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Gov. DeSantis and Florida surgeon general warn against new COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:17 GMT

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday criticized recent efforts across the U.S. to tamp down a recent jump in COVID-19 cases through temporary restrictions or masking and his state surgeon general warned against getting the latest COVID-19 vaccine, which is expected to be available this month.The criticism from DeSantis at news conference in Jacksonville, Florida, arrived the same day his campaign for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination sent out an email to supporters vowing to “fight back against every bogus attempt the Left makes to expand government control” when it comes to COVID-19 precautions.At the Jacksonville news conference at an Irish pub, DeSantis and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo promised Florida won’t be joining states, cities or school districts across the U.S. in temporarily closing schools or mandating mask-wearing because of the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases.“People are lurching toward this insanity again,” DeSantis said. “As we...

No. 8 Washington looks to keep rolling on offense hosting Tulsa

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:17 GMT

No. 8 Washington (1-0) vs. Tulsa (1-0), Saturday, 5 p.m. ET (Pac-12 Network)Line: Washington by 34½, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: First meeting.WHAT’S AT STAKE?Washington looked the part of a Pac-12 championship contender in its season opener with a 56-19 thumping of Boise State. After a sluggish first quarter, the Huskies showed how explosive their offense led by QB Michael Penix Jr. can be with 28 second-quarter points. Penix threw for 450 yards with 328 yards going to the trio of Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja’Lynn Polk. Tulsa opened with a convincing 42-7 win over FCS-program Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the first game for new head coach Kevin Wilson. Both teams have big games on the horizon – Washington is at Michigan State and Tulsa hosts No. 18 Oklahoma in Week 3.KEY MATCHUPWill anybody be able to get pressure on Penix this season? Washington’s QB was sacked only five times in 2022 and was sacked by Boise State on the third offensive snap of the season. After ...

Self-belief has Italy chasing Rugby World Cup wins starting with Namibia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:17 GMT

When Ange Capuozzo and Edoardo Padovani combined for the last-ditch converted try that stunned Wales in Cardiff last year, the Azzurri finally showed coach Kieran Crowley what he told them they were capable of.Italy was at one of its lowest points when Crowley took charge in May 2021. He figured it was pointless Italy play the same way with the same players. So the former New Zealand fullback expanded the game plan and brought in younger players. Then he tried to convince them they could win and how to do it.But until they beat Wales to end a depressing 36-game losing streak in the Six Nations, they weren’t really convinced. Italy hasn’t been the same since. Wins are still elusive but the Azzurri are going for them in a Rugby World Cup pool including France, New Zealand and Uruguay.“Self-belief,” is the difference in the Italy ranks between now and two years ago, Crowley noted on Thursday, two days before their opening match against Namibia in Saint-Etienne.“When y...

Sudan’s army chief travels to Qatar for talks with emir as fighting rages in his country

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:17 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s army chief traveled to Qatar on Thursday for talks with the country’s emir, making his third international trip since fighting broke out between the military and a rival paramilitary force in mid-April, media reports said.Sudan plunged into chaos almost five months ago, when long-simmering tensions between the military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, escalated into open warfare on April 15.During the visit, Burhan and the Qatari emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, discussed the challenges facing conflict-stricken Sudan. The talks took place in the Qatari capital, Doha, according to a statement by the Emiri Diwan media outlet. Al Thani reiterated his call for broad peace negotiations between all of Sudan’s political forces and a lasting stop to the fighting, the statement said. Sudan’s acting Foreign Minister Ali al-Sadiq and Gen. Ahmed Ibrahim Mufadel, head of the Gener...

Texas Tech QB Tyler Shough set to face former team in home opener as No. 13 Oregon visits

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:17 GMT

No. 13 Oregon (1-0) at Texas Tech (0-1), Saturday at 7 p.m. ET (Fox)Line: Oregon by 6 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: Oregon leads 2-0.WHAT’S AT STAKE?Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Shough faces his former team with the Red Raiders trying to bounce back from a 35-33 double-overtime loss at Wyoming that put their hopes of entering the Top 25 on hold. Tech has won a school-record 23 consecutive home openers. The Ducks are trying to stay on a roll after setting a modern school scoring record in an 81-7 victory over Portland State. It was the most points by an FBS team since TCU beat Texas Tech 82-27 in Fort Worth in 2014.KEY MATCHUPOregon QB Bo Nix vs. Texas Tech CBs Rayshad Williams and Malik Dunlap. They are three of the most experienced players in college football. Nix leads all active FBS quarterbacks with 48 career starts in his fifth season. Williams and Dunlap, who are both 6-foot-3, are in their sixth seasons. All three transferred from other FBS programs. Nix...

Suspect serial killer arrested in Rwanda after over 10 bodies found in a pit at his home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:17 GMT

KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Police say a suspected serial killer has been arrested in Rwanda after the discovery of the bodies of more than 10 people in a pit dug in his compound.Neighbors on Thursday told The Associated Press that Denis Kazungu, 34, spoke very little.The spokesperson for the Rwanda Investigation Bureau told journalists the suspect had confessed to the killings. Police alleged that the suspect lured people from bars to his home in a suburb of the capital, Kigali.Police said investigations continue into the alleged motive and they will release the complete toll of bodies later. Kazungu couldn’t be reached for comment, and it wasn’t immediately clear if he had a lawyer.The state-run The New Times quoted Kazungu’s landlord, Augustin Shyirambere, as saying the suspect hadn’t paid rent for several months and denied access to the property. The landlord went to authorities for help.One neighbor said the suspect was married and rented two houses, one for his family and the ...

Prized piano Freddie Mercury composed Queen’s greatest hits on is champion at pricy auction

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:17 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Freddie Mercury ’s prized piano that he used to compose “Bohemian Rhapsody” and other hits by Queen sold for more than $2 million as some of the late singer’s massive collection of flamboyant stage costumes, fine art and original lyrics were auctioned in a sale that broke records.Items connected to the operatic “Rhapsody,” the band’s most enduring hit, brought a premium Wednesday with hand-written lyrics to the song selling for about 1.4 million pounds ($1.7 million) and a gold Cartier brooch saying “Queen number 1” given to each band member by their manager after the song topped the charts, selling for 165,000 pounds ($208,000).A Victorian-style silver snake bangle Mercury wore with an ivory satin catsuit in a video for the song — long before the days of MTV — set a record for the highest price ever paid at auction for a piece of jewelry owned by a rock star, Sotheby’s said.The bracelet went for 698,500 pounds ($881,000) — 100 times its estimated low price...

Driver wanted in Denver hit-and-run with scooter rider

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:17 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Police want to identify a woman who was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run. Denver police said she took the victim to the hospital following the crash, but did not leave any identifying information.According to police, the hit-and-run occurred on Aug. 12 at 11:45 p.m. in the 1300 block of Glenarm Place in the Central Business District. 2 suspects in rock-throwing spree face more charges in Jefferson County Police said the driver was traveling south out of a parking lot and "was struck by the victim traveling on a Lyft scooter on the sidewalk." The victim suffered serious injuries from the crash.The suspected car is described as a silver SUV with possible minor damage on the passenger side.Police are looking for this SUV that is wanted in connection to a hit-and-run in Denver. (Metro Denver Crime Stoppers)Police are looking for this woman who is wanted in connection to a hit-and-run in Denver. (Metro Denver Crime Stoppers)According to police, the driver took the vi...

Probe of Surfside building collapse that killed 98 to be completed by June 2025, US investigators say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:17 GMT

The probe into the 2021 collapse of a beachfront condominium building that killed 98 people in South Florida should be completed by the fourth anniversary of the disaster, federal officials said Thursday.The investigation led by the National Institute of Standards & Technology is looking into two dozen different scenarios that could explain why the 12-story Champlain Towers South building in Surfside, Florida, abruptly failed early in the morning of June 24, 2021, they said. Surfside is a suburb north of Miami.“We’re still not prepared to close the door on any of them yet,” said Glenn Bell, associate team lead of the Champlain Towers probe. “We are still testing, testing, testing.”Bell told a meeting of NIST’s National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee on Thursday that most of the intensive work on such things as concrete core samples, corrosion in reinforcing bars and evidence of subpar construction in the 40-year-old building will be done by nex...

Police search for missing 50-year-old woman in NW Miami-Dade

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:17 GMT

The Miami-Dade Police Department are seeking the public’s help in finding a missing 50-year-old woman.Falesha Johnson was last seen at the 5000 Block of Northwest 23rd Avenue at around 9.a.m, Friday. She was last seen wearing a Multi-color dress with a blue vest.According to police, she left in an unknown method of travel.Johnson stands at 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs 130 pounds, has black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information on Johnson’s whereabouts is urged to contact Detective M. Webb or any detective of the Miami-Dade Police Department, Special Victims Bureau/Missing Persons Squad at (305) 715-3300 or Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).