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House Democrats Refuse to Say Whether They Support Cluster Bomb Shipments to Ukraine

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:20 GMT

Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said recently that he is keeping the door open to sending cluster munitions — widely banned around the world due to their track record of maiming and killing civilians — to Ukraine. In a May interview with Politico, Smith said that the advantage of cluster munitions “is we have a lot of them. To the extent that we’re unable to provide sufficient ammo in other areas, they could certainly fill that gap.” He also framed the munitions as a potential way to end a conflict with no end in sight. “If our cluster munitions could bring the war to a conclusion sooner, it’s something I’m open to,” Smith said. This followed comments Smith made a week earlier at a Council on Foreign Relations event where he similarly described the pros and cons of sending cluster munitions to Ukraine. Ukraine has asked the United States to provide it with cluster bombs, which Russian troops have deployed against Ukrainian civilians...

Driver whose car vaulted over tow truck says: ‘I thought I was going to die’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:20 GMT

VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) — A woman whose car was captured on video vaulting into the air over a tow truck and crashing onto a Georgia highway says she’s recovering after spending two weeks in a hospital and undergoing several surgeries.“I don’t really remember much, but I know that I thought I was going to die,” Tanaijsha Bruton told WALB-TV in an interview Tuesday. “It hurts really, really bad. I felt everything.”A Lowndes County sheriff’s deputy was responding to an earlier wreck May 24 when his body camera recorded Bruton’s sedan flying into the air after driving up the ramp of a flatbed tow truck, which had stopped in the highway’s opposite left lane. The car soared 120 feet (37 meters) before landing upside down, according to a police report. It struck another vehicle and tumbled end over end before coming to rest.“When I go to sleep that’s pretty much what I dream about,” 21-year-old Bruton said. “It just replays over and over.” Bruton was h...

Reds prospect Elly De La Cruz still soaring after incredible big league debut

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:20 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — There may have been 30 people inside Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday with a view of the field, including a couple of workers who were busy hosing off seats hours before the game, yet all would occasionally turn to see where the ball landed when they heard the crack of the bat.Inside the cage, hat flipped backward a la Ken Griffey Jr. and with a left-handed swing nearly as sweet, was the hottest thing to hit baseball in quite some time. Elly De La Cruz pounded ropes into the stadium’s massive alleys and soared shots that rattled around in the outfield seats or splashed into the stadium fountains.An hour later, De La Cruz finally walked toward the visiting dugout with a few of his Cincinnati Reds teammates.It was 2:58 p.m. First pitch was still more than four hours away.Rarely do players widely considered baseball’s top prospect exceed expectations from Day 1. But even rarer is a talent like De La Cruz, the 21-year-old switch-hitting infielder whose first wee...

Florida heads to College World Series with deepest pitching staff since lone national title

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:20 GMT

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan sifted through his desk this week in search of decade-old notebooks from previous trips to the College World Series.The pages contain countless reminders about how to handle days, maybe even weeks, in Omaha, Nebraska. Build in downtime. Make sure everyone has fun. Gather the team together at the end of each night.Solid tips, for sure. But the most important pointer didn’t need to be jotted down anywhere: bring pitching, lots of pitching. It shouldn’t be an issue for Sully and the Gators this time around.Second-seeded Florida (50-15) has its most talented collection of arms since winning the program’s lone national title in 2017, a staff so deep that O’Sullivan could face daunting decisions about when to use standout sophomore Jac Caglianone and highly touted freshman Cade Fisher.“There’s no perfect or complete team. Everybody’s got strengths, everybody’s got weaknesses,” O’Sullivan said. “We had to work awfully hard to figure o...

Permanent air traffic control tower at Leesburg airport plans take off

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:20 GMT

The Town of Leesburg, Virginia, has taken first steps toward building a permanent air traffic control tower at Leesburg Executive Airport, after the unexpected termination of an experimental remote tower program.On Tuesday, the Leesburg Town Council voted unanimously to approve funding for the initial stage of planning to build a permanent brick and mortar tower, with hopes that it would be assisting pilots in taking off and landing by 2030.The council approved spending $270,000 for a siting study. According to a staff report, the total cost of the project is projected to be $16 million, with the Federal Aviation Administration and Virginia Department of Aviation paying 98% of the projects.Since 2015, the company that works with Leesburg Executive Airport, Saab, has been operating an experimental remote tower system for air traffic control. However, in February, the FAA announced it would end the remote program on June 14.The decision raised fear that the ever-growing number of corp...

Advanced Micro Devices, Anterix rise; UnitedHealth, Logitech fall, Wednesday, 6/14/2023

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:20 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that are trading heavily or have substantial price changes on Wednesday:Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD), up $2.41 to $126.94.The chipmaker announced a line of artificial intelligence chips.UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH), down $34.87 to $456.44.The insurer said it expects pent-up demand for surgeries to increase costs.Anterix Inc. (ATEX), up $1.15 to $34.10.The wireless communications company reported strong fiscal fourth-quarter earnings.Logitech International S.A. (LOGI), down $7.37 to $56.53.CEO Bracken Darrell resigned from the maker of keyboards, webcams and other computer peripherals.Sonos Inc. (SONO), down 17 cents to $16.12.The audio products maker is cutting 7% of its workforce.Plug Power Inc. (PLUG), up 8 cents to $11.The fuel cell maker gave investors an encouraging financial and production update.Toyota Motor Corp. (TM), up $8.26 to $166.35.The automaker’s shareholders endorsed Akio Toyoda’s reappointment as chairman.Vodafone Group (VOD), up ...

Kosovo says 3 border police officers ‘kidnapped’ by Serbia; Belgrade says they crossed illegally

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:20 GMT

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbian authorities said Wednesday they have captured three “fully armed” Kosovo police officers inside Serbia near their mutual border, while Kosovo police said they have likely been “kidnapped” on Kosovo territory as they patrolled the area.The latest incident sharply raises tensions between Serbia and its former province. Serbia had put its troops on the border on the highest state of alert amid a series of recent clashes between Kosovo Serbs on one side, and Kosovo police and NATO-led peacekeepers on the other.Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said the “kidnapping” of the police officers represents an “act of aggression” against his country and called on the international community to quickly react and condemn Serbia.Kosovo police said in a statement Wednesday that the three police officers called for assistance after they had seen gunmen wearing masks on Kosovo territory near the border north of the capital, Pristina.When other members of the...

North Carolina governor signs sports, horse racing betting law; wagering to being in early 2024

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:20 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Regulated sports betting and horse racing should begin across North Carolina in the first half of next year after Gov. Roy Cooper signed into law Wednesday legislation that greatly expands gambling opportunities in the ninth-largest state.The Democratic governor held the bill-signing ceremony at Spectrum Center, home to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. It could house one of several anticipated sportsbooks allowed at or near professional sports venues as part of the law that received final approval in the Republican-controlled General Assembly last week.The new law says betting could begin as early as next Jan. 8 but as late as mid-June 2024, leading to new revenues for the state and what supporters expect will lead to new jobs and stronger in-state pro sports franchises.“This is an historic moment for the state of North Carolina and this will benefit our economy for generations to come,” Cooper said at the ceremony.The law directs the North Carolina Lo...

Nuggets players of past take part in celebrating 1st NBA title in team history

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:20 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray cradled the NBA championship trophy, occasionally rubbing the shiny gold piece of hardware to make sure it was real. The Denver point guard wouldn't let it out of his sight for long.This title, the first in the Nuggets’ long ABA/NBA history, of course, meant so much to Murray, NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic and the rest of the cast. But they brought along a lot of people for the ride.Nuggets greats like David Thompson, Dan Issel and Bobby Jones, who helped lead the team to its last finals appearance, in 1976, as members of the ABA.Former coaches like Larry Brown, Doug Moe and George Karl. Other stars like Alex English, Dikembe Mutombo and Carmelo Anthony, along with any Nuggets player who ever wore a rainbow uniform or saw their season end at the hands of the Lakers.This, the Nuggets' 47th NBA season, finally ended with confetti, a trophy and an upcoming parade through the streets of downtown. Nuggets championship par...

2 arrested in deadly Aurora road rage shooting

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:20 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Two people have been arrested in connection to a road rage shooting that killed a 48-year-old man in the Dayton Triangle neighborhood in Aurora. Road rage incidents on the rise, concerning for law enforcement According to the Aurora Police Department, Juan Carlos Rivas-Luna, 18, of Aurora, was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder, and Aracely Enriquez, 18, also of Aurora, was arrested on one charge of accessory to first-degree murder.Juan Carlos Rivas-Luna was arrested on charges of first-degree murder in connection to a road-rage shooting that killed a 48-year-old man. (Aurora Police Department)Aracely Enriquez, 18, was arrested on a charge of accessory to first-degree murder in connection to a road-rage shooting that killed a 48-year-old man. (Aurora Police Department)Rivas-Luna and Enriquez were taken into custody in the 1000 block of Hanover Street by the Aurora Police SWAT Team without incident. The arrests followed a week-long investigation, according...