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UMass, Taisun Phommachanh face massive test at Auburn

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

UMass quarterback Taisun Phommachanh showed more than sheer athleticism in the Minutemen’s 41-30 victory at New Mexico State in the season opener last Saturday.The 6-4, 215-pound transfer from Clemson put up phenomenal numbers in his UMass debut, which was also his first collegiate start. Phommachanh completed 10-of-17 passes for 192 yards and was the Minutemen’s leading ball carrier with 96 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown.While his dual threat capabilities helped deliver UMass its most important win in years, it was Phommachanh’s command of the offense, game management and thinking a step ahead of the Aggies’ defense that most impressed UMass second-year head coach Don Brown.“I thought he did a great job of that and I think that is his strength,” said Brown. “Obviously he is very athletic, but he is a very smart football player and we certainly are not going to run plays that he is uncomfortable with or that he is ill prepared for.“But at the same time, we are just very comfor...

Scientists say study found a direct link between greenhouse gas emissions and polar bear survival

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

By TAMMY WEBBER (Associated Press)Fifteen years after polar bears were listed as threatened, a new study says researchers have overcome a roadblock in the Endangered Species Act that prevented the federal government from considering climate change when evaluating impacts of projects such as oil and gas drilling.The act requires agencies to ensure projects they approve don’t further harm listed species. But a 2008 Department of Interior legal opinion said greenhouse gas emissions didn’t have to be considered because the impact from specific projects couldn’t be distinguished from that of all historic global emissions. A study published Thursday in Science’s Policy Forum says scientists for the first time are able to directly quantify the impact of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions from specific sources on polar bear cub survival.It “just seems odd” that polar bears were listed because of the loss of sea ice due to global warming “but emis...

A judge has blocked, for now, a Texas law drag show performers fear will shut them down

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked a new Texas law that drag show artists fear will be used to shut them down or put them in jail.The law, approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature, would expand the legal definition in the Texas criminal code of what is considered to be an illegal public performance of sexual conduct in front of children. It is part of a broader effort in Texas and other conservative states to crack down on drag shows and limit LGBTQ rights.Critics argued that the definition is so broad, it could include the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.U.S. District Judge David Hittner in Houston issued the temporary restraining order after a group of drag performers and LGBTQ+ rights advocates sought to keep the law from taking effect on Sept. 1. They say the law unconstitutionally threatens the “livelihood and free expression of many Texans, including drag performers across our state.” The Texas injunction follows similar rulings against drag pe...

Judge rules white man will stand trial for shooting Ralph Yarl, Black teen who went to wrong house

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri judge ruled Thursday that the 84-year-old white homeowner who shot a Black teenager after he mistakenly went to the man’s house must stand trial. Clay County Judge Louis Angles issued the ruling after hearing from several witnesses at a preliminary hearing, including Ralph Yarl, the teenager who was shot by Andrew Lester on April 13 when Yarl went to the wrong house to pick up his younger brothers. Lester, a retired aircraft mechanic, is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He previously pleaded not guilty in the shooting that shocked the country and renewed national debates about gun policies and race in America.Kansas City Officer Larry Dunaway described Lester as “an elderly guy who was scared” after the shooting. Another officer, James Gale, said Lester was clearly worried.“He said he hoped he didn’t kill anybody,” Gale testified.A handful of people wearing shirts that said “Justice for Ralph” were seen entering th...

B.C. officer who assaulted UBC student remains on the job after sentencing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

KELOWNA, B.C. — The RCMP say an officer in Kelowna, B.C., who pleaded guilty and received a conditional discharge after assaulting a student at the University of British Columbia Okanagan during a wellness check in 2020 remains on the job.Dawn Roberts, director of communications for the B.C. RCMP, says Const. Lacy Browning has been placed on administrative duties and her status is subject to continual review while the Mounties complete a code of conduct investigation.The BC Prosecution Service confirms that Browning was handed a conditional discharge and placed on probation for two years during her sentencing earlier this week after pleading guilty to one count of assault in November 2022.Browning must also complete 160 hours of community service over the first year, and a $200 “victim fine surcharge” was also imposed.It she completes all the terms of the discharge, the service says Browning will not have a conviction or a criminal record.Mona Wang was a nursing student ...

Ohio lawmaker stripped of leadership after a second arrest in domestic violence case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Ohio state Rep. Bob Young was stripped of his leadership position in the Ohio House on Thursday after his second arrest in less than two months in an ongoing domestic violence case.Fellow Republican House Speaker Jason Stephens removed the Summit County representative from his position as a committee chair, following him being charged with violating a protective order. A grand jury in July indicted Young on domestic violence and assault charges. Young’s lawyer did not respond to messages seeking comment left Wednesday and Thursday.The removal, confirmed by Stephens’ spokesperson Aaron Mulvey, weakens Young’s authority in the House and cuts his pay by $9,000. Stephens previously asked Young to resign, but Young refused. Because the charges are misdemeanors and not felonies, Young is allowed to maintain his seat. Some Democratic lawmakers formally called for him to lose any special authority in the House and echoed Stephens’ cal...

Hyundai and LG will invest an additional $2B into making batteries at Georgia electric vehicle plant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution said Thursday they will spend an additional $2 billion and hire an extra 400 workers to make batteries at the automaker’s sprawling U.S. electrical vehicle plant that’s under construction in Georgia.The announcement by the South Korea-based companies — one a major automaker, the other a leading producer of lithium-ion batteries used to power electric vehicles — expands on a partnership they launched three months ago to produce batteries at the same site west of Savannah, where Hyundai plans to start EV production in 2025.The news Thursday brings the companies’ total investment in the Georgia plant to more than $7.5 billion and the site’s overall planned workforce to 8,500.“This incremental investment in Bryan County reflects our continued commitment to create a more sustainable future powered by American workers,” José Muñoz, president and global chief operating officer of Hyundai Motor Company, said in a st...

Statue believed to depict Marcus Aurelius seized from Cleveland museum in looting investigation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A headless bronze statue believed to depict the Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius was ordered seized from the Cleveland Museum of Art by New York authorities investigating antiquities looted from Turkey.A warrant signed by a judge in Manhattan on Aug. 14 ordered the seizure of the statue, which the museum acquired in 1986 and had been a highlight of its collection of ancient Roman art.The warrant was secured as part of an ongoing investigation into a smuggling network involving antiquities looted from Bubon in southwestern Turkey and trafficked through Manhattan, a spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said. No details of the investigation were provided.The 76-inch (1.9-meter) statue dates from A.D. 180 to 200 and is worth $20 million, according to the district attorney’s office. The Plain Dealer of Cleveland reported that the statue was removed from view more than two months ago and that the museum changed the description of the ...

B.C. extending state of emergency by two weeks amid wildfire battle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

VANCOUVER — Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma says British Columbia is extending a state of emergency over the ongoing wildfires that have devastated parts of the province. Ma said the two-week extension was needed in case additional extraordinary orders under the Emergency Act are needed to respond to the fires.“The nature and unpredictability of wildfires we are experiencing this year means that we all need to remain vigilant,” she said.She told a briefing Thursday that the past couple of days had seen a “positive trend” in the fire fight as communities downgraded evacuation orders, allowing thousands to return home.But she said 4,200 people in B.C. remained on evacuation order, with 65,000 on evacuation alert to be ready to leave their homes at short notice.Ma said recent rain showed the province was “slowly moving past the worst part of this wildfire season,” which is the most severe on record.However, she said the province was far from being in the clear.On Thursday...

Shotgun-wielding man reported outside a Black church in Pennsylvania arrested, police say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

AMBRIDGE, Pa. (AP) — A man is in custody on assault charges after a witness told police he pointed a shotgun at two women and attempted to enter a predominantly Black church in a small steel town just outside Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania.Jeffrey Harris, 38, was being held in Beaver County jail on $975,000 bail Thursday, awaiting a preliminary hearing next week. He is charged with aggravated assault and a handful of other counts.Harris, who is white, was arrested a block away without a shot being fired. He was taken into custody in Ambridge, a community of nearly 7,000 people about 16 miles (25 kilometers) northwest of downtown Pittsburgh.Ambridge police reported in court papers that they found crystal methamphetamine on Harris, that he made “bizarre” comments about family members en route to the police station and that his nearby apartment had been set up for what looked like a possible standoff.David Lozier, Beaver County’s district attorney, said investigators have no ...