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Residents in southern Syria raid ruling party offices, block road as protests over economy intensify

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:52 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Angry protesters raided the local offices of the ruling Baath party in a southern Syrian province Wednesday, as protests intensified against the country’s government during a severe economic and financial crisis battering the war-torn country.Opposition activists said protesters also partially blocked a highway that links the Druze-majority Sweida province to the capital Damascus in anti-government rallies that broke out Tuesday night.The demonstrations were sparked by worsening living conditions and inflation that surged after President Bashar Assad’s decision last week to double public sector wages and pensions.Protests have so far not spread to government strongholds along the Mediterranean coast, the capital Damascus and the largest cities, including Aleppo and Homs.However, they have also taken place in the nearby Daraa province that borders Jordan. The region’s economy has deteriorated and crime has risen since government forces reclaimed it in 2018.T...

Australian prosecutors drop case against actor Amber Heard over pet Yorkshire terriers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:52 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian prosecutors dropped a potential criminal case against American actor Amber Heard over allegations that she lied to a court about how her Yorkshire terriers Pistol and Boo came to be smuggled into Australia eight years ago, the government said Wednesday.Heard and her then-husband Johnny Depp became embroiled in a high-profile biosecurity controversy in 2015 when she brought her pets to Australia’s Gold Coast, where Depp was filming the fifth movie in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series.Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, a biosecurity watchdog, said the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions decided against prosecuting 37-year-old Heard for allegedly feigning ignorance about the nation’s strict quarantine regulations.“Prosecution action will not be taken against … Heard over allegations related to her sentencing for the illegal import of two dogs,” the department said in a statement.The department had investigat...

European firefighters and planes join battle against wildfires that have left 20 dead in Greece

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:52 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Water-dropping planes from several European countries joined hundreds of firefighters Wednesday battling wildfires raging for days across Greece that left 20 people dead, while major blazes also burned in Spain’s Tenerife and in northwestern Turkey near the Greek border.Greece’s largest active forest fire was burning out of control for the fifth day near the city of Alexandroupolis in the country’s northeast, while authorities were trying to prevent a blaze on the northwestern fringe of Athens from scorching homes and reaching the Parnitha national park, one of the last green areas near the Greek capital.Over the last three days, 209 wildfires have broken out across Greece, fire department spokesman, Ioannis Artopios, said Wednesday morning. The blazes, fanned by gale-force winds and hot, dry summer conditions, have led authorities to order the evacuations of dozens of villages and the main hospital in Alexandroupolis.Although gale-force winds were gradually ab...

Edmunds: These cars will be gone after 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:52 GMT

Just as TV shows get canceled due to poor performance or changing customer tastes, the same happens for cars and trucks. Sluggish sales have often been the deciding factor in ending a model’s life cycle, but the industry’s shift toward electric vehicles is also becoming a major driving force. These cancellations tend to fly under the radar until it is too late for most people to try to snag a deal. But for people who don’t mind that a vehicle’s lineage is ending, these cars can make for a good value because they are more likely to be discounted or potentially become a high-value classic. To assist potential buyers, Edmunds’ experts have highlighted the most notable models that will be phased out this year. This list is sorted by the manufacturer’s suggested retail price and includes the destination charge.CHEVROLET BOLT EV/EUVThe Chevrolet Bolt EV debuted for 2017 and represented a big leap forward for EVs because of its relatively low price, spacious interior, fun driving dynamics,...

Shooting outside residence hall at Alabama A&M campus leaves 2 people injured

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:52 GMT

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A shooting outside a residence hall at an Alabama college campus that stemmed from a fight has left two people injured, police said.Tuesday’s shooting occurred at Alabama A&M University, Huntsville Police Department spokesperson Sydney Martin wrote in an email. Investigators said the shooting was an isolated occurrence, Martin said.Both people had minor injuries, police said. Police do not think anyone else was involved. “This was not an active shooter incident,” Martin wrote in the emailed statement.Martin said that investigators were obtaining arrest warrants on assault charges for both people involved. Both will be booked into the county jail when they are released from the hospital, Martin said. The north Alabama campus was briefly placed on a lockdown, according to local news outlets. WAFF reported that students were sent an alert warning that there was a report of an armed person on campus and to go inside and lock their doors. The university ...

Chicago Public Schools prepare for dangerously hot temperatures

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:52 GMT

CHICAGO -- Chicagoland school districts are preparing for today's dangerously hot temperatures.Some districts have gone remote while others are limiting the time kids spend in classrooms and doing outdoor activities.CPS says it is ready to keep kids safe from the extreme heat over the next few days. The Chicago Teachers Union president is taking steps to ensure CPS is ready. CTU president Stacy Davis Gates will take a tour of Washington High School in the 3500 block of 114th Street, hoping to talk about how the Union has been working to keep CPS safe with the extreme temperatures underway. Extreme heat causing some Chicago area school districts to make adjustments The Union said in 2012, their contract ensured air conditioning in all classrooms and hopes to keep the hallways cool next. Schools say it is relying heavily on window air conditioning units. Some CPS parents confirmed yesterday with their schools so they can send their kids to school in shorts today."They said yes, and...

3 displaced after house fire in southwest Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Two adults and one child were displaced after their house was nearly a total loss in a fire in southwest Austin overnight. The Austin Fire Department responded to the fire in the 7200 block of Breezy Pass Cove shortly after 2 a.m. That area is in the Oak Hill neighborhood, just south of where Highways 71 and 290 intersect. AFD said neighbors called in the fire, and the homeowners were woken up by smoke alarms. Everyone got out safely, and no injuries were reported, according to AFD. Two adults and a child were displaced as a result of the fire, which caused a close to total loss of the two-story home. AFD said the front of the house was saved but the interior and back were badly damaged. 3 displaced after house fire in southwest Austin (Photo: Austin Fire Department) 3 displaced after house fire in southwest Austin (Photo: Austin Fire Department) 3 displaced after house fire in southwest Austin (Photo: Austin Fire Department) 3 displaced after house fire in southwes...

Dangerous heat returns as we track our next chance of rain

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Following 45-consecutive days at or above 100 degrees, Tuesday afternoon downpours from Tropical Storm Harold broke Austin's extended stretch of triple-digit heat.A heat dome moves back overhead Wednesday through the coming weekend, sending temperatures back north of 100 degrees each day. A slight chance of late-day rain is in the forecast, however, on Friday and early next week. Live interactive weather radar Temperatures heat back up Austin Interactive Weather Stats (2023) FIRST WARNING WEATHER: Stay up to date with your Central Texas forecast, sign up for our weather newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters Stay up-to-date with the First Warning Weather teamFollow the KXAN First Warning Weather team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.You can also follow our meteorologists' individual accounts for livestreams and a little bit of what goes on behind the scenes:@DavidYeomansWX@JimSpencerKXAN@KristenCurrieTV@NickBanninWX@SeanKellyKXAN

Cole, Wizner: We’ve defended Trump’s 1st Amendment rights. His latest claims about the Jan. 6 indictment are nonsense

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:52 GMT

Does the 1st Amendment shield Donald Trump from prosecution for conspiracy to obstruct the 2020 election results?Trump’s lawyer has proclaimed the indictment “an attack on free speech and political advocacy.” He says Trump thought there was voter fraud, and “as a president, he’s entitled to speak on those issues.” And the indictment by special counsel Jack Smith does repeatedly cite Trump’s false public statements about voter fraud. Is Trump right to claim free speech as a defense?As American Civil Liberties Union lawyers, we take this question seriously. No organization has done more to defend speech rights than the ACLU — sometimes to the dismay of our allies. We’ve defended Trump’s speech rights when he was sued for allegedly prompting a mob to beat up a protester. We criticized Twitter’s and Facebook’s decisions to de-platform Trump, and applauded when Trump was allowed back. We defended white supremacist Ja...

Here are 5 ways to use rotisserie chicken for your next easy dinner

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:52 GMT

Much as I love to cook, I am unwilling to feel as though I am working inside the oven while trying to get dinner on the table. I’m all about keeping the cooking to a minimum but still prefer to make my meals at home rather than eating out during the work week. My solution is this compromise: rotisserie chicken.One of my favorite go-tos, rotisserie chicken is a terrific starting point, and one chicken can provide several meals. It is available at most local grocery stores, though quick-service restaurants such as Pollo a la Brasa, California Chicken Cafe and Zankou Chicken often do a better job and offer the convenience of having your bird ready and waiting for you to pick up if you call ahead to order it. Yes, you can also order some side dishes and bring home a full meal, but my fridge is often full of leftovers begging to be part of another meal.When I don’t have a lot of leftovers hanging around, there are plenty of staples and pantry items that can quickly come together for a ta...