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US military resumes drone, manned counterterrorism missions out of Niger bases

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:57 GMT

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (AP) — The U.S. military has resumed counterterrorism missions in Niger, flying drones and other aircraft out of air bases in the country more than a month after a coup temporarily halted all those activities there, the head of U.S. Air Forces for Europe and Africa said Wednesday. Since the July coup, the 1,100 U.S. forces deployed in the country have been confined inside their military bases. Last week the Pentagon said some military personnel and assets had been moved from the air base near Niamey, which is the capital of Niger, to another in Agadez. Niamey is about 920 kilometers away from Agadez. In recent weeks some of those intelligence and surveillance missions have been able to resume due to U.S. negotiations with the junta, said Gen. James Hecker, the top Air Force commander for Europe and Africa. “For a while we weren’t doing any missions on the bases, they pretty much closed down the airfields,” Hecker said. “Through the diplomatic p...

Jalen Hurts, Eagles host Kirk Cousins, Vikings in prime time again in their home opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:57 GMT

Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles host Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings in their home opener in prime time for the second straight season.Pro Picks doesn’t expect another dominant performance from Philly.The Eagles (1-0) and Vikings (0-1) kick off Week 2 on Thursday night at rowdy Lincoln Financial Field where the home fans get to see their starters for the first time since a 38-35 loss to Kansas City in the Super Bowl.The defending NFC champions were rusty and lucky to pull off a 25-20 win last week at New England. The Vikings, who lost a wild-card playoff game at home last season after going 13-4, picked up where they left off with a 20-17 upset loss at home to Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Philadelphia overpowered the Vikings on both sides of the ball in a convincing 24-7 victory on Monday night in Week 2 last season. Hurts threw for 333 yards, the offense racked up 486 yards and the defense held Minnesota to 264 yards. Cousins was picked off three times...

Jets’ Aaron Rodgers says he ‘will rise yet again’ in first comments since season-ending injury

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:57 GMT

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers’ season is over. It appears he might not be ready to call it a career.“The night is darkest before the dawn,” the New York Jets quarterback wrote on Instagram on Wednesday night. “And I shall rise yet again.”Rodgers is out for the season with a torn left Achilles tendon injury, suffered on the fourth snap of his debut with his new team Monday night. The 39-year-old quarterback had not commented publicly since the injury during the Jets’ season-opening 22-16 overtime win over Buffalo.“Thank you to every person that has reached out, called, texted, DM’d, connected through a friend, etc.,” Rodgers wrote. “It has meant a ton to me, and I’ll try and get back to all of you soon.“I’m completely heartbroken and moving through all of the emotions, but deeply touched and humbled by the support and love. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I begin the healing process today.” Rodgers closed his post with: “Proud of my guys, 1-...

Man who threw flagpole at police during Jan. 6 riot gets more than 6 years in prison

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:57 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Tennessee man who wrote on social media about wanting to “take over the Capitol building” before the Jan. 6, 2021 riot, where he threw a flagpole at a police officer’s head, was sentenced on Wednesday to more than six years in prison. Joseph Padilla, of Cleveland, Tennessee, was convicted in May of assault with a dangerous weapon, obstruction of Congress and other charges after a bench trial in Washington’s federal court. Padilla has been behind bars since his February 2021 arrest. U.S. District Judge John D. Bates, who found him guilty after the bench trial, ordered him this week to serve 6 1/2 years in prison. Prosecutors say Padilla, a former prison corrections officer, spent hours the day of the riot verbally and physically attacking police, who were trying to beat back the angry mob of Donald Trump supporters as lawmakers met in the Capitol to certify then-President-elect Joe Biden ‘s electoral victory. After other rioters attacked police w...

Federal judge again declares DACA is illegal; issue likely to be decided by Supreme Court

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:57 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday declared illegal a revised version of a federal policy that prevents the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen agreed with Texas and eight other states suing to stop the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. The judge’s ruling was ultimately expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, sending the program’s fate before the high court for a third time.Hanen barred the government from approving any new applications, but left the program intact for existing recipients during the expected appeals process. Hanen said his order does not require the federal government to take any actions against DACA recipients.The states have argued the Obama administration didn’t have the authority to first create the program in 2012 because it circumvented Congress.In 2021, Hanen had declared the program illegal, ruling it had not been subject to public noti...

Into the Record Books

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:57 GMT

How hot was it on Wednesday? Hot enough for Miami to set a new record, Ft. Lauderdale to tied a record, and Key West to break a hot temperature milestone that had been in the books since the 1800’s! In Miami, the afternoon peaked at 96-degrees (marking the hottest day in September to this point). The previous record was 93º, which was where Ft. Lauderdale landed for the daily high mark. Meanwhile, Key West peaked at 94 and that made for the hottest reading (for the date) since all the way back in 1876! There’s no immediate relief from the hot weather but upcoming heat won’t reach the same level. There are a few changes in the offing, and they feature higher rain chances. It’ll be a gradual return to wetter conditions. The reason? It boils down to 3 things: weaker high pressure, an approaching front, and a developing low in the Gulf of Mexico. On the weather map, there’s currently a cold front moving off the Eastern Seaboard. It extends sout...

With Hurricane Lee, brace for at least a ‘moderate nor’easter’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:57 GMT

The unrelenting rain will soon be refueled by Hurricane Lee.The National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical storm watch for a large area of coastal New England, with Lee bringing a potential “life-threatening” storm surge to the region.At minimum, residents across Eastern Massachusetts should be treating Hurricane Lee like a “moderate nor’easter,” according to Matthew Belk, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in BostonSpeaking with the Herald Wednesday evening, Belk said sustained winds should arrive in Greater Boston Friday night into Saturday, with gusts hitting 40 to 50 miles per hour for areas around Boston.The further south you get, the stronger the winds will be, with gusts potentially reaching hurricane force across the Cape and Islands, Belk said, explaining it’s still “impossible” to know when effects from the hurricane will be felt and for how long they will impact the region.“Lee is a very large storm, and hurricanes are not points,” he said. “Even though...

Prosecution rests at Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:57 GMT

By PAUL J. WEBER and JAKE BLEIBERG (Associated Press)AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A woman who was expected to testify about an extramarital affair with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton made a sudden appearance Wednesday at his impeachment trial, but never took the stand as the prosecutors abruptly rested their case against the Republican.The affair is central to the historic proceedings and accusations that Paxton misused his power to help Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, who was under FBI investigation and employed the woman, Laura Olson. One of the 16 articles of impeachment against Paxton alleges that Paul’s hiring of Olson amounted to a bribe. Olson was called to take the stand Wednesday morning in the Texas Senate and waited outside the chamber. But her testimony was delayed for hours before Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is acting as the trial’s judge, said toward the end of the day that Olson would not testify after all. He provided no further explanation but sai...

Federal judge again declares that DACA is illegal with issue likely to be decided by Supreme Court

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:57 GMT

By JUAN A. LOZANO (Associated Press)HOUSTON (AP) — While a federal judge on Wednesday declared illegal a revised version of a federal policy that prevents the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, he declined to order an immediate end to the program and the protections it offers to recipients. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen agreed with Texas and eight other states suing to stop the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. The judge’s ruling was ultimately expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, sending the program’s fate before the high court for a third time.“While sympathetic to the predicament of DACA recipients and their families, this Court has expressed its concerns about the legality of the program for some time,” Hanen wrote in his 40-page ruling. “The solution for these deficiencies lies with the legislature, not the executive or judicial branches. Congress, for a...

MassDOT addresses toxic lead paint chips falling from Tobin Bridge in Chelsea

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:42:57 GMT

Environmental advocates in Chelsea say they are seeing less toxic lead paint chips fall to the ground from the Tobin Bridge due to mitigation efforts the Massachusetts Department of Transportation put into place after hearing calls for action.A temporary netting, installed in July, has been catching chips, and frequent vacuuming has collected the flakes that fall to the ground. Inspections are also being conducted weekly.These strategies are in place as MassDOT has its eyes on a much larger project that would clean the 2-mile bridge, which carries traffic over the Mystic River between Boston and Chelsea, and remove its decades-old paint with new coatings.The project, estimated to last up to four years and cost $127.9 million, would also repair more than 75-year-old bridge’s steel and concrete.MassDOT’s Capital Programs Committee on Wednesday approved moving the project to the agency’s Board of Directors, which is scheduled to meet next week.GreenRoots, a community-based environmenta...