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Biden’s kicking off 2024 by delving into some of the country’s darkest moments

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:55 GMT

By WILL WEISSERT and ZEKE MILLER (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is starting the campaign year by evoking the Revolutionary War to mark the third anniversary of the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and visiting the South Carolina church where a white gunman massacred Black parishioners — seeking to present in the starkest possible terms an election he argues could determine the fate of American democracy. On Saturday, Biden will travel to near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, where George Washington and the Continental Army spent a bleak winter nearly 250 years ago. There, he’ll decry former President Donald Trump for the riot by a mob of his supporters who overran the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Two days later, the president will visit Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, where nine people were shot and killed in a June 2015 white supremacist attack.Biden’s kicking off 2024 by delving into s...

3 to hospital after driver of stolen SUV crashes into vehicle in Burlington

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:55 GMT

Three people were injured after their vehicle was involved in a collision with the driver of a stolen SUV in Burlington, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said.OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said the two-vehicle crash happened on Wednesday in the Highway 6 and Upper James Street area.Burlington OPP officers confirmed the driver of a stolen SUV was travelling southbound on Upper James when he collided with the vehicle, which was travelling northbound on Highway 6 and making a left turn. 3 people to hospital after a stolen vehicle was involved in a 2 car crash on #Hwy6/Upper James. #BurlingtonOPP investigating, charges laid on the driver and passenger of the stolen vehicle ^ks pic.twitter.com/XofjXKgKTZ— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) January 3, 2024Sgt. Schmidt said the driver of the northbound vehicle was treated for relatively minor injuries. Two other female passengers were also hurt, one with minor injuries and another with serious injuries.The driver of the stolen SUV was n...

Ethnic armed group battling Myanmar’s military claims to have shot down an army helicopter

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:55 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Fighters from an ethnic minority group battling Myanmar’s military government said they shot down a helicopter believed to be on a resupply mission in a combat zone in the northern state of Kachin on Wednesday.The helicopter was shot down soon after taking off from an army outpost to return to its base in Myitkyina township, the state’s capital, around 11:50 a.m., Col. Naw Bu, a spokesperson for the Kachin Independence Army, told The Associated Press. Myanmar’s military, which came to power in February 2021 after seizing power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, has been battling pro-democracy resistance forces loosely allied with armed ethnic minority groups seeking greater autonomy.There was no immediate comment from the military government about the helicopter claim and The Associated Press was unable to contact any witnesses in the remote area. A spokesperson for Kachin Human Rights Watch, who asked to be identified only by his first name Jacob ...

2 injured in Mississauga house fire

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:55 GMT

Two people are in hospital after a fire at a home in Mississauga.Fire crews were called to the residence on Bishop Strachan Court near Derry Road and Winston Churchill Boulevard just after 9 a.m. on Wednesday.Paramedics say one person is being treated for minor burns while another person suffered smoke inhalation.The area near the home was evacuated as firefighters worked to put out the blaze.It is not yet known what caused the fire.

After tumbling in polls, Netanyahu clings to power and aims to improve political standing during war

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:55 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — In the wake of Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s days in office seemed numbered.Despite his reputation as the ultimate political survivor, the devastation of the attack and the security failures that allowed it to happen on his watch appeared to be too much for him to overcome.But nearly three months after war erupted following the attack, Netanyahu remains firmly in charge and is putting up a fight. He has increasingly used his perch as wartime leader to test campaign slogans, appease his coalition partners and shirk responsibility for the calamity — all, critics say, with an eye on buying time and notching up his shrinking poll numbers.“Every moment of his life, he is a politician,” said Mazal Mualem, a Netanyahu biographer. “Bibi always thinks he has a chance.” Netanyahu — who’s served longer than any other Israeli leader, after 17 years in power — has found a formula for success. He appeals to his nationalist base, cra...

Rayner Pike, beloved Associated Press journalist known for his wit and way with words, dies at 90

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:55 GMT

ARLINGTON, Mass. (AP) — Rayner Pike, a retired reporter for The Associated Press who contributed his encyclopedic knowledge of news and crafty writing skills to some of New York City’s biggest stories for over four decades, has died. He was 90.Surrounded by family at the end, his Dec. 26 death at home in Arlington, Massachusetts, set off a wave of tributes from former co-workers.For a 1986 story challenging city-provided crowd estimates, he paced out a parade route on foot — “literally shoe-leather journalism,” New York City bureau colleague Kiley Armstrong recalled.The memorable lead that followed: “Only a grinch cavils when, in a burst of hometown boosterism, the mayor of New York says with a straight face that 3.5 million people turned out for the Yankees’ ticker-tape parade.”Pike worked at the AP for 44 years, from 1954 to 1998, mostly in New York City — yet he was famously reluctant to take a byline, colleagues said. He also taught journalism at Rutgers University for yea...

Two large offshore wind sites are sending power to the US grid for the first time

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:55 GMT

For the first time in the United States, turbines are sending electricity to the grid from the sites of two large offshore wind farms.The joint owners of the Vineyard Wind project, Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, announced Wednesday the first electricity from one turbine at what will be a 62-turbine wind farm 15 miles (24 kilometers) off the coast of Massachusetts. Five turbines are installed there. One turbine delivered about 5 megawatts of power to the Massachusetts grid just before midnight Wednesday. The other four are undergoing testing and should be operating early this year. Danish wind energy developer Ørsted and the utility Eversource announced last month that their first turbine was sending electricity from what will be a 12-turbine wind farm, South Fork Wind, 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of Montauk Point, New York. Now, a total of five turbines have been installed there too. Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra said 2023 was a historic year for offshore wind with “...

Woman stabbed during attempted robbery at Oakville pharmacy; suspects sought

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:55 GMT

A woman was rushed to hospital after being stabbed by a suspect during a pharmacy robbery in Oakville.Halton police say they were called to Abbeywood Pharmacy, near Abbeywood Drive and Third Line, around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.Police say two suspects entered the business and one was armed with a knife. A female customer inside got into a confrontation with one of the suspects and was allegedly stabbed.The second suspect was confronted by an employee and both fled the store without stealing anything.The woman who was stabbed was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.Investigators are looking for two male suspects who were wearing disguises and dark clothing at the time of the attempted robbery.

US job openings fell slightly in November but remain high by historical standards

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:55 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers posted 8.8 million job openings in November, down slightly from October and the fewest since March 2021. But demand for workers remains strong by historical standards despite higher interest rates.Wednesday’s report from the Labor Department showed that the number of job vacancies dipped from 8.9 million in October. It also showed that the number of people quitting their jobs — a sign of confidence in the labor market — fell to its lowest level since February 2021. The number of quits is now roughly where it stood before the pandemic erupted nearly four years ago. In November, job openings dropped by 128,000 in transportation, warehousing and utilities and by 78,000 at hotels and restaurants. The federal government reduced job openings by 58,000. By contrast, openings in construction rose by 43,000 and in retail by 42,000.Wednesday’s report, called the Jobs Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, reinforced other recent evidence t...

Founder of retirement thoroughbred farm in Kentucky announces he’s handing over reins to successor

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:23:55 GMT

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (AP) — Michael Blowen’s love for horses stretched far beyond the racetrack and spurred him into starting a mid-life career as founder of a retirement farm in Kentucky, where older thoroughbreds could spend their remaining years in dignity and security — long after their earning days were over.For two decades, his Old Friends farm outside Georgetown has been home to hundreds of horses — from former Kentucky Derby winners like Silver Charm and Charismatic to plenty of also-rans. Thousands of thoroughbred fans flock to the farm each year to get up-close looks at the retirees, with Blowen sometimes leading the tours.Silver Charm is the oldest living Derby winner, and the main attraction at the retirement farm. After winning the Derby in 1997, Silver Charm nearly ended a 20-year wait for a Triple Crown by winning the Preakness and then finishing second in the Belmont Stakes. He had been trying to become the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 in complete the feat.Blo...