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Biden will give the State of the Union address March 7 in a ‘moment of great challenge’ for the US

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will give his annual State of the Union address on March 7. In a letter sent to the White House on Saturday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., extended the formal invitation for Biden to speak to a joint session of Congress. Johnson said he was inviting Biden “in this moment of great challenge for our country.” On X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Biden accepted. “Looking forward to it, Mr. Speaker,” the president said. This will be the first State of the Union for Johnson as speaker, who traditionally sits behind the president and to his left during the address to Congress. This year’s speech will offer an opportunity for Biden to detail his broader vision and policy priorities as he campaigns for reelection in November.Notably, Biden’s address is scheduled for after a pair of critical deadlines to avert a government shutdown.Funding for federal agencies that oversee programs for veterans, and on transportatio...

Howie Carr: Massachusetts has a worse record than Bill Belichick

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

As miserable a season as the New England Patriots have endured, do you realize that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been doing even worse?The difference is, tomorrow the Patsies can fire their bust-out coach, lock down the second or third pick in the NFL draft and begin the long rebuilding process.Where does the state of Massachusetts go for a make-over?Even Harvard University is in better shape, if only because those modern-day Know Nothings are sitting on a $50-billion endowment that they can use to continue their relentless dumbing down of the entire school, from top to bottom, into a cesspool of Third World identity politics.This week the state Department of Revenue (DOR) quietly announced that revenue projections in November had fallen short — for the sixth month in a row. The hackerama hasn’t reached its numbers since the new fiscal year started July 1.In total, six monthly shortfalls in a row — even Bill Belichick in his twilight went 1-5 in the first half-dozen games t...

Revolution acquire 6-foot-5 goalkeeper Henrich Ravas

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

The New England Revolution addressed their most glaring player personnel deficiency on Saturday with the signing of goalkeeper Henrich Ravas.Ravas was acquired from the Polish club Widzew Lodz for an undisclosed fee and signed to an MLS contract through the 2026 season with a team option for 2027. Ravas, 26, is a rangy 6-5, 192-pound native of Senica, Slovakia and he will occupy an international roster spot in 2024.Ravas appeared in 61 games over three seasons for Widzew Lodz and in 161 in seven professional seasons. He is also a member of the Slovakia National team.“Henrich Ravas is an experienced goalkeeper who has performed well over his three seasons in Poland, showing progress each year to develop into one of the league’s best shot stoppers,” said Revolution Sporting Director Curt Onalfo. “His physical traits and top flight European experience should allow for a seamless transition to MLS.”The void at the Revolution’s back end was created when Serbian Djordje Petrovic, a 2023 M...

Police respond to jewelry store robbery at Hillcrest Mall in Richmond Hill

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

York Regional Police officers say they’re responding to the robbery of a jewelry store at Hillcrest Mall in Richmond Hill.CityNews 680 received multiple calls at around 2 p.m. on Saturday to report a large number of police officers at the mall, which is located at the corner of Yonge Street and Carville Road / 16th Avenue.A police spokesperson told CityNews said they are looking for multiple suspects after they took off.It’s unclear what might have been stolen and it’s unknown where in the mall the incident happened.There were no immediate reports of physical injuries.The police spokesperson said officers are still at the mall as part of their investigation.ROBBERY– police presence at 9350 Yonge St #RichmondHill (Hillcrest Mall) – Jewelry store robbery; no injuries– multiple suspects fled the scene— York Regional Police (@YRP) January 6, 2024

Florida’s Greek community celebrates the Epiphany with annual dive into water to retrieve cross

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) — After thunderstorms moved past, Florida’s largest Greek Orthodox community celebrated the Epiphany on Saturday as a 16-year-old boy dove into chilly water to retrieve a cross in an annual rite that draws thousands. John Hittos found the cross before 64 other boys after it was thrown into a bayou in Tarpon Springs, a town on the Gulf Coast 30 miles north of Tampa and known for its large Greek community. The retriever of the cross is believed to receive a year of blessings. It is one of the largest Epiphany celebrations in the country. “I didn’t see where the cross went in the water,” Hittos told reporters after emerging from the 65-degree (18-degree Celsius) water. “I didn’t know where it was, but I had a feeling and I just went down. I couldn’t see anything, but it was in my hand.”The Epiphany commemorates the manifestation of Jesus to the world and comes from the Greek word “epiphaneia,” which means “appearance.” It i...

Polish farmers suspend their blockade at the Ukrainian border after a deal with the government

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish farmers who had blockaded a border crossing to Ukraine ended their protest after reaching an agreement with the government that met their demands, Poland’s state news agency PAP reported Saturday.The frustration of the farmers was one of the challenges facing the new Polish government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, which seeks to support Ukraine while also addressing the demands of Polish farmers and truckers whose livelihoods have been hurt by the war.Since November, both farmers and truckers have been blockading border crossings, threatening the flow of some aid going into Ukraine.Polish farmers complain that imports of Ukrainian foods have caused prices to fall, hurting their incomes, while truckers say they are being undercut by their Ukrainian counterparts.The truckers are continuing their protest, creating queues of many kilometers at serveral border crossings. This week truckers had to wait over two days before they could cross. Agriculture ...

Trump courts young voters in Iowa before heading to two rallies for the Jan. 15 caucuses

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former President Donald Trump courted young conservative activists Saturday morning in Des Moines as he kicked off another day of campaigning in the state that will launch the race for the White House in just over a week.“You’re a good looking crowd … I usually don’t look at people who are this attractive,” Trump quipped to members of Run GenZ, an organization that encourages young conservatives to run for office. Many in the audience at the Embassy Suites hotel in Des Moines seemed surprised to see Trump, whose visit had not been previously announced.Trump’s campaign is hoping to turn out thousands of supporters who have never caucused before on Jan. 15 as part of a show of force aimed at denying his rivals momentum and demonstrating his organizing prowess heading into the general election. He is set to hold a pair of commit-to-caucus events later Saturday in Newton in central Iowa and Clinton in the state’s far east. His chief rivals, form...

Canadian airlines say they’re unaffected by Boeing 737-9 Max jetliner incident

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

TORONTO — Canadian airlines say they don’t fly the Boeing 737-9 Max jetliners that U.S. regulators have grounded after an Alaska Airlines plane suffered a blowout while in flight.The Alaska Airlines 737-9 Max jetliner blew out a window and a portion of its fuselage shortly after takeoff nearly five kilometres above Oregon late Friday, creating a gaping hole that forced the pilots to make an emergency landing as its 174 passengers and six crew members donned oxygen masks.Airlines including Air Canada, WestJet, Flair Airlines and Lynx Air all say they fly the 737-8 Max jetliner. Air Canada says its 40 aircraft in the 737-8 Max series don’t have the mid-cabin exit door configuration of the Max 9, adding the aircraft have performed very reliably. WestJet spokeswoman Julia Kaiser says the airline’s Max 8 planes also don’t have the same door in question in the Alaska Airlines incident, and the company is in constant communication with Boeing to make sure there are ...

Jordanian army says it killed 5 drug smugglers in clashes on the Syrian border

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

AMMAN (AP) — The Jordanian army said Saturday that it killed five drug and weapon smugglers and arrested 15 in a day of clashes with armed groups of smugglers attempting to cross into Jordan from Syria.The army statement said the clashes broke out before dawn between Jordanian border guards and armed organizations “that practice smuggling and rely on systematic infiltration operations.” It said the smuggling operations have recently increased in frequency.The state-run Jordan News Agency reported that in recent days smugglers have “aimed to cross the Kingdom’s border by force by targeting border guards.”Jordanian security forces seized Captagon amphetamine pills, hashish and weapons, the statement said.Smugglers have used Jordan as a corridor in recent years to smuggle the highly addictive Captagon out of Syria, mainly to oil-rich Arab Gulf states. The drug is used recreationally and by people with physically demanding jobs to keep them alert.Jordanian authorities have interce...

A Pentagon mystery: Why was Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospital stay kept secret for days?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:00:44 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of Congress and Pentagon leaders were unaware for days that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had been hospitalized since Monday, U.S. officials said Saturday, as questions swirled about his condition and the secrecy surrounding it. And it remained unclear when the White House and other key U.S. officials were told about his stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.The Pentagon’s failure to disclose Austin’s hospitalization for days reflects a stunning lack of transparency about his illness, how serious it was and when he may be released. Such secrecy, at a time when the United States is juggling myriad national security crises, runs counter to normal practice with the president and other senior U.S. officials and Cabinet members. Austin, 70, remained hospitalized due to complications following a minor elective medical procedure, his press secretary said, as it became clear how closely the Pentagon held information about his s...