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Biden issues scathing rebuke of Tuberville’s hold on military promotions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:46 GMT

(CNN) — President Joe Biden delivered remarks in Washington, DC, Thursday, paying tribute to the nation’s 33rd president – who, 75 years ago this week, signed an executive order desegregating the US military – while issuing a scathing rebuke of Alabama GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who’s now blocked more than 270 military promotions over his opposition to the Pentagon’s abortion policy.“The Republican Party used to always support the military, but today they’re undermining the military. The senior senator from Alabama, who claims to support our troops, is now blocking more than 300 military operations with his extreme political agenda,” Biden said in remarks to the Truman Civil Rights Symposium at the National Archives. “Tens of thousands of America’s daughters and sons are deployed around the world tonight, keeping us safe from immense national security challenges, but the senator from Alabama is not.”The president warned of “a growing cascade of damage and disruption” over Tuberville...

High Court rules London’s pollution-busting ULEZ expansion is lawful

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:46 GMT

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan can press on with a controversial expansion of the ultra low emissions zone (ULEZ) which penalizes high-polluting vehicles in the capital, a High Court judge ruled Friday.Five Conservative councils brought a legal challenge against the Labour mayor’s plan, which has sparked a major political debate about green policies in the U.K. But the judicial review was dismissed Friday morning, meaning the scheme can now be extended to outer London areas, as planned, on August 29.  ULEZ is aimed at cutting the capital’s high levels of air pollution and protecting residents’ health. It imposes a £12.50 daily charge on the most polluting vehicles. Around one in 10 vehicles will be affected, according to City Hall stats.Khan welcomed the “landmark decision,” saying air pollution was an “urgent public health crisis.”“This unambiguous decision today in the High Court allows us to press on with the difficult but vital task of cleaning up London’s air and t...

Mets beat Nationals after long delay as David Robertson is traded to Marlins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:46 GMT

The Mets played until nearly midnight Thursday, battling through a lightning delay and torrential downpours for nearly two hours at Citi Field. When they resumed play in a tie game in the bottom of the eighth with one out and the bases loaded against the Nationals’ Kyle Finnegan, Mark Canha gave them all they needed with a fly ball to right field that was deep enough to score Pete Alonso.Alonso came sliding in just ahead of the tag to help the Mets (48-54) defeat the Nationals, 2-1.However, in the end it mattered little. The Mets traded closer David Robertson during the ninth inning to the Miami Marlins for minor league infielder Marco Vargas and minor league catcher Ronald Hernandez. Brooks Raley came out to replace David Peterson and retired the side to convert his second save of the season. It could be his last for the Mets since this move positions the team as sellers ahead of the Tuesday trade deadline.“We all know that he’s been unbelievable this year, so if ...

Mets trading closer David Robertson to the Marlins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:46 GMT

The Mets made a major trade just before midnight Thursday, agreeing to send closer David Robertson to the Marlins for a pair of prospects, the Daily News can confirm.New York is getting back infielder Marco Vargas and catcher Ronald Hernandez for the right-handed reliever, who has a 2.05 ERA and 14 saves this season.Speculation had swirled about whether the Mets, who are 48-54 despite the highest payroll in MLB history, would buy or sell before the Aug. 1 trade deadline.Robertson is the first domino to drop, with outfielder Tommy Pham and ace Justin Verlander among the others whose names have come up in rumors.The 38-year-old Robertson assumed the closer role after two-time All-Star Edwin Diaz suffered a season-ending knee injury during March’s World Baseball Classic. Robertson, who pitched nine seasons with the crosstown Yankees, was in his first year with the Mets.MLB Pipeline ranked Vargas, 18, as the Marlins’ No. 18 prospect and Hernandez, 19, at No. 21.Miami is 55-4...

Driver charged in high speed Scarborough crash that left 4 people injured

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:46 GMT

Four people are in hospital with injuries after a multi-vehicle crash in Scarborough on Thursday night.Emergency crews responded to the collision on Markham Road near East Park Boulevard, south of Lawrence, around 11:30 p.m.Police tell CityNews a vehicle was travelling at a high rate of speed in the northbound lanes when it crashed into a vehicle in front of it. The vehicle that was struck was forced off the road and went through a fence.Paramedics confirmed four people were taken to hospital, two with life-threatening injuries and two with non-life-threatening injuries. All injuries have now been upgraded to non-life-threatening.The driver of the speeding vehicle is facing charges.Markham Road is closed in the area for the ongoing investigation.

Millions of Shiite Muslims across the world commemorate the mourning day of Ashoura

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:46 GMT

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Millions of Shiite Muslims in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and around the world on Friday commemorated Ashoura, a remembrance of the 7th-century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein, that gave birth to their faith. In Afghanistan, the Taliban cut mobile phone services in key cities holding commemorations for fear of militants targeting Shiites, whom Sunni extremists consider heretics. Security forces in neighboring Pakistan as well stood on high alert as the commemorations there have seen attacks in the past. Not all Shiites, however, were to mark the day Friday. Both Iraq and Lebanon planned their remembrances for Saturday, which will see a major suburb of Beirut shut down and the faithful descend on the Iraqi city of Karbala, where Hussein is entombed in a gold-domed shrine. Shiites represent over 10% of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims and view Hussein as the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad. Hussein’s death in battle at the hands of S...

Exclusion zone set up around Greek military base after wildfires trigger powerful explosions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:46 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Authorities are maintaining an exclusion zone around an air force base in central Greece where wildfires have triggered powerful explosions at an ammunition depot.The blasts late Thursday at the 111th Combat Wing base facilities — among the largest in the country — shattered windows in nearby towns and prompted an evacuation of more than 2,000 people, while fighter jets nearby were moved to another base.A civilian traffic ban and evacuation order remained in effect in a 3-kilometer (2-mile) radius of the blast site.Fueled by successive heat waves and strong gusts of wind, wildfires have raged around Greece and other Mediterranean countries over the past two weeks, scorching dozens of square kilometers of land outside Athens, on the island of Rhodes and elsewhere.The ammunition depot blasts were broadcast live on local television reports, near the central city of Volos, one showing a ground-shaking fireball emerging from a mountainous area.After the evacuations ...

Biden will sign an executive order in Maine encouraging new inventions to be made in the US

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:46 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to sign an executive order while visiting Maine on Friday to encourage companies to manufacture new inventions in the United States.Biden is going to Maine for the first time of his presidency, packaging his signing of the executive order with a speech at a textile factory and a fundraiser later in the town of Freeport. The Democrat won three out of the state’s four electoral votes in 2020 and is seeking to shore up his support in the state. Maine allocates its electoral votes by congressional district, and he lost the vote in the state’s second district, which provided the only electoral vote in New England for then-President Donald Trump, a Republican.“We’re talking about bringing manufacturing back to the country and creating jobs — good-paying jobs,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday as she previewed the trip.The White House outlined the executive order being signed by Biden, which would improve t...

Biden orders changes to the military code of justice for sexual assault victims

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:46 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday will sign an executive order giving decisions on the prosecution of serious military crimes, including sexual assault, to independent military attorneys, taking that power away from victims’ commanders.The order formally implements legislation passed by Congress in 2022 aimed at strengthening protections for service members, who were often at the mercy of their commanders to decide whether to take their assault claims seriously. Members of Congress, frustrated with the growing number of sexual assaults in the military, fought with defense leaders for several years over the issue. They argued that commanders at times were willing to ignore charges or incidents in their units to protect those accused of offenses and that using independent lawyers would beef up prosecutions. Military leaders balked, saying it could erode commanders’ authority.The change was among more than two dozen recommendations made in 2021 by an independe...

ValleyCats secure sweep of Slammers; sit 0.5 game out of first

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:46 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Tri-City ValleyCats (39-24) collected their third sweep of the season, second at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium after defeating the Joliet Slammers (27-36) 8-3 on Thursday. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Tri-City opened the scoring for the first time in the series against Joliet. Pavin Parks greeted Ricky Castro with a single in the first. Cito Culver then walked. Juan Kelly laced an RBI double, and Culver went to third. Ian Walters followed suit with a two-run single to provide the ValleyCats with a 3-0 advantage.Joliet responded in the second. Phillip Steering and Lane Baremore had back-to-back singles off Jhon Vargas. Matt McGarry picked up an RBI double. Tyler Depreta-Johnson plated a run with a groundout to cut the deficit to 3-2.The Slammers tied the game at 3-3 in the third after Matt Warkentin hit a solo homer.Tri-City retook the lead in the fourth. Lamar Briggs led off with a single, and stole seco...