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House passes defense bill after adopting controversial amendments targeting abortion policy and other issues

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:12:10 GMT

(CNN) — The House voted Friday to pass a sweeping defense policy bill following contentious debate and the adoption of controversial amendments that touched on hot-button social issues.The addition of amendments pushed by conservative hardliners related to abortion policy and transgender health care access as well as targeting diversity and inclusion programs infuriated Democrats and led to push back from some moderate Republicans – and will now set up a clash with the Democratic-controlled Senate.The bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, sets the policy agenda and authorizes funding for the Department of Defense and is considered critical, must-pass legislation.It authorizes $886 billion for national defense programs as well as a 5.2% pay increase for servicemembers, according to a fact sheet from the House Armed Services Committee. The bill includes provisions to counter China’s influence, improve overall military readiness and missile defense capab...

India launches historic Chandrayaan-3 mission to land spacecraft on the moon

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:12:10 GMT

(CNN) — India is bidding to become only the fourth country to execute a controlled landing on the moon with the successful launch Friday of its Chandrayaan-3 mission.Chandrayaan, which means “moon vehicle” in Sanskrit, blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota in southern Andhra Pradesh state at just after 2:30 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET).Crowds gathered at the space center to watch the history-making launch and more than 1 million people tuned in to watch on YouTube.The Indian Space Research Organization confirmed on Twitter later Friday that Chandrayaan-3 is in “precise orbit” and has “begun its journey to the moon.”It added that the health of the spacecraft is “normal.”In response, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “Chandrayaan-3 scripts a new chapter in India’s space odyssey. It soars high, elevating the dreams and ambitions of a every Indian. This momentous achievement is a testament to our scientists’ relentless dedication. I salute th...

Movie stars join picket lines in fight over the future of Hollywood

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:12:10 GMT

By ANDREW DALTON (AP Entertainment Writer)LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudekis and other top movie and TV actors joined picket lines alongside screenwriters Friday on the first full day of a walkout that has become Hollywood’s biggest labor fight in decades.Sudeikis was among the picketers outside NBC in New York. “Lord of the Rings” star Sean Astin joined chanting protesters outside Netflix’s offices in Hollywood. Also present at Netflix were “Titanic” and “Unforgiven” actor Frances Fisher and “The Nanny” star Fran Drescher, who is president of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.The actors’ arrival energized the picket lines outside Netflix, where music blared and the sidewalks were packed with demonstrators.Elsewhere, “Once Upon a Time” actor Gennifer Goodwin was among the protesters outside Paramount Pictures.The walkout is the firs...

Howie Carr: John Kerry’s jet-setting heats up House session

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:12:10 GMT

Boy, did the United States dodge a bullet in 2004 when John Forbes Kerry was not elected president.That’s my takeaway from the testimony yesterday of the “climate czar” under oath in front of a Congressional committee.As disastrous as George W. Bush’s second term was, Kerry’s presidency would have been a catastrophe. This isn’t a new revelation, but every time he steps out in public, Kerry just reminds us how lucky we are, or were, since obviously under Biden we have now run out of luck.First of all, what’s up with his face? (And no jokes about long faces, please.)He’s going to be 80 in December. But no wrinkles. What’s his secret? I have my suspicions but, like the Secret Service in its now-finished White House cocaine probe, I have “no leads.”Still, what was that line of desiccated skin under both his eyes, running across the bridge of his nose? Is there a botoxologist in the house who can provide a clinical diagnosis?And what about the private jets? That’s what those bourgeois Re...

Garage fire under Wells Fargo building prompts evacuations

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:12:10 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A car fire erupted in the parking garage located under the 24-story Wells Fargo building in downtown San Diego Friday morning. At 6:45 a.m., the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department announced on Twitter that crews were headed to a a "Structure High-rise" fire at 401 B St. Fire at residential duplex in Oceanside displaces 6 SDFD told FOX 5 when firefighters arrived to the scene they saw smoke coming from the garage area of the building. Officials say a car was found on fire on the second level of the parking structure.This prompted an evacuation of the building. People are seen outside the Wells Fargo building in downtown San Diego on Friday, July 14, 2023. (KSWB)SDFD says fire crews were able to knock down the blaze quickly. However, a lot of smoke continued to billow out from the garage area. Another nearby car was also reported to have been damaged during this incident. SDFD told FOX 5 shortly before 8 a.m. that they were going to start letting people back into the buil...

Hollywood strike impacting San Diego Comic-Con

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:12:10 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The actor and writer strike has now shutdown nearly all productions in Hollywood. This is all happening with Comic-Con trying to figure out what their convention will look like after most major studios pulled out. “It’s a very dire situation and once the writers struck, you know, it kind of shut the town down,” said SAG actor Mark Christopher Lawrence. Hollywood actors to go on strike beginning Friday Lawrence has been acting for over 30 years with parts in "Terminator 2" and "Seinfeld.' Tens of thousands of jobs are now simply on hold as negotiations hit a major impasse. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers say they were offering pay raises, healthcare options and new Artificial Intelligence (AI) deals that would protect actors.However, SAG-AFTRA unions rejected the offer, saying it was outrageous. “AI-- you can take my image and create another project without me, and the producers are saying they can take my image without paying me any additional...

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will meet in the Wimbledon final

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:12:10 GMT

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — This was the moment. If Novak Djokovic was going to be stopped in the Wimbledon semifinals, if his much younger and harder-hitting opponent, Jannik Sinner, was going to turn things around Friday, the monumental comeback required would need to start immediately.Djokovic knew it. Sinner knew it. The 15,000 or so Centre Court spectators knew it.After taking the first two sets, Djokovic trailed 5-4 in the third, and a flubbed forehand made the game score 15-40 as he served. Two chances for Sinner to finally break. Two chances for him to actually take a set. Djokovic hit a fault, which drew some sounds of approval from the stands. Djokovic sarcastically used his racket and the ball to applaud the noise-makers, then flashed a thumbs up.He can back up any such bravado. Djokovic simply does not lose at the All England Club lately. Or at any Grand Slam tournament, for that matter. So he calmly collected the next four points to claim that game, looked toward the crow...

Sheepherder is severely injured when black bear attacks him in Colorado wilderness

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:12:10 GMT

DENVER (AP) — A black bear attacked a sheepherder in the Colorado mountains, leaving the 35-year-old man severely injured with bites to his head and other wounds, wildlife officials said. The bear suspected of attacking him was later killed. The attack, the first reported in Colorado this year, happened early Tuesday in the Weiminuche Wilderness in the San Juan National Forest in southwestern Colorado, the state Parks and Wildlife department said in a news release. The man awoke to a disturbance between the bear and his sheep at about 1 a.m. and fired a rifle at the bear before being attacked, the agency said. The man was bitten on the head and had wounds to an arm and hand, officials said.After managing to return to his tent and contact his cousin, he was airlifted to one hospital and then another for surgery, it said. He was released on Wednesday.He worked for a rancher who had a permit to allow sheep to graze in the remote area, the agency said, a common summer practice with live...

Tunisians gather in front of TVs to watch Ons Jabeur at Wimbledon and escape the heat outside

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:12:10 GMT

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — In Tunisia, there’s no better way to escape the intense heatwave than to head inside and watch Wimbledon on TV when Ons Jabeur is playing.The 28-year-old Jabeur, the only Arab woman and only North African woman to participate in a Grand Slam tennis final, will again play for the Wimbledon championship on Saturday — a year after losing in the title match at the All England Club.“Ons has brought us a lot of joy,” Ameur Ben Ahmed told The Associated Press. “She makes us momentarily forget the difficulties of everyday life in these times of crisis and shortages.”Tunisians are in need of hope as their economy teeters toward collapse, with high debt, inflation and joblessness along with worsening political and social tensions. Despite the heatwave that has been raging in the country for several days, many Tunisians have been deserting the beaches to follow Jabeur’s matches, either on giant screens in cafes or in hotel lounges.Jabeur reached tw...

How Lisa Marie Presley’s weight-loss surgery contributed to her death

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:12:10 GMT

Lisa Marie Presley died after developing a small bowel obstruction, a severe complication of bariatric surgery years ago, according to an autopsy report released Thursday. Experts say these types of complications are a known but rare risk after having weight-loss surgery. Here’s what to know:WHAT HAPPENED TO LISA MARIE PRESLEY?The 54-year-old singer-songwriter and daughter of Elvis Presley was rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital on Jan. 12 after being found unresponsive at home and died hours later.The cause of death was from complications of a small bowel obstruction tied to previous bariatric surgery, the autopsy showed. Portions of Presley’s bowel became trapped, or “strangulated,” from scar tissue that formed following surgery, and she also had developed a severe buildup of acids in her blood.WHAT IS BARIATRIC SURGERY? HOW COMMON IS IT?Bariatric surgeries are operations performed on the stomach or intestines to spur weight loss. They’re usually done in cases of moderate or sev...