US announces $1.2 billion aid package to Ukraine with counteroffensive looming

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:58:08 GMT

US announces $1.2 billion aid package to Ukraine with counteroffensive looming (CNN) — The US has announced a $1.2 billion aid package to Ukraine intended to “bolster its air defenses” and “sustain its artillery ammunition needs,” with Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian forces looming.The package includes 155mm artillery rounds, additional air defense systems and munitions, and drone ammunition, as well as equipment to help “integrate Western air defense launchers, missiles, and radars” with Ukraine’s existing systems.First reported by The Associated Press, the package will fall under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which means it will be contracted and purchased from manufacturers instead of pulled directly from Defense Department stocks in a drawdown. Instead of supplying Ukraine with the weapons it currently needs, USAI packages are intended to create a medium- and long-term supply for Ukraine.With the new package announcement, the US has committed $37....

Boston PD asks for public’s help in finding 11-year-old boy last seen leaving school on Monday

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:58:08 GMT

Boston PD asks for public’s help in finding 11-year-old boy last seen leaving school on Monday The Boston Police Department has issued a “Missing Person Alert” for an 11-year-old boy who was last seen leaving his school on Monday, according to authorities.The police department said Jean Pierre Bienquisto was last sighted around 2:15 p.m. as he left his school on Mildred Avenue. According to officials, Bienquisto was wearing a blue jacket, blue pants, and black and white sneakers at the time.Anyone with information on where the child may be is asked to call 911 or contact Boston PD’s B-3 Detectives at 617-343-4712.Those who wish to share info anonymously can do so via the department’s CrimeStoppers Tip Line AT 1-800 (494)-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463).

Daniel Perry, convicted of murder for shooting a protester at a Black Lives Matter rally, will be sentenced today

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:58:08 GMT

Daniel Perry, convicted of murder for shooting a protester at a Black Lives Matter rally, will be sentenced today (CNN) — A US Army sergeant convicted of murdering a protester at a Black Lives Matter rally is set to be sentenced Tuesday morning — even as Texas’ governor has expressed plans to pardon him.Daniel Perry shot and killed 28-year-old Garrett Foster in July 2020 at an Austin racial justice rally held following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which triggered nationwide protests against police brutality. Perry and Foster are White.Prosecutors said Perry — who was stationed at Fort Hood and working as a rideshare driver to make extra money — initiated the encounter by running a red light and turning his vehicle into a crowd gathered at the protest. Foster was openly carrying an assault-style rifle and approached Perry’s car and motioned for him to lower his window, at which point Perry fatally shot him, prosecutors said.Perry’s legal team argued his actions were justified as self-defense.The jury convicted Perry...

Transit Police searching for man who allegedly committed lewd acts at Stony Brook MBTA station

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:58:08 GMT

Transit Police searching for man who allegedly committed lewd acts at Stony Brook MBTA station Transit Police are searching for a man who is allegedly committed lewd acts at the Stony Brook MBTA station Monday morningPolice say the suspect targeted a female to victimize with the criminal activity around 7:40 a.m. Anyone who recognizes the suspect or has any information about the incident is asked to call Transit Police at (617)-222-1050https://twitter.com/MBTATransitPD/status/1655918399883444226

How to find unclaimed money: Try these 5 free ways to track down lost or forgotten assets

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:58:08 GMT

How to find unclaimed money: Try these 5 free ways to track down lost or forgotten assets Are you on the hunt for money that may have been misplaced or left entirely forgotten? You or a relative may have money left in an old bank account, a 401(k) from an old employer or even a hidden cache of money in an IRA, annuity or pension. This scenario can happen if a relative dies and the heirs don’t successfully locate all accounts. Often, the unclaimed money ends up being sent to a state office.Surprisingly, 1 in 10 Americans has unclaimed property, according to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA). More than $4 billion is returned to owners each year, the organization says.Here’s how you can find unclaimed money and where to look for it — all for free!What is unclaimed money?Unclaimed money is money that oftentimes has simply been forgotten about, in one way or another, and tends to wind up being held at a state agency until it is rightfully claimed. Accounts may be considered unclaimed or abandoned in as short as a year — called the dormancy ...

Stock market today: Wall Street edges lower in quiet trading

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:58:08 GMT

Stock market today: Wall Street edges lower in quiet trading By STAN CHOE (AP Business Writer)NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are slipping on Wall Street Tuesday following some mixed earnings reports. Several beaten-down banks are also dropping more after a brief respite from a brutal run. The S&P 500 was 0.3% lower in early trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 25 points, or 0.1%, at 33,644, as of 9:58 a.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.4% lower. Paypal Holdings fell 10.6% despite reporting better profit and revenue for the latest quarter than expected. Analysts pointed to its forecast for how much profit it expects to wring out of each $1 of revenue, which may have disappointed some investors. Electric automaker Lucid Group dropped 8.4% after reporting a worse loss than expected for the latest quarter. Other EV stocks including Rivian and Nikola also sank.Skyworks Solutions sank 6.5% after reporting profit for the first three months of the year that matched forecasts. The semiconductor company’s comments ...

Sheriff: Louisiana man shoots girl playing hide and seek

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:58:08 GMT

Sheriff: Louisiana man shoots girl playing hide and seek STARKS, La. (AP) — A Louisiana man has been charged with aggravated assault and battery after shooting at children who had been playing hide and seek outside his home, striking a 14-year-old girl, officials said.The girl suffered a gunshot wound to the back of the head early Sunday, and was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a statement posted on social media Monday.Investigators learned that several children were playing hide and seek in the Starks neighborhood and were hiding on the neighbor’s property.David Doyle, 58, told detectives that he got his gun when he saw shadows outside his home and shot at people he saw running away, unknowingly hitting the girl, officials said.It’s the latest in a series of recent shootings sparked by seemingly trivial circumstances.Doyle was arrested and charged with aggravated battery, four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and illegal discharge of a f...

Gift Guide: For cooks with a craving for sustainability

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:58:08 GMT

Gift Guide: For cooks with a craving for sustainability This time of year can be a big gift-giving moment, with Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduations, weddings and more. And whatever the occasion, if the recipient enjoys spending time in the kitchen, then food and kitchen-related gifts are a natural place to start.More and more of us are shopping and cooking with an eye toward sustainability and eco-consciousness. So here are some cooking gifts and tips that fit that bill:You can start by doing a little homework on the company you’re purchasing from. That job has been done for you if the company has gotten a B Corp certification. It shows that a business is meeting high standards in supporting a variety of community and environmental markers, with measurable metrics. The certification lasts three years before needing to be renewed.Another accreditation to look for is 1% for the Planet, which means the company has committed to donate 1% of annual sales to environmental causes, and is transparent in its efforts to operate sustainably. Cl...

Truck slams into Polish bus in Germany, injuring dozens

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:58:08 GMT

Truck slams into Polish bus in Germany, injuring dozens BERLIN (AP) — A highway collision between a long-distance Polish bus and a truck injured dozens of people in eastern Germany, police in Poland and German news agency dpa reported.The crash happened Tuesday on the A 12 highway in the state of Brandenburg between the towns of Storkow and Fredersdorf.German police said 52 people were hurt, including 10 with severe injuries, dpa said. One person was said to be in critical condition.Three helicopters, ambulances and police officers were on the scene, and the section of highway was closed. Police said the truck, which was traveling in the direction of Berlin, collided with the side of the bus when it tried to change lanes. Polish police confirmed on Twitter that a bus from Poland was involved in a crash in Germany and that many people were injured. Polish police personnel were deployed to the scene to aid the injured. The Associated Press

Christie’s sale of Austrian heiress’ jewels stirs criticism

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:58:08 GMT

Christie’s sale of Austrian heiress’ jewels stirs criticism GENEVA (AP) — Christie’s is auctioning a staggering 700 pieces of jewelry from the collection of the late Heidi Horten, an Austrian heiress whose German husband built a retail empire starting in the 1930s — in part from department stores and other assets sold by desperate Jews as they fled Nazi Germany.The auction house says the sale from “one of the greatest jewelry collections” is expected to reap some $150 million. Proceeds are to benefit her Vienna art museum, welfare for children, and medical research. Christie’s — as criticism of the auction grew — said it planned to chip in some of its profits from the sale to Holocaust education.The sale has already begun online, but also takes place in-person in two parts on Wednesday and Friday at a ritzy Geneva hotel. There’s a record-setting ruby ring that Heidi Horten bought for $30 million in 2015. A dazzling diamond necklace could fetch $15 million or more. And the auction house says the sale features more Bulgari jewels than ever ass...