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US defense contractors want deeper cooperation with Taiwan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:25 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A delegation of United States defense contractors and a former senior leader of the U.S. Marine Corps pledged the beginning of deeper cooperation with Taiwan on Wednesday.Taiwan has faced increasing pressure from China in the years since Tsai Ing-wen was elected president. China, which claims the island as its territory, has poached Taiwan’s diplomatic allies and sent military planes and ships toward the island on a near-daily basis. It also held large-scale drills modeling a blockade and simulated strikes on important targets on the island twice within the past year.Speaking at a public forum in Taiwan’s capital Taipei, retired Lt. Gen. Steven Rudder said the U.S. wants to be part of the defense capabilities of Taiwan and improve the supply chain resilience of the island. He also emphasized how critical the island’s position is for security. “For the Asia-Pacific, I would offer there’s not another more important area in the world to maintain peace,...

Writers strike looks to be a long fight, as Hollywood braces

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:25 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hollywood writers picketing to preserve pay and job security outside major studios and streamers braced for a long fight at the outbreak of a strike that immediately forced late-night shows into hiatus, put other productions on pause and had the entire industry slowing its roll. The first Hollywood strike in 15 years commenced Tuesday as the 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America stopped working when their contract expired. The union is seeking higher minimum pay, more writers per show and less exclusivity on single projects, among other demands — all conditions it says have been diminished in the content boom of the streaming era. “Everything’s changed, but the money has changed in the wrong direction,” said Kelly Galuska, 39, a writer for “ The Bear ” on FX and “Big Mouth” on Netflix, who picketed at Fox Studios in Los Angeles with her 3-week-old daughter. “It’s a turning point in the industry right now. And if we don’t get back to even...

Washington state to decriminalize drugs unless lawmakers act

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:25 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is calling lawmakers back to work after they rejected a bill setting out a new statewide drug policy — a development that has put the state on the brink of decriminalizing possession of fentanyl and other drugs while also depriving it of much-needed investments in public health.Lawmakers adjourned their regular session late last month after voting down a bill that would keep drug possession illegal and boost services for people struggling with addiction. Many liberal Democrats objected to criminalizing drugs, while conservative Democrats and Republicans insisted they must be to provide incentive for people to enter treatment.Inslee has called that unacceptable, and on Tuesday he set a special legislative session beginning May 16 to give them another chance.“Cities and counties are eager to see a statewide policy that balances accountability and treatment, and I believe we can produce a bipartisan bill that does just that,” Inslee said....

Video shows woman nearly attacked at Subway sandwich in Culver City

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:25 GMT

Surveillance cameras captured the frightening moments a woman was being harassed and threatened by an apparent homeless man who followed her into a Subway sandwich shop, where store employees watched the incident unfold without attempting to help her.  The incident occurred in mid-March, at around 3 p.m., at a Subway sandwich location in Culver City.  A nurse from Long Beach, Halima Othman, said she first spotted the man outside the store on Sepulveda Boulevard, near Venice Boulevard, about a block away from a homeless encampment under the freeway overpass.  “This man says some things to me and then he starts talking about a hitman, I owe him money, he called me Carol or something, and I was like, ‘This man is deranged,’” Othman told KTLA.  When she went into the Subway to order food, she noticed that the man had followed her inside the store.  “So, I’m backing up into a corner and I'm like, ‘What do you want from me? I don’t have anything for you.’ He’s calling ...

Teen killed in South Los Angeles shooting, family seeks justice

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:25 GMT

A grieving family is pleading for justice after a 19-year-old girl was shot and killed in South Los Angeles while heading home from work.Loved ones of Jazmin Green said she was an innocent victim caught in the crossfire of a gang shooting on April 24.Green was parking her car on the 10400 block of South San Pedro Street when a vehicle pulled up and shots were fired at her. She was transported to the hospital where she later died.Her family is devastated and is asking the city to put up reward money to track down the suspects responsible for the girl's death. A press conference was held on Tuesday where loved ones are pleading for anyone with information to speak up and help bring justice."She loved helping people,” said Green’s mother. “That's what she loved doing."Jazmin Green in a family photo.Jazmin Green in a family photo.Loved ones honor 19-year-old Jazmin Green at Southside Bethel Baptist Church in South Los Angeles on May 2, 2023. (KTLA)Loved ones honor 19-year-old Jazmin Gre...

Athletics pull Mason Miller with a no-hitter, lose 2-1 to Mariners

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:25 GMT

OAKLAND — Manager Mark Kotsay bypassed going for a moment of glory on behalf of rookie starter Mason Miller Tuesday night and the result was predictable agony.Miller, 24, was lifted after a 1-2-3 seventh inning with a 1-0 lead against the Seattle Mariners. He had thrown 100 pitches with six strikeouts and four walks. Left-hander Richard Lovelady and right-hander Jeurys Familia couldn’t hold it, however, and the A’s fell 2-1 before a crowd of 2,583, the smallest of the season.There would be no two-game win streak for the first time this season.There would be no win for an A’s starting pitcher for the first time this season.Instead, the A’s fell to 6-24, with Seattle improving to 13-16 and getting a stellar performance from their own rookie Miller. Bryce Miller, making his major league debut, gave up just two hits and one earned run in six innings with no walks and 10 strikeouts.As difficult as it was to take Mason Miller out of the game, Kotsay’s r...

Pardon frees more than 2,100 Myanmar political prisoners

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:25 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s ruling military council on Wednesday said it was releasing more than 2,100 political prisoners as a humanitarian gesture. Thousands more remain imprisoned on charges generally involving nonviolent protests or criticism of military rule, which began when the army seized power in February 2021 from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.State-run MRTV television reported that the head of Myanmar’s military council, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, had pardoned 2,153 prisoners on the most important Buddhist holy day of the year, marking the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha.The releases began Wednesday, but may take a few days to be completed. The identities of those released were not immediately available, but would not include Suu Kyi, who is serving a prison term of 33 years on more than a dozen charges her supporters say were trumped up by the military.According to an official announcement on state media, all of the prisoners granted pardon on Wednes...

Quarterbacks come off board at record rate in NFL draft

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:25 GMT

The Brock Purdy impact was in full effect in this year’s NFL draft.A year after the San Francisco 49ers found their starting quarterback with the final pick of the draft, teams were far more aggressive when it came to drafting quarterbacks in the later rounds.Three quarterbacks went in the fourth round for the second time in the past 10 drafts and four quarterbacks went in round five for the first time since 2002. That led to a record 12 QBs going in the first five rounds for the first time ever in the common draft era that started in 1967. The previous high was 11 in 1995. The run on QBs started early with Bryce Young going first to Carolina and C.J. Stroud going second to Houston — marking the ninth time quarterbacks went 1-2 in the common draft era, with five of those coming in the last 12 drafts.Indianapolis then took Anthony Richardson fourth, marking the fourth time that three quarterbacks were taken with the first four picks.Things slowed down from there with Will Levis...

Gourde gets OT goal, Kraken beat Stars despite Pavs’ 4 goals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:25 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — Yanni Gourde scored 12:17 into overtime with a quick shot after regathering a loose puck and the Seattle Kraken beat Dallas 5-4 in Game 1 of their second-round series Tuesday night, even as Joe Pavelski scored all four Stars goals in his return to their lineup. Gourde was on the edge of the circle to the left of the Dallas net when he tried to send a pass to a teammate on the blue line to reset. The puck instead ricocheted off Evgenii Dadonov, and Gourde quickly whipped around for a shot that went into a small gap to the left of goalie Jake Oettinger for the game-winner.Pavelski, at 38 years and 295 days old, became the oldest player ever with a four-goal game in the NHL playoffs. It came in in his 170th postseason game — he is one of only five players with that many without winning a Stanley Cup — and after he had missed the last five games in the first round while in concussion protocol.The second-year Kraken got goals from five different players after 15 different p...

Harper 0 for 4 in return, Urías helps Dodgers top Phils 13-1

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:25 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bryce Harper went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in his return to the Phillies just 160 days after Tommy John surgery, and Philadelphia lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 13-1 on Tuesday night as Julio Urías allowed one hit and struck out 10 in seven innings.Harper, a two-time NL MVP, was activated from the injured list and was the designated hitter.When Harper had surgery on Nov. 23, the Phillies said he was expected to return around the All-Star break in mid-July. He was cleared to play after an appointment with Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Monday morning.Miguel Vargas had four hits as the Dodgers scored 13 runs for the second straight night and set a season high with 17 hits.Urías had sixth double-digit strikeout game of his big league career as he mostly silenced a Phillies’ offense that entered third in the majors with a .271 batting average. The only hit the left-hander allowed was a home run to Trea Turner to lead off the fourth inning. Turner was with the Dodg...