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US senator’s ouster improves odds for F-16 sale to Turkey, top Republican says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

Washington’s push to sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkey may have better odds after a top critic, Sen. Bob Menendez, stepped down from a key congressional post, according to House Foreign Affairs Chair Mike McCaul.Menendez (D-N.J.), sidelined after he was indicted on federal corruption charges, blocked the jet sale due to Ankara’s aggression against its neighbors and internal repression. But he’s only one piece of the puzzle; the U.S. can’t sell the warplanes without buy-in from the top Republicans and Democrats on the foreign policy panels in both chambers.And there is still plenty of opposition on both sides of Capitol Hill.https://d27855d45afcb05261eb4b7d864f28c6.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html“I’m reading the tea leaves, and he was one of the four that was still kind of holding out, so I think it’s more likely it’s going to be approved — but Sweden’s got to be admitted to NATO,” McCaul (R-Texas) said in a brief interview. “We’re saying...

EU and US leaders set for October 20 summit

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

A high-level meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to be held on October 20 in Washington, a U.S. administration official said. The last official EU-U.S. summit took place in June 2021, although Biden did attend a meeting of EU leaders in March 2022. Brussels and Washington have been closely cooperating since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February last year, with the transatlantic relationship seemingly back on track after the tumultuous Donald Trump years.Still, the two sides are working to hammer out transatlantic differences, most notably on trade policy. Brussels and Washington want to find a deal on critical minerals for the EU to be granted certain exemptions in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, which foresees billions in green technology subsidies for North American businesses. The EU and the U.S. also hope to resolve a long-runnin...

Brookline police make arrest in July home invasion case that involved masked suspects

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

Police in Brookline say two individuals were arrested in connection with a home invasion that left a resident wounded and officers searching for “multiple masked suspects.”In a statement to 7NEWS, the police department said two people had been arrested and were facing multiple charges for a home invasion that happened on Warren Street back on July 18.At the time, authorities said multiple masked suspects were able to force their way through the balcony of a home’s second floor while the residents, two brothers, were sleeping inside.One of the brothers, a 61 year old, was assaulted and left with a laceration wound to the head. Police indicated there was also evidence a gun had been fired at one point.As an investigation got underway, Brookline PD released images of two masked individuals, including video of a suspect approaching a camera and attempting to cover it.Two months later, Brookline police said two individuals were arrested early Wednesday morning and arraigned a...

Tax Package Sails Through House 155-1

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

Representatives nearly unanimously embraced a compromise tax relief bill Wednesday, one day after the final contours of the long-awaited deal became clear.The House voted 155-1 to accept a conference committee report that would roll out a bevy of tax breaks, credits and reforms worth $561 million this year and more than $1 billion by fiscal year 2027. Rep. Mike Connolly, a Cambridge Democrat who opposed the original legislation the House approved in April, cast the only no vote.Several Democrats and Republicans spoke in favor of the measure before approving it Wednesday, describing it as a way to address both affordability concerns that many residents face and growing concerns that Massachusetts is not as competitive as other states.No one voiced any outright opposition during Wednesday’s session to the bill, which also reshapes a pair of voter-approved tax policies.House Republicans previously criticized a piece of the package that replaces the existing rebate syste...

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio returns from record-setting mission in space

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

(CNN) — Record-breaking NASA astronaut Frank Rubio has finally returned to Earth, feeling the pull of the planet’s gravity for the first time in more than a year.Rubio and his two Russian colleagues — cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin — parachuted to a landing in Kazakhstan aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-23 capsule at 5:17 p.m. local time (7:17 a.m. ET) on Wednesday.The crew’s arrival marked the end of a long — and unexpected — journey for Rubio, who had been slated to spend only six months aboard the International Space Station. He instead logged a total of 371 days in space following the discovery of a coolant leak coming from his original ride while docked to the orbiting outpost.Rubio’s stay set a new record for the longest a US astronaut has ever spent in microgravity. He also became the first American to log an entire calendar year in orbit.His record-breaking mission also marked other notable firsts for Rubio: This was his first journey to space after being sel...

With government shutdown looming, Carter library moves up birthday celebration for 39th president

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

(CNN) — The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum has moved up planned festivities for the former president’s 99th birthday amid the possibility of a government shutdown by the end of the week.Some events will now be held on Saturday instead of Sunday, the Carter library said. Although activities remain scheduled for Sunday, absent a breakthrough in negotiations in the House of Representatives, government funding is set to expire at the end of the day on Saturday, September 30 – a day before Jimmy Carter’s birthday. A shutdown could affect some of the country’s most beloved treasures such as museums and national parks and some presidential libraries would close, according to the National Archives and Records Administration’s plans.Tony Clark, the director of public affairs at The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, told CNN that although some aspects of the Carter library share spaces with the nonprofit Carter Center, some of it would be clo...

‘Wedding became a graveyard.’ At least 100 killed as fire rips through party in Iraq

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

(CNN) — A fire tore through a wedding hall in Qaraqosh in northern Iraq on Tuesday, killing at least 100 people and injuring 150 others, prompting anger at the lack of safety measures at the venue.Fireworks were set off at the venue in the Hamdaniya district of northeast Nineveh governorate, the Iraqi Civil Defense said, and an investigative committee was formed to identify the cause of the incident.“The hall did not meet safety criteria. Because of the fireworks the ceiling collapsed on the people in the hall,” Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari told reporters on Wednesday.“Justice will be served to those who were negligent,” Al-Shammari added.Nine people were arrested following the fire, the Iraqi interior minister spokesperson Khalid al-Muhanna told CNN. Arrest warrants have been issued for another four, Al-Muhanna said.There were 1,300 guests when the blaze broke out, the Iraqi Joint Operations Command Spokesperson Major General Pilot Tahseen Al Khafaji told CNN.The g...

Fun and interesting things to do in the Cancun Hotel Zone

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

Mark Chesnut | TravelPulse (TNS)With its stunning white-sand beaches and clear turquoise waters, the Cancun Hotel Zone has been a vacation hot spot for decades.And while the sand, sea and spectacular array of beachfront hotels may get most of the attention, this sun-soaked strip of Caribbean coast is also home to a variety of interesting attractions, restaurants, nightlife and shopping areas, making it an especially fun place to explore.The beauty of Cancun’s Hotel Zone is that everything is nearby, making it easier for visitors to spend more time enjoying and less time traveling. Rather than relying on private transportation and pricey taxis on long rides, vacationers staying in Cancun can take a quick car ride, hop on a public bus or even stroll to nearby attractions and restaurants. Here are some of the top activities that await in the Hotel Zone.Chichen Itza and Tulum may be some of the Yucatan peninsula’s most legendary Mayan ruins, but travelers without the time or budget to v...

Column: Chicago Cubs’ blown game in Atlanta is a blast from the past — the 1998 Brant Brown ‘Oh, no!’ drop

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

Seiya Suzuki’s missed eighth–inning fly ball that sent the Chicago Cubs to a crushing 7-6 loss Tuesday will no doubt go down in infamy.The immediate reaction from Cubs fans watching at home was one of horror, as many flashed back to a similar play on Sept. 23, 1998, at County Stadium in Milwaukee.Like Suzuki, Cubs outfielder Brant Brown had been a key player in their wild-card race. But when a fly ball by Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Geoff Jenkins bounced off his glove with two outs in the ninth inning, bringing home three runs in an 8-7, walk-off loss, Brown felt like his world caved in.“Basically my whole philosophy all year, no matter if I’m starting or coming off the bench, is just to try to contribute,” Brown said that day. “Today wasn’t the best contribution. You just have to go on. Life goes on. It’s not the worst thing that’s ever going to happen to me. Hopefully it is, but you know, it’s just something tha...

The readers have spoken: Brooks Robinson’s fielding clinic in 1970 is Orioles’ top postseason moment

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:52 GMT

The Orioles have been creating postseason memories for more than half a century. With the team poised to make more in 2023, here’s a look back at the most magical moments in franchise history, ranked according to votes received from Baltimore Sun readers in a Sept. 19-25 online poll. No surprisingly Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, who died Tuesday after voting was complete, topped the voting for his wizardry in the field.1) 1970: Brooks Robinson puts on a clinic at third base281 votes in Sun online pollMoments after the Orioles defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 9-3, in Game 5 to win the 1970 World Series, the Baseball Hall of Fame asks for third baseman Brooks Robinson’s glove. Small wonder. His backhand stabs, diving catches and off-balance pegs foil the Reds and earn Robinson MVP honors. Fittingly, in the final game, he throws out the last batter.“I never saw a man dominate a single event like Robinson in [that Series],” baseball commissioner Bo...