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Russia has lost 87% of troops it had prior to start of Ukraine war, according to US intelligence assessment

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:59:19 GMT

(CNN) — Russia has lost a staggering 87 percent of the total number of active-duty ground troops it had prior to launching its invasion of Ukraine and two-thirds of its pre-invasion tanks, a source familiar with a declassified US intelligence assessment provided to Congress told CNN.Still, despite heavy losses of men and equipment, Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to push forward as the war approaches its two-year anniversary early next year and US officials are warning that Ukraine remains deeply vulnerable. A highly anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive stagnated through the fall, and US officials believe that Kyiv is unlikely to make any major gains over the coming months.The assessment, sent to Capitol Hill on Monday, comes as some Republicans have balked at the US providing additional funding for Ukraine and the Biden administration has launched a full-court press to try to get supplemental funding through Co...

Ski Wednesday: Whistler Blackcomb is a big slice of heaven

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:59:19 GMT

In my long life of ski dedication, one big resort and I kept missing one another like chairlifts passing in a storm.One year, a family emergency caused my cancellation. Another, a bad (non-ski related) crash ended my plans. Then that pesky pandemic got in the way.It seemed, despite my world travel, that Whistler Blackcomb (https://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/) and I were destined not to meet. So when I booked a trip last winter, I held my breath. And for a moment, I wondered – if I finally made it there – if this would fall under what I call “prom syndrome,” when you so look forward to something that it cannot possibly live up to your expectations.Here’s the end first: Made it there, savored it all. And as for Prom syndrome? I now need to come up with a term for quite the opposite. Because my late winter skiing visit to Whistler Blackcomb was all I imagined and more.From sunny morning runs to snowy powder moments; from the quiet sanctity of soaking in a true Scandinavian spa to the ru...

Far-right Dutch election winner Wilders wants to be prime minister, promises to respect constitution

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:59:19 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders, whose party swept to a shock victory in last month’s Dutch general election, said Wednesday he wants to be prime minister for “all Netherlanders,” and pledged that he will ensure his policies adhere to the country’s constitution.Wilders’ comments during a debate in parliament were aimed at easing fears among potential coalition partners about his strident anti-Islam rhetoric and plans including banning mosques, Islamic schools and the Quran.After preliminary talks with party leaders over the last two weeks, Ronald Plasterk, an official appointed by the Dutch parliament to investigate possible ruling coalitions said Monday that Wilders should open negotiations with three other parties on forming a new government.Some potential coalition partners, and in particular Pieter Omtzigt who leads the reformist New Social Contract party that won 20 seats at the Nov. 22 election, have expressed fears that some of...

What small businesses need to know about new regulations going into 2024

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:59:19 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Regulations are a double-edged sword. They’re created to improve business dealings, discourage unfair or illegal business activity, and protect workers. But, for small business owners, they often mean more red tape, higher costs and possible penalties for failing to comply.″For a small business, you have a higher cost per employee when it comes to complying with regulations than your larger business competitors,” said Tom Sullivan, vice president of small business policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.Heading into 2024, there are several regulations that should be on small business owners’ radar.Registering with FinCENSmall businesses will need to register with an agency called the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network in 2024, as part of an act passed in 2021 called the Corporate Transparency Act.The act was intended to get a look inside shell companies and crack down on attempts by “criminals, organized crime rings, and other illicit actors to hide their identitie...

New Hampshire sheriff charged with theft, perjury and falsifying evidence resigns

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:59:19 GMT

BRENTWOOD, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire sheriff accused of stealing $19,000 in county funds has resigned, leading prosecutors to withdraw their request to revoke his bail on charges of theft, perjury and falsifying evidence.“I am proud to have served as high sheriff of Strafford County and to have been both the youngest sheriff and first African American man to serve in this role across the state of New Hampshire,” Mark Brave wrote in his resignation letter. His lawyer announced his resignation at a scheduled hearing in court Tuesday, effective immediately.Brave, 38, pleaded not guilty in September. He’s accused of using his county credit card to pay for travel to fictitious business meetings with multiple paramours and then lying about it to a grand jury. He was arrested in August and went on administrative leave.“At this time, I feel it is in the best interest of Strafford County, my subordinates, and the populations we serve that I step aside while I address allegations made...

She won her sexual assault case. Now she hopes the Japanese military changes so others don’t suffer

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:59:19 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Rina Gonoi came forward in summer 2022 to demand a reinvestigation of the case that authorities dropped nearly a year earlier, saying the sexual assault caused her to give up her military career. Now, with her court case won and widespread problems uncovered in the organization, she hopes Japan’s Self Defense Force will be reborn as a place where everyone can easily speak up against harassment.“I could not put (the assaults) behind as if nothing happened, and because of my appreciation for the Self Defense Force, I wanted them to become a better organization,” Gonoi told reporters Wednesday in Tokyo. Gonoi said she had mixed feelings about speaking up against her former workplace, but she was compelled to because she didn’t want to see anyone else quitting from the same pain. As a child, she witnessed the army’s disaster relief work firsthand after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami struck her hometown in Miyagi prefecture, directly north of Fukushima where the...

Tesla recalls nearly all vehicles sold in US to fix system that monitors drivers using Autopilot

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:59:19 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Tesla is recalling nearly all of the vehicles it sold in the U.S., more than 2 million across its model lineup, to fix a defective system that’s supposed to ensure drivers are paying attention when they use Autopilot. Documents posted Wednesday by U.S. safety regulators say the company will send out a software update to fix the problems.The recall comes after a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into a series of crashes that happened while the Autopilot partially automated driving system was in use. Some were deadly. The agency says its investigation found Autopilot’s method of ensuring that drivers are paying attention can be inadequate and can lead to foreseeable misuse of the system.The recall covers models Y, S, 3 and X produced between Oct. 5, 2012, and Dec. 7 of this year.The software update includes additional controls and alerts “to further encourage the driver to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility...

Police identify 14-year-old boy, 65-year-old man in Chicago Lawn shooting

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:59:19 GMT

CHICAGO — A 14-year-old boy and a 65-year-old man are dead after a shooting on the city's Southwest Side.Chicago police say the deadly shooting happened just before 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the 3500 block of West 61st Place in Chicago Lawn. Police seek help identifying woman found dead after south suburban fire According to police, the victims were standing outside in the area, when a grey vehicle approached and two men inside opened fire. Officers say the 14-year-old boy, who has been identified as Juan Medina Jr., suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene.The man, who has been identified as Mario Medina, was taken to the hospital in critical condition and later succumbed to his injuries. Police say the vehicle was spotted fleeing westbound on 61st Place. 2 hospitalized after crash involving school bus in Glenview Currently, it is unclear what led to the shooting and police say an investigation is underway. Anyone with information that could help aut...

Secret origins of Geminids meteor shower revealed by new research

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:59:19 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- One of the most spectacular shows of the year will be on display this week: the Geminids meteor shower. According to NASA, the Geminids peak each December on the 13th and 14th. Stargazers can see up to 120 meteors per hour during the show.This meteor shower is a little different than your typical meteor shower."Most (meteor) streams are formed by comets regularly passing by the sun. As they do that they release a bunch of material," said Jamey Szalay, a research scientist with Princeton University. According to Szalay, the Geminids were formed from the remnants of 3200 Phaethon. "It probably all formed very rapidly and catastrophically."New research from Princeton University has revealed potentially how this happened.How to create a meteor showerWhen a comet orbits the sun, its icy shell melts and leaves behind a trail or tube of debris. "When (the) Earth flies through the tube, the meteors in that tube hit Earth and we see them as streaks in our sky," said Wolf Cuk...

Nicholas Kristof: The old new way to provide cheap housing

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:59:19 GMT

Homelessness is an American tragedy, but it’s not hopeless. In a recent column, I explored how Houston has become a national model by reducing homelessness by more than 60%.One takeaway is that homelessness, above all, reflects a shortage of cheap housing. So I’m intrigued by an approach to providing such housing that’s gaining ground around the country. It’s an idea so old, it seems new: converting single-family houses to rooming houses.Rooming houses, boardinghouses or single room occupancy (SRO) hotels used to be ubiquitous. President Thomas Jefferson stayed in a boardinghouse for several months before moving into the White House. At the seedier end, SROs largely disappeared over the past half-century, partly because of zoning and economic development projects.In Houston I dropped in on a home operated by PadSplit, a company that offers furnished bedrooms for working-class Americans. PadSplit, which is something like a long-term Airbnb for rooming houses, has housed 22,000 people...