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More Israeli hostages freed and more Palestinian prisoners released under tenuous Gaza truce

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:23 GMT

A man smiles as he is welcomed after being released from prison by Israel, in the West Bank town of Ramallah, early Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. International mediators on Wednesday worked to extend the truce in Gaza, encouraging Hamas militants to keep freeing hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and further relief from Israel's air and ground offensive. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)(AP/Nasser Nasser) A man smiles as he is welcomed after being released from prison by Israel, in the West Bank town of Ramallah, early Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. International mediators on Wednesday worked to extend the truce in Gaza, encouraging Hamas militants to keep freeing hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and further relief from Israel's...

Bennet: US must disincentivize migrant-smuggling gangs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:23 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Hundreds of migrants are currently staying in Denver shelters after nearly 29,000 asylum seekers came to the Mile High City in the last year. The influx has caused the city of Denver to spend more than $32 million in support. The federal government has reimbursed fewer than a million dollars, although it has promised up to $9 million in aid. Polis calls for local property tax relief U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet talked about the issue this week on “Colorado Point of View.”"We will continue to fight as we always have for communities that need that kind of reimbursement," the Democrat said.But he also looked ahead to long-term solutions."We've got to recognize that there is now a billions of dollar enterprise of these mostly Mexican gangs that are smuggling people from all over the world to the southern border of the United States," Bennet said.Bennet: US needs 'rational immigration process'He argues the federal government will need to disincentivize those gangs, adding i...

December brings arts explosion to SoFlo with events in Miami, Opa-locka aiming to draw big crowds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:23 GMT

It’s that time of year again, when the art world and everyone associated with it descends upon Miami. Now, it might not be Art Basel, dahling, but there will be tons of events happening over the next few days — and since there are so many choices but so little time, Deco’s got a roundup that will make your choice on where to go a little easier.And the art beat goes on — as in Art Beat Miami.Marie Louissaint: “There’s musical performances, there’s beautiful sculptures, a great art gallery at every location. We’re at Brightline Miami, downtown and Overtown, we’re in Liberty City, we’re at the Caribbean Marketplace in Little Haiti.”And you can get your art, food, fashion and music on for five days.Haitian band Strings can’t wait to entertain the masses.Olivier Ambroise: “We play flamenco tropical. It comes from traditional Haitian rhythms and Spanish flamenco guitars. It’s very guitar heavy, very instru...

Worcester woman describes fighting back against man trying to break into her apartment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:23 GMT

A Worcester woman told her story Thursday after she said she fought back against a man accused of trying to break into her apartment armed with two-double edged knives earlier this week.The Worcester Police Department in a statement said a 32-year-old man from Fitchburg was arrested after officers responded to Gibbs Street early Wednesday morning for a reported break-in in progress.Speaking with 7NEWS, Sara Kane said the incident started around 3 a.m. She said she heard a loud noise and went to her apartment building’s front door where a Ring camera captured the commotion. Kane said she fought the man off with a broom, ran back inside and called 911. “It’s scary,” she said. “At three o’clock in the morning, you’re woken up with banging and you don’t know what it is.”“I just took the broom and I just pushed him back,” she continued. Kane said the man grabbed her door and was shaking it. As police arrived, Kane said she directed them toward the man. She said ...

One of three Palestinian college students shot in random attack in VT shares his story

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:23 GMT

(CNN) — A Palestinian college student described how his training as an emergency medical technician helped him respond when he and his friends were shot in Vermont over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.Kinnan Abdalhamid spoke to CNN by phone Wednesday night, detailing a harrowing account of being shot with his friends Hisham Awartani and Tahseen Ali Ahmad. A gunman is accused of shooting the trio while they were taking a walk in a Burlington neighborhood after spending time with family and friends last Saturday night.“On the way back, we see this man on his porch essentially looking away from us. He turns around, looks at us, and without saying a word — it was almost surreal — he went down the steps, pulled out a pistol and shot my friend.“I heard the thud on the ground, and then he started screaming,” Abdalhamid recounted. “A split second later he shot my other friend, and I hear this thud on the ground.”He said he that he believed his friends were dead because they were ...

Increase in demand causes some Massachusetts Christmas tree farms to sell out weeks before Christmas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:23 GMT

Weeks before Christmas, some farms in Massachusetts have been left in short supply, already closed for the season as of this week due to an increase in demand for fresh-cut Christmas trees. At White Gate Farm in West Newbury, owner Pat Kelly told 7NEWS all of the 18-acre farm’s 600 trees were gone in just the first two days of operation this season.Elsewhere, the Massachusetts Christmas Tree Association on Tuesday said more than a dozen farms across the state had also already sold out of trees.“We can’t grow them as fast as people want them,” said Massachusetts Christmas Tree Association spokesperson Dave Morin. “The word is finally getting out that no tree is fresher than the one you watch being cut right in front of you.”Kelly said nothing will get someone in the Christmas spirit quite like cutting down their own tree. After more than three decades running the White Gate Christmas Tree Farm, though, like many others in the business, Kelly said she doesn’t know what the ...

Bruins end skid with 3-0 win over Sharks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:23 GMT

A win over the basement-dwelling San Jose Sharks would not have meant a whole lot to the Bruins a week ago. But after three straight ugly losses in which the B’s allowed 17 goals, any positive development was welcome.Though the B’s started a tad slowly, they nailed down a 3-0 win over the Sharks on Thursday at the Garden, with a couple of encouraging style points to boot. They got goals from both of their rejiggered top six lines, the pushed back emphatically when challenged physically and Jeremy Swayman, pulled in his last start through little fault of his own, posted his second shutout of the season.The B’s had a long way to go to get their game back to respectability, but it was a good first step.The two teams played a low-event, scoreless first period which, for the Bruins in the early going, didn’t look unlike some of the hockey they’d been playing on their three-game losing streak. In the offensive zone, they seemed a bit brain-locked, waiting a h...

It was far from perfect, but there was a lot to love in the Chicago Bears’ win against the Minnesota Vikings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:23 GMT

Cairo Santos’ game-winning field goal Monday night was a gimme, a 30-yard tap-in that finished the Chicago Bears’ 12-10 victory against the Minnesota Vikings. From the right hash, with a running clock, Santos set himself up. Snap, hold, kick. W.Nothing to it.“We all showed character in finishing tonight,” the kicker said afterward from a jubilant visitors locker room at U.S. Bank Stadium.That kick was the Bears’ finishing touch, the punctuation of a 66-yard final drive that had its biggest moment when Justin Fields drilled a clutch 36-yard completion to DJ Moore on third-and-10 to propel the offense into field-goal range.That was the biggest play of the night, both in significance and yards gained. Against zone coverage and facing a four-man rush, Fields kept his poise in the pocket. A huge hole opened in the middle of the field.Moore broke in. Fields threw his fastball.Boom.That play has been talked about most this week — and with good reason. Fi...

Las Vegas man accused of threats against Jewish US senator and her family is indicted

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:23 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted a Las Vegas man arrested last month on suspicion of making antisemitic threats against U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen and her family, along with the family of another U.S. senator, according to court records.Rosen, a Democrat from Nevada, is Jewish and has maintained a vocal pro-Israel stance, including support for U.S. aid to Israel. Though the indictment doesn’t identify her specifically, Rosen’s office confirmed to The Associated Press the allegation that she and her family were targeted.John Miller, 43, is charged with one count of threatening a federal official and two counts of influencing, impeding or retaliating against a federal official by threatening a family member. Miller is also accused of threatening the family of another unnamed U.S. senator, according to court records.The public defender representing Miller did not return an email request for comment on Thursday. Miller allegedly made several threatening calls...

Live updates | More Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners are released under truce

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:23 GMT

Eight Israeli hostages were released from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip on Thursday as part of a temporary cease-fire deal that has lasted for seven days, the Israeli military said.Israel freed 30 Palestinian prisoners in the early hours of Friday under the truce deal, which has paused the deadliest fighting in decades between Israel and Palestinians.International pressure has mounted for the truce to be upheld as long as possible after weeks of Israeli bombardment and ground campaign following Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war.Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israel, and more than three-quarters of the population of 2.3 million have been uprooted, leading to a humanitarian crisis.Israel has vowed to resume the fighting — with the goal of dismantling Hamas — once the cease-fire ends.Currently:— Wartime Israel shows little tolerance for Palestinian dissent— Blinken urges Israel to comply with international law and spare civilians— A...