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5 reasons why COP 28, the UN climate talks, are worth your attention

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:32:04 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Ask most people what the annual U.N. climate talks are and the likely answer will be: “Huh?” Ask those who do know and the answer may be: “Why should I care?”The negotiations, called Conference of Parties, are nearly two weeks long and in their 28th iteration in Dubai. Delegates use wonky terms like “NDCs” “1.5 degrees” and “loss and damage,” not exactly conversation starters at parties. Any final decision is non-binding, meaning countries can agree to something and then not follow through. And when tens of thousands of people travel to the event, a lot of greenhouse gas emissions are produced, which is contrary to the entire point of the conference.So why bother?Even many climate watchers sometimes ask that question, and there is a growing debate about whether the current process needs major reforms. But viewed with a long lens — and with the proviso that progress is often more of a slow trickle than a dramatic event and impact — there are m...

Japan expresses concern about Ospreys continuing to fly as some crash details emerge

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:32:04 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s top government spokesperson expressed concern Friday that the U.S. military is continuing to fly Osprey aircraft in the country without providing adequate information about Wednesday’s fatal crash, as the U.S. Air Force said a search was continuing for seven missing crew members. One crew member was killed and seven others are missing in the crash off southern Japan, the Air Force Special Operations Command said in a statement Friday. One set of remains has been recovered, the Air Force said. The search for the aircraft and missing crew members continues, the command said. “Search and rescue operations consist of a combination of air, surface, and subsurface search of water and coastline in the vicinity of Yakushima, Japan in order to locate the crewmembers,” the command said. The cause of Wednesday’s crash, which occurred during a training mission, is still under investigation. Search operations widened Friday with additional U.S. military per...

Sports on TV for December 2 – 3

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:32:04 GMT

(All times Eastern)Schedule subject to change and/or blackoutsSaturday, December 2AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL (WOMEN’S)10:30 p.m.FS2 — AFL: Brisbane at North Melbourne, Grand FinalCOLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)12 p.m.¶ BTN — Bucknell at Penn St.CW — Notre Dame at MiamiESPN2 — Syracuse at Virginia12:30 p.m.FOX — Marquette at Wisconsin2 p.m.ACCN — Florida St. at North CarolinaESPN2 — Memphis at MississippiESPNU — Indiana St. at Bradley2:15 p.m.CW — Duke at Georgia Tech3 p.m.PAC-12N — Colgate at Arizona3:30 p.m.FS1 — Michigan at Oregon4 p.m.ACCN — NC State at Boston CollegeBTN — Illinois at RutgersSECN — UNC-Wilmington at Kentucky5 p.m.PAC-12N — Portland St. at Washington St.5:30 p.m.FS1 — TCU at Georgetown6 p.m.ESPNU — Coll. of Charleston at FAU7 p.m.CBSSN — Legends of Basketball Invitational: Colorado St. vs. Washington, Las VegasPAC-12N — Santa Clara at California7:30 p.m.FS1 — Rhode Island at Providence10 p.m.ESPN — Legends of Basketball Invitational: Gonzaga vs. Southern Cal, Las VegasC...

Mayor's office to close 2 more homeless encampments, move hundreds indoors

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:32:04 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Mayor Mike Johnston and the City and County of Denver announced the closure of two more homeless encampments. More than 200 people will be offered housing.On Friday, the mayor's office called this announcement a "significant push" in addressing homelessness in Denver. Denver leaders seek to change threshold for warming shelters on cold nights As part of Johnston's House1000 Initiative, the city will close the encampments near 20th and Curtis Street, and 48th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. More than 200 people will be offered housing when those encampments close. "Every individual we get into housing is a life changed and every encampment that we close is aneighborhood transformed,” said Johnston. “We are delighted to bring more than 200 Denverites into housing, help close encampments and reactivate public spaces all around the city.”As the weather gets colder and snowstorms begin to move in, the mayor's office said more unsheltered Denverites will be brought indoo...

House expels New York Rep. George Santos. It's just the sixth expulsion in the chamber's history

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:32:04 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted on Friday to expel Republican Rep. George Santos of New York after a critical ethics report on his conduct that accused him of converting campaign donations for his own use. He was just the sixth member in the chamber's history to be ousted by colleagues.The vote to expel was 311-114. Expulsion requires support from two-thirds of the House, a purposefully high bar, but a blistering House Ethics Committee report that accused Santos of breaking federal law proved decisive.As it became clear that he would be expelled, Santos placed his overcoat over his shoulders, shook hands with conservative members who voted against his expulsion and departed the House chamber.House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., soon took the gavel, quieted the chamber and solemnly instructed the House clerk to inform the governor of New York that Santos’ former House seat was now vacant.Santos had fought the expulsion effort, leading his own defense during House floor debate and in ...

A teenage girl who says she discovered a camera in an airplane bathroom is suing American Airlines

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:32:04 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — The family of a North Carolina teenager is suing American Airlines, saying that a flight attendant taped an iPhone to an airplane toilet to record her using the restroom during a September flight.Lawyers for the 14-year-old and her parents say that American “knew or should have known the flight attendant was a danger.” They say the failure of other crew members to confiscate the employee’s phone allowed him to destroy evidence.The lawsuit against American and the unidentified flight attendant was filed Friday in U.S. district court in North Carolina.American said the flight attendant was “withheld from service” immediately after the alleged incident and has not worked since.“We take this matter very seriously and have been fully cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation, as safety and security are our highest priorities,” American said in a prepared statement.According to the lawsuit, the incident happened on a Sept. 2 flight from Charlotte to Bosto...

House expels New York Rep. George Santos. It’s just the sixth expulsion in the chamber’s history

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:32:04 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted on Friday to expel Republican Rep. George Santos of New York after a critical ethics report on his conduct that accused him of converting campaign donations for his own use. He was just the sixth member in the chamber’s history to be ousted by colleagues.The vote to expel was 311-114. Expulsion requires support from two-thirds of the House, a purposefully high bar, but a blistering House Ethics Committee report that accused Santos of breaking federal law proved decisive.As it became clear that he would be expelled, Santos placed his overcoat over his shoulders, shook hands with conservative members who voted against his expulsion and departed the House chamber.House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., soon took the gavel, quieted the chamber and solemnly instructed the House clerk to inform the governor of New York that Santos’ former House seat was now vacant.Santos had fought the expulsion effort, leading his own defense during House floor debate a...

‘By the grace of God:’ Phone likely saved life of college athlete after shooting in Martin County

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:32:04 GMT

STUART, Fla. (WSVN) – A 20-year-old college athlete is recovering in the hospital after what authorities in Martin County are calling a miraculous escape from a shooting incident. The young man was walking home when a gunman opened fire, and officials credit “the grace of God” for saving his life, with his phone likely acting as a life-saving shield.Surveillance video reveals the vehicle Martin County Sheriff’s deputies are seeking in connection with the incident. The victim had just left a convenience store Wednesday night, en route to his home, when shots were fired.“As he was getting near his house, a vehicle drove up, and the passenger in the front of that vehicle opened fire at him with a high-powered rifle,” shared Martin County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy John Budensiek.Remarkably, the victim, who was on a cellphone at the time, was hit as one of the rounds traveled through his index finger and then through the phone he was holding. Buden...

Rishi Sunak hits back at criticism of fleeting COP28 visit

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:32:04 GMT

DUBAI — Rishi Sunak defended his decision to only attend the COP28 climate summit for a half a day, saying it would be wrong to “measure our impact here by hours spent.”The U.K. prime minister left the Dubai summit for his return flight to the U.K. on Friday evening, having only arrived in the UAE 11 hours earlier.Other world leaders have devoted more time to the U.N. climate conference and the U.K.’s own head of state, King Charles III, attended for two full days.“It is hugely simplistic to measure the impact of our presence here by the hours we spend,” Sunak said in response to a POLITICO question at a press conference Friday. He said: “You could be saying to me, ‘you should be here for three days.’ But that would mean nothing if I hadn’t come home with £10 billion of investment in an offshore wind farm, creating jobs and providing clean energy, or I hadn’t been able to announce more money for climate finance.”“I feel very good that this has been a very productive day,...

Germany is too distracted to deal with EU budget talks, Commission says

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:32:04 GMT

BRUSSELS ― Political wrangling in Germany is preventing the EU getting a deal on a funding top-up, according to the bloc’s budget commissioner.“The biggest problem is that Germany is so distracted by domestic issues that they literally don’t find time to deal with this,” Johannes Hahn told reporters in Brussels.Germany is leading a coalition of countries, mainly in the north and east of Europe, that want the European Commission to finance its new priorities by saving cash from other areas of its current budget, which was agreed in 2021. Berlin hardened its position after a recent shock constitutional court verdict blew a €60 billion hole in the country’s budget.Governments rejected the Commission’s request in June for an extra €66 billion to cover unexpected spending, and they called on the EU executive to trim the headline figure by at least 20 percent, or around €13 billion. The issue is due to come to a head a...