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Biden asks Congress for $108B for Israel, Ukraine, border, more

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:11:52 GMT

By Chris Megerian and Mary Clare Jalonick | Associated PressWASHINGTON — The White House on Friday released a sweeping set of proposals to bolster Israel and Ukraine in the midst of two wars as well as invest more in domestic defense manufacturing, humanitarian assistance and managing the influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.The total cost of the supplemental funding request was pegged at just over $105 billion. President Joe Biden hopes Congress will move urgently on the legislation, and he made the case for deepening U.S. support for its allies during a rare Oval Office address on Thursday night.The Democratic president’s plan faces some immediate complications on Capitol Hill, even as most lawmakers say they want to help both countries. The House is at a standstill, unable to pass legislation, as the Republican majority struggles to choose a new speaker. The money could also get bogged down in a divided Senate where Republicans have increasingly opposed Ukraine aid ...

49ers roundup: Brock Purdy’s bounce-back approach; McCaffrey’s side work; Greenlaw returns

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:11:52 GMT

SANTA CLARA – It’s no wonder Brock Purdy flashed back to his Iowa State days when it came to coping with a loss, not that he had a ton there.He just hadn’t experienced defeat as the 49ers’ quarterback — in a regular-season game — until Sunday’s 19-17, down-to-the-wire upset in Cleveland.“Every game in college is so huge and crucial, and it is in the NFL, but one game can determine your season in college,” Purdy said Friday. “With this, it’s, ‘Alright, we lost, but, man, we have a lot to look forward to, and we have to move on quickly. We have a good team ahead of us.’ ”The 49ers (5-1) look to rebound Monday night when they visit the blitz-heavy Minnesota Vikings (2-4).It’s been 14 months since Purdy went to Minnesota to prove worthy of a 49ers roster spot, and he obviously acquitted himself quite well in joint practices against the Vikings before their preseason game. Coach Kyle Shanahan came away impressed how the th...

Italian leader Meloni separates from her partner

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:11:52 GMT

Associated PressROME — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni announced Friday that she is separating from her partner and the father of their young daughter after nearly a decade together.In a statement posted on social media, Meloni said her relationship with Andrea Giambruno had ended. She said their paths had diverged “for some time.” But the announcement came after Giambruno, an on-air television personality, was caught on audio seemingly making lewd remarks to colleagues.An Italian satirical news program, Striscia la Notizia, aired two nights’ worth of programming on Giambruno this week, using backstage clips and audio. Striscia is a primetime program of the Mediaset broadcaster of the late Silvio Berlusconi, whose Forza Italia party is a junior partner in Meloni’s government.This week marks the first anniversary of Meloni’s government, Italy’s first headed by a woman and first hard-right-led administration since the end of World War II.Meloni, who ...

Morgan Hill bans Zoom public comment after hate speech incident

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:11:52 GMT

In an effort to stymie hate speech, the City of Morgan Hill announced Friday that it would shut down remote public comment over Zoom at city council meetings, adding to a growing list of Bay Area cities who have weighed fighting bigoted language over preserving remote participation.The announcement follows an incident on an October 4 city council meeting where four Zoom participants took advantage of remote public comment to read neo-Nazi, anti-Semitic, and anti-LGBTQ materials. Several high-schoolers were in attendance on an assignment to participate in the public meeting.“Many, if not all of us, felt repulsed and sickened by the hate speech,” said Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner over email. “I want to apologize to those in attendance at our October 4th council meeting who had to bear witness to such bigotry and discrimination.”The incident marks one among a nationwide swath of similar disruptions at public meetings by extremist voices. Many of the disruptions are orchestrated by a h...

Four people arrested in Walnut Creek with $10K worth of stolen Lululemon merchandise

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:11:52 GMT

(KRON) -- Four people were arrested at the Lululemon at Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek in connection to an organized retail theft operation, the Walnut Creek Police Department said. Walnut Creek PD received information about organized retail thefts at Lululemon locations in Napa and Santa Rosa. Two women arrested for stealing $1,900 of merchandise at Great Mall in Milpitas The information, which included photographs of the suspects and suspect vehicle, was passed to Walnut Creek PD's Broadway Plaza Officer and retail loss prevention personnel. The WCPD Broadway Plaza Officer gathered additional information indicating the suspects might be on their way to Walnut Creek to try and return stolen merchandise, police said.At around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, several of the suspects were seen inside the Broadway Plaza Lululemon location. Officers detained four suspects without incident. An investigation lead to the recovery of $10,000 worth of stolen merchandise inside the suspect's vehicle.Po...

Judge temporarily lifts narrow gag order on Trump in 2020 election interference case

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:11:52 GMT

The federal judge overseeing Donald Trump’s 2020 election interference case in Washington agreed Friday to temporarily lift her narrow gag order. The ruling gives Trump’s lawyers time to prove why the former president’s comments should not be restricted as the case heads toward trial.U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said the gag order would remain on hold — for now — while she considers Trump’s bid to speak freely about the case as he challenges the restrictions in higher courts. The gag order Chutkan issued Monday barred him from making public statements targeting prosecutors, court staff and potential witnesses. It’s the most serious restriction a court has placed on Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric, which has become a centerpiece of his grievance-filled campaign to return to the White House. Trump’s lawyers, who quickly appealed the ruling to the D.C. Circuit Court, wrote in court papers Friday that the gag order should be lifted while his legal challenges play out, calling t...

Packers have 10 players on injury report, including CB Jaire Alexander

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:11:52 GMT

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Having last week off didn’t necessarily help the Green Bay Packers get healthier.The Packers (2-3) had 10 players listed on their injury report Friday as they prepare for Sunday’s game at Denver (1-5), which will end a 23-day stretch in which Green Bay played just once.Perhaps the most surprising name on the list was cornerback Jaire Alexander, who has a back injury but played in the Packers’ most recent game, a 17-13 loss at Las Vegas on Oct. 9. Alexander practiced on a limited basis Thursday but was held out Friday and listed as questionable. He previously missed two games with the back problem.Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell was listed as doubtful and likely will miss a third straight game with an ankle injury. Cornerback Eric Stokes (foot), safeties Zayne Anderson (hamstring) and Darnell Savage (calf), guard Elgton Jenkins (knee), running back Aaron Jones (hamstring), offensive tackle Yosh Nijman (knee), linebacker Quay Walker (knee) and defensive line...

The father of American teenage hostage freed by Hamas says she is ‘doing very good’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:11:52 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — The father of freed American teen hostage Natalie Raanan said Friday she’s doing well following two weeks in captivity after she and her mother were abducted in Israel by Hamas and held in Gaza. Uri Raanan of Illinois told The Associated Press that he spoke to his daughter Friday by telephone. “She’s doing good. She’s doing very good,” said Uri, who lives in the Chicago suburbs. “I’m in tears, and I feel very, very good.” The 71-year-old said he saw on the news earlier Friday that an American mother and daughter would be released by Hamas, and he spent the day hoping that meant his daughter and her mother, Judith.Knowing Natalie may be able to celebrate her 18th birthday next week at home with family and friends feels “wonderful. The best news,” Uri Raanan said.He said he believes Natalie and Judith to be in transit to Tel Aviv to reunite with relatives, and that both will be back in the U.S. early next week.U.S. President Joe Biden was among the many celebrati...

49ers QB Brock Purdy looks to bounce back from his first regular-season loss as a pro

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:11:52 GMT

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Brock Purdy finds himself in an usual spot.For the first time in his short NFL career, Purdy will need to bounce back from a poor performance and a loss when the San Francisco 49ers visit the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.Purdy had won his first 10 career regular-season starts before struggling last week in a 19-17 loss at Cleveland. He said it was tough to deal with the defeat for a couple of days, but once the team returned to practice on Thursday it was easy to move on to the game against the Vikings. “It’s not like college where you lose a game and every game in college is so huge and crucial,” he said Friday. “It is in the NFL, but that one game can determine your season in college. With this, we lost but we have a lot to look forward to.”Purdy had faced little adversity since taking over as San Francisco’s quarterback late last season. He went 5-0 as a starter to end that regular season and then won his first two playoff games.He injured hi...

The Israel-Hamas conflict explained

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:11:52 GMT

Two weeks after the brutal invasion into Israel by Hamas terrorists and the ferocious response by Israel’s military in Gaza, the likelihood of a broader conflict is growing. Aviva Raz-Schecter, a senior Israeli ambassador, described the situation to WTOP national security correspondent J.J. Green. toggle audio on and off change volume download audio Aviva Raz-Schecter describes the situation between Israel and Hamas $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); Source