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China says Biden comments likening leader Xi to a dictator ‘extremely absurd and irresponsible’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:45 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China on Wednesday called comments by President Joe Biden referring to Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a dictator “extremely absurd and irresponsible.” The new clash of words comes just over a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a visit to Beijing that sought to break the ice in a relationship that has hit a historical low. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Biden’s comments at a fundraiser in California “go totally against facts and seriously violate diplomatic protocol, and severely infringe on China’s political dignity.” “It is a blatant political provocation. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition,” Mao said at a daily briefing. “The U.S. remarks are extremely absurd and irresponsible,” Mao said. Blinken’s visit, during which he met with Xi, was aimed at easing tensions between the two superpowers but appeared not to have achieved any solid results. Biden, at the fundraiser on Tuesday night local time, said that Xi was ...

Woman whose sexual abuser was set free seeks new ruling after losing lawsuit against prosecutor

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:45 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Louisiana woman who was 16 when her boss coerced her to perform a sex act was aghast when a judge let the man walk free on probation — and she blames a prosecutor who she says misled her and the judge prior to the sentencing. But her efforts to hold the prosecutor accountable have run into a roadblock at the state’s highest court, which says longstanding court doctrine immunizes prosecutors from civil liability. Gabrielle Jameson, who was sexually assaulted in 2019 and is now 20, says she made clear to Assistant District Attorney Iain Dover in St. Tammany Parish that she wanted Jeremy Schake, 27, to spend a full year in prison as part of a deal in which Schake pleaded guilty to a sex crime involving a juvenile.But Judge William Burris, who sentenced Schake to probation in 2021 and required him to register as a sex offender, later insisted he never got that message.“It just hurt, because I’d just wanted to make my parents proud and have a big girl job and m...

Who are the five people on the missing submersible?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:45 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — A renowned Titanic expert, a world-record holding adventurer, two members of one of Pakistan's wealthiest families and the CEO of the company leading an expedition to the world's most famous shipwreck are facing critical danger aboard a small submersible that went missing in the Atlantic Ocean.The submersible Titan was reported overdue Sunday night about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John’s, Newfoundland, according to Canada’s Joint Rescue Coordination Center, spurring a desperate international rescue effort. Rescuers were racing against the clock because the oxygen supply could run out by approximately 6 a.m. Thursday.A Canadian aircraft detected underwater noises during the hunt for the Titan. The U.S. Coast Guard said via Twitter early Wednesday that as a result of the noises detected by the Canadian P-3 patrol aircraft, search efforts have been relocated and the data is being used to help guide the ongoing effort.The expedition featuring th...

Insufficient prototype testing could put Titanic sub passengers in 'extreme danger', lawsuit said

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:45 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — The company whose submersible vanished in the North Atlantic on a tourist dive to the wreck of the Titanic was repeatedly warned that there might be catastrophic safety problems posed by the way it was developed, documents show.With five people aboard a vessel that if still functioning would have a dwindling amount of oxygen, an expanding international fleet of ships and airplanes is searching for the Titan, operated by OceanGate Expeditions. The undersea exploration company based in Everett, Washington, has been making yearly voyages to the Titanic since 2021.In the first piece of good news since the search began, a Canadian aircraft detected underwater noises, though the vessel has not been found, the U.S. Coast Guard reported early Wednesday.David Lochridge, OceanGate’s director of marine operations, wrote an engineering report in 2018 that said the craft under development needed more testing and that passengers might be endangered when it reach...

Late severe storm risk follows another day of extreme heat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Our ongoing heatwave shows no signs of letting up soon as we prepare for another 7+ days of triple-digit heat.An Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect through 9 p.m. tonight for heat index values up to 118°. For two consecutive days, Camp Mabry's heat index has peaked at 116°. This ties the unofficial heat index record set in August, 2016. We're on track to get close again today.Storms more likely late WednesdayThe stubborn high pressure system that's been stifling most of our rain chances recently will shift just enough to allow for a few more storms and showers to move into our area later day. Storms will initially be isolated in coverage late afternoon before becoming more scattered late evening into the overnight. Some storms may be severe with large hail and damaging wind gusts possible. Austin FC fans heading to the 8:30 p.m. game Wednesday should keep an eye to the sky and heed official warnings if storms threaten. BLOG: If June is this hot, what comes ...

Elgin Police: 2 shot, injured Tuesday evening

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:45 GMT

ELGIN, Texas (KXAN) -- The Elgin Police Department is investigating after two people were shot Tuesday evening. It happened around 5:45 p.m. in the 600 block of Alley A, the police department said in a post on social media. Both victims were taken to a hospital, and their conditions are unknown. Police said the motive for the shooting is unknown. EPD said there is no danger to the public but asked residents to stay vigilant and report suspicious behavior to 911. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Noah Feldman: Supreme Court was sensibly conservative on tribal rights

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:45 GMT

Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s majority opinion for the Supreme Court in Haaland v. Brackeen is conservative in the good, old-fashioned sense of the word. In upholding the Indian Child Welfare Act, the court reaffirmed precedent and declined an invitation to revolutionize the law with a reactionary constitutional holding.Along the way, Barrett demonstrated a style of doctrinal confidence and aphoristic clarity reminiscent of her old boss, Justice Antonin Scalia. The opinion marks a step in her bid to inherit Scalia’s role as the leading conservative voice on the court.Meanwhile, in a separate concurrence joined by the court’s two most liberal members, Justice Neil Gorsuch continued his laudable effort to tell the truth about the history of U.S. oppression of Native Americans in the court’s official records, known as the U.S. Reports.The conservative judicial revolution isn’t over, not by a long shot. Expect further conservative activism in the days to come...

Resident input needed for name of new daycare center

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:45 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Calling Albany County residents! Your input is needed! County Executive Dan McCoy is seeking feedback on the name of the new daycare center at Shaker Place Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. Residents can cast their vote online. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Residents can pick between the names "Movers and Shakers," "Little Sprouts at Shaker Place," or have the option to suggest a different name. The poll will close on Thursday at 5 p.m., and the daycare center is expected to be complete by August.

Ask Amy: An aunt nervously greets her niece

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:45 GMT

Dear Readers: Like you, I’m often curious about what happens to the advice I offer once it leaves my desk, and so I’ve asked readers to send in “updates” to let all of us know how my advice was received, if it was followed, and how things turned out.The responses have flowed in, and I’m interested and often gratified to learn what impact this experience has had on readers.This year I celebrate my 20th year of writing this column. Publishing these updates reminds me that we have been through a lot over these past decades. Some of these updates read like postcards from old friends, and I’m happy to share them.(It’s important to understand that most of these updates offer a positive outcome. I assume this is because when things go well, people are more willing to share their experience.)To refresh all of our memories, I’m running the original Q&A, followed by the update.Dear Amy: I am one of six adult siblings. We gather once or twice a year in a low-key kind of way to stay connect...

Europe to accelerate arms shipments to Ukraine, EU industry chief declares

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:45 GMT

The European Union is speeding up arms deliveries to Ukraine in support of the country's counter offensive against Russian forces, EU industry chief Thierry Breton (pictured) said on Sunday (18 June) in an interview with the French daily Le Parisien."We are going to step up our efforts to deliver arms and ammunition-- this is a war of high intensity in which they play a crucial role," Breton said, citing a pledge to supply a million high-calibre weapons over the next 12 months."We are preparing for the war to last several more months, or even longer," he added.Ukraine launched a counteroffensive earlier this month to retake territory from Russian forces, and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last Thursday (15 June) urged Kyiv's allies to "dig deep" to provide more arms and ammunition.