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Biden lights the National Christmas Tree, taking his turn to bring holiday spirit to Washington

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:31:22 GMT

President Joe Biden speaks as first lady Jill Biden listens after lighting the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse, near the White House, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)(AP/Andrew Harnik) President Joe Biden speaks as first lady Jill Biden listens after lighting the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse, near the White House, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)(AP/Andrew Harnik) WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s President Joe Biden ‘s turn to bring some holiday spirit to the U.S. capital.The president and his wife, Jill, participated Thursday in the annual tradition of lighting the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse, an area known as President&...

World Series champion Texas Rangers will return entire coaching staff next season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:31:22 GMT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The World Series champion Texas Rangers will bring back their entire on-field coaching staff for manager Bruce Bochy next season. General manager Chris Young said Thursday he is excited to keep the entire group together after winning the franchise’s first World Series title in Bochy’s first season. It was the organization’s 63rd season overall and 52nd since moving to Texas.When Bochy was hired with a three-year contract last year, his Rangers staff included seven coaches who were already in the organization. The only newcomers other than Bochy were pitching coach Mike Maddux for his second stint in Texas and associate manager Will Venable. “I know Boch was very pleased with the staff that he inherited as he came in,” Young said. “A very talented staff. They did a tremendous job and they’ll all be back in their respective positions.”Third base coach Tony Beasley will return for his 10th season since first joining the Rangers in 2015 after Je...

Israeli military confirms release of 8 more Israeli hostages from captivity in Gaza Strip

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:31:22 GMT

A man smiles as he is welcomed after being released from prison by Israel, in the West Bank town of Ramallah, early Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. International mediators on Wednesday worked to extend the truce in Gaza, encouraging Hamas militants to keep freeing hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and further relief from Israel's air and ground offensive. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)(AP/Nasser Nasser) A man smiles as he is welcomed after being released from prison by Israel, in the West Bank town of Ramallah, early Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. International mediators on Wednesday worked to extend the truce in Gaza, encouraging Hamas militants to keep freeing hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and further relief from Israel's...

Denver weather: Light snow chances on Friday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:31:22 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver's weather will stay chilly heading into the weekend alongside the chance for some light snow showers Friday, with higher snowfall totals in the mountains through the weekend.A winter weather advisory will be in effect in the mountains Thursday evening through at least Friday night. Some 5-10 inches of snow is expected. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up for alerts from the Pinpoint Weather team The highest snow totals are possible above 8,500 feet, especially on slopes facing south and southwest. This could lead to slick road conditions and difficult travel.Pinpoint Weather: Winter weather advisory on Nov. 30 Weather tonight: Cloudy, coldThursday night, Denver will stay under a mainly cloudy sky. Temperatures will be cold but seasonal, falling to 20s degrees.Weather tomorrow: Snow showers, chillyFriday, Denver will see more clouds and the chance for a few snow flurries. Temperatures will only reach 40 degrees, which is almost 10 degrees below normal for this time o...

Video shown in murder trial shows Arvada Police trying to save officer's life

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:31:22 GMT

GOLDEN, Colo. (KDVR) — There were emotional and dramatic moments in the trial of the man accused of gunning down and killing an Arvada Police officer. Officer Dillon Vakoff died in the line of duty answering a call for help during a family disturbance in the fall of last year. New details unfolded Thursday about the shooting. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Officers described what happened when they arrived at the scene in Arvada on Sept. 11, 2022. Body-worn camera video was shown to the jury, and live-streamed audio conveyed dramatic moments the night of the shooting.Flowers and notes are left in remembrance of Officer Dillon Vakoff. (KDVR)'Shots fired! Shots fired!'“Show me your hands! Get on the ground right now! Get back! Get back!” Arvada Police Officer Daniel Garibay could be heard saying in the recording.Garibay, who testified Thursday, answered the call with Vakoff. They had gone to handle a family disturbance call involving cus...

Coats for Colorado campaign wraps up Thursday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:31:22 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) - It is the last day, but there is still time to make a positive difference in someone’s life. And all you need is a coat.The FOX31/Channel 2 News and Dependable Cleaner’s Coats for Colorado campaign is coming to a close today. Store manager Kasina Swartz has been working non-stop to process as many coats as possible. “We’re at 7,500 (coats) we’ve given away so far. Today we are expecting to give out 2,000,” said Swartz.The Coats for Colorado campaign is simple. Go into your closet and look for that winter coat you do not wear any longer. Then drop it off at any Dependable Cleaners. Download the FOX31 App: Breaking news alerts & Pinpoint Weather “An ideal one is with a functioning zipper, no holes, no tears and a hood to boot. That’s even better,“ said Swartz.Once your coat is collected, it is cleaned, sorted, and bagged. Then it is distributed to Denver metro area local nonprofits and charities, just in time to make a difference.Time may be running out, but the...

Encore Boston Harbor adds billions to the economy, almost 10k jobs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:31:22 GMT

A new report on the economic impact of Encore Boston Harbor shows the resort casino brought billions in economic activity to the region and created thousands of new jobs but also shifted hundreds of millions of dollars away from local businesses.Prepared by the UMass Donahue Institute’s Economic & Public Policy Research Group, the report, titled “Encore Boston Harbor, First Three and a Half Years of Operation: Economic Impacts Report,” was presented to the state’s Gaming Commission on Thursday.“Over my 40 years of experience in the gambling research field, this is really the most detailed look that we’ve got of what the economic impacts of a new casino are,” UMass Professor Rachel Volberg told commissioners.Focusing mostly on 2022, the first full year Encore was in operation without COVID-19 restrictions in place, the report uses government and company data to demonstrate that the casino had a net positive impact on the state’s economy, but shifted hundreds of millio...

Sinaloa drug cartel’s Massachusetts fentanyl distributor sentenced to 25 years in prison

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:31:22 GMT

In yet another strike against the Sinaloa drug cartel’s infrastructure propping up this country’s opioid crisis, the feds are sending the coordinator of the Massachusetts fentanyl supply to prison.Fermin Castillo, 43, may have lived in Mexico, but a multi-year investigation originated by the State Police and continued through a state-federal task force found that he was the man in charge of the Sinaloa cartel’s Massachusetts operation — and even came up here at times to oversee that things were working smoothly.Castillo’s job officially came to an end on Tuesday, when U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young handed down a 25-year sentence to the cartel middle manager in federal court in Boston.“The flow of deadly fentanyl from Mexico to Massachusetts is directly tied to the devastation this drug has had on our communities,” acting Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said in a statement. “(The Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico) pumped cheap, deadly fentanyl onto the streets of do...

Live updates | Live updates | Eight Israeli hostages are released during extended truce

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:31:22 GMT

Eight Israeli hostages were released from Hamas captivity in the Gaza strip on Thursday as part of a temporary cease-fire deal that has lasted for seven days, the Israeli military said.Israel has said it is freeing 30 Palestinian prisoners in the early hours of Friday under the truce deal, which has paused the deadliest fighting in decades between Israel and Palestinians.International pressure has mounted for the truce to be upheld as long as possible after weeks of Israeli bombardment and ground campaign following Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war.Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israel, and more than three-quarters of the population of 2.3 million have been uprooted, leading to a humanitarian crisis.Israel has vowed to resume the fighting — with the goal of dismantling Hamas — once the cease-fire ends.Currently:— Wartime Israel shows little tolerance for Palestinian dissent.— U.S. secretary of state urges Israel to comply with intern...

Congressmen ask DOJ to investigate water utility hack, warning it could happen anywhere

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:31:22 GMT

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Three members of Congress have asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate how foreign hackers breached a water authority near Pittsburgh, prompting the nation’s top cyberdefense agency to warn other water and sewage-treatment utilities that they may be vulnerable.In a letter released Thursday, U.S. Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey and U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio said Americans must know their drinking water and other basic infrastructure is safe from “nation-state adversaries and terrorist organizations.”“Any attack on our nation’s critical infrastructure is unacceptable,” Fetterman, Casey and Deluzio wrote in their letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland. “If a hack like this can happen here in western Pennsylvania, it can happen anywhere else in the United States.”The compromised industrial control system was made in Israel, and a photo from the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, suggests the “hackivists” deliberately targeted...