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DeSantis is defending new slavery teachings. Civil rights leaders see a pattern of ‘policy violence’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:56 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Civil rights activists cheered when Ron DeSantis pardoned four Black men wrongfully convicted of rape as one of his first actions as Florida’s governor. But four years later, as DeSantis eyes the presidency, their hope that the Republican would be an ally on racial justice has long faded.Instead, African American leaders decry what they call a pattern of “policy violence” against people of color executed by the DeSantis administration that reached a low point after the recent release of an “anti-woke” public school curriculum on Black history. Specifically, Florida’s teachers are now required to instruct middle-school students that enslaved people “developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”DeSantis has repeatedly defended the new language while insisting that his critics, who include Vice President Kamala Harris and at least one high-profile Republican congressman, are intentionally misinterpreting on...

Woman missing, presumed dead after yacht catches fire in Monroe County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:56 GMT

MONROE COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) — A woman has gone missing and was presumed dead by the local sheriff’s office after a yacht caught fire at a marina on Stock Island, an unincorporated community just before Key West. The 70-foot Viking yacht was fully engulfed in flames when Monroe County Fire Rescue crews arrived at the scene at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. The firefighters battled the intense blaze for approximately three hours in an attempt to contain and extinguish it.Officials said in the aftermath of the blaze, 51-year-old Linda Vella from St. Petersburg went missing. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that the woman is presumed dead following the incident. Emergency response teams, including the Sheriff’s Office Dive Team and TowBoat U.S. crews, are still working to locate Linda. The fire also resulted in injuries to her husband, 58-year-old Michael Kenneth Robson and 21-year-old son Anthony Joseph Vella. They were both airlifted to a hospital i...

Germany faces 5 tough years, economy minister warns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:56 GMT

Germany faces five difficult years of green industrial transition that “will put a burden” on people, Economy Minister Robert Habeck warned — while urging his government to approve fresh subsidies to safeguard the country’s industrial base.Reacting to a new report by the International Monetary Fund that projects Germany’s economy will shrink 0.3 percentage points this year, Habeck told German public broadcaster ARD on Wednesday evening, “The data certainly isn’t good.”Germany’s statistical office had already warned in May that the country entered into a recession, and that some of Germany’s biggest companies have begun to ditch the fatherland, triggering fears of deindustrialization.Habeck argued that this downturn could be explained by high energy prices, which Germany felt more intensely than other countries because it relied on cheap Russian gas. High interest rates are also slowing down investments and global trade, he added,...

‘Door is open’ for New Zealand to join AUKUS, top US diplomat says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:56 GMT

The “door is open” for New Zealand and other countries to join the security pact between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday.“On AUKUS as we continue to develop it … the door is very much open for New Zealand and other partners to engage as they see appropriate going forward,” Blinken told reporters in New Zealand. “We’ve long worked together on the most important national security issues, and so as we further develop AUKUS, as I said, the door is open to engagement.”AUKUS, an acronym for the current partners, is a trilateral security pact announced in 2021 focused on the Pacific region.The nations in March unveiled a new deal involving the sharing of nuclear submarine technology, which ultimately ends with London and Canberra creating advanced versions of the highly sensitive nuclear-powered submarine for their own navies.Blinken’s stop in New Zealand this week came amid the dedication of a new American...

A daily dose of olive oil could lower risk of dying from dementia, research finds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:56 GMT

(CNN) — Including olive oil in your regular diet offers several benefits — such as protecting heart health or cognitive function.The Mediterranean staple might also reduce your risk of dying from dementia by 28% if you eat just a spoonful every day.This new finding is according to research presented Monday in Boston at Nutrition 2023, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition.Whether olive oil is linked with risk of dementia-related death had never been studied until now, according to the authors.“Our study reinforces dietary guidelines recommending vegetable oils such as olive oil and suggests that these recommendations not only support heart health but potentially brain health, as well,” said Anne-Julie Tessier, a coauthor of the research and postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in a news release. “Opting for olive oil, a natural product, instead of fats such as margarine and commercial mayonnaise is a safe c...

Trump’s legal team meets with special counsel as federal indictment looms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:56 GMT

(CNN) — Donald Trump’s legal team is meeting Thursday with special counsel Jack Smith as a potential federal indictment looms, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.Since receiving a letter from Smith indicating he’s a target of the investigation earlier this month, Trump had argued against a meeting between his attorneys and Smith’s team because the former president believed the indictment was already a done deal, two sources familiar with his thinking said.The grand jury hearing evidence from the special counsel’s probe into efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election is sitting Thursday at the federal courthouse in Washington, DC.CNN spotted jurors and a prosecutor working for Smith entering the courthouse this morning. The grand jury, which normally meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, had not been seen inside the federal courthouse since last week.CNN has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.This is the second time Trump is facing po...

23 KIA Sportage Hybrid shines bright

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:56 GMT

When the need for a mid-priced vehicle arises with friends or family, KIA always has a front seat in the conversation. In 2023, KIA revamped its already successful Sportage into a more spacious and rightly priced SUV fit for an array of consumers.In Grasso’s Garage this week, the 2023 KIA Sportage Hybrid SX-Prestige AWD. As top of the line it comes, our tester was a true dream of a mid-sized and mid-priced SUV. Wrapped in Shadow Matte Grey, this was a modern looker for onlookers and one that fits in with other Hybrid 2023 models from comparable manufacturers. A complete overhaul, and one that was well-deserved, hit the streets in late 2022 and with a popular consumer base, the already bare bones inventory, was a dog fight for consumer and dealers alike. For all of the $36K stacked up base price, the included features were endless. Safety Features included: Forward collision-avoidance, Lane Departure assist and driver attention warning with leading vehicle departure alert perfect for...

Patriots’ Bill Belichick agrees with Mac Jones’ assessment of relationship

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:56 GMT

FOXBORO — We found out Wednesday afternoon through Patriots quarterback Mac Jones that his relationship with head coach Bill Belichick is “good.” Belichick confirmed that in his own way Thursday morning.“Yeah, again, I’m good with all of the players who are on the team,” Belichick said before Day 2 of training camp. “Absolutely.”Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Bill Belichick won’t address Patriots’ reported contact with Dalvin Cook about visit New England Patriots | Patriots OT Trent Brown: Bill O’Brien helping bring back ‘traditional Patriot football’ New England Patriots | Patriots training camp Day 1: Mac Jones throws an INT, Hunter Henry stars in red zone New England Patriots | Patriots trying to be ‘proactive’ in extending impending free agents New England Patriots | Patriots’ Matt Groh details Dalvin Cook’s ‘unique’ situation in free agency Jones said that...

Bill Belichick won’t address Patriots’ reported contact with Dalvin Cook about visit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:56 GMT

FOXBORO — The first defensive play from the Patriots on Day 2 of training camp came from head coach Bill Belichick.Belichick was asked Thursday morning about a report from ESPN that free-agent running back Dalvin Cook is “in talks with the Patriots about setting up a possible visit to New England.”“Yeah, no, I’m not going to talk about players that are not on our team,” Belichick said. “It’s a long-standing policy that I’ll continue to stick with.”Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots’ Bill Belichick agrees with Mac Jones’ assessment of relationship New England Patriots | Patriots OT Trent Brown: Bill O’Brien helping bring back ‘traditional Patriot football’ New England Patriots | Patriots training camp Day 1: Mac Jones throws an INT, Hunter Henry stars in red zone New England Patriots | Patriots trying to be ‘proactive’ in extending impending free agents New England Patriot...

Alex Morgan is the highest-paid player at 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup: Forbes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:56 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- United States Women’s National Team forward Alex Morgan -- a hometown favorite on the San Diego Wave FC team -- is banking rolling as the highest-paid player at 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.That's according to Forbes, a finance and business magazine that crunched the numbers to see just how much each player is making to determine the top earners of the world tournament.Forbes considered both on-field earnings and off-field earnings, which includes each players  endorsement portfolios and side-business ventures. Alex Morgan gets 50th international assist in 2023 FIFA World Cup match against Vietnam San Diego's Alex Morgan nets $0.8 million for her dedication to the field, while also bringing in another $6.3 million, according to Forbes. That puts her at $7.1 million in earnings. Morgan's swelling bank account can be attributed to her endorsement deals with Hublot, Cola-Cola’s Bodyarmor and Anheuser-Busch’s Michelob Ultra. The striker is also a cofounder of m...