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Hundreds protest in West Bank after hospital explosion in Gaza

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:24 GMT

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli military says it had no involvement in an explosion that killed hundreds of people at a Gaza City hospital and that the blast was caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket.The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says an Israeli airstrike caused the blast, and that it killed some 500 people, many of whom had sought shelter from an ongoing Israeli offensive.The Israeli military, however, said Palestinian militants had fired a barrage of rockets near the hospital at the time.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Health Ministry run by Hamas said an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday hit a Gaza City hospital packed with wounded and other Palestinians seeking shelter, killing hundreds of people. If confirmed, the attack would be by far the deadliest Israeli airstrike in five wars fought since 2008.The health ministry said at least 500 people had been killed. Photos and video purportedly from al...

Republicans reject Rep. Jim Jordan for House speaker on the first ballot, but more voting likely

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans rejected Rep. Jim Jordan for House speaker on a first ballot Tuesday, as an unexpectedly numerous 20 holdouts denied the hard-charging ally of Donald Trump the GOP majority needed to seize the gavel.More voting is expected as Jordan works to shore up support to replace the ousted Kevin McCarthy for the job. The House went into recess as the firebrand leader of the GOP’s hard-right flank struggled to take a central seat of U.S. power.After two weeks of angry Republican infighting since McCarthy was removed by hard-liners, the House vote quickly became a showdown for the gavel. Reluctant Republicans refused to give Jordan their votes, viewing the Ohio congressman as too extreme for the powerful position of House speaker, second in line to the presidency.Jordan said afterward he was not surprised and expected to do better in the next round, expected later Tuesday.“We feel confident,” he said, ducking into a leadership office ...

House Speaker Ronald Mariano says he will run for re-election in 2024, seek speakership

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:24 GMT

House Speaker Ronald Mariano said Tuesday he plans to run for re-election in 2024 and if successful, seek the chamber’s top legislative leadership post again, though he would not commit to serving out a full term.Mariano, a 76-year-old Quincy Democrat, is in his 14th term as a state lawmaker after first being elected to office during a 1991 special election. He is in his second term as speaker of the House, taking over for former Speaker Robert DeLeo who was the longest-serving person in that role.Asked if he would run for re-election, Mariano said “sure.” Asked if he would run for speaker next session, Mariano again said “sure.” But it “remains to be seen,” Mariano said, whether he would serve out the rest of that next term.“The speaker looks forward to the work ahead the remainder of this term. He intends to run for re-election for his seat and the speakership. He’s grateful to the membership for their collaboration and support,” a Mariano spokesperson said in a statement only min...

Ex-Michigan gubernatorial candidate sentenced to 2 months behind bars for Capitol riot role

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:24 GMT

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge on Tuesday sentenced a former Republican candidate for Michigan governor to two months behind bars for joining a mob’s Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, where he riled up other rioters and ripped a tarp outside the building.Ryan Kelley, who finished fourth in a primary field of five Republican gubernatorial candidates last year, pleaded guilty in July to a misdemeanor for his role in the siege.Several months before his guilty plea, Kelley posted on social media that the Capitol riot was an FBI “set up.” His campaign posted the words “political prisoner” on Facebook after his June 2022 arrest.U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper told Kelley that he misused his platform as a candidate for public office by promoting lies about election fraud, including the baseless claim that Jan. 6 was somehow part of an FBI plot.“A lot of folks voted for you. A lot of folks followed you,” Cooper said before sentencing Kelley t...

Prosecutors seeking to recharge actor Alec Baldwin in fatal shooting on movie set

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:24 GMT

By MORGAN LEE (Associated Press)SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Special prosecutors said Tuesday they are seeking to recharge actor Alec Baldwin in the 2021 fatal shooting on a Western movie set in New Mexico by presenting evidence to a grand jury.New Mexico-based prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis said they’ll present evidence to grand jury within the next two months, noting that “additional facts” have come to light in the shooting on the set of the film “Rust” that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.Baldwin, a coproducer of the film, was pointing a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal on the film’s set on outside Santa Fe when the gun went off on Oct. 21, 2021, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza.“Additional facts have come to light that we believe show Mr. Baldwin has criminal culpability in the death of Halyna Hutchins and the shooting of Joel Souza,” Morrissey and Lewis said in an email. “We believe the appropriate course of action is to permit a panel of New Mexico c...

Bruins notebook: John Beecher softening the loss of Tomas Nosek

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:24 GMT

Much of the early season buzz around the Bruins has been about Matt Poitras, and rightly so. Poitras very well could be the top six centerman the B’s have been looking to develop for over a decade now.But the emergence of fellow rookie John Beecher has been a welcome and timely development as well. Beecher, centering the fourth line between Milan Lucic and Jakub Lauko that was the one unit that coach Jim Montgomery left alone in Monday’s practice, has helped mitigate the underrated loss of Tomas Nosek in the early going of the season.Seeing just 12.5% of offensive zone starts, Beecher so far has shown himself to be a reliable defensive-minded pivot while holding his own in the faceoff dot (12 up, 10 down).Plenty more challenges lay ahead, but so far so good.“I’m definitely getting a little more comfortable out there and settling in nicely. The guys have made it a good transition for us. They’ve helped out a lot,” said Beecher, the 30th overall pick in the 201...

Celtics’ Derrick White discusses contract extension, being snubbed from ESPN Top 100 list

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:24 GMT

Derrick White and the Celtics have until 11:59 p.m. on Monday to reach an agreement on a contract extension or have to wait until after the season is over. But the guard doesn’t seem worried about it one way or the other.“I love it here. It’s been great here being a Celtic,” White said. “That will never change whether I sign before the season or not. If it happens, great. If not, I’m still excited for the season to be here.”White has two years remaining on the four-year, $70 million extension he signed with the Spurs in 2020. He’s due to earn $18.4 million this season and then $19.6 million in 2024-25. Under the new rules of the collective bargaining agreement, White can extend for three years at 140% of his 2024-25 salary, so a deal would look like something around three years, $85 million that would begin in 2025-26.White could certainly command more money by building off his breakout 2022-23 season and having another big year in 2023-24. But the Celtics have already m...

Israel denies involvement in Gaza hospital blast, says explosion caused by Palestinian rocket

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:24 GMT

By NAJIB JOBAIN, SAMYA KULLAB, RAVI NESSMAN and MATTHEW LEE (Associated Press)KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli military says it had no involvement in an explosion that killed hundreds of people at a Gaza City hospital and that the blast was caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket.The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says an Israeli airstrike caused the blast, and that it killed some 500 people, many of whom had sought shelter from an ongoing Israeli offensive.The Israeli military, however, said Palestinian militants had fired a barrage of rockets near the hospital at the time.Photos and video purportedly from al-Ahli Hospital on social media showed fire engulfing the building and the hospital’s grounds strewn with torn bodies, many of them young children. Around them in the grass were blankets, school backpacks and other belongings. The images could not immediately be independently verified.The strike came as the U.S. was trying to convince Israel to allow the deliv...

Mayor denies discussing absentee ballots with campaign volunteer at center of ballot stuffing claims

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:24 GMT

The mayor of Connecticut’s largest city denied under oath Tuesday ever discussing absentee ballots with a campaign volunteer who resembles a woman seen on surveillance video stuffing papers into a drop box multiple times ahead of the mayoral primary.In a court hearing, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim tried to distance himself from Wanda Geter-Pataky, a local Democratic official and supporter who has been accused by Ganim’s opponent of absentee ballot fraud in connection with Ganim’s narrow victory in September’s primary. Geter-Pataky last week refused to say whether she was the woman seen on surveillance footage making multiple trips to an election drop box and stuffing papers inside that looked like ballots.Ganim also testified he did not talk to Geter-Pataky about handling absentee ballots differently after state elections officials investigating allegations of absentee ballot fraud in Ganim’s 2019 primary referred her and two others with ties to his campa...

Trump returns to his civil fraud trial, hears an employee and an appraiser testify against him

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump returned Tuesday to the civil fraud trial that imperils his real estate empire, watching and deploring the case as an employee and an outside appraiser testified that his company essentially put a thumb on the scale when sizing up his properties’ value. Incensed by a case that disputes his net worth and could strip him of such signature holdings as Trump Tower, the former president is due to testify later in the trial. But he chose to attend the first three days and came back Tuesday to observe — and to protest his treatment to the news cameras waiting outside the Manhattan courtroom. Star witness Michael Cohen, a onetime Trump fixer now turned foe, postponed his scheduled testimony because of a health problem.Instead, Trump company accountant Donna Kidder testified that she was told to make some assumptions favorable to the firm on internal financial spreadsheets. Outside appraiser Doug Larson said he didn’t suggest or condone a former Trump...