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A Hate Crime Narrative Takes Hold Around a Tragedy in Texas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:56 GMT

A man lights a candle at a memorial for eight migrants who were struck by a car and killed waiting at a bus stop on May 7, 2023, in Brownsville, Texas.Photo: Michael Gonzalez/Getty ImagesThe man who crashed into a group of mostly Venezuelan migrants in Brownsville, Texas, on Sunday — killing eight of them — sounds in the media like a cipher, if not a monster. A video of the collision shows his vehicle knocking people down like matchsticks. A reporter I know told me that human gore and bone lay in the grass for hours afterward, putrefying in the heat and reeking. On Democracy Now!, a human rights activist called the killings a hate crime.The driver was identified as George Alvarez. The police charged him with manslaughter, and they are investigating whether he committed hate crimes or acted intentionally. During a press conference, Brownsville Police Chief Felix Sauceda pointed to a list of Alvarez’s numerous criminal priors. One was “assaulting a public servant.”Sauceda failed to cl...

Facts and figures for the PGA Championship at Oak Hill

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:56 GMT

PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — A brief look at the 105th PGA Championship:Dates: May 18-21Site: Oak Hill CC (East).Length: 7,394 yards.Par: 70.Field: 156 players (20 PGA professionals).Prize money: TBA ($15 million in 2022).Winner’s share: TBA ($2.7 million in 2022).Defending champion: Justin Thomas.Last year: Justin Thomas won the PGA Championship for the second time and tied the tournament record by rallying from seven shots behind. He closed with a 3-under 67 at Southern Hills and then beat Will Zalatoris in a three-hole playoff. Mito Pereira had a one-shot lead going to the 18th hole and made double bogey to finish one shot out of the playoff.Last time at Oak Hill: Jason Dufner won his only major when he closed with a 2-under 68 for a two-shot victory over Jim Furyk. Dufner finished at 10-under 270, the lowest winning score for any major at Oak Hill.Tiger Tales: Tiger Woods had ankle surgery last month and will miss the PGA Championship, and likely the rest of the majors this year.Grand...

No. 2 US diplomat Wendy Sherman to retire after decades in government service

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:56 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration’s number two diplomat is retiring after decades of U.S. government service.Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will step down from the post this summer, having been involved in some of the most consequential, and controversial, foreign policy decisions during Democratic administrations since Bill Clinton was president.Sherman, 73, said in an internal note to State Department staff that her retirement would be effective at the end of June. “The arc of history will only bend toward justice if people of conscience steer it in the right direction,” she said. “That it is our job to have courage, to collaborate with others and seek out common ground, to persist against the odds, to use our voice and our power for good—to keep faith with the promise of our democracy and to never, ever lose hope.”“Diplomacy is not for the faint of heart,” she added.Secretary of State Antony Blinken lauded Sherman’s career, saying that President Joe Biden chose ...

Amtrak Mother’s Day sale: DC to Philly for $29, NYC for $47

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:56 GMT

Amtrak’s five-day Mother’s Day Flash Sale doesn’t actually include discounted travel on Mother’s Day, but it is good for discounts covering the next three months.The sale is good for tickets purchased now through May 17, and it’s valid for travel on most Amtrak routes across the country from June 1 to August 30.For D.C. travelers, Northeast Regional tickets require a 21-day advance purchase for the discount.Sample fares include:D.C. to New York City for $46.50 each way on the Northeast Regional (and $106.50 on Acela)D.C. to Atlanta for $159D.C. to Philadelphia for $28.50, andLorton, Virginia to Sanford, Florida on the Auto Train for $142.50, plus the cost of the vehicleThe Mother’s Day sale is good for coach class travel, and Acela Business Class. Online booking requires the code “C514.”Like airlines, Amtrak has recovered from the dramatic pandemic drop in travel. In fiscal 2022, Northeast Corridor ridership was 110% of what it was in ...

US upsets defending champ Finland at hockey worlds, Czechs top Slovakia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:56 GMT

TAMPERE, Finland (AP) — The United States overcame defending champion Finland 4-1 to open the ice hockey world championship on Friday.Alex Tuch scored two goals and Drew O’Çonnor had a goal and two assists to lead the U.S. Cutter Ganthier also scored and goaltender Casey DeSmith stopped 23 shots in Tampere.Teemu Hartikainen gave the hosts a 1-0 lead late in the opening period on a power play before Ganthier tied it from the left circle in the second.O’Çonnor and Tuch completed the rally midway through the final period. Tuch scored his second into an empty net.In the Latvian capital of Riga, the Czech Republic beat Slovakia 3-2.Last year’s runner-up, Canada, faced Latvia in its opener late Friday while Sweden played Germany in Tampere.Finland and Latvia are staging the tournament after the hosting rights were stripped from Russia because of the war in Ukraine. Tampere was one of the host cities last year, and Riga was a host in 2021.Russia and its ally Belarus are excluded from...

A hole-by-hole look at Oak Hill for the PGA Championship

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:56 GMT

PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — A hole-by-hole look at the East Course at Oak Hill Country Club, site of the 105th PGA Championship that starts Thursday:No. 1, 460 yards, par 4: The tee shot is from an elevated tee to a fairway that bends to the left and has a slope about 290 yards out. Allen’s Creek runs across the fairway some 360 yards from the tee. Out-of-bounds is to the right and three bunkers are on the left. The green is surrounded by grass knolls and a bunker short and right.No. 2, 405 yards, par 4: The narrow fairway features deep bunkers on both sides, so this likely will be an iron off the tee. The approach is to an elevated green that slopes severely from back to front, meaning the best birdie chances will come from below the hole.No. 3, 230 yards, par 3: The green is elevated and relatively small, sloping predominantly from back to front. Three deep bunkers are short of the green, which has a false front. This typically is one of the tougher holes at Oak Hill.No. 4, 615 yards, ...

Elon Musk nombra a Linda Yaccarino, expresidenta de publicidad de NBCU, como la nueva CEO de Twitter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:56 GMT

Nueva York (CNN) — Elon Musk nombró este viernes a la veterana ejecutiva de medios Linda Yaccarino nueva CEO de Twitter, meses después de que prometiera retirarse del cargo.“¡Estoy emocionado de dar la bienvenida a Linda Yaccarino como nueva CEO de Twitter!”, escribió Musk en un tuit este viernes. Dijo que ella “se centrará principalmente en las operaciones comerciales, mientras que yo me centraré en el diseño de productos y nuevas tecnologías”.Linda Yaccarino, una veterana ejecutiva de los medios de comunicación, dejó su cargo de presidenta de publicidad global y asociaciones en NBCUniversal.“Ha sido un honor formar parte de Comcast NBCUniversal y dirigir al equipo más increíble”, dijo en un comunicado este viernes. “Hemos transformado nuestra empresa y toda la industria”.Musk dijo el jueves que había encontrado un nuevo CEO para hacerse cargo de Twitter, meses después de que prometiera por primera vez retirarse del cargo y anun...

DC United defender Mohanad Jeahze to rejoin club after arrest in Sweden

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:56 GMT

D.C. United head coach Wayne Rooney said defender Mohanad Jeahze is set to return back to the club next week, more than three weeks after his arrest in Sweden on assault charges.During his pregame press conference Thursday, Rooney said the Iraqi international will still need to go through rehab for a quadriceps injury but it will be “good for us” to have him back with his teammates.Rooney called it a “private situation” when asked about Jeahze. “I’m sure that when he wants to speak on the events, he will on his own time,” Rooney said.Jeahze, who is a native of Sweden, was arrested on April 22 after a second alleged assault, both of which took place in Stockholm, according to the Swedish Prosecution Authority. The first alleged assault happened in December.He was on approved leave from United at the time of his arrest.A Stockholm prosecutor told The Washington Post on May 4 that the investigation was still ongoing but Jeahze was “no lon...

Giro leaders play it safe on first mountain stage as breakaway rider Bais wins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:56 GMT

CAMPO IMPERATORE, Italy (AP) — The first mountain stage of the Giro d’Italia ended without any changes to the top of the overall standings on Friday.The leaders all crossed together amid big banks of snow, three minutes behind a group of three breakaway riders.Norwegian rider Andreas Leknessund therefore held on to the pink jersey, while pre-race favorites Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic remained second and fifth overall, respectively.Italian rider Davide Bais won the seventh stage when he attacked the other two breakaway riders with 150 meters to go. It was the first professional victory for Bais, who rides for the Eolo-Kometa team founded by former Giro champions Alberto Contador and Ivan Basso.“It was unexpected because I went into the breakaway to prepare for an attack by Lorenzo Fortunato,” Bais said. “He was the inspiration for our team to go for a mountain stage victory since he made it at Monte Zoncolan two years ago. In the finale, I knew I was the fastest so ...

Colorado will have a 'broiling wet' summer, Farmer's Almanac says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:56 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The arrival of spring has brought a wealth of moisture to the Denver area. With summer right around the corner, predictions are starting to come in for what the weather will be like.In fact, the Farmer's Almanac said this summer is going to be "broiling wet" for Colorado. See the Farmer's Almanac's full forecast here "While we hate to be the bearer of bad news, we’d be amiss not to warn you of what our long-range weather outlook is pointing to –Sizzling Temperatures (again!). Our forecast, which is based on a proprietary formula that relies on many factors, including the Moon, is calling for a warmer than normal summer for most of the nation!" the Farmer's Almanac said in its outlook.What was last summer like?The National Weather Service said when averaging out all of the high and low temperatures for the summer of 2022 from June 1 to Aug. 31, the mean average temperature in Denver was 74.8 degrees. Summer 2022 is 3rd warmest on record in Denver It was the third...