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A gunman in New Zealand kills 2 people hours ahead of first game in Women's World Cup

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:56:37 GMT

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — A man stormed a high-rise construction site in downtown Auckland early Thursday morning, shooting at terrified workers and killing two people hours before New Zealand planned to host the first game of the FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament. The gunman was found dead after a police shootout, during which an officer was shot and wounded. Four civilians were also injured. The shooting happened near hotels where Team Norway and other soccer teams have been staying.New Zealand Prime Minster Chris Hipkins said the tournament would go ahead as scheduled.“Clearly with the FIFA World Cup kicking off this evening, there are a lot of eyes on Auckland," Hipkins said. "The government has spoken to FIFA organizers this morning and the tournament will proceed as planned."“I want to reiterate that there is no wider national security threat,” he added. "This appears to be the action of one individual.”The shooting jarred New Zealand, where active shooter incidents are rar...

Yankees kiss hellish road trip goodbye as Angels sweep

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:56:37 GMT

ANAHEIM — After falling to the Angels one last time, the Yankees find themselves in hell.The Halos beat the stumbling Yankees, 7-3, on Wednesday at Angel Stadium, thus completing their first sweep over New York since July 2009. The loss brought an end to a hellish road trip that also saw the Yankees lose 2-of-3 to the Rockies, the worst team in the National League, immediately following the All-Star break.The Yankees will fly home in last place in the American League East after Carlos Rodon endured his worst start since signing a six-year, $162 million contract in December. The southpaw surrendered four hits, six earned runs and two homers over 4.1 innings while walking five and striking out three.The homers, hit by Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo, gave the Angles a 4-0 lead after just two innings. As Rodon left the mound after the second frame, he was caught blowing a kiss in response to jeering Yankees fans behind the club’s dugout.Rodon, who also gave up an RBI single to...

Patriots update website with new coaching titles

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:56:37 GMT

The New England Patriots have not made any official announcements regarding coaching titles for the 2023 season, but they did update the coaching section of their website with some notable changes as of early Thursday morning.The Patriots quietly updated the coaches section of their website with titles.New titles this season:Adrian Klemm: OLWill Lawing: TEBill O'Brien: OC/QBsEvan Rothstein: Asst. QBsKeith Jones: DefenseJoe Judge: Asst. HChttps://t.co/w9A00RhbuD pic.twitter.com/fWMYZO8PaS— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) July 20, 2023Joe Judge, who previously was listed as an offensive assistant/quarterbacks coach, is now listed as assistant head coach. Evan Rothstein, who was brought over from the Detroit Lions with Matt Patricia, now is listed with the title of assistant quarterbacks coach after serving as an offensive assistant in 2022.The Patriots have made four new hires on their coaching staff. Bill O’Brien is listed as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, Adrian Klemm as ...

SpaceX rocket launch seen in San Diego skies

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:56:37 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launched Wednesday night from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California, creating blue streaks of light that could be seen from the San Diego area.The rocket carried 15 Starlink satellites, which are designed to bring low-cost internet services to rural/remote communities, into low-Earth orbit during its successful liftoff, according to the company.FOX 5 viewers from Coronado and Chula Vista to Escondido and Oceanside sent in videos and images of the launch, some uncertain of the object in the sky. Child falls from apartment window in Mission Valley "Suuuper bright light shines from unknown object flies above downtown chula vista just now," another user on Facebook commented.Wednesday's 9:09 p.m. PDT launch comes after Tuesday night's mission was aborted five seconds before a scheduled lift-off time of 10:25 p.m.Starlink's launches are aimed to build a giant constellation of broadband satellites across the globe, which now ha...

Carlsbad Unified School District passes 'diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging' plan

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:56:37 GMT

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- The Carlsbad Unified school board voted to approve a plan that would incorporate more diversity and inclusion in the district.Hundreds of people have attended several meetings around this topic, both for and against the “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging” or “DEIB” plan.At Wednesday’s board meeting, there were nearly 70 speakers on the agenda item.“This is absurd, this is a circus. Equity, inclusion and diversity is how we move this country forward,” Tom Jansen said.The plan for diversity and inclusion at Carlsbad Unified had been discussed for more than two years.In February, the CUSD Board of Trustees approved goals and success indicators for the DEIB Strategic Plan. In April a survey was sent out to students, parents, and staff in grades 6-12 on related topics. In June a series of townhall meetings began to solicit feedback from the public, which drew both support and concern. SpaceX rocket launch seen in San Diego skies “It can and will be us...

Turkey’s finance chief heralds $50.7 billion deals with UAE as Erdogan tours Gulf nations

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:56:37 GMT

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey and the United Arab Emirates have signed deals worth $50.7 billion as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rounded off a three-country tour of the Gulf.“Today we have witnessed the signings of several strategic agreements and (memoranda of understandings) worth a total of $50.7 billion to further cement ties between the UAE and Turkey,” Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek tweeted late Wednesday.The agreements involve export financing, earthquake bonds, energy, defense and other sectors.Erdogan embarked on a tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE on Tuesday, seeking trade and investment opportunities for Turkey’s floundering economy.Inflation in Turkey was 38% last month, down from a high of 85% in October, while the budget deficit widened to $8.37 billion in June, seven times the level of a year earlier.Ankara has repaired ties with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi over the last two years following a decadelong split with the Arab states.Timothy Ash, an emerging markets analyst at ...

They fled Syria’s shattering civil war. Now, Syrian refugees in Jordan fear being forced to return

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:56:37 GMT

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — As Jordan hosted regional talks this spring aimed at ending Syria’s isolation after more than a decade of civil war, Syrian refugee Suzanne Dabdoob felt a deep pressure in her brain and in her ears, she said, a fear she hadn’t felt since arriving to Jordan 10 years ago.Ahead of the meeting, Syrian President Bashar Assad agreed that 1,000 Syrian refugees living in Jordan would be allowed to safely return home — a test case for the repatriation of far greater numbers. Jordan’s top diplomat spoke only of voluntary returns. But panic spread through working-class east Amman, where Dabdoob and many other Syrians have built new lives in multistory, cement-block buildings. “I would rather die right here than go back to Syria,” said Dabdoob, 37, whose home was razed by airstrikes in the Syrian city of Homs. She fled to Amman with her five children, her accountant husband, who dodged military service, and her sister, who she said is wanted for abandoning her civil service...

The wait is over as Powerball finally has a winner for its jackpot worth over $1 billion

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:56:37 GMT

A winning ticket has been sold in California for the Powerball jackpot worth an estimated $1.08 billion, the sixth largest in U.S. history and the 3rd largest in the history of the game.The winning numbers for Wednesday night’s drawing were: white balls 7, 10, 11, 13, 24 and red Powerball 24. The California Lottery said on Twitter that the winning ticket was sold in Los Angeles at Las Palmitas Mini Market.Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot beyond its earlier estimate of $1 billion to $1.08 billion at the time of the drawing, moving it from the seventh largest to the sixth largest U.S lottery jackpot ever won.The winner can choose either the total jackpot paid out in yearly increments or a $558.1 million, one-time lump sum before taxes.The game’s abysmal odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to build big prizes that draw more players. The largest Powerball jackpot was $2.04 billion Powerball in November.The last time someone had won the Powerball jackpot was April 19 for a top p...

Suspect in fire at Wyoming abortion clinic set to take plea deal

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:56:37 GMT

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A judge is set to consider a plea deal Thursday for an abortion opponent who investigators say burned Wyoming’s first full-service abortion clinic in years.Lorna Roxanne Green, 22, told investigators she broke in and used gasoline to set fire to the Wellspring Health Access clinic in Casper because it was giving her anxiety and nightmares, according to court documents.Green is scheduled to appear in court for a change-of-plea hearing Thursday before U.S. District Judge Alan Johnson in Cheyenne. Details of her proposed deal with prosecutors have been off-limits to the public pending Johnson’s approval of the agreement.Charged with arson, Green faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, though a plea deal could bring a lighter sentence. Green has been free from jail since March while her case proceeds, and she pleaded not guilty at a court hearing in June.Her deal with prosecutors, revealed by court documents filed last week, suggests sheR...

New York considers ban on cash prize contests for hunting coyotes, squirrels, some other wildlife

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:56:37 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The contests have names such as Predator Slam, Squirrel Scramble and Final Fling for Fox, sometimes challenging hunters to bag the heaviest coyote or the heftiest bunch of squirrels to win a cash prize. While participants seek prey in the name of fundraising, animal rights advocates are training their sights on contests they see as senseless slaughters. With bans in eight states, activists are now looking to New York, where Gov. Kathy Hochul is considering a proposal recently approved by the Legislature.“It’s wrong that fringe groups in these extreme contests can use our wildlife resources for money,” said Brian Shapiro, New York state director of the Humane Society of the United States. “I can’t think of any other natural resource that is used that way.”Opponents want to put an end to annual events held around upstate New York that target wildlife like coyotes, rabbits, raccoons and foxes.Campaigns against the competitions often feature pictures of coyote carcas...