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Contradicting federal health officials, Florida Gov. DeSantis recommends against new COVID booster

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s top health department official are directly contradicting federal health recommendations and warning residents against getting a new COVID booster, saying there’s not enough evidence it provides benefits that outweigh risks.DeSantis, who is running for president, and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo discussed the vaccine with doctors Wednesday on a Zoom call livestreamed on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. It repeated much of what they said a week ago during a live event in Jacksonville, in which they warned against the vaccine the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved this week.Ladapo’s previous warnings against COVID-19 vaccines prompted a public letter from federal health agencies saying his claims were harmful to the public.“It is the job of public health officials around the country to protect the lives of the populations they serve, particularly...

Suriname prepares for its first offshore oil project that is expected to ease deep poverty

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

PARAMARIBO, Suriname (AP) — Suriname for the first time in its history will see offshore oil drilling in its waters after French company TotalEnergies on Wednesday announced a $9 billion project expected to boost the impoverished country’s economy and ease austerity measures imposed by the International Monetary Fund.CEO Patrick Pouyanné said previous exploration suggests the two sites where the company would drill could yield close to 700 million barrels, with first production expected by late 2028. TotalEnergies is the operator of the oil block and equal partner with Texas-based APA Corp., an energy company.The announcement was celebrated by Suriname President Chan Santokhi, who pledged that the people of the South American country would benefit from the investment.“Suriname is going through a challenging economic period,” he said. “This announcement provides the much-needed outlook toward positive developments for our nation.”About 70% of the country’s roughly 640,000 inhabitants...

Tim Scott wants new rules for stage placement in next GOP debate as he seeks a breakout moment

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Sen. Tim Scott wants the Republican National Committee to change how it orders the candidates on stage for its next presidential debate, suggesting changes that could put the South Carolina Republican in a better position and make him more a part of the conversation.In a letter shared Wednesday with The Associated Press, Scott’s campaign manager Jennifer DeCasper wrote to RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel that since Iowa’s caucus is the leadoff to GOP balloting next year, “polling results from Iowa should be the primary consideration for podium placement at the September debate.” Scott, who launched his presidential bid in May and has been running millions of dollars worth of ads in Iowa, was second from the right edge of the stage in the first GOP debate last month. He did not have a breakout moment as some others did, including biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. The RNC has said that to qualify for debates...

US should use its influence to help win the freedom of a scholar missing in Iraq, her sister says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States should use its influence to help win the freedom of a Russian-Israeli academic at Princeton University who went missing in Iraq nearly six months ago and is believed to be held by an Iran-backed militia regarded by Washington as a terrorist group, her sister said Wednesday.“The current level of pressure is unsatisfactory. It’s just not enough,” Emma Tsurkov said in an interview with The Associated Press. “My sister is languishing at the hands of this terror organization. And it’s been almost six months.”Elizabeth Tsurkov, a 36-year-old doctoral student whose work focuses on the Middle East and specifically Syria and Iraq, disappeared in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, in March while doing research. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has said she is being held by the Shiite group Kataeb Hezbollah or Hezbollah Brigades, whose leader and founder died in the American airstrike in January 2020 that also killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, t...

Trump to appear on ‘Meet the Press’ Sunday as Kristen Welker takes over as host

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump will give his first broadcast network interview since leaving office, sitting down this week with Kristen Welker as she debuts as host of NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday.The network said in a release that the interview will be pre-taped at Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club Thursday and that the same invitation had been extended to President Joe Biden. Trump last appeared on the show in 2019.The former president has largely steered clear of mainstream media interviews during his third campaign for the White House. Instead, he frequently calls in to conservative podcasts, radio shows and far-right cable outlets, and shares his thoughts in posts and videos on his Truth Social site.The interview comes as Trump remains the clear front-runner for the Republican nomination, even after being indicted four times on a slew of charges, including many connected to his efforts to try to overturn the results of the 2020 election.Tr...

BC United loses MLA as Abbotsford South’s Bruce Banman bolts to Conservatives

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

VICTORIA — The political landscape in British Columbia shifted slightly Wednesday with the defection of an Opposition BC United caucus member to the provincial Conservatives, who will now have two members in the legislature.Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman announced he is crossing the floor to join his friend B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad, who was turfed from the BC United caucus last year. Banman’s move to the Conservatives gives the party added strength in the legislature as two elected members constitute an official political party.The Office of the Clerk said in a statement that it appears to be the first time four parties will be represented in B.C.’s legislature with “official status,” but it is not the only time four parties have had representatives in the legislature.The Clerk’s statement also said there are currently no specific funding arrangements for a caucus beyond a third party, meaning the two Conservatives will receive money as t...

Cross-examination continues on Day 3 of AJ Freund's death, DCFS workers' trial

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

MCHENRY COUNTY, Ill. — The trial for two former Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) workers accused of child endangerment enters its third day Wednesday.The multiple felony charges filed in Sept. 2020 against Andrew Polovin and Carlos Acosta stem from the April 2019 death of five-year-old Andrew “AJ” Freund of Crystal Lake. They are accused of having known Freund’s life was in danger four months earlier yet not taking action. Previous Coverage: Nearly 20 police reports can be used in AJ Freund DCFS trial The bench trial began on Monday with the McHenry County State’s Attorney providing an opening statement for the prosecution, and separate attorneys providing statements for each of the defendants. Tuesday's proceedings were occupied entirely by the state's fourth witness, Carol Ruzicka. Ruzicka is a retired DCFS regional administrator who testified for the prosecution as an expert in regard to DCFS procedures.Ruzicka will return to the stand Wednesday ...

One thing Justin Fields would like to change before the 2nd game of the 2023 season

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — As you might expect, there were plenty of moments that the Bears' starting quarterback would like to have had back from the team's opening week loss to the Packers. It wasn't just his "Pick Six" in the fourth quarter that Justin Fields lamented on when talking with the media on Wednesday at Halas Hall. "After a game, there's always a number of plays that you wish you had back," said Fields. "You're never going to get perfect quarterback play but you go back - and really at any position - you want to do better on this play or do something different that you wish you had did different, especially if it doesn't come out your way at the end of the day."A lot of stuff to learn from, and a lot of stuff to get better from for sure."Fields isn't lying as the offense left a lot to be desired in a 38-20 loss to Green Bay at Soldier Field that soured some of the positive vibes entering the opening week contest. The quarterback was 24-of-37 for 216 yards with a touchdown and...

MGM Resorts hacked by ransomware group, social media post says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- With limited information coming from MGM Resorts and the FBI, speculation has begun on some tech and media websites about who is behind the hack that has disrupted Nevada's largest employer.Reports on Forbes, Gizmodo and Engadget are citing social media posts on X (formerly Twitter) that a group known as ALPHV, also known as BlackCat, compromised MGM Resorts through a simple phone call impersonating an employee on the IT staff. They reportedly found an employee to impersonate by searching through LinkedIn. A 10-minute phone call allowed the compromise.All of these reports cite a thread on X by vx-underground, identified by Forbes as a malware research group with nearly 229,000 followers.“All ALPHV ransomware group did to compromise MGM Resorts was hop on LinkedIn, find an employee, then call the Help Desk,” vx-underground said on X. “A company valued at $33,900,000,000 was defeated by a 10-minute conversation."A source quoted by Forbes speculated that ALPHV initi...

UT Austin assistant professor joins AI expert panel

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:31 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An assistant professor at the University of Texas Austin will join a panel of experts poised to "explore the future of artificial intelligence on society," according to a UT release Wednesday.Samantha Shorey, a communication studies assistant professor with UT's Moody College of Communications, was appointed to the AI100 study panel. The panel brings together AI experts from around the globe with specialties in computer science, sociology, ethics and economics, among other areas.The panel is administered by the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, per the release. It is tasked with creating a report every five years and "exploring the state of artificial intelligence and its influences on society," the release added.“This is an incredible honor to be working alongside so many scholars who I have read and looked to their research for so long,” Shorey said in the release. “The folks that are on the committee are the kinds of people I would be...