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Baltics condemn China envoy’s stance on ex-Soviet nations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:26 GMT

HELSINKI (AP) — The three Baltic states have strongly condemned comments by China’s envoy to France, who appeared to suggest in a recent French television interview that former Soviet republics aren’t sovereign nations.The foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in separate announcements late Saturday deemed statements by Lu Shaye, China’s ambassador to France, as unacceptable.In a recent interview with the French news channel LCI, he was asked if he thought that the Crimean Peninsula belongs to Ukraine. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move that most of the world denounced as illegal. “That depends … on how one perceives this problem,” the envoy told the broadcaster. “There’s the history. Crimea was at the beginning Russian, no? It was (Soviet leader Nikita) Khrushchev who gave Crimea to Ukraine in the era of the Soviet Union.”When the channel’s presenter noted that according to international law, Crimea is part of Ukraine, the Chinese amba...

21 bodies dug up in cult investigation of pastor in Kenya

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:26 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Twenty-one bodies have been found so far on land owned by a pastor in coastal Kenya who was arrested for telling his followers to fast to death.Malindi sub-county police chief John Kemboi said more shallow graves have yet to be dug up on the land belonging to pastor Paul Makenzi, who was arrested on April 14 over links to cultism.A further four people died after they and others were discovered starving at the Good News International Church. Police have asked a court to allow them to hold Makenzi longer as investigations into the deaths of his followers continue.A tip-off from members of the public led police to raid the pastor’s property in Malindi, where they found 15 emaciated people, including the four who later died. The followers said they were starving on the pastor’s instructions in order to meet Jesus.Police had been told there were dozens of shallow graves spread across Makenzi’s farm and digging started on Friday.Makenzi has been on hunger strik...

Fox’s settlement with Dominion unlikely to cost it $787.5M

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:26 GMT

Fox Corp.’s hefty $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over defamation charges is eye-popping, but the ultimate cost to the media company is likely to be much lower. On Tuesday, Fox settled with Dominion over charges that Fox News baselessly accused the company of rigging its voting machines against former President Donald Trump in 2020. It was the most-watched media libel case in decades.Fox had about $4 billion of cash on hand as of December 2022, and MoffettNathanson analyst Robert Fishman expects the company to pay the settlement during the current quarter. How much the lawsuit will actually end up costing Fox is unclear because there are ways it can defray some of the expense, primarily through insurance and the use of tax deductions. Fox can deduct the Dominion settlement from its income taxes as an expense necessary for the cost of doing business. Fox Chief Communications Officer Brian Nick has confirmed the deductibility of the settlement.Big companie...

Slotkin’s Senate run may complicate Dems bid to retake House

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:26 GMT

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — When U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin announced plans to run for a critical Senate seat in Michigan, many Democrats were pleased.The three-term Lansing-area congresswoman was among the stars of last year’s midterm election, handily winning one of the nation’s most expensive contests. Her victory has largely dissuaded other prominent Democrats from challenging her for the Senate nomination and so far, no high-profile Republican has stepped forward. It’s reassured Democrats that in a year when they are defending twice as many seats as Republicans are, their standing in Michigan may be safe. While that may be good news for the effort to protect Democrats’ fragile Senate majority, it’s complicating the party’s bid to retake the House in 2024. Democrats need to gain just five seats to return to power, but it’s not clear whether anyone else can repeat Slotkin’s success in one of the most competitive districts in the United Stat...

More rain today through Thursday morning

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:26 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Showers and thunderstorms moved over most of our southern viewing area prior to sunrise. Only a few lightning strikes noted.More severe weather was noted from San Saba County southward into Gillespie County late Saturday afternoon and night. Downpours occurred in these two counties with Doss (Gillespie Co.) measuring 2.13" for the highest 24-hour rain total.There was a funnel cloud reported at 10:09 p.m. Saturday two miles west of Fredericksburg. There were two reports of hail two inches in diameter, one 5 miles south of Loyal Valley in Mason County and one 8 miles west-southwest of Crabapple in Gillespie County. In all there were 12 report of hail 1.00 to 2.00 inches in diameter. There is a 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms today. Storms should remain below severe limits. It will be chilly today thanks to the cold front that moved south last night. It has left a northeast wind that will gust to between 20 and 30 mph.A chilly day on this SundayLower rain chanc...

Medical billing transparency legislation pushes forward

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:26 GMT

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Biden approves disaster declaration for 2023 winter storm in 13 Texas counties

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:26 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — President Joe Biden has issued a disaster declaration for 13 Texas counties impacted in the winter storm that iced parts of Texas earlier this year.On Friday, Biden approved a major disaster declaration for 13 Texas counties impacted by the late January and early February winter storm. The declaration included Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties. PREVIOUS: Gov. Greg Abbott issues ice storm disaster declaration for some Texas counties The ice storm brought some of the worst icing to Central Texas in more than 15 years and left thousands without power for days.In February, Gov. Greg Abbott asked Biden for a presidential disaster declaration for 23 counties that were impacted by the Jan. 30-Feb. 2 winter weather. "This partial approval of my Major Disaster Declaration request submitted to the President in February is a critical first step to helping Texans recover from this severe weather event," Abbott said. "Texas will continue to work with...

Colorado immigrants allege cruel treatment in ICE enforcement tactics and detention, call for changes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:26 GMT

Years after Hilda’s husband was deported, the ramifications seem only to intensify.Their daughter is terrified of police officers. Their son began wetting the bed and hasn’t stopped. She disconnected all of her electronics because she worried she was being watched constantly. Her mother died.Now, the 32-year-old Denver woman doesn’t have stable housing after losing her mobile home.“Really, I have very little hope,” said Hilda, who spoke on the condition her last name be withheld because she’s in the country without legal authorization and fears for her family’s safety in Mexico. She added: “I’m suffering from depression.”The Denver Post spoke to Hilda and five other Coloradans left struggling after U.S. Immigration and Enforcement officers detained them or their loved ones, in order to get a sense of how their lives are being affected by federal immigration enforcement in this state.Their experiences corroborated findings from a report published last we...

California snowpack data debunked: 2023 was no record year. And neither was 1952

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:26 GMT

It was the snowpack reading that spawned a hundred headlines. “California ties 1952 record for all-time Sierra snowpack,” proclaimed KTVU. “California’s snowpack soars to record high after 17 atmospheric rivers,” trumpeted the Washington Post.State officials largely seemed to agree. “As of right now, it’s looking like this year’s statewide snowpack will probably, most likely, be either the first — or second — biggest snowpack on record dating back to 1950,” Sean de Guzman, manager of the California Department of Water Resources monthly snow survey, declared the day of the official April reading earlier this month.But this year wasn’t a record at all. It only appeared that way in large part because of the state’s shifting definition of a “normal” snowpack, which critics say obscures the true impact of climate change.And, in a closer look at the state’s seven decades of snowpack data, 1952 ...

49ers draft preview: Calm early rounds before another All-Pro storm?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:26 GMT

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers will be on the sidelines for the first two rounds of this week’s NFL Draft. And then … here comes their next wave of All-Pros.The next George Kittle (2017 fifth-rounder). The next Fred Warner (2018 third-rounder). The next Talanoa Hufanga (2021 fifth-rounder). The next Brock Purdy, who didn’t make All-Pro but somehow morphed from last draft’s “Mr. Irrelevant” to an NFL Rookie of the Year finalist.Too optimistic to expect more magic? Welcome to the ultimate week of fantasy football, where every player is a future star and every team basks in the Lombardi Trophy’s glow.“You’re talking about guys that are incredibly football-smart, and they’re incredibly passionate,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said of the 49ers’ recent draft finds. “They were leaders at the places that they played. … They’ve figured out the makeup part of this whole thing. They have fou...