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Biden: We won’t ‘make it easy’ for Ukraine to join NATO

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:10:24 GMT

U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday said his administration would not “make it easy” for Ukraine to join NATO, adding that the war-torn nation must meet the same standards as other member states.Asked in a gaggle in Philadelphia about easing Ukraine’s path to joining the transatlantic alliance — likely in reference to the Membership Action Plan, a key obstacle in Ukraine’s efforts — Biden said: “No. Because they’ve got to meet the same standards. So we’re not going to make it easy.”Biden added that the U.S. has “done a lot” to make sure Ukraine has the “ability to coordinate militarily.”According to the MAP, candidate nations must make military and democratic reforms before consideration for NATO membership. Last week, Biden officials said the president was “open to” waiving the requirement for Ukraine, which this week launched a counterattack amid Russia’s war of aggression.Biden on Saturday also conveyed a hopeful outlook on U.S.-China relations ahead of Secretary of St...

Police searching for potential car thief caught on camera in Tewksbury

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:10:24 GMT

The police are seeking the public’s help to identify an individual caught on a residential camera trying to open the doors of vehicles in a driveway early Friday morning.Around 4 a.m., the video captured the suspect pulling on the car door handles, and Tewksbury police posted the video on Facebook. Police believe the suspect caught on camera is involved in other reports from Friday of car break-ins near Henry J Drive, Indian Hill Road and Tomahawk Drive in Tewksbury.Police are asking anyone with any information related to these reports to call 978-861-7373.

Pat Leonard’s NFL Notes: Stefon Diggs Bills drama is as much about Sean McDermott as his wide receiver

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:10:24 GMT

Discord is threatening to dethrone one of the AFC’s titans.The Buffalo Bills have a 37-12 record the past three regular seasons. They’ve won three straight AFC East titles. They played in one conference championship game and were 13 seconds away from reaching another.But head coach Sean McDermott can kiss that run goodbye if he doesn’t fix the underlying issues behind this week’s Stefon Diggs drama that all started, it appears, because of McDermott’s own rhetoric about his star wide receiver.One day, Diggs was absent from the Bills’ minicamp practice and McDermott was confirming: “Stef is not here. Everybody else is here at the current time.”Asked if he was concerned, McDermott said: “Very concerned. yeah. Very concerned.”Only Diggs was there, apparently.His agent released a statement to ESPN after McDermott’s press conference saying that “Diggs has been in Buffalo since yesterday morning, took his physical, met...

Knicks enter NBA draft with no picks but plenty of opportunities

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:10:24 GMT

It feels like piling on Phil Jackson at this point, but we must when it comes to the NBA draft.The Zen Master had three first and second-round choices during his tenure, and he missed the following players — Nikola Jokic, Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo — by within nine picks.Multiple GMs passed on those top talents, to be fair, but we bring these up to underscore a point ahead of Thursday’s NBA draft: contending teams are still built first with the draft, then with trades and free agency.Look at the last three champions. The Nuggets drafted Jokic and Jamal Murray; the Warriors drafted Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green; the Bucks drafted Giannis Antetokounmpo.None of those players were picked in the top-6. Three of them — Antetokounmpo, Jokic, Green — fell out of the lottery. So you have to be smart and lucky in the NBA. The best place for that combo is the draft.The Knicks, unfortunately, don’t have a pick this year. At le...

West Virginia’s Bob Huggins arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Pittsburgh

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:10:24 GMT

West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, a month after the university suspended him for three games for using an anti-gay slur while also denigrating Catholics during a radio interview.Huggins, 69, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was pulled over by police in Pittsburgh on Friday night. He was charged with driving under the influence, was released from custody and will appear at a later date for a preliminary hearing, according to a police report.It was Huggins’ second such arrest. The other occurred in 2004 when he was the head coach at Cincinnati.In a statement, West Virginia’s athletic department said it was aware of Friday’s incident. “We are gathering more information and will take appropriate action once the review is complete,” the statement said.Officers observed a black SUV in the middle of a road blocking traffic just before 8:30 p.m. The vehicle had a flat and shredded tire, and the driver’s side do...

TD Bank says direct deposit, debit card issues resolved

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:10:24 GMT

TD Bank says the technical issue that affected customers’ direct deposit transfers and debit card payments has now been resolved. Following questions and complaints on social media Friday, the bank acknowledged customers in Western and Eastern regions did not receive their direct deposits but did not provide an explanation for the issue except that their support teams were “engaged and are investigating the issue.” Customers also reported being unable to use their debit cards to purchase goods and services or transfer money between their accounts.In a statement Saturday morning, TD Bank again apologized for the disruption adding that customers should now have full access to most bank services, including delayed direct deposits.“We know that some customers experienced significant stress and we sincerely apologize for this experience,” said Toni-Lynn Raponi, associate vice president for corporate and public affairs. “Please be assured that any customers ...

Virginia officer fatally shot during struggle with assault suspect in woods

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:10:24 GMT

WINTERGREEN, Va. (AP) — A police officer was fatally shot during a struggle with an assault suspect in the woods in a Virginia mountain town, authorities said Saturday.Wintergreen Police Department Officer Mark Christopher Wagner II was killed Friday night, Chief Dennis Russell said in a Facebook post. Wintergreen police received a call about a man assaulting two other men at a home, Virginia State Police said in a news release. The two injured men had run away from the home by the time police arrived, and they were treated at a hospital for unspecified injuries that were not life-threatening, state police said.Wagner found the assault suspect in nearby woods, and they got into a struggle. Wagner was shot during the confrontation and he died there, state police said. The suspect was taken into custody and was treated at a hospital for unspecified injuries that were not life-threatening, state police said. He was not immediately identified. It was not immediately clear what charges h...

Biden’s rally with union workers marks first big event of his 2024 campaign

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:10:24 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — President Joe Biden is promoting his pro-labor record Saturday at his first major political rally of his reelection campaign, appearing alongside union members to make the case that his economic agenda is boosting the middle class. He plans to “lay out the core principles of his economic message” during his remarks at the Philadelphia Convention Center, according to his campaign. He also intends to talk about how a sweeping climate, tax and health care package he signed into law last year has cut the cost of prescription drugs and lowered insurance premiums. It’s part of his administration’s focus on his achievements during his first two years in office — the centerpiece argument for a second term.The event, which organizers said included unions representing 18 million workers nationwide, recalled then-candidate Biden opening his 2020 presidential campaign at a union hall in Pittsburgh. That underscores just how important labor support will be to his...

Saudi foreign minister in Iran as part of restoration of diplomatic ties after a 7-year rift

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:10:24 GMT

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat arrived in Iran’s capital on Saturday, the latest step in the restoration of diplomatic ties between the two Mideast rivals, Iranian state media reported.Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan was officially welcomed by his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Iran TV said. He carried a message from the Saudi king to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the two were due to meet later Saturday, Iran TV said. The visit comes after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Saudi Arabia earlier in June. In March, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions.Prince Faisal is expected to officially inaugurate the kingdom’s embassy in Tehran later on Saturday. Until the mission is completed, the employees are working from a Tehran hotel, Iran TV said. Both nations reopened their diplomatic missions in recent weeks.The agreement to reestablish di...

Under court deal, Binance can continue U.S. operations as it battles SEC fraud charges

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:10:24 GMT

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Binance have reached an agreement in court that lets the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange continue to operate in the United States as it battles SEC fraud charges.Under a consent order filed Saturday, the defendants in the June 5 lawsuit agreed to repatriate all assets held for the benefit of Binance’s U.S. trading customers.The SEC alleges Binance broke U.S. law by operating as an unregistered securities exchange. It filed similar charges against the world’s other top cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase, nearly simultaneously.But Binance and its CEO, Changpeng Zhao, face additional charges of diverting customer funds – concealing the fact that it was commingling billions of dollars in investor assets and sending them to a third party that Zhao also owned. As a result, the SEC asked that the assets of Binance’s U.S. platform be frozen.The order signed by Washington, D.C. federal judge Amy Berman Jacks...