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Russia will extend Ukraine grain deal for 60 days – not 120

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:53 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — On the eve of the expiration of a deal enabling Ukraine to export grain, the United Nations’ humanitarian chief on Friday called its extension crucial to ensuring global food supplies and keeping prices from spiraling as they did after Russia’s invasion of its smaller neighbor. Russia’s U.N. ambassador reiterated that Moscow is ready to extend the deal — but only for 60 days, just half the 120 days in the agreement.Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia’s briefing to the U.N. Security Council, reiterating what a Russian delegation told senior U.N. officials at a meeting in Geneva on Monday, reinforced the Kremlin’s insistence on reducing the duration of the deal to hold out for changes on how the package is working.The U.N. and Turkey brokered the deal between the warring countries last July that allows Ukraine — one of the world’s key breadbaskets — to ship food and fertilizer from three of its Black Sea ports. A separate memorandum of understanding between the United...

Tejano musician Fito Olivares dies in Houston at 75

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:53 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Tejano musician Fito Olivares, known for songs that were wedding and quinceanera mainstays including the hit “Juana La Cubana,” died Friday. He was 75.The noted saxophonist died in the morning at home in Houston, according to his wife, Griselda Olivares. She said he was diagnosed with cancer last year.Born Rodolfo Olivares in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas on April 19, 1947, Fito Olivares started playing professionally in his teens. In 1980, he and his brothers formed Olivares y su Grupo La Pura Sabrosura and moved to Houston.Other tunes he is known for include “Aguita de Melon,” “El Chicle” and “El Colesterol.” In addition to playing the saxophone, he also played accordion, wrote songs and occasionally sang, his wife said.Griselda Olivares said the family was seeing a lot of support from fans on social media. “They played the music all over the world,” she said.Among those posting tributes was Ed Gonzalez, the sheriff for Harris County, where Houston is locate...

Canada’s women’s soccer team suffers setback ahead of World Cup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:53 GMT

Canada’s World Cup hopes took a body blow Friday with news that Janine Beckie has been sidelined by a torn anterior cruciate in her right knee.Beckie was taken off on a stretcher in the 19th minute of the Portland Thorns’ 4-1 home pre-season win Wednesday over the U.S. women’s under-23 team.“Heartbroken is an understatement,” Beckie wrote in a Twitter post Friday.“Having worked so hard during the off-season for what was set to be one of the biggest seasons of my career, defending the title for Portland Thorns and of course playing in the World Cup for Canada, being out for an extended period of time is a difficult pill to swallow.”The 28-year-old winger will have surgery in the coming weeks to repair the season-ending injury, the Thorns said in a statement.That rules Beckie out of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.Olympic champion Canada, ranked sixth in the world, is slated to kick off its World Cup campaign July 20 against Nigeria...

New Mexico opts for veto power on spent nuclear fuel debate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:53 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An effort to keep spent nuclear fuel produced by commercial U.S. nuclear power plants from being shipped to New Mexico cleared its final legislative hurdle Friday, and Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham intends to sign the measure.The New Mexico House voted 35-28 in favor of the bill after a lengthy debate. Five Democrats joined Republicans in opposition, arguing that the bill would challenge longstanding federal authority over nuclear safety matters and lead to new court challenges.The bill from Democratic state Sen. Jeff Steinborn, of Las Cruces, would impact a proposed multibillion-dollar facility in southeastern New Mexico that would have the capacity to temporarily store up to 8,680 metric tons of used uranium fuel. Future expansion could make room for as many as 10,000 canisters of spent fuel over six decades.The Nuclear Regulatory Commission may announce a decision soon on whether to grant a license for the project spearheaded by Holtec Internatio...

Officials are preparing security in case of Trump indictment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:53 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Law enforcement officials in New York are making security preparations for the possibility that former President Donald Trump could be indicted in the coming weeks and appear in a Manhattan courtroom in an investigation examining hush money paid to women who alleged sexual encounters with him, four law enforcement officials said Friday.There has been no public announcement of any timeframe for the grand jury’s secret work, including any potential vote on whether to indict the ex-president. The law enforcement officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said authorities are just preparing in case of an indictment. They described the conversations as preliminary and are considering security, planning and the practicalities of a potential court appearance by a former president. Trump’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, told The Associated Press that if Trump is indicted, “we will follow the normal proced...

SpaceX sets launch record with sunset liftoff from Canaveral

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:53 GMT

Richard Tribou | Orlando SentinelSpaceX sent up its 14th rocket from the Space Coast this year with a sunset launch Friday just hours after its sent up a Falcon 9 in California setting a record turnaround time for Elon Musk’s company.The second Falcon 9 launch carrying two satellites for Luxembourg-based communications company SES lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:38 p.m.Watch Falcon 9 launch @SES_Satellites’ SES-18 and SES-19 to orbit → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK https://t.co/wH9as8fIN6— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 17, 2023The SES 18 and SES 19 satellites built by Northrop Grumman will add to SES’s C-band television and data services for the United States. SES has been a common SpaceX customer including becoming its first commercial payload in 2013, and the first to fly on a reused booster in 2017.The first-stage booster for this mission flew for the sixth time and was recovered once again on the SpaceX drone ship Just Read the Instruc...

Historic Albany building renamed for former Gov. Paterson

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:53 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Former New York Gov. David Paterson was celebrated Friday in a ceremony to rename an historic Albany building in his honor.The building is close to the state Capitol and is home to the War Room Tavern. The 55th governor took office 15 years ago on March 17 to succeed Eliot Spitzer. He lead New York through the 2008 economic recession. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The former governor said he was excited to return to the Capital Region for the dedication ceremony."It's amazing to come back here now to look back at all the things that happened in my life; how they led me to this," he said.When Gov. Paterson took office, he became the first Black and first legally blind governor in New York's history.

Here's why the ‘too big to fail’ banks bailed out First Republic

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:53 GMT

A consortium of 11 giant banks that are ostensibly in competition with one another came together Thursday to bail out one of their own, the California-based First Republic, in order to help stabilize the teetering U.S. financial system.The $30 billion transfer to First Republic by banks including JPMorgan, Citigroup and other banking juggernauts that were deemed “too big to fail” in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis is spurring a flight of deposits away from smaller lenders.It is also raising eyebrows about the relationship between Wall Street and the federal government.The private-sector rescue came just days after a public-sector bailout of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Reserve and Treasury Department. In that deal, taxpayer money is being used to backstop a federal line of credit extended to ailing banks.Administration officials maintain the move to save First Republic was done at the initiative of th...

PHOTOS: Round one of NCAA Tournament March Madness at Ball Arena in Denver

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:53 GMT

March Madness comes to Denver as Ball Arena hosts four first-round games of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament on Friday, March 17. Two second-round games will also be played on Sunday.Related ArticlesCollege Sports | Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner drops 31 on N.C. State, helps Jays advance to NCAA Tournament 2nd round College Sports | Scott Drew, Baylor roll UC-Santa Barbara 74-56 in NCAA Tournament opener thanks to dominant second half College Sports | March Madness at Ball Arena: Grand Canyon’s Bryce Drew gets by with a little help from his brother College Sports | Kiszla: We need to see Gonzaga hoops in Colorado on the regular, as member of Pac-12 Conference College Sports | PHOTOS: NCAA Tournament practice sessions begin at Ball Arena as March Madness comes to Denver Jalen Bridges (11) of the Baylor Bears throws a pass as Evans Kipruto (12) of the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos defends d...

Denver Referred Question 2M: Removing 100-year-old criteria for zoning challenges and variances

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:53 GMT

The ballot question:Shall the Charter of the City and County of Denver be amended concerning zoning to remove existing Charter language regarding the Board of Adjustment and require that the procedures for appeals, variances, and exceptions from the zoning code be addressed in city ordinance instead of in the charter?What it does:This measure would erase a big chunk of the city charter that establishes the Board of Adjustment and Zoning and its authority to hear and make decisions around zoning variances requested by Denver residents and builders.It replaces that with a much shorter section that empower the City Council to provide a process and criteria for filing appeals and granting variances and exceptions to the city’s zoning code.RELATED: The Denver Post voter guide……What proponents are saying:This is one of two “good governance” measures that the City Council referred to the April 4 ballot along with another proposed change to the way zoning chall...