Feb 22 Former Colorado police officer appeals conviction in Black man Elijah McClain's death By Colleen Slevin, Associated Press A jury convicted Roedema last October of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault. He was sentenced to 14 months in jail at a hearing last month in which McClain's mother called him a "bully with a badge."… Continue reading
Feb 22 Watch 5:16 Capitol Hill fight over spending pushes country closer to government shutdown By Lisa Desjardins, Ali Schmitz Even as Congress is out of town, bipartisan negotiators may reach a spending deal in the next few days. But that may not be soon enough to avert a partial government shutdown. This has been a familiar plotline in recent… Continue watching
Feb 22 Former FBI source accused of lying about Bidens and having Russian contacts returns to U.S. custody By Ken Ritter, Rio Yamat, Associated Press The arrest during a meeting with his lawyers came after prosecutors appealed a ruling allowing 43-year-old Alexander Smirnov, who holds dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship, to be released with a GPS monitor ahead of trial on charges alleging he lied to the… Continue reading
Feb 22 China pledges a pair of pandas for the San Diego Zoo By Julie Watson, Associated Press The announcement by China on Thursday comes after nearly all the iconic bears on loan to U.S. zoos were sent home as bilateral relations began to sour. Continue reading
Feb 22 Florida lawmakers pass ban on social media for kids and teens under 16 despite constitutional concerns By Brendan Farrington, Associated Press Supporters in Florida hope that if the bill becomes law, it would withstand legal challenges because it focuses on addictive features rather than the content on social media sites. Continue reading
Feb 22 Cease-fire between Israel and Hamas gains steam as U.S. envoy visits. Mediators report 'encouraging' signs By Josef Federman, Samy Magdy, Wafaa Shurafa, Associated Press The U.S., Egypt and Qatar have been struggling for weeks to find a formula that could halt Israel's devastating offensive in Gaza, but now face an unofficial deadline as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan approaches. Continue reading
Feb 22 Wall Street sees a solid 2024 ahead for homebuilders, though mortgage rates remain a wildcard By Alex Veiga, Associated Press Housing market trends are shaping up in favor of a solid 2024 for U.S. homebuilders — as long as mortgage rates don't jump back to the highs they hit late last year. Continue reading
Feb 22 Farmers from 10 EU countries join forces to protest agricultural policies By Associated Press Farmers complain that the 27-nation EU's policies on the environment, such as the Green Deal, which calls for limits on the use of chemicals and on greenhouse gas emissions, limit their business and make their products more expensive than non-EU… Continue reading
Feb 22 Denmark records highest number of antisemitic incidents since WWII, part of a grim European trend By Jan M. Olsen, Associated Press Henri Goldstein, the head of the Scandinavian country's small Jewish Community said there had been violent escalation, not least fueled by the uncontrolled spread of hatred on social media. Continue reading
Feb 22 U.S. promises new sanctions on Iran for its support of Russia's war in Ukraine, potential missile sale By Zeke Miller, Associated Press National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that the U.S. will be “imposing additional sanctions on Iran in the coming days" for its efforts to supply Russia with drones and other technology for the war against Ukraine. Continue reading