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Senate confirms new army chief as one senator’s objection holds up other military nominations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is confirming three of the Pentagon’s top leaders, filling the posts after monthslong delays and as a Republican senator is still holding up hundreds of other nominations and promotions for military officers. Gen. Randy George was confirmed as Army Chief of Staff on Thursday, and Gen. Eric Smith is expected to be confirmed as commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps by Thursday afternoon. On Wednesday, the Senate confirmed Gen. CQ Brown as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, putting him in place to succeed Gen. Mark Milley when he retires at the end of the month. Democrats are still trying to maneuver around holds placed on more than 300 nominations by Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville over the Pentagon’s abortion policy. Tuberville has been blocking the Senate from the routine process of approving the military nominations in groups, forcing Democrats to bring the nominations up one by one — a process that could take months and delay other priorities....

Bodycam footage of Elijah McClain’s death presented in trial of 2 officers charged with homicide

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:24 GMT

BRIGHTON, Colo. (AP) — A police lieutenant testified Thursday on how body cameras collect “digital evidence” as prosecutors called their first witness in the trial of two Denver-area police officers over the death of Elijah McClain, a Black man who alongside George Floyd and others was raised up by protesters as a searing example of excessive force used against people of color.It’s the first of several trials stemming from McClain’s death in 2019 after officers in the suburb of Aurora put him in a neck hold and paramedics injected him with the powerful sedative ketamine. Officials have determined the sedative played a key role in McClain’s death, and police are now banned from using that type of neck hold.McClain, a 23-year-old massage therapist, was stopped while walking home from a convenience store after a 911 caller reported him as “sketchy.” If prosecutors can convince jurors the stop was unjustified, that would undermine any argument that McClain’s injuries were a result...

A new breed of leaders are atop the largest US unions today. Here are some faces to know

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — There will be no Emmy Awards tonight and there are thousands of auto workers on picket lines in Missouri, Michigan and Ohio in a seemingly rapid reemergence of organized labor this year. Unions have nowhere near the pull, or members, that they did decades ago, yet something has changed. There’s no single explanation, but the boiling point we’re seeing today comes amid soaring costs of living and a widening gap between what workers and top executives are paid. Thousands of workers who were asked to make sacrifices during the pandemic even as corporate profits soared are now asking for a bigger piece of the pie. Those demands have sparked grassroots organizing efforts across the country in the last year. And some of the nation’s largest unions have simultaneously been at the center of heated contract negotiations — with writers and actors hitting Hollywood picket lines, unionized auto workers striking at Detroit’s Big Three and UPS reaching a new deal to av...

‘Euphoria’ star Angus Cloud overdosed on meth, cocaine, fentanyl, coroner says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:24 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Actor Angus Cloud died in July of an overdose of cocaine, fentanyl and other substances, a Northern California coroner’s office said Thursday. Cloud’s cause of death was an “acute intoxication” due to the “combined effects of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and benzodiazepines,” the Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau said. The actor was declared dead at his parents’ home July 31 in Oakland. He was 25. Cloud starred as the drug dealer Fezco “Fez” O’Neill on the HBO series “Euphoria.”In a statement at the time, his family said Cloud had been struggling with the death of his father. “The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence,” according to the family’s statement.The Associated Press

Cause of death revealed for 'Euphoria' star Angus Cloud

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:24 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — Authorities have released the cause of death for actor Angus Cloud.The "Euphoria" star died on July 31 inside his family's home in Oakland, California. Cloud's death was investigated by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office as a possible overdose, and his cause of death was confirmed this week by a coroner. Cloud died from acute intoxication due to combined effects of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and benzodiazepine, the Sheriff's Office told Nexstar's KRON on Thursday. He was 25.Actors Angus Cloud and Zendaya attend the Los Angeles premiere of the new HBO series "Euphoria" at the Cinerama Dome Theatre in Hollywood, California, on June 4, 2019. (Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images)The rising young actor was grieving his father's death in July, and he had recently returned to the Bay Area after burying his father in Ireland. Cloud's mother quickly dismissed rumors that her son's death was a suicide. His last day was "joyful," Cloud's mother said."Although my...

No panic from Bears' Ryan Poles but few details on Alan Williams's resignation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:24 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The last 24 hours would be a difficult situation for any general manager, let alone someone who is just in his second season.But after the sudden resignation of defensive coordinator Alan Williams and comments by quarterback Justin Fields, Ryan Poles was trying to present a calm front as the team endures a difficult week"No one in our building is panicking," said Poles during a news conference at Halas Hall. "No one is flinching at any situations. Not our owner, not our president, not our head coach, not myself, none of our players. Everyone is focusing on solving the issues that we have so that we can be a better football team."Yet Poles wasn't able to offer much in terms of details on Williams' resignation, which came with a one-line news release from the Bears on Wednesday afternoon and nothing else. The defensive coordinator had been out the previous week, including the loss to the Buccaneers last Sunday, with what was termed a personal issue. "In terms of Al...

Would a government shutdown impact Social Security, VA benefits?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:24 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — As lawmakers continue to try to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month, many are growing concerned about how it could affect them, especially when it comes to federal monthly payments they receive. The government could shut down by the end of next week, if Congress isn't able to pass a spending bill. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy vowed Wednesday he would not give up trying to persuade his colleagues to pass a temporary funding bill.Still, the shutdown looms. Conservatives deal blow to McCarthy with second failure to advance Pentagon funding So what would that mean for your Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, or Veterans Affairs payments? In short, they will not be impacted. Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are funded through permanent appropriations, unlike other programs that require renewal (those are impacted by the current budget discussions). According to the Department of Veterans Affairs contingency plan (the most recent was last u...

Tropical storm warning issued for parts of East Coast ahead of potential cyclone

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:24 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — A tropical storm warning was issued Thursday from coastal North Carolina to Delaware ahead of a potential tropical cyclone that's headed toward the East Coast.The National Hurricane Center announced “Potential Tropical Cyclone Sixteen” on Thursday morning. The disturbance was located about 370 miles (595 kilometers) southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, forecasters said, and moving north at 9 mph (15 kph). Maximum sustained winds were 35 mph (55 kph).The hurricane center defines a potential tropical cyclone as a disturbance that poses a threat for tropical storm or hurricane conditions to land within 48 hours. The current system could reach the North Carolina coast around Friday night or early Saturday.The tropical storm warning is in effect from Cape Fear, North Carolina, to Fenwick Island, Delaware. It also includes the Chesapeake Bay south of Smith Point, and Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds.A storm surge watch was also issued from Surf City, North Carolina, to Chinco...

Trial dates set for three Austin police officers indicted in connection to 2020 protests

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Trial dates have been set for three Austin Police Department officers who were indicted in connection to their alleged involvement in racial justice protests in downtown Austin. That's more than three years since those protests erupted in May 2020. Once of those officers, Chance Bretches, was charged with felony offenses after he was indicted in May 2022. The charges included aggravated assault with serious bodily injury by a public servant and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon by a public servant. BACKGROUND: 2 more APD officers indicted related to 2020 protests The charges against Bretches stem from a case in which a woman allegedly working as a street medic was injured in the protest. Travis County District Attorney José Garza's office said Meredith Drake was shot with a “deadly weapon” by Bretches and lost part of her finger as a result. Drake previously told KXAN she was hit by a bean bag round.Bretches' trial was set for April 8, 2024. Jeff...

Music venues, creative spaces to receive $1.5M from Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:11:24 GMT

AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) -- Dozens of Austin arts nonprofits and businesses are set to receive a total of $1.5 million from the city's Economic Development Department.In an effort to preserve spaces that contribute to Austin's creative, forward-thinking and entrepreneurial spirit, the Creative Space Assistance Program is set to give amounts ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 to 65 local organizations.The program, originally launched in 2018, provides grants specifically for organizations and establishments with the intention of assisting organizations at risk of displacement due to increasing commercial lease rates.The approved grants for 2023 include a $50,000 contribution to the downtown music venue Antone's, the East Austin music venue Hotel Vegas, the local production company Juno Black Music, the Austin Creative Reuse Center and the Museum of Human Achievement, an East Austin arts center and event space.Read the full story at Austin Business Journal.