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As Taiwan prepares for anti-invasion exercises, China sends dozens of warplanes toward the island

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:01:59 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China sent dozens of warplanes, including fighter jets and bombers, toward Taiwan, the island’s Defense Ministry said Saturday, marking a forceful display days before the democracy plans to hold military exercises aimed at defending itself against a possible invasion.Taiwan is due to hold its annual Han Kuang exercise next week, during which its military will hold combat readiness drills for preventing an invasion. It will also conduct the annual Wan’an exercises aimed at preparing civilians for natural disasters and practicing evacuations in case of an air raid. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army sent 37 aircraft and seven navy vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday, the ministry said in a statement. Among them were J-10 and J-16 fighters and H-6 bombers, and 22 of the detected warplanes crossed the midline of the Taiwan Strait — an unofficial boundary that had been considered a buffer between the island and mainland — or enter...

Mega Millions jackpot grows to $820 million with a possible cash payout of $422 million

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:01:59 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — No winner for the Mega Millions top prize has sent the jackpot soaring to an estimated $820 million.The numbers drawn late Friday night were: 29, 40, 47, 50, 57 and gold Mega Ball 25.The estimated $820 million in the next drawing would only be distributed to a winner who chooses an annuity paid over 29 years. Nearly all grand prize winners opt to take a cash payout, which for Tuesday night’s drawing is an estimated $422 million.Despite the game’s long odds of 1 in 302.6 million, players continue to purchase tickets as the size of the grand prize grows.The last time a Mega Millions player hit the top prize was April 18.The Powerball jackpot also was approaching near-record levels before a tiny neighborhood store in downtown Los Angeles sold the winning ticket for Wednesday’s drawing, worth an estimated $1.08 billion.Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.The Associated Press

Nervous Republicans turn to New Hampshire in hopes of stopping Trump

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:01:59 GMT

HUDSON, N.H. (AP) — They acknowledge Donald Trump’s dominance, but weary Republicans across New Hampshire — even inside the governor’s office — are fighting to stop the former president from winning the first-in-the-nation primary.For now, however, they’re relying on little more than hope and prayers.Look no further than Mike Pence, Trump’s former vice president, who repeatedly appealed to voters’ faith this week as he tried to resurrect his anemic presidential campaign while courting a few dozen voters in a former state lawmaker’s backyard.“I truly do believe that different times call for different leadership,” Pence told his modest crowd. “I know you all are going to do your job, because I have faith. I have faith in the American people.”More than a dozen high-profile Republicans are looking to New Hampshire, the state long known for shining on political underdogs, to help stop Trump’s march toward a third consecutive Republican presidenti...

Oklahoma governor’s feud with Native American tribes continues over revenue agreements

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:01:59 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt’s ongoing feud with many of the Native American tribes in the state has grown so contentious that fellow Republicans in the Legislature and the state’s attorney general are considering pushing him out of tribal negotiations altogether.Those agreements, called compacts, have been worked out between the state and tribes over the last couple of decades to divvy up revenue from gambling, vehicle tags and the sale of tobacco and motor fuel on tribal land, all of which provide major revenue streams into state and tribal coffers. Tribal casinos alone paid nearly $200 million to the state last year under agreements giving tribes the exclusive right to offer casino gambling.State Republican leaders are grumbling publicly that Stitt’s hostile posture toward the tribes, including vetoing the extension of some compacts, are costing more than just money. They say it’s also eroding the relationship with tribal leaders that, al...

Tony Bennett left his heart to generations of music fans

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:01:59 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — What do Paul McCartney, Queen Latifah, Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder have in common?Oh, and Aretha Franklin, k.d. lang, Bono and Billy Joel. Not to mention Carrie Underwood, Judy Garland, John Legend and Placido Domingo. And let’s not forget…Stop. Listing all of the musicians who performed duets with Tony Bennett would take up our remaining space. His place in music history is already secure.Bennett, who died at 95 on Friday, was indeed “the last of the great saloon singers of the mid-20th century,” as Charles J. Gans wrote for The Associated Press. Yet that summation befits a man frozen in time, consigned to a specific era, and Tony Bennett was anything but that.Instead, Bennett transcended generations in a way few musicians have.He was rightly beloved by older listeners for the way he interpreted the works of songwriters Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and George Gershwin in a strong and stalwart voice that remained true into his 90s. He was influ...

North Dakota officer killed in Fargo ambush is to be laid to rest Saturday in Minnesota

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:01:59 GMT

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — The Fargo police officer who was responding to a routine traffic crash when he was ambushed and fatally shot by a heavily armed man will be laid to rest Saturday. Jake Wallin, 23, was killed July 14 when a man armed with 1,800 rounds of ammunition, multiple guns and explosives began firing. Two other officers and a civilian were wounded before a fourth officer returned fire, killing gunman Mohamad Barakat. Police said the actions of that fourth officer likely spared the city from a bigger, bloodier attack. Wallin, who had been sworn in as a Fargo police officer in April and was still in field training, was cremated in his uniform. On Saturday, the Fargo Police Department will escort his cremains to Pequot Lakes, Minnesota, where a funeral service will be held. A military veteran, Wallin served in the Minnesota Army National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq from November 2020 to July 2021, according to a spokesperson for the Minnesota National Guard.H...

Barbie mania sweeps Latin America, but sometimes takes on a darker tone

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:01:59 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Latin America is taking Barbie mania to an extreme, with everything from pink-colored tacos and pastries, commercial planes bearing the Barbie logo, political ads and even Barbie-themed protests.But it’s not all high heels and pom-poms: Barbie mania in the region has taken on a darker, macabre tone.In Peru, anti-government demonstrators this week dressed up two women in pink and put them in giant Barbie boxes in the main square of Lima, the capital, to protest current President Dina Boluarte, under whose administration police have often clashed with protesters.One actress, whose box was labeled “Barbie Dictator,” held a pink gun. The doll, according to the box legend, “includes tear gas and dum-dum bullets.” Another protester’s box was labeled “Genocidal Barbie.”Meanwhile, stores, street vendors and restaurants throughout Latin America are offering up all sorts of Barbie-themed goodies.In Mexico, there are Barbie tortillas (the corn dough is colored pink with beet...

Missing Forest Lake girl found safe two months after disappearance

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:01:59 GMT

The Forest Lake girl who has been missing for more than two months was found safe on Friday, police said.Desiray Kappes, 14, who had not been seen leaving her home on her bicycle on May 19, was “found healthy” and is cooperating with investigators, according to a news release prepared by Forest Lake Police Chief Rick Peterson.The Forest Lake Police Department canceled its missing-person alert for Desiray at 10:23 p.m. Friday.“The Forest Lake Police Department is grateful for the numerous law enforcement agencies, organizations, and those with information who have assisted in locating Desiray,” Peterson wrote in the release. “Due to the ongoing investigation, further information may not be available throughout the weekend. Any additional information will be provided by the Forest Lake Police Department.”Desiray, who turned 14 on May 3, left her Forest Lake home on her bicycle around 8:30 a.m. May 19, according to surveillance camera footage from a nearby house. She left a note ...

Troy City Council spends six hours questioning during first Harbour Point Gardens investigation meeting

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:01:59 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Just before midnight, Troy City Council wrapped its first investigation meeting into code violations at the Harbour Point Gardens apartment complex Thursday night after around six hours of questioning. Among the testimonies, complex management, Mayor Patrick Madden, Deputy Mayor Chris Nolan, members of code enforcement, attorneys, and the displaced residents who've now spent close to a month housed in a motel.Despite the lengthy Q&A, Council President Carmella Mantello says she does not believe they have the sufficient answers they wanted."We feel they played footsie with us, they double talked, and it’s just not fair to the tenants," says Mantello, referring to members who spoke on behalf of Lexington Property Group.As NEWS10 has previously reported, the Harbour Point Gardens apartments have a registered owner as "182 Delaware LLC". This company is one of many subsidiaries owned and operated by Lexington Property Group based in East Orange, New Jersey, as...

One dead in Gilroy shooting

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:01:59 GMT

(KRON) -- A gunshot victim in Gilroy died at a local hospital on Thursday, the Gilroy Police Department said. The victim was brought to Saint Louise Hospital just before 9 p.m. for medical assistance. After the staff attempted life-saving measures, the victim was pronounced dead, police said. Police believe the shooting happened on the 2100 block of Columbine Court. While there is no suspect in custody, police do not believe there is a threat to the public. GPD is investigating the death. Anyone with information is asked to contact GPD's Detective Cat Fraide at (408) 846-0335 or [email protected] . Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling police's tip line at (408) 846-0330.