ejected as A’s lose sixth straight

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:54 GMT

By JANIE McCAULEY | AP Baseball WriterOAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Even out on Puget Sound during an off-day fishing excursion last week, Luis Castillo did his share of winning: He pulled in the most salmon and left Mariners manager Scott Servais in awe and admiring his skill set yet again.No surprise to anybody in Seattle the way Castillo’s spectacular season is going.“I’m a guy who loves to fish,” Castillo explained with a smile after his latest pitching gem. “There’s always been the saying out there that in the sea life is sweeter. It was a happy moment with Scott and the pitching coach. We had a beautiful morning.”J.P. Crawford homered in the ninth inning and Jarred Kelenic hit a pair of RBI singles to support Luis Castillo’s eighth consecutive winning decision, leading Seattle past the Oakland Athletics 7-2 on Tuesday night.Castillo (14-7) struck out eight over seven innings, topping 200 Ks while pushing toward 200 innings — a mark that will mean more to him given it shows how depend...

Danville woman gets 22 months for embezzling $1.7 million from Men’s Wearhouse

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:54 GMT

OAKLAND – A 52-year-old Danville woman will serve nearly two years in prison for embezzling over $1.7 million from her former employer, Men’s Wearhouse, and its parent company, Tailored Brands, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.Gina Suzanne Lonestar’s 22-month sentence comes after she pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in May, prosecutors said in a news release. U.S. District Court Judge Jon S. Tigar ordered Lonestar to begin serving her sentence on Jan. 5, 2024.The scheme started in December 2010, when Lonestar was working as a director in the facilities department of Men’s Wearhouse. Prosecutors said Lonestar created a phony vendor and then submitted and approved invoices claiming that the vendor was performing inspections and handyman work at stores throughout the state.Over the course of eight years, Lonestar defrauded Men’s Wearhouse and Tailored Brands of more than $1.7 million, which was paid to her joint checking account, prosecutors said. During that time,...

Ex-OPD chief LeRonne Armstrong sits down with KRON4

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:54 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) –  Former Oakland Police Department chief LeRonne Armstrong has been fighting for eight months to clear his name. And finally, with a new report giving his administrative appeal a “favorable outcome,” he says everyone can finally see his truth.Front and center in the lengthy report – the hearing officer, a former judge, states the report, “Contains no basis for discipline of Chief Armstrong and that the credibility finds in the report are not germane to the issues under the review.”KRON4 sat down with Armstrong to discuss the hearing judge's report Tuesday of his appeal of his termination last February. The firing came after an outside agency, hired by the federal monitor overseeing the department, conducted an investigation following two misconduct cases involving a sergeant.   Oakland’s ex-police chief controversy: ‘It’s a mess,’ legal analyst says Armstrong has maintained he took disciplinary measures, but the investigator's report criticized his actions,...

Carroll, Marte use daring double steal to push the Diamondbacks past the Giants 8-4

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:54 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Corbin Carroll took off for third base and Ketel Marte bolted for second. A chaotic 10 seconds followed, with a bang-bang play, a dropped baseball, another dash by Carroll, an errant throw by Wilmer Flores, a scramble home by Marte, and finally, a raucous celebration for the Diamondbacks.Arizona manager Torey Lovullo admits he wasn’t sure what had just happened.“I blinked my eyes,” he said, “and we had scored a couple runs.”Carroll and Marte combined for a crucial double steal that led to two runs, Zac Gallen earned his 16th win on the mound and the Diamondbacks won their fourth straight game by beating the San Francisco Giants 8-4 on Tuesday night.The D-backs remained a half-game in front of the Chicago Cubs for the second of three National League wild-card berths. The Giants, who have dropped four of five, fell three games behind the Cubs for the final playoff spot.Arizona trailed 2-0 early but took a 5-2 lead in the second inning, partly thanks to that electr...

Crawford homers, Kelenic drives in two to back Castillo’s win as Mariners beat A’s 7-2

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:54 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Even out on Puget Sound during an off-day fishing excursion last week, Luis Castillo did his share of winning: He pulled in the most salmon and left Mariners manager Scott Servais in awe and admiring his skill set yet again.No surprise to anybody in Seattle the way Castillo’s spectacular season is going.“I’m a guy who loves to fish,” Castillo explained with a smile after his latest pitching gem. “There’s always been the saying out there that in the sea life is sweeter. It was a happy moment with Scott and the pitching coach. We had a beautiful morning.” J.P. Crawford homered in the ninth inning and Jarred Kelenic hit a pair of RBI singles to support Castillo’s eighth consecutive winning decision, leading Seattle past the Oakland Athletics 7-2 on Tuesday night. Castillo (14-7) struck out eight over seven innings, topping 200 Ks while pushing toward 200 innings — a mark that will mean more to him given it shows how dependable and co...

Snell pitches 7 hitless innings and Ks 10 as the Padres top the Rockies 2-0 on Bogaerts’ homer

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:54 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — If this was Blake Snell’s final start for the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, it sure was a memorable one.The NL Cy Young Award contender lowered his big league-leading ERA to 2.33 and struck out 10 in seven brilliant innings for the Padres, who took a combined no-hitter into the ninth before beating the Colorado Rockies 2-0 on Tuesday night.Snell, Robert Suarez and All-Star closer Josh Hader finished with a two-hitter. Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth to lift the Padres to their season-high sixth straight win.San Diego manager Bob Melvin said it wasn’t a difficult decision to take out Snell after seven innings.“He was pretty realistic. He even said to me, ‘It’s going to be tough for me to finish nine.’ Over 100 pitches, seven innings, pretty good inning. It wasn’t that tough,” Melvin said.Snell, who has never gone eight innings in the majors, threw 104 pitches before making way for Suarez, who worked a perfect eighth. Hader (1-3)...

Muncy’s base hit in 9th lifts Dodgers to 3-2 win over Tigers and extends winning streak to 5

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28:54 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Max Muncy’s base hit with two outs in the ninth inning Tuesday night scored Mookie Betts and gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers, extending their winning streak to five games.Betts got aboard with a single to center for his third hit of the night. He advanced to second after Will Smith was hit by a pitch. Muncy then lined a curveball from Alex Lange (7-5) into right field. Kerry Carpenter threw home on one bounce as Betts rounded third, but Betts beat the tag when his left hand crossed the plate.Alex Vesia (2-5) got the win with a scoreless ninth as the NL West champions reduced their magic number to three for a first-round bye. J.D. Martinez homered and had a pair of hits.Spencer Torkelson and Parker Meadows homered for the Tigers, who dropped to 3-2 on their West Coast road trip.Torkelson, the game’s third batter, drove a cutter by Caleb Ferguson into the stands in left center for a solo shot. The top pick in the 2020 a...