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National Zoo to hold ‘Panda Palooza’ before bears leave for China

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:53 GMT

The D.C. area is getting ready to say goodbye to three giant panda bears before they leave for China — and the National Zoo is preparing to send them off in style.The party to celebrate the bears is being called none other than the “Panda Palooza.”Those fond of the bears are invited to join the celebration which includes a nine-day series of events in honor of 25-year-old Mei Xiang, 26-year-old Tian Tian and 3-year-old Xiao Qi Ji.Mei Xiang and Tian Tian came to the zoo in 2000 as part of an agreement between the zoo and China Wildlife and Conservation Association.They were only meant to stay for 10 years, but the agreement with China was extended several times.The palooza will run from Sept. 23 to Oct. 1.“Millions have connected with and grown up loving Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cubs by visiting us in Washington, D.C., and watching our Giant Panda Cam,” said Brandie Smith, the John and Adrienne Mars director of Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conser...

A Trump backer has a narrow lead in Utah’s congressional primary, buoyed by strong rural support

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:53 GMT

With strong backing from Utah’s rural voters, Donald Trump supporter Celeste Maloy held a slim lead in a Republican special congressional primary — but the race was still too early to call Wednesday.Whoever triumphs in the GOP primary will be heavily favored to win November’s general election, and the race has thrown a spotlight on the rural-urban divide among Republicans in the sprawling district, which encompasses large swathes of southern and western Utah as well as northern Salt Lake City. Many votes had yet to be counted, with thousands of mail-in votes expected to come in over the next two weeks.Becky Edwards, a former state lawmaker who’s been critical of Trump, was leading in two urban counties. But Maloy, who was chief legal counsel to U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, had the overall edge with support from rural areas. Stewart is stepping down next week because his wife is ill.Maloy, who has a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Southern Utah University and once...

Texas AG Ken Paxton’s affair explains his illegal acts, former aide testifies at impeachment trial

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:53 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — An extramarital affair Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had with a donor’s employee helped connect the dots about why the Republican was using his power in ways that are now at the center of his impeachment trial on accusations of corruption, a former top aide testified Wednesday. “It answered that ‘why’ question,” said Jeff Mateer, who was Paxton’s second-in-command at the Texas attorney general’s office.The account by Mateer, who went on to report Paxton to the FBI in 2020 over accusations of abuse of office, quickly injected Paxton’s acknowledged affair into the historic impeachment trial — the gravest threat to Paxton’s political career after years of criminal charges and alleged scandal. At the center of the case are accusations that Texas’ top lawyer wrongfully used his power to help Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, one of his political supporters who was under FBI investigation at the time and was arrested this ...

The heat’s on Ireland at the Rugby World Cup. Time to get used to being a title favorite

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:53 GMT

The Ireland squad prepared for the sweltering temperatures of western France. Now to deal with the unfamiliar heat of being a Rugby World Cup title favorite.Never has an Ireland team been so highly rated or so highly ranked heading into the showpiece, and while a 14-month run at No. 1 in the world shows an extended period of excellence that can’t be denied, it’s make or break now.You don’t want that to be all for nothing.“We’ve been building nicely during the summer,” fullback Hugo Keenan said on Wednesday. “We’ve been preparing for this not only in this preseason block, but for the last couple of years as well. So, we’re ready for it.”Ireland has never made it past the quarterfinals at a World Cup, and has lost at that stage the last three times. Anything less than winning this tournament will likely be viewed as a bitter disappointment.That’s a pretty big leap, but nothing this Ireland team isn’t capable of making after an historic come-from-behind se...

WeWork, shortly after warning about its future, seeks to renegotiate nearly all of its leases

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:53 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — WeWork said Wednesday it will attempt to renegotiate nearly all of its leases and may exit some properties, an announcement coming just weeks after the workspace-sharing company sounded the alarm over its ability to remain in business.The New York City company must reduce its operating costs — notably its current lease liabilities, which “remain too high and are dramatically out of step with current market conditions,” WeWork Interim CEO David Tolley said in a statement published on the company’s website.WeWork’s lease liabilities accounted for more than two-thirds of its operating expenses for the second quarter of this year, Tolley said. As of June 30, WeWork had 777 locations in 39 countries.“We will seek to negotiate terms with our landlords that allow WeWork to maintain our unmatched quality of service and global network, in a financially sustainable manner,” Tolley wrote — adding that the company expects to exit “unfit and underperforming loca...

Pakistan shuts key crossing into Afghanistan after border guards exchange fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:53 GMT

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan closed a key northwestern border crossing with Afghanistan after border guards from the two sides exchanged fire Wednesday, while elsewhere near the border in northern Pakistan clashes killed four Pakistani soldiers and 12 militants, authorities said.Separately, mortar fire hit a house in Pakistan near the Afghan border, killing five Pakistanis— a mother and her four children. It was not immediately clear who fired the mortar and police were investigating the attack in the North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local authorities said. Militants often target security forces deployed in the region with mortars, which also has caused civilian casualties in recent years.The exchange of fire across the border also took place in the province, in the town of Torkham, and it was not immediately clear what prompted the gunfire, said Nasrullah Khan, an official in Torkham. He said Pakistani government and military officials were in contact...

Louisville, FCS Murray State seek 2-0 starts as in-state rivals meet, with Cardinals winning last 6

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:53 GMT

Murray State (1-0) at Louisville (1-0), Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ACC)Line: Louisville by 40 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: Louisville leads 14-6.WHAT’S AT STAKE?Both teams seek 2-0 starts after impressive opening victories. The host Cardinals overcame a 28-13 halftime deficit to win their ACC opener 39-34 over Georgia Tech in Jeff Brohm’s coaching debut. The Racers routed Presbyterian 41-10 and seek their first win over an FBS school since beating Louisville in 1984 under Hall of Famer Frank Beamer.KEY MATCHUPMurray State’s passing game vs. Louisville’s pass defense. DJ Williams and newcomer Eric Phoenix each surpassed 100 yards with a touchdown apiece against Presbyterian as the Racers totaled 253 yards. The Cardinals yielded 313 yards to the Yellow Jackets but clamped down to hold Tech to 109 yards passing after halftime and just 2 in the third quarter. Ramon Puryear’s first-quarter interception set up a field goal and Dezmond Tell’s strip sack led to an insura...

Ya son 27 los muertos por el paso de un ciclón en Brasil

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:53 GMT

(CNN) — Las autoridades de Brasil informaron que el número de muertos por el ciclón aumentó a por lo menos 27 personas en los estados de Rio Grande do Sul y Santa Catarina.Según el Ministerio de Desarrollo Social (MDS), al menos 50 municipios de los dos estados del sur se han visto afectados, y la ciudad de Muçum, en Rio Grande do Sul, tiene el 80% de sus estructuras bajo el agua.Trayectoria del huracán Jova: a dónde se dirige y qué estados y países amenazaEl MDS indicó que una delegación del Gobierno federal visitará la zona este miércoles. Añadió que la tormenta seguirá afectando a la región el resto de la semana.Este miércoles, el servicio regional de defensa civil emitió una alerta de inundaciones en torno al río Jacuí y el delta del Jacuí.¿Hacia dónde se dirige la tormenta tropical Lee y qué islas del Caribe impactaría?“La situación es crítica”, dijo el ministro del MDS, Wellington Dias, en X. Añadió que, junto con otros departamentos, el MDS ha estado “...

Doug Ford accepts Steve Clark’s resignation, announces review but allows Greenbelt development to proceed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:53 GMT

By: Rachel Morgan, Local Journalism Initiative ReporterFollowing Steve Clark’s resignation Monday as Ontario’s housing minister, opposition parties and environmental advocacy organizations sounded the alarm: The move, they warn, should not distract from Doug Ford’s behaviour and his failure to protect the Greenbelt.The embattled premier on Tuesday said his government will review all Greenbelt land proposals, but simultaneously refused to stop development processes from moving forward. His latest reaction to the province-wide backlash over his decision to open 7,400 acres of the Greenbelt for sprawling subdivisions has left critics questioning the value of the promised review, if Ford won’t halt all work that would lead to the bulldozing of formerly protected Greenbelt lands. He continues to fail, they say, to take any concrete action on the dubious process that led to the removal of 15 parcels of land from the Greenbelt, creating an estimated $8.3 billion of value for prominent deve...

Tiny home builder who owes $6M spent lavishly before bankruptcy, federal report says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:53 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- An Englewood man who owes 189 home buyers $6 million for tiny homes they never received, spent money in some very curious ways according to a trustee assigned by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Denver.Matthew Sowash, the man behind Holy Ground Tiny Homes and Revelations in Christ Ministries filed bankruptcy on Oct. 7, 2022. From October: Tiny home builder under criminal investigation, declares bankruptcy Numerous customers told the Problem Solvers they paid for tiny homes they never received.An 81-page report filed Friday found the non-profit spent more than $400,000 to purchase and repair race cars and other vehicles, plus more than $35,000 on real estate in Colorado and Alaska and $32,000 on meals.The purchases happened between October 2020 and August 2022, the same time the company was collecting deposits from tiny home buyers for homes that often were never delivered.In the first half of 2022, Holy Ground spent $55,000 on "extraordinary travel-related expenses" t...