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Top Meghan Markle critic loses two U.K. media jobs over misogyny scandal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:51 GMT

A top U.K. journalist, who is best known for breaking the 2020 “Megxit” story that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were stepping away from royal duties, was fired from his job as a columnist for the MailOnline this week, one day after he was suspended from his TV hosting duties after he allowed a guest to go an a misogynist rant against a female journalist.Dan Wootton, especially disdained by online supporters of Harry and Meghan for directing “public hatred” towards the American Duchess of Sussex, was suspended Wednesday by the right-leaning U.K. television channel GB News, following an exchange on his highly rated show with Laurence Fox, an actor-turned-conservative activist, The Guardian and the Daily Beast reported.Dan Wootton in 2012. The former News of The World journalist Dan Wootton arrives to give evidence to the Leveson Inquiry at The High Court on February 6, 2012 in London, England.  (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) Wootton, whom the D...

SF Giants: Do Farhan Zaidi’s comments mean Gabe Kapler is on the hot seat?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:51 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Just a few weeks ago, Giants chairman Greg Johnson took a big swing by giving the club’s top brass his endorsement to run it back in 2024. Given an opportunity Thursday to back manager Gabe Kapler in the same way, Farhan Zaidi let the pitch go.During his regular appearance on the club’s flagship network, KNBR, the Giants’ top baseball boss was asked by host Adam Copeland if Johnson’s statement to the San Francisco Chronicle two weeks earlier, that Zaidi and Kapler “will both be here next year,” still held true.At the time of Johnson’s comments, the Giants had survived a prolonged offensive funk and a rocky start to September and still held their postseason fate in their own hands. They have since lost 10 of 13 games, fallen from four games above .500 (75-71) to three games below (78-81) and from the odds-on favorite for the final National League wild card to eliminated before the final weekend of the season.“Yeah, I mea...

Auto workers strike: 7,000 more workers join picket lines

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:51 GMT

By Tom Krisher and David Koenig | Associated PressDETROIT — The United Auto Workers union expanded its strikes against Detroit automakers Friday, ordering 7,000 more workers to walk off the job in Illinois and Michigan to put more pressure on the companies to improve their offers.It was the second time the union has widened the walkout, which started two weeks ago at three assembly plants before the most recent addition of a Ford plant in Chicago and a General Motors assembly factory near Lansing.Union President Shawn Fain told workers in a video appearance that the strikes were escalated because Ford and GM refused “to make meaningful progress” in ongoing contract talks. Jeep maker Stellantis was spared from the third round of strikes.Ford and GM shot back as a war of words with the union also intensified. Ford accused the UAW of holding up a deal mainly over union representation at electric vehicle battery plants, most of which are joint ventures with a Korean manufact...

Kaiser strike looming if deal with union not reached Saturday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:51 GMT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) -- The union and Kaiser Permanente officials have until Sept. 30 to come to an agreement. If one isn’t met, and a strike does happen, it would be the largest healthcare strike in U.S. history.Almost 75,000 healthcare workers would walk out nationwide.Kaiser Permanente workers authorized a strike weeks ago. The union represents workers in Washington, Colorado, Oregon and almost 60,000 here in California. Around 20,000 workers are located in the Bay Area.The workers’ biggest demands are better pay and a solution to the staffing shortage they’ve been facing.Kaiser’s last statement received said: “The Coalition unions are positioned to strike in October. However, for the last 26 years of our historic labor-management partnership, we have reached agreements with the Coalition every time, with no strikes.” The statement also adds that caring for its members and patients is a top priority, and plans are in place to ensure high-quality care should a strike actually o...

Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones arrested in protective order violation, authorities say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:51 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones has been arrested on accusations of violating a domestic violence temporary protection order, authorities said. Vegas-area police arrested the 33-year-old edge rusher early Friday. He’s being held at the Clark County Detention Center with bail set at $15,000, according to online records. He’s scheduled to appear in court Dec. 4. Attorney Peter Christiansen in Las Vegas said he represents Jones. He declined to comment about Jones’ arrest. There has been growing concern for Jones’ mental health due to peculiar behavior on social media. In one video, he spent about 25 minutes talking about a variety of topics before breaking down in tears when discussing Aaron Hernandez’s death, whom he referred to as “Chico.”Monday, in a since-deleted post of a handwritten journal entry, he said he was taken to a hospital “against my will” by the Las Vegas Fire Department a week prior. He wrote that Las Vegas police were on hand whe...

Metro train with 43 on board derails outside Reagan National Airport, no reported injuries

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:51 GMT

A Blue Line Metro train carrying 43 passengers derailed Friday morning outside Reagan National Airport after apparently hitting debris left behind on the track by another Metro train, according to the transit agency.No injuries have been reported as a result of the derailment, which happened just before 11 a.m. The Blue Line train was heading southbound toward Franconia-Springfield.A Metro spokesperson said a rescue train was sent to the derailed train in order to get riders back to the platform at National Airport. All passengers made it aboard the rescue train within 30 minutes after the derailment, according to Metro General Manager Randy Clarke.According to Metro’s preliminary review of onboard video from the derailed 7000-series train, Clarke said there was an object on the tracks that appears to have caused the derailment. Clarke said that video will be released Friday.“Indications show that the object was a component of a 3000-series train that preceded the incide...

MLB has its most productive class of rookie hitters ever. Managers and players believe they know why

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:51 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Royce Lewis has played in 70 games for the Minnesota Twins. He has five grand slams.The AL Central champion Twins haven’t had a rookie so ready for major league stardom since Joe Mauer nearly two decades ago. Despite a decided lack of live games over the last three seasons due to injuries and the pandemic, Lewis entered the lineup after finishing his ACL rehab and immediately hit like he’d been there for years.“An impact on our team that we can’t really measure, except to say we’re a significantly better team when he’s out there,” manager Rocco Baldelli said.Lewis is just one of dozens of first-year position players crushing it at the plate for contending teams, many of them with a postseason place clinched. By at least one key measure, this is the best class of rookie hitters the major leagues have ever seen.Call this the year of the instant hit.According to FanGraphs data, the advanced metric Wins Above Replacement total for all rookie hitters in 202...

Man who faked Native American heritage to sell his art in Seattle sentenced to probation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:51 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — A Washington state man who falsely claimed Native American heritage to sell his artwork at downtown Seattle galleries was sentenced Wednesday to federal probation and community service. The U.S. attorney’s office said Lewis Rath, of Maple Falls, was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court to two years probation and 200 hours of community service. He was charged in 2021 with multiple crimes including violating the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, which prohibits misrepresentation in marketing American Indian or Alaska Native arts and crafts.An investigation started in 2018, when the Indian Arts and Crafts Board received a complaint about Rath, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.Rath falsely claimed to be a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe in Arizona and sold carved wooden totem poles, transformation masks and pendants to Seattle retail stores, the attorney’s office said.Agents searching Rath’s residence also recovered feathers from birds protected u...

Colorado officer killed while conducting welfare check, serving warrant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:51 GMT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KDVR) -- Investigators in Colorado Springs say parole officer Christine Guerin Sandoval was killed Thursday while serving a warrant and conducting a welfare check.During a news conference Friday afternoon, leaders of the Colorado Springs Police Department, 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office and Department of Corrections spoke about what happened and the steps moving forward. What is a Blue Alert and how often is it used? According to investigators, Guerin Sandoval was one of three officers at the scene around 3:45 p.m. They approached a vehicle with the suspect in it and when this happened he drove off, hitting Guerin Sandoval and a second female officer.Both officers were taken to the hospital where Guerin Sandoval died. "Christine took an oath to protect the citizens of Colorado and she lost her life doing just that," Director of the Department of Corrections Andre Stancil said.The second officer, who is not being identified for privacy reasons, has...

How successful are Blue Alerts in Colorado?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:51 GMT

LAKEWOOD, Colo (KDVR) -- A suspect is in custody after reportedly hitting and killing a Colorado parole officer on Thursday.The incident launched a Blue Alert manhunt that ended with the suspect’s arrest hours later. Justin Andrew Kula, 41, was taken into custody in the crash, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department.That alert was sent out by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, which Investigative Analyst Audrey Simkins says made the decision after establishing the incident met the criteria for a Blue Alert.“We know it needs to happen immediately," says Simkins. "So we drop everything and work to get that alert ready to push out.” No more warnings: Drive over the line, pay the fine But unlike Amber Alerts, Simkins says Blue Alerts are sent out quite infrequently. Since the Colorado state legislature passed the Blue Alert law back in 2011, only four alerts have been sent out, including Thursday's. Other alerts were sent out in 2014, 2015, and 2019, when...