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Fighting between rival US-backed groups in Syria could undermine war against the Islamic State group

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:58 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — The weeklong clashes between rival U.S.-backed militias in eastern Syria, where hundreds of American troops are deployed, point to dangerous seams in the coalition that has kept a lid on the defeated Islamic State group for years. That could be an opportunity for the radical group to reemerge.The violence also points to rising tensions between Kurds who dominate the region and the mainly Arab population, opening the door for Syrian President Bashar Assad and his allies, Russia and Iran, to try to make inroads in an oil-rich territory where they seek to drive out U.S. troops and restore Damascus’ rule.Eastern Syria has largely been off the world’s radar, particularly in the United States. But the U.S. has had some 900 troops stationed there alongside an unknown number of contractors ever since the defeat of the Islamic State group in 2019. The troops, who first arrived eight years ago, work alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces, an umbrella group of militias dominated ...

Carmakers fail privacy test, give owners little or no control on personal data they collect

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:58 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Cars are getting an “F” in data privacy. Most major manufacturers admit they may be selling your personal information, a new study finds, with half also saying they would share it with the government or law enforcement without a court order. The proliferation of sensors in automobiles — from telematics to fully digitized control consoles — has made them prodigious data-collection hubs.But drivers are given little or no control over the personal data their vehicles collect, researchers for the nonprofit Mozilla Foundation said Wednesday in their latest “Privacy Not Included” survey Security standards are also vague, a big concern given automakers’ track record of susceptibility to hacking. “Cars seem to have really flown under the privacy radar and I’m really hoping that we can help remedy that because they are truly awful,” said Jen Caltrider, the study’s research lead. “Cars have microphones and people have all kinds of sensitive conversations in them. Cars have camer...

Things to know about aid, lawsuits and tourism nearly a month after fire leveled a Hawaii community

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:58 GMT

HONOLULU (AP) — Nearly a month after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century killed at least 115 people, authorities on Maui are working their way through a list of the missing that has grown almost as quickly as names have been removed. Lawsuits are piling up in court over liability for the inferno, and businesses across the island are fretting about the loss of tourism. Government officials from Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen to President Joe Biden have pledged support, and thousands of people have been put up in hotels and elsewhere as they await clearance to visit and inspect the properties where they once lived. Here’s a look at things to know about how the recovery in Lahaina is taking shape following the Aug. 8 disaster: ___HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED?The official confirmed count stands at 115, a figure that has not changed since Aug. 21. But many more names remain on a list of people who are considered unaccounted-for, and it is unclear whether the toll of the deceased...

Floods from tropical storm Haikui kill 2, displace thousands in China’s Fujian province

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:58 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — At least two people have been killed and thousands forced to evacuate by floods brought by tropical storm Haikui in China’s southeastern coastal Fujian province, local authorities reported Wednesday. Schools were closed and flights suspended, while more than 30,000 people were moved to safety. Two firefighters died and one police officer is missing after flood waters carried away a fire engine on a rescue mission, state media reported. Haikui swept across Taiwan as a typhoon earlier this week, injuring dozens and leaving thousands of people without power. It weakened to a tropical storm when it made landfall in Fujian, but continued to bring record-breaking levels of rainfall. The worst affected area lies between the coast and inland mountains and is particularly prone to flooding, leading many over the decades to to migrate to other parts of China or move overseas. Authorities closed schools, suspended flights, stopped trains and buses, and dispatched dozens of emerg...

Michigan court to hear dispute over murder charge against ex-police officer who shot Black motorist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:58 GMT

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Lawyers for a former Michigan police officer are asking the state appeals court to throw out a murder charge in the killing of a Black motorist in 2022. The court is scheduled to hear arguments Wednesday in the case against Christopher Schurr, who shot Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head after a morning traffic stop in Grand Rapids turned into a short foot chase and vigorous struggle.In a filing, Schurr’s attorneys said lower courts wrongly applied the law to the circumstances of Lyoya’s death.“Officer Schurr reasonably believed a felony had occurred and reasonably believed that Lyoya had committed that felony, justifying his use of deadly force to prevent Lyoya from fleeing from arrest,” the defense team said. A judge in Grand Rapids last year found probable cause to send the second-degree murder case to the Kent County trial court. The evidence included video of the final moments when Schurr fired his gun while on top of Lyoya.Schurr, who i...

Naked intruder arrested in Edgewater after alleged assaults

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:58 GMT

A man suspected of breaking into two homes and assaulting homeowners while he was unclothed was arrested in Edgewater Monday.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Man convicted of heroin sales, illegal gun possession escapes Englewood federal prison facility Crime and Public Safety | E-bike shops in Denver battle repeat thefts: “Insurance doesn’t solve trauma” Crime and Public Safety | Man dies in El Paso County Jail Crime and Public Safety | Aurora man dies after Labor Day weekend crash involving speeding, intoxication Crime and Public Safety | Rescuers find missing climber dead at base of cliff in Summit County Stefan Heil, 33, was taken into custody after he was tased by police in an alleyway in the 2200 block of Gray Street Monday afternoon.Heil allegedly forced his way into two separate homes and fought with the homeowners while naked, according to the Edgewater Police Department.Aft...

NextGenerationEU: Cyprus submits request to revise recovery and resilience plan and add REPowerEU chapter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:58 GMT

On Friday 1 September, Cyprus submitted a request to the Commission to modify its recovery and resilience plan, to which it also wishes to add a REPowerEU chapter.Cyprus' proposed REPowerEU chapter coversmeasuresrelated to energy efficiency in buildings, the electrification of transport, and research and development in the field of the green transition. Two new reforms and two new investments to deliver on the REPowerEU objectivesare included, as well as five existing measures which have been scaled up. Cyprus' proposed modification of the plan also foresees the removal of seven investments from the original plan, of which one is transferred to the loan-financed part of the plan, and the modification of around 50 planned measures.Cyprus' request to modify its plan is based on the need to factor in the high inflation experienced in 2022, supply chain disruptions and the downward revision of its maximum Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) grant allocation, from €1.01 billion to €0....

San Jose man sentenced to 8½ years for drug trafficking

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:58 GMT

SOLANO COUNTY – A 32-year-old San Jose man was sentenced Tuesday to 8½ years in federal prison for conspiring to possess and distribute methamphetamine, according to authorities.Esteban Gerardo Ramirez conspired with his codefendant, Fairfield resident Marsha Garma Phillips, to distribute the drug in Solano County between September 2021 and March 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.Supplied by Ramirez, Phillips reportedly sold more than five pounds of methamphetamine to an FBI confidential source.The pair was arrested in Fremont on March 8, 2022, when they were found in possession of two additional pounds of the drug.Ramirez is in federal custody. Phillips previously pleaded guilty and her next court date is slated for Oct. 3.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Jury seated for Navarro’s contempt of Congress trial Crime and Public Safety | 61 indicted on charges related to ‘Stop Cop City’ in Ga. Crime and Pub...

Single family residence in Piedmont sells for $1.7 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:58 GMT

941 Moraga Avenue – Google Street ViewA house located in the 900 block of Moraga Avenue in Piedmont has a new owner. The 1,866-square-foot property, built in 1978, was sold on July 19, 2023. The $1,657,000 purchase price works out to $888 per square foot. The layout of this house consists of three bedrooms and three baths. On the exterior, the house is characterized by the use of wood shake roofing / shingles. Inside, a fireplace enhances the ambiance of the living area. In addition, the house comes with an attached garage.These nearby houses have also recently been purchased:On Blair Avenue, Piedmont, in May 2023, a 2,389-square-foot home was sold for $2,925,000, a price per square foot of $1,224. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 1,576-square-foot home on the 300 block of Scenic Avenue in Piedmont sold in June 2023, for $3,595,000, a price per square foot of $2,281. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In September 2022, a 2,109-square-foot home on Scenic Avenue in Pied...

A's fan campaign to keep team in Oakland moves from T-shirts to billboards

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:58 GMT

(KRON) -- By now, we’ve all seen the "SELL" T-shirt, intended to encourage Oakland A’s owner John Fisher to sell the baseball club to someone who will keep the team in Oakland instead of moving it to Las Vegas. Now that same sentiment can be seen on a billboard near you. There's one just outside the A’s home at the Oakland Coliseum.Paul Bailey with the A’s fan group, The Last Dive Bar, says keeping the pressure on means using the proceeds from the sales of these T-shirts to put up billboards in Oakland, Fresno and Sacramento. ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ streams suddenly skyrocket — thanks to Filipinos One reads, "Doris get your kid," referring to John Fisher’s mother Doris.At the minimum, A’s fans say the billboards and the shirts help set the record straight that the A’s fan base has always been here to support the team. Still, fans are hoping for more, specifically that their effort will either convince Fisher to sell the team or convince Major League Baseball owners to re...