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Cottle: Can anyone lead House Republicans out of the darkness?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:26 GMT

Who out there picked nine months in the office betting pool for how long Kevin McCarthy would survive as House speaker? Go ahead. Raise your hands. Looks like you’re due a victory lap.On Tuesday, the right-wing extremists made good on their long-dangled threat to depose McCarthy — whom they never wanted or trusted as speaker in the first place. The “motion to vacate” introduced Monday by Rep. Matt Gaetz, the self-appointed King of the Wingers, wound up passing with the support of eight Republicans and all of the 208 Democrats present. With this decapitation, the first ever in the House, McCarthy has indeed made history.But the conference’s clown car rolls on, with Republicans now scrambling to select their next driver. With no obvious candidate who can win full Republican support, the process promises to be messy. For now, Rep. Patrick McHenry is serving as the interim speaker, thanks to a 2003 rule that, ironically, required McCarthy to designate who his temporary successor would b...

Bretón: Newsom’s pick to replace Feinstein has a big hole in her resume

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:26 GMT

It hasn’t been emphasized enough that Laphonza Butler, California’s newest U.S. senator, has no legislative experience.This hole in her resume matters a great deal despite an erosion of public faith in legislative experience that is a bipartisan affliction in our politics. It was one of the factors that led to the election of President Donald Trump. In liberal, one-party California, the importance of legislative experience was disregarded by Gov. Gavin Newsom when he appointed the inexperienced Butler to fill the seat of the late Dianne Feinstein.Sworn in on Tuesday, Butler has been celebrated widely for her race, her gender, her orientation and her sterling credentials of a certain kind. She has also been lauded within an echo chamber of Democrats, many of whom have been elected to public office even if Butler never has.Lost in the aftermath of Butler’s appointment has been the kind of critical scrutiny that would normally accompany an important political appointment. Her appointme...

Sellers will not regret earthquake retrofitting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:26 GMT

Question: Regarding your September 30, 2023, column titled “The indispensable role of insurance-friendly improvements” on The Mercury News and East Bay Times websites: The sample suggestion list included “The foundation inspections list flaws and corrections. Addressing or neglecting those items can enhance or ruin the chances of insurability.” Our parents’ Silicon Valley home of 55 years has a foundation with unreinforced cripple walls. We never had a problem. However, it is time to sell. We want to clear obstacles before selling.   We will hire a presale seller inspector. In the meantime, where can we best do research on foundation repairs or upgrades to enhance the insurability of the family home? Answer: Cripple walls are wooden supports between the structure’s floor and the concrete foundation. The height is usually 1 foot to 4 feet. You are prudent to gather information. Earthquake retrofitting cripple walls is encouraged.For more information, view the following websites:Appli...

How Neil Sheehan Really Got the Pentagon Papers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:26 GMT

On the night of March 23, 1971, New York Times reporter Neil Sheehan excitedly called Max Frankel, the Times’s Washington bureau chief, to give him the news he had been waiting weeks to hear. “I got it all,” Sheehan told Frankel.Sheehan had just accomplished one of the greatest journalistic coups of the 20th century. He had obtained the Pentagon Papers, the Defense Department’s 7,000-page secret history of the Vietnam War, which revealed that the government had been lying to the American people about the brutal conflict since it began. It was the first mass leak of classified documents in modern American journalism, four decades before WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden.But Sheehan had lied to his source, Daniel Ellsberg, a disillusioned former defense analyst turned whistleblower, to get the documents. He had secretly copied them after he had promised Ellsberg he wouldn’t.Sheehan confessed to his editors that he had “Xeroxed the materials without permission and the source was unaware tha...

Two 6.3 magnitude earthquakes kill at least 15 and injure nearly 40 others in western Afghanistan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:26 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Two 6.3 magnitude earthquakes have killed at least 15 and injured nearly 40 others in Herat province in Afghanistan, according to Mohammad Abdullah Jan, spokesman for the country’s national disaster authority.Jan said four villages in Zenda Jan district of Herat province suffered the brunt of the tremblors. Damage to dozens of houses were reported, he said.The United States Geological Survey reported a pair of 6.3 magnitude earthquakes. It said the epicenter was 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) northwest of Herat city. There was an aftershock with a 5.5 magnitude.A map on the USGS website indicates seven earthquakes in the area. At least five powerful earthquakes struck the city around noon, Herat city resident Abdul Shakor Samadi said. “All people are out of their homes,” Samadi said. “Houses, offices and shops are all empty and there are fears of more earthquakes. My family and I were inside our home, I felt the quake.” His family began shouting and ran outside, a...

A pair of 6.3 magnitude earthquakes kill at least 15 and injure around 40 in western Afghanistan, authorities say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:26 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A pair of 6.3 magnitude earthquakes kill at least 15 and injure around 40 in western Afghanistan, authorities say.Source

Inter de Miami, con el posible regreso de Messi, ante FC Cincinnati: previa, hora y cómo verlo en vivo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:26 GMT

(CNN Español) — El Inter de Miami se juega la que puede ser su última ficha en su intento por llegar a los playoffs de la MLS.El equipo rosa de la Florida se medirá como local este sábado ante el FC Cincinnati en el marco de una nueva fecha de la Conferencia Este.Los dirigidos por el Gerardo “Tata” Martino deben transitar un pasillo muy angosto, circunstancia en la cual no tienen margen de error, ya que no solo deberán ganar los tres juegos, sino que, en caso de conseguirlo, eso tampoco les asegura conseguir su objetivo.Además de este juego, Inter deberá jugar en la última jornada de local ante el miércoles 18 ante Charlotte FC (partido pendiente), y con el mismo rival condición de visitante el sábado 21.Las lesiones de la carrera de Lionel Messi: ¿cuál ha sido más larga y cuál es la más frecuente?El equipo de la Florida tiene 33 puntos, y está a 7 puntos de Chicago Fire (40 puntos) y a 5 unidades de CF Montreal (38 puntos), quienes se ubican en las posiciones 8 y 9 respectiva...

Debate presidencial del 8 de octubre en Argentina: previa, a qué hora y cómo ver por TV en vivo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:26 GMT

(CNN Español) — Este domingo se realizará el segundo debate televisado obligatorio antes de las elecciones presidenciales en Argentina del próximo 22 de octubre. Al igual que el debate del 1 de octubre, participarán los cinco candidatos a presidente. De no presentarse, se someterán a sanciones establecidas por ley.En Argentina, desde el 2016, los debates presidenciales son obligatorios por ley, pues se trata de “un bien público incorporado al proceso electoral”, de acuerdo con el presidente de la Cámara Nacional Electoral, Alberto Ricardo Dalla Via, y un espacio “donde la ciudadanía pueda recibir información para el voto informado” y se presenten las propuestas.Los debates son obligatorios únicamente para los candidatos presidenciales que superaron el 1,5% de votos en las elecciones primarias conocidas como PASO.Resumen del primer debate presidencial en Argentina desde Santiago del EsteroPara la elección de 2023, se establecieron dos debates que en dos ...

Mehidy leads Bangladesh to Cricket World Cup win over Afghanistan, Sri Lanka fields vs South Africa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:26 GMT

DHARAMSALA, India (AP) — Mehidy Hasan Miraz starred with bat and ball in hilly Dharamsala as Bangladesh crushed Afghanistan by six wickets at the Cricket World Cup on Saturday.After Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field, Afghanistan was skittled out for 156 with all-rounder Mehidy picking up 3-25 and skipper Shakib Al Hasan claiming 3-30.Mehidy then scored 57 runs in 73 balls as Bangladesh made 158-4 in 34.4 overs, easing home with 15.2 overs to spare.Afghanistan made a good start to its innings with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran (22) putting on 47 for the first wicket. Gurbaz added another 36 with Rahmat Shah (18) before Shakib struck twice to remove Zadran and Shah.The turning point came when Mehidy dismissed Hashmatullah Shahidi for 18 as the skipper went for a slog.Four balls later, Mustafizur Rahman removed the in-form Gurbaz for 47 with a slower ball and the Afghanistan slide continued, with the last three wickets all falling on 156.Bangladesh then made a poor s...

Hamas kills 22 in unprecedented, wide-ranging incursion into Israel. Netanyahu says ‘we are at war’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:26 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The ruling Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land and sea, catching the country off guard on a major holiday. Several hours after the invasion began, Hamas militants were still fighting gunbattles inside several Israeli communities in a surprising show of strength that shook the country. Israel’s national rescue service said at least 22 people have been killed and hundreds wounded, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in years.The Soroka Medical Center in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba said it was treating at least 280 casualties, with 60 in serious condition. The Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, near Gaza, said it was treating 182 wounded people, including 12 in critical condition.There was no official comment on casualties in Gaza, but Associated Press reporters wi...