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Live updates | UN calls for ‘humanitarian truce’ in Gaza as Israel expands activity in the territory

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:16 GMT

The Israeli military says its ground forces will expand their activities in Gaza Friday night. The announcement came hours after Israeli forces conducted a second ground raid in as many days and after Israel’s defense minister said the country expects to launch a long and difficult ground invasion of the Hamas-ruled territory.The development also came after communication services in the Gaza Strip were cut, following a heavy round of Israeli airstrikes that lit up the night sky over the darkened territory.The Palestinian death toll passed 7,300 as Israel launched waves of airstrikes in response to the bloody Hamas rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7. The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which tracks the toll, released a detailed list, including names and ID numbers on Thursday. In the occupied West Bank, more than 110 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids since the war’s start three weeks ago.More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly ...

Cavaliers missing All-Stars Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen for opener against OKC with injuries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:16 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Cavaliers are without All-Stars Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen for their home opener on Friday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of injuries.Garland has been dealing with a left hamstring issue that bothered Cleveland’s point guard in Wednesday’s opener at Brooklyn. He was listed as questionable and did not participate in the morning shootaround.Allen has been sidelined for several weeks with a bone bruise in his left ankle. While the center has been doing some individual work in practice, he’s not ready to play and the Cavs are going to continue to take it slow with Allen.“He’s back on the floor,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He’s running and then it’s just a matter of once he’s comfortable, once his conditioning is where he feels confident and then where the medical staff is with him and their comfort level to let him get out there.”Bickerstaff is starting Donovan Mitchell, Isaac Okoro, Max Strus, Evan Mo...

Most New Mexico families with infants exposed to drugs skip subsidized treatment, study says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:16 GMT

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Most New Mexico families with infants exposed to illicit drugs, marijuana and alcohol in the womb have been forgoing subsidized addiction treatment and other voluntary support services since the state’s shift in 2020 that halted automatic referrals to protective services, a new study indicated on Friday.The Legislature’s budget and accountability office told a panel of lawmakers that New Mexico’s revamped response to substance-exposed newborns — changes implemented in response to federal drug-abuse legislation — succeeded in keeping more parents together with their children, to avoid trauma associated with separation.At the same time, evaluators said the approach does not fulfill its purpose of keeping newborns safe and directing families to treatment, as parents miss or decline services ranging from mental health counseling to home visits by nurses aimed at improving the health and development of infants. The study notes that drug and alcohol use b...

Families hunt for loved ones not heard from since Hurricane Otis pummeled Acapulco

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:16 GMT

ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — Desperate families made missing posters Friday and joined online groups to look for loved ones out of touch since Hurricane Otis devastated the Mexican Pacific coast city of Acapulco. Officials said they were moving in supplies and evacuating people from the devastated metropolis of 1 million people.As cellphone service returned to some parts of the city, many residents had help from friends and relatives living in other parts of Mexico and in the United States. Residents joined together by neighborhood using online messaging platforms. On Thursday there were some 1,000 people in 40 chats, which grew in number through the day. Late Thursday, Guerrero state Gov. Evelyn Salgado followed their lead, urging people to send messages to government WhatsApp accounts about the missing.Norma Manzano spent a day debating whether to make a digital missing poster, like so many people have done, for her two brothers, whom she had not heard from since shortly after Otis mad...

Five years later, trauma compounds for survivors marking Tree of Life massacre amid Israel-Hamas war

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:16 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — In one sense, there was a feeling of closure as survivors of the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history joined with hundreds of others for prayers, poetry and music at an outdoor commemoration of the 11 people who were killed in a Pittsburgh synagogue five years ago on Friday.It was the first commemoration since the killer was convicted and sentenced to death after a long-stalled legal process.But it also came less than three weeks after Hamas attacks killed more than 1,400 in Israel, and two days after the latest mass shooting in the United States claimed 18 lives in Maine — creating what one participant described as “trauma upon trauma upon trauma.”It was important to make “the space to specifically remember 10/27, even when there is crisis in the world and other things that feel like they are overwhelming and scary,” said Maggie Feinstein, director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership, formed to help survivors and others in the wake of the attack.The outdoor c...

Canadian fishing boat rescues American fisherman from missing vessel based in Washington state

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:16 GMT

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — A Canadian fishing boat rescued an American man one day after the U.S. Coast Guard ended its search for a missing commercial fishing boat from Washington state with two people board, authorities said.U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier said the Canada-based Ocean Sunset spotted a covered life raft drifting in open ocean about 75 kilometers (46 miles) off the west coast of Vancouver Island on Thursday.Strohmaier said the Ocean Sunset’s crew found the man conscious on the raft, which was from the Evening fishing boat based in Gray’s Harbor, Washington. The man was taken to shore by the Canadian Coast Guard and was reported in stable condition. His identity was not released.The fate of the Evening and the other person aboard were unknown. Strohmaier said Coast Guard officials hoped to speak with the survivor soon to determine whether to renew the search.A social media post from U.S. officials said the life raft from the 13-mete...

Next NBA media rights deal already subject of speculation before negotiations even start

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:16 GMT

The NBA will have its own version of March Madness this season.It won’t take place on the court or feature a matchup between LeBron James and Joel Embiid. Instead, it will set the framework for how fans will be able to watch their favorite teams and players in future seasons.“There’s certain structural changes we want to make in sort of how our television relationship works, but at the same time, we’re not quite sure how it’s going to look,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said after a Board of Governors meeting earlier this year. “You’re clearly seeing an evolution or a morphing of media moving continually to streaming services. … Obviously other entrants in the market would potentially be interested.”The league’s 45-day negotiation period with the incumbents, ESPN/ABC and TNT, for the next media rights deal formally begins March 9. Both sides have had conversations about renewing their deals, but not nearly at the same level as 2014, when ESPN and ABC approached the...

Agreement reached for Biden-Xi talks, but details still being worked out, official tells AP

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:16 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to meet on the sidelines of next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, according to a U.S. official familiar with the planning.The two sides worked out an agreement in principle to hold a meeting during the summit as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Friday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity.The official added that the two sides have still not worked out details on the exact day of the meeting, venue and other logistics.The White House said in a statement following Friday’s meetings that the two sides were “working toward” a Biden-Xi face-to-face on the sidelines of APEC, a forum of 21 Pacific countries.Earlier Friday, Biden met with Yi, holding an hourlong talk with the senior Chinese official in the Roo...

Make-A-Wish flies in 15-year-old Virginia girl fighting bone cancer for tour at Zoo Miami

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:16 GMT

A teen who is in the fight of her young life has a great love of animals. To make her dreams come true, a South Florida attraction became her “Zootopia.”Friday was a big day at Zoo Miami for 15-year-old Leslie Jarrett, who has been fighting bone cancer.“You’re going to see Malcolm, my absolute favorite giraffe,” said Ron Magill, a conservationist with Zoo Miami.During her day at Zoo Miami, Jarrett got a behind-the-scenes tour and took on the role of zookeeper.“This is really cool, and it’s just – I can clearly see myself doing this ’cause I can stay calm near wild animals,” she said.“You see them after the challenges they faced, you see what animals can do for people,” said Magill. “Animals can make people happy.”Jarrett and her whole family were flown in from Virginia by the nonprofit Make-A-Wish Foundation for her special moment. “She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, which is bone cancer, in March ...

Madison Park captures BCL volleyball title over Snowden

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:16 GMT

BOSTON – Madison Park battled through some early adversity to capture its second-ever Boston City League title in a 3-1 (25-16, 23-25, 25-17, 25-19) victory over Snowden.The Lady Cardinals grabbed their first championship since 2001 as Kiara Tejada (nine kills, two aces) and senior captain Barbara Wilson, who pretty much matched Tejada, had 10 kills, two aces and two digs in the win.Tejada’s play outside was critical, finding spots in the short game and taking advantage of the Lady Cougars’ defense in the fourth and final game. The sophomore hitter came alive with four of her six kills just as Snowden crept back into things and only trailed by one, 16-15, looking to tie the series 2-2.But Tejada and two aces from Naisha Marte sealed things up for Madison Park as it pulled away with a 24-17 lead enroute to the third win for the match victory and created the on-court frenzy for the Cardinals faithful.“Coach just told me what to do, and I just started tipping but when I saw that ...