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From San Francisco to New York City, cities are cracking down on homeless encampments. Advocates say that’s not the answer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:12 GMT

By CLAIRE RUSH, JANIE HAR and MICHAEL CASEY | Associated PressPORTLAND, Ore. — Tossing tent poles, blankets and a duffel bag into a shopping cart and three wagons, Will Taylor spent a summer morning helping friends tear down what had been their home and that of about a dozen others. It wasn’t the first time and wouldn’t be the last.Contractors from the city of Portland had arrived to break down the stretch of tents and tarps on a side street behind a busy intersection. People had an hour to vacate the encampment, one of more than a dozen cleared that July day, according to city data.Whatever they couldn’t take with them was placed in clear plastic bags, tagged with the date and location of the removal and sent to an 11,000-square-foot (1,020 square meter) warehouse storing thousands like them.“It can get hard,” said Taylor, 32, who has been swept at least three times in the four years he’s been homeless. “It is what it is. … I just let it go.”Will Taylor, 32, cleans up the campsite ...

Koch network backs Haley to ‘turn the page’ from Trump

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:12 GMT

By Steve Peoples | Associayed PressNEW YORK — Americans for Prosperity, the political arm of the powerful Koch network, formally endorsed Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign on Tuesday, promising to commit its nationwide army of activists — and virtually unlimited funds — to helping Haley defeat former President Donald Trump in the GOP primary contest.“AFP Action is proud to throw our full support behind Nikki Haley, who offers America the opportunity to turn the page on the current political era, to win the Republican primary and defeat Joe Biden next November,” AFP president and CEO Emily Seidel wrote in a memo announcing the group’s decision.“She has what it takes to lead a policy agenda to take on our nation’s biggest challenges and help ensure our country’s best days are ahead. With the grassroots and data capability we bring to bear in this race, no other organization is better equipped to help her do it.”The endorsement may help...

Teen who went missing after leaving work is found dead near Madera

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:12 GMT

A teenager who went missing after her shift at a Madera auto parts store has been found dead, and two men have been arrested, the Madera County sheriff’s office said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Walnut Creek police investigating suspicious death Crime and Public Safety | Day of Central Valley street takeovers ends with fight at McDonald’s, police say Crime and Public Safety | Santa Cruz bridge crash, dramatic leap leaves two injured Crime and Public Safety | Ex-Marine Corps Reservist from California sentenced for lying to FBI during terrorism investigation Crime and Public Safety | ‘Fishing expedition’: Judge denies Trump’s Jan. 6 subpoena request Melanie Stephanie Rios Camacho, 19, of Firebaugh, left the Auto Zone store around 10:15 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24, and around 11 p.m. texted her mother that she was going to meet a friend. When she was not home by 6:45 ...

Yuppie Cantina stabbing suspect arrested, San Mateo PD announce

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:12 GMT

(KRON) -- A suspect has been arrested in connection to a violent altercation outside the Yuppie Cantina in San Mateo last month, the San Mateo Police Department announced Tuesday. The incident occurred on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 2 a.m.Police responded to the altercation outside the cantina which is located at 709 South B Street. Reports indicated that a group of men were engaged in a physical altercation using belts as weapons. Arriving on the scene, officers discovered that all the involved parties were intoxicated, leading to what police called "a chaotic situation." As a result, two men were stabbed by a suspect and several others sustained injuries that required medical attention. Catalytic converter stolen at gunpoint in Palo Alto Tuesday morning All injuries were determined to be non-life-threatening, police said.Officers secured the scene, provided medical aid to the injured, and initiated an investigation. This included obtaining surveillance video.The case was taken over by ...

Catalytic converter stolen at gunpoint in Palo Alto Tuesday morning

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:12 GMT

(KRON) -- Two thieves pulled a gun on a vehicle owner and threatened to shoot him while in the process of stealing a catalytic converters Tuesday morning, according to the Palo Alto Police Department. Palo Alto PD dispatch got a call just before 4 a.m. Tuesday from a resident on the 1500 block of Louisa Court reporting an in-progress armed robbery.Officers responded immediately, but the suspects had already fled in a vehicle, according to police.An investigation revealed that the victim, a woman in her thirties, heard a vehicle pull up in front of her house followed by a sawing noise. She alerted her father, a man in his seventies, police said. Sister of accused Bob Lee killer arrested for DUI, hit-and-run in SF The father looked outside and determined that the suspects were attempting to steal the catalytic converter from their 2009 Toyota Prius. He then went outside to confront the thieves.When the suspects were confronted by the victim, police said, one of them drew a silver ha...

Bernie Sanders May Push Vote on Conditioning Aid to Israel in Coming Weeks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:12 GMT

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., may bring a vote on conditioning aid to Israel in the coming weeks, he told The Intercept.Sanders spoke to The Intercept minutes before a Senate Democratic caucus luncheon, where the question of placing conditions on $14 billion in aid to Israel is on the agenda. “Yes,” he replied gruffly when asked if there was a chance he would push for a floor vote. Sanders’s comment comes as the death toll in Gaza is around 15,000 — with some estimating it to have exceeded 20,000 — and amid a temporary pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas. The Vermont senator has thus far refrained from calling for a permanent ceasefire, a key demand of activist groups that has broad support among the American public and has gained traction among members of Congress. He has instead only gone as far as calling for humanitarian pauses in fighting. The Department of Defense has already sent a variety of heavy weapons and ammunition to Israel to support its continuin...

All the Times Israel Has Rejected Peace With Palestinians

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:12 GMT

Palestinians in Gaza displaced due to Israeli attacks move toward the southern Gaza Strip on Nov. 28, 2023.Photo: Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu via Getty ImagesIsrael has been widely condemned for its brutal response to the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas. With the coming expiration of the ceasefire, this will only become more vociferous. But many U.S. supporters of Israel have responded to the criticism with a question: What else is the beleaguered country supposed to do?The answer is simple. Israel should do what it has never done before: agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state, based on international law.This straightforward statement is scarce in mainstream U.S. political culture. In the speeches of politicians and in newspaper op-eds, it’s a matter of faith that Israel has always yearned for peace but has been constantly rebuffed by the Palestinians. The Palestinians, according to this narrative, prefer holding onto a dream of destroying Israel. This is not quite...

The Israeli military says the latest group of 12 hostages freed by Hamas has exited Gaza into Egypt

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:12 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Israeli military says the latest group of 12 hostages freed by Hamas has exited Gaza into Egypt.Source

White Sox finalize $1.75 million deal with SS DeJong, designate OF Haseley for assignment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:12 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox finalized a $1.75 million, one-year contract with shortstop Paul DeJong on Tuesday and designated outfielder Adam Haseley for assignment.The 30-year-old DeJong, who grew up in Antioch and attended Illinois State, played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2017 until he was traded to Toronto this past Aug. 1. He was released by the Blue Jays on Aug. 21 and signed two days later with San Francisco.An All-Star in 2019 when he batted .233 with 30 homers and 78 RBIs, DeJong hit .226 with 14 homers and 37 RBIs this year in the final season of a $26 million, six-year contract. He has a .229 career average with 116 homers and 344 RBIs.Tim Anderson, Chicago’s shortstop since 2016, became a free agent after the White Sox declined a $14 million option for 2024.Haseley was 8 for 36 with two RBIs and six runs in 28 games with Chicago last season.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlbSource

WWE Hall of Famer Tammy ‘Sunny’ Sytch sentenced to 17 years in prison for fatal DUI crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:12 GMT

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Former pro wrestler Tammy “Sunny” Sytch has been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for drunkenly colliding with another car, killing a 75-year-old man, while her blood alcohol level was four times the legal limit, authorities in Florida said.Sytch, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011, pleaded no contest in August to driving under the influence manslaughter and other charges. She also had an unsealed bottle of vodka in her vehicle and cannabis in her system at the time of her arrest in Volusia County in March 2022, authorities said.She had faced up to more than 25 years in prison during her sentencing hearing on Monday. During the hearing, Sytch said she felt remorse and regret “deep in my soul” for killing Julian LaFrancis Lasseter of Daytona Beach.Sytch, 50, previously had been arrested multiple times from driving under the influence in Pennsylvania, where her driver’s license had been suspended. She didnR...