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NASA spacecraft launched to mysterious and rare metal asteroid in first mission of its kind

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:46:22 GMT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s Psyche spacecraft rocketed away Friday on a six-year journey to a rare metal-covered asteroid.Most asteroids tend to be rocky or icy, and this is the first exploration of a metal world. Scientists believe it may be the battered remains of an early planet’s core, and could shed light on the inaccessible centers of Earth and other rocky planets.SpaceX launched the spacecraft into a midmorning sky from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Named for the asteroid it’s chasing, Psyche should reach the huge, potato-shaped object in 2029.After decades of visiting faraway worlds of rock, ice and gas, NASA is psyched to pursue one coated in metal. Of the nine or so metal-rich asteroids discovered so far, Psyche is the biggest, orbiting the sun in the outer portion of the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter alongside millions of other space rocks. It was discovered in 1852 and named after Greek mythology’s captivating goddess of the soul.“It’s long been...

A teacher is dead and 2 people are wounded after a France stabbing attack that echoes 2020 killing

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:46:22 GMT

ARRAS, France (AP) — A man of Chechen origin who was under surveillance by the French security services over suspected radicalization stabbed a teacher to death at his former high school and critically wounded two other people in northern France on Friday, authorities said. The attack was being investigated as potential terrorism amid soaring global tensions over the war between Israel and Hamas. It also happened almost three years after another teacher, Samuel Paty. was beheaded by a radicalized Chechen near a Paris area school.French anti-terror prosecutors were leading the investigation into the stabbings at the Gambetta-Carnot school, which enrolls students ages 11-18 and is located in the city of Arras, some 115 miles (185 kilometers) north of Paris.The suspected assailant was arrested. The National Police force identified him as a Russian national of Chechen origin who was born in 2003. The French intelligence services told The Associated Press the man had been closely watched...

Pence will skip the Nevada GOP caucus and instead run in the primary, giving up chance for delegates

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:46:22 GMT

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence will skip the Nevada caucuses run by the state Republican Party, which has adopted rules that critics say favor former President Donald Trump, and will instead compete in a state-run primary contest.Pence’s name appeared Thursday on a list of presidential candidates who filed for the primary with the Nevada secretary of state’s office. The party has barred candidates from participating in the Feb. 8 caucuses if they also run in the primary election. By skipping the caucus, Pence gives up a chance to try to win Nevada’s relatively small number of delegates, which requires more intensive organizing across the state. Instead, a primary win could offer a symbolic opportunity to prove electability before crucial contests in South Carolina and a slate of primaries on Super Tuesday.Pence seemed to blame his trailing fundraising on the decision, telling reporters on Friday while signing up for the New Hampshire primary in that s...

Mexican military helicopter crashes in the country’s north killing 3 crew members

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:46:22 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — An armed forces helicopter crashed in the northern Mexico state of Durango, killing three military personnel, defense officials said Friday. The Defense Department said the crash happened Thursday as the helicopter was flying to a base in the township of Canelas. The crash killed all three crew members aboard the Bell 412 chopper.The area is in a drug-producing region known as the Golden Triangle, because the borders of three states meet there: Durango, Chihuahua and Sinaloa. Helicopters are often used by the Mexican armed forces in anti-drug and eradication efforts in the area, though it was unclear what the mission was of the aircraft involved in the Thursday crash. The Department of Defense said the cause of the crash was under investigation.The Mexican armed forces have a history of helicopter crashes. In 2022, a helicopter crashed in the neighboring state of Sinaloa, killing 14 marines. Investigators later said the chopper had run out of fuel. The Associated ...

WATCH LIVE | Ruling expected in trial of former DCFS workers in connection to death of 5-year-old A.J. Freund

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:46:22 GMT

CHICAGO -- A McHenry County judge is expected to make a ruling on two former DCFS workers accused of ignoring signs of child abuse in the case of 5-year-old A.J. Freund. They have both pleaded not guilty.Carlos Acosta and Andrew Polovin worked on 5-year-old A.J. Freund's case, who was killed by his parents in 2019.They are accused of ignoring signs of abuse and failing to remove 5-year-old A.J. Freund from his Crystal Lake home despite multiple police reports indicating the situation. Testimony also was heard from emergency room doctors who treated Freund. Freund was murdered in 2019 by his parents and his body was found in a shallow grave after his parents claimed he was missing. Chicago to open new migrant shelters weekly His parents, Joanne Cunningham and Andrew Freund, were both convicted of numerous charges in connection to his murder and are serving at least 30 years in prison. The defense has tried to poke holes in the police reports for a l...

Man expected to plead guilty to stealing 'Wizard of Oz' ruby slippers from Minnesota museum

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:46:22 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man charged with the museum heist of a pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the “The Wizard of Oz” was expected to change his plea to guilty in court Friday, pulling back the curtain on a whodunit mystery dating back 18 years. Terry Jon Martin, 76, was indicted in May on one count of theft of a major artwork. The shoes from the film were stolen in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum in the actress' hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and recovered in 2018 by the FBI. No one was arrested until Martin, who lives near Grand Rapids, was charged this year. Martin’s attorney, Dane DeKrey, said his client, who is in poor health, has been cooperative with him, if not with authorities.“I think Terry is facing his own mortality, and I think when people are reaching that point in their life, they cut through the pleasantries and talk turkey,” DeKrey said in an interview ahead of Friday's hearing.The one-page indictment gave no details of the path that led investiga...

City council to meet on Israel resolution Friday in special meeting

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:46:22 GMT

CHICAGO — City council will meet Friday afternoon for a special meeting on the war in Israel and a debate is expected.Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th Ward), the only Jewish member of city council, is getting push back on her "Israel Solidarity" resolution, which she initially wanted to bring to the floor on Wednesday.Silverstein said the need for the council to stand with Israel is "obvious," but some council members argue it is not that simple and the situation is far more nuanced than what the current version of the resolution expresses.Loud outbursts were heard Wednesday when she tried to bring it to the floor. Some alderpeople pushed to allow only virtual public comments, citing safety concerns. But Mayor Johnson denied the request, citing the Open Meetings Act.The resolution is the only meeting on the agenda for Friday.Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez (33rd Ward) wants to add language to the resolution so it recognizes injustices against Gaza Strip residents. Project Dynamo helpi...

Does 'Day of Jihad' pose a threat to US cities?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:46:22 GMT

(NewsNation) — The conflict between Israel and Hamas could spread to cities worldwide after a former Hamas chief called for a "Day of Jihad" by Muslim communities.Khaled Meshaal designated Friday, Oct. 13, as the "Day of Jihad," asking Muslims to take to the streets and deliver a message of anger in support of Palestinians.U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., is among those who have responded, saying Americans will be armed and will not be intimidated.NewsNation has also learned New York City police on duty tomorrow have all been ordered to show up in uniform and be ready to deploy. This comes as Columbia University closed its campus to the public in preparation for protests there. US, Qatar to stop Iran from accessing $6B from prisoner swap Michael Balboni, former New York state homeland security adviser, joined “Elizabeth Vargas Reports" to discuss the potential threat, saying, "The thing people are most concerned about is the call for bloodshed.""They are not calling for peaceful prot...

Ford recalls over 238,000 Explorers to replace axle bolts tat can fail after US opens investigation

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:46:22 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling more than 238,000 Explorers in the U.S. because a rear axle bolt can fail, potentially causing a loss of drive power or allowing the SUVs to roll away while in park.The recall comes after U.S. safety regulators opened an investigation into the problem after getting two complaints that repairs didn't work in two previous recalls this year and in 2022.Affected are certain Explorers from the 2020 through 2022 model years.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted Friday on its website that the rear axle horizontal mounting bolt can fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect, increasing the risk of a crash.Dealers will replace a bushing and the rear axle bolt. They also will inspect the rear axle cover for damage near the bolt hole and replace the cover if damage is found. Owners will be notified by letter starting Nov. 6.Ford said in documents that it knows of 396 reports of rear axle bolt failures, and fe...

From broadcast booth to DJ booth, Adam Amin's talent shines through 

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:46:22 GMT

CHICAGO — A Chicago Bulls television broadcast with Adam Amin and Stacy King is a soundtrack of slams, a mixtape of movie references, and a playlist of personality.  “This is a performance-based job, it’s theatrical when broadcasting games,” Amin said. “You are trying to tell a story, using your voice as an instrument.”  There’s a reason Amin approaches his job with a musical cadence. He learned to play the violin at age seven, the guitar at 12, and performed in theater and choir at Addison Trail High School.  “I trained to be an opera singer for six months and quickly learned that was not in the cards for me,” Amin said.  But eventually, a turntable would turn the tables for Amin. His brothers Mustapha and Abdullah introduced him to DJing, which became his new musical muse. A teenage Adam turned his new hobby into a part-time job, performing at weddings and even at school.  “At Addison Trail during Homecoming week they said, ‘Why don’t you take four periods off to DJ...