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The Yemen War Can Be Over — if Biden Wants It

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:31:34 GMT

Yemeni tribal figures from Abyan province wait to get their military commander freed from prison in Sanaa, Yemen, on April 30, 2023.Photo: Mohammed Hamoud/Getty ImagesI’ve always thought of the famous John Lennon refrain, “War is over, if you want it,” as mostly a thought experiment meant to shake us out of the learned helplessness that can lead to forever wars. But in the case of the war in Yemen, the war really is over if we want. Everybody else directly or indirectly involved — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Houthis, China, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, etc. — appears to want to put the war behind them. A ceasefire has held for more than a year, and peace talks are advancing with real momentum, including prisoner exchanges and other positive expressions of diplomacy. Yet the U.S. appears very much not to want the war to end; our proxies have been thumped on the battlefield and are in a poor negotiating position as a result. Reading between the lines, the U.S. seems...

Police: Louisville man planned bank shootings, placed phone in pocket to livestream

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:31:34 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The man who killed five co-workers at a Kentucky bank last month had made plans for the shooting and placed his phone in a front shirt pocket to livestream the killings, according to police records recently released.The shooter, 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon, had also attempted suicide around the same time last year, according to four search warrants sent to tech and phone companies seeking access to information on his phone. Police also found a “manifesto or note” inside his Louisville residence, according to the search warrants, which were dated April 13 but were sealed by a judge for 30 days.Sturgeon’s parents have spoken publicly about their son’s mental health issues, and said they were helping him seek treatment. They told police that his “mental health disorders may have played a part during this criminal act,” according to one of the warrants.“Messages and notes from the device were shown to have plans on how to conduct” the shooting, a police investigat...

Defense attorney: Not all has been revealed about what led to Texas mass shooting

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:31:34 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Attorneys for the man accused of killing five of his neighbors after storming into their Texas home suggested on Thursday that not all has been revealed about what led up to the deadly shooting and that the suspect was someone who was generous and well-liked.Francisco Oropeza, 38, made his initial court appearance Thursday following his arrest May 2 after a four-day manhunt. He is facing five charges of murder for the April 28 shooting deaths in a rural neighborhood in Cleveland, located 45 miles (72 km) northeast of Houston. Authorities allege Oropeza, after being asked by his neighbors to stop firing his AR-style rifle because a baby was trying to sleep, responded by charging into their home and killing five people, including a 9-year-old boy. All five victims were from Honduras.Oropeza, dressed in a faded pink and white striped prison uniform, did not say anything to reporters as he was led into a courthouse in Coldspring, Texas, located about 60 miles (97 km) nort...

Medvedev making progress on clay, to face Tsitsipas in Italian Open semifinals

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:31:34 GMT

ROME (AP) — Daniil Medvedev’s clay-court game keeps improving.First came a run to the French Open quarterfinals in 2021. Then an appearance in the fourth round at Roland Garros a year ago.Now, the third-ranked Russian is making big strides at the Italian Open.Medvedev beat German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the semifinals in Rome after losing his opener in his three previous appearances at the Foro Italico.“I said before the tournament that I was feeling really great in practice,” Medvedev said. “It’s always a danger to say this, because when you lose the first round you’re going to be, ‘Why did I say this?’ But I’m proving it. I feel great.”On an overcast day, Medvedev controlled play with his flat groundstrokes and big first serve to the end the run of Hanfmann, who upset Monte Carlo Masters champion Andrey Rublev in the previous round after also taking out ninth-seeded Taylor Fritz.Medvedev has dropped only one set in four matches. His semifinal oppon...

Check your artificial intelligence ‘bossware’ tools for bias, says U.S. agency head

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:31:34 GMT

The head of the U.S. agency charged with enforcing civil rights in the workplace says artificial intelligence-driven “bossware” tools that closely track the whereabouts, keystrokes and productivity of workers can also run afoul of discrimination laws. Charlotte Burrows, chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, told The Associated Press that the agency is trying to educate employers and technology providers about their use of these surveillance tools as well as AI tools that streamline the work of evaluating job prospects.And if they aren’t careful with say, draconian schedule-monitoring algorithms that penalize breaks for pregnant women or Muslims taking time to pray, or allowing faulty software to screen out graduates of women’s or historically Black colleges – they can’t blame AI when the EEOC comes calling.“I’m not shy about using our enforcement authority when it’s necessary,” Burrows said. “We want to work with employers, but there’s certainly no exempt...

Alonso, Pham help New York Mets beat Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 for series win

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:31:34 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso homered again and the New York Mets beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 on Thursday to post consecutive wins for the first time in a month.The game was tied at 2 before Tommy Pham legged out a bouncer to third with one out in the sixth inning, driving in Jeff McNeil with the infield hit against Zack Littell (0-1).Tylor Megill (5-2) worked six innings of two-run ball for the win. David Robertson allowed Randy Arozarena’s one-out double in the ninth before finishing his eighth save.“It’s great,” Alonso said. “We’re a talented bunch. We know we’re talented. Our talent has been here the entire year. It’s just a matter about performing. For us to perform against a high quality opponent is a good sign for us.”The Mets won consecutive games for the first time since April 20-21 in San Francisco. They won a series for the first time since taking two of three at the Los Angeles Dodgers from April 17-19.“For us to be able to scratch out two out of three against them is big ...

Kyle Larson and Hendrick crew arrive for Indianapolis 500 immersion

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:31:34 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jeff Gordon remembers standing along the fence of pit lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a child, hoping that his hero Rick Mears would walk past and give the aspiring young driver an autograph. As he grew older, Gordon dreamed of following in Mears’ footsteps and driving in the Indianapolis 500. His path ultimately led him toward stock cars, where the NASCAR Hall of Famer built one of the best resumés in the history of the sport. Now, eight years after retiring as a driver, Gordon has found his way back to the speedway.He was part of the Hendrick Motorsports entourage that arrived Thursday with Kyle Larson, who started the immersion process to prepare for the Indy 500 in 2024. A two-year deal between Arrow McLaren Racing and the 2021 NASCAR champion with Hendrick Motorsports gives Larson a chance to fulfill the childhood dreams he shared with his own father.It also gives Gordon and Rick Hendrick an opportunity to be part of “The Greatest Spectacle in R...

Any point to “No Mow May”?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:31:34 GMT

Some residents in Kingston have been letting their lawns grow wild throughout the month of May as part of the “No Mow May” movement. It’s an idea that has been wholeheartedly adopted by the City of Kingston and City Council, with online campaigns encouraging residents to leave their lawns untouched throughout the month of May in an effort to increase pollinator-friendly habitats throughout Kingston’s urban setting. It’s something that falls in line with Kingston’s environmental goals and is incredibly simple for people to be a part of, but experts say the science doesn’t point towards creating the pollinator haven many participants have come to be convinced of. Dr. Jannice Friedman, Associate Professor of Evolutionary Biology, says the initiative has been a beneficial idea in the UK – but this is not the UK.Unmowed North American lawns are typically just not yielding the native species pollinators actually need.“Not mowing really...

1 shot in Green Valley Ranch, police search for shooter

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:31:34 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- There is a large police presence in Denver's Green Valley Ranch neighborhood after a shooting.According to the Denver Police Department, one person was shot and taken to the hospital. Colorado auto theft returns to prepandemic levels in early 2023 Denver police tell FOX31 they are searching for the shooter.The investigation is focused around Orleans Court and Stoll Place.This is a breaking story. FOX31's Greg Nieto is heading to the scene.

Denver's population loss reversed in 2022

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:31:34 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Denver used to be close to the top of the nation's list of most moved-to cities. It wasn't in the top 15 though last summer. The U.S. Census Bureau released population estimates for metro and micro statistical areas as of July 1, 2022. This period of time was one of population shifting, with many people moving away from urban cores and into satellite cities and communities, particularly in Western and Sunbelt cities. Severe storm threat for Denver area During that time, people first fled Denver and then re-entered. From July 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021, the city's population fell 0.87%, or about 6,200 people. The year after, the trend reversed, though slightly. Denver's population grew 0.27% over the next summer, or just over 1,900 people. Meanwhile, Colorado's other large cities grew faster and more consistently. Both Colorado Springs and Aurora grew in population between the summer of 2020 and 2021 and the summer of 2021 and 2022.Aurora grew by 3,600 in 2021 and an...