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AP PHOTOS: At UN climate talks in Dubai, moments between the meetings

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 21:07:02 GMT

Almost every day at COP28, this year’s annual United Nations climate summit, an activist dons a costume of a dugong — a manatee-like creature that forages for seagrass in warm, shallow areas of the Indian and Pacific oceans. The costume highlights the contrasts of climate talks marked by both spectacle and urgency, at a site that cost billions of dollars to erect, in what was once just an empty desert area of the oil-rich host country, the United Arab Emirates. For nearly two weeks, Expo City has been the site of discussions about climate change and how to confront it. Between the meetings among thousands of delegates, there is a lot for them, and other attendees, to look at as they go from place to place. A mural of women farmers, smiling as they work. Art installations, like a wall with hands holding cell phones. Post-it notes — pink, green, blue and yellow — with messages stuck to a wall. Men in suits walk quickly through large halls while others, wearing white thobes, ride...

Rockets beat Spurs 93-82 and send San Antonio to its franchise-record 17th straight loss

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 21:07:02 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — On the night the San Antonio Spurs set a franchise record with their 17th consecutive loss, rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama wasn’t hanging his head. The top overall pick was instead looking ahead to brighter days that he knows are in store for his team.“Of course it’s not easy, but we don’t have a choice,” he said. “Keep going, keep grinding. The good thing is nobody doubts that in the long run we’re going to be the winners. … I hate losing, but I stay focused on the long run goal.” Tari Eason had a season-high 18 points and 14 rebounds off the bench as the Houston Rockets got the 93-82 win on Monday to keep San Antonio winless since a 132-121 victory over Phoenix on Nov. 2.Wembanyama had 15 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks, along with an overpowering dunk over Houston’s Alperen Sengun in the third period, but it wasn’t enough to get the Spurs back in the win column. The Rockets won their 10th straight home game and third in a row overall.“Didn’t ...

No. 10 Gonzaga rebounds from loss, rolls past Mississippi Valley State 78-40

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 21:07:02 GMT

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Braden Huff scored 17 points, Graham Ike added 13 points and eight rebounds, and No. 10 Gonzaga cruised to a 78-40 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Monday night.The Bulldogs (8-2) earned their 11th straight home win and bounced back from a 78-73 loss on the road to Washington last Saturday. Ben Gregg added 11 points and four rebounds off the bench for the Bulldogs. Anton Watson had eight points, four rebounds and three assists. Mississippi Valley State (0-10) was led by Rayquan Brown, who finished with 19 points and nine rebounds. Brown was the only Delta Devils player who scored more than five.The Bulldogs opened the game on a 14-2 run, making six of their first nine shots. Gonzaga went on another spree midway through the first half, scoring 11 straight points to expand its lead to 18, and led 38-18 at halftime.Huff and Gregg had nine points each in the second half to help the Bulldogs go on several more scoring runs, including an 11-0 stretch to go up...

UNC QB Drake Maye is entering the NFL draft and won’t play in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 21:07:02 GMT

North Carolina star quarterback Drake Maye is entering the NFL draft and won’t play in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl for the Tar Heels against West Virginia.Maye announced his decision in a social media post Monday, ending his UNC career that included two years as the starter putting up prolific numbers and making himself one of the most sought-after potential prospects for the NFL. The school has also announced that all-ACC linebacker Cedric Gray, receiver Devontez “Tez” Walker, offensive lineman Corey Gaynor and defensive lineman Myles Murphy are all entering the NFL draft. Of that group, only Murphy is set to play in the bowl game.“We want to thank these young men for all they’ve contributed to Carolina football during their times with the program,” coach Mack Brown said in a statement. “It’s been a pleasure to watch them grow and flourish both on the field and off. We wish them nothing but the best and look forward to watching them represent UNC as they move on to...

Life in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine is grim. People are fleeing through a dangerous corridor

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 21:07:02 GMT

SUMY, Ukraine (AP) — Whenever 52-year-old Anna is agitated, she senses the chilling touch of a gun barrel between her brows — a haunting reminder of an encounter with a group of Russian soldiers on her street about a year ago.On that day, amid tears and screams, the soldiers threatened to kill her and her husband, fired bullets on the ground between their feet and then dragged her brother-in-law to an unknown location, apparently furious that he couldn’t guide them to where they could find alcohol.Two weeks later, Anna’s husband, who himself had been hospitalized previously because of heart problems, found his brother’s body in the forest, not far from the village where they lived, in a Russian-occupied area of Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region. Two weeks after that, he died. “His heart couldn’t bear it,” Anna said. Alone and afraid, Anna sank into a depression.“I don’t know how I coped with it,” she says, repeating the phrase over and over as tears run down her...

4 officers charged in Christian Glass death due in court on Tuesday

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 21:07:02 GMT

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Four additional officers charged in connection with the death of Christian Glass are due in court Tuesday morning.Glass, 22, was shot and killed in his car in June 2022 after he called for help when his car broke down in Silver Plume. He told emergency dispatchers he had possible weapons in his car, including knives and a hammer, which his family said he had for an amateur geology trip. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox The hour-long encounter was captured on multiple body-worn cameras.Glass was shot six times by a Clear Creek County deputy. According to the video, deputies busted a window of the vehicle, shot him with bean bags and used a Taser against him. Glass, showing some signs of paranoia and some incoherence, never left the vehicle.Glass can be seen using his hands to make a heart against the window before it is broken. Multiple officers are also captured surrounding Glass’ car.Duty to intervene ...

Waffle House server receives $1,000 tip from Broncos player

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 21:07:02 GMT

PARKER, Colo. (KDVR) — A Parker restaurant server got the surprise of the holiday season after receiving a $1,000 tip from one of the Denver Broncos players.Waffle House employee Samantha Ramirez told FOX31 she usually isn’t fazed by celebrities.“I don’t fangirl out about people," she said.When Broncos player Justin Simmons visited the restaurant in Parker with a group of friends, Ramirez was prepared.“I was like, there was so many of them. I’m like, all right. I was just ready to go to work," she said. How likely is it for the Denver Broncos to make the NFL playoffs? After the meal. Ramirez received a surprise.“Justin wanted to tip me, and I was like, y'all have done enough already, and he’s like, 'No, no, no. I want to take care of you,'" Ramirez said.The receipt showed Simmons had left her a $1,000 tip."You don’t have any idea how emotional — I mean, you don’t even know. We needed that, so thank you so much,” Ramirez told FOX31.After a big tip, Waffle House holds moneyThe mothe...

Will Levis rallies Titans for 2 late TDs, 28-27 win over Dolphins

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 21:07:02 GMT

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Rookie Will Levis threw for a career-high 327 yards and directed two touchdown drives in the final 4 1/2 minutes, and the Tennessee Titans rallied to stun Miami 28-27 on Monday night, knocking the Dolphins out of the top spot in the AFC.The Titans (5-8) held Tua Tagovailoa and Miami’s explosive offense in check for most of the game but still fell behind by two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, thanks to critical mistakes that gave short fields to the Dolphins (9-4). Raheem Mostert ran for TDs of 3 yards and 5 yards to put Miami ahead 27-13.Levis, a second-round draft pick making his sixth career start, took over from there. He led a nine-play, 75-yard drive that took 1:54, capping it with a 3-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins and a 2-point conversion throw to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.The Titans got a stop and Levis quickly went to work, hitting Hopkins for 28 yards and Chigoziem Okonkwo for 16 yards to get into scoring position. Derrick Henry scored on a...

Melancon: IRS pushes Direct File despite problems

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 21:07:02 GMT

Some members of Congress recently voiced their disappointment with how the IRS will begin preparing and filing our tax returns — a process that accountants, private companies and taxpayers have typically serviced — under false pretenses. I, too, feel the urge to add my two cents.To advance its tax preparation pilot program, which it calls Direct File, the IRS used a study demonstrating more than 70% of the public approved the idea. However, according to a report from the Treasury’s inspector general, the strategic framing of this study may have been wholly dishonest. The IRS’ embracing and promoting of it may enable the agency to completely take over assessing the American people’s taxes. That is troubling for many reasons and potentially exacerbating racial wealth disparities is top among them.A recent Stanford University study found “that Black taxpayers are audited at three to five times the rate of non-Black taxpayers” despite race-blind audit selection. This is an issue that ev...

‘Concrete Utopia’ a tale of class & chaos

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 21:07:02 GMT

While South Korea’s “Concrete Utopia” solidly stands as an epic disaster film, it couldn’t be farther from Hollywood’s ‘70s cycle of escapist hits like “The Poseidon Adventure” and “The Towering Inferno.”“Concrete,” South Korea’s selection for the Best International Feature Academy Award, begins with a nasty earthquake that turns to rubble a city’s many, identical high-rise apartment towers – all except one.It’s winter, the survivors are cold, hungry, desperate – and no rescue teams, no ambulances appear.  The residents of the one surviving building, which is minus water or power, realize that as homeless survivors plea for shelter inside, they must make life or death decisions.They elect a leader (played by “Squid Game” star Lee Byung-hun) whose violent history is only gradually revealed – and who immediately secures control. Death and violence ensue.“I was always interested in Korean apartment buildings,” the director and co-writer Um Tae-hwa explained through an interpreter in a ...