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Tunisia investigates guardsman’s motive for killing 5 outside historic synagogue

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:46:59 GMT

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisian authorities opened an investigation Wednesday into a shooting attack at a synagogue that killed two Jewish pilgrims and three members of the country’s security forces. The motive of the gunman, whom guards killed before he could enter the building on the island of Djerba, remained unclear. The island’s historic Ghriba synagogue, thought to be one of the world’s oldest Jewish temples, is a popular pilgrimage destination, but it was unknown if the assailant, a member of the Tunisian National Guard, specifically targeted Jews in Tuesday’s attack. The death toll from the attack rose to five Wednesday when a police guard who was hospitalized in the immediate aftermath died of his wounds, according to a medical official cited by Tunisia’s TAP news agency. Four other members of Tunisia’s security forces remain hospitalized in Djerba, including one in critical condition.The chair of the synagogue’s committee, Perez Trabelsi,...

South Carolina man sues police after being shot at 47 times during mental crisis

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:46:59 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A man is suing a sheriff’s office in South Carolina saying deputies shot at him nearly 50 times when he was having a mental health crisis in a parked truck with a shotgun in his lap, even though he says his hands were raised.Trevor Mullinax survived being hit nine times in May 2021, with three wounds to the head, according to the lawsuit filed against the York County Sheriff’s Office earlier this month.The four sheriff’s deputies started shooting only a few seconds after arriving on the scene and yelling “Hands!” several times, as seen in police dash cam video released by Mullinax’s lawyers. The barrage lasted all of five seconds, leaving the pickup windshield riddled with bullet holes. “Those officer went out there like John Wayne cowboys. They came out there like gunslingers,” attorney Justin Bamberg said at a news conference Tuesday.Prosecutors reviewing the case did not charge the four deputies who shot at Mullinax. The officers said they ...

Son of NBA great Dennis Rodman transferring to USC, joining Bronny James

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:46:59 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California’s basketball roster is getting more star-studded by the moment.The Trojans had already landed Bronny James, son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. Now, D.J. Rodman has announced on social media that he’s transferring to USC.The son of NBA rebounding great Dennis Rodman played the last four seasons at Washington State. The 6-foot-6 forward averaged 9.6 points and 5.8 rebounds while starting 30 of 31 games for the Cougars last season.Rodman will take advantage of an NCAA rule allowing an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic to play for the Trojans close to his hometown of Newport Beach.Coach Andy Enfield on Wednesday also said the Trojans have received a signed national letter of intent from James. The guard announced on his social media last weekend that he had committed to the Trojans, and his father discussed it after the Lakers’ playoff victory.The Trojans have already signed guard Isaiah Collier and forward A...

Ukraine’s occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant faces possible staffing crunch

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:46:59 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia intends to relocate around 3,100 Ukrainian staff from Europe’s largest nuclear plant, Ukraine’s atomic energy company claimed Wednesday, warning of a potential “catastrophic lack of qualified personnel” at the Zaporizhzhia facility in Russia-occupied southern Ukraine.Workers who signed employment contracts with various affiliates of Russia’s nuclear agency Rosatom following Moscow’s capture of the Zaporizhzhia plant early in the war are the bulk of those set to be taken to Russia along with their families, Energoatom said in a Telegram post. Energoatom didn’t specify whether the employees would be forcibly moved out of the plant. It also wasn’t immediately possible to verify Energoatom’s claims about Moscow’s plan. Removing staff would “exacerbate the already extremely urgent issue” of staff shortages, Energoatom said.In fighting Wednesday, Ukrainian forces advanced as much as two kilometers (around a mile) near Bakhmut, the city that has been...

Cal’s Gray twins, Pasadena City College’s Nigel Wilson receive CalHOPE award

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:46:59 GMT

Nigel Wilson and twin sisters Anysa and Amaya Gray have been recognized for overcoming adversity to succeed on and off the field.Wilson, a basketball player for Pasadena City College, and the Gray twins, who play soccer at California, are this year’s recipients of the CalHOPE Courage Award.The CalHOPE Courage Award is presented by College Sports Communicators (CSC) and CalHOPE, a crisis support resource for communities impacted by public health emergencies or national disasters, operated by the California Department of Health Care Services. The award recognizes student-athletes at California colleges and universities who have overcome the stress, anxiety and mental trauma associated with personal hardships, injury or life circumstances.CSC and an Associated Press panel selected the winners. Monthly awards were presented from September through April.The Gray twins were first honored in October and Wilson was selected in March. They received their awards on Tuesday in San Franci...

BSO, Lauderdale Lakes mayor speak on community concerns after 3 consecutive days of shootings

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:46:59 GMT

Officials in Lauderdale Lakes spoke out about a recent string of shootings in the area. Only one of three shootings has a suspect.Lauderdale Lakes Mayor Veronica Edwards Phillips addressed the shootings Wednesday morning in hopes of easing residents’ fears.“We refuse to live in fear here in the City of Lauderdale Lakes,” Phillips said. “We are diligently working with law enforcement to ensure that our community remains safe, that it is a safe place to live, a safe place to work and a safe place to recreate with our children.”Last Thursday was the apparent end to a dangerous week after three consecutive days of shootings in broad daylight.There was an incident along Oakland Park Boulevard where one driver pulled into a fire station. A bullet hole was seen on the car’s passenger side rear door.“A white Altima and a black Altima road rage, and they were shooting at each other,” said a first responder in radio transmissions.A man was shot in the chest...

Germany doubles down on China port deal despite new security concerns

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:46:59 GMT

BERLIN — The German government said Wednesday it will proceed with a controversial plan to sell parts of a Hamburg port terminal to China’s state-owned Cosco despite fresh security concerns and protests from members of the ruling coalition.Chancellor Olaf Scholz pushed through the deal last October allowing shipping giant Cosco to acquire 24.99 percent of shares in the Hamburg Tollerort terminal, even though several Cabinet members had raised objections. But the deal was thrown into doubt last month when it emerged that German security authorities had declared the facility as “critical infrastructure,” meaning the acquisition could have faced heightened restrictions.Yet chief government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said Wednesday the government was “sticking” to its decision from October without making any amendments, even though the terminal “is now considered an operator of critical infrastructure.” He did not provide further details ex...

Former president of Massachusetts State Police Union and former lobbyist sentenced to prison for charges including fraud, racketeering

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:46:59 GMT

Both the former president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts (SPAM) and the union’s former lobbyist were sentenced Wednesday after being convicted on charges of wire fraud, racketeering, conspiracy to defraud the IRS and more.The office of Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins announced that Dana Pullman, 60, of Worcester, was sentenced to 30 months in prison as well as three years of supervised release and restitution, while Anne Lynch, 71, of Hull, was sentenced to two years in prison, two years of supervised release and restitution, in addition to having to pay a fine of $25,000.Pullman, who resigned as SPAM’s president in 2018, served for six years as head of the state police union, which consists of more than 1,500 troopers and sergeants. During that time, Lynch’s lobbying firm represented the union in exchange for monthly retainer payments.In a news release, Rollins’s office said the two turned SPAM into a “racketeering enterprise...

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray donates $25K to Allen shooting victims

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:46:59 GMT

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who played high school football in Allen, Tex., donated $25,000 to support the victims of Saturday’s mass shooting, according to online fundraisers.Murray contributed $15,000 to William Cho, a 6-year-old boy whose parents, Cindy and Kyu Cho, and 3-year-old brother, James, were among the eight people who died in the massacre at the Allen Premium Outlets.He donated an additional $10,000 to a victims fund supporting other families and those who were wounded.Murray hasn’t publicly commented on the donations but is listed among the top donors on both GoFundMe pages. The fundraiser supporting William, who was released from intensive care, has raised more than $1.7 million.“We are deeply grateful and sincerely appreciate this outpouring love and prayers from all around the country,” that fundraiser reads. “William is recovering well. Both Kyu and Cindy’s family will use these funds to help William continue the ...

Anthony Volpe’s first grand slam powers Yankees to sweep of lowly A’s as tough AL East stretch awaits

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:46:59 GMT

With the Yankees in need of a few wins, the Athletics provided the perfect punching bag.After scoring seven and 10 runs in the first two games of this week’s series, the Bronx Bombers tagged Oakland for double digits again on Wednesday in an 11-3 blowout. The bludgeoning gave the Yankees their first sweep of the season — and some positive vibes heading into a pivotal stretch against competitive division rivals.The abysmal A’s found themselves in an immediate hole Wednesday, as a Gleyber Torres sac fly put the Yankees on the board before the red-hot Harrison Bader drove a three-run jack to right. Umps checked the dinger for fan interference, but the home run ultimately stood.Bader is now hitting .429 with a 1.341 OPS, two triples, three home runs and 11 RBI over eight games since coming off the injured list.Second-inning solo shots from Carlos Perez and Jace Peterson, hit off Jhony Brito, cut Oakland’s deficit in half, but the Yankees blew the game open with s...