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Republican presidential candidates profess strong support for Israel as war enters new phase

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:02 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Republican presidential candidates professed their strong support for Israel on Saturday as they addressed an influential Republican Jewish group during a campaign stop that coincided with Israel’s stepped-up offensive in the war against Hamas and included the exit of a high-profile contender from the 2024 race.Former Vice President Mike Pence used his last speech as a candidate to emphasize his traditional Republican views of a robust U.S. foreign policy that contrasts with the “America First” positions taken by his old boss, former President Donald Trump, the current front-runner for the nomination. Pence did not mention Trump while announcing he would drop out of the race. But he called on Democratic President Joe Biden to unconditionally support Israel’s incursion into Gaza, which was launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that resulted in more than 1,000 deaths. Israel has targeted the Palestinian enclave with airstrikes and cut off power and ...

5 children die in boat accident while on school outing to Kenya amusement park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:02 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Authorities say five children died Saturday in Kenya after a boat they were riding in at a popular amusement park capsized in the country’s western Uasin Gishu County.Police said the children were visiting Amazement Park with other students and teachers from the Arap Moi Primary School in Eldoret when they broke off from the group to take a boat ride on a man-made lake. They were preparing to take their exams for receiving the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education, according to police. The tests, typically taken by Kenyan eighth graders before they move on to secondary school, are set to start countrywide on Monday.Another student, who was to set to take a test that assesses sixth-gradeers, survived the incident and was rushed to a hospital, according to a police statement.Angry parents stormed the school demanding to know the whereabouts of their children after news of the capsizing reached them, the statement said. The Associated Press

Palestinian-Canadians worry for relatives as offensive in Gaza ramps up

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:02 GMT

MONTREAL — Moayed Salim says his father planned to come back to Canada from Gaza at the end of the month for the birth of Salim’s son.Instead, Salim says his father is stuck in the Palestinian Territory and the London, Ont. resident has no way to know if he’s alive or dead. Israel launched an expanded ground operation in the enclave on Saturday after knocking out communications and creating a near-blackout of information in the Gaza Strip with increased bombardment and artillery fire overnight.Mansour Shouman, a Canadian citizen who returned to Gaza three years ago, says it seems like the scale of the bombing has increased.Shouman, who is in the south of Gaza, says he worries about food and water shortages and notes many residents fled their homes without warm clothes as winter approaches. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday night that the war has entered a new stage as it seeks to eliminate Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities and reco...

Pence quits the presidential race after struggling to gain traction. ‘This is not my time,’ he says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:02 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday dropped his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, ending his campaign for the White House after struggling to raise money and gain traction in the polls.“It’s become clear to me: This is not my time,” Pence said at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual gathering in Las Vegas. “So after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president effective today.”“We always knew this would be an uphill battle, but I have no regrets,” Pence went on to tell the friendly audience, which reacted with audible surprise to the announcement and gave him multiple standing ovations.Pence is the first major candidate to leave a race that has been dominated by his former boss-turned-rival, Donald Trump, and his struggles underscore just how much Trump has transformed the party. A former vice president would typically be seen as a formidable challenger in any primary, but Pence has struggled...

Armed group commits 2 strings of robberies in under 2 hours each on City's West Side

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:02 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Police Department sent out a community alert Saturday to residents in the Lower West Side, New City and Brighton Park neighborhoods, warning them of an armed group who has gone on two separate strings of armed robberies in those areas over the past week.According to CPD, a group of three-to-four male offenders committed six armed robberies in the Lower West Side and New City in a little over an hour Tuesday morning, then committed nine more Saturday morning in under two hours that also included the Brighton Park area.Police said in each incident, the offenders exited a SUV, which could possibly be a red/maroon Ford Escape, grey Kia, or a black Lincoln Navigator, pulled out black handguns and took victims' property before fleeing the scene. Chicago man sentenced to 88 years after sexually assaulting woman at Oak Brook hotel Incident Times and Locations 1600 block of West 18th Street on Oct. 24, 2023 at 5:25 a.m. 2300 block of South Halsted Street on Oct. 24, 2...

Restaurant adds $50 surcharge 'for adults unable to parent'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:02 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The internet is divided over a small detail at the bottom of a Georgia restaurant's menu that charges parents for their misbehaving children.Just below the gratuity disclaimer, the Toccoa Riverside Restaurant menu reads "Adult surcharge: For adults unable to parent $$$."A Florida mom, Lyndsey Landmann, who visited the restaurant with her family and four other families told TODAY.com, "I remember thinking, 'No way this is real.'"She said their table had 11 kids ranging from 3 to 8 years old. Landmann added that she was actually surprised at how well-behaved they were during their meal.But the owner disagreed. When the owner approached their table after dessert, he pointed to the menu where it mentions the surcharge. “At first I thought he was gonna compliment us and be like, ‘But you won’t be charged because your kids were so well-behaved,'" Landmann told TODAY.com.That wasn't the case.The owner informed Landmann the bill would have an additional $50 added due t...

Why do people add 's' to the end of store names?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:02 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — You've heard of Kroger's, Nordstrom's and JCPenney's. But did you know none of these stores actually exist? That said, Kroger, Nordstrom and JCPenney do.Odds are you've probably heard someone tack on an "s" to the end of store names before (or maybe you grew up doing it) but have you ever wondered why?Online, there seems to be confusion over who does it. According to various Reddit threads, the linguistic phenomenon is either something southerners do, something Midwesterners do or something older people do. The top 10 Halloween costumes for 2023, according to Google Nobody is immune from doing it, either. Back in 2021, Pres. Joe Biden was praised (or roasted) for calling the Midwest supermarket chain Meijer "Meijer's." So what's going on?It turns out there are a few reasons this happens.Department stores from the earlier 20th centuryIn the earlier days of the 20th century (and even the late 19th century), it was commonplace for newly established businesses to proudly ...

Texas deer population bouncing back following drought

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:02 GMT

AUSTIN — Texas Parks and Wildlife officials are predicting the Texas deer population to rebound from last year when the population was reduced in much of the state due to drought conditions. Enough rain fell during the spring to produce nutrient-rich vegetation that deer rely on. The conditions also helped keep newborn fawns healthy enough to survive beyond their first six months, a crucial milestone, TPWD said. “Overall, the 2023 [and 2024] deer hunting season is expected to be good in terms of harvest numbers and opportunities, so don’t let the chance to spend time afield with family, friends and fellow hunters pass you by,” TPWD White-tailed Deer Program Leader Blaise Korzekwa said in a release. “Texas has one of the longest deer seasons in the nation, so take some time this fall and winter and enjoy one of the best deer herds in the country, right here in your home state.”Portions of the state that missed out on wet weather should still see at least an average quantity...

How people honor Dia de los Muertos

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:02 GMT

MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — If you've ever seen the movie "Coco" you may have an idea about the significance of Dia De Los Muertos. While the movie does a good job of depicting the colors and sentiment behind the celebration, Dia De Los Muertos has a deeper cultural and spiritual tie to many Hispanic families. Dia De Los Muertos is a week-long celebration where families honor their ancestors and dead loved ones. It is a celebration of life and death. The significance of the week-long ritual is centered around prayer and remembering friends' and family members' lives before they died. Photo by: Diana Maldonado/ValleyCentralJoe Garza, marketing and special event supervisor for the McAllen Convention Center said Dia de los Muertos is a way for people to remember those who have passed over to the afterlife. During the holiday, it is believed ancestors and loved ones who have crossed to the other side come to visit their families. It is tradition for families to leave out their lov...

Pence quits the presidential race after struggling to gain traction. 'This is not my time,' he says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:02 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday dropped his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, ending his campaign for the White House after struggling to raise money and gain traction in the polls.“It’s become clear to me: This is not my time," Pence said at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual gathering in Las Vegas. “So after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president effective today.”“We always knew this would be an uphill battle, but I have no regrets," Pence went on to tell the friendly audience, which reacted with audible surprise to the announcement and gave him multiple standing ovations.Pence is the first major candidate to leave a race that has been dominated by his former boss-turned-rival, Donald Trump, and his struggles underscore just how much Trump has transformed the party. A former vice president would typically be seen as a formidable challenger in any primary, but Pence has struggled to find a b...