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GOP presidential hopefuls use Trump’s COVID record to court vaccine skeptics

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:22 GMT

Darius Tahir, Daniel Chang | KFF Health News (TNS)Former President Donald Trump often seems proud to advertise his administration’s record on speedily developing COVID-19 vaccines.On the campaign trail to win another term in the White House, though, he also has knocked the use of those very vaccines. In October, for example, he unleashed a barrage of social media attacks on Ron DeSantis’ pandemic record by reposting claims that the Florida governor — who is running against him in the Republican presidential primaries — was too active in vaccinating Sunshine State residents.In a further twist, Trump simultaneously circulated an MSNBC article suggesting DeSantis wasn’t vaccinating his constituents enough.Trump’s tap dance — touting Operation Warp Speed’s success at developing vaccines while criticizing vaccine use — is emblematic of how pandemic politics are intensifying broader vaccine politics. Republican presidential candidates currently trailing the former president in polls are c...

DVC coach accused of assaulting women in converted bus pleads not guilty

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:22 GMT

(KRON) -- A Diablo Valley College professor and track coach accused of human trafficking entered a plea of not guilty Tuesday at a preliminary hearing. Prosecutors allege that Kyle Whitmore coerced a woman to be his girlfriend for hire and then abused her. ‘Thrill Kill’ murderer released back into Santa Clara County He's also accused of sexually assaulting women on a makeshift bus that he used as a dungeon. A criminal complaint alleges one of his victims is a student at Diablo Valley College. A judge has already ruled there is enough evidence for this case to move forward. At Tuesday's hearing, the prosecution amended the criminal complaint against Whitmore to add back a count of pimping, which was approved by the judge.The defense requested and was granted a speedy jury trial. The trial is set to begin on Tuesday, Jan. 16 and is expected to last seven to 10 days.

Accident on northbound 680 near Martinez blocking lanes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:22 GMT

(KRON) -- An accident on the northbound lanes of Interstate 680 near Martinez is blocking lanes, according to Contra Costa County Fire. The accident is near the Pacheco Boulevard/Arthur Road offramp. DVC coach accused of assaulting women on bus converted into ‘dungeon’ in court today Multiple lanes are blocked or impacted, according to Contra Costa County Fire. Drivers are being advised to find alternate routes.No estimated time for when the roadway would be reopened was provided.KRON On is streaming live news now.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }A photo from the scene showed dense fog on the roadway, however, it is not known if weather was a factor. Much of the Bay Area remains under a Dense Fog Advisory Tuesday morning.This is a developing story. Check back for upda...

Dutch government pledges 2.5 billion euros for Ukraine in 2024 as Zelenskyy to address US senators

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:22 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Dutch government has allocated 2.5 billion euros (nearly $2.7 billion) to support Ukraine in 2024, the country’s foreign minister announced during a visit on Tuesday. The announcement comes as the 21-month war drags into another winter and concerns grow that Kyiv’s war effort may falter without continued Western support.Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot sought to assure Ukrainian authorities, telling journalists after a meeting with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba: “My main message to Minister Kuleba was the same as to all of you here. Be assured of our support.”Bruins Slot said her country opened a training center for F-16s in Romania on Nov. 13 and is working with the U.S., Denmark and other countries to see that Ukraine can deploy the fighter jets as soon as possible.“Your security is our security,” she said.She added that the meeting also touched on Ukraine’s aspiration to become a member of the European Union: “Your future is...

Prince Harry challenges the decision to strip him of security in Britain after he moved to the US

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:22 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry was unfairly stripped of his publicly funded security detail after giving up his status as a working member of the royal family and moving to the U.S., his lawyer said in court Tuesday.The Duke of Sussex wants protection while visiting the U.K. and claims he and his family are endangered because of hostility toward him and his wife on social media and relentless news media hounding them.Attorney Shaheed Fatima said the government group that evaluated Harry’s security needs — known by the acronym of its former name, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, or RAVEC — acted irrationally and failed to follow its own policies that should have required a risk analysis about the duke’s safety.“RAVEC should have considered the ‘impact’ that a successful attack on the claimant would have, bearing in mind his status, background and profile within the royal family — which he was born into and which he will have for the rest of his life,” Fatima said. “RAVEC should hav...

Lawyers for woman accusing Dani Alves of sexual assault seek maximum 12-year sentence for player

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:22 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Lawyers for the woman accusing Dani Alves of sexual assault are asking for the maximum sentence of 12 years in prison for the Brazilian soccer player.The woman’s lawyers filed the request on Tuesday, two weeks after prosecutors sought a nine-year prison sentence for Alves.Alves is set to face trial over allegations he assaulted the woman in a Barcelona nightclub on Dec. 30. He was indicted by an investigative judge in August and the court said there was enough evidence to open a trial, which is expected to take place early next year.The former Barcelona defender has denied any wrongdoing, claiming he had consensual sex with the accuser. He has been in jail since January, when he was arrested after an initial investigation.Prosecutors also want Alves to pay 150,000 euros ($162,000) in damages to the victim, and to be prohibited from having any contact with her for an additional 10 years. They also want Alves to remain supervised for a decade after serving his pris...

Judge again orders arrest of owner of former firearms training center in Vermont

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:22 GMT

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A judge has again issued an arrest warrant for the owner of a former firearms training center in Vermont, ruling that he is in contempt of court for failing to bring his property into compliance after an inspection last week.“Respondent has failed to do so. As such, imprisonment is an appropriate coercive remedy in these circumstances,” Vermont Environmental Court Judge Thomas Durkin wrote on Monday. The Pawlet property, known as Slate Ridge, included multiple buildings and two firing ranges on land about the size of 30 football fields (12 hectares). After complaints from neighbors, the town attempted unsuccessfully for several years to get the facility owner Daniel Banyai to remove structures he built without a permit. In March 2021, the Environmental Court ordered Banyai to end any firearms training at the center and remove unpermitted structures. The Vermont Supreme Court rejected Banyai’s appeal in January 2022.Last February, the Environmental Court issued...

París tendrá una nueva red de metro. Y será inmensa

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:22 GMT

París (CNN) — Con magníficas entradas art nouveau, túneles laberínticos y trenes que circulan a toda velocidad por debajo, y a veces por encima, de algunas de las calles más famosas del mundo, es una red de transporte que ha inspirado películas, novelas y poesía.Tiene estaciones que llevan el nombre de un revolucionario sudamericano, un presidente estadounidense y una victoria soviética. En una ciudad que alberga algunas de las galerías más famosas del mundo, algunas de las estaciones se consideran obras de arte en sí mismas.Pero el metro de París, construido en 1900 y que transporta casi cuatro millones de pasajeros al día, no da abasto para satisfacer las exigencias de los desplazamientos modernos, y sus instalaciones e infraestructuras, cada vez más antiguas, se resienten ante el crecimiento demográfico de la ciudad.Usuarios de transporte público en París reportan problemas de cara a los Juegos OlímpicosPara muchos parisinos, sobre todo los que viven o trabajan en los barri...

Fired and charged deputy says he punched man he had arrested before because he feared he had a gun

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:22 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Body camera video of a sheriff’s deputy who was fired and arrested in South Carolina shows him repeatedly punching a man in the head after a car chase. The man is knocked briefly unconscious, and the officer asks after handcuffing him if he enjoyed his nap.Charleston County deputy James “Hank” Carter III pursued the man in his cruiser for nearly 10 minutes at high speed. The chase continued on foot until the man tripped. He’s seen kneeling with his hands at his side when Carter reaches him in the recording, which was released late Monday.Carter ordered the man to get down with an expletive and almost simultaneously punches him at least eight times in the head. He handcuffs the man who doesn’t move, then lifts him to his feet and asks “you enjoy that little nap?”Carter, 39, is white and the 32-year-old man is Black. Twice after getting him in handcuffs, Carter tells another officer “it’s your boy.”Carter’s lawyer said there was no r...

Tug the beard! Kris Kringle joins WTOP as Toby’s Dinner Theatre stages ‘Miracle on 34th Street’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:22 GMT

Robert John Biedermann plays Kris Kringle in "Miracle on 34th Street" at Toby's Dinner Theatre. (Toby's Dinner Theatre) Robert John Biedermann plays Kris Kringle in "Miracle on 34th Street" at Toby's Dinner Theatre. (Toby's Dinner Theatre) Few movie moments are as iconic as young Susan Walker (Natalie Wood) tugging the beard of Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) at Macy’s in New York City in “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947), a tradition that continues every year with Santa Claus as the grand finale of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.Toby’s Dinner Theatre stages “Miracle on 34th Street” in Columbia, Maryland, now through Jan. 7.“Ho, ho, ho! This is Santa Claus talking!R...