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Greek coast guard defends actions as more than 500 migrants heading for Europe feared dead in wreck

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:12 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Greek coast guard on Friday defended its response to a ship that went down off the country’s south coast and left more than 500 migrants presumed drowned. Criticism mounted over Europe’s yearslong failure to prevent such tragedies.Patrol boats and a helicopter spent a third day scouring the area of the Mediterranean Sea where the packed fishing vessel capsized early Wednesday, in what the U.N. migration agency said could be the second deadliest migrant shipwreck recorded. The deadliest occurred when a vessel capsized off the coast of Libya en route to Italy in April 2015, killing an estimated 1,100 people. Greek coast guard spokesman Nikos Alexiou said that both coast guard and private ships repeatedly offered by radio and loudspeaker to help the vessel Wednesday while it was in international waters, also heading from Libya to Italy, but they were rejected.Alexiou argued that any effort to tow the overcrowded trawler or move hundreds of unwillin...

Blinken stresses need for better US-Chinese communications as he heads to Beijing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:12 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Shortly before setting out for Beijing, Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday emphasized the importance of the U.S. and China establishing better lines of communication. He will be the highest-ranking member of the Biden administration to visit China. The U.S. wants to make sure “that the competition we have with China doesn’t veer into conflict” due to avoidable misunderstandings, Blinken told reporters in Washington.Blinken, speaking alongside Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, said his China trip is the outgrowth of a meeting in Bali last year between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden. The two agreed that China and the United States, the world’s biggest two economies and increasingly top rivals for global influence, must maintain contacts and and take steps to avoid unintended conflicts. Blinken’s trip came within a day of happening in February but was delayed by the diplomatic and political tumult brought on by the discove...

Theft of heads, brains, skin and other body parts from Harvard morgue spurs lawsuit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:12 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — The son of a woman whose body was donated to Harvard Medical School for research purposes filed a class-action lawsuit on Friday on behalf of all families who believe their loved ones’ body parts were mishandled by the school’s former morgue manager.The lawsuit filed in Suffolk Superior Court in Boston said the class could include the families of up to 400 donated cadavers. It alleges negligence, breach of duty and infliction of emotional distress.Before Adele Mazzone died in February 2019, she arranged to donate her body to the medical school for research, according to the lawsuit. Her ashes were returned to her family in April 2021, but her son, John Bozek, of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, thinks that his mother’s body was one of those desecrated at the morgue.“Plaintiff brings this class action on behalf of himself and all other similarly situated individuals whose family members donated and entrusted their deceased bodies into Harvard’s custody ...

Like Daniel Ellsberg, others who leaked US government secrets have been seen as traitors and heroes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:12 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Daniel Ellsberg’s decision to leak a secret Defense Department study of the U.S. war in Vietnam — the Pentagon Papers — made him a traitor in the eyes of the White House and its supporters and an instant hero to opponents of the war. That’s been true of others who released top-secret information that they felt was evidence of official wrongdoing. While Ellsberg, who died Friday, will be remembered in a largely positive light, the reputations of more recent figures are still contested. Here are some other examples of people who exposed government secrets:W. MARK FELTAn associate director at the FBI, Felt was “Deep Throat,” the source who gave information about the Watergate break-in to The Washington Post in the 1970s.Ellsberg’s release of the Pentagon Papers indirectly led to Watergate. Infuriated at the exposure of the study, Nixon ordered an effort to dig up dirt on Ellsberg. Operatives linked to the White House broke into the office of Ellsberg’s psy...

Adobe, Virgin Galactic rise; Humana, Cabot fall, Friday, 6/16/2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:12 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes on Friday:Adobe Inc., up $4.27 to $495.18.The software maker raised its profit forecast for the year.Humana Inc., down $18.20 to $445.65.The insurer said it expects pent-up demand for medical services to drive costs in 2023.Cabot Corp., down $6.07 to $68.55.The chemical company said soft demand in China and globally will hurt its profits in fiscal 2023.IRobot Corp., up $8.92 to $51.British antitrust regulators have cleared Amazon’s purchase of the robot vacuum maker.Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc., up 67 cents to $4.73.The spaceflight services company said it will start commercial launches at the end of June. Squarespace Inc., up $1.37 to $32.76.The software company said it is buying the assets of Google Domains.Steel Dynamics Inc., down $3.43 to $102.53.The steel producer and metals recycler gave investors a disappointing earnings forecast.Walt Disney Co., down $1.62 to $91.32.The entertainment and theme park...

Who gives a hoot: Why series of Fairfax Co. owl sightings are worth noting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:12 GMT

One of the barred owls spotted in Fairfax Co. (Courtesy Lori Moran) One of the barred owls spotted in Fairfax Co. (Courtesy Lori Moran) Here’s a story you can give a hoot about. Some people in Fairfax County, Virginia, are spotting more and more owls, right in their backyards.“Be happy you got the chance to see an owl, you don’t get to see them everyday,” Fairfax County Ecologist David Lawlor said.Owls aren’t spotted in the daytime all that often.“They mainly hunt at night,” Lawlor said.One man, Barry Shapiro, recently walked out of his home to see a large barred owl perched on the back window of his red Prius in the Fair Ridge area. He posted a photo on social media.Some of his neighbors chimed in on ...

Train derails near Suncor refinery

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:12 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A train went off the tracks near the Suncor refinery Friday morning, the Commerce City Police Department said. Due to what CCPD said was a minor derailment, Brighton Boulevard was closed between East 56th Avenue and East 60th Avenue. The department said the tankers on the BNSF train were empty and there was no hazardous spill involved in the incident. A BNSF train derailed near Suncor Refinery on Friday, June 16, 2023 (Photo credit: Matt McCoy)A minor train derailment near Suncor Refinery did not result in any hazardous spill (Photo credit: Matt McCoy)BNSF personnel were working on the cleanup with the road to remain closed during that time.

Lauderhill woman says US Marshals ransacked her home during raid following men’s arrests, pointed gun at 1-year-old

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:12 GMT

A Lauderhill woman is speaking out after, she said, law enforcement officers ransacked her home during a raid that followed the arrests of two men, including her brother.The new details come after a resident captured a Lauderhill Police officer on cellphone video making a controversial comment.Speaking with 7News on Friday, Chelsea said it was completely unnecessary for U.S. Marshals to force their way into her apartment on Thursday morning because the suspects were already in custody.“So I can see where they kicked the door down, I’m guessing with their feet,” she said as she pointed to her red front door.Chelsea, who asked not to show her face on camera, said the officers spent three hours inside her house, adding they broke TV sets and pointed a gun at her 1-year-old child, who met them as they stormed in.“I heard the door slam open, and as I came out, my baby was in the hallway,” said Chelsea. “I see the cops, a whole bunch of U.S. Marshals, p...

Dolphin gets beer named after him in collaboration between Island Dolphin Care and Oil Well Craft Beer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:12 GMT

You’ve probably heard of collaborations, but how about a partnership between a Florida brewery and a dolphin? 7’s Kevin Ozebek is putting this unlikely pairing in today’s Spotlight.This smiling face belongs to Tashi. He’s an 11-year-old bottlenose dolphin at Island Dolphin Care in Key Largo.Kids and adults come here for the unique dolphin-assisted therapy programs designed for people with all kinds of disabilities.Luke Bullen, executive director, Island Dolphin Care: “We call them our co-therapists, actually.”Tashi is one of eight dolphins at the facility, and they always jump at the chance to get to work with those in need of help.Luke Bullen: “We have a team of human therapists, and then we have the dolphins, so they really are the heart of Island Dolphin Care. They are motivational and they’re inspirational.”Island Dolphin Care is kept afloat by donations, so funding is always a challenge.That’s where collaborations come...

World’s largest bounce house comes to Topsfield 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:05:12 GMT

The world’s largest bounce house is set to inflate in Topsfield on Saturday as part of the Big Bounce America tour. Organizers have touted Big Bounce America as “the biggest touring inflatable event in the world,” with a 16,000 square foot bounce house, a new “Sport Slam” customized sports arena, a more than 900 foot long obstacle course and “a unique, space-themed wonderland called airSPACE.”The local stop on the Big Bounce America tour is scheduled to open to the public on Saturday and Sunday at the Topsfield Fairgrounds. The tour will be open again at the same location on June 23, 24, 25 and 30 as well as on July 1 and 2. See more information on the Big Bounce America website here.