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Ivanka Trump’s praise for ‘Sound of Freedom’ challenged by hero’s alleged sexual misconduct

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:53 GMT

Over the summer, Ivanka Trump joined her father, Donald Trump, and other conservatives and far-right QAnon believers in promoting the surprise summer hit movie, “Sound of Freedom,” which follows the purported real-life heroics of former federal agent Tim Ballard as he rescues South American children from sex traffickers.But after Ivanka Trump called Ballard’s story in “Sound of Freedom” “harrowing” and “inspiring,” and mingled with him at a special private screening her father hosted at his New Jersey golf club, a new report has painted a disturbing portrait of the self-styled anti-slavery activist and the true reasons he quietly left the anti-trafficking organization he founded.WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 31: US President Donald Trump and Senior Advisor to President Trump, Ivanka Trump participate in the “White House Summit on Human Trafficking: The 20th Anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000̶...

India expels Canadian diplomat after Trudeau accusation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:53 GMT

By Krutika Pathi and Rob Gillies | Associated PressNEW DELHI — India expelled one of Canada’s top diplomats Tuesday, ramping up a confrontation between the two countries over Canadian accusations that India may have been involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in suburban Vancouver.India, which has dismissed the accusations as absurd, said the expulsion came amid “growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities,” according to a statement from its Ministry of External Affairs.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared to try to calm the diplomatic clash Tuesday, telling reporters that Canada is “not looking to provoke or escalate.”“We are simply laying out the facts as we understand them and we want to work with the government of India to lay everything clear and to ensure there are proper processes,” he said. “India and the government of India need...

Bay Area air quality advisory issued for Tuesday and Wednesday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:53 GMT

(KRON) -- An air quality advisory has been issued for Tuesday and Wednesday due to smoke from Northern California and Oregon wildfires, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.The agency said the fires have increased levels of particulate matter pollution in the air. While air quality is reaching high-moderate on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index, the pollution levels are not expected to exceed the 24-hour federal health standards and no Spare the Air Alert is in effect.Smoky and hazy skies may be visible, and the smell of smoke is possible in some areas, BAAQMD said. Bay Area residents are advised to avoid exposure if the smell of smoke is present by staying indoors with the windows and doors closed. City of Salinas agrees to pay nearly $200k for sewage spill into Natividad Creek A prescribed fire planned for Wednesday in San Mateo County’s bayside is postponed due to the wildfire smoke already impacting the region, according to a tweet fro...

Teen arrested for concealed firearm after Santa Rosa traffic stop

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:53 GMT

(KRON) – The Santa Rosa Police Department has arrested a 15-year-old juvenile for multiple charges, including possession of a concealed firearm on Sept. 18. According to the Santa Rosa police, officers were conducting traffic enforcement in the area of Sebastopol Avenue and Roberts Road, when a yellow Chevy Camaro made a high-risk turn, almost hitting another vehicle.  Vallejo Police Department apprehended two burglary suspects Four individuals were in the Camaro. According to Santa Rosa police, as the officer was obtaining the individuals’ identifications a male in the front passenger seat sprinted out of the car. As the male attempted to flee, he dropped a black satchel near another parked vehicle, police said.Officers apprehended the male and recovered the black satchel, which consisted of a nine-millimeter polymer, non-serialized firearm with seven rounds loaded in the magazine, according to police. Additionally, officers said, they located the same type of ammunition on the f...

Confused Automakers Braced for Strike at the Wrong Plants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:53 GMT

As the United Auto Workers kept the big three automakers guessing about the union’s strike plans, the car manufacturers made a failed effort to head off the effects of the unprecedented labor action. Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis stalled production and moved parts out of plants across the country, according to rank-and-file workers, self-inflicting financial damage that could have been avoided by meeting workers’ demands. In the weeks leading up to the strike, a cat-and-mouse game between the UAW and the companies unfolded, a version of guerrilla warfare between the parties. Through targeted walk-offs, the union aimed to disrupt the companies’ operations with the fewest possible workers, which would allow the union’s strike fund to last longer into the conflict — essentially forcing the companies to pay workers even during the strike period. The companies, meanwhile, sought to anticipate precisely which plants would be struck and reorganize production and dis...

After unintended 12-year pause, South Carolina says it has secured drugs to resume lethal injections

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:53 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — After 12 years without conducting an execution, South Carolina has secured the drugs necessary to resume lethal injections, Gov. Henry McMaster announced Tuesday.Source

Rihanna, A$AP Rocky have second child together, a boy named Riot Rose

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:53 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are giving the world the first look at their second child together, a boy they’ve named Riot Rose.The 35-year-old pop star and the 34-year-old rap star dropped photos Tuesday of their family of four, including their second son, who was born Aug. 1, according to People and other reports. The couple’s first child, RZA, was born in May 2022. Rihanna made her pregnancy public after her performance at February’s Super Bowl halftime show, when the bump that was visible in the tight clothes she wore under her baggy red jumpsuit set off a wave of social media speculation.The couple used the same street photographer, Diggzy, to shoot their new family snaps. In one, they’re leaning against a car with their kids. In another, A$AP balances their oldest on his shoulders. Others show Rihanna smiling for the camera with one of her children in her arms.Diggzy shot photos of the two in New York when they formally revealed their first pregnancy...

Instacart’s IPO surges as the grocery delivery company goes from the supermarket to the stock market

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:53 GMT

Instacart delivered in its stock market debut.The grocery delivery company’s shares __ priced at $30 per share ahead of the IPO __ hit a peak of $42.95 Tuesday in the first few minutes of trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange. They finished the day up 12.3% at $33.70, giving the company a market value of more than $11 billion.At Instacart’s San Francisco headquarters, CEO Fidji Simo and other executives celebrated the IPO by ringing a bell shaped like the company’s carrot logo. Around 1,000 employees attended, the company said. Instacart’s shares are trading under the ticker symbol “CART.” The IPO is a long-awaited step for Instacart, which was founded in 2012. The company filed privately for an IPO in May 2022 but delayed those plans last fall when the markets were roiling due to recession fears. There were just 71 IPOs in the U.S. last year, the lowest number since 2009, according to Renaissance Capital.But a resurgent market is seeing more IPO activity this year....

After 12 years without an execution, South Carolina says it has secured drugs to resume lethal injections

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:53 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — After 12 years without an execution, South Carolina says it has secured drugs to resume lethal injections.Source

Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson expected to miss remainder of season with broken right leg

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:53 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson has a broken right leg and is expected to miss the remainder of the season, according to coach Frank Reich.Thompson underwent surgery on Tuesday to fix a fractured fibula he sustained in the first quarter of Carolina’s 20-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Monday night. He has been placed on injured reserve.Reich said it’s hard to put into words how much Thompson brings to the team, calling him a team player and “a warrior, a guy who knows how to practice.” Thompson has four 100-tackle seasons in nine years with the Panthers and is considered the team’s emotional leader on defense.Reich would not say who’ll replace Thompson in the starting lineup for Sunday’s game at Seattle.The news is a blow for the Panthers’ defense, which lost starting cornerback Jaycee Horn to a hamstring injury last week. Horn is expected to miss at least six weeks.“These injuries hurt, but the train has got to keep going,” Reich s...