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Cumbersome process and ‘arbitrary’ Israeli inspections slow aid delivery into Gaza, US senators say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:40 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — At Egypt’s Rafah border crossing, lines of hundreds of trucks carrying aid wait for weeks to enter Gaza, and a warehouse is full of goods rejected by Israeli inspectors, everything from water testing equipment to medical kits for delivering babies, two U.S. senators said Saturday after a visit to the border.Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley pointed to a cumbersome process that is slowing relief to the Palestinian population in the besieged territory — largely due to Israeli inspections of aid cargos, with seemingly arbitrary rejections of vital humanitarian equipment. The system to ensure that aid deliveries within Gaza don’t get hit by Israeli forces is “totally broken,” they said. “What struck me yesterday was the miles of backed-up trucks. We couldn’t count, but there were hundreds,” Merkley said in a briefing with Van Hollen to a group of reporters in Cairo.The U.S. has been pressing Israel for weeks to let greater amounts of food, water, fuel, medicine and ot...

‘Multiple suspects’ wanted after jewelry store robbery at Hillcrest Mall in Richmond Hill

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:40 GMT

Police are searching for “multiple suspects” after a jewelry store robbery in Richmond Hill.York Regional Police were called to Hillcrest Mall on Yonge Street around 2 p.m. on Saturday following reports of a theft in progress. Multiple reports on social media said they heard shots fired and people running from the scene. Police confirm there were no shots fired and that it was glass shattering as part of the robbery.Police say no one was injured and that multiple suspects fled the scene. No descriptions have been released at this time. It’s unclear what items might have been stolen.A police presence remains at the mall as part of their investigation.ROBBERY– police presence at 9350 Yonge St #RichmondHill (Hillcrest Mall) – Jewelry store robbery; no injuries– multiple suspects fled the scene— York Regional Police (@YRP) January 6, 2024

Alaska Airlines grounding Boeing 737 Max 9 fleet for inspection after window blows out from PDX-departing flight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:40 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Alaska Airlines is temporarily grounding its fleet of Boeing 737 Max 9 planes after a flight heading to Ontario, California had to make an emergency return landing to Portland when a portion of the aircraft blew out mid-air shortly after takeoff on Friday evening, the CEO announced in a statement. Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 originally departed from Portland International Airport around 5 p.m. and then turned around after reaching an altitude of 16,000 feet when the incident happened. The plane landed safely at PDX shortly before 5:30 p.m. Alaska Airlines flight makes emergency landing at PDX after window blew out Social media video appeared to show that one of the passenger window panels had been blown out.The flight included 171 passengers and six crew members, Alaska Airlines officials confirmed to KOIN 6.In a statement to CBS News, the Federal Aviation Administration said the crew reported a “pressurization issue,” which the FAA and National Transportat...

On winning streak, Gophers men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson asks, ‘Where can we take it?’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:40 GMT

Ben Johnson is being proven right.The Gophers men’s basketball coach shared how pivotal he felt the Nebraska game was to the state of his program after the U pulled off a big comeback to beat the Cornhuskers on Dec. 6.Now with a 73-71 road win at Michigan on Thursday, Minnesota has won six straight games going into Sunday’s 4:30 p.m. matinee against Maryland at Williams Arena.On Saturday, Johnson again brought up that month-ago win over the Cornhuskers.“I do think one of the keys was (beating) Nebraska,” he said. “To have that and solidify that win, and now we’ve been able to build off of that. We’ve been able to win in different ways and you add an in-league road win, especially early against a really talented team (in Michigan) that was up against it. … To be able to power that though, I think now it’s like where can we take it?”The Gophers (11-3, 2-1 Big Ten) were a five-point underdog against the Wolverines. Minnesota is a two-point favorite against the Terrapins (9-5, 1-2).“We ...

Washington County officials get 6.5 percent pay increase; Stan Karwoski named board chair

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:40 GMT

Washington County Administrator Kevin Corbid will be paid $218,409 for 2024, a 6.5 percent increase over last year’s salary.The Washington County board also recently approved pay increases for Washington County Sheriff Dan Starry and Washington County Attorney Kevin Magnuson. Starry will be paid $203,321 in 2024 and Magnuson will be paid $212,020; each received a 6.5 percent increase over 2023. The board also recently set their own salaries for 2024. County commissioners will receive a salary of $79,902, a 6.5 percent increase over 2023.Stan Karwoski (Courtesy of the candidate)On Tuesday, the board elected Commissioner Stan Karwoski, District 2, to serve as board chair for 2024, and elected Commissioner Fran Miron, District 1, to serve as board vice chair for the year.Karwoski, the former mayor of Oakdale, was first elected to the county board in a special election in November 2016 and was reelected in 2018 and 2022. Karwoski served four terms on the Oakdale City Council and was ele...

Blinken says Turkey is committed to a ‘positive’ role in postwar Gaza as he opens a diplomatic push

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:40 GMT

By MATTHEW LEE (AP Diplomatic Writer)CHANIA, Greece (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that Turkey is committed to playing “a positive, productive” role for postwar Gaza and prepared to use its influence in the region to prevent the Israel-Hamas conflict from broadening even more. The latest Mideast mission by America’s top diplomat opened with talks in Turkey and Greece before shifting to the region for “not necessarily easy conversations” with allies and partners about what they are willing to do “to build durable peace and security.”Blinken’s fourth visit in three months comes as developments in Lebanon, northern Israel, the Red Sea and Iraq have put intense strains on what had been a modestly successful U.S. push to prevent a regional conflagration since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, and as international criticism of Israel’s military operation mounts.Blinken held meetings with Turkey’s...

Lululemon fires back at former CEO for comments on diversity, equity and inclusion programs 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:40 GMT

Founder and former CEO of Lululemon Chip Wilson caused a stir this week when he made remarks about the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion program. Wilson told Forbes that he was displeased with Lululemon’s “whole diversity and inclusion thing” at the apparel brand he founded in 1998 and maintains an 8 percent share in. He also commented that the actors in Lululemon commercials were “unhealthy,” “sickly” and “not inspirational” before saying “You’ve got to be clear that you don’t want certain customers coming in.”  Alaska Airlines grounding all Boeing 737 MAX-9s after hole blows open in cabin The company has distanced itself from their former leader, telling CNN in a statement that Wilson does not speak for the company and that his views don’t align with the brand’s values and beliefs. According to reports from Axios, companies’ opinions on DEI programs have shifted; some have begun backing away from corporate diversity groups and describing them as largely "w...

Man with cancer marries love of his life at Wilma Chan Highland Hospital

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:40 GMT

(KRON) – A wedding at a hospital was the perfect paradox for a couple on Jan. 4 at the Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus. Francisco Jeronimo Lucas and Marcelina Pablo Bautista have been in a relationship for over two decades and planned to marry in a courthouse ceremony on Jan. 4. However, Lucas was admitted to Highland Hospital on the couple’s wedding day. High Surf Advisory in effect for Saturday The couple planned to be married for years, however, Lucas’ gastric cancer diagnosis increased their desire for marriage. The couple decided not to wait any longer to wed. Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus Wilma Chan Highland Hospital CampusLucas asked Palliative Care social worker Anne James for her assistance in arranging the wedding. The two arranged for an officiant to perform the ceremony in their hospital room. “I’m just so happy. In Palliative care, we do so many sad things and have a lot of hard conversations. So being able to participate in a wedding brings me so much ...

Once muertos, entre ellos cinco niños, en ataques rusos en una ciudad del este de Ucrania

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:40 GMT

(CNN) — Once personas, entre ellas cinco niños, murieron en ataques con misiles rusos S-300 este sábado en la región ucraniana de Donetsk, según la administración militar local.“Once muertos, entre ellos cinco niños: estos son los resultados preliminares de los ataques en el distrito de Pokrovsk. Los rusos atacaron la zona con misiles S-300, matando a 11 personas e hiriendo a otras ocho. El ataque principal se produjo en Pokrovsk y Rivne de la comunidad de Myrnohrad”, dijo Vadym Filashkin, jefe de la administración militar de la región de Donetsk en una publicación en Telegram.“El enemigo ataca cínicamente a los civiles, tratando de causar el mayor dolor posible a nuestra tierra”, afirmó.Bombardeo ruso en Kyiv deja cinco muertos y más de un centenar de heridos, además de daños en varias partes de la capital de UcraniaLas fotos publicadas por el funcionario mostraban a los trabajadores de rescate buscando entre los escombros de casas de un solo piso y al...

Dawes and Richmond lead Seton Hall to a 78-75 win over No. 7 Marquette

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:40 GMT

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Al-Amir Dawes had 23 points and Kadary Richmond scored 21 to lead Seton Hall over No. 7 Marquette 78-75 on Saturday for the Pirates’ third win this season over ranked teams.Seton Hall (10-5, 3-1 Big East) held off a late scare from a well-rested Marquette, which hadn’t played since defeating Creighton 72-67 on Dec. 30.A 10-0 run pushed the Seton Hall lead to 76-66 with 2:25 left to play. Dre Davis and Richmond each had four points in the burst.And then the Golden Eagles scored nine straight points to bring the game to 76-75, but they mishandled an inbound pass after a timeout and threw the ball out of bounds with four seconds remaining.Oso Ighodaro led Marquette (11-4, 2-2) with 22 points. David Joplin scored 15 points.Davis had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Pirates, who never trailed in the second half.Seton Hall defeated No. 5 UConn 75-60 on Dec. 20 and No. 23 Providence 61-57 on Jan. 3.INJURY UPDATE:Marquette sixth-man Chase Ross wrestled a ...