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Giant panda gives birth to squirming, squealing healthy twin girls at South Korean theme park

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:14:32 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A giant panda has given birth to squirming, squealing healthy twin girls at a South Korean theme park.Ai Bao gave birth to her cubs last Friday at the Everland theme park near Seoul, the park’s operator said Tuesday.It released video of the birth and the mother caring for her newborns, as well as veterinarians examining the tiny cubs.They are the first panda twins born in South Korea, Samsung C&T Resort Group said.Both Ai Bao and her newborns are in good health, the resort group said in the statement.Decades of conservation efforts in the wild and study in captivity saved the panda species native to China from extinction, increasing its population from fewer than 1,000 at one time to more than 1,800 in the wild and captivity. The life expectancy of a giant panda in the wild is about 15 years, but in captivity they have lived to be as old as 38. The South Korean resort group said it will observe the cubs’ health and growth to determine when to unveil the...

Hollywood actors agree to mediation, but strike may be unavoidable

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:14:32 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Unionized Hollywood actors on the verge of a strike have agreed to allow a last-minute intervention from federal mediators but say they doubt a deal will be reached by a negotiation deadline late Wednesday.“We are committed to the negotiating process and will explore and exhaust every possible opportunity to make a deal, however we are not confident that the employers have any intention of bargaining toward an agreement,” the Screen Actors Guild -American Federation of Radio and Television Artists said in a statement Tuesday night.The actors could join the already striking Writers Guild of America and grind the already slowed production process to a halt if no agreement is reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The sides agreed to an extension before the original contract expiration date on June 30, resetting it to Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.Growing pessimism surrounding the talks seemed to turn to open hostility when SAG-AFTRA released ...

Thai police detain 2 German suspects in the abduction and killing of German businessman

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:14:32 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai police have detained two Germans in connection with the abduction and slaying of another German, whose dismembered body was found in a freezer in a southern Thailand home, local media reported Wednesday.A 52-year-old German man was apprehended in Bangkok on Tuesday evening, and a 47-year-old German woman turned herself in to police earlier in the day, according to the Khaosod newspaper, citing Tawee Kudthalaeng, the police chief in the town of Nong Prue where the victim’s body was found.Tawee did not answer his phone seeking confirmation, but the broadcaster Thai PBS had a similar report. Tawee told The Associated Press on Tuesday that his office was looking into both German and Thai nationals as suspects in the case. The body of Hans-Peter Mack, a 62-year-old real estate broker, was found Monday night stuffed into a chest freezer in a home in Nong Prue, an upscale settlement popular with foreigners northeast of Pattaya in Chonburi province. He had been mis...

A Biden plan cuts student loan payments for millions to $0. Will it be the next legal battle?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:14:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration calls it a “student loan safety net.” Opponents call it a backdoor attempt to make college free. And it could be the next battleground in the legal fight over student loan relief.Starting this summer, millions of Americans with student loans will be able to enroll in a new repayment plan that offers some of the most lenient terms ever. Interest won’t pile up as long as borrowers make regular payments. Millions of people will have monthly payments reduced to $0. And in as little as 10 years, any remaining debt will be canceled.It’s known as the SAVE Plan, and although it was announced last year, it has mostly been overshadowed by President Joe Biden’s proposal for mass student loan cancellation. But now, after the Supreme Court struck down Biden’s forgiveness plan, the repayment option is taking center stage.Since the ruling Biden has proposed an alternate approach to cancel debt and also shifted attention to the lesser-known initiativ...

Prosecutors set to present evidence against Colorado dentist accused of poisoning his wife’s shakes

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:14:32 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Investigators say a Colorado dentist accused of killing his wife researched how to poison her and get away with it, searching online for answers to questions like “Is Arsenic Detectable in Autopsy?”On Wednesday, prosecutors are set to present their evidence against James Craig to a judge to show that he should stand trial for first-degree murder in the death of Angela Craig in March.Police believe James Craig, 45, laced her pre-workout protein shakes with arsenic and cyanide, so he could be with a woman he was having an affair with, according to court documents. He has yet to be asked to enter a plea to the charge.James Craig’s lawyer, David M. Beller, declined to comment on the allegations against his client.Angela Craig died after being taken off life support during her third trip to the hospital in March. She was married to her husband for 23 years and the mother of six children, according to her obituary. As she languished in the hospital, with doctors ...

Budget troubles won’t change California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s goals for 2nd term, he tells AP

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:14:32 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Throughout the various crises in California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first term — devastating wildfires, the bankruptcy of the nation’s largest utility, the deadly COVID-19 pandemic — the state’s record-smashing budget surpluses were always there to smooth things over.Now, as Newsom moves to build his national profile for political aspirations beyond the governor’s office, looming multibillion dollar deficits could threaten to unravel the things on which he’s staked his reputation, including free kindergarten for every 4-year-old and free health care for low-income residents regardless of their immigration status.On Monday, after signing a budget that cut, delayed and borrowed to cover a $31.5 billion deficit, Newsom convened hundreds of agency officials, department heads and deputies for an all-day meeting to stress the importance of protecting those commitments. “I have a sell-by date, three and a half years. The clock’s tic...

FBI director set to clash with Republicans on the Trump case, Hunter Biden and more

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:14:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The director of the FBI will face some of his harshest critics in Congress on Wednesday as he testifies before a House committee that is leading several investigations into claims that the law enforcement agency unfairly targets conservatives.FBI Director Chris Wray’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee is expected to be contentious. Republicans are prepared to aggressively question the director on several fronts, including the recent indictment of former President Donald Trump, the ongoing investigation into President Joe Biden’s son and the push for a new FBI headquarters. It’s just the latest display of the new normal on Capitol Hill, where Republicans who have long billed themselves as the champions of police and “law and order” are growing deeply at odds with federal law enforcement and the FBI, accusing the bureau of bias dating back to investigations of Trump when he was president. The new dynamic has forced Democrats into a new posit...

Even in states that have them, few US adults support full abortion bans, AP-NORC poll finds

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:14:32 GMT

The majority of U.S. adults, including those living in states with the deepest limits on abortion, want it to be legal at least through the initial stages of pregnancy, a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds.The poll was conducted in late June, one year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, undoing a nationwide right to abortion that had been in place for nearly 50 years. While the laws have changed over the past year, the poll found that opinions on abortion remain much as they were a year ago: complex, with most people believing abortion should be allowed in some circumstances and not in others. Overall, about two-thirds of Americans say abortion should generally be legal, but only about a quarter say it should always be legal and only about 1 in 10 say it should always be illegal.By 24 weeks of pregnancy, most Americans think their state should generally not allow abortions.That’s true for 34-year-old Jaleesha Thoma...

‘Succession’ likely to lead Emmy nominations, but Hollywood strikes could cloud ceremony

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:14:32 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — HBO may dominate Wednesday morning’s Emmy nominations with its elite trio of “ Succession,” “The White Lotus” and “The Last of Us,” but the dominant theme darkening the scene is the ongoing writers strike and the looming possibility that actors may soon join them.“Succession” and its deeply dysfunctional dynasty of one-percenters is a lock to be nominated for best drama, which it has won two of the past three years. It’s nearly as certain to have multiple nominees across the acting categories, with stars Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin probable for best actor nods and Sarah Snook a likely frontrunner among the best actress nominees.The show led last year with 25 nominations for its third season, and given the Emmys’ soft spot for series’ final seasons, it could see a similar number for its concluding fourth.“ The White Lotus ” and “ The Last of Us ” are also probably shoo-ins for best drama, a category that HBO has wo...

Stormy Wednesday could bring heavy rain totals. Dangerous Heat in U.S. Southwest and Southeast. Deluge in Vermont

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 19:14:32 GMT

Much of the Chicago area in a level 2 of 4 or a slight risk for seeing excessive rainfall—some areas could see totals in excess of 3 inchesMuch of the Chicagoland area is likely to see 1-2” of rain, but some areas could receive totals in excess of 3”Southwestern desert residents are feeling the extreme heat wave this week with 100°+ temperatures and Excessive Heat warnings. The region has had no monsoon activity, which can help offset the heat. (In Arizona, the monsoon season began in mid June and can bring powerful storms and heavy bursts of rainfall.