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House committee chairman says Sen. Tuberville is ‘paralyzing’ the Pentagon by blocking promotions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:38:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is slamming a fellow Republican in the Senate for waging an unprecedented attempt to change Pentagon abortion policy by holding up hundreds of military nominations and promotions.Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville is “paralyzing the Department of Defense.”“The idea that one man in the Senate can hold this up for months, I understand maybe promotions, but nominations,” McCaul said. He added, “I think that is a national security problem and a national security issue. And I really wish he would reconsider this.”Tuberville’s move has forced less experienced leaders into top jobs and raised concerns at the Pentagon about military readiness. Defense officials say Tuberville is jeopardizing American national security. Senators in both parties, including Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, also have criticized Tuberv...

A boat capsizing in north-central Nigeria killed at least 24 people. Dozens of others are missing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:38:24 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A boat capsized in north-central Nigeria early Sunday, killing at least two dozen people and leaving many others missing amid a frantic rescue effort, emergency officials said.The victims, mostly women and children, drowned while travelling on the wooden boat in the Nigerian state of Niger in the Mokwa district. The boat was carrying more than 100 passengers, according to Zainab Sulaiman, head of Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency in the state, suggesting that the death toll could be much higher as local divers searched for survivors.“So far, they retrieved 24 corpses … and rescued 30 people,” Sulaiman told The Associated Press. The capsizing on the Niger River happened in the Gbajibo community, located 251 kilometers (156 miles) from Minna, the state capital.Boat disasters are common in many remote communities across the West African nation where locally made vessels are commonly used for transport. Most incidents are attributed to overloading amid...

Paper ballots are good, but accurately hand-counting them all is next to impossible

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:38:24 GMT

(The Conversation) - Among people, mostly Republicans, who remain the most suspicious of the 2020 presidential election results, there’s something of a movement to return to the days when election ballots in the United States were counted by hand. One 67,000-person county in Georgia recently required a hand count of all ballots, for instance. But they, and others seeking similar changes around the country, are likely to find themselves disappointed – either by failure to mandate hand-counting or by how election results are handled if they succeed.Requiring hand-counting of all ballots would take elections back many decades to practices that were common in the mid-1800s. In that era, political parties produced a variety of paper “tickets” that were counted at polling places on election night. When states started taking responsibility for producing ballots in the late 19th century, automated machines began to be used for both casting and tabulating votes.In a 1930s review of...

GoGo YumYum delivers new ice cream truck business model in Central Texas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:38:24 GMT

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) -- There's a new kind of ice cream truck rolling around Central Texas.Tanya Rosenzweig is the owner of the GoGo YumYum, a Round Rock-based ice cream truck that launched in June and has revamped the ice cream truck model to focus on requested stops, deliveries and truck rentals for events. Rosenzweig, a graphic designer by trade, said she wanted to preserve the nostalgia of the ice cream truck experience while revitalizing its operations."The world today is different. People don't really hang outside the way that they used to," she said. "There was an opportunity that I saw there, with starting an ice cream truck that was more updated."The truck -- lovingly named Round Rocky Road, or "Rocky" for short -- is adorned with bright, neon colors to help it stand out while driving around. In blending the old school nostalgia with the modern age, GoGo YumYum still operates the classic treats people might know and love, such as SpongeBob or Spider-Man face pops along ...

Map: How long until fall colors peak in Texas?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:38:24 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — It’s clear that fall is nearly upon us. Labor Day has passed, pumpkin spice everything is back, and we’re losing daylight. The only shoe left to drop are the leaves. For some, the leaves may have already started changing color. For others, it won’t be long until the trees combust into reds, yellows, oranges, and browns. In just a few weeks, some parts of the country will be seeing peak fall colors, according to a new prediction map. SmokyMountains.com, a travel brand dedicated to promoting the Smoky Mountain region, produces a fall foliage map every year, show when areas in the U.S. will near, reach, and surpass peak colors. They use historical temperature and precipitation data, forecasted temperature and precipitation, the types of trees known to be in the area, and user-reported information to develop their fall foliage forecast. While it may not be completely accurate, it does offer insight into how soon the autumn colors will peak. As of September 7, ...

AP college football poll, Week 3: CU Buffs climb to No. 18; Pac-12 sets conference-high with 8 ranked teams

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:38:24 GMT

Texas jumped seven spots to No. 4 in The Associated Press college football poll on Sunday after beating Alabama, and the Pac-12 became just the second conference to place as many as eight teams in an AP Top 25.Georgia received 55 first-place votes to remain the clear No. 1. Michigan was No. 2, with two-first place votes. No. 3 Florida State moved up a spot and received three first-place votes.Texas received two-first place votes after its biggest regular-season victory in years. The Longhorns are in the top five for the first time since starting the 2010 season at No. 5 and have their highest ranking since finishing No. 2 after losing the BCS championship game to Alabama in 2009.Behind quarterback Quinn Ewers, Texas became the first team to beat Alabama by double-digits on its home field under coach Nick Saban.The loss dropped Alabama seven spots to No. 10, its lowest ranking since early last November, when the Crimson Tide also were 10th.Southern California moved up a spot to No. 5...

Denver weather: Cool weather and sporadic showers expected Sunday, evening thunderstorms likely

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:38:24 GMT

Morning showers and evening thunderstorms are expected to sweep across Colorado Sunday as temperatures finally take a dip below 80 degrees.With a predicted high of only 74 degrees in Denver, and nighttime temperatures of 53 degrees, the streak of warmer-than-normal weather finally broke Sunday.The day’s morning showers are likely to continue into the afternoon and be joined by thunderstorms after 3 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.Cool, showery weather will be the rule. Showers, along with embedded thunderstorms, will become more numerous late this afternoon through the evening. #COwx pic.twitter.com/kfPotiyxwV— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) September 10, 2023Flash flooding is not expected in most areas, with a limited risk in burn areas, according to the weather service.Related ArticlesWeather | Denver weather: “Changes are coming” as Saturday last warm, mostly dry day before cooldown Weather | Denver weather: Hot, dry, ...

Man meditating shot on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:38:24 GMT

A man who was meditating on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood was wounded in an apparently random shooting early Sunday morning, authorities said. The victim, identified only as an approximately 44-year-old white man, was meditating on the sidewalk just after 3:20 a.m. in the 6300 block of Hollywood Boulevard, according to Los Angeles Police. That’s when another man walked up to him and opened fire, striking him at least once, police said.The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was said to be in stable condition. No suspect description has been released. The victim was not homeless, LAPD said. Alexis Lewis contributed to this report.

Chargers fans descend on SoFi Stadium for season opener against Dolphins 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:38:24 GMT

The 2023 NFL season began on Thursday with the Detroit Lions pulling off a surprise victory against the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, and the action has rolled into Los Angeles for Sunday afternoon’s matchup between the Chargers and the Miami Dolphins. Fans of both teams were out as early as 9:15 a.m. setting up tailgate parties in the stadium parking lot before the game’s 1:25 p.m. kickoff, and the crowds only continued to grow as the morning progressed. Confident Chargers fans told KTLA 5’s Omar Lewis that the team’s new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, a former quarterback for the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys, will help superstar QB Justin Herbert to his best season yet. “Herbert’s going to ball this year,” one Chargers fan said. “[He’s going to be the] MVP, I’m calling it right now.” Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert throws during the second half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, in K...

Nearly 60% of California voters oppose reparation payments for Black residents

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:38:24 GMT

Over the last few years, the idea of reparations — which would compensate the descendants of American slaves — has surfaced across the country. Though a state task force recently recommended making cash reparations a reality in California, voters in the Golden State oppose doing so by a roughly two-to-one margin, according to a new poll from the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies.“The findings reveal the racial and political contradictions of California voters,” Cristina Mora, co-director of the institute, said in a statement. “While many can empathize with the plight of Black Americans, not all of these feelings will translate into support for policies that address longstanding racial harms. And though this might be an information issue for some groups, the fact that even liberals are divided indicates that campaigns for racial redress will face a steep uphill climb.”The poll found that 43% of Democrats favor the idea, while 42% oppose cash reparatio...