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Tim Scott suspends presidential run

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:18:42 GMT

The only sitting U.S. Senator to throw his hat into the presidential race has suspended his campaign for the White House.U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, the two-term junior senator from South Carolina, announced late Sunday that he would no longer actively seek the Republican party nomination.“Tonight, I suspended my campaign for president. Traveling this country and meeting all of you has been one of the most fantastic experiences of my entire life. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. God Bless the United States of America,” he said via the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.Tonight, I suspended my campaign for president.Traveling this country and meeting all of you has been one of the most fantastic experiences of my entire life.From the bottom of my heart, thank you.God Bless the United States of America. pic.twitter.com/yniJWQMW1N— Tim Scott (@votetimscott) November 13, 2023 The end of Scott’s long-shot bid for the nomination comes a couple of weeks after former...

San Diego police investigating deadly crash into Cricket Wireless store

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:18:42 GMT

SAN DIEGO — San Diego police are investigating after a car crashed into a Cricket Wireless store in Otay Mesa early Monday, leaving one person dead.Around 4:11 a.m., authorities were alerted to the collision involving a structure at the corner of Coronado Avenue and Beyer Boulevard, just east of the Interstate 5.For reasons unknown, a Toyota sedan veered off the road and up over the sidewalk, coming to a rest after going through the side of the Cricket store.One person who was inside the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene, San Diego police confirmed. It is unknown if any other individuals were in the car at the time of the crash.The store suffered significant damage as a result of the crash, but an estimate has not been determined.As of 6:30 a.m., road closures along eastbound Coronado Avenue and Beyer Boulevard had been implemented near the site of the crash for SDPD's on-scene investigation.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Military youth group's equipment lost after thefts at Camp Pendleton

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:18:42 GMT

SAN DIEGO — A military youth group had thousands of dollars worth of equipment stolen from Camp Pendleton in at least two incidents between September and October, officials with the base confirmed.Several items belonging to the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps were stolen from the base between Sept. 29 and Oct. 29. The Sea Cadet Corps is a non-profit youth development program that trains children ages 10 to 18 in basic military skills, such as sailing, aviation and robotics.The items that were stolen from the base were not disclosed by Camp Pendleton officials. 5 US service members killed in military helicopter crash over the Mediterranean However, parents said in a GoFundMe set up to help replace the stolen items that the unit lost about $3,000 worth of "training equipment and uniforms" that were funded by annual enrollment fees. Without the items, parents say the cadets in the program are unable to "train (on base or) attend nationwide training."In a statement to FOX 5, Camp Pendleto...

Nepal bans TikTok and says it disrupts social harmony

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:18:42 GMT

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s government decided to ban the popular social media app TikTok on Monday, saying it was disrupting “social harmony” in the country. The announcement was made following a Cabinet meeting. Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud said the app would be banned immediately. “The government has decided to ban TikTok as it was necessary to regulate the use of the social media platform that was disrupting social harmony, goodwill and flow of indecent materials,” Saud said.He said that to make social media platforms accountable, the government has asked the companies to register and open a liaison office in Nepal, pay taxes and abide by the country’s laws and regulations. It wasn’t clear what triggered the ban or if TikTok had refused to comply with Nepal’s requests. The company did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, has faced scrutiny in a number of countries because of concerns that Beijing ...

What should donors learn from Ibram X. Kendi’s problems at Boston University?

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:18:42 GMT

The award-winning author and academic Ibram X. Kendi has been a lightning rod for public discourse since publishing his book “How to Be an Antiracist” in 2019. But in September, the praise and criticism reached new intensity when Boston University acknowledged layoffs at the center he runs there along with a change to its operating model. The news prompted former colleagues and current collaborators to publicly question the BU Center for Antiracist Research’s ability to deliver on the promises it had made to funders. In news reports and op-eds, some former colleagues said too much power was concentrated in Kendi’s hands. People and organizations that oppose racial equity piled on. Earlier this month, the university said an initial inquiry found no issues with how the center managed its finances. Acknowledging the layoffs in September, the university and Kendi said it was not financially sustainable to conduct research and develop programs with its own employees, despite having...

Police fatally shoot 17-year-old during traffic stop in North Dakota’s Bismarck

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:18:42 GMT

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Police shot and killed a 17-year-old early Sunday during a traffic stop in a mall parking lot in Bismarck, North Dakota, while investigating the teen for a reported shooting.Police responded about 12:15 a.m. Sunday to gunfire in the area, according to a news release. Officers determined a shooting occurred near a hotel. Police subsequently began investigating 17-year-old Nicholas Bruington, of Bismarck.About 1:50 a.m., officers stopped a vehicle in which Bruington was a passenger, near the Scheels sporting goods store in the Kirkwood Mall parking lot. Police said Bruington “had a firearm and did not follow commands.”It wasn’t immediately clear whether Bruington pointed the gun at police. None of the officers were injured.Three officers shot at Bruington. Officers performed life-saving procedures until Bruington was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the shooting, per the pol...

Amtrak service north of NYC disrupted by structural issues with parking garage over tracks

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:18:42 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Amtrak service north of New York City was disrupted Monday because of structural issues with a parking garage that’s over the tracks on Manhattan’s west side, officials said.Service between the city and the Croton-Harmon station in Westchester County was halted Sunday after structural problems were discovered at the parking garage on West 51st Street.Amtrak said passengers traveling between New York City and Croton-Harmon could take Metro-North, which is honoring Amtrak tickets.Amtrak spokesperson Jason Abrams said railroad officials don’t know when full service will be restored.New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Sunday that city engineers were dispatched to the parking garage to assess the situation.“We are working closely with Amtrak and other transit partners to protect public safety and maintain regular communication with riders,” Adams said on X, formerly Twitter.New York City officials stepped up the inspection of parking garages after a thre...

2 accused of running high-end brothel network in Massachusetts and Virginia are due in court

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:18:42 GMT

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A man and woman accused of operating a commercial sex ring with wealthy and prominent clients in Massachusetts and the Washington, D.C., suburbs are set to appear in court Monday. Junmyung Lee, of Dedham, Massachusetts, and Han Lee, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, are scheduled to appear in federal court in Worcester, Massachusetts, for a detention hearing, where a judge will weigh whether they should remain behind bars while they await trial. They were arrested last week when investigators busted the network of brothels in Massachusetts and northern Virginia. Acting Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Josh Levy said those who bought sex services include elected officials, company executives and government contractors with security clearances. None of the clients have been charged, and authorities have not publicly named any of them. But prosecutors have said their investigation is ongoing. Attorneys for Junmyung Lee and Han Lee declined to comment last week. A third pe...

El Salvador slaps a $1,130 fee on African and Indian travelers as US pressures it to curb migration

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:18:42 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — El Salvador’s government has begun slapping a $1,130 fee on travelers from dozens of countries connecting through the nation’s main airport, amid U.S. pressure to help control migration flows to its southern border.Since the end of October, citizens of 57 largely African countries and India have had to pay the fee, according to El Salvador’s aviation authority.Aviation officials did not say whether the measure was aimed at reducing migration and have described the tariff as an “airport improvement fee,” but El Salvador’s government acknowledged an uptick in travelers from those countries this year. Also, the U.S. has been pressuring Central American countries to curb migration flows to its border with Mexico. U.S. authorities say they stopped migrants there more than 2 million times during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. El Salvador’s aviation authority said most passengers who have to pay the fee are headed to Nicaragua on the commercial airline ...

Caribbean island of Dominica creates world’s first marine protected area for endangered sperm whale

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:18:42 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The tiny Caribbean island of Dominica is creating the world’s first marine protected area for one of earth’s largest animals: the endangered sperm whale.Nearly 300 square miles (800 square kilometers) of royal blue waters on the western side of the island nation that serve as key nursing and feeding grounds will be designated as a reserve, the government announced Monday.“We want to ensure these majestic and highly intelligent animals are safe from harm and continue keeping our waters and our climate healthy,” Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said in a statement.Scientists say the reserve not only will protect the animals, but it will also help fight climate change.Sperm whales defecate near the surface because they shut down non-vital functions when they dive to depths of up to 10,000 feet (3,000 meters). As a result, nutrient-rich poop remains along the ocean surface and creates plankton blooms, which capture carbon dioxide in the atmosphere a...