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House Republicans pull back contempt charge against FBI director Wray over Biden doc

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

By FARNOUSH AMIRI (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday called off a vote on a contempt of Congress charge against FBI Director Christopher Wray, accepting a last-minute offer by the bureau to allow the full committee access to a confidential document of an unverified tip about President Joe Biden.Rep. James Comer said in a statement that the committee is removing a contempt resolution against Wray from Thursday’s schedule after receiving an accommodation that would give the full committee access to the document. “Allowing all Oversight Committee members to review this record is an important step toward conducting oversight of the FBI and holding it accountable to the American people,” the Kentucky Republican said. The action that played out over the last month against Wray reflects a larger breakdown between Republicans and the FBI that has only intensified this year, with some conservatives...

Dozens of rats living inside van in North County rescued

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

ESCONDIDO, Calif. — San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) last week rescued 78 rats found living inside a stalled van in the Escondido area, animal officials said.Police were notified on June 1 about a vehicle in a hotel parking lot with expired registration plates and animals living inside, the San Diego Humane Society said in a news release Wednesday.Humane officers and animal care staff performed a search of the van the first day, finding 23 adult rats and 7 pinkies (babies) living in dirty conditions inside the van. Traps with food were also set to capture additional rats hiding in different parts of the vehicle over several days.More rats are believed to be hiding in the van as the staff continues to monitor traps daily, according to officials. BMX star Pat Casey dies in crash at Ramona motocross track “This was a sad situation all around,” said Lt. Regina Price with San Diego Humane Society’s Humane Law Enforcement. “The owner had fallen on hard times and was unable to pro...

South Korean inquiry to look into 237 more foreign adoptions suspected to have laundered origins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission said Thursday it will investigate 237 more cases of South Korean adoptees who suspect their family origins were manipulated to facilitate their adoptions in Europe and the United States. The new cases in the commission’s expanded inquiry into South Korea’s foreign adoption boom involve adoptees in 11 nations including the United States, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden who were adopted from 1960 to 1990. More than 300 adoptees from Europe, North America and Australia filed applications last year demanding their cases be investigated.The commission said most of the applicants claim their adoptions were based on falsified records that laundered their status or origin to ensure their adoptability and expedite custody transfers across borders. Some applicants asked the commission to look into abuse they say they experienced at South Korean orphanages or under the care of their foreign adoptive parents.Whe...

American Roger Reeves wins Griffin Poetry Prize for ‘Best Barbarian’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

TORONTO — American poet Roger Reeves won the $130,000 Griffin Poetry Prize with his book “Best Barbarian” at a ceremony in Toronto on Wednesday evening.The Austin, Texas-based writer is also the recipient of a Whiting Award and a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship.Griffin judges praise “Best Barbarian” for charting “the ruptures and violences enacted across time and space — particularly against Black humanity — while leaning always toward beauty.”In his acceptance speech, Reeves thanked his grandmother, who moved from South Carolina to New Jersey to clean homes, including for some of the first Black women to get PhDs in the United States.When she was cleaning those houses, he said, she’d tell her grandson to look up at the shelves.“She would say look at those shelves. Just look at them,” Reeves said.“There’s no way that I could ever have imagined that looking at those bookshelves would bring me here, to this.”This is the first year the Gri...

Canadian smoke bathes U.S.; climate change ‘only getting worse,’ says White House

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

WASHINGTON — A hazy, acrid shroud lingered over some of America’s largest cities Wednesday as Canadian wildfire smoke continued to drift south, touching off “code red” air quality alerts from Massachusetts to North Carolina. In New York City, a dense, orange-tinted fog settled among the skyscrapers of Manhattan, forcing athletes and older Americans alike to take shelter indoors. Schools across the region cancelled outdoor activities.In low-visibility areas, motorists were urged to stay off the roads, while the Federal Aviation Administration ordered temporary ground stops at major airports in New York and Philadelphia.The sky was “yellow and grey,” said Michael Gerrard, director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at New York’s Columbia Law School, who spent the day working from his suburban home in Westchester, north of the city.“The last time I smelled air like that, I was in New Delhi.”The Indian capital is typically top of t...

Alabama senator says Space Command prefers Huntsville for HQ, but command has no comment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville said in a tweet Wednesday that the top general in charge of U.S. Space Command told him during a meeting that Huntsville, not Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the preferred location for its new headquarters. Tuberville’s tweet, which his office also issued in a press release, is the latest twist in the ongoing brawl over where U.S. Space Command should be located. The decision that has become entangled in a far larger political fight between Tuberville and the Defense Department over reproductive health care for service members, which is now jeopardizing the promotions of hundreds of military officers. The senator tweeted that Gen. James Dickinson “confirmed Huntsville is the preferred location of Space Command headquarters. Enough is enough, it’s time to bring U.S. Space Command home to Huntsville.”U.S. Space Command had no comment on Tuberville’s statement. Tuberville is fighting for a basing decision that ...

Lake Travis ISD board approves 3% raise for all regular staff

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Lake Travis Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a 3% raise for all regular staff in a school board meeting on Thursday.In a letter sent to the LT family, it indicated all salary adjustments will become effect in July, August or September 2023, depending on the calendar start date.The letter said the raise will be calculated from the midpoint of the current year pay grade, which for teachers and librarians represents an increase of $1,920.Furthermore, the board also approved increasing the starting pay for teachers and librarians by $3,000, to $56,000, which currently ranks the district as the second-highest entry-level salary compared to its 13 neighboring districts, the letter said. All other teachers and librarians will receive an increase between $223 and $2,579, depending on their years of experience, the letter said.The district also reminded the LT family that all employees whose pay grade is below $17 per hour will be increase...

A playoff mindset since May has helped the Longhorns get to Stanford super regional

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As far as the Texas Longhorns baseball team in concerned, this weekend's Stanford super regional shouldn't be different from any of their games since May 1.Longhorns head coach David Pierce said the team's mentality since then has been to treat every weekend like a super regional with a spot in the Men's College World Series at stake. Texas, Stanford super regional to begin Saturday from Sunken Diamond "We started playing every weekend like win or go home," Pierce said.And so far, with the exception of the Big 12 Conference tournament, it has worked. They haven't lost a series since being swept by Oklahoma at home April 21-22, and they haven't lost a true road series since March 31-April 2 against Oklahoma State. Pierce said the team had a meeting late in the season and the guys are still letting the disaster against the Sooners fuel them."I like to have the players talk, and one of the things that came up was the embarrassment of being swept at home by OU," Pierc...

New, family friendly train unveiled at Taconic State Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

COPAKE FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A new train ride was unveiled at the Taconic State Park on Wednesday. The Pomeroy Family Railroad is the only operating railroad in New York State parks. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The railroad is a 950-ft. loop around the park and will include two retrofitted ore carts for anyone of any age to ride. It was fully built by volunteers and is currently operated by them as well.The train ride replicates what it was like to be iron ore that was transported from a nearby mine to the blast furnace at Copake Iron Works.

Staying safe with medical conditions, despite dangerous haze

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

LATHAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) — As the dangerous haze continues for a second day, it has become a challenge for many … but especially those with underlying medical conditions. Governor Kathy Hochul held a press conference Wednesday afternoon- urging everyone to stay inside.“Outdoors are dangerous in just about every part of our state. Not just in vulnerable communities, but literally everyone,” Governor Hochul said. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Pulmonologist Dr. Andrew Weber has seen an increase in patients with COPD, asthma, and other pulmonary issues in the last two days.“This haze, fog…is certainly causing hyper-reactivity of the airways,” Dr. Weber said. “And this helps nobody at best and is going to cause hospitalizations at worse.”Rebekah Hogan has been dealing with long COVID for more than two years and says the past few days have been challenging for herself and her family.Hogan’s 17-year-old daughter has a connective ti...