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The Hunt: China gets involved in Middle East peace efforts

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:13 GMT

Against the backdrop of rising terrorism and tension, China is now trying to negotiate peace in the Middle East.On this week’s edition of “The Hunt with WTOP national security correspondent J.J. Green,” Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director at the Counter Extremism Project, said this is not a strong endorsement of U.S. influence in the region. toggle audio on and off change volume download audio Why China is trying to broker peace in the Middle East $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', a...

US sues Tennessee over ban on care for transgender youth

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:13 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Justice Department on Wednesday filed a lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s new law banning transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care, one of the several laws the state’s GOP-dominated Statehouse enacted this year targeting LGBTQ+ people. The federal government is seeking to invalidate the statute because “no person should be denied access to necessary medical care just because of their transgender status,” Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in a statement. The DOJ said the law violates the Constitution’s equal protection clause by discriminating on the basis of both sex and transgender status.“The right to consider your health and medically-approved treatment options with your family and doctors is a right that everyone should have, including transgender children, who are especially vulnerable to serious risks of depression, anxiety and suicide,” Clarke added.The federal lawsuit comes after Clarke s...

Bumgarner released by D-Backs after clearing waivers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:13 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Four-time All-Star Madison Bumgarner was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday after clearing waivers.The veteran left-hander was designated for assignment on April 20, giving the team seven days to trade the 2014 World Series MVP or place him on waivers. Bumgarner wasn’t claimed and can sign with any team for a prorated share of the $720,000 major league minimum.The 33-year-old allowed at least five runs in three of his four starts this season and dropped to 1-3 with a 10.26 ERA after his latest outing against the St. Louis Cardinals. The big left-hander never lived up to expectations in the desert after signing a $85 million, five-year deal in 2020. A postseason hero for San Francisco, he was 15-32 with a 5.23 ERA in 69 starts over four seasons with the Diamondbacks, who were responsible for $34.4 million in remaining salary at the time he was cut.Bumgarner had been one of baseball’s best pitchers during 11 seasons with the Giants, helping them win...

Live Oak Bancshares: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:13 GMT

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — Live Oak Bancshares Inc. (LOB) on Wednesday reported first-quarter net income of $398,000.The Wilmington, North Carolina-based bank said it had earnings of 1 cent per share.The results did not meet Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 36 cents per share.The bank holding company posted revenue of $171 million in the period. Its revenue net of interest expense was $101.6 million, which also did not meet Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $111.3 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on LOB at https://www.zacks.com/ap/LOBSource

Así resolvieron el misterio de los objetos más poderosos del universo

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:13 GMT

(CNN) — Los astrónomos descubrieron hace 60 años los cuásares, considerados los objetos más brillantes y potentes del universo, pero no sabían cuál era su origen. Ahora, los científicos creen haber desvelado el misterio que se oculta tras lo que enciende estos objetos celestes.Los cuásares tienen la misma luminosidad que un billón de estrellas contenidas en un espacio del tamaño de nuestro sistema solar, que solo alberga una estrella, mientras que la Vía Láctea alberga al menos 100.000 millones de estrellas.El telescopio Webb captura un estallido estelar brillante de galaxias que chocanLos astrónomos observaron 48 galaxias diferentes que contienen cuásares y las compararon con más de 100 galaxias sin ellos.Los investigadores descubrieron que la colisión de galaxias es lo que probablemente genera los cuásares, estimando que las galaxias que albergan cuásares tienen tres veces más probabilidades de colisionar con otras galaxias.Cuando dos galaxias se fusionan, enormes cantidades...

2 killed in crash with Arapahoe sheriff's deputy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:13 GMT

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Two people died in a Wednesday afternoon crash that involved an Arapahoe County Sheriff's deputy.A driver in the crash, a 69-year-old man, was pronounced dead on the scene, according to Colorado State Patrol.The passenger in that vehicle, a 75-year-old woman, was in critical condition and transported to a local hospital. She later died.A deputy in another vehicle also was transported to the hospital, but the extent of their injuries was still unknown as of 6:52 p.m., CSP said. 3 high schoolers arrested in deadly rock-throwing crime spree The crash was reported around 3:26 p.m. East Broncos Parkway was closed between South Blackhawk and South Potomac Streets, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office.No details were immediately available about what led to the crash. SkyFOX flew over the scene around 4:45 p.m., capturing video of two seriously damaged vehicles in the median.

Apartment values rise higher than homes in Denver, Boulder

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:13 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Tax assessors raised the alarm Wednesday, warning Coloradans to brace for a potential rise in property taxes this year.It may not seem like a direct issue for renters, but multi-family properties are seeing a rise in value that could mean higher property taxes for landlords. If the cost is passed onto tenants, rental rates could change, too. Denver among top 10 places people are leaving in 2023 The rise in apartment values is especially notable in Denver and Boulder counties. They're the only two in the nine-county metro area where apartment and multi-family property values rose higher than for single-family homes.Apartments and multi-family property values showed a median 45% rise in Denver County, while those in Boulder County rose a median 44%, according to numbers released Wednesday by metro-area tax assessors. Those numbers outpace the median value increase for single-family homes there.In Adams County, property value increases were nearly the same for apartme...

Shania Twain talks storytelling on new live tour

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:13 GMT

Shania Twain is hitting the road. The country goddess is launching her “Queen of Me” world tour this weekend. She dropped the deets on what her fans around the globe can expect.No, it’s not a dream.Shania Twain is bringing her talents to cities around the world on her “Queen of Me” tour.Get ready to get rocked.Shania Twain: “The show is a song. It has a beginning, an end and then everything in between is a journey. My role is to take everybody on an in-journey in that time, the time period of the show.”Shania’s plan is simple: Leave your worries at the door, and come in and party the night away.Shania Twain: “As far as the shows go, I want people to leave inspired and relating to the same objective that I had in writing the songs, which was to lift up my spirits and just really enjoy the escapism.”She knows that entertaining the crowd each night and making them feel good is job number one.Shania Twain: “There’s ...

With 76ers awaiting, Hawks and Celtics prepare for Game 6

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:13 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Sorry Miss Jackson, but the Hawks’ first round playoff matchup with the Celtics just got real.Trae Young’s pullup, 30-foot 3-pointer over Jaylen Brown in the closing seconds of Tuesday’s 119-117 win in Game 5 whittled Boston’s series lead to 3-2.The series is now headed back to Atlanta for Game 6 on Thursday, pushing a scheduled Janet Jackson concert at State Farm Arena back a day, and adding at least a dose of concern for a Celtics’ team that reverted to some bad habits that tripped it up on occasion during the regular season.Though still on the verge of a second straight opening round exit, the Hawks have reason to be confident heading home because they will get back Dejounte Murray, who served a one-game suspension Tuesday for bumping official Gediminas Petraitis after the end of Game 4.“I FaceTimed him as soon as I got in the locker room,” Young said after Game 5 of Murray. “I told him to be ready. I told him before the game that we were going to take care of busin...

Lowell nets boys volleyball victory over North Andover

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:13 GMT

NORTH ANDOVER – The Lowell boys volleyball team isn’t quite used to losing sets amid an unbeaten start to the year, so it was in rare territory when host North Andover took an early match lead as two Merrimack Valley Conference powers faced off Wednesday afternoon.Not for long, though.Behind their normal dose of electric hits from all over the lineup, the No. 4 Red Raiders (8-0) found their rhythm fast en route to a 3-1 (24-26, 25-5, 25-18, 25-22) win over the No. 18 Scarlet Knights (7-2). Star setter Tyrell Lout (38 assists, three aces) orchestrated the effort, playing a crucial role in getting the team going in a rare 25-5 second frame that flipped momentum.Cody Fitzpatrick (15 kills), Eddie Djatcha (six kills, seven blocks) and Ceazar Joseph (10 kills, two blocks) heated up in that time, using that confidence to sort through a competitive grind the rest of the way and stay in the driver’s seat of the early MVC title race.“It was night and day after the first game,” said Lowell he...