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Ron DeSantis’ campaign will move more staff to Iowa in his latest bet on the first caucuses

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:54 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign said Wednesday it will move about a third of its staff to Iowa, underscoring the do-or-die importance the Florida governor is placing on the leadoff caucuses.The development, a little more than three months before Iowa Republicans launch the 2024 nominating calendar, comes as DeSantis seeks to visit all of the state’s 99 counties in an effort to outmaneuver former President Donald Trump. So far, Trump is dominating in Iowa and nationally while DeSantis has seen his national support slip substantially from its high point earlier this year.DeSantis’ team also said they intended to report raising $15 million during the third quarter of 2023.Sending about a third of the 56 Tallahassee-based staff to Iowa gives DeSantis by far the biggest organizational footprint in Iowa, where he has had four staff. However, DeSantis’ organizational work in Iowa has been carried out by a super PAC supporting him, which h...

The US is forgiving more federal student loans in a bid to tackle ‘unsustainable debt’ for borrowers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:54 GMT

FILE - President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt relief at Delaware State University, Oct. 21, 2022, in Dover, Del. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)(AP/Evan Vucci) FILE - President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt relief at Delaware State University, Oct. 21, 2022, in Dover, Del. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)(AP/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden outlined a new round of federal student loan forgiveness on Wednesday to address the “unsustainable debt” that borrowers accumulate to complete their college education.The announcement comes as borrowers brace for payments to restart after a three-year pause that began during the COVID-19 pandemic and Biden tries to fulfill his campaign promises o...

Kenya’s foreign minister reassigned days after touchy comment on country’s police mission in Haiti

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:54 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s foreign affairs minister was moved to the tourism post Wednesday as part of a Cabinet reshuffle just days after the official said the country’s police in the Kenya-led Haiti peacekeeping mission would be deployed “within a short time.”Alfred Mutua’s statement came shortly after the U.N Security Council approved the force Monday and was issued before President William Ruto’s statement. The president did not mention when the deployment would take place.Kenya has committed to leading a multinational force to combat gang violence in Haiti, a plan that has been controversial locally and internationally.As foreign minister, Mutua was vocal about the Haiti mission, giving prospective deployment times and preparations that are underway. His counterpart in the interior security ministry, where policing issues fall, has been quiet about the deployment.Ruto reassaigned Mutua to the tourism ministry and handed the foreign affairs post to politician Musalia Mudavadi...

Giannis Ioannidis, who coached teams that dominated Greek basketball in 1980s and 90s, dies at 78

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:54 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Giannis Ioannidis, one of Greece’s most successful basketball coaches who later entered politics and served as a minister for sports, has died at the age of 78.Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis led plaudits Wednesday for the veteran player and coach, whose teams dominated Greek basketball in the formative 1980s and 1990s, winning 12 league championships and six cups.“He set his own seal on the history of Greek basketball,” Mitsotakis said in a social media post.Born in 1945 in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Ioannidis played for local team Aris and then went on to coach the club from 1978-79 and 1982-90. During that period Aris won eight league championships, including six straight titles from 1985-90, and five cups.Parliament speaker Konstantinos Tassoulas said Ioannidis contributed greatly “to the popularity of basketball and the active participation of many young people in the sport.” The 1980s were seminal for Greek basketball, and Ioannidis’...

Turkey strikes Kurdish militants in Iraq again after warning of retaliation for a bombing in Ankara

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:54 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Turkish warplanes launched a new round of airstrikes against Kurdish militant targets in Iraq on Wednesday hours after the foreign minister warned that Turkey would hit the militant group’s positions in Syria and Iraq in retaliation for a suicide bombing in Ankara earlier this week. The outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack outside the Interior Ministry in Ankara in which one attacker blew himself up and another would-be bomber was killed in a shootout with police. Two police were wounded in the attack.The Turkish jets targeted 22 suspected PKK positions in northern Iraq on Wednesday, destroying caves, shelters and depots used by the militants, the Turkish defense ministry said. The PKK maintains bases in the region, where its leadership has a foothold. It was the Turkish air force’s third airstrike against suspected Kurdish militant sites in northern Iraq following the attack, which came as parliament p...

Browns GM Berry says ‘easy decision’ to sit QB Deshaun Watson against Ravens with shoulder injury

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:54 GMT

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry said it was “a very easy decision” — made by several people — to sit quarterback Deshaun Watson on Sunday against Baltimore because he was unable to throw effectively.Watson was sidelined by a bruised right shoulder and the Browns (2-2) were trounced 28-3 by the Ravens, who intercepted rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson three times and sacked him four times in his NFL debut.Berry reiterated coach Kevin Stefanski’s comments earlier this week that Watson’s shoulder is structurally sound and the injury is not a long-term issue. Watson is expected to be back for an Oct. 15 game against San Francisco.During his bye week news conference Wednesday, Berry also tried to clarify what led to the decision for Watson to be one of Cleveland’s inactive players. There had been some conflicting, confusing comments about who ultimately made the call.On Monday, Stefanski said the decision was made solely by Watson, and ...

Biden dice que brindará un discurso “muy importante” sobre Ucrania

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:54 GMT

WASHINGTON – El presidente Joe Biden dijo el miércoles que pronunciaría un discurso “muy importante” sobre la financiación de Ucrania y “por qué es de vital importancia para Estados Unidos y nuestros aliados que mantengamos nuestro compromiso”.Los comentarios se produjeron en respuesta a una pregunta de NBC News sobre si le preocupaba que Estados Unidos no pudiera entregar ayuda a Ucrania debido al desorden en el Capitolio.El presidente respondió a las preguntas de la prensa tras sus comentarios previstos sobre la deuda estudiantil. Biden asegura a Ucrania el apoyo de EEUU pese a la oposición del ala trumpista El comandante de la flota rusa del Mar Negro habría muerto en ataque con misiles, según Ucrania “Voy a argumentar que a Estados Unidos de América le conviene abrumadoramente que Ucrania tenga éxito”, dijo Biden.Biden argumentó que el enfoque de la administración en la construcción de una c...

MATCHDAY: Liverpool faces Union Saint-Gilloise at Anfield, West Ham at Freiburg in Europa League

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:54 GMT

A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Thursday:EUROPA LEAGUELiverpool, a three-time winner of the second-tier European competition, faces Union Saint-Gilloise at Anfield. Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister could play against his older brother, Kevin, who is a defender at the Belgian club. Liverpool wants to rebound from a VAR error that cost the club a goal in a Premier League game against Tottenham on Saturday, with manager Jurgen Klopp having called for the match to be replayed. But he added at a pre-match news conference Wednesday: “I’m here to prepare a game, a super-important and super-difficult game against Union Saint-Gilloise and that’s much more important.” In one of the toughest groups, Brighton travels to former European champion Marseille while struggling Dutch powerhouse Ajax meets AEK in Athens. Europa Conference League champion West Ham is at Freiburg and Roma with in-form Romelu Lukaku hosts Servette Geneva.EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUEIn the third-tier E...

Abandoned pit bull puppy found dead sparks animal abuse case in Fort Lauderdale

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:54 GMT

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department is investigating a case of animal abuse after a malnourished and lifeless pit bull puppy was found on the side of the road. The puppy was found on Sunday, September 24, in the 1100 block of Northwest Fourth Avenue.Upon their arrival, law enforcement discovered the deceased dog, along with a white tarp and a black metal dog crate containing feces and vomit, all located in the grassy swale area near the reporting party’s home.The dog, identified as a tan and white male pit bull puppy aged approximately two to three months, was found lying on its side. According to the police report, a responding officer could “could see the puppy’s ribs protruding and it appeared the puppy had not been dead long – there were flies, but no obvious signs of decomposition.”The puppy did not have a collar and showed signs of severe malnourishment. Authorities believe the puppy may have sustained an injury to one of its front legs.Detectiv...

South Florida attorney accused of possessing nearly 2,000 images, videos of child pornography pleads guilty

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:54 GMT

A South Florida attorney pleaded guilty in federal court to the possession of child pornography.On Wednesday, Michael Thomas Dolce, 54, confessed to downloading explicit content, featuring prepubescent children, onto his personal laptop at his West Palm Beach apartment, the United States Department of Justice said in a news release.Court records reveal that the Palm Beach Gardens attorney utilized peer-to-peer software to search for and download illegal materials. Nearly 2,000 images and videos were recovered from Dolce’s laptop. Forensic evidence confirmed that he was in the process of downloading additional child pornography files when law enforcement seized his laptop during the execution of a federal search warrant.Sentencing for Dolce is set for Dec. 18 at 10:30 a.m. He faces a potential prison term of up to 20 years, a lifetime of supervised release, and restitution payments to his victims.