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Homicides in big US cities down more than 10 percent in 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:28 GMT

By Eric Levenson and Mark Morales | CNNAfter three years of distressingly high levels, homicides in the US declined significantly across the board in 2023 – even as the public’s concerns about crime remained at its highest in over two decades.In particular, the five biggest cities in the US – New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Phoenix – each saw homicides fall by over 10%, according to the latest data from those police departments.Further, national data from the FBI covering January to September 2023 showed an 8.2% drop in all violent crime, including a 15.6% drop in murders, compared to the same period in 2022. These declines were seen in cities over 1 million people and those under 10,000, and across all four regional quadrants of the US. The full year of data won’t be released until this fall, but the trend is clear.Taken together, the broad decline in crimes in 2023 suggests societal disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2020 police murder of George Floyd have ...

Strike kills 12, mostly children, in Gaza area declared safe zone

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:28 GMT

By Najib Jobain and Jack Jeffery | Associated PressRAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli strike flattened a home Thursday in an area of southern Gaza that the military had declared a safe zone, killing at least 12 people, almost all of them children, Palestinian hospital officials said as Israeli troops pressed their assault in the nearby city of Khan Younis.Israel’s offensive has focused on Khan Younis, where the military said it has uncovered tunnels used by Hamas and battled fighters from the militant group that attacked into southern Israel on Oct. 7.Israel has vowed to continue its campaign in Gaza until Hamas is destroyed. Now an apparent Israeli strike that killed a top Hamas leader in Beirut has stirred fresh fears that the conflict could expand into other parts of the Middle East. The concerns of a wider war are likely to be high on the agenda as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sets off late Thursday to visit Israel and other countries around the region.The killi...

Men charged in Oakland police officer’s killing make first court appearance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:28 GMT

OAKLAND — Two of the men arrested in the killing of Oakland police officer Tuan Le made their first appearance in court Thursday, marking a new phase in the sprawling investigation into the officer’s death.Mark Demetrious Sanders, 27, and Allen Starr Brown, 28, stood silently in red jail outfits while waiving a formal arraignment on murder charges in the Dec. 29 killing, which marked the first time in 14 years an Oakland police officer was killed in the line of duty. In the gallery, dozens of law enforcement officers looked on in silence in a show of support for their slain colleague and his family.Sanders kept his back turned to the courtroom throughout his brief hearing. Brown faced the courtroom but did not show any emotion, even as several members of his family looked on from the gallery.Both men are due back in court on Jan. 18 to enter pleas.A third man, 30-year-old Sebron Russell, was charged with multiple counts of burglary in connection with the break-ins that p...

Jealous Burt Reynolds refused to accompany Sally Field when she won 1st Oscar

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:28 GMT

Burt Reynolds may have claimed that Sally Field was the “the love of his life,” but she has described how he didn’t treat her in the most loving way when they were a Hollywood golden couple and she was nominated for her first Academy Award for her career-changing performance in the 1979 film “Norma Rae.”In a new book about Academy Awards history, Field said that Reynolds, her boyfriend at the time, “was not happy” with the buzz she was receiving for playing a union organizer in “Norma Rae” — a role that completed her transition from perky TV and film comedy star to a serious actor cast in and major movies.“He really was not a nice guy around me then,” said the two-time winner of the best actress trophy in the new book “50 Oscar Nights,” by Dave Karger, People reported.HOLLYWOOD, CA – FEBRUARY 24: Actress Sally Field arrives at the Oscars at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 24, 2013 in Hollywood,...

Draymond Green inching closer to Warriors return: source

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:28 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Since his indefinite suspension last month, Warriors forward Draymond Green is working his way back onto the court. Green should be back with the Warriors for team activities after this weekend, a source told KRON4's Jason Dumas. Green has not been at the Warriors facility in San Francisco since the indefinite suspension, Dumas said. The former NBA Defensive Player of the Year has spent his time away in the Bay Area and Southern California. Brock Purdy will not play in regular-season finale vs. Rams, Shanahan says Green has been working out and is in a great headspace, the source told KRON4. Once he returns with the team after the weekend, the Warriors and Green will collaborate on a plan for him to resume NBA game action.However, at the time of the suspension, the NBA said Green "will be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play." It is unknown at this time how soon the league will allow Green to return for regular-seas...

Sixth grader killed, 5 others shot at Perry High School in Iowa: authorities

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:28 GMT

PERRY, Iowa (WHO) – Six people were shot, one fatally inside a small-town Iowa high school early Thursday as students prepared to start their first day of classes after their annual winter break, authorities said.Seventeen-year-old student Dylan Butler is believed to have shot and killed a sixth grader inside Perry High school, and wounded four high school students and an administrator, according to Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Asst. Director Mitch Mortvedt.It's not yet clear why the sixth grader who attended classes in the adjoining middle school was in the building at the time of the shooting, but it may have been to attend a breakfast program for multiple grade levels, Mortvedt said.Law enforcement was notified about an active shooter at Perry High School at 7:37 a.m. CT. When Perry police offers arrived, they found multiple gunshot victims, along with the body of Butler, who police say died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.Officers searched the school and f...

Sharks defenseman Matt Benning undergoes season-ending hip surgery

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:28 GMT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — San Jose Sharks defenseman Matt Benning underwent surgery on his hip that will sideline him for the rest of the season.General manager Mike Grier announced Thursday that Benning had the surgery and is expected to be back for the start of training camp next season. The Sharks said the estimated time of recovery is typically five months.The 29-year-old Benning is in the second season of a four-year, $5 million contract with San Jose. Benning had two assists in 14 games this season but hadn’t played since getting injured on Dec. 3 against the New York Rangers. He has 15 goals and 46 assists in 248 career games with San Jose, Edmonton and Nashville. ___AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHLSource

Packers chasing postseason berth as they attempt to beat Bears for 10th straight time

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:28 GMT

CHICAGO (7-9) at GREEN BAY (8-8)Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, CBSOPENING LINE: Packers by 3, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.AGAINST THE SPREAD: Bears 8-6-2; Packers 8-8SERIES RECORD: Packers lead 106-95-6LAST MEETING: Packers beat Bears 38-20 in Chicago on Sept. 10, 2023.LAST WEEK: Bears won 37-17 at home over Atlanta; Packers won 33-10 at Minnesota.BEARS OFFENSE: OVERALL (17), RUSH (2), PASS (27), SCORING (16)BEARS DEFENSE: OVERALL (12), RUSH (1), RUSH (21), SCORING (20)PACKERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (13), RUSH (15), PASS (17), SCORING (11)PACKERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (21), RUSH (28), RUSH (11), SCORING (14)TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Bears plus-2; Packers plus-1BEARS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Justin Fields. The Bears have a huge decision to make since they own the No. 1 pick in the draft because of a trade with league-worst Carolina: Stick with Fields or turn to one of the top available QBs in the draft? Fields threw for 268 yards with a touchdown pass and a rushing TD against the Falcons in what might have...

Houthis launch sea drone to attack ships hours after US, allies issue final warning

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:28 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — An armed unmanned surface vessel launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen got within a “couple of miles” of U.S. Navy and commercial vessels in the Red Sea before detonating on Thursday, just hours after the White House and a host of partner nations issued a final warning to the Iran-backed militia group to cease the attacks or face potential military action. Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Navy operations in the Middle East, said it was the first time the Houthis had used an unmanned surface vessel, or USV, since their harassment of commercial ships in the Red Sea began after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. They have, however, used them in years past. Fabian Hinz, a missile expert and research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the USV’s are a key part of the Houthi maritime arsenal and were used during previous battles against the Saudi coalition forces that intervened in Yemen’s war. They have regularly been use...

Police say 17-year-old killed a sixth grader and wounded five in Iowa school shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:28 GMT

PERRY, Iowa (AP) — A 17-year-old opened fire at a small-town Iowa high school on the first day of school after the winter break, killing a sixth-grader and wounding five others as students barricaded in offices and fled in panic.The suspect, a student at the school in Perry, died of what investigators believe is a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and at least one of the victims is a school administrator, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.Perry has about 8,000 residents and is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines, on the edge of the state capital’s metropolitan area. It is home to a large pork-processing plant, and low-slung, single story homes spread among trees now shorn of their leaves by winter. The high school and middle school are connected, sitting on the east edge of town. Perry High School senior Ava Augustus ...