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At West Point, Vice President Harris to make history as first woman to deliver commencement speech

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:32 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday will become the first woman to deliver a commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy, an institution that has made slow progress diversifying its ranks in the four decades since the first class of female cadets graduated.This year some 950 men and women are expected to take part in the graduation ceremony in West Point, New York.While Harris visits West Point, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) north of Manhattan, President Joe Biden heads to Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Thursday to address graduates at the U.S. Air Force Academy.Vice presidents typically travel to one of the federal service academies to address graduating classes. Harris’ visit will be her first to the U.S. Army academy.Today, about one quarter of the student body are women. Only a few dozen graduates each year are Black women, like Harris, though the number has ticked up in recent years. The academy didn’t admit women until 1976 and had its f...

Ahead of ‘Succession’ finale, uncertainty about outcomes for its sparring siblings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:32 GMT

There’s no Iron Throne, but the stakes feel just as high.“Succession,” the critically acclaimed drama chronicling a Murdoch-esque feuding billionaire family, wraps its four-season run on Sunday with a highly anticipated 88-minute finale.And just like another tentpole HBO show, “Game of Thrones,” there’s no shortage of theories over how the series will end and who will prevail. But instead of a throne, the Roy siblings are battling over the sprawling Waystar Royco media empire.The Shakespearean-level intrigue has prompted speculation among fans looking for clues in past episodes, characters’ names and elsewhere. Even the final episode’s title, “With Open Eyes,” has critics poring through the John Berryman poem that has been used for each season finale’s title.Here are some of the questions that remain as the finale nears.WHERE DO THINGS STAND WITH THE ROY FAMILY?“Succession” has been about who will ultimately run the media conglomerate founded by Logan R...

Teen workers are in high demand for summer and commanding better pay

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:32 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Teens have long been vital to filling out the summertime staffs of restaurants, ice cream stands, amusement parks and camps.Now, thanks to one of the tightest labor markets in decades, they have even more sway, with an array of jobs to choose from at ever higher wages.To ease the labor crunch, some states are moving to roll back restrictions to let teens work more hours and, in some cases, more hazardous jobs — much to the chagrin of labor rights groups, who see it as a troubling trend. Economists say there are other ways to expand the workforce without putting more of a burden on kids, including by allowing more legal immigration.SEEKING TEEN WORKERSAt Funtown Splashtown USA, an amusement park in southern Maine, teens play a critical role in keeping the attractions open, which isn’t as easy as it used to be.General Manager Cory Hutchinson anticipates hiring about 350 workers this summer, including many local high schoolers, compared with more than 500 in past su...

Biden says debt deal ‘very close’ even as two sides far apart on work requirements

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Work requirements for federal food aid recipients have emerged as a final sticking point in negotiations over the looming debt crisis, even as President Joe Biden said Friday that a deal is “very close.”Biden’s optimism came as the deadline for a potentially catastrophic default was pushed back to June 5 and seemed likely to drag negotiations between the White House and Republicans over raising the debt ceiling into another frustrating week. Both sides have suggested one of the main holdups is a GOP effort to boost work requirements for recipients of food stamps and other federal aid programs, a longtime Republican goal Democrats have strenuously opposed.Even as they came closer to a framework on spending, each side seemed dug in on the work requirements. White House spokesman Andrew Bates called the GOP proposals “cruel and senseless” and said Biden and Democrats would stand against them.Louisiana Rep. Garret Graves, one of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s negotiato...

Cannes closes Saturday with presentation of the Palme d’Or

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:32 GMT

After 21 world premieres, nearly two weeks of red-carpet parades and hundreds of thousands of camera flashes, the 76th Cannes Film Festival concludes Saturday with the presentation of its top prize, the Palme d’Or. One of cinema’s most sought-after awards will be decided by this year’s jury, presided over by two-time Palme winner Ruben Östlund, the Swedish director. The brief ceremony will precede the festival’s closing night film, the Pixar animation “Elemental.” Any of the 21 films that played in Cannes’ main competition lineup can win the Palme. Among the critical favorites of this year’s festival are Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest,” a chilling Martin Amis adaptation about a German family living next door to Auschwitz; “Fallen Leaves,” Finish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki’s deadpan romance; and “Anatomy of a Fall,” Justine Triet’s twisty French Alps courtroom drama. Two of those — “Anatomy of a Fall” and “The Zone of Inter...

Robbery suspect allegedly tried to approach children at Rancho Cucamonga daycare

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:32 GMT

A robbery suspect was arrested after he allegedly attempted to approach children at a Rancho Cucamonga daycare on Thursday.The suspect was identified as 38-year-old Cristian Rodriguez by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.Deputies responded to reports of a man trying to speak to children at a daycare near the 9600 Block of Baseline Road around 9:10 a.m.Arriving officers spotted Rodriguez across the street from the daycare facility. While taking him into custody, they found a concealed replica firearm.Authorities also discovered Rodriguez was a wanted suspect for strong-arm robbery.Rodriguez was booked into the West Valley Detention Center where he is being held on $50,000 bail. Authorities believe Rodriguez may be a homeless person.Anyone who may have been a victim of Rodriguez is asked to contact the Rancho Cucamonga Station at 909-477-2800. Anonymous tips can be submitted to the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-7827-463 or online at www.wetip.com.

CCS, NCS baseball playoffs: Friday’s championship results, Saturday’s matchups

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:32 GMT

NEW: PREP SPORTS MAILBAGThe Bay Area News Group is introducing a high school sports mailbag in May. Get your questions in as soon as possible. Our debut edition is an open forum. Got questions about spring sports playoffs, coaching changes, an early peek at football season, etc.? Send them to [email protected]. Please include “mailbag” in the subject line.Central Coast SectionDivision ISaturday’s finalNo. 6 Hollister (23-6) vs. No. 1 Valley Christian (28-3) at Excite Ballpark, 7 p.m.Friday’s finalNo. 2 Bellarmine 2, No. 4 Leigh 0Division IIISaturday’s finalNo. 3 Carmel (17-12) vs. No. 1 Branham (22-7) at Excite Ballpark, 4 p.m.Division IVRelated ArticlesHigh School Sports | NCS baseball playoffs: De La Salle captures sixth consecutive Division I crown High School Sports | CCS, NCS softball playoffs: Friday’s championship results, Saturday’s matchups High School Sports | Oakland Section pitchers c...

Third-inning issues haunt Oakland A’s in loss to Houston Astros

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:32 GMT

OAKLAND – The Oakland A’s game against the Houston Astros on Friday night got out of hand in a hurry.Within a span of a few minutes, and thanks in part to their own miscues, the A’s two-run deficit turned into a seemingly insurmountable five-run hole as the Astros went on a fairly comfortable 5-2 win before an announced crowd of 13,345 at the Coliseum.With the A’s trailing 2-0 in the third inning with one out, an Alex Bregman fly ball fell between outfielder Seth Brown and third baseman Jace Peterson — landing right on the left field line — allowing Jose Altuve to score.After right-handed starter James Kaprielian got Jose Abreu to pop out with the bases loaded, A’s catcher Carlos Pérez had a slider pop right out of his glove to allow Yordan Alvarez to score for a 3-0 Houston lead with two outs.Corey Julks then followed that with a two-RBI single to center, giving the Astros a 5-0 advantage after just 2.5 innings.Brown hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning, but the As...

Woman working for Alameda County juvenile center accused of sex acts with teen

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:32 GMT

(BCN) -- A juvenile institutional officer in the Alameda County Probation Department has been accused of sex acts with a teenager that occurred more than 17 years ago. Nicole Perales, 50, faces charges including oral copulation with a boy who was 15 at the time, the District Attorney's Office said in a statement Friday. Perales allegedly met the boy in custody at the Alameda Juvenile Justice Center. The acts purportedly took place between Aug. 27, 2004, and Aug. 26, 2005. Brewers’ Adames hospitalized after being hit by line drive in dugout against Giants If convicted, Perales could face up to three years and eight months behind bars, according to the district attorney's statement. The statement said the case involved the prosecutor's Public Accountability Unit, created by District Attorney Pamela Price in January. Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

Oklahoma ties Division I softball mark with 47th straight win, topping Clemson in super regionals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:32 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Haley Lee’s grand slam helped put Oklahoma in the history books.The Sooners matched the longest winning ever in Division I softball, claiming their 47th straight victory with a 9-2 win over Clemson on Friday in super regional play. Oklahoma tied Arizona’s run that started in 1996 and stretched into the 1997 season.Oklahoma (55-1) handled Clemson pitcher Valerie Cagle — one of three finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Cagle gave up eight runs on seven hits in four innings.Top-seeded Oklahoma can gain sole possession of the record with a win over the 16th-seeded Tigers on Saturday. A victory also would send the two-time defending national champion Sooners back to the Women’s College World Series. A Clemson win would force a winner-take-all game on Sunday.Oklahoma, which entered the super regional leading the nation in fielding percentage, committed two errors in the fifth. Clemson scored two runs in the inning and loaded the bases with ...