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Prosecutors ask to effectively close case against top Italian, WHO officials over COVID-19 response

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:19 GMT

ROME (AP) — Rome prosecutors asked a judge Thursday to effectively close an investigation into Italian and U.N. health officials over Italy’s 2020 Covid-19 response without charges, on the grounds that no crimes were committed, a lawyer said.Rome prosecutors Claudia Terracina and Paolo Ielo asked to archive the investigation that had grabbed headlines given Italy’s huge toll as t he first epicenter of the pandemic in Europe. While the judge can override the request, such a decision is highly unlikely.Already prosecutors had closed their case without filing charges against three of Italy’s past health ministers. On Thursday, they asked a judge to archive the case against nine other officials, including a former top official at the World Health Organization, Dr. Ranieri Guerra, said his lawyer Roberto De Vita.The investigation initially focused on whether delayed lockdowns in the hard-hit northern city of Bergamo contributed to the toll, but expanded to include whether Italy’s overall...

Blackhawks' Taylor Hall is expected to miss rest of the season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:19 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Blackhawks forward Taylor Hall will have right knee surgery, likely sidelining the 2018 NHL MVP for the rest of the season.The team placed Hall and forward Andreas Athanasiou on injured reserve on Thursday. The move with Athanasiou, who has a groin injury, was made retroactive to Nov. 9. Forwards Joey Anderson and Cole Guttman were recalled from Rockford of the American Hockey League.Last-place Chicago has dropped five in a row heading into Friday's matchup against visiting Toronto.The 32-year-old Hall, who was selected by Edmonton with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft, was acquired in a trade with Boston right before Chicago took Connor Bedard with top pick in this year's draft.Hall was brought in to help provide some leadership and scoring alongside Bedard, but he was hampered by a left shoulder injury at the start of the season.Hall's knee injury occurred when he was hit by Tampa Bay's Michael Eyssimont on Nov. 9. He returned last we...

Retailers ready to kick off Black Friday just as shoppers pull back on spending

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:19 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Retailers are kicking off the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season on Friday with a bevy of discounts and other enticements. But executives are growing concerned with a spending slowdown that could temper sales on the day after Thanksgiving as well as throughout the holidays.Shoppers, powered by a solid job market and steady wage growth, had demonstrated a resilience that confounded economists and ran counter to sour sentiments expressed in opinion polls. Such spending, while cautious, came despite higher prices in the grocery aisle and higher borrowing costs.But consumers are now coming under more pressure from dwindling savings, increased credit card debt and still stubborn inflation. In fact, shoppers cut their buying in October, ending six straight months of gains. Shoppers have gotten some relief from easing inflation, but many goods and services like meat and rent are still far higher than they were just three years ago.The latest quarterly results f...

Pro-Palestinian protesters briefly interrupt Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:19 GMT

(The Hill) -- More than two dozen pro-Palestinian protesters briefly disrupted the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. The New York Daily News reported that the protest happened at Sixth Avenue at West 45th Street at about 10 a.m. Thursday morning. Democratic divide over Israel-Hamas war looms over Biden’s reelection The demonstrators, about 30 of them, jumped over the barricades, ran into the streets and glued themselves to the parade route, according to ABC News. Protesters were also pictured wearing white jumpsuits sprayed with fake blood and labeled with words like “colonialism," "militarism" and "capitalism."Pro-Palestinians protestors get arrested by the police during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023, in New York (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)A pro-Palestinians protestor get arrested by the police during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023, in New York...

Wanna get paid to watch Hallmark Christmas movies? One company is offering $2K

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:19 GMT

NEW YORK (WPIX) – A company called BloomsyBox is looking to hire a "Hallmark Christmas Movie Reviewer" to watch 12 of the festive Hallmark films in just as many days.The company, an online flower subscription service, is also promising to pay the selected candidate $2,000 to rate the films, along with over $500 worth of additional prizes. What is Festivus, the holiday for the rest of us? "The countdown to Christmas is fast approaching, so we at BloomsyBox want to settle the debate: what’s the greatest piece of Hallmark holiday cinema ever created?" reads a portion of the application page. "To find out, we’re looking for one special Christmas movie maven to watch and rate 12 different Hallmark Christmas favorites in 12 days."Job responsibilities include watching the 12 movies (listed below) and ranking them by five different criteria: "Festivity Factor," "Predictability Quotient," "Chemistry Check," "Tear-Jerker Test" and "Replay Value."The movies are:"The Most Wonderful Time of th...

It’s been a slow start for Wild forward Matt Boldy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:19 GMT

Matt Boldy was a first-round pick for the Wild in the 2019 entry draft, 12th overall, and he didn’t long to prove he was worth the collateral.After putting up 39 points in his first 47 games, the big winger from Boston College hit the big time last season, hitting the 30-goal mark in his first full season, going 31-32–63 to help the Wild rack up 103 points.By January, general manager Bill Guerin had seen enough to sign Boldy to a seven-year, $49 million extension, officially making him a cornerstone of this team’s future. The pressure to perform is on, and the 22-year-old is feeling it.“Not really any words for it, just not playing great,” he said after practice Wednesday at TRIA Rink. “I’ll be the first one to tell you that.”While Boldy wasn’t much help in the playoffs last spring, three assists in a six-game, first-round loss to Dallas, he was playing conspicuously well early, scoring a goal before being injured in the third period of the Wild’s second game, a 7-3 loss at Toronto....

Thanksgiving foods your dog can eat and which ones to avoid

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:19 GMT

While your furry friend maybe begging for food at the Thanksgiving table, that doesn't mean they should eat it.Certain Thanksgiving staples, like stuffing, mashed potatoes and ham, shouldn’t be consumed by dogs due to potentially unsafe or unhealthy ingredients, experts said. Here’s where to get a Thanksgiving meal if you don’t feel like cooking Consumption of ingredients like xylitol, avocado, onion, garlic and dairy products can lead to liver failure, vomiting, breathing problems and, at times, even death, according to the American Kennel Club.To avoid a trip to the vet, experts with the organization compiled a list of foods dogs can and can’t eat on Thanksgiving.Here is what dogs can eat on ThanksgivingSweet potatoesPotatoesApplesTurkey meat with no bones or skinGreen beansPlain peasPumpkin or pure pumpkin pureeFrozen plain yogurt blended with pumpkin pureePumpkin dog cookies How to watch Thanksgiving football games on cable and streaming services Here is what dogs can’t eat ...

2 dead, multiple shot in South Los Angeles

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:19 GMT

Two people are dead after multiple people were shot in South Los Angeles Thanksgiving morning.Multiple people were shot in the 14200 block of Towne Avenue, located near Compton and Willowbrook, shortly after 8:20 a.m. according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.The Los Angeles County Fire Department said there were three people suffering from gunshot wounds, and the LASD said two men have died.The identities of the victims have not been released.A possible suspect has been detained but is not in custody, according to the LASD.The preliminary investigation indicates that before the shooting, there may have been a fight after a party in the area. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the LASD Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. To provide information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit lacrimestoppers.org.Anisha Banerjee and Luis Zuniga contributed to this report.

Metrolink's Holiday Express is an affordable Christmas experience that comes to you

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:19 GMT

The holiday season is underway in Southern California, and one of the region's most vast transportation agencies is hoping riders will discover the convenience and joy of traveling by train while taking in everything the holiday season has to offer.Beginning Saturday, travelers can board a decked-out Metrolink train to experience an immersive trip that organizers hope will make spirits bright.Metrolink's Holiday Express is returning this year for the first time since 2019, having been put on pause when the COVID-19 pandemic derailed everyday life.The limited-time Christmas-themed train was organized in hopes of reaching families in the outlying communities who don't have as much access to many of Metrolink's events, which tend to be centered in the Los Angeles area. Ride aboard Disneyland’s original train cars at this California Christmas event When it launched, the Holiday Express traveled to Burbank, Laguna Niguel, Moorpark and Rancho Cucamonga. This time around, more trains wil...

Melania Trump among first ladies invited to Rosalynn Carter’s funeral

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:19 GMT

As Rosalynn Carter’s family mourns her death, they are putting aside their differences with Donald Trump, including insults the 45th president hurled at Jimmy Carter at a campaign event last weekend, to invite Trump’s wife, Melania Trump, to the former first lady’s funeral.The Washington Post has reported that Melania Trump has been invited to the service for Rosalynn Carter in Plains, Georgia next Wednesday. Rosalynn Carter died at her home in Plains, Georgia Sunday at the age of 96, two days after she entered hospice care. Jimmy Carter, her husband of 77 years, was by her side, the Washington Post said.As the Carter family is preparing for Rosalynn Carter’s funeral, they are keeping in mind that she was a member of a very unique group of women: presidential first ladies. All first ladies have been invited to the service, the Washington Post said. This means the world could see Melania Trump at the same event as Jill Biden, Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hil...