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Congress returns to try to stave off a government shutdown while GOP weighs impeachment inquiry

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:07 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — After months of struggling to find agreement on just about anything in a divided Congress, lawmakers are returning to Capitol Hill to try to avert a government shutdown, even as House Republicans consider whether to press forward with an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.A short-term funding measure to keep government offices fully functioning will dominate the September agenda, along with emergency funding for Ukraine, federal disaster funds and the Republican-driven probe into Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings.Time is running short for Congress to act. The House is scheduled to meet for just 11 days before the government’s fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, leaving little room to maneuver. And the dealmaking will play out as two top Republicans, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, deal with health issues.The president and congressional leaders, including Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, are focused on ...

The next presidential campaign is coming into focus. It might look a lot like the last one.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:07 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The end of Labor Day weekend would typically mark the start of a furious sprint to the Iowa caucuses as candidates battle for their party’s presidential nomination. But as the 2024 campaign comes into greater focus, the usual frenzy is yielding to a sense of inevitability. Among Republicans, Donald Trump is dominating the primary field, outpacing rivals with resumes as governors, diplomats and entrepreneurs that would normally prove compelling. The former president’s strength comes despite — or perhaps because of — multiple criminal indictments that threaten to overshadow any serious debate about the future of the country. And for now, the tens of millions of dollars that Republican rivals are pouring into the race are doing little to diminish Trump’s stature, fueling concerns among his GOP critics who fear the primary is essentially over before it begins. As one troubled front-runner tightens his grip on the Republican nomination, President Joe Biden is on a glide p...

Iconic Bay Area landmark that went missing has now been located

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:07 GMT

A well-known East Bay sculpture that was vandalized and went missing has now been recovered, according to numerous reports.The sculpture is widely known as the “Mission Peak pole,” located atop the hiking area of Mission Peak in Fremont.The top part of the pole — which long served as a popular photo opp for hikers — had been removed at some point, although its not known when exactly that happened. The disappearance was made known through pictures circulated on social media and elsewhere over the weekend.Related ArticlesNews | Programs help Sunnyvale residents get fit, eat healthy News | Wildfire in Redwoods State and National Park likely to enter old growth forest News | Letters: California Conference | Finding criminals | Rate hike | Gun crusade News | ADA-compliant dock installed at Vasona Lake in Los Gatos News | Castle Rock State Park to expand in size due to rare state land purcha...

Person fatally struck by Caltrain in Redwood City

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:07 GMT

(KRON) -- A person was killed after a Caltrain struck them in Redwood City Monday night, Caltrain confirmed to KRON4. Northbound train #268 was pulling into the Redwood City station at about 8:54 p.m. when the collision happened. There were 166 passengers and seven bicycles aboard the train. All of them got onto the platform after the crash. No other injuries were reported. Train service stopped after the accident as emergency personnel worked at the scene. The fatality was Caltrain's 10th of the year.

Priscilla Presley surprises Venice audience ahead of bio premiere

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:07 GMT

LIDO, Venice, Italy – Elvis may be long gone but his spirt was certainly invoked at the Venice Film Festival press conference before Monday night’s world premiere of Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla.”That’s because as Coppola, 52, spoke about her film adaptation of Priscilla Presley’s memoir about her life, marriage and divorce from Elvis Presley, she was asked what did Priscilla Presley think of her movie.  And since the real Priscilla Presley, 78, was sitting in the front row, she was given a mic and jolted the room with an emotional, tear-filled answer.Asked, “Priscilla, what moved you the most seeing the film?” she answered, “The ending. It’s very difficult to sit and watch a film about your life and your love and” – she choked up, stopped, as the room erupted into applause – “Sofia did an amazing job. She did her homework. We spoke a couple of times and I put everything out for her that I could.“It was very difficult for my parents to understand why Elvis was so important to me” – sh...

Fire erupts at downtown San Diego building

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:07 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Firefighters were able to put out a fire that broke out Monday evening at a single-story commercial building in the East Village neighborhood.The blaze occurred on 16th Street between Market and G Street, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department tweeted at 9:49 p.m. Santee Drive-In Theatre set to close after over half a century in business Around 10:05 p.m., the SDFD announced the fire was extinguished, preventing it from spreading to nearby buildings. Crews will stay at the scene to make sure no fire remains.

China touts the benefits of its ‘Belt and Road’ initiative to Italy, which may end the agreement

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:07 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — China’s foreign minister is seeking to sell his Italian counterpart on the benefits of leader Xi Jinping’s signature “Belt and Road” initiative of Chinese-built and -funded infrastructure projects, as Rome considers whether to renew the agreement. In a Monday meeting, Wang Yi told Antonio Tajani that bilateral trade had grown from $50 billion to nearly $80 billion and that Italy’s exports to China increased by around 30% over the past five years. While the figures haven’t been corroborated, Italy’s conservative government has cast doubt on the benefits of the arrangement. In 2019, Italy became the only European country to sign on to the initiative under then-premier Giuseppe Conte, and it is not expected to be extended when it comes up for renewal at year’s end. China’s official Xinhua News Agency quoted Wang as telling Tajani that “China and Italy should adhere to the right way of getting along with each other” with mutual respect and trust in the face of...

Australian lawmakers head to US to lobby against efforts to extradite WikiLeaks founder Assange

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:07 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A group of Australian lawmakers said Tuesday they would travel to Washington this month to lobby the United States to abandon its efforts to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.The delegation includes former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and five other lawmakers from across the political spectrum. Their trip is timed to draw attention to the issue ahead of a planned visit to the White House in late October by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.Independent lawmaker and delegation member Monique Ryan told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. they represented a large group of lawmakers who feel “really, really strongly about the importance of securing Mr. Assange’s freedom.” Ryan said Assange was in poor health which made the matter more pressing.Assange, an Australian citizen, has spent the past four years in Britain’s Belmarsh Prison fighting extradition to the U.S. He has been charged with espionage for publishing classified m...

LUX Audience Award 2024: Five finalists announced in Venice 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:07 GMT

20,000 Species of Bees, Fallen Leaves, On the Adamant, Smoke Sauna Sisterhood and The Teachers’ Lounge will compete for the 2024 LUX Audience Award.The finalist movies were revealed at the Venice film festival on Friday (1 September).European Parliament Vice President Evelyn Regner (AT, S&D) said: “We love our European film, as it reflects our dreams, fears and hopes. European audiences proved their commitment last year, with 45 000 citizens participating in selecting the winning film. This year, each of the five films chosen offers a unique perspective on the challenges and chances that European society is encountering – empowering women and girls, growing social justice and equality as well as strengthening diversity. Now it’s time for you to choose the next winner together with us: look out for the free screenings in all EU countries, and have your say by rating the films on our platform.”Discover the films20,000 Species of Bees, by Spanish director Estibaliz Urresola Solagu...

Jewelry store owners speak out after wild smash-and-grab robbery attempt

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:07 GMT

A would-be smash-and grab thief got more than he bargained for when he attempted to rob a family-owned jewelry store in El Monte over the weekend.  Surveillance cameras captured the alleged burglar just around 2 p.m. on Sept. 2 as he was walking down Main Street dressed in all black with a face mask and a cardboard box in hand.  Sitting just outside of his family’s store, 70-year-old Arturo was sprayed with bear repellent by the suspect. “I felt my skin was peeling off from my face, my head, my chest,” he told KTLA in Spanish.  The pain didn’t stop the 70-year-old from running inside his family’s jewelry store to fight back, his brother, niece and nephews all coming to his defense, struggling to restrain the intruder as he smashed the display case and attempted to grab whatever precious merchandise he could get his hands on.  Miguel, a co-owner of Meza’s, can be seen on the video hitting the suspect with a stick, forcing the man, who lost his shirt during the s...