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Ronald Reagan famously spoke of the ‘ash heap of history.’ So do several GOP candidates today

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:47 GMT

The words don’t stir the collective national memory like, “ Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”But for students of Ronald Reagan’s more notable speeches, “the ash heap of history” may ring a bell, one chiming regularly during the 2024 Republican presidential campaign.Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has promised to send the People’s Republic of China to the metaphorical refuse pile. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis lists several policies he would consign there as president. Former Vice President Mike Pence simply wants the overturned abortion-rights decision in Roe v. Wade to stay put there.As most Republican White House hopefuls gather Wednesday at Reagan’s presidential library for a debate, expect to hear more homages to the “Great Communicator.” The references — and the embrace of some of his rhetoric — reflect how the party has changed, as those seeking to portray themselves as heirs to Reagan’s optimistic conservative vision also regularly resort t...

Japan’s court recognizes more victims of Minamata mercury poisoning and awards them compensation

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:47 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese court on Wednesday ordered the central government, the Kumamoto prefecture and a chemical company to recognize more than 120 plaintiffs as patients of the decades-old Minamata mercury poisoning and pay compensation they have been denied because they developed symptoms after moving away from the region. The Osaka District Court recognized all 128 plaintiffs as Minamata disease victims and ordered the government, Kumamoto and Chisso Corp., which is held responsible for the pollution, to pay 2.75 million yen ($18,400) each, according to officials and media reports.The plaintiffs, in their 50s and 80s, were living in Kumamoto and nearby Kagoshima at the time of the mercury poisoning and later moved to Osaka and elsewhere in western Japan. They filed a lawsuit in 2014, saying they were unfairly excluded from a 2009 compensation. They had demanded 4.5 million yen ($30,170) each, according to their lawyers.In the ruling, Judge Yuki Tatsuno said the plaintiffs were p...

Stock market today: Wall Street steadies itself, and stocks tick higher after their swoon

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:47 GMT

TOKYO — Wall Street is ticking higher and finding some steadiness amid its sharp September swoon. The S&P 500 was 0.4% higher early Wednesday, a day after dropping 1.5% to its lowest level since June. The Dow was up 53 points, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% higher. Stocks were feeling some relief from relaxing pressure within the bond market. There, Treasury yields eased back from their highest levels in more than a decade. High yields mean bonds are paying more in interest, which makes investors less willing to pay high prices for stocks and other riskier investments. Crude oil prices rose further. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.(AP) — Wall Street pointed higher early Wednesday with falling bond yields giving stocks some breathing room in what’s been a horrid month for U.S. markets.Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.4% before the opening bell, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.3%.September has brought a loss of 5.2% so fa...

Rachel Bloom turns pandemic trauma into art and even laughs in her new off-Broadway show

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:47 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Rachel Bloom was fiddling around with songs and sketches for a new musical stand-up special she was hoping to take on the road when the pandemic hit in 2020 and, as she describes it, “the world exploded.” The actor and writer, best known for creating and starring in “My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” had recently brought her newborn home after time in the neonatal intensive care unit and was feeling grateful that her daughter was OK. At home during quarantine with her new family, she got the devastating news that her close friend and musical collaborator, Adam Schlesinger, had died after being hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms.The singer-songwriter known for founding the band Fountains of Wayne and writing and composing many songs for TV and film was only 52. As she grieved, Bloom says she stared at her whiteboard filled with show ideas and realized it all felt silly and stupid. But she’s now channeled all of that into a new thought-provoking and funny off-Broadway show cal...

Man dies after being found on sidewalk with gunshot wound to head in Roseland

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:47 GMT

CHICAGO — A 33-year-old man has died after being shot in the head on the city's Far South Side.Police discovered the man on a sidewalk on the 11300 block of South Edgebrook around 9:40 p.m. Tuesday in the Roseland neighborhood.He was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the top of the head, and was later pronounced dead. ‘They’re not afraid of anyone’: Bucktown residents voice concerns after man beaten, robbed in broad daylight The circumstances surronding the incident are unclear at this time.No one is in custody. Area Two detectives are investigating.

Three astronauts return to Earth after a year in space. NASA's Frank Rubio sets US space record

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:47 GMT

A NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts returned to Earth on Wednesday after being stuck in space for just over a year. American Frank Rubio set a record for the longest U.S. spaceflight — a result of the extended stay.The trio landed in a remote area of Kazakhstan, descending in a Soyuz capsule that was rushed up as a replacement after their original ride was hit by space junk and lost all its coolant while docked to the International Space Station. What should have been a 180-day mission turned into a 371-day stay. Rubio spent more than two weeks longer in space than Mark Vande Hei, who held NASA's previous endurance record for a single spaceflight. Russia holds the world record of 437 days, set in the mid-1990s.The Soyuz capsule that brought Rubio and cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin back was a replacement launched in February. Russian engineers suspect a piece of space junk pierced the radiator of their original capsule late last year, midway through what shoul...

Man dead after being struck by 2 vehicles in Prospect Heights

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:47 GMT

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, Ill. — A man was struck and killed Tuesday evening in Prospect Heights.At around 8:15 p.m., officers responded to a call of a vehicle striking a pedestrian at the intersection of Elmhurst Road and North of Robert Avenue.Police said a 35-year-old man was struck by an SUV traveling south on Elmhurst Road.A second vehicle, traveling north on Elmhurst Road, also struck the man.He was pronounced dead at the scene.Both drivers cooperative with the investigation and neither was issued a citation. Police believe the lighting in the area and dark clothing worn by the man contributed.

Inside the Investigations: Texas patient safety law concerns

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:47 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Each week the in-depth reporting from the KXAN Investigates team will get a spotlight on KXAN Live.A conversation will happen Wednesday morning about this week’s top stories with investigative reporter Kelly Wiley and KXAN Live anchor Will DuPree. The live stream will begin at 9 a.m. in this story and on the station's Facebook page. Inside the Investigations: Suspected inaccuracies of Austin Water smart meters The stories they'll discuss include the following: KXAN investigative reporter Matt Grant reported about growing concerns after the Texas Medical Board said it will take two years to fully implement a new state healthcare law meant to protect patients. Three weeks after the law went into effect, it’s creating confusion, not confidence, among some patient advocates. After weeks of delaying a vote, the Austin Independent School District board trustees voted to approve a plan for the Texas Education Agency to bring in a state-appointed ...

US officials say Travis King, who crossed into North Korea, is in American custody

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:47 GMT

By KIM TONG-HYUNG, MATTHEW LEE, and LOLITA C. BALDOR (Associated Press)SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Pvt. Travis King, the American soldier who crossed into North Korea two months ago, is in U.S. custody, two U.S. officials said Wednesday.One official said King was transferred to American custody in China. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss King’s status ahead of the announcement.Earlier, North Korea said it would expel King, 23. That announcement surprised some observers who had expected the North to drag out his detention in the hopes of squeezing concessions from Washington at a time of high tensions between the rivals.Though King’s expulsion resolves a still-mysterious episode, it almost certainly does not end his troubles or ensure the sort of celebratory homecoming that has accompanied the releases of other detained Americans. His fate remains uncertain, having been declared AWOL by the U.S. government. That can mean punishment by time in military jail, forfe...

Lansingburgh murder suspect indicted in court

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:47 GMT

LANSINGBURGH, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Troy man accused of the Lansingburgh murder on Monday, September 18, was indicted in court Tuesday. Gustavo Santana, 27, faces several charges, including second-degree murder. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Police received several 911 calls reporting shots fired Monday afternoon. School resource officers assigned to the Lansingburgh school district also heard the shots and responded to the area.Police said an SRO found a man who had been shot and began administering first aid. The man, later identified as Jayden West, was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. A woman, later identified as Nakeia West, was also shot and brought to a hospital in a private vehicle with non-life-threatening injuries.Santana was remanded to the Rensselaer County jail.