World

1st US Army garrison on NATO’s east flank formed in Poland

The Associated Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 8:45 AM CDT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak and U.S. officials attended a ceremony Tuesday to formally upgrade the U.S. military presence in NATO member Poland amid the war in neighboring Ukraine.

There are more than 10,000 American troops stationed in the former communist bloc country. They belonged to Area Support Group Poland, which has now been upgraded to form the first U.S. Army garrison on NATO's eastern flank — a decision announced by President Joe Biden at the summit of NATO's 30 members last year.

The U.S. already has five army garrisons in Germany, one on Belgium and one in Italy.

“We appreciate it very much that U.S. troops are on a permanent basis in our country,” Blaszczak said. “It is very important that the Western world remains united.”

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California faces more flooding after strong Pacific storm

Martha Mendoza, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

California faces more flooding after strong Pacific storm

Martha Mendoza, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: 7:41 AM CDT

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — A strong late-season Pacific storm that brought damaging winds and more rain and snow to saturated California was blamed for two deaths and forecasters said additional flooding was possible Wednesday in parts of the state.

Tuesday's storm focused most of its energy on central and southern parts of the state, bringing threats of heavy runoff and mountain snowfall. In the north, intense hail was reported in Sacramento, the state capital.

Locally heavy rain and snowmelt may cause flooding Wednesday in southern California and central Arizona, the National Weather Service warned. On Tuesday, some residents of north-central Arizona were told to prepare to evacuate because of rising water levels in rivers and basins.

Trees and power lines were reported downed in the San Francisco Bay Area. An Amtrak commuter train carrying 55 passengers struck a downed tree and derailed near the East Bay village of Porta Costa. The train remained upright and nobody was injured, Amtrak and fire officials said.

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Updated: 7:41 AM CDT

A surfer rides his board at Cowell Beach during the latest atmospheric storm event in Santa Cruz, Calif. Tuesday, March 21, 2023. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
A surfer rides his board at Cowell Beach during the latest atmospheric storm event in Santa Cruz, Calif. Tuesday, March 21, 2023. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Doctors expected to testify in Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski trial

Sam Metz, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Doctors expected to testify in Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski trial

Sam Metz, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: 6:44 AM CDT

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — More witnesses are expected to testify on Wednesday in a trial about a 2016 ski crash between Gwyneth Paltrow and a retired Utah man suing her and claiming her recklessness left him with lasting injuries and brain damage.

On the opening day of the trial, Paltrow and retired optometrist Terry Sanderson appeared across the courtroom from each other, looking nonplussed to hear arguments that have become familiar over the past seven years of legal proceedings. Since Paltrow and Sanderson’s skis intertwined on what they expected to be an enjoyable day on the slopes with friends and family, the two have been tangled in a lengthy legal drama about what really happened on a beginner’s run that day at one of the most upscale ski destinations in the United States.

The mountain, Deer Valley Resort, has among the region’s most expensive lift tickets and is known for its après-ski champagne yurts and proximity to Park City — a posh resort town known for hosting the Sundance Film Festival.

Though the court is not publishing a witness list, attorneys said Wendell Gibby and Sam Goldstein — a radiologist and neuropsychologist — would likely be called to testify on Wednesday. Sanderson’s lawyers said they expected to call four witnesses total on Wednesday and left the possibility open that one could be Paltrow, depending on when others expected to testify arrive in Park City.

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Updated: 6:44 AM CDT

Actor Gwyneth Paltrow looks on as she sits in the courtroom on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Park City, Utah. Paltrow's trial over a 2016 ski collision began in the Utah ski resort town of Park City, where she is accused of crashing into a skier at Deer Valley Resort. The man suing accuses the actress of skiing out of control leaving him with brain damage and four broken ribs. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, Pool)
Actor Gwyneth Paltrow looks on as she sits in the courtroom on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Park City, Utah. Paltrow's trial over a 2016 ski collision began in the Utah ski resort town of Park City, where she is accused of crashing into a skier at Deer Valley Resort. The man suing accuses the actress of skiing out of control leaving him with brain damage and four broken ribs. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, Pool)

2 escape jail and go to IHOP, where patrons report them

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

2 escape jail and go to IHOP, where patrons report them

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: 7:36 AM CDT

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — Two inmates in a Virginia jail used primitively made tools to create a hole in the wall of their cell and escape, only to be found hours later at an IHOP restaurant nearby, a sheriff said.

Authorities discovered the two men, ages 37 and 43, missing from their cell in the Newport News jail annex during a routine head count Monday evening, according to a statement from the Newport News Sheriff's Office.

A preliminary investigation found the men exploited a weakness in the jail's construction design and used tools made from a toothbrush and a metal object to access rebars between the walls — and then used the rebar to further their escape, the statement said. After escaping their cell, they scaled a containment wall around the jail.

Authorities had asked for the public’s help to find the men, and they were taken into custody again early Tuesday at an IHOP in Hampton when other patrons called police.

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Updated: 7:36 AM CDT

This photo provided by Newport News Sheriff's Office shows a hole in the wall of a prison cell in Newport News, Va., on March 20, 2023. Two inmates in the Virginia jail used primitive-made tools to create a hole in the wall of their cell and escape only to be found hours later at an IHOP restaurant in a nearby town, a sheriff said. Authorities discovered John M. Garza, 37, and Arley V. Nemo, 43, missing from their cell the Newport News Jail Annex during a routine head count Monday evening, a statement from the Newport News Sheriff's Office said. (Newport News Sheriff's Office via AP)
This photo provided by Newport News Sheriff's Office shows a hole in the wall of a prison cell in Newport News, Va., on March 20, 2023. Two inmates in the Virginia jail used primitive-made tools to create a hole in the wall of their cell and escape only to be found hours later at an IHOP restaurant in a nearby town, a sheriff said. Authorities discovered John M. Garza, 37, and Arley V. Nemo, 43, missing from their cell the Newport News Jail Annex during a routine head count Monday evening, a statement from the Newport News Sheriff's Office said. (Newport News Sheriff's Office via AP)

Macron wants French pension plan implemented by end of year

Sylvie Corbet, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Macron wants French pension plan implemented by end of year

Sylvie Corbet, The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: 7:32 AM CDT

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that the pension bill that he pushed through without a vote in parliament needs to be implemented by the "end of the year.”

Macron, who made the comments in an interview broadcast on national television, said the bill that raises the retirement age from 62 to 64 will “continue its democratic path.”

The Constitutional Council needs to review the bill in the coming weeks, and it can only be turned into law after the body gives its approval.

It was the first time that Macron had spoken publicly since his government forced the pension bill through parliament last week, prompting scattered protests in Paris and across the country, some degenerating into violence. His government survived two no-confidence votes at the lower chamber of parliament on Monday.

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Updated: 7:32 AM CDT

Dock workers face riot police as they stand in front of a burning barricade next the port of Marseille southern France, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. The bill pushed through by President Emmanuel Macron without lawmakers' approval still faces a review by the Constitutional Council before it can be signed into law. Meanwhile, oil shipments in the country were disrupted amid strikes at several refineries in western and southern France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Dock workers face riot police as they stand in front of a burning barricade next the port of Marseille southern France, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. The bill pushed through by President Emmanuel Macron without lawmakers' approval still faces a review by the Constitutional Council before it can be signed into law. Meanwhile, oil shipments in the country were disrupted amid strikes at several refineries in western and southern France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Oregon lawmakers approve $200M for housing, homelessness

Claire Rush, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Oregon lawmakers approve $200M for housing, homelessness

Claire Rush, The Associated Press 3 minute read Yesterday at 11:53 PM CDT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon lawmakers passed a sweeping $200 million housing and homelessness package on Tuesday, displaying a bipartisan will to tackle two of the state's most pressing crises.

The vast majority of the funding — about $157 million — is aimed at boosting homelessness and eviction prevention services. The money will go toward increasing shelter capacity, addressing youth homelessness, and funding rapid rehousing efforts and rental assistance programs.

“This bill will help us build more housing, get people off our streets and make our communities more safe,” Democratic state Sen. Aaron Woods, who carried one of the two bills in the package, said on the Senate floor.

Like much of the U.S. West, Oregon has struggled with a surge in homelessness driven in part by high costs and a lack of affordable housing options. Analysts and agencies estimate Oregon is short 140,000 housing units, and federal data shows its homeless population has increased by 22% since 2020.

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Yesterday at 11:53 PM CDT

FILE - Tents line the sidewalk on SW Clay St in Portland, Ore., on Dec. 9, 2020. Oregon lawmakers are expected to approve $200 million in spending to tackle the state's homelessness and housing crises. The package will be voted on by the state Senate on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, after passing the House with bipartisan support. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer, File)
FILE - Tents line the sidewalk on SW Clay St in Portland, Ore., on Dec. 9, 2020. Oregon lawmakers are expected to approve $200 million in spending to tackle the state's homelessness and housing crises. The package will be voted on by the state Senate on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, after passing the House with bipartisan support. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer, File)

Pakistani intelligence officer, driver killed, officials say

Munir Ahmed, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Pakistani intelligence officer, driver killed, officials say

Munir Ahmed, The Associated Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 11:42 AM CDT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Suspected militants ambushed a vehicle carrying a senior military intelligence officer in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, killing him and his driver, security officials and police said.

Brig. Mustafa Burki, who had been deeply involved in operations against the Pakistani Taliban in recent years, was “martyred” along with his driver as he traveled in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, three security officials said. The province bordering Afghanistan is a former stronghold of militants.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to media on the record.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack on Burki.

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Yesterday at 11:42 AM CDT

This is a locator map for Pakistan with its capital, Islamabad, and the Kashmir region. (AP Photo)
This is a locator map for Pakistan with its capital, Islamabad, and the Kashmir region. (AP Photo)

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Climate solution: Downsize laundry jugs to cut emissions

Isabella O'malley, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Climate solution: Downsize laundry jugs to cut emissions

Isabella O'malley, The Associated Press 4 minute read 7:02 AM CDT

Laundry detergent is looking a little different these days. A growing number of companies are making bulky plastic jugs smaller and concentrating the detergent or soap.

Without all that water, less fossil fuels are required for transport, because the products are lighter and more can be shipped in a single trip. New detergent formulas are changing to become ultra-concentrated liquids or even solid sheets roughly the size of an iPhone.

“Laundry detergent can contain up to 90% water,” said Lisa Karandat, co-founder of Good JuJu, a company that sells sustainable laundry sheets and solid shampoo and conditioner bars, among other things. “Those big heavy jugs require a lot of space to truck around the country.”

In addition to lower carbon emissions from diesel-burning delivery trucks, some companies are responding to public demand to minimize plastic pollution.

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7:02 AM CDT

Concentrated laundry soap that customers can pump into their own refillable containers sits on a shelf at Good Buy Supply in Philadelphia, Tuesday, March 21, 2023. A growing number of companies are making bulky plastic jugs smaller and concentrating the detergent or soap. Rodia said folks of all ages are seeking concentrated detergents and other eco-friendly products. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Concentrated laundry soap that customers can pump into their own refillable containers sits on a shelf at Good Buy Supply in Philadelphia, Tuesday, March 21, 2023. A growing number of companies are making bulky plastic jugs smaller and concentrating the detergent or soap. Rodia said folks of all ages are seeking concentrated detergents and other eco-friendly products. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Boris Johnson faces high-stakes grilling over ‘partygate’

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Boris Johnson faces high-stakes grilling over ‘partygate’

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: 6:56 AM CDT

LONDON (AP) — Boris Johnson is back where he likes to be: at the center of attention. But he’s not so happy about the reason.

Britain's former prime minister faces a grilling Wednesday by a committee of lawmakers over whether he misled Parliament about rule-breaking parties in government buildings during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement, a bullish Johnson said "the evidence conclusively shows that I did not knowingly or recklessly mislead Parliament.”

“The committee has produced not a shred of evidence to show that I have," he said.

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Updated: 6:56 AM CDT

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves his home, in London, Tuesday, March 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves his home, in London, Tuesday, March 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Swiss suspend bonus payouts to Credit Suisse staffers

Jamey Keaten, The Associated Press 1 minute read Preview

Swiss suspend bonus payouts to Credit Suisse staffers

Jamey Keaten, The Associated Press 1 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:32 PM CDT

GENEVA (AP) — Switzerland's government said Tuesday that it's ordering Credit Suisse to temporarily suspend bonuses for employees after orchestrating a plan for the No. 2 Swiss bank to be taken over by rival UBS.

The Swiss Department of Finance says federal law allows the government to set “remuneration-related measures” in cases involving Switzerland's biggest banks.

Late last week and into the weekend, authorities in Switzerland, backed by the central bank and financial regulators, scrambled to cobble together a $3.25 billion sale of Credit Suisse to UBS.

An outflow of deposits and years of trouble raised fears that it could fail and trigger an international financial crisis after the collapse of two U.S. banks.

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Updated: Yesterday at 3:32 PM CDT

Five to twelve "fuenf vor zwoelf" is written on a clock next to a logo of the Swiss bank Credit Suisse, in Zurich, Switzerland, Monday, March 20, 2023. Shares of Credit Suisse plunged 60.5% on Monday after banking giant UBS said it would buy its troubled Swiss rival for almost $3.25 billion in a deal orchestrated by regulators to try to stave off further turmoil in the global banking system. (Ennio Leanza/Keystone via AP)
Five to twelve

German prosecutors examined late pope in abuse probe

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

German prosecutors examined late pope in abuse probe

The Associated Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 8:16 AM CDT

BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors looking into historical cases of sexual abuse by clergy in the Munich archdiocese said Tuesday that they initially investigated the late Pope Benedict XVI on suspicion of being an accessory to abuse, but later dropped the probe.

Munich prosecutors examined 45 cases of possible wrongdoing by church officials that arose from a report into how the archdiocese handled abuse cases between 1945 and 2019.

The then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was archbishop there from 1977-1982, and the report by a law firm commissioned by the archdiocese and released in January 2022 faulted his handling of four cases during that time. Benedict, who died in December nearly 10 years after his retirement as pope, asked forgiveness for any “grievous faults” in his handling of abuse cases, but denied any personal or specific wrongdoing.

Prosecutors said that that “three (at the time) living church personnel managers” were listed as suspects for a time during their investigation, German news agency dpa reported. They were Benedict; Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, his successor in Munich who served from 1982 to 2008; and Gerhard Gruber, a former vicar general.

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Yesterday at 8:16 AM CDT

BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors looking into historical cases of sexual abuse by clergy in the Munich archdiocese said Tuesday that they initially investigated the late Pope Benedict XVI on suspicion of being an accessory to abuse, but later dropped the probe.

Munich prosecutors examined 45 cases of possible wrongdoing by church officials that arose from a report into how the archdiocese handled abuse cases between 1945 and 2019.

The then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was archbishop there from 1977-1982, and the report by a law firm commissioned by the archdiocese and released in January 2022 faulted his handling of four cases during that time. Benedict, who died in December nearly 10 years after his retirement as pope, asked forgiveness for any “grievous faults” in his handling of abuse cases, but denied any personal or specific wrongdoing.

Prosecutors said that that “three (at the time) living church personnel managers” were listed as suspects for a time during their investigation, German news agency dpa reported. They were Benedict; Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, his successor in Munich who served from 1982 to 2008; and Gerhard Gruber, a former vicar general.

UK’s Sunak faces Conservative opposition to his Brexit deal

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

UK’s Sunak faces Conservative opposition to his Brexit deal

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press 3 minute read 7:42 AM CDT

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces a rebellion from some fellow Conservatives, including his two immediate predecessors, when lawmakers vote Wednesday on his deal with the European Union to revise the rules governing Northern Ireland trade.

Former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss said they would vote against the agreement, which is designed to resolve a thorny trade dispute that vexed U.K.-EU relations and triggered a political crisis in Belfast.

Johnson, who led Britain out of the EU in 2020, said the deal was “not acceptable” because it kept some EU laws in operation in Northern Ireland, restricting the U.K.’s ability to diverge from the bloc's rules and “take advantage of Brexit.”

A hard-Brexit group of Conservative Party lawmakers known as the European Research Group also said it opposed the deal.

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7:42 AM CDT

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Ministers' Questions session in parliament in London, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Ministers' Questions session in parliament in London, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Sotheby’s hopes for record sale of ancient Hebrew Bible

Ilan Ben Zion, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Sotheby’s hopes for record sale of ancient Hebrew Bible

Ilan Ben Zion, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: 8:06 AM CDT

JERUSALEM (AP) — One of the oldest surviving biblical manuscripts, a nearly complete 1,100-year-old Hebrew Bible, could soon be yours — for a cool $30 million.

The Codex Sassoon, a leather-bound, handwritten parchment tome containing almost the entirety of the Hebrew Bible, is set to go on the block at Sotheby’s in New York in May. Its anticipated sale speaks to the still bullish market for art, antiquities and ancient manuscripts even in a worldwide bear economy.

Sotheby’s is drumming up interest in hopes of enticing institutions and collectors to bite. It has put the price tag at an eye-watering $30 million to $50 million.

On Wednesday, Tel Aviv’s ANU Museum of the Jewish People opened a week-long exhibition of the manuscript, part of a whirlwind worldwide tour of the artifact in the United Kingdom, Israel and the United States before its expected sale, on Wednesday.

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Updated: 8:06 AM CDT

A member of staff shows the Hebrew Bible "Codex Sassoon", that dates back more than 1,000 years, on display during a media preview of Sotheby's auction, in London, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. The piece has an estimated price of US$30-50 million and will go on auction on May in New York. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
A member of staff shows the Hebrew Bible

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