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A test case challenging election results in Texas’ biggest county follows a post-Trump playbook

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:08 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Harris County, Texas, beset by Republicans looking to influence the Democratic stronghold’s elections, is hosting this week the first trial seeking to overturn local contest results from last November. Similar court challenges have become more common around the country following baseless conspiracy theories spread by former President Donald Trump and his supporters alleging the 2020 presidential election was stolen by President Joe Biden’s backers. Election denialism is likely to make its way into the Houston, Texas, trial, which is expected to last two weeks and be decided by David Peeples, a visiting judge from San Antonio.Elections in the nation’s third-most populous county — and one with large numbers of Hispanic and Black voters — have been scrutinized for several years now. Some polling locations on Nov. 8 opened late or had long lines due to problems with voting machines. During the March 2022 primary, there was a shortage of poll workers and about 10,000...

Arrival of Phil Longo’s Air Raid offense has made Wisconsin more attractive to receivers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:08 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Luke Fickell seemingly faced quite the challenge when he took over at Wisconsin and tried attracting receivers to a program known for running the ball.Turns out it wasn’t much of a problem at all. The arrival of former Ole Miss and North Carolina offensive coordinator Phil Longo with his Air Raid offense suddenly made Wisconsin a much more intriguing destination.Longo’s hire as offensive coordinator meant Wisconsin was going to need to add more receivers. The Badgers did just that by landing CJ Williams from Southern California and Bryson Green from Oklahoma State, while Will Pauling and Quincy Burroughs followed Fickell from Cincinnati to Wisconsin.“It’s one of the deepest rooms of receivers I’ve had in a long time,” Longo said Tuesday, a day before the Badgers begin training camp at Platteville, Wisconsin. “I don’t know who the elite guys are yet. That will get established this year, obviously, with how productive they are. But you go down and look at receiver...

Jamie Foxx, Will Ferrell star as crazy canines in raunchy comedy ‘Strays’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:08 GMT

The world can be ruff sometimes, especially for a stray dog. But in the upcoming comedy, “Strays,” the abandoned pups want to give one of their owners a little paw-back.The movie sees, sorry, hears Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx and Isla Fisher as the voices of the K-9s.We got the deets on the paw-tastic good time.This old dog is about to learn some new tricks in the upcoming film “Strays.”The movie’s about Reggie, voiced by Will Ferrell, who’s abandoned by his owner. He meets some fellow strays who encourage him to get revenge . Will Ferrell: “I immediately loved the premise of, you know, kind of emulating a homeward bound sweet kind of Disney-esque dog movie, with a journey, and then of course it’s filthy R rated.”Doug, played by Will Forte, is a not-so nice dog owner, who really only cares about one thing; his manhood. But don’t be fooled, the film does have a lot of heart.Will Forte: “The script is hysterical and also ...

Trump indicted for efforts to overturn 2020 election and block transfer of power

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:08 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump was indicted on felony charges Tuesday for working to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol, with the Justice Department moving to hold him accountable for an unprecedented effort to block the peaceful transfer of presidential power.The four-count indictment reveals new details about a dark chapter in American history that has already been the subject of exhaustive federal investigations and captivating public hearings. It cites handwritten notes from former Vice President Mike Pence about Trump’s relentless goading to reject the counting of electoral votes. And it accuses Trump and his allies of exploiting the disruption caused by his supporters’ attack on the Capitol to redouble their efforts to spread false claims of election fraud and persuade members of Congress to further delay the certification of Joe Biden’s victory. Download Previous Ne...

US will put forward a UN resolution to authorize a Kenyan-led police mission to fight gangs in Haiti

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:08 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States said Tuesday it will put forward a U.N. Security Council resolution that will authorize Kenya to lead a multinational police force to help combat gangs in Haiti that control much of the capital and are spreading through the Caribbean nation.U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a news conference at the start of the U.S. presidency of the council this month that “we welcome Kenya’s decision to lead the multinational force (and) we will be working on a resolution to support that effort.”Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry sent an urgent appeal last October for “the immediate deployment of a specialized armed force, in sufficient quantity” to stop the gangs. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres had been appealing unsuccessfully since then for a lead nation to help restore order to Latin America’s most impoverished country.More than nine months later, Kenya was the first country to “positively consider” leading a force, offering to send 1...

Chicago White Sox reportedly trade infielder Jake Burger to the Miami Marlins

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:08 GMT

Jake Burger has been a power source for the Chicago White Sox.The infielder will provide some pop for the Marlins after the Sox dealt him to Miami on Tuesday for left-handed pitching prospect Jake Ede, according to multiple reports. Craig Mish had the initial report.Burger is slashing .214/.279/.527 with 25 home runs and 52 RBIs in 88 games. He’s tied for third in the American League in home runs, and was second on the Sox only trailing Luis Robert Jr., who has 29 home runs.A first-round pick in 2017, Burger has rebounded from injuries to become a fixture. He missed all of 2018 after suffering a ruptured left Achilles tendon and 2019 because of a bruised left heel.He played in 15 games with the Sox in 2021 and 51 last season. His long-distance home runs were a highlight at Guaranteed Rate Field, where he’s hit 17 of his 25 home runs this season.He’s improved at third base and has spent time at second. Now he’ll look to do damage for the Marlins. ()

Cohen’s Mets decide to dig themselves out of the hole, while Yanks just keep digging

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:08 GMT

Steve Cohen has stopped kidding himself about the Mets, which means a very smart guy stopped acting like a sucker about baseball. It’s why Cohen’s baseball people have now traded just about everybody except Mr. Met over the past few days. At least the Mets did something. The Yankees did nothing. Maybe the only suckers left at the table are Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman.All the Yankees did on Tuesday was add a pair of marginal pitchers, Keynan Middleton of the White Sox and Spencer Howard of the Rangers. They must think they can relief-pitch their way into the tournament in the American League. Or maybe the people in charge just continue to tell themselves their team is better than it really is.Across town, what Cohen is doing, to borrow an expression from the world of money, is a baseball version of selling off a losing position. His Mets made a big bet this season – that Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer could anchor a contender – and ended up with the ...

Derrick White talks new role with Celtics, potential contract extension: ‘I love it here’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:08 GMT

Derrick White is going to look a little bit different for the Celtics next season – in multiple ways.As he prepares for his third season in Boston, White has a new role accompanied by a new haircut. The point guard chopped all his hair off, first seen in a highlight video that went viral from a pro-am game in Denver last week and then shown off on television on Tuesday as he made an appearance on ESPN’s “NBA Today,” where he took off a hat to reveal his bald head.“Everybody likes it,” White told ESPN’s Malika Andrews. “Everybody is really complementary, so it’s just different but I’m liking it and it’s cool.”White will hope there will be a similar reception to his new role on the court with the Celtics this season.After the Celtics made the stunning trade of Marcus Smart in June, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens confirmed last week that White will be Boston’s starting point guard this season. The Smart trade – which brought in Kristaps Porzingis – served as a strong v...

Yankees add reliever Keynan Middleton in trade with White Sox

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:08 GMT

The Yankees are adding an arm to their bullpen, acquiring right-handed reliever Keynan Middleton from the White Sox minutes before Tuesday’s trade deadline, according to reports.Middleton is 2-2 with a 3.96 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 36.1 innings this season.The 29-year-old has also pitched for the Angels, Mariners and Diamondbacks during his seven MLB seasons and has a 4.00 career ERA. ()

The election-meddling indictment against Trump is sprawling. Here’s a breakdown of the case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:08 GMT

By Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated PressDonald Trump for years has promoted baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. In truth, Trump was the one who tried to steal the election, federal prosecutors said Tuesday in a sprawling indictment that paints the former president as desperate to cling to power.The Justice Department indictment accuses Trump of conspiring with allies and concocting various schemes in a brazen attempt to overturn his election loss to President Joe Biden as his legal challenges floundered in court.The charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution team are built around the words of Trump’s advisers, White House lawyers and others in his inner circle who repeatedly told him there was no fraud.It’s the third time this year the early front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary has been charged in a criminal case. But it’s the first case to try to hold Trump responsible for his efforts to remain in power durin...