DC United releases Northern Va. product Andy Najar, 8 other players to start rebuild

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:24:19 GMT

DC United releases Northern Va. product Andy Najar, 8 other players to start rebuild D.C. United midfielder Andy Najar (14) runs upfield with the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match against Toronto FC, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)(AP/Terrance Williams) D.C. United midfielder Andy Najar (14) runs upfield with the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match against Toronto FC, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)(AP/Terrance Williams) D.C. United declined the contract options for nine players, including Northern Virginia product Andy Najar, but will continue contract negotiations with free agent Donovan Pines as the club begins rebuilding its roster for next season.The MLS side enters the offseason with onl...

Legia Warsaw fans appear in court after charges filed from violence before Aston Villa game

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:24:19 GMT

Legia Warsaw fans appear in court after charges filed from violence before Aston Villa game BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Police have filed charges against the Legia Warsaw fans who were arrested for violent disorder outside Villa Park on Thursday night before a Europa Conference League game against Aston Villa.All but one of the 46 men arrested were due to appear on Saturday in a special court set up in Birmingham to begin hearing the cases, West Midlands Police said.“We are continuing to review CCTV and body-worn video footage to identify further suspects in what was an appalling and violent public disorder,” police said in a statement Saturday.Most of the defendants are from Poland and a “small number” are UK residents, police said. They range in age from 21 to 63.Two of the men were charged with assaulting police officers, and one was charged with possession of a knife. The rest were charged with a public order offense. One man had been bailed to appear in court at a later date.Five police officers sustained minor injuries. Two police dogs and two police horses are also r...

Record Temperatures Possible this Saturday as Heat and Humidity Returns

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:24:19 GMT

Record Temperatures Possible this Saturday as Heat and Humidity Returns This time of the year, South Florida can experience a flip flop in weather conditions, with a cool down occurring earlier this week but temperatures have now returned above average this weekend ahead of our next cold front.In Miami, the record high of 86F today can even be tied!Expect partly sunny to partly cloudy skies this Saturday across South Florida paired with a light, southeasterly breeze and only the chance for seeing a stray shower. Highs will reach the mid 80s.Sunday will be fairly similar with times of sunshine and clouds although rain chances will be higher at a 30% chance courtesy of more moisture in place being drawn in by a southerly wind. Lots of dry time is still ahead so this rain chance shouldn’t disrupt your outdoor plans too much. Otherwise it will remain relatively hot with highs in the mid to upper 80s. There will also be the chance for areas of morning fog.One more day of heat is on the docket for our Monday before a weak front crosses through late in t...

Biden’s EPA launches crackdown on planet-warming methane

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:24:19 GMT

Biden’s EPA launches crackdown on planet-warming methane The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled sweeping new regulations targeting methane emissions from the oil and gas sector on Saturday, a significant milestone for President Joe Biden’s strategy for curbing the pollution driving up the Earth’s temperatures.The rule’s 3 a.m. rollout was timed to coincide with the ongoing U.N. climate talks in Dubai, where the U.S. has sought to play a leading role in global efforts to reduce emissions of the powerful planet-heating gas. But its biggest test will be in the legal arena at home, where conservatives on the Supreme Court have slapped down regulations the justices viewed as White House overreach.EPA Administrator Michael Regan in a statement called the rule a “strong action” that “significantly” curbs methane pollution.“We’ve crafted these technology standards to advance American innovation and account for the industry’s leadership in accelerating methane technology,” he said.The U.S. is also hos...

US targets oil and natural gas industry’s role in global warming with new rule on methane emissions

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:24:19 GMT

US targets oil and natural gas industry’s role in global warming with new rule on methane emissions WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Saturday issued a final rule aimed at reducing methane emissions, targeting the U.S. oil and natural gas industry for its role in global warming as President Joe Biden seeks to advance his climate legacy.The Environmental Protection Agency said the rule will sharply reduce methane and other harmful air pollutants generated by the oil and gas industry, promote use of cutting-edge methane detection technologies and deliver significant public health benefits in the form of reduced hospital visits, lost school days and even deaths. Air pollution from oil and gas operations can cause cancer, harm the nervous and respiratory systems and contribute to birth defects.EPA Administrator Michael Regan and White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi announced the final rule at the U.N. climate conference in the United Arab Emirates. Separately, the president of the climate summit announced Saturday that 50 oil companies representin...

Four Patriots who should take on bigger roles vs. Chargers in Week 13

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:24:19 GMT

Four Patriots who should take on bigger roles vs. Chargers in Week 13 Even if you’re ultimately rooting for the Patriots to lose and improve their draft position, give the Patriots credit for switching things up this week.It appears the Patriots are making a switch at quarterback ahead of their Week 13 matchup with the Chargers.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots new starting QB must depend on cast of disappointing receivers New England Patriots | Patriots-Chargers injury report: Keenan Allen questionable, two Pats WRs out New England Patriots | Patriots missing two WRs at final practice before Chargers game New England Patriots | Bill Belichick shares what he’s seen from Bailey Zappe in practice New England Patriots | Patriots mailbag: Will Malik Cunningham get another shot in Week 13? Here are four players who could take on bigger roles this week against a team the Patriots have beaten in seven straight contests.QB Bailey ZappeThe second-year pro ...

Iran says an Israeli strike in Syria killed 2 Revolutionary Guard members while on advisory mission

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:24:19 GMT

Iran says an Israeli strike in Syria killed 2 Revolutionary Guard members while on advisory mission TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard stated through its website that two of its forces stationed in Syria were killed in an Israeli airstrike Saturday.The report on the Guard’s news portal identified the two members as Mohammad Ali Ataei Shourcheh and Panah Taghizadeh, and said they were carrying out an advisory mission in Syria. It did not elaborate on their rank, or the area where they were killed.Syrian state media, quoting an unnamed military official, said Israeli airstrikes hit several areas on the outskirts of the capital Damascus early Saturday. The strikes resulted in only “material losses,” the report added.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based opposition war monitor, said the strikes hit the southern Damascus suburb of Sayyida Zeinab, where “there are military forces working with the Lebanese (militant group) Hezbollah.” It said the strike killed two Syrian citizens and two foreigners and wounded five others.This latest deve...

In Mexico, a Japanese traditional dancer shows how body movement speaks beyond culture and religion

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:24:19 GMT

In Mexico, a Japanese traditional dancer shows how body movement speaks beyond culture and religion MEXICO CITY (AP) — When music requires her to cry, Japanese traditional dancer Naoko Kihara barely alters her expression. It’s her arms and torso that move like a slow-motion wave.“Expression is minimal because we cry with our body,” said Kihara, wrapped in her white and navy kimono, on a recent day at her dancing studio in Mexico, where an estimated 76,000 Japanese descendants live.“It is the dance that is speaking, interpreting, since we do not smile, shout or laugh.”Kihara won’t reveal her age, but she’s been practicing Japanese traditional dance for almost 24 years. Born in Brazil from Japanese parents who later moved to Mexico City, she carries on the legacy of Tamiko Kawabe, her mentor and pioneer of Hanayagi-style dance in the country.For Latin American audiences, Kihara said, Japanese traditional dance might be hard to embrace.Unlike the fast-moving interpreters of samba and salsa — widespread in Brazil and Mexico — Hanayagi dancers move quietly and gently, performing just a...

Send-offs show Carlton Pearson’s split legacy spurred by his inclusive beliefs, rejection of hell

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:24:19 GMT

Send-offs show Carlton Pearson’s split legacy spurred by his inclusive beliefs, rejection of hell Before his peers would label him a heretic, the late Bishop Carlton D. Pearson was once one of the best known preachers in the nation. His skilled biblical oration, steeped in the Black Pentecostal tradition and melded with white evangelicalism, helped swell the membership of the storefront church he started in 1981 in Jenks, Oklahoma, to a full-service, multiracial congregation of more than 5,000.But things changed dramatically in the 2000s. Pearson underwent a cataclysmic theological shift that altered the course of his life – and his legacy among the canon of American Christian leaders. Pearson, 70, died Nov. 19 after a brief battle with cancer. His splintered influence was underscored this week as different factions paid tribute to Pearson at various memorial services that have raised questions — and objections — about how best to remember him.During the apex of his career as leader of Higher Dimensions Evangelistic Center, Pearson said he heard a message from God that led him t...

Teen girls are being victimized by deepfake nudes. One family is pushing for more protections

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:24:19 GMT

Teen girls are being victimized by deepfake nudes. One family is pushing for more protections A mother and her 14-year-old daughter are advocating for better protections for victims after AI-generated nude images of the teen and other female classmates were circulated at a high school in New Jersey. Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, officials are investigating an incident involving a teenage boy who allegedly used artificial intelligence to create and distribute similar images of other students – also teen girls – that attend a high school in suburban Seattle, Washington. The disturbing cases have put a spotlight yet again on explicit AI-generated material that overwhelmingly harms women and children and is booming online at an unprecedented rate. According to an analysis by independent researcher Genevieve Oh that was shared with the Associated Press, more than 143,000 new deepfake videos were posted online this year, which surpasses every other year combined.Desperate for solutions, affected families are pushing lawmakers to implement robust safeguards for...