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Weary families trudge through Gaza streets, trying to flee the north before Israel’s invasion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:57 GMT

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Some fled home with suitcases jammed with clothes and heirlooms and photographs. Some left with stacks of foam mattresses tied to car roofs. They took buses and vans and cars and carts pulled by donkeys.Many walked. Many had nothing with them but exhausted family members trudging through streets littered with rubble. All of them were trying to get to safety.“We left the house without food, without water and without clothes,” said Mohammad Hillis, sitting at a wooden school desk scarred by generations of students in a makeshift refugee camp in central Gaza. “We left without taking anything with us.”He said about 150 people lived in his building in their northern Gaza town. All left after clouds of Israeli leaflets began dropping from the sky, warning civilians to flee the north within 24 hours.“Evacuate south for your own safety and the safety of your families and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields,” an Israeli ...

A teen’s death in a small Michigan town led the FBI and police to an online sexual extortion scheme

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:57 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Last year, a teenager in a small Michigan town killed himself after an online chat turned to demands that he pay money to keep intimate photos secret. He was one of dozens of people targeted online by two men extradited from Nigeria to face charges, FBI director Christopher Wray said Saturday.The arrests came after the FBI joined with police in Michigan to investigate the death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, one thousands of American teenagers targeted in a sharp rise in online “sextortion” cases in recent years.“They will face charges in the U.S. for what they did to Jordan, but also unfortunately, a whole bunch of other young men and teenage boys,” Wray said in an interview with The Associated Press. “You’re talking about a crime that doesn’t respect borders. We make sure our partnerships don’t have any borders either.”Wray highlighted the case in a speech to the International Association of Chiefs of Police about the ways the agency assists police in tackling viol...

PHOTOS: Annular solar eclipse attracts thousands to Balloon Fiesta Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:57 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The rare annular solar eclipse made day 8 of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta extra special for thousands of people in the crowd.The day started off with a drone show, and then balloons filled the sky as part of Mass Ascension. During the eclipse, balloon pilots took part in a special candle burn commemorating the event.Photos from day 8 of the Balloon Fiesta and the eclipse can be viewed below:New Mexico flag made of drones on day 8 of the Balloon Fiesta on Oct. 14, 2023. (KRQE News 14 Digital Reporter Fallon Fischer)"Meep meep." Drone show on day 8 of the Balloon Fiesta on Oct. 14, 2023. (KRQE News 14 Digital Reporter Fallon Fischer)Dawn Patrol on day 8 of the Balloon Fiesta on October 14, 2023. (KRQE News 14 Digital Reporter Fallon Fischer)Getting set up on day 8 of the Balloon Fiesta on Oct. 14, 2023. (KRQE News 14 Digital Reporter Fallon Fischer)Balloon Glow on day 8 of the Balloon Fiesta on Oct. 14, 2023. (KRQE News 14 Digital Report...

Buy Hefty or Great Value recycling bags? You may be owed money

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:57 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — If you purchased certain Hefty or Great Value brand recycling bags in the past five years, you may be able to take part in a $3 million class action settlement. According to a lawsuit, Reynolds Brands (which owns Hefty and Great Value), falsely advertised the bags as recyclable, even though they weren't able to be recycled.Although Reynolds has not admitted to any wrongdoing in the case, the company has agreed to pay $3 million to resolve the matter — and customers may be entitled to $2 per purchased product. T-Mobile planning to move customers on older phone plans to newer ones The bags, which the lawsuit claim can't be recycled in waste disposal facilities, must have been purchased between July 20, 2018 and August 30, 2023. If you're wondering if you need proof of purchase, here's the breakdown for customer payment:With proof of purchase — you can claim up to 25 products, for a maximum payment of $50Without proof of purchase — you can claim up to six products, for a ...

ZT Systems bringing new site with 1,500 jobs to Georgetown

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:57 GMT

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) – ZT Systems, a cloud computing company based in New Jersey, announced Friday it has acquired a 430,000-square-foot facility in Georgetown. The facility is located in an industrial development at Interstate 35 and State Highway 130. ZT Systems intends on hiring 1,500 employees and expects the facility to be at full capacity by 2024, according to a press release. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome ZT Systems into our community,” Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder said in the release. “The technology ZT Systems manufactures powers the digital world we all live in. The investment and jobs ZT Systems will bring to Georgetown make this one of our most significant economic development projects in our City’s history. Their partnership and presence in our community will strengthen our City and our region for decades to come,” he continued.ZT Systems website slates itself as a top provider of complex compute, storage and accelerator solutions for the top ...

Charley Walters: Loss to Bears could alter Vikings’ future

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:57 GMT

The NFL trade deadline is in 16 days. What happens Sunday afternoon in Chicago against the Bears could lead to several major changes for the Vikings.The Vikings’ next game after the Bears is against the 49ers, the NFL’s best team. If the Vikings lose in Chicago, chances are good they will be 1-6 after playing San Francisco.Minnesota’s biggest trade chip is pass rusher Danielle Hunter, not QB Kirk Cousins. Trading Hunter, who turns 29 in two weeks, would indicate a Vikings rebuild. The Vikings would be expected to seek a second-round draft pick for Hunter, but probably would have to settle for a third-rounder.Meanwhile, free safety Harrison Smith, 34, is nearing the end of his career. The Vikings might graciously be willing to give away the potential hall of famer at this point so he has a chance to win a championship.>> It appears now that Cousins, 35, a free agent after the season, won’t be moved.>> If the season ended today, the Vikings would have the No. 4 overall pic...

Car splits in half after high-speed crash in St. Louis, driver killed

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:57 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A driver died after he collided into a tree during a high-speed crash overnight just south of Downtown St. Louis, police say. The crash happened around 4:30 a.m. Saturday near the intersection of Jefferson and Park avenues in the Lafayette Square neighborhood. Police have not yet disclosed the victim's identity or age. St. Louis football coach shot by parent shares his comeback story Investigators say the driver was "traveling at a high rate of speed" before he lost control of the vehicle. He reportedly crossed into the southbound lanes of Jefferson, then struck a tree nearby. Police say the vehicle was split in half and the driver was ejected from the car. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An accident reconstruction team with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the collision. FOX 2 will update as more information becomes available.

Sharks’ first-round draft pick suspended by AHL for illegal hit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:57 GMT

SAN JOSE – Ozzy Wiesblatt, a San Jose Sharks first-round draft pick from three years ago now with the Barracuda, was given a three-game suspension by the American Hockey League on Saturday for an illegal check to the head of a Rockford IceHogs player.The hit occurred Friday night in a game at Tech CU Arena in San Jose. Wiesblatt will miss San Jose’s games tonight vs. Rockford and Oct. 20 and Oct. 21 at Henderson.Wiesblatt, 21, had just come onto the ice when skated into the Rockford zone and leveled IceHogs forward Kale Howarth, who didn’t have the puck. Howarth, listed at 6-foot-5 and 201 pounds, remained down on the ice for several moments before being helped off.Wiesblatt, at 5-10 and 185 pounds, was given a five-minute major and a match penalty at the 3:12 mark of the second period for an illegal check to the head. Under AHL rules, any player receiving a match penalty remains suspended until the matter can be reviewed by the league president.The AHL’s player safety c...

Two Oakland shootings 1 mile away from each other reported 15 minutes apart

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:57 GMT

(KRON) -- Two shootings Friday night in Oakland happened in a span of approximately 15 minutes, according to the Oakland Police Department. The shootings also happened roughly one mile away from another. Viral TikTok shows Vallejo police officer punching a woman Missing man, 63, last seen in Oakland Shooting 1The shooting happened just after 10:15 p.m. on the 4500 block of Melrose Avenue, Oakland police said. Officers arrived at the scene and found evidence that a shooting happened. OPD officers were not able to locate any victims at the time. However, further investigation revealed it was a drive-by shooting in which two people were shot at. One of the individuals walking fired back with at least one gunshot toward that vehicle as it fled the area, according to OPD. The shooting happened approximately one block away from Fremont High School on Foothill Boulevard. The department says anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact 510-238-3426.Shooting 2Approxima...

Not Israel’s 9/11, but a Prison Riot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:57 GMT

Palestinians stand atop an Israeli tank near the broken border fence after Hamas launched an attack into Israel, in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on Oct. 7, 2023.Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib/picture alliance via Getty ImagesThe world has been struggling to find a good historical parallel for the vicious and horrific surprise attack Hamas launched against Israel on October 7.It is often said that 10/7 is the new 9/11. But 10/7 was more like a prison riot.For nearly two decades, the Gaza Strip has been bottled up and almost completely blocked off. It has been widely compared to an open-air prison. Israel and the United States have tried to seal Gaza, isolating its nearly 2 million residents on a tiny, impoverished strip of land. Washington and Tel Aviv thought that would let them keep Hamas at arm’s length.Instead, it just turned Gaza into an overcrowded penal colony where the most radicalized and violent gang leaders eventually gained control. Mass murder and hostage taking have been the result.Sea...