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Blinken visits Kyiv as he makes the case the US needs to support Ukraine for the long haul

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:20 GMT

(CNN) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv Wednesday on what is his third trip to the Ukrainian capital since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, seeking to double down on US support for Kyiv’s counteroffensive and make the political case back home that the US needs to commit billions of dollars more to help defeat Vladmir Putin.Blinken said the US is “determined to continue to walk side-by-side” with Ukraine when he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, as he called the country’s progress in the counteroffensive “very, very encouraging.”Zelensky said it is always a “great message of support” for Ukraine when US officials visit, noting that this is a “tough period” for his country.The visit comes as Ukraine’s counteroffensive moves into its fourth month, with both political and military leaders in Kyiv talking up recent gains, especially in the south of the country, following growing concerns the concerted push on the battlefield has failed to produce resul...

Federal safety regulators push to recall 52 million air bags

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:20 GMT

New York (CNN) — Federal safety regulators are pushing to get 52 million air bags recalled due to the threat that they could explode, severely injuring or even killing a car’s occupants.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said a ruptured inflator from these air bags killed at least two people, one in the United States and one in Canada, and caused at least seven serious injuries in US vehicles since 2009, with most occurring since 2016. The air bags were built by ARC and by Delphi between 2000 and 2018. About 11 million of the air bags were manufactured by Delphi under a licensing agreement with ARC.They are included in vehicles built by General Motors, Ford, Stellantis, Tesla, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen. NHTSA did not release exact models containing the air bags, saying that will be determined by the manufacturers. It also did not give an estimate for how many vehicles contain the air bags, since most vehicles have multiple air bags....

Roku is laying off 10% of its workforce

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:20 GMT

New York (CNN) — Roku stock soared higher on Wednesday after the streaming service announced it would lay off 10% of its workforce – about 300 people – in an effort to cut costs.Roku said that in addition to the layoffs, it would slow its pace of hiring, consolidate office space, reduce its outside services and perform “a strategic review of its content portfolio” to save money, in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.Shares of Roku (ROKU) surged more than 10% on the news.This is Roku’s third round of layoffs in under a year. The company cut 200 jobs in both March 2023 and in November 2022, respectively. The company expects to incur restructuring charges of $45 million to $65 million.But even as it eliminates the positions of hundreds of workers, Roku said it would bring in more money than it previously expected. The company’s new third quarter forecast anticipates revenues between $835 million and $875 million (excluding the restructur...

Trump is liable in the second E. Jean Carroll defamation case, judge rules; January trial will determine damages

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:20 GMT

(CNN) — A federal judge ruled that the jury hearing E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit will only need to decide how much money Donald Trump will have to pay her, after the judge found the former president was liable for making defamatory statements.The finding is a significant blow to Trump, who is facing numerous criminal indictments and civil lawsuits – many of them coming to a head as he embarks on a presidential campaign.Judge Lewis Kaplan said that a federal jury’s verdict earlier this year against Trump will carry over to the defamation case set to go to trial in January involving statements Trump made in 2019 about Carroll’s sexual assault allegations.Carroll, a former magazine columnist, alleged Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store in the mid-1990s and then defamed her when he denied her claim.In May after a two-week trial, a jury found Trump sexually abused Carroll and defamed her when he said in 2022 that he didn’t rape her, didn’t know h...

The Patriots get great news at practice ahead of Sunday’s season opener

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:20 GMT

FOXBORO — The Patriots practiced with a full roster Wednesday, a sign of excellent heath heading into this weekend’s season opener against the Eagles.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Devin McCourty believes Patriots are happy Matt Patricia ‘experiment is over’ New England Patriots | Bill Belichick Patriots to have Jack Jones vs. Eagles, won’t confirm status beyond Week 1 New England Patriots | Callahan: Matt Patricia knows the Patriots better than any ex-coach ever — and they don’t care New England Patriots | Patriots outlook: NFL sources expecting franchise to finish in middle of the pack New England Patriots | Patriots QB Mac Jones reveals that Tom Brady has helped ‘mentor’ him Every member of their 53-man roster and practice squad was present for initial stretching and drills. Wide receiver DeVante Parker appeared limited for a second straight practice. Vetera...

Wisconsin Democrats combat threatened impeachment of court justice with $4M effort

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:20 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Democratic Party on Wednesday launched a $4 million effort to pressure Republicans to back down from impeaching a new liberal state Supreme Court justice being targeted after she criticized GOP-drawn legislative electoral maps and spoke in favor of abortion rights.After investing nearly $10 million in electing Justice Janet Protasiewicz, the effort is meant to protect what Democrats hailed as a major political victory. The judge’s election tipped the balance of power in the state Supreme Court, giving Democrats the upper hand in state’s fights over abortion and redistricting. “Republicans are holding a political nuclear football,” Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler said in reference to impeachment. He said the threat amounted to “political extortion.”But Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who has been the most outspoken about possible impeachment, said on WISN-AM that Democrats were “trying to intimidate us” but Republicans...

Vancouver-based writer John Vaillant among contenders for a prestigious non-fiction prize

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:20 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Books about the perilous state of our world, our food and our relationship with technology are in the running for Britain’s leading non-fiction book award, the Baillie Gifford Prize.The 13-book long list announced Wednesday includes Vancouver-based John Vaillant’s look at the reality of climate change, “Fire Weather”; Chris van Tulleken’s dietary warning “Ultra Processed People”; and “Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity” by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson.Best-selling American author David Grann is nominated for the stirring seafaring yarn “The Wager,” while physician-writer Siddhartha Mukherjee is in the running with “The Song of the Cell.”British journalist Hannah Barnes is on the list for “Time to Think,” which charts the demise of Britain’s controversial Tavistock gender clinic for children.Other contenders examine key moments in history, including Tania Branigan’s look at China’s Cultural Revolution, “Red Memory,” and Kat...

Romania hosts summit to boost ties between 12 EU countries and partners

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:20 GMT

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A two-day summit in Romania began on Wednesday bringing together 12 European Union member states situated between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas, as the grouping of mostly formerly communist countries aims to boost ties amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.The Three Seas Initiative, which is being held in the capital, Bucharest, hosts high-ranking officials from EU countries as well as representatives from partner countries and aims to improve interconnectivity in the transportation, energy, and digital fields. Before the event, the office of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said that during the summit, he would emphasize the importance of the initiative a year and a half after Russia’s “brutal and illegal aggression” against Ukraine for its importance in strengthening regional and European resilience.”Addressing the initiative on Wednesday via video link, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia’s recent attacks on Ukraine’s Danube ports are ...

California judge halts district policy requiring parents be told if kids change pronouns

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:20 GMT

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A judge on Wednesday halted a Southern California school district from requiring parents to be notified if their children change their gender identification or pronouns at school.San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Thomas S. Garza ruled after California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the Chino Valley Unified School District for adopting a policy requiring schools to tell parents when their children change their pronouns or use a bathroom of a gender other than the one listed on their official paperwork. “Today’s decision by the San Bernardino Superior Court rightfully upholds the state rights of our LGBTQ+ students and protects kids from harm by immediately halting the board’s forced outing policy,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.Garza’s order halts the district’s policy while Bonta’s lawsuit continues. Full details of the order and Garza’s reasoning were not immediately available.Bonta said his office will continue to challenge the p...

Grand Slam tournaments are getting hotter. US Open players and fans are feeling that this week

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:16:20 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Andy Murray prepared for the steamy conditions often found at the U.S. Open by simulating the “brutal heat and humidity” in New York this time of year with the help of, well, an actual steam room at his home.The 36-year-old British tennis star set the humidity in there at 70% and spent hours riding a stationary bike nearby with the thermostat cranked up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 Celsius), making the air feel as muggy as it does every summer around Flushing Meadows, where the year’s last Grand Slam tournament will conclude Sunday. “Just to try and help with the heat adaptation,” explained Murray, who claimed the title in New York in 2012 but lost in mild conditions in the second round this time.If the start of competition at the 2023 U.S. Open offered a bit of a reprieve for athletes, ball crews and spectators alike, thanks to highs mostly in the 70s F (20s C), that has decidedly changed. The temperature hit 90 F (32 C) on Sunday and again Tuesday, leaving players ...