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Pope in final Mass in Budapest urges Hungary to open doors

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:30:32 GMT

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Pope Francis urged Hungarians to open their doors to others on Sunday, as he wrapped up a weekend visit with a plea for an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine and for Europe to welcome migrants and the poor.Francis issued the appeal from the banks of the Danube as he celebrated Mass on Budapest’s Kossuth Lajos Square, with the Hungarian Parliament and Budapest’s famed Chain Bridge as a backdrop. The celebration provided the visual highlight of Francis’ three-day visit that has been dominated by the Vatican’s concern for the plight of neighboring Ukraine.Citing local organizers, the Vatican said some 50,000 people participated in the Mass, more than 30,000 of them in the square on a brilliantly sunny spring morning. Among them were President Katalin Novak and Hungary’s right-wing populist prime minister, Viktor Orban, whose lukewarm support for Ukraine has rankled fellow European Union members.Francis has expressed appreciation for Hungary’s recent welcome o...

Retiring Stillwater Area High School teacher, falcon expert Andy Weaver ‘brought science to life’

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:30:32 GMT

Andy Weaver, a biology teacher at Stillwater Area High School, holds Nato, a one-year-old male Finnish Goshawk, at the school in Oak Park Heights on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Biology Teacher Andy Weaver talks about his deer trap at Stillwater Area High School on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. His classes use the deer trap to trap and collar does in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Biology Teacher Andy Weaver goes into the Stillwater Area High School Raptor Propagation Lab at the school in Oak Park Heights on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, to check on a peregrine falcons he’s hoping will mate. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Students of Stillwater Area High School science teacher Andy Weaver got to dissect a bear in 2011. Weaver shot the bear at the Kiwanis Scout Camp in northern Washington County. (Courtesy of Andy Weaver)Biology Teacher Andy Weaver talks about the deer they collar and track near Stillwater ...

Ask Amy: My fiancee’s family says I’m not invited, and she’s going without me

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:30:32 GMT

Dear Amy: My fiancée and I have been together for over five years.When her family had get-togethers, I noticed that they would say mean things to my fiancée, and she wouldn’t defend herself. In response to this, I would lightly defend her, by making jokes or whatever.The last couple of years when they’ve invited anyone to family events, they have specifically said that I’m not invited.My fiancée just says, “OK, no problem,” and she goes by herself.Am I wrong in wanting her to stand up for me – or should I just leave it be? StumblingDear Stumbling: Of course you want your fiancée to stand up for you! And not only is she not defending you, but now she is allowing her family members to bully her and you – by excluding you.When couples come together and decide to form a family, the idea is that they should walk through life hand-in-hand – as a team. They put their relationship at the center of their lives, with their families orbiting around them.Your fiancée is obviously do...

8-year-old girl struck, killed in Woodbridge crash

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:30:32 GMT

An 8-year-old girl from Woodbridge, Virginia, has died after being struck by a car earlier this month, Prince William County police say.Due to the victim’s age, her name will not be released to the public, according to a news release from police Saturday.Police said the girl’s death resulted from injuries sustained during a crash on April 10 at around 6 p.m. in the 12200 block of Nutmeg Court in Woodbridge.A 69-year-old woman was driving at a slow speed when police said she hit the girl, who was sitting in the roadway.Officers said the child became stuck under the car before first responders arrived. She was removed from under the vehicle before being taken to the hospital.Investigators said the child later died due to her injuries.Speed, alcohol and drugs were not considered factors in the crash. The 69-year-old woman will not be criminally charged in this crash, police said.Source

Tornado Watch issued for South Florida, Severe Storms Possible this Sunday

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:30:32 GMT

A front is marching across the Gulf of Mexico and will cross through south and central Florida this Sunday, sparking up a broken line of strong to severe thunderstorms.The Storm Prediction Center has placed most of the area under a level 2 of 5, slight risk for severe storms today, meaning isolated tornadoes, strong winds and hail will all be possible with the thunderstorms that move through.As a result and given the favorable ingredients in place, a Tornado Watch is in effect for Miami-Dade, Broward and the Florida Keys through 2 pm. This means a tornado is possible.It will also be a windy day today, so a Wind Advisory is also in effect through 8 pm with wind gusts up to 40 mph expected, which can take down tree limbs.As far as the timing of these storms is concerned, they will likely reach the lower Keys around 10 am, then the rest of the area around the 11 am/12 pm time frame. Most locations can expect gusty thunderstorms with this line that will be moving from the west-northwest...

Western governments evacuate more citizens from Sudan as situation deteriorates

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:30:32 GMT

The U.K conducted its last evacuation flight from Sudan on Saturday, as the U.S. and France also brought groups of foreign nationals out of the conflict-torn African country. The moves come amid a deteriorating security situation in Sudan, as fighting continues between the Sudanese Armed Forces and its rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The British government decided to end evacuation flights “because of a decline in demand by British nationals, and because the situation on ground continues to remain volatile,” the U.K. Foreign Office said in a statement. “Focus will now turn to providing consular support to British nationals in Port Sudan and in neighboring countries in the region,” it said, noting that more than 1,888 people were evacuated on 21 flights during the operation. A French plane arrived in Chad on Friday carrying staff from the United Nations and international humanitarian non-profit organizations. France has evacuated over a thousand people fr...

Sculpture of euthanized walrus Freya unveiled in Oslo

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:30:32 GMT

(CNN) — The artist behind a sculpture of a walrus that was controversially euthanized over public safety concerns says she hopes her creation becomes a “three-dimensional history lesson” after it was unveiled in Norway’s capital Oslo.The life-sized bronze statue shows Freya the walrus curled up on her side close to the water’s edge. The artwork was funded by an online campaign, which raised $25,000 (£19,000).Freya became a social media sensation last year, with tourists and locals thronging to see her.The young female had been spending time at the Oslo Fjord, an inlet on the country’s southeastern coast, and was seemingly unafraid of humans, unlike most walruses. Videos showed the walrus clambering onto small boats to sunbathe.She became a danger to visitors who ignored the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries orders to keep a clear distance from her, instead getting up close to take photos of the mammal and even throwing objects at her. T...

ASK IRA: Have we truly yet met the real 2022-23 Miami Heat?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:30:32 GMT

Q: Which Heat team will show up against the Knicks? 1) Beginning-of-season under-.500 Heat? 2) Midseason 20-11 team with good defense but can’t score? 3) Down-the-stretch Heat that can shoot again, but has poor defense? 4) Bucks killer? Do you have a crystal ball, because how do you know which one? – Morgan, New Orleans.A: I’m of the belief of different horses for different courses. So I’m not sure much of anything from the Bucks series carries over, because of the sharp contrasts between the Bucks and Knicks. I’m also not sure much carries over from the regular season, because all of that came with Tyler Herro in the mix. So again, seemingly as always with this team, it comes down to Jimmy Butler. And, to me, it comes down to Jimmy Butler having to be better than Jalen Brunson for the Heat to maximize their chances.Q: Now we will see if Bam Adebayo can play against a real center. Mitchell Robinson has been great for New York. — Shappy.A: But I...

Howie Carr: With Tucker Carlson’s gone, this time I’m really done with Fox News

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:30:32 GMT

This time I’m really done with Fox.I’ve said that before, at least to myself, especially after their premature call of the Arizona results on election night 2020.But getting rid of Tucker Carlson was the last straw. Given the new technologies, does anyone truly need Fox News Channel any longer?Full disclosure: I’m on the payroll of Newsmax — the streaming service, N2 — and I work out of their offices for more than half the year. But like everybody else I know I still watched Fox, or at least Tucker, until he was summarily axed last week, while at the absolute top of his game, and more importantly, the ratings.My own theory is that Tucker was the victim of a Deep State hit. All the stories about Rupert’s fiance, or the corporate emails, or the second-string producer’s lawsuit — nonsense, cover stories.Tucker’s problem was that he had drifted off the reservation. Someone got to Rupert’s kid, Lachlan, who is to the Murdoch clan what Fredo was to the Corleones.But why would even a pampe...

NFL Notes: Bill Belichick continues to march to the beat of a different drummer

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:30:32 GMT

From a predictability standpoint, this was a classic Bill Belichick draft.As in, it’s completely useless to try and predict which direction he’s going to go. Perceived needs just don’t apply.Belichick, and personnel head Matt Groh by extension, continues to march to the beat of a different drummer. That’s the biggest takeaway from the Patriots’ 2023 draft haul.While the prevailing pre-draft view was that Mac Jones needed help on offense, specifically at receiver and offensive tackle, Belichick disagreed.He used most of what would be considered his best, most impactful picks on defense. While the Pats took care of cornerback, which was important, and added a few more super-duper athletes for the defense, some glaring offensive needs weren’t completely addressed.A plug-and-play tackle to protect Jones, who was mauled last season?Nope. Not in this draft.After going with defense the first three picks, the Patriots added a center (Troy’s Jake Andrews), who is perhaps a long-t...