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A push to expand Medicaid has Kansas governor embracing politics and cutting against her brand

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:51 GMT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is more aggressive and openly political in pushing to expand Medicaid in Kansas as the Republican-controlled Legislature prepares to open its annual session Monday following five years of failed efforts to provide state health coverage to another 150,000 people.Kelly faces leaders of GOP supermajorities whose priorities are to cut income taxes and rein in local property taxes, not to expand Medicaid. But Kelly’s new plan includes hitting expansion-opposing Republicans hard later this year during races for legislative seats, an approach that cuts against years of self-branding as a bipartisan problem-solver who doesn’t care about politics.“My previous approach, which has always been to try to bring people together and work collaboratively and come up with consensus and then get good policy on the books — that hasn’t worked,” Kelly said during a recent interview.“Taking a more aggressive approach and — to be direct, a more po...

Western Japan earthquakes have claimed 100 lives; rain and snow imperil already shaky ground

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:51 GMT

WAJIMA, Japan (AP) — Aftershocks threatened to bury more homes and block roads crucial for relief shipments, as the death toll from the earthquakes that rattled Japan’s western coastline last week reached 100 on Saturday.Among the dead was a 5-year-old boy who had been recovering from injuries after boiling water spilled on him during Monday’s 7.6 magnitude earthquake. His condition suddenly worsened and he died Friday, according to Ishikawa prefecture, the hardest-hit region.Officials warned that roads, already cracked from the dozens of earthquakes that continue to shake the area, could collapse completely. That risk was growing with rain and snow expected overnight and Sunday.Reported deaths had reached 98 earlier Saturday, and two more deaths were reported in Anamizu city as officials were holding their daily meeting to discuss strategy and damages.Wajima city has recorded the highest number of deaths with 59, followed by Suzu with 23. More than 500 people were injured, at least...

To plead or not to plead? That is the question for hundreds of Capitol riot defendants

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:51 GMT

Hundreds of Donald Trump supporters charged with storming the U.S. Capitol have faced the same choice in the three years since the attack: either admit their guilt and accept the consequences or take their chances on a trial in hopes of securing a rare acquittal.Those who have who gambled — and lost — on a trial have received significantly longer prison sentences than those who took responsibility for joining the Jan. 6, 2021 attack, an Associated Press review of court records shows. The AP’s analysis of Capitol riot sentencing data reinforces a firmly established tenet of the U.S. criminal justice system: Pleading guilty and cooperating with authorities carries a substantial benefit when it comes time for sentencing.″On one hand, the Constitution guarantees the accused a right to a jury trial. It’s a fundamental constitutional right. But the reality is that if you exercise that right … you’re likely to be punished more severely than you would have been had you pled guil...

Pedro Pascal, Melanie Lynskey, the Obamas among nominees at creative arts Emmy Awards

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:51 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Pedro Pascal and Melanie Lynskey are up for two of the most coveted Emmy Awards on Jan. 15, but both are also among this weekend’s nominees at the creative arts Emmys. Pascal, nominated for best actor in a drama for “ The Last of Us,” is up for best guest actor in a comedy series for hosting “Saturday Night Live” and for his narration of a CNN documentary on Patagonia. Lynskey, nominated for best actress in a drama for “ Yellowjackets,” is up for best guest actress in a drama for her one-episode appearance on Pascal’s “The Last of Us.” That series and “Succession” are the two top overall Emmy nominees. In fact, all of the dozen nominees in Lynskey’s category and best guest actor in a drama come from the two HBO shows. The Saturday and Sunday ceremonies are a precursor to the main Emmy ceremony that will air at 8 p.m. EST Jan. 15 on Fox, with “black-ish” star Anthony Anderson as host. Just like the main telecast, the creative arts ceremonies arriv...

On Jan. 6 many Republicans blamed Trump for the Capitol riot. Now they endorse his presidential bid

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:51 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the follow-up to their 2018 bestseller “How Democracies Die,” authors Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky write about three rules that political parties must follow: Accept the results of fair elections, reject the use of violence to gain power and break ties to extremists.In the aftermath of the 2020 election, they write, only one U.S. political party “violated all three.”Saturday marks the third anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, and Donald Trump, the former president, is far-and-away the leading Republican candidate in 2024. He still refuses to acknowledge his earlier loss to President Joe Biden. Far from rejecting the rioters, he has suggested he would pardon some of those who have been convicted of violent crimes. Rather than distance himself from extremists, he welcomes them at his rallies and calls them patriots.And Trump is now backed by many of the Republican leaders who fled for their lives and hid from the rioters, even some who had...

Carnival begins in New Orleans with Phunny Phorty Phellows, king cakes, Joan of Arc parade

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:51 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The countdown to Mardi Gras begins Saturday in New Orleans as Carnival season kicks off with dozens of costumed revelers and a brass band set to crowd onto a streetcar for a nighttime ride down historic St. Charles Avenue. Meanwhile, a walking club in the French Quarter will march in its annual procession honoring Joan of Arc. WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUTWhile it’s a secular celebration, Carnival in New Orleans — and around the world — is strongly linked to Christian and Roman Catholic traditions. The season begins on Jan. 6, the 12th day after Christmas, and continues until Mardi Gras, known as Fat Tuesday, which is the final day of feasting, drinking and revelry before Ash Wednesday and the fasting associated with Lent.New Orleans has the largest and best-known Carnival celebrations in the U.S., with street parties, fancy balls and parades from simple neighborhood-based walking clubs to elaborate high-tech extravaganzas with massive floats laden with flashing...

Ontario-bound flight makes emergency landing after hole blows open in cabin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:51 GMT

A terrifying scene unfolded on an Alaska Airlines flight headed from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California on Friday night when a gaping hole suddenly opened up in the fuselage, according to passengersFlight 1282 had departed PDX around 5 p.m. and was in the air for about 20 minutes when passengers reported hearing a “loud boom.”“The oxygen masks dropped down, and I look to my left to hear and see wind blasting, with a piece of the wall gone,” Elizabeth Le told KTLA. “There was no one in the window seat but a mom and her teenage son sitting [on] the aisle.”A photo showing the hole in the fuselage of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on Jan. 5, 2024. (IG @strawberrvy)Le said the mother apparently saved her son from getting pulled out of the plane.“I looked up and saw that the son’s shirt was completely off and his skin was very red, most likely due to the cold air. I heard after from the son’s friend that the mom had to drag him back into the plane after the piece flew off.”The pilo...

Warriors squeak out win against lowly Detroit Pistons at end of back-to-back

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:51 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Steph Curry’s trio of 3-pointers and a pair of Klay Thompson stops on defense preserved the Warriors’ 113-102 win over the lowly Detroit Pistons on Friday night. Golden State played sluggish 24 hours after a devastating loss to the Denver Nuggets on the end of a back-to-back.The Pistons came to Chase Center with three wins and kept the Warriors close throughout. Curry finished with a game-high 26 points and finally created the separation needed late in the fourth with three 3s. Thompson had 19 points and a key deflection and block on Bojan Bogdanovic’s in successive Pistons possessions to help turn a Warriors’ one-point lead into a seven-point lead.Dario Saric had 17 points going 6-for-10 from the field and 3-for-5 from 3. Jonathan Kuminga was a team-best plus-16 with 11 points and six rebounds, though he committed four turnovers.Chris Paul appeared to injure his hand going for a loose ball and exited the game late in the third quarter a...

Ammonia leak at Fremont ice business spurs shelter-in-place order

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:51 GMT

FREMONT – A shelter-in-place order was issued Friday in Fremont following an ammonia leak at an ice business, authorities said.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Hazardous materials leak in Fremont prompts shelter-in-place Crashes and Disasters | Driver hospitalized after vehicle is hit by Caltrain in Burlingame Crashes and Disasters | Disaster avoided at Rose Parade after driver smashes through barrier Crashes and Disasters | One person died from fireworks on San Francisco’s Treasure Island shortly after the New Year Crashes and Disasters | BART train derails near Orinda, injuring nine, forcing station closures and delays The leak was first reported around 10:30 a.m. at Arctic Glacier Premium Ice, located at 43960 Fremont Blvd., according to the Fremont Fire Department. Crews arrived to find a large cloud above the business and employees in the midst of an evacuation.Shortly before noon, auth...

Alaska Airlines flight makes emergency landing at PDX after window blew out

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:51 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- An Alaska Airlines plane headed for Ontario, Calif. had to make an emergency landing after a portion of the aircraft blew out mid-air Friday night. According to Flight Aware flight trackers, the plane originally departed from the Portland International Airport around 5 p.m. and "quickly turned around" after reaching an altitude of 16,000 feet. ‘URM0MM’: Every personalized license plate rejected by the Oregon DMV in 2023 The plane quickly diverted and landed safely at PDX shortly before 5:30 p.m.Social media video appeared to show that one of the passenger window panels had been blown out.Courtesy: KTLAThe flight included 171 passengers and six crew members, Alaska Airline officials confirmed to KOIN 6.CBS News reported that immediately after the incident, the pilot radioed to the air traffic controller, declaring that the flight had depressurized."We're declaring an emergency," the pilot said. "We do need to come down to 10,000." ‘I thought he was dead’:...