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Blinken urges Israel to comply with international law and spare civilians in war against Hamas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:24 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday stepped up calls for Israel to comply with international law and spare civilians as it wages its war against Hamas in Gaza.On his third trip to the Middle East since the war began on Oct. 7, Blinken said the U.S. remains committed to supporting Israel’s right to self defense. But he also said it is imperative that Israel protect civilians if it starts major military operations in southern Gaza. His message aligns with the Biden administration’s shifting rhetoric on the war, which began as a full-throated embrace of Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks but gradually tempered as the number of Palestinian civilian casualties began to rise dramatically. The death toll and scale of destruction has prompted widespread international criticism, including from members of President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party.Meeting in Jerusalem just hours after Israel and Hamas agreed at the last minute to a third extension ...

Brazilian city enacts an ordinance that was secretly written by ChatGPT

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:24 GMT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — City lawmakers in Brazil have enacted what appears to be the nation’s first legislation written entirely by artificial intelligence — even if they didn’t know it at the time.The experimental ordinance was passed in October in the southern city of Porto Alegre and city councilman Ramiro Rosário revealed this week that it was written by a chatbot, sparking objections and raising questions about the role of artificial intelligence in public policy. Rosário told The Associated Press that he asked OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT to craft a proposal to prevent the city from charging taxpayers to replace water consumption meters if they are stolen. He then presented it to his 35 peers on the council without making a single change or even letting them know about its unprecedented origin.“If I had revealed it before, the proposal certainly wouldn’t even have been taken to a vote,” Rosário told the AP by phone on Thursday. The 36-member council approved it una...

No. 4 Florida State is tabling playoff talk. The ACC title game, No. 15 Louisville are on the clock

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:24 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Florida State wasn’t dominant against its archrival, but the No. 4 Seminoles were effective enough to remain unbeaten — and to pop back into the College Football Playoff’s top four.The No. 4 Seminoles are tabling those playoff talks for now with No. 15 Louisville on the clock Saturday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game. Louisville, led by first-year coach and native son Jeff Brohm, is eager to prove its impressive transition is no illusion against an old conference foe.“We didn’t make it all this way just to get to the game,” Cardinals center Bryan Hudson said. “We want to go win. So, that’s what we’re going to do.”Florida State (12-0, 8-0 ACC, No. 4 CFP) is playing in its first conference championship game in almost a decade. Louisville (10-2, 7-1, No. 14 CFP) is in the game for the first time. Both schools have kept the ACC in playoff discussions at points this season, but a Florida State win in Charlotte, North Carolina, would provide the lea...

Omaha defeats NAIA-member Bellevue 78-59

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:24 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Marquel Sutton’s 22 points helped Omaha defeat NAIA-member Bellevue 78-59 on Thursday.Sutton added 13 rebounds for the Mavericks (5-4,). Frankie Fidler scored 12 points while shooting 2 of 6 from the field and 8 for 10 from the line. Marcel Bryant finished 4 of 5 from the field to finish with 10 points.The Bruins were led by Nigel Wilson, who posted 12 points. Jaden Phillips added eight points and seven rebounds for Bellevue. In addition, Makeem Loudermill finished with eight points.Omaha visits Texas Tech in its next matchup on Wednesday.___The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.Source

Driver arrested after 2 troopers killed in hit-and-run on Las Vegas freeway, police say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:24 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Two Nevada state troopers were killed in a hit-and-run Thursday while helping another driver on the state’s busiest freeway, authorities said.Las Vegas police Undersheriff Andrew Walsh confirmed at a mid-day news conference that a suspect had been taken into custody hours after the crash. But he did not release the suspect’s name.“Right now during this very tragic time, the Nevada state police is going to need that love and support from the community more than ever,” Walsh said. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson earlier in the day said a suspect had been taken into custody hours after the crash, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.“It’s a terrible, terrible tragedy to have these troopers lose their lives in the manner they did,” Wolfson said.The two Highway Patrol officers had stopped to check on a driver who was asleep behind the wheel on Interstate 15 around 3:30 a.m. when a white Chevrolet HHR struck them both, police said. The driv...

Strong final kick for Pac-12 as Oregon and Washington meet for potential playoff spot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:24 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — For a conference just about on its last legs, the Pac-12 is having a heck of a final kick.No. 3 Washington (12-0) and No. 5 Oregon (11-1), two of the four conference teams ranked in the AP Top 25, meet Friday for an almost certain spot in the College Football Playoff. The Pac-12 has not placed a team in the playoffs since the Huskies made it in the 2016 season.That lack of success in the NCAA’s marquee sport is why every team — other than Oregon State and Washington State — is heading to other conferences next year. Washington and Oregon will be Big Ten Conference rivals, while their respective state rivals try to keep the Pac-12 going in some form with the help of an alliance with the Mountain West.The irony is the conference is breaking apart while having its best season in many years.“It’s been a great year of football in the Pac-12,” Huskies second-year coach Kalen DeBoer said. “Multiple people who have been in the conference a long time in roles that woul...

Georgetown market makes travel list of best Christmas events in US

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:24 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The Historic Georgetown Christmas Market was recognized among Trips to Discover's list of the 14 best Christmas events across the U.S. for 2023.Georgetown sits in the mountains about 45 miles west of Denver along Interstate 70. It was once a mining town, and today it is recognized as one of the best holiday destinations. Esquire names Colorado eatery among best new U.S. restaurants in 2023 There are Christmas-themed shops that are open year-round, but Trips to Discover said the whole town is transformed into an enchanting wonderland each year during the holiday season.Trips to Discover highlighted the Historic Georgetown Christmas Market as one of the best in the region, and a great place to find a variety of unique gifts.During the holiday season in Georgetown, you may find vintage horse-and-carriage rides throughout the town, a bonfire to gather around, hot chocolate, an annual tree lighting and you might even see Santa. How many ghost towns are there in Color...

Defense team for 13-year-old accused of murdering mother return to Hialeah apartment where she was found dead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:24 GMT

The defense team for a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering his mother returned to the scene of the crime in Hialeah to search for answers, one day before the teen heads back to court.On Thursday, the team in charge of defending Derek Rosa had a crew going in and out of the place he once called home, located along the 200 block of West 79th Place, as they work to build a case to back his plea of not guilty. During a hearing on Tuesday, attorneys asked for the visit. “There are measurements of the closet, how far that is from the bedroom, where the weapons were located, and that would assist us in getting into the defendant’s state of mind at the time,” said an attorney. Police said Rosa stabbed his mother to death inside Apt. 201 on Oct. 12, at around 11:30 p.m., then called 911.Police released the 911 call he made admitting to the crime.Officers arrived at the apartment shortly after, took Rosa down at the door and found 39-year-old Irina Garcia dead in her ...

Mother speaks out after son ate THC-infused candy at Lauderdale Lakes Middle School

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:24 GMT

A mother is speaking out after, she said, her son became ill after eating candy infused with THC at his school in Lauderdale Lakes. She now wants answers on how something like this could have happened. Kristy Bradley on Thursday described what her son told her he ingested while he was at school.“He said it looked like a Sour Patch Kid,” Bradley said. “He felt like it was OK to eat it because he thought it was candy.”The incident happened earlier this week at Lauderdale Lakes Middle School, located at 3911 NW 30th Ave. “My son had to go to the emergency room and that’s where they tested him and he came back positive for marijuana,” she said.Something similar also happened in Miami-Dade County on Tuesday.A father said that his 9-year-old daughter, and at least two classmates, ate some sort of candy that was also infused with THC.The students attend Bunche Park Elementary school in Miami Gardens.Miami-Dade County Public Schools and their police...

Mother in Sunrise charged with child abuse after video shows her slapping 6-year-old son

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:24 GMT

Police have charged a mother with child abuse after a video showed her throwing her six-year-old son out of a car and slapping him. Pamela Gaensel, 47, appeared in court, Thursday. According to Sunrise Police, video captured by a neighbor’s home security camera on Tuesday showed Gaensel pulling her six-year-old son from the back seat of her car. She took out the booster and car seats and threw them, which hit the child on the leg. She also threw her son to the ground and slapped him eight times. The incident happened in front of a home along the 10500 block of Sunset Strip. Gaensel’s two other children, ages seven and three, were also there when their brother was thrown and slapped. The homeowner who saw what was captured on video then called the police. After the incident, investigators went to Gaensel’s son’s school and saw marks that were consistent with someone who was slapped. Gaensel was detained by officers when she went to pick up her son from scho...