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State Department failed to plan or respond fast enough in Afghanistan collapse, new US report finds

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:36:46 GMT

By MATTHEW LEE and NOMAAN MERCHANT (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department failed to do enough planning before the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan, according to a Biden administration review of the department’s performance during the chaotic evacuation of Americans and Afghan allies. The review repeatedly blames the administrations of both former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden for their efforts before and after the August 2021 departure of U.S. forces from Kabul. Republicans have in turn accused Biden of not taking responsibility for intelligence failures leading up to the Taliban’s seizure of the country and for the scenes of chaos at Kabul’s airport, where 13 Marines died in a suicide bombing. The Biden administration released sections of the long-awaited State report, which was completed in March 2022, on the Friday before the July 4 holiday weekend, though it withheld most of the report from public re...

As climate warms, US allows moving species threatened with extinction as a last resort

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:36:46 GMT

By MATTHEW BROWN (Associated Press)BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — U.S. officials on Friday said they will make it easier for scientists to relocate plants and animals outside their historical ranges as a last resort to save species threatened with extinction by climate change.Relocations of species struggling because of climate change have been carried out on a limited basis to date, including in Hawaii where researchers have raced to move seabirds to new islands to save them from rising ocean waters.A change in federal regulations published Friday by the Biden administration would allow similar relocations for some of the most imperiled plants and animals protected under the Endangered Species Act.It also allows for relocations when a species is being crowded out by nonnative plants or wildlife. This summer officials plan to introduce Guam kingfishers on the Palmyra Atoll south of Hawaii, after brown tree snakes accidentally brought to Guam around 1950 decimated their population. The...

Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro is barred from running for office until 2030

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:36:46 GMT

By MAURICIO SAVARESE and DIANE JEANTET (Associated Press)SAO PAULO (AP) — A panel of judges voted Friday to render far-right former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro ineligible to run for office again after concluding that he abused his power and cast unfounded doubts on the country’s electronic voting system.The decision forbids Bolsonaro from running until 2030, upending the 68-year-old’s political future and likely erasing any chance for him to regain power.Five judges on the nation’s highest electoral court agreed that Bolsonaro abused his authority by using government communication channels to promote his campaign and sowing doubts about the vote. Two judges voted against.“This decision will end Bolsonaro’s chances of being president again, and he knows it,” said Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo. “After this, he will try to stay out of jail, elect some of his allies to keep his politica...

FBI launches national database to track swatting incidents

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:36:46 GMT

The FBI has launched a national database to track swatting incidents, a dangerous sort of prank call that has become more and more common in recent years.Chief Scott Schubert with the bureau’s Criminal Justice Information Services headquarters told NBC News that the national online database was formed in May in response to a rise in swatting incidents. The collaborative effort — supported by hundreds of police departments and law enforcement agencies nationwide — will provide the bureau with “a common operating picture of what’s going on across the country.”Schubert added, “We’re taking every step to monitor this national problem and help however we can.”It marks the first time a central agency has tracked swatting incidents.Swatting is a form of cyber harassment that typically involves a caller alerting law enforcement to an active shooter situation or some other sort of immediate danger that does not actually exist. The goal is to illicit a large police response which often includ...

The best places to bike in America? Check out the list.

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:36:46 GMT

What are the most cyclist-friendly cities in America – where the bike lanes are protected, the intersections safe and greenways stretch distantly into the horizon?According to a new ranking of 2023’s Best Places to Bike by the Boulder-based advocacy group PeopleForBikes, Minneapolis came in first for most cyclist-amenable major city, followed by San Francisco, out of nearly 1,500 cities in the U.S. For medium-sized cities, Davis in Yolo County — the home of the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame — ranked first, followed by Ankeny, Iowa, and Berkeley.Related ArticlesThings To Do | What makes you a mosquito magnet? Some people can’t escape the pesky but dangerous bites Things To Do | 9 books that combine reading and the outdoors The rankings from PeopleForBikes are meant to reflect the quality of a city’s bicycle network. Six factors are taken into calculation: safe speed limits, protected lanes, reallocated space for biking and walking, intersecti...

Home Showcase: Sun and fun in Sandwich

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:36:46 GMT

Let’s be real. When you picture your ideal Cape getaway, it’s not “a short drive to the beach” or “moments from the beach.” You want to be able to venture out with your morning coffee and touch sand. With 349 Phillips Road in Sandwich, you get just that.It’s idyllic coastal living, right on Sagamore Beach. With 260 feet of beach frontage spread across two lots, fine craftsmanship and elegance combine for a relaxed, yet elevated seaside retreat.Almost every room offers peaceful views of the water, enhancing the open-concept living and dining space. A gas fireplace, Lewis & Weldon built-ins, and a gourmet kitchen. The latter features high-end stainless steel appliances including a built-in fridge, an oversized eat-in island, and a butler’s pantry. After a day on the beach, unwind — or catch a nap — in the family room, complete with a wall of built-ins.The first-floor primary suite shines with endless bay views, complemented by a luxurious bathroom with double vanities and a glasse...

Orioles place struggling reliever Keegan Akin on injured list, recall left-hander Nick Vespi from Triple-A

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:36:46 GMT

Two days after Keegan Akin unraveled in the 10th inning of an Orioles loss, the club placed the left-handed reliever on the 15-day injured list Friday with lower back discomfort.Akin has spent most of the 2023 season in Baltimore’s bullpen, but Wednesday’s outing, in which he allowed three hits and four runs while recording just two outs against the Cincinnati Reds, was the latest in a four-game stretch that ballooned his ERA from 3.66 to 6.85. The move is retroactive to Thursday.To replace Akin, the Orioles recalled left-hander Nick Vespi from Triple-A ahead of their series opener against the Minnesota Twins on Friday. This is the third time Vespi has been called up, but in the first two instances in mid-May and early June, he didn’t pitch before being optioned back down.Vespi, 27, pitched 26 1/3 innings out of Baltimore’s bullpen in 2022 with a 4.10 ERA and a 1.405 WHIP. Over the past two seasons, however, he’s dominated Triple-A hitters. After pitchi...

5 ideas for a Barbie dream vacation this summer

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:36:46 GMT

It’s the summer of Barbie. The movie release date is set for July 21, but the celebration of the iconic doll is going all season with pop-up exhibitions and hotel promotions.If you want to travel to your own Barbie dream world, here are the best Barbie-inspired trips you can take this summer:1. World of Barbie: Santa Monica, California(Photo by Meghan Coyle)The World of Barbie in Santa Monica, California, is a temporary exhibition that takes people into Barbie’s world, including a real-life version of her Dreamhouse, camper van, space shuttle and TV studio. There’s also a gallery portion with vintage Barbie dolls and cars on display. @inkwaves We’re living in a Barbie world #worldofbarbie ♬ Happy Summer – Vin Music The exhibit is mainly a giant photo opportunity, with some interactive activities for kids, like a ball pit, and even a salon with real stylists on certain days. If you want a unique souvenir, consider building your own custom Barbie set from scratch for an addit...

‘This is the existential crisis’: A push for climate change education

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:36:46 GMT

Alex Brown | (TNS) Stateline.orgWhen wildfires and smoke swept through Oregon in 2020, Lyra Johnson’s family made plans to evacuate their home near Portland. Johnson, then 14, was told she might have to quickly learn to drive — despite not having a license — in order to get her grandmother to safety.Thankfully, the danger passed before Johnson was forced to take the wheel, but she came face-to-face with the realities of climate change. Johnson, now 17 and a senior at Lake Oswego High School, was among the student leaders who urged Oregon lawmakers this year to require climate change education across all grade levels in Oregon schools.“It’s really important to integrate that when you’re young, so you have that knowledge and feel like you can make a difference, rather than having it thrown on you and feel like the world’s ending,” she said.Johnson serves as president of her school’s Green Team, a student sustainability group, and helped establish a composting program this year to redu...

Suspect abandons stolen vehicle near trolley tracks after pursuit

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:36:46 GMT

SAN DIEGO — A suspect led police on a pursuit Friday before abandoning a stolen vehicle near some trolley tracks, San Diego police said.According to police, the initial pursuit began around 10:40 a.m. when officers attempted to pull over a vehicle that was reported as stolen.The driver failed to yield to police and fled the scene, prompting the pursuit. Police did not clarify where the pursuit initially began. California grad student commutes to class by plane to save on rent At some point during the pursuit, the driver abandoned the vehicle next to the trolley tracks at 32nd street and Commercial Street in the Logan Heights neighborhood.The suspect, described as a man in his early 20s, fled the scene on foot after abandoning the vehicle, SDPD said.According to police, the man fled to a home located at 331 S Bancroft Street. As of 11:50 a.m., police were attempting to get the man to leave the home and surrender to police. It was not immediately clear if the man lived in the home o...