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First lady Jill Biden tests positive for COVID-19; President Biden tests negative for virus

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:39:57 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 Monday but is experiencing only mild symptoms currently, her spokeswoman said.President Joe Biden was tested for the virus following his wife’s positive test, but his results were negative. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president would continue testing regularly and would be monitored for symptoms.Jill Biden will remain at the couple’s home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, for the time being, communications director Elizabeth Alexander said.The Associated Press

Aryna Sabalenka is about to be No. 1 in the WTA rankings. She could be the new U.S. Open champ, too

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:39:57 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka is going to be the No. 1 player in the WTA rankings next week, replacing Iga Swiatek there. That much is certain. They way Sabalenka is playing at the moment, she might very well supplant Swiatek as the U.S. Open champion, too.In Sabalenka’s first match since being assured of rising to the top of women’s tennis, she showed off the power-based game that allows her to dominate so many opponents, overwhelming No. 13 seed Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-3 on Monday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium to advance to her fifth consecutive major quarterfinal.“All this year, I’ve been pushing myself so hard to reach this goal,” Sabalenka said about getting to No. 1. “It really means a lot for me. It means a lot for my family. It’s crazy. It’s unbelievable.”After the top-seeded Swiatek lost in the fourth round on Sunday night, hours after No. 4 Elena Rybakina bowed out, No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 5 Ons Jabeur — who was the runner-up in New York ...

Japan announces emergency relief for seafood exporters hit by China’s ban over Fukushima water

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:39:57 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Monday a 20.7 billion yen ($141 million) emergency fund to help exporters hit by China’s ban on Japanese seafood over the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant.The discharge of the wastewater into the ocean began Aug. 24 and is expected to continue for decades. Japanese fishing associations and groups in neighboring countries have strongly opposed the release. In addition to China’s ban on all Japanese seafood imports, Hong Kong has banned Japanese seafood from Fukushima and nine other prefectures.Chinese trade restrictions have affected Japanese seafood exporters since even before the release began, with shipments held up at Chinese customs for weeks. Prices of scallops, sea cucumbers and other seafood popular in China have plunged. The ban has affected prices and sales of seafood from places as far away from Fukushima as the northern island of Hokkaido, ho...

Qantas boss retires early after allegations the Australian airline sold tickets for canceled flights

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:39:57 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The boss of Australian airline Qantas said Tuesday he would leave his job immediately — two months earlier than planned — following a series of embarrassing revelations about the company, including allegations it sold tickets for flights that had already been canceled. Chief Executive Alan Joyce said that after 15 years running the national carrier he was bringing forward his planned retirement date. The airline said Vanessa Hudson would take over as managing director and group chief executive from Wednesday.The announcement came after a difficult few weeks for Qantas and Joyce. He was grilled by Australian senators last week on flight delays and costs, while a consumer watchdog group announced Thursday it was taking legal action against Qantas and would seek a penalty that would run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission said it was taking the action after Qantas “engaged in false, misleading or dece...

Royce Lewis’s career night helps lead Twins in blowout win over Guardians

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:39:57 GMT

CLEVELAND — The big moments have found Royce Lewis. And the rookie has started to put the rest of the league on notice: He thrives in those moments.Earlier this season, the Twins were one of the worst-hitting teams in the major leagues with the bases loaded. Enter Lewis.The rookie blasted his third grand slam in a matter of eight games and added another two-run hit with the bases loaded innings later, helping lead the charge in the Twins’ 20-6 smackdown over the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night at Progressive Field.The win inched the Twins closer to a division title, extending their lead over second-place Cleveland to six games with two head-to-head matchups remaining and 24 games left in the regular season.Much of the damage came against a pitcher that the Twins have grown accustomed to seeing in the past few years. Since 2021, there’s no starter the Twins have faced more than Lucas Giolito. But the version of Lucas Giolito they’re used to seeing donned a black and white jersey ...

Enjoying the last days of summer at Indian Ladder Farm

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:39:57 GMT

ALTAMONT, N.Y. (NEWS10) – After Labor Day, it will also mean the unofficial start of fall activities like pumpkin and apple picking. Despite the heat, many chose to venture out to Indian Ladder Farm Cider and Brewery to enjoy the last days of summer.Donna Merrill, Events Coordinator, said the farm was non-stop all weekend. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! “We had a wedding on Saturday, we had a shower on Sunday, followed by kid’s birthday parties. Picklepalooza on Saturday and apple picking today, and we have been full…maximum…every seat in the house taken,” Merrill said.It was taken by those who wanted to grab some apple cider and other drinks.“I was a little excited for fall. So the 90 degrees, I’m not really all that into,” Olivia Rizzo said. “But yeah, it’s nice.”While the heat hasn’t affected the apples or other crops, Dietrich Gehring, Co-owner of Indian Ladder Farm Cider and Brewery, said the rain can impact the hops, which do wel...

Labor Day traffic not as busy as expected for travelers

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:39:57 GMT

Labor Day weekend is predicted to be the third busiest holiday weekend of the year so far, behind Father’s Day and Presidents Day. However, airports and freeways weren’t as busy and crowded as expected on Monday. At John Wayne airport, there were very light crowds getting on and off planes, and some travelers even said that the planes were not full. “I came in from Honduras, I had a layover in Houston to Santa Anna, and there was no traffic,” said Booker Robinson, a Labor Day traveler. “It was smooth sailing. The planes were half full."Northbound traffic in Orange County seemed to be free-flowing on Monday, despite the holiday weekend. However, some travelers in San Diego County and Camp Pendleton told KTLA that there was heavy traffic and major slow downs in the area. For Labor Day weekend, the average gas price in California is approximately $5.30, $0.10 higher than it was last year. AAA predicted that the roads would be busy for the holiday weekend. The freeways we...

20-year-old man, 15-year-old boy arrested for attempted murder

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:39:57 GMT

A 20-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy have been arrested and charged with attempted murder after shooting two victims, authorities with the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department announced on Monday.  Deputies responded to reports of the shooting on Sept. 1, at around 9:30 p.m. in the 7300 block of Lynwood Way in Highland, according to an SBSD news release.  At the scene, authorities located two people suffering from gunshot wounds. First responders administered medical treatment at the scene before both victims were taken to a nearby hospital in unknown conditions.  In the course of their investigation, deputies spoke to witnesses who provided detailed descriptions of the two shooting suspects.  "During the search, deputies observed Jonathan Urquidez and a male juvenile walking in the area,” the release noted. “Both suspects were sweaty, out of breath, and matched the suspect descriptions provided by witnesses.”  Both suspects were detained. After canvassing...

Meet Storm, the dog who snuck into a Metallica concert

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:39:57 GMT

Storm, an adorable German shepherd that snuck out of her Inglewood home and enjoyed the Metallica concert at nearby SoFi Stadium, is back with her owners after a memorable adventure.Though it is unclear how exactly Storm got out of her home on Aug. 25, her owners were amused by her fun night out.“We don’t know how she got out, we checked our cameras and we didn’t see nothing,” owner Kathy Villa told KTLA.A German shepherd named Storm snuck out of her home near SoFi Stadium and made her way to a Metallica concert all by herself, the band said. (X/@metallica)She and Aribeth Hurtado found out the pup had gone to the heavy metal show like the rest of us: seeing the photo of Storm sitting among the crowd watching the band."I kept reading the captions and I was like, 'Dude, she was really there,' in a seat, like if she had bought a ticket," Villa said. “We were laughing,” Hurtado said. “We were like, ‘how did she get in the concert and actually sit in a seat? How did she get passed all of...

California city pushes for healthier snacks and grocery store checkout counters

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:39:57 GMT

A new ordinance passed by the Perris City Council aims to limit the amount of junk food displayed at the checkout aisles at grocery stores.City Council members passed Ordinance 1423 in February, and it went into effect in July.The ordinance requires grocers larger than 2,500 square feet to provide healthy food or beverage items as the “default” selection at checkout aisles, a news release said. California bill would ban the sale of Skittles, Hot Tamales & other food items While the new ordinance requires healthy food items to be more apparent to customers in grocery store checkout aisles, it doesn’t prohibit the store’s ability to sell junk food nor prohibit customers from purchasing such items.Public Health Advocates, a statewide advocacy group, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Inland Valley introduced and encouraged the initiative.“As a youth-serving organization, we are excited to see healthier options at checkout to help create a brighter and healthier future in Perris fo...