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Von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech in 5 charts

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:15:50 GMT

The European Union has survived — and thrived — in the past five years and is ready for the next challenge: artificial intelligence.That’s one of the prominent messages Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered in her annual State of the Union address — the last such speech ahead of the looming European election in 2024, and thus possibly in her career as leader of the EU executive.Since her 2019 speech as president-elect, Ursula von der Leyen has stewarded the EU through a pandemic, economic crisis and a war on European soil. With EU elections now only eight months away, this year’s speech focused on the Commission’s work over the course of its mandate, with von der Leyen claiming a 90 percent success rate in delivering on political guidelines she presented in 2019 (although this figure has been contested.)Looking to the future, the speech paid more attention than previous years to the impact of artificial intelligence and technology on the European Unio...

Escaped Pennsylvania killer Danelo Cavalcante was surrounded by tactical teams moments before a police dog subdued him

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:15:50 GMT

(CNN) — Escaped Pennsylvania inmate Danelo Cavalcante is in custody, Pennsylvania State Police announced Wednesday morning, ending a two-week long manhunt for the convicted killer that drew hundreds of law enforcement officials to the area and left the surrounding community gripped with fear.“This is a message from Pennsylvania State Police. The search for Danelo Cavalcante is over. The subject is now in custody,” a reverse 911 call sent to area residents said.Video from CNN affiliate KYW shows Cavalcante in handcuffs, being escorted into the back of an armored Special Response Team vehicle, flanked by more than a dozen law enforcement officials, most carrying rifles. Cavalcante was wearing dark pants and an Eagles hoodie; officers eventually cut his shirt with scissors and examined the tattoo on his back.Live updates: Escaped killer is in custodyTactical teams on the ground zeroed in on Cavalcante after an aircraft picked up a heat signal in the search peri...

Bill Belichick cagey with injury updates on three offensive starters

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:15:50 GMT

FOXBORO — The Patriots lost in Week 1 to the Eagles, but things could have gone a lot worse with the state of their offensive line.Starting guards Cole Strange and Mike Onwenu both were inactive Sunday, and rookies Atonio Mafi and Sidy Sow started in their place. Mafi was experienced at his left guard spot, having played there for most of the summer. Sow, who posted up at right guard, had played right tackle all of training camp and preseason.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Source: Patriots signing ex-Eagles, Saints QB to practice squad New England Patriots | Patriots rookie Marte Mapu doesn’t know what position he’ll play, so he learned them all New England Patriots | Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte moving past 4th-down error with this advice New England Patriots | Patriots WR coach explains JuJu Smith-Schuster’s smaller-than-expected role in Week 1 New England Patriots | Patriots O...

Source: Patriots signing ex-Eagles, Saints QB to practice squad

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:15:50 GMT

The Patriots are signing quarterback Ian Book to their practice squad, according to a source.Book worked out with the team on Wednesday.The 6-foot, 206-pound QB was selected by the Saints in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame. He most recently was with the Eagles.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots rookie Marte Mapu doesn’t know what position he’ll play, so he learned them all New England Patriots | Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte moving past 4th-down error with this advice New England Patriots | Patriots WR coach explains JuJu Smith-Schuster’s smaller-than-expected role in Week 1 New England Patriots | Patriots OC Bill O’Brien encouraged after ‘productive day’ of film review with Mac Jones New England Patriots | Patriots coaches react to Jets QB Aaron Rodgers’ ‘unfortunate’ season-ending injury The Patriots needed a third...

The City of San Diego is proposing changes that will affect your water bill

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:15:50 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A forum was held in Pacific Beach Tuesday evening to discuss a possible water rate hike for the city of San Diego. As proposed by the city’s Public Utilities Department, water rates will increase 10.2% beginning on Dec. 1, 2023, and up to 8.7% on Jan. 1, 2025. "The agencies that provide water to the city of San Diego are raising the rates so unfortunately, we will likely have to increase our operating cost, the cost of getting water and the cost of buying chemicals," explained Ramon Galindo, a public information officer with the City of San Diego. Protestors rally outside South Bay city hall over idea of encampment ban City officials say the largest amount of money goes to the purchase of water from the San Diego County Water Authority. Other amounts cover treatments and infrastructure. “Really, there's no profit being made by the public utilities department," said Galindo.Additionally, the city says it's seeking to pass through any rate increases imposed by the San ...

Fire in Vietnam’s capital kills at least 56 when it engulfs an apartment building

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:15:50 GMT

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — A fire in a nine-story apartment building in Vietnam’s capital killed at least 56 people, including at least four children, and injured at least 37, authorities said WednesdayThe fire started just before midnight Tuesday in a building housing about 150 residents. Firefighters contained the blaze, but the building’s location at end of a narrow alley made rescue operations difficult. Dozens of people remained trapped in the building until after dawn, state media reports said. Of the 56 people confirmed dead, the police have identified 39 victims, the state-owned Viet Nam News said Wednesday evening, citing Hanoi police. State-owned national television channel VTV said four children were among those killed. Initial reports about the death toll were unclear since the injured and dead were taken to different hospitals across the city.Many of the dozens being treated at hospitals suffered from smoke inhalation and injuries sustained during desperate attempts to...

Woman with whom Texas AG Ken Paxton is said to have had an affair expected to testify at impeachment

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:15:50 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A woman with whom Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s staff say he carried on an extramarital affair is expected to testify in the Republican’s impeachment trial Wednesday.The bipartisan group of lawmakers prosecuting Paxton’s impeachment called the woman, Laura Olson, on Wednesday morning. But Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is acting as the judge over the trial in the Texas Senate, said she cannot testify until the afternoon because of the procedural rules.Paxton’s affair has taken a central role in the historic proceeding, with several of his former senior employees testifying they believed it explained why Paxton was using his office to aid a wealthy donor who employed the woman.Olsen will take the witness stand in the Texas Senate across from Paxton’s wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, who is attending the trial but is not allowed to vote on whether her husband should be removed from office. Ken Paxton, however, has not attended most of the proceed...

Extortion trial against Joran van der Sloot, suspect in Natalee Holloway disappearance, is delayed

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:15:50 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge agreed to delay Joran van der Sloot’s trial on extortion charges until later this year in order to give his defense more time to prepare.Van der Sloot, the chief suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway, is charged with trying to extort money from the missing teen’s mother in exchange for revealing where to find her daughter’s remains.U.S. Magistrate Judge Gray Borden on Tuesday granted van der Sloot’s request to postpone the trial, which will now occur sometime after Dec. 4.Van der Sloot’s attorney Kevin Butler had asked for the continuance from the October trial docket to give more time to “review the discovery, investigate this case, and prepare for trial.” Federal prosecutors did not oppose the request. The trial date will be set by a separate order by a district judge.“Given the defendant’s need to adequately prepare his defense and to make an informed decision on whether to enter a guilty plea or...

iPhone 12 emits too much radiation and Apple must take it off the market, French agency says

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:15:50 GMT

A government watchdog agency in France has ordered Apple to withdraw the iPhone 12 from the French market, saying it emits levels of electromagnetic radiation that are too high.The National Frequency Agency, which oversees radio-electric frequencies as well as public exposure to electromagnetic radiation, called on Apple in a statement Tuesday to “implement all available means to rapidly fix this malfunction” for phones already being used.Corrective updates to the iPhone 12 will be monitored by the agency, and if they don’t work, “Apple will have to recall” phones that have already been sold, according to the French regulator’s statement.Apple disputed the findings and said the device complies with all regulations governing radiation.The agency, which is known by the French acronym ANFR, said it recently checked 141 cellphones, including the iPhone 12, for electromagnetic waves capable of being absorbed by the body.It said it found a level of elec...

HBCU coalition receives $124M gift from nonprofit funder Blue Meridian Partners

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:15:50 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The HBCU Transformation Project, a coalition of 40 historically Black colleges and universities, on Wednesday announced a $124 million gift from philanthropic funders Blue Meridian Partners to increase enrollment, graduation rates and employment rates for the schools’ graduates. Michael Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF, which is acting as an intermediary overseeing the funding, called the donation a vote of confidence in the coalition, which includes public and private schools. “This very significantly scaled grant from them signals to the philanthropic community that this is a really good investment to make,” he said of the Blue Meridian gift.The donation will expand the work of the project, which has already received $75 million from Blue Meridian Partners since 2020. Part of those funds arrived at the start of the pandemic to help participating HBCUs cover their operating costs when the schools had to close. UNCF, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), a...