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Live updates | Israeli military says its ground forces are expanding activity in Gaza

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:59 GMT

The Israeli military says its ground forces will expand their activities in Gaza Friday night. The announcement came hours after Israeli forces conducted a second ground raid as many days and after Israel’s defense minister said the country expects to launch a long and difficult ground invasion of the Hamas-ruled territory.The development also came after communication services in the Gaza Strip were cut, following a heavy round of Israeli airstrikes that lit up the night sky over the darkened territory.The Palestinian death toll passed 7,300 as Israel launched waves of airstrikes in response to the bloody Hamas rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7. The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which tracks the toll, released a detailed list, including names and ID numbers on Thursday. In the occupied West Bank, more than 110 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids since the war’s start three weeks ago.More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civ...

Misinformation is flowing ahead of Ohio abortion vote. Some is coming from a legislative website.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:59 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The inflammatory language targeting a reproductive rights measure on Ohio’s fall ballot is the type of messaging that is common in the closing weeks of a highly contested initiative campaign — warning of “abortion on demand” or “dismemberment of fully conscious children” if voters approve it.Only the messaging isn’t just coming from the anti-abortion groups that oppose the constitutional amendment. It’s being promoted on the official government website of the Republican-controlled Ohio Senate.And because the source is a government website, the messaging is being prioritized in online searches for information about Issue 1, the question going before Ohio voters Nov. 7 to enshrine abortion access in the state Constitution.The “On The Record” blog on the state Senate website is billed as an “online newsroom” presenting “the views the news excludes.” It features attacks against Ohio news outlets, op-ed style columns by Republican state senators and content ge...

Tyson Fury tries to provoke Francis Ngannou at weigh-in before Saudi Arabia fight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:59 GMT

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Tyson Fury compared himself to Novak Djokovic after going face-to-face with Francis Ngannou at their weigh-in on Friday.The towering Brit dismissed the punching threat posed by Ngannou, a former UFC star who will make his professional boxing debut Saturday at age 37.“It’s like a table tennis champion facing Djokovic in the Wimbledon final — totally different,” the WBC heavyweight champion said.The 35-year-old Fury weighed-in at 277.7 pounds while his Cameroonian opponent was 272.1 pounds after both men stepped on the scale in street clothes.Moments later, Fury pushed his forehead into Ngannou, who responded with a chest-bump to give himself some space.“I have played this game so long. This can’t get to me. It’s part of the game,” Ngannou said of Fury’s antics.Both fighters predicted a quick evening on Sunday.“We’re going to take a couple of minutes at the beginning, but I think this fight will end very quick,” Ngannou said.Fury, the self-described “...

Rule change gives top seed in NCAA women’s tourney most rest for Final Four after Staley’s criticism

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:59 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — The overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Women’s Tournament will get preferential treatment moving forward, a response to South Carolina coach Dawn Staley’s concerns and criticism.The Division I Women’s Basketball Committee voted unanimously Friday to place the tournament’s top seed in a regional pod with game days on Friday and Sunday, ensuring the most rest possible for the No. 1 seed between the regional final and for the Women’s Final Four.Staley approached broadcast partner ESPN and NCAA officials about the issue at the Southeastern Conference’s spring meetings in Destin, Florida, in May. “It’s not that I’m a sore loser,” Staley said. “I think it’s great that almost 10 million viewers watched our sport. But you also have to break things down like you do with film. I broke our tournament down, where we were placed and things that we did over the course of a season. … We were the No. 1 overall seed. If there were going to be some adv...

Families hunt for loved ones out of touch since Hurricane Otis pummeled Acapulco

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:59 GMT

ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — Desperate families made missing posters Friday and joined online groups to find loved ones out of touch since Hurricane Otis devastated the Mexican Pacific coast city of Acapulco.Officials said they are moving in supplies and evacuating people from the devastated metropolis of 1 million people.As cell phone service returned to some parts of the city, many residents had help from friends and relatives living in other parts of Mexico and in the United States.Residents joined together by neighborhood using online messaging platforms. On Thursday there were some 1,000 people in 40 chats, which grew in number through the day. Late Thursday, Guerrero state Gov. Evelyn Salgado followed their lead, urging people to send messages to government WhatsApp accounts about the missing.Norma Manzano spent a day debating whether to make a digital missing poster, like so many people have done, for her two brothers, whom she had not heard from since shortly after Otis made land...

City of Fort Lauderdale recovers $612,000 after falling victim to $1.2 million fraud scheme

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:59 GMT

After losing $1.2 million, one South Florida city has recovered nearly half of its stolen funds. According to Fort Lauderdale officials, they’ve recovered more than $612,000 after a city employee was tricked in September into sending the money to a scammer that was pretending to work for Moss Construction, which was under contract to build the city’s new police headquarters.Mayor Dean Trantalis commented on the hard lessons he learned.“We have the systems in place that are going to be able to protect the community and not allow this to happen again,” he said. “And this is a message to all my friends in other cities, my mayors and city managers throughout the state. You know, we need to be more watchful.”The mayor also said he expects the full amount should be recovered by the end of the year.

Disney says DeSantis-appointed district is dragging feet in providing documents for lawsuit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:59 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Walt Disney World’s governing district made up of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointees is dragging its feet in providing requested documents to Disney in a lawsuit over who has design and construction powers over the company’s sprawling theme park resort in central Florida, Disney said in court papers.Disney on Thursday accused the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District of “dodging its obligations” and asked a Florida judge to delay any decision on whether the case should proceed until the company gets documents and conducts depositions needed to argue against a summary judgement requested by the district.A hearing is scheduled for mid-December. Disney is seeking a delay of two and a half months.The district has “failed to produce a single document for nearly two months following Disney’s requests, broke commitments to agreed-upon deadlines, and remains in possession of discovery that Disney needs to develop its summary judgment opposition,” Disney sa...

Law enforcement swarms parts of Maine as manhunt for suspected Lewiston gunman continues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:59 GMT

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Authorities scoured the woods and hundreds of acres of family-owned property, sent dive teams with sonar to the bottom of a river and scrutinized a possible suicide note Friday in the second day of their intensive search for an Army reservist accused of fatally shooting 18 people and wounding 13 at a bowling alley and a bar in Maine.All of the deceased have been identified, and they ranged in age from 14 to 76, according to a spokesperson for the state medical examiner’s office. Their names were not released.Nearly two days after the shooting, law enforcement officials gave no indication that they have any leads on Robert Card’s whereabouts. During a lengthy news conference absent of any major developments, Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck would only say that authorities are leaving all their options open.“We’re going to be all over the place,” Sauschuck said. “That’s not saying that we know that the indivi...

Tributes pour in as community mourns people killed in Lewiston, Maine shootings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:59 GMT

LEWISTON, MAINE (WHDH) – Tributes are pouring in as family members and friends of the 18 people who were fatally shot during two mass killings in Maine this week mourn their loss.Investigators said 40-year-old Robert Card allegedly first targeted a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine before targeting a restaurant in town around 7 p.m. Wednesday. Officials said seven people were killed at the bowling alley, Just-In-Time Recreation. Eight people died at the restaurant, Schemengees Bar and Grille. Three other people died after being taken to area hospitals. As Card remained at large Friday, authorities announced all 18 victims had been identified. Their ages ranged from 14 to 76. Joseph Walker was the manager at Schemengees Bar and Grille. His father said he died trying to stop the gunman after grabbing a knife from behind the bar.“He picked up a butcher’s knife and went after the gunman to try and stop him from other people,” Leroy Walker Sr. said. “...

Crews respond to construction accident in downtown Boston

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:59 GMT

A construction accident injured two workers in Boston Friday afternoon, a witness said.Boston police said the accident happened at 750 Atlantic Avenue. SKY7-HD was over the scene, showing officials responding to the accident.The witness told 7News a metal beam fell and injured two workers on the roof of a garage that is under construction.No further information was immediately available.