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Ukrainian minister says he fears Russia has ‘no red lines’ to prevent attacks on nuclear plant

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:23:22 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The catastrophic collapse of a dam in southern Ukraine has made Kyiv worried that Russia might stage an attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to foment panic and quell Ukrainian advances on the frontline, Ukraine’s energy minister said Monday.Herman Halushchenko said the destruction of the dam while under Russian control in the Kherson region proved “there are no red lines” for Moscow. He said it warrants the level of alarm Ukraine’s leadership has been raising in recent weeks of an alleged Russian ploy to attack the nuclear plant in a possible false flag operation.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alleged last week, citing intelligence reports, that Russian troops placed “objects resembling explosives” atop several power units to “simulate” an attack. Drone and satellite images obtained by the Associated Press showed unidentified white objects on the roof of the plant’s fourth power unit, but Ukrainian leaders have so far been unable to provide further...

A grand jury being seated Tuesday could decide whether Trump is charged over Georgia’s 2020 election

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:23:22 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — A grand jury being seated Tuesday in Atlanta will likely consider whether criminal charges are appropriate for former President Donald Trump or his Republican allies for their efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia.Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been investigating since shortly after Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in early 2021 and suggested the state’s top elections official could help him “find 11,780 votes,” just enough needed to beat Democrat Joe Biden.The 2 1/2-year investigation expanded to include an examination of a slate of Republican fake electors, phone calls by Trump and others to Georgia officials in the weeks after the 2020 election and unfounded allegations of widespread election fraud made to state lawmakers.Willis, a Democrat, is expected to present her case before one of two new grand juries being seated Tuesday. She has previously suggested that any indictments would likely come in Au...

Test scores show American students slipping further behind despite recovery efforts

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:23:22 GMT

Students across the U.S. fell further behind academically last school year despite extensive efforts to help them recover from pandemic learning setbacks, according to an analysis of test scores released Tuesday.The research by NWEA, a nonprofit group that administers standardized tests, lands as the 2024 deadline approaches quickly for schools to spend the last of the $190 billion in federal pandemic relief money. There are ways schools can take better advantage of their limited resources and time to boost learning, said Chase Nordengren, the group’s lead researcher for instructional strategies. He said schools could group students based on their needs and provide targeted instruction, for example, adjusting groups as individuals progress. “We’ve been trying to send the message that this is a multiyear, if not decades-long recovery period and is going to require some fundamental rethinking of the ways that not only we educate students but we think about how students are group...

GOP confidence in 2024 vote count low after years of false election claims, AP-NORC poll shows

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:23:22 GMT

Few Republicans have high confidence that votes will be tallied accurately in next year’s presidential contest, suggesting years of sustained attacks against elections by former President Donald Trump and his allies have taken a toll, according to a new poll.The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll finds that only 22% of Republicans have high confidence that votes in the upcoming presidential election will be counted accurately compared to 71% of Democrats, underscoring a partisan divide fueled by a relentless campaign of lies related to the 2020 presidential election. Even as he runs for the White House a third time, Trump continues to promote the false claim that the election was stolen.Overall, the survey finds that fewer than half of Americans – 44% — have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of confidence that the votes in the next presidential election will be counted accurately.While Democrats’ confidence in elections has risen in recent years, the opposit...

String of robberies, carjackings hit North Side neighborhoods

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:23:22 GMT

CHICAGO — At least three armed robberies and two carjackings took place in three different North Side neighborhoods early Monday morning, according to the Chicago Police Department.The first carjacking took place around 2:20 a.m. in the 3200 block of North Ashland Avenue in Lake View. Police said an 18-year-old male victim relayed that two unidentified male offenders got out of a black Jeep and approached him as he was entering his vehicle. One of the offenders pointed a gun at the victim and demanded his keys, to which the victim complied and and the offenders fled the scene in a black Honda Civic with the black Jeep following behind it.The second carjacking took place around 3:43 a.m. in the 4000 block of North Ashland Avenue in Lake View.Police said in this incident a male and female victim said three unidentified male offenders exited a black sedan and approached them as they were parking their vehicle. One of the offenders then pointed a gun at them and demanded their keys. The...

Friends mourn loss of pro surfer Mikala Jones

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:23:22 GMT

Hawaii surfer Mikala Jones passed away while surfing at a remote secret wave off the Mentawais Saturday evening Hawaii Standard Time -- Sunday morning Indonesia time.He was 44 years old. His longtime friends shared stories and memories about the humble surfer, who was a man of few words, but always smiling.According to a friend who was on the boat with Jones, he had a four-inch deep cut on his leg and he was losing a lot of blood after catching a wave. They put a tourniquet on him and raced him to land.The nearest hospital was more than 45 minutes away by boat and by land. Jones did not survive.Friends said Jones loved going to secret spots in Indonesia, and was always searching for the perfect wave and barrel. Jones grew up on Oahu and lived at Rocky Point where he began surfing with some of the world's best waves in his backyard. "His dad lived at Rocky's, he could go to Pipe to the left of his yard, or Rocky's in front of his house, or ride his bike to V-land, he developed a skil...

Be wary of scams as Amazon Prime Day kicks off, experts warn

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:23:22 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon Prime Day is here. And, once again, experts are warning consumers of scams.Scams targeting online shoppers — often by impersonating companies like Amazon and other major retailers — are nothing new. But phishing attempts increase amid busy spending seen during significant sales events — from Black Friday to, of course, Prime Day, according to the Better Business Bureau.“This is a huge moment on the retail calendar,” Josh Planos, vice president of communications and public relations at the Better Business Bureau, told The Associated Press. “And because of that, it represents an enormous opportunity for a scammer, con artist or even just an unethical business or organization to capitalize on the moment and separate folks from their hard-earned money.”Prime Day, a two-day discount event, kicks off on Tuesday and runs through Wednesday. In guidance published last week, the Better Business Bureau reminded consumers to watch out for lookalike websites, t...

Today in History: Alexander Hamilton’s fatal duel with Aaron Burr

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:23:22 GMT

Today in History Today is Tuesday, July 11, the 192nd day of 2023. There are 173 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On July 11, 1804, Vice President Aaron Burr mortally wounded former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton during a pistol duel in Weehawken, New Jersey. (Hamilton died the next day.) On this date: In 1798, the U.S. Marine Corps was formally re-established by a congressional act that also created the U.S. Marine Band. In 1859, Big Ben, the great bell inside the famous London clock tower, chimed for the first time. In 1864, Confederate forces led by General Jubal Early began an abortive invasion of Washington, D.C., turning back the next day.In 1914, Babe Ruth made his Major League baseball debut, pitching the Boston Red Sox to a 4-3 victory over Cleveland. In 1955, the U.S. Air Force Academy swore in its first class of cadets at its temporary quarters at Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado. In 1972, the World Chess Championship opened as grandmasters Bobb...

Gobierno dominicano dice que ha quintuplicado la incautación de droga desde 2020

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:23:22 GMT

(CNN Español) — El gobierno de República Dominicana informó este lunes que, en lo que va de la gestión del presidente Luis Abinader, las autoridades han incautado más de 9.400 kilos de drogas como cocaína, heroína, marihuana, crack y éxtasis.En un comunicado de prensa, el gobierno señaló que estas cifras equivalen a más de cinco veces a las interceptadas durante la gestión pasada, entre 2016 y 2020, cuando se decomisaron unos 1.600 kilos de distintas drogas.El presidente de República Dominicana, Luis Abinader, da positivo por covid-19Las autoridades añadieron que en relación con estas incautaciones han apresado aproximadamente a 69.000 personas.El comunicado añadió que estas cifras fueron ofrecidas por el presidente de la Dirección Nacional de Control de Drogas de República Dominicana, vicealmirante José Manuel Cabrera Ulloa, tras la reunión semanal del gobierno en materia de seguridad.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Com...

Pierre-Luc Dubois hopes time with Kings can change his reputation

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:23:22 GMT

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — After forcing two trades in six years, Pierre-Luc Dubois understands why he might not have the best reputation around hockey.Now a member of the Los Angeles Kings with a new eight-year contract, Dubois is looking forward to change that image.“I’m just extremely happy to be here and to be here for a long time, and just show really who I really am and not just an image of what people think, people that they think they know me,” Dubois said Monday.Dubois was dealt to Los Angeles from Winnipeg on June 27 after previously telling the Jets he intended to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2023-24 season.Winnipeg had acquired Dubois from Columbus in a January 2021 transaction after saying he no longer wanted to play for the Blue Jackets, who drafted him third overall in 2016.“I think, obviously, with demanding a trade out of Columbus, and then the situation with Winnipeg … everybody looks at those decisions, and some people agree, some people di...