Biden hails first hostage releases under Israel-Hamas deal, warns of challenges ahead

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:51:09 GMT

Biden hails first hostage releases under Israel-Hamas deal, warns of challenges ahead President Joe Biden on Friday framed Hamas’ initial release of two dozen women and children as a sign of progress but emphasized that the deal was just the beginning of a challenging road ahead as the U.S. works to free the remaining hostages, including American citizens.“Today has been a product of a lot of hard work and weeks of personal engagement,” Biden said, speaking from Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he’s spending the Thanksgiving holiday with his family. “From the moment Hamas kidnapped these people, I, along with my team, have worked around the clock to secure their release.”Hamas released the first hostages Friday — 13 Israelis, 10 Thai citizens and one Filipino. Their release marked the first wave in a deal to trade several hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israel under a four-day cease-fire. Biden said more details will be unveiled about the next round of hostages in the coming hours, but it’s not yet clear if that list will include Americans.“We don’t know when th...

Woman suffers life-threatening injuries in Hyde Park shooting

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:51:09 GMT

Woman suffers life-threatening injuries in Hyde Park shooting Boston police are investigating a shooting in Hyde Park on Friday night that left a woman hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, police said.Officers responding to a reported shooting on Business Street around 10 p.m. found the woman injured.No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

No. 7 Texas Longhorns hammer Texas Tech 57-7, clinch berth in Big 12 Conference title game

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:51:09 GMT

No. 7 Texas Longhorns hammer Texas Tech 57-7, clinch berth in Big 12 Conference title game AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's a goal that No. 7 Texas set at the beginning of the season, and it's one they achieved with style points Friday at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium.The Longhorns blew out Texas Tech 57-7 to end the Big 12 Conference regular season and send Texas to the conference championship game as the No. 1 seed Dec. 2 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. Longhorns hold at No. 7 in CFP rankings With the win, Texas finished the regular season 11-1 and 8-1 in the Big 12 behind another tremendous defensive effort and touchdowns from all three phases. Sophomore running back Jaydon Blue rushed for 121 yards on 10 carries including a 69-yard touchdown and Savion Red added 72 yards on nine carries."This was a total team effort and I couldn't be more proud," Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said. "We put in a lot of work to get to this point, but we're not done. We've got one more next Saturday."Defensively, Texas held Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton to 88 yards on 19 of 33 passing ...

Tommies men’s hockey: St. Thomas extends win streak to 5, reaches top of CCHA

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:51:09 GMT

Tommies men’s hockey: St. Thomas extends win streak to 5, reaches top of CCHA The St. Thomas men’s hockey team continues to reach new heights in its third season on the Division I level, and Friday night it delivered a twofer.With their 4-2 victory over the Lake Superior State Lakers at St. Thomas Ice Arena, the Tommies have now won five in a row, a program record in the Division I era. The victory moved the Tommies (7-5-1 overall, 5-2-0 CCHA) into first place in the CCHA.The Tommies’ 15 points are two better than Bemidji State, and the Tommies have a game in hand over the Beavers.“It feels good, especially just from what we built off last year,” said sophomore right winger Quinton Pepper, who produced the game-winning goal for the second straight game. “We’re sticking to the process and we’re starting to get the results. It’s promising for the future, but it’s also an extra kick for practices moving forward, knowing that we can do it and compete with every team.“It feels really good, honestly.”According to Pepper, the possibility of moving into first place i...

More positives, still no points for Wild in 3-2 loss to Colorado

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:51:09 GMT

More positives, still no points for Wild in 3-2 loss to Colorado With his team 12 points back in the Central Division, and seven out of a playoff spot, Wild coach Dean Evason was asked Friday how he keeps his team focused on each game instead of the hole Minnesota has dug early this season.The Wild entered Friday night’s game against division rival Colorado on a five-game losing streak (0-3-2) and just five victories in 17 games.“We know where we’re at in the standings, and that we haven’t won some games here as of late,” Evason said. “But we have to instill the positivity (related to) how we’re playing. If we weren’t playing well, obviously we wouldn’t be so positive.”It’s true Minnesota played better in a pair of losses in the NHL Global Series in Sweden last weekend, falling to Ottawa, 2-1, in a shootout and to Toronto, 3-2, in overtime. But at some point — some point soon — playing well must turn into wins.Ross Colton, Valeri Nichushkin and Kurtis MacDermid scored goals, and Alexandar Georgiev made 19 saves as Colorado beat the Wild, 3-2, at ...

High school football: Centennial edges Edina in Class 6A championship, claims first state crown

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:51:09 GMT

High school football: Centennial edges Edina in Class 6A championship, claims first state crown The team with a blue-collar, lunch-pail mentality left U.S. Bank Stadium with gold medals.Forget the flash, the glitz or the glamour, Centennial wants to line up against its opponent and go mano a mano.Marcus Whiting had two rushing touchdowns and a game-saving stop, Daylen Cummings ran for a score and passed for another and the bruising Cougars held off Edina 28-27 Friday in the Class 6A championship game for the school’s first state football crown.“We’ve been dreaming about this since we were little kids,” Cummings said.If you’ve been waiting that long, why not do it with some late-game excitement?Sonny Villegas had a 21-yard touchdown reception from Mason West with 16 seconds left to get the Hornets within one.Coach Jason Potts had Edina, down 28-14 early in the fourth quarter, go for the win. Edina got within one touchdown on a West 6-yard run with 3:47 left.“With the way they were moving the football … I think we had an advantage of going for it,” Potts said.But Whiting stopped...

Columbine beats Chatfield to advance to seventh Class 5A championship game under Andy Lowry

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:51:09 GMT

Columbine beats Chatfield to advance to seventh Class 5A championship game under Andy Lowry LAKEWOOD — Moments after Columbine defeated rival Chatfield 35-16 on Friday at Jeffco Stadium to clinch the program’s seventh state championship game appearance under Andy Lowry, a single tear streamed down the coach’s cheek.Lowry, in his 30th season leading Columbine, has steered the Rebels through it all. Five Class 5A state titles, including the program’s first about six months after the 1999 shooting at the school. Over 300 wins. And a program built off brotherhood that’s long been a Colorado force.But the battle he’s reluctant to talk about had Lowry in an emotional knot after the emphatic win over Chatfield. His wife, Janet, has been fighting cancer for the past six-plus years. She is the warrior behind the coach; the person who keeps him humble no matter his success between the lines.“I love her and she’s the toughest person I know,” a choked-up Lowry said. “I’m just there to support her. To hug her. She’...

3 hospitalized in Long Beach pursuit crash

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:51:09 GMT

3 hospitalized in Long Beach pursuit crash Three people were hospitalized after a Long Beach pursuit ended in a destructive multi-vehicle crash on Friday.Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were in pursuit of a stolen vehicle, which appeared to be a gray Dodge Charger, at around 3:45 p.m.As the chase continued, the suspect crashed into a white pickup truck near a Shell gas station at the intersection of Artesia and Long Beach Boulevards.Images from the scene show the collision toppled over a traffic signal pole while destroying concrete barriers. At one point, the suspect's vehicle was in flames as fire crews worked to extinguish the wreck.Three people were hospitalized after a pursuit ended with a destructive crash in Long Beach on Nov. 24, 2023. (Citizen)Three people were hospitalized after a pursuit ended with a destructive crash in Long Beach on Nov. 24, 2023. (Citizen)Three people were hospitalized after a pursuit ended with a destructive crash in Long Beach on Nov. 24, 2023. (KTLA)Three people were hospitalized after...

Protests held in South Bay, San Francisco seeking permanent end to fighting in Gaza

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:51:09 GMT

Protests held in South Bay, San Francisco seeking permanent end to fighting in Gaza Palestinian supporters organized multiple protests across the Bay Area on Friday, calling for an end to Israel’s invasion of Gaza and for the current pause in fighting across the region to become permanent.The protests — including one at Westfield Valley Fair Mall in the South Bay and another at San Francisco’s City Hall — came as a delicate, four-day truce took hold in Gaza. The cease-fire marked the first pause in fighting across the war-torn area in nearly seven weeks — helping to ensure the release of 24 hostages held by Hamas in an internationally-brokered deal that also included the release of numerous prisoners held by Israel.The war began when Hamas fighters stormed Israel on Oct. 7 and killed at least 1,200 people while taking about 240 others hostage. In response, Israel has bombarded and invaded Gaza in a campaign that has left more than 13,000 Palestinians dead, including thousands of children.In San Francisco, hundreds of Palestinian supporters gathered outs...

Vasilevskiy wins his season debut and Brayden Point has a hat trick as Lightning beat Hurricanes 8-2

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:51:09 GMT

Vasilevskiy wins his season debut and Brayden Point has a hat trick as Lightning beat Hurricanes 8-2 RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves in his season debut and the Lightning had a hat trick and two assists from Brayden Point in an 8-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.Nikita Kucherov had two goals and four assists, while Steven Stamkos, Brandon Hagel and Luke Glendening also scored for the Lightning, which won for the fourth time in five games and holds a five-game points streak.Vasilevskiy, a past winner of the Vezina Trophy (league’s top goalie) and Conn Smyth Trophy (playoff MVP), was in his first NHL game since April following offseason surgery. The Lightning announced earlier in the day that he would be in the net for the team’s first game of a three-game road stretch.The Lightning scored three power-play goals in the first six minutes of the second period. Those were Tampa Bay’s first three shots on the period after putting the puck on goal only once in the first.Stefan Noesen and Michael Bunting scored for the Hurricanes, wh...