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Walters: Annual report shows Californians’ crime fears are justified

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:14 GMT

Political officeholders at all levels and of all ideological stripes habitually pursue a time-dishonored practice when releasing data.If it’s positive, politicians try to maximize its importance with lavish news conferences and self-congratulatory declarations.If, on the other hand, the data have a negative cast, they will be released quietly, often late on a Friday afternoon, to minimize media coverage.California’s annual report on crime was released this year on the Friday before what for many would be a four-day, Fourth of July holiday weekend. That’s a tipoff that it would not be good news – and, in fact, it received minimal media attention.The 2022 report revealed that the state’s violent crime rate increased by 6.1% since 2021, and property crime was up 6.2%. Homicides dipped very slightly, but robberies jumped by 10.2%.Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a low-key statement with the data release, saying, “While crime rates remain significantly below their historical highs...

Virginia National Guard troops head to Texas for ‘border support mission’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:14 GMT

The commonwealth’s executive lauded the more than 100 national guardsmen that would be making their way from Fort Barfoot near Blackstone, Virginia, to Texas’ border with praise. Their goal? To support the Lone Star state’s border control mission.“On behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for your commitment, thank you for your love of nation, and thank you for your love of the commonwealth,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin told troops.Youngkin visited troops participating in the border security operation on July 6, just two days before soldiers, airmen, task force leadership and support personnel headed out of state.“I want you to know that we got your back,” he said. “Our nation and Virginians are grateful. We salute you,” Youngkin said.General James W. Ring, who serves as the leader of Virginia’s National Guard, commended the effort that task force participants put forth to ensure servicemembers...

Líderes de Azovstal liberados en intercambio de prisioneros prometen regresar al campo de batalla en Ucrania

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:14 GMT

(CNN) — Los comandantes ucranianos que fueron capturados por Rusia después de liderar la defensa de Mariúpol desde la planta siderúrgica de Azovstal prometieron regresar al campo de batalla luego de un intercambio de prisioneros.Los comandantes anunciaron sus intenciones en una conferencia de prensa celebrada poco después de llegar a Lviv, Ucrania, con el presidente Volodymyr Zelensky este sábado.Anteriormente habían estado en Turquía como parte del intercambio de prisioneros.Después de un largo asedio, la ciudad portuaria ucraniana de Mariúpol cayó bajo el control completo de Rusia en 2022 con la rendición de Azovstal, el último bastión de la defensa ucraniana de la ciudad. El ejército ruso afirmó que más de 2.000 miembros del servicio ucraniano se rindieron allí.En una conferencia de prensa, algunos de los combatientes hablaron sobre sus experiencias en Turquía y compartieron sus expectativas para el futuro.Denys Prokopenko, comandante del regimiento Azov, dijo: “lo más impo...

Pope Francis names 21 new cardinals, including prelates based in Hong Kong and Jerusalem

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:14 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis names 21 new cardinals, including prelates based in Hong Kong and Jerusalem.Source

Cauliflower “Potato” Salad / Belkys

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:14 GMT

It’s a low-carb version of a picnic classic. That’s what’s cooking, as we grab a Bite with Belkys.Ingredients:1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces (you can make this ahead of time!)3/4 cup whole Greek yogurt1/4 cup sour cream1 Tbs. Dijon mustard2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill4 stalks of celery, diced1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced1/3 cup dill pickles- choppedSalt and Pepper to tasteMethod of Preparation:Place the cauliflower in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil the cauliflower until it’s just fork tender. Do not overcook the cauliflower or it will get mushy when making the salad.Drain the cauliflower and cool it to room temperature. In a medium bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, sour cream, mustard, vinegar, parsley and dill.Add the cauliflower, celery, green onions, and pickles to the bowl and toss well to combine. Season with salt and pepper if y...

Grace Napolitano, longtime California congresswoman, announces her retirement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:14 GMT

(CNN) — Longtime California Rep. Grace Napolitano announced Saturday that she is retiring from Congress at the end of her current term.“I am incredibly grateful for the people of the San Gabriel Valley and the people of Southeastern Los Angeles County for the trust they have bestowed in me to represent them for a quarter century,” the Democrat said in a statement.A Texas native, Napolitano is currently serving her 13th term in the House, representing a majority-Latino district in the Los Angeles area. She was first elected to the chamber in 1998 after six years in the California State Assembly and a stint as the mayor of Norwalk, California, where she also served on the city council.At 86, Napolitano is the oldest member of the House. New Jersey Democrat Bill Pascrell is also 86, but a month younger than Napolitano.While control of the House will be up for grabs in 2024, Napolitano’s 31st Congressional District will likely remain noncompetitive for Republicans. She won reelection in...

Drivers brace for heavier traffic during second week of the Sumner Tunnel shutdown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:14 GMT

The Sumner Tunnel two-month shutdown began last Wednesday, and drivers are preparing for the worst as they detour around it.Officials said 40,000 cars go through the tunnel each day. The shutdown started during a holiday week, so MassDOT officials said drivers should not be deceived.“People are going to be back from the holiday, that’s when you’re going to see most of your heaviest impacts,” said Jonathan Gulliver, MassDOT highway administrator.The nearly 90-year-old tunnel is undergoing a $160 million project to repair its ceiling, pavement and lighting. Drivers are being diverted while the construction project continues through August.“We’re hoping that people don’t look at the traffic impacts this week and think well it’s not so bad I’m gonna jump on the road next week it’s gonna be much much much worse volumes are way way down this week,” Gulliver said.To ease traffic, the MBTA is offering free or reduced alternatives on the Blue Line, commuter rail and the ferry.Drivers s...

Christmas Tree Shops is closing all 70 stores

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:14 GMT

New York (CNN) — Christmas Tree Shops will liquidate all of its stores and go out of business unless a white knight comes out of the woodwork at the 11th hour.The discount retail chain, which sold a variety of home goods, disclosed in a court filing last week that it defaulted on a $45 million loan and is closing its roughly 70 stores in the coming weeks.The closure comes after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May in a bid to turn around the 53-year-old company. However, its sales continued to decline and Christmas Tree Shops ran out of the money it needed to go forward with the bankruptcy plan. Late last week, the company decided to permanently close its business instead.Bed Bath & Beyond, now also bankrupt, sold Christmas Tree Shops in 2020 to Handil Holdings, which had hoped to revitalize the discount chain.The retailer started in the 1950s as a small holiday store in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Years later, the company expanded its assortment into “quaint, treasu...

Russia reports intercepting a missile over annexed Crimea and briefly halts traffic on key bridge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:14 GMT

Russian-installed authorities in the Crimean peninsula on Sunday reported shooting down a cruise missile near the city of Kerch and briefly suspending traffic on the Kerch bridge that links the annexed territory to Russia. The Moscow-appointed governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said the interception of the missile by Russian air defenses didn’t result in any damage or casualties. He didn’t offer any details, including the type of the missile and its origin. In the nearby Russian region of Rostov, authorities on Sunday also reported shooting down a missile. Gov. Vasily Golubev said the missile was Ukrainian, and its debris damaged the roofs of several buildings. No casualties have been reported. Such attacks far beyond the front line on Russian regions on the border with Ukraine or the annexed Crimean peninsula have become common during the war in Ukraine that has just surpassed its 500-day mark. Officials in Russian regions and Moscow-appointed authorities in Crimea, w...

Hundreds gather in Sarajevo to pay their respects to Srebrenica massacre victims

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:14 GMT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Hundreds lined the Bosnian capital’s main street Sunday as a truck carrying 30 coffins passed on its way to Srebrenica, where newly identified victims of Europe’s only acknowledged genocide since World War II will be buried on the 28th anniversary of the massacre.As the truck, covered with a huge Bosnian flag briefly stopped in front of the country’s presidential building in Sarajevo, people from the crowd tucked flowers into the canvas hiding the remains of the victims found in mass graves and identified through DNA analysis.“It is devastatingly sad that hundreds of victims still have not been found and that some people still deny the genocide (in Srebrenica),” Ramiza Gandic, who came to pay her respects, said.Newly identified Srebrenica massacre victims are reburied annually on July 11, the day the killing began in 1995, at a vast and ever-expanding memorial cemetery outside the eastern town.So far, the remains of more than 6,600 people ha...