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UN says it’s forced to cut food aid to millions globally because of a funding crisis

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:23 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations has been forced to cut food, cash payments and assistance to millions of people in many countries because of “a crippling funding crisis” that has seen its donations plummet by about half as acute hunger is hitting record levels, a top official said Friday.Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program, told a news conference that at least 38 of the 86 countries where WFP operates have already seen cuts or plan to cut assistance soon — including Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and West Africa.He said WFP’s operating requirement is $20 billion to deliver aid to everyone in need, but it was aiming for between $10 billion and $14 billion, which was what the agency had received in the past few years.“We’re still aiming at that, but we have only so far this year gotten to about half of that, around $5 billion,” Skau said.He said humanitarian needs were “going through the roof” in 2021 and 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war...

Aaron Hernandez’s brother now facing federal charges over alleged threatening messages

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:23 GMT

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The troubled brother of the late NFL player Aaron Hernandez was charged Friday, now in federal court, with new counts of threatening and stalking after authorities say he threatened to shoot up the University of Connecticut and kill three people in another state. Dennis Hernandez was ordered to be held in custody after his appearance in the court in Hartford. A message seeking comment was sent Friday night to his attorney. The new charges came days after it emerged that Hernandez was arrested July 18 on state charges after police said he threatened to kill officers and then urged them to shoot him at his home in Bristol. Officers had gone there after two people close to him raised concerns about his mental health, police said.The arrest report said the 37-year-old had sent threatening messages, including ones about carrying out a shooting at UConn. He was a Huskies quarterback and wide receiver who went by DJ Hernandez in the mid-2000s. Court filings in the ne...

Man questioned in Montana after Arizona woman reappears following four years missing

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:23 GMT

HAVRE, Mont. (AP) — A man was detained and questioned by police and his Montana apartment searched as authorities tried to piece together the mysterious disappearance and sudden reappearance this week of Alicia Navarro, who was 14 when she vanished from her Arizona home four years ago.Police on Friday provided no details about Wednesday’s search or the identity of the man, who was released. But Garrett Smith, who lives in the apartment next to the one that was searched, said for at least a year Navarro lived there with the man who was questioned. He described them as quiet and said he hasn’t seen the man since the night police were there.Navarro’s whereabouts were revealed Sunday when she showed up at the Havre police station and told officers she wanted her name removed from the missing persons list. Police in Glendale, Arizona, the community where she lived before disappearing, held a news conference Wednesday to announce that she’d been found.Outside of a brief video appearance a...

Judge criticizes prosecutors’ handling of Venezuela case against ex-Miami congressman

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:23 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — A federal judge in Miami on Friday criticized prosecutors for an apparent attempt to undercut a court order and take control of a oceanside condo belonging to a former Republican congressman ahead of a high-profile trial connected to a $50 million consulting contract with Venezuela’s socialist government.When David Rivera and an associate were charged last November with money laundering and acting as unregistered foreign agents for President Nicolás Maduro’s government, prosecutors obtained a judge’s order freezing several banking and brokerage accounts as well as Florida properties that they said were the product of some $24 million in ill-gotten gains.Prosecutors also blocked eight more properties belonging to Rivera and his associate in Florida and Georgia that, while unrelated to criminal activity, would likely be seized if the two are found guilty.This month, in a harshly worded ruling, Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres said that the government had no right...

Blue Jays hit 3 home runs, beat Ohtani and the Angels

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:23 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays got home runs from Matt Chapman, Danny Jansen and Whit Merrifield en route to a 4-1 win over Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels on Friday.Toronto welcomed two-say superstar Ohtani to the Rogers Centre, and he greeted the Blue Jays faithful with a 1st inning home run off starter Kevin Gausman to give the Angels an early lead, his league-leading 39th bomb of the year.It was the only blemish for Gausman and the Blue Jays, as the right-hander (8-5) cruised through six innings, scattering five hits with three walks and nine strikeouts.Chapman, who was captured in a tense discussion with manager John Schneider after Ohtani’s home run, would club a solo shot of his own (14th) in his first at-bat to tie the game. Jansen stayed hot at the plate with a solo homer, his 14th of the season. After a Bo Bichette RBI double, Merrifield would give the Blue Jays insurance with his 8th home run of the campaign. Merrifield had three hits on the night.Erik Swanson and T...

2 dead, 2 critically injured after driver crashes into Kenosha business

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:23 GMT

KENOSHA, Wisc. — Two people are dead and two others are injured after a driver crashed into a store in Kenosha, Wisconsin.The crash happened around 3:25 a.m. at the Play it Again Sports store in the 4000 block of 75th Street. Man unresponsive after being pulled from pond in Bensenville Five people were inside the truck when the driver partially crashed into the store, according to police.Two people were killed and two people were critically injured, police said.Their identities haven't been released.The crash is still under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call police at 262-605-5203 or report tips anonymously to Kenosha Area Crime Stoppers at 262-656-7333.

North Central College professor discusses this week's political headlines

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:23 GMT

CHICAGO — North Central College Political Science Professor Stephen Maynard Caliendo joined WGN Evening News to discuss the latest political news.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesSome of the topics included:New charges former President Donald Trump is facingSenators McConnell and FeinsteinThe southern border in TexasHunter BidenA hearing on UFOsWatch the video in the player above for this story.

Lynx hang on to defeat Liberty

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:23 GMT

With leading scorer Napheesa Collier sidelined with a sprained right ankle Friday night, it was the rookies and the veteran who picked up the slack for the Minnesota Lynx.Diamond Miller, whom the team selected with the second overall pick in this year’s WNBA draft, finished with 22 points, despite leaving the game briefly in the third quarter after tweaking her right ankle. Center Dorka Juhász, drafted out of Connecticut in the second round, added 13 points and 10 rebounds.But it was guard Kayla McBride, now in her 10th season, who led the way with 26 points as Minnesota improved to 12-13 with an 88-83 victory over the New York Liberty at Barclays Center.Yet the win did not come easy. The Lynx had to withstand a 14-0 New York run in the fourth quarter that cut the gap to just one – at 77-76 – on a pair of free throws by Breanna Stewart with 2:57 to play.Standout guard Sabrina Ionescu helped spark her team’s comeback, finishing with 31 points, including seven 3-pointers.But Miller ha...

Hodges builds four-shot lead halfway through 3M Open

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:23 GMT

For several players on the bubble to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs, the 3M Open is a necessary stop in the PGA Tour schedule.For some, like first-round leader Lee Hodges, it’s been a good trip to Blaine. Some, like former major winner Justin Thomas, will leave Minnesota early still looking for points to make the playoffs.Hodges followed up his first-round 63 with a bogey-free, second-round 64 to lead the 3M Open into the weekend at 15-under par. Hodges started the tournament 74th in the FedEx Cup standings and should be firmly within the playoff field – which is top-70 – after his week in Blaine.“I’ve got a great attitude out there,” Hodges said. “Me and my caddie, we’re 70-something on the points list. Like what do we have to lose, you know? We’ve committed to every shot we’ve hit so far, which has been great. We’ll continue to do it, because what do we have to lose.”Tyler Duncan, who is second at 11-under, also is projecte...

Gaugert lives out his dream with 3M Open run

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:03:23 GMT

Finishing their second round on the ninth hole at TPC Twin Cities, Erik Van Rooyen and Alex Gaugert shared a hug before jumping on a golf cart back to the clubhouse, with Gaugert’s two kids on his lap for the ride.The two days of play, done together after Gaugert qualified Monday, at the 3M Open was quite the ride for the former University of Minnesota teammates and regular tour stop player and caddie.“I mean, it was a dream,” Gaugert said after shooting 77-71 and finishing 6-over in his first PGA event. “It happened fast. Monday qualifiers, you know, never done one, and to get through was pretty cool. Then the tour allowed us to play together; that was really memorable and something we’ll never forget.”Van Rooyen and Gaugert, the former teammates, are usually together on PGA stops. Gaugert has served as Van Rooyen’s caddie on tour. After he qualified for the 3M Open in open qualifying, tournament officials paired the two for the first two rounds in Blaine.It was something the...