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Your place is in NATO, alliance chief tells Ukraine on first wartime visit

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:45:38 GMT

Ukraine’s place is in NATO, alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg declared Thursday in Kyiv during his first visit to the country since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The surprise trip, coming more than a year after the war began, is highly sensitive and arrives at a time when Ukrainian officials are pushing the Western military alliance to give Kyiv a clearer path to membership.Speaking in Kyiv alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Stoltenberg said that the country belongs in the Euro-Atlantic family.“Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO,” the secretary-general said, “and over time, our support will help you make this possible.”Ukraine’s government formally requested “accelerated accession” to join NATO in September last year. But while NATO promised in 2008 that Ukraine will eventually become a member, most allies — including the U.S. — have been wary of creating a concrete pathway to the alliance for Kyiv while war rages on. The issue has fueled fru...

Recovery of Black teen allegedly shot by White homeowner after ringing wrong doorbell is a miracle, attorney says

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:45:38 GMT

(CNN) — A Black teenager who authorities say was shot in the head by an 84-year-old White homeowner after going to the wrong Kansas City address received a positive prognosis but still faces a long road to recovery, according to his attorneys.In a new photo, 16-year-old Ralph Yarl appears sitting up on a bench alongside attorney Lee Merritt, according to an Instagram post Wednesday from activist and and family spokesperson Shaun King.“He’s home and looks great. Ralph is a WALKING MIRACLE with a head of steel,” King wrote in the post, which Merritt reposted. “Had the bullet hit his head a fraction of an inch in any other direction he would probably be dead right now.”Also on Wednesday, the homeowner, Andrew Lester, entered a not guilty plea in court on felony charges of assault in the first degree and armed criminal action.Lester, who is out on $200,000 bond, attempted to speak with the judge throughout the proceeding but w...

Celtics’ Jayson Tatum visits young fan battling cancer at Christopher’s Haven in Boston

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:45:38 GMT

Celtics star Jayson Tatum visited a young fan this week at Christopher’s Haven, a home for kids and their families while they battle cancer.Tatum is seen in a photo with Xavier Goncalves, a 10 year old from Raynham who first met the player earlier this month during a surprise meeting at TD Garden. During their first meeting, Tatum gave Goncalves a pair of his newly released sneakers. Goncalves says he only wants to wear the shoes on special occasions, including his final cancer treatment. Goncalves was diagnosed with cancer back in November and has been living at Christopher’s Haven in Boston with his mother, Samantha Bowditch, while receiving radiation treatments.  The young patient will likely be finishing up treatment and heading home either at the end of May or the beginning of June just in time, he hopes, to watch the Celtics in the NBA finals.https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1648789851125194755

Police: Woman to face animal cruelty charge for allegedly abandoning puppy in Groveland alleyway

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:45:38 GMT

A woman is expected to be charged with animal cruelty for allegedly abandoning a puppy in an alleyway in Groveland, according to police. Groveland Police Chief Jeffrey T. Gillen said his department received a report on Monday afternoon about an apparent abandoned puppy being discovered near a business on Main Street.Reviewing evidence, including surveillance footage, police found that an Australian Shepherd puppy had been abandoned in an alleyway by a woman driving a black SUV.The dog was found to be uninjured, but police released a photo of the woman on Tuesday, asking for the public’s help to locate her. The woman has since been identified and is expected to appear in court at a later date. No additional information has been released.

Man who fatally shot 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis after car turned in wrong driveway will remain in jail

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:45:38 GMT

(CNN) — The man who fatally shot 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis, who was in a car that mistakenly turned into his driveway, will remain in jail after a judge remanded him back to police custody at a bail hearing Wednesday.Gillis was one of several passengers in a vehicle, along with several others, that accidentally turned into the wrong driveway Saturday while the group was looking for a friend’s house in rural upstate New York. When the friends realized their mistake and began leaving, 65-year-old Kevin Monahan fired two shots from his front porch, Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy said in a news conference Monday.No one is believed to have exited the car, and there was no interaction between Monahan and anyone in the vehicle before shots were fired, Murphy said.Monahan faces a second-degree murder charge in connection with Gillis’ death. He entered the courtroom Wednesday wearing a dark suit and was shackled at the feet and around his waist.Prosecutors ar...

‘23 Kia Telluride still tops the charts

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:45:38 GMT

23 Kia Telluride. Photo By Marc Grasso23 Kia Telluride. Photo By Marc Grasso23 Kia Telluride. Photo By Marc Grasso23 Kia Telluride. Photo By Marc Grasso23 Kia Telluride. Photo By Marc GrassoShow Caption of ExpandWith Kia continuing to deliver outstanding vehicles in 2022, 2023 looks to be no different. Their flagship Kia Telluride delivers a huge bang for the buck and gets even better with additional models and availability.Our week-long tester, a 2023 Kia Telluride SX-Prestige X-Pro AWD. Yes, a whole lot of letters in their naming convention, but one that I think you will come to enjoy. Back in January of 2022, we experienced the Telluride SX-Prestige, which really gained a lot of traction from my readers and with the X-Pro additions in 2023, reviewing this was a must.And a must it is, the X-Pro is awesome! Additions to last year’s test model don’t include powertrain adjustments yet we notice 18 inch black wheels, all-terrain tires, exterior color offset styling, i...

Dolphins NFL draft options: Defensive tackles

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:45:38 GMT

The South Florida Sun Sentinel concludes its eight-part series previewing top players in the 2023 NFL draft (April 27-29) with defensive tackles. The Dolphins are good with their top three among Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler and Raekwon Davis, but they could use some more depth. John Jenkins left via free agency so he must be replaced.The Dolphins were good against the run last season. If they can get a bit more inside push from the pass rush they’ll be hard to stop up front defensively. It’s a good year to get Day 2 help from the inside and it’ll be interesting to see how the Dolphins approach the interior defensive line when it comes to the draft.Jalen Carter, GeorgiaCarter (6 foot 3, 314 pounds) has the versatility and skill to cause havoc all over the field. He’s got a quick first step that he can employ as a lead-in to using his strength for a pass rush or using his amazing range to pursue runners along the line of scrimmage. He had involvement in a pos...

Are mortgage rates finally back to normal?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:45:38 GMT

“Numerology” tries to find reality within various measurements of economic and real estate trends.Buzz: Mortgage rates are back above the inflation rate for the first time in nearly two years.Source: My trusty spreadsheet compared Freddie Mac’s average 30-year month rates vs. the 12-month change in the Consumer Price Index as a way to gauge where this important loan rate should be.Fuzzy math: What’s the proper level for mortgage rates without the Federal Reserve’s meddling?ToplineMortgage rates in March averaged 6.5% vs. a 5% inflation rate. That put home loans 1.5 percentage points above the rise in the cost of inflation. That’s the largest premium for home loans since November 2020.Home loans priced above the inflation rate make economic sense. Lenders don’t want to be paid back with dollars deflated by a surging cost of living.But during the pandemic era, the Federal Reserve used its powers to create historically cheap money as a boost to a coronavir...

More peril for Trump in pending probes than NY: AP-NORC poll

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:45:38 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has emerged largely unscathed politically from his New York indictment. But a new poll suggests that investigations in Georgia and Washington could prove more problematic.Only 4 in 10 U.S. adults believe Trump acted illegally in New York, where he has been charged in connection with hush money payments made to women who alleged sexual encounters, according to the new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. More — about half — believe he broke the law in Georgia, where he is under investigation for interfering in the 2020 election vote count.The poll finds about half feel similarly about his role in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and his handling of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago, which are both under investigation by the Justice Department.The findings suggest potential future charges in those cases against Trump may resonate more deeply with the American public than his allege...

Anger at new retirement age fuels further protests in France

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:45:38 GMT

GANGES, France (AP) — Hundreds of people opposed to the new law raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 gathered Thursday in a small town in southern France ahead of a visit by President Emmanuel Macron, while scattered protests were staged elsewhere.Macron’s trip to Ganges comes amid a concerted new effort by him and his government to move on from the furor caused by the pension reform.Demonstrators sang what has become the anthem of the retirement protests: “We are here, we are here, even if Macron doesn’t want (us to be here), we are here.” The French president met with teachers and students at a middle school, where he promoted his education policies. At his arrival, the site was hit by a power cut, which the local branch of the hard-left CGT union said was a protest action. Dozens of police were deployed in the small town to prevent protesters from getting close to the school. They briefly used tear gas to disperse people who tried to storm the barriers. On Wednesday, Macron w...