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The mercenary chief who urged an uprising against Russia’s generals has long ties to Putin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:23 GMT

The millionaire mercenary chief who long benefitted from the powerful patronage of President Vladimir Putin has moved into the global spotlight with a dramatic rebellion against Russia’s military that has challenged the authority of Putin himself.Yevgeny Prigozhin is the 62-year-old owner of the Kremlin-allied Wagner Group, a hired private army of inmate recruits and other mercenaries that has fought some of the deadliest battles in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On Friday, Prigozhin abruptly escalated months of scathing criticism of Russia’s conduct of the war, calling for an armed uprising to oust the defense minister, and then rolling toward Moscow with his soldiers-for-hire. As Putin’s government declared a “counterterrorism” alert and scrambled to seal off Moscow with checkpoints, Prigozhin just as abruptly stood down. As he retreated with his forces, it was unclear what was next for Prigozhin, a former prison inmate, hot-dog vendor and restaurant owner who riv...

In ‘No Hard Feelings,’ Jennifer Lawrence relishes playing a ‘messy and chaotic’ character

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:23 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s a beloved rom-com trope: an irresponsible, irreverent and seemingly irredeemable man falls in love with a woman, setting him on the path to finally get his act together.But in “No Hard Feelings,” which hits theaters Friday, director Gene Stupnitsky sought to subvert those gendered expectations, with Jennifer Lawrence instead playing his dirtbag protagonist.“We always described her as someone who cuts corners, who is lazy, doesn’t have great nutrition, likes to smoke pot and drink and doesn’t take anything too seriously,” he said of the character he and co-writer, John Phillips, created. “A guy doing it, that is well-trodden territory. It’s not very interesting.”“No Hard Feelings” follows Lawrence’s Maddie as she conspires with the parents of an awkward 19-year-old (Andrew Barth Feldman) to have sex with him before he leaves for college in exchange for a car. He’s left in the dark about the scheme, leaving Maddie to try to seduce the shy brainiac m...

Russia says Wagner Group's leader will move to Belarus after his rebellious march challenged Putin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:23 GMT

The head of the private Russian military company Wagner will move to neighboring Belarus as part of deal to defuse rebellion tensions and the criminal case against him will be closed, the Kremlin said Saturday.Yevgeny Prigozhin's troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.After the deal was reached, Prigozhin said he was ordering his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. The deal appeared to defuse a dramatically escalating crisis that represented the most significant challenge to President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power.The deal was mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a staunch Putin ally.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.A rebellious Russian mercenary commander said Saturday he ordered his...

Treasure-seekers in Utah still hunting for hidden $25K after nearly a month: These are the clues they're working with

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:23 GMT

SALT LAKE CITY (KTVX) – A hidden chest containing $25,000 remains undiscovered several weeks after the organizers of a Utah-wide treasure hunt presented the initial clues.Now, they're giving out yet another set of hints to help treasure-seekers locate the cash.The 2023 Utah Treasure Hunt, which marks the fourth annual such event, officially launched in late May. Organizers Dave Cline and John Maxim, both from Utah, presented the initial clues in the form of a poem:Begin your search where time was transcendentCrack open the books they’re independentLift up your eyes and look for the markHike to the tree that stands without barkPass the grain tower that looks out to the westNot more than an hour you’ll know by its crestLook down at your map to not wander with thirstRemember two less than on top of the firstYou’ll know you’re close where it’s time to frownWhat points towards heaven but is upside down?Get off the road at the airplane without wingsSearch from the shoulder and fortune it ...

One of America's oldest, largest Deaf Softball tournaments swings through Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:23 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – One of the largest and oldest Deaf softball tournaments held its 56th annual softball tournament in Austin Friday and Saturday. The Southwest Softball Association for the Deaf (SWSAD) is a nonprofit which hosts an annual tournament for men, women and co-ed teams from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. On Saturday, hundreds of deaf players and spectators from all over the U.S. came out in the triple-digit heat to play softball, buy goods from Deaf-owned vendors and connect with their community. “Deaf people don't see each other often,” said Paige Thompson, a SWSAD board member.“They like to get together, share memories, make new memories and meet old friends and new friends. That's the best thing that they can do because everyone is so spread out, and they're a small community,” she continued. Chad Bishop is the commissioner of the organization and said he was heartened by this year’s turnout. He said roughly 300 pe...

HDSA Albany hosting weekend kickball tournament

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:23 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Albany chapter of the Huntington's Disease Society of America will be hosting the Albany Kickball Tournament. The event is scheduled for Sunday, June 25 at 9:30 a.m. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The focus of the tournament is to educate and raise awareness for Huntington's disease within the community. The disease, which impacts about 41,000 symptomatic Americans, affects nerve cells in the brain. The event will be held at Ridgefield Park, located at 316 Partridge Street in Albany. All ages are encouraged to attend. Amsterdam native Andre Jackson Jr. selected in NBA Draft You can make a donation to the event by visiting the HDSA Albany's website.

Wainwright pulled in the 4th as Cubs rout Cardinals in London

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:23 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Ian Happ hit two solo home runs, Justin Steele struck out eight and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-1 on Saturday night in Major League Baseball's pandemic-delayed return to the British capital.Happ led off the second inning with a drive to straightaway center and put another Adam Wainwright pitch over the right-field fence in the third as the Cubs won their fourth straight game.Chicago used a series of two-out hits to pile up runs against Wainwright (3-2), who was pulled after back-to-back doubles in the fourth. The Cardinals starter allowed 11 hits — one short of his career high — and a season-high seven runs in the shortest of his nine starts this season.A crowd of 54,662, MLB's largest this season, filled London Stadium, some singing “Go Cubs Go." Chicago (37-38) has won nine of 10 and with a win Sunday could get back to .500 for the first time in more than a month.The Cubs had more hits (14) than swings and misses (10). Nine of the hits were with t...

12-year-old graduates with 4.0 GPA from L.A. City College, now plans to attend high school 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:23 GMT

A 12-year-old girl has taken a massive step in her educational career, but it’s not middle school or even high school graduation. On June 6, Fiona Currie became Los Angeles City College’s youngest-ever graduate when she received an associate degree in studio arts with a 4.0 GPA, and she received a standing ovation from her classmates on commencement day. Fiona, who is technically in ninth grade, began taking college courses online at the start of the COVID pandemic when she was just nine years old and continued homeschooling with university level classes.  21-year-old from Cerritos sets world record for fastest solve of a Rubik’s Cube The Palmdale native is planning to continue her studies at the collegiate level in addition to attending high school and navigating the world as a teenager. L.A. City College’s youngest-ever graduate plans on continuing to chase her dream of working at a big animation company. Getting a degree at 12 years old is certainly a g...

Shooting at Concord motel leaves one person injured

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:23 GMT

(KRON) -- A shooting at a Concord motel left one person injured early Saturday morning, according to the Concord Police Department. Body found near Oakland Zoo investigated at homicide Officers were called to the 1500 block of Concord Avenue on the report of a motel shooting nearby. The Premier Inn Concord is the only motel located on the block, directly behind a Chili's restaurant. Officers arrived at the scene and found a victim suffering from at least one gunshot wound. The victim was taken to a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries, treated and then released. No other injuries or victims were reported. Police say no arrests have been made in connection to this shooting, and they do not believe there is any threat to the public at this time. Anyone with more information about the shooting is asked to contact CPD Sergeant Scott Smith at 925-671-5074.

Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Threatened Uprising Against Putin Echoes Russia’s History of Wars Gone Bad

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:23 GMT

Launching an aggressive war is perhaps the greatest gamble that a political leader can make. Over a year into Russia’s grueling invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin is now beginning to taste the consequences of betting poorly.On Friday, armed paramilitaries under the leadership of Yevgeny Prigozhin — a former caterer turned commander of the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary organization —launched what looked like a coup against Putin’s regime. At the height of the action over the past 24 hours, troops under Prigozhin’s command captured the strategic city of Rostov-on-Don and barreled toward Moscow. Prigozhin reportedly turned his troops around late on Saturday following a negotiated settlement, but it was the first major crack in Putin’s armor. Putin, who has positioned himself as an inheritor of past Russian imperial glory, may ultimately suffer the fate of many czars before him: a military uprising against his own rule, fueled by the blowback of a failing war.“It’...