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Spain’s Vox party fails in government no-confidence motion

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 19:04:28 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s parliament dismissed an attempt by the far-right Vox party to topple the governing leftist coalition on Wednesday, voting overwhelmingly against a no-confidence motion brought against Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government.The motion only earned the support of Vox’s 52 lawmakers plus one rogue vote, for a total of 53. The government received 201 votes, while the 91 members of the conservative Popular Party, the chamber’s leading opposition party, abstained.In a move that was slammed by other political parties, Vox leader Santiago Abascal broke with custom and didn’t stand as an alternative prime minister. Instead, Vox chose an independent candidate in a futile attempt to win wider support.The 89-year-old Ramón Tamames, a former communist leader who has journeyed across the political spectrum, was the losing candidate. The economist had pledged that his only act as prime minister would have been to immediately call for a national election to coincide wi...

China and Russia: explaining a long, complicated friendship

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 19:04:28 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping just concluded a three-day visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a warm affair in which the two men praised each other and spoke of a profound friendship. It’s a high point in a complicated, centuries-long relationship during which the two countries have been both allies and enemies.Chinese and Russian states have loomed large in each other’s foreign affairs since the 17th century, when two empires created a border with a treaty written in Latin.Neighbors can be good friends, or bitter rivals. Sharing a border of thousands of miles, Beijing and Moscow have been both.“China and Russia relations have always been uneasy,” said Susan Thornton, a former diplomat and a senior fellow at the Paul Tsai China Center at Yale Law School. “THE SOVIET UNION’S TODAY IS OUR TOMORROW”The People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, following a brutal Japanese occupation during World War II and a bloody civil war between the Nation...

In boost to opposition, Kurdish party won’t field candidate

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 19:04:28 GMT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s pro-Kurdish political party and its allies said Wednesday that they won’t field a candidate to run in the country’s May 14 presidential election, a move that could boost an opposition bloc’s chances of unseating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.With Turkey entangled in economic turmoil and in the midst of a difficult recovery from a devastating earthquake last month, Erdogan is facing the toughest reelection bid of his two-decade rule as prime minister and as president.A six-party opposition coalition known as the Nation Alliance has united behind the candidacy of Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the secularist Republican People’s Party. The coalition has vowed to dismantle a presidential system that has concentrated a vast amount of powers in Erdogan’s hands. Critics say the system amounts to a “one-man rule” without checks and balances.In announcing that the Peoples’ Democratic Party, or HDP, would not put up its own candidate for the pr...

The many investigations of Donald J. Trump

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 19:04:28 GMT

In today’s Big Story podcast, it was thought that the former president might be arrested on Tuesday, and charged in relation to alleged hush-money payments to an adult film star. That hasn’t happened, but many who have been watching the case still expect charges to come. When they do, what will happen next?Aaron Rupar is an independent political and policy journalist, and the author of Public Notice. He’s on today’s Big Story to break down the several ongoing investigations involving Donald Trump, and how they may impact his upcoming presidential campaign.“There’s a possibility that if he faces felony charges in Georgia, if he faces felony charges federally in connection with the classified documents investigation, these things could definitely add up for him,” he said. “But if we’re just talking about the legal situation with Stormy Daniels and the hush payments, I don’t see this being something that is going to disqualify him in the sense ...

78-year-old woman killed, 5 family members injured in North Side car crash

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 19:04:28 GMT

CHICAGO — An elderly woman was killed and several family members — including two children — were injured following a crash on the city's North Side.The crash happened around 8 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Peterson and Kimball. According to police, a 46-year-old man was traveling eastbound on Peterson in a KIA SUV with five of his family members, when he was struck as he entered the intersection by an 18-year-old man driving a Saturn sedan.  A 78-year-old woman was transported to St. Francis Hospital where she was pronounced dead. The medical examiner has identified her as Zainab Suboh.The 46-year-old man was transported to Lutheran General Hospital in fair condition. An 81-year-old man was transported to St. Francis in critical condition. A 36-year-old woman was transported to Lutheran General in critical condition.  A 3-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl were both transported to Lurie Children's Hospital and are listed in fair condition.  Read more: ...

Trump's potential indictment caps decades of legal scrutiny

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 19:04:28 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — For 40 years, former President Donald Trump has navigated countless legal investigations without ever facing criminal charges. That record may soon come to an end.Trump could be indicted by a Manhattan grand jury as soon as this week, potentially charged with falsifying business records connected to hush money payments during his 2016 campaign to women who accused him of sexual encounters.It's one of several investigations that have intensified as Trump mounts his third presidential run. He has denied any allegations of wrongdoing and accuses prosecutors of engaging in a politically motivated “witch hunt” to damage his campaign.An indictment in New York would mark an extraordinary turn in American history, making Trump the first former president to face a criminal charge. And it would carry tremendous weight for Trump himself, threatening his long-established ability to avoid consequences despite entanglement in a dizzying number of case...

2 inmates caught at IHOP after using toothbrush to escape jail

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 19:04:28 GMT

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) -- Two inmates in a Virginia jail used primitively made tools to create a hole in the wall of their cell and escape only to be found hours later at an IHOP restaurant nearby, a sheriff's office said.Arley Vaughn Nemo and John Michael Garza escaped custody just before 6 p.m. Monday. The two men were found missing from their cell in the Newport News jail annex during a routine head count Monday evening, according to a statement from the Newport News Sheriff's Office.This photo provided by Newport News Sheriff's Office shows a hole in the wall of a prison cell in Newport News, Va., on March 20, 2023. Two inmates in the Virginia jail used primitive-made tools to create a hole in the wall of their cell and escape only to be found hours later at an IHOP restaurant in a nearby town, a sheriff said. (Newport News Sheriff's Office via AP)A preliminary investigation found the men exploited a weakness in the jail's construction design and used tools made from a toot...

ALDI launching clothing Wednesday for $10 or less

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 19:04:28 GMT

Fans of ALDI may love bargains on groceries, but the store is also entering the fashion world again.Beginning on Wednesday, the "ALDI Gear Collection" releases with every item under $10.ALDI said they are expanding on their original clothing collection, which was released last year, by "combining signature ALDI colors and bold stripes with retro vibes and a modern twist."Back by Popular Demand: ALDI Unveils its Largest Gear Collection to DateBack by Popular Demand: ALDI Unveils its Largest Gear Collection to DateThe following items range from $1.49 to $9.99.Keychain Quarter Holder - $1.49Bucket Hat or Cap - $3.992 Pack Socks - $4.99Umbrella - $4.99Slides - $4.99Tumbler - $6.99Belt Bag - $6.99Windbreaker - $9.99Jogger - $9.99Pullover - $9.99 Brookfield Zoo named 5th best zoo in new poll The limited-edition ALDI Gear Collection will be available in stores nationwide within the ALDI Finds aisle, while supplies last.

‘This is a crisis.’ Lawmaker seeks transfer deadline for state hospital waitlist

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 19:04:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – House lawmakers heard testimony Tuesday on a bill that would require mentally ill defendants in county jails to be transferred to a facility for competency restoration within three weeks of a court order, according to testimony at a House Corrections Committee hearing Tuesday.State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, filed the bill – HB 479. Her legislation comes as the state hospital system’s waitlist and wait times near record highs. In some cases, mentally ill individuals charged with a crime and found incompetent to stand trial are waiting in county jails for years before being admitted to a state hospital to get help, according to Texas Health and Human Services Commission records.“We have about 2,500 people across the state waiting in jail to access competency restoration services, and the state has been sued for its failure to timely transfer these individuals,” Hinojosa said Tuesday.The state hospital system’s waitlist for defendants in need of mental competency re...

Austin Transit Partnership unveils 5 light rail designs to public

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 19:04:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Transit Partnership, the entity responsible for delivering Austin's mass transit program known as Project Connect, unveiled five design options for the next light rail to the public. The light rail designs are scaled down in scope to what was advertised when Austin voters decided to approve the billion-dollar project. The five designs all connect some portions of Austin both north and south of the lake, but did not go as far as originally planned. Only one of the options goes to the airport. Austinites got the chance to see the designs for themselves at an open house on Tuesday night and provided their own feedback using sticky notes and filling out written paper forms. Project Connect debuts 5 scaled down light rail options You can view the designs of the five light rail options here. You can also provide any feedback to the designs online, or email your comments to [email protected] or mail them physically to ATP at 203 Colorado St., Austin.Starting wi...