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Police detain 233 people for alleged drug dealing at schools in Albania

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:42 GMT

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Police in Albania reported the detention of 233 people Thursday as part of a nationwide operation to to stop drug dealing at schools. Interior Minister Taulant Balla said some 3,000 officers took part in the crackdown aimed at some 23 criminal groups that allegedly distribute drugs like cannabis, cocaine, heroin and ecstasy in school and university surroundings.“Albanian parents and families today are evaluating state police and also expect systematic work against criminals of any kind,” Balla said.Albania, which has an Adriatic Sea coastline and land borders with Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia, long has had a reputation as a main European drug trafficking route. For a long time, it also was regarded as a center of marijuana production.After coming to power in 2013, the left-wing Socialist Party government of Prime Minister Edi Rama set destroying cannabis plants as a goal. Over the next two years it destroyed millions of cannabis plants with a...

Venice and its lagoon again escape inclusion on UNESCO list of heritage sites in danger

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:42 GMT

VENICE, Italy (AP) — The storied Italian lagoon city of Venice escaped inclusion on UNESCO ‘s list of world heritage in danger during a meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Saudia Arabia on Thursday, as member states commended preservation efforts, including a pilot project that will make Venice the first city to charge entry.It is the second time Venice has escaped being labeled an endangered world heritage site, as recommended by the UNESCO’s committee’s findings that climate change and mass tourism are among threats “causing irreversible impact to the outstanding universal value” of Venice and its lagoon.The vote came just two days after the Venice city council approved an experimental plan to charge day-trippers a 5-euro entrance fee on 30 high-traffic days next year — one of the efforts cited by many of the 21 countries that supported keeping Venice off the list.Venice similarly avoided being labeled an endangered world heritage site in 2021 after the Ro...

Israel’s Netanyahu to meet Elon Musk. Sit-down comes as company faces antisemitism controversy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:42 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet billionaire businessman Elon Musk during a trip to the United States next week, the Israeli leader’s office said Thursday.Netanyahu’s office declined to discuss the agenda for Monday’s meeting. But it comes at a time that Musk is facing accusations of tolerating antisemitic messages on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.The Anti-Defamation League, a prominent Jewish civil-rights organization, has accused Musk of allowing antisemitism and hate speech to spread on X. Its director, Jonathan Greenblatt, said Musk had “amplified” the messages of neo-Nazis and white supremacists who want to ban the ADL by engaging with them recently on X.In a Sept. 4 post, Musk claimed the ADL was “trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic.” In other posts, he said the ADL was responsible for a 60% drop in revenue at X and said his company would have “no choice” but t...

NASA appoints UFO research chief 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:42 GMT

(The Hill) -- NASA announced Thursday that the agency has appointed a director of research to study UFOs — or what the U.S. government calls unidentified anomalous phemona (UAPs).Nicola Fox, the associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, confirmed they have appointed a person to the role, but declined to release their name, only noting the individual has worked for the agency "for a while." “They are being tasked with developing and overseeing the implementation of NASA’s vision for UAP research,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson said of the newly appointed director during a press conference on Thursday. “We will use NASA’s expertise to work with other agencies to analyze UAP.” Nelson added that the agency will use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to “search the skies for anomalies” and vowed to share their findings in a transparent manner. The announcement follows the release of a new report from an independent study panel tasked w...

Kyler Gordon will be out of the Bears' lineup for a bit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:42 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — A starter in the Bears' defensive backfield is going to be out of the lineup for the next few weeks. It makes for a not-so-positive start to Kyler Gordon's second year with the team.The Bears have placed starting cornerback Kyler Gordon on injured reserve with a hand injury, knocking him out of the lineup for a least four games..DB Greg Stroman Jr. Has been elevated to the active roster. .@WGNNews pic.twitter.com/n32Ce9ODg0— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) September 14, 2023The cornerback was placed on injured reserve on Thursday after suffering a hand injury in the Bears' loss to the Packers in the season opener on Sunday. This means that Gordon will have to miss a minimum of four weeks before being able to return to the lineup.He was hurt in the first half of the game and wouldn't return for the second half of the 38-20 loss to Green Bay. Gordon made one solo tackle and had a pass defended in one half of play. Due to the injury , defensive back Greg Stroman ...

McCarthy drops f-bomb, venting frustration with GOP members

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:42 GMT

(The Hill) -- House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) vented his frustration about the hardline conservatives holding up appropriations, dropping an expletive as he dared his fiercest critics to attempt a vote to oust him.During a closed-door conference meeting Thursday, McCarthy addressed an uptick in threats from members to call a motion to vacate the chair — a move to force a vote on ousting the speaker.“If you want to file a motion to vacate, then file the f‑‑‑ing motion,” McCarthy said, Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) recounted.McCarthy’s comments follow Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) earlier this week explicitly threatening to call a motion to vacate if McCarthy does not follow through with a number of spending priorities and votes on bills that his detractors were promised in January.It also comes after hardline conservatives, who have been battling with GOP leadership for months over topline numbers in spending bills, forced GOP leaders to punt consideration of a Department of Defense (D...

DeSantis: Criminalizing women for getting abortions 'will not happen in Florida'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:42 GMT

(The Hill) -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Wednesday that he does not support criminalizing abortion in his state."We have no criminal penalty,” he said in a CBS News interview. “The penalties are for the physician.”Florida’s six-week abortion ban is not in effect, pending a lawsuit, but would enable the state to pursue felony charges against "any person who willfully performs or actively participates in a termination of pregnancy,” it reads.DeSantis said those penalties would be for medical providers, not women seeking care, saying he is "absolutely not" in favor of criminalizing abortion for women and that it "will not happen in Florida." DeSantis says he would send military to southern border The presidential candidate has not said whether he would support a national ban similar to his state’s pending six-week law or the current 15-week law. "I support pro-life policies," he said. "I'll be a pro-life president. But at the same time, I've got to chart the course and...

Nearly 400K Honda lawnmowers, pressure washer engines recalled due to injury hazard

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:42 GMT

(WHTM) -- American Honda Motors is recalling about 391,800 of its lawnmowers and pressure washer engines due to an injury hazard, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.The Honda HRN216 and HRX217K6 lawnmowers and the GCV170/200 G5B pressure washer engines are involved in the recall. The CPSC states that the camshafts in the engines have been improperly manufactured, causing the starter rope to suddenly retract when pulling to start. So far, Honda has received seven injury reports. What are the lights placed above traffic signals in Pennsylvania? The red and black gas-fueled walk-behind lawnmowers have the model and serial number located on the mower deck. The pressure washer engine's serial number is engraved on the engine. There have been 2,197 reports related to the camshaft failures.Recalled Honda HRX217K6 LawnmowerRecalled Honda HRN216 LawnmowerRecalled Honda GCV170/200 G5B Pressure Washer EngineConsumers have been asked to immediately stop using the recall...

Hays CISD adds program to fight opioid epidemic

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:42 GMT

HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Multiple Hays Consolidated Independent School District students have died due to accidental opioid overdoses over the last few years.In May, Hays CISD said in an email to parents that six students have died due to suspected fentanyl overdoses since summer 2022. Kyle PD: 16-year-old overdoses on fentanyl first week into summer break Educating students about the risks of these deadly drugs can help, but now the district is adding another program called "Coaches vs. Overdoses" in hopes of combating the opioid epidemic. The program includes educational material that will be delivered to parents and students electronically. They will also distribute a drug disposal tool at varsity football games.Hays CISD is partnering with the Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) and will launch the first program, which is the first of its kind in Texas, at the Lehman vs. Seguin varsity football game at Bob Shelton Stadium on Thursday. “Tragically, our district is ...

Hays County district clerk files petition to remove DA, citing new Texas law

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:42 GMT

Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today's top headlines for Sept. 14, 2023HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- There's a petition to have the Hays County district attorney removed from office. The person who filed it? The Hays County district clerk. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 19-year-old political newcomer becomes new Hays County district clerk What is the petition alleging?The petition was filed by Hays County District Clerk Avrey Anderson on Tuesday, Sept. 12. It alleged that Hays County DA Kelly Higgins implemented and executed a policy or policies that refused to prosecute a class or type of criminal offense under state law.The petition said DA Higgins has made public declarations that he would not prosecute the following: simple drug possession offenses simple cannabis possession offensesprocedures committed by a licensed physician in the case that they are treating transgendersprocedures committed by a licensed physician in the case they are performing abortions According to t...