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Secret operation rescued US service member’s relatives from Gaza

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:17:17 GMT

By Ellen Knickmeyer and Matthew Lee | Associated PressWASHINGTON — The mother and American uncle of a U.S. service member were safe outside of Gaza after being rescued from the fighting in a secret operation coordinated by the U.S., Israel, Egypt and others, a U.S. official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.It is the only known operation of its kind to extract American citizens and their close family members during the months of devastating ground fighting and Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. The vast majority of people who have made it out of northern and central Gaza through the Rafah crossing into Egypt fled south in the initial weeks of the war. An escape from the heart of the Palestinian territory through intense combat has become far more perilous and difficult since.Zahra Sckak, 44, made it out of Gaza on New Year’s Eve, along with her brother-in-law, Farid Sukaik, an American citizen, a U.S. official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymi...

Sonoma County teens' 'fun' night ends in mud, jail

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:17:17 GMT

(KRON) -- Sonoma County teenagers were having a fun night cutting down road signs until their pickup truck became stuck in the mud, the California Highway Patrol said. CHP Santa Rosa officers were alerted to a pickup truck that was stuck on a muddy shoulder of Petersen Road just after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. A pickup truck is stuck in the mud on Jan. 2, 2024. (Image via CHP) "It was also reported that the occupants of the truck had possibly intentionally knocked over street signs. Officers arrived on scene and discovered the street signs had been intentionally cut down with a saw," the CHP wrote.The 18-year-old driver and youthful passengers admitted to officers that they stole street signs, including one for cow crossings, because they thought it was "fun," according to investigators. The CHP said this cow crossing sign was cut with a saw. (Image via CHP) "(They) admitted the crime was committed for fun. Unfortunately the cost of the damages results in felony charges," the CHP wrote. T...

Safe stolen from Wingstop in American Canyon, 2 suspects arrested: police

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:17:17 GMT

(KRON) -- Officers responded to a break-in Wednesday morning at a Wingstop restaurant, the American Canyon Police Department said on social media. A safe, which contained cash, was stolen (pictured below).The burglary happened around 7 a.m. at the city's only Wingstop located at 5075 Main St. With the help of surveillance video, American Canyon police were able to get suspect descriptions and determined they drove a U-Haul truck. Video: Judge attacked in Las Vegas courtroom during sentencing Around 9 a.m., the Fairfield Police Department spotted the truck on the 2000 block of North Texas Street in Fairfield. Christopher Kelley, 44, of Vacaville and John Scharff, 38, of Fairfield were arrested. Police also discovered the two suspects had cash in their pockets from the stolen safe.Police also seized stolen paychecks from a separate burglary in Davis, ACPD said. Scharff and Kelley were arrested for felony charges including commercial burglary, possession of stolen property, possessio...

Suspect in Christmas night arson cases arrested

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:17:17 GMT

(KRON) -- Morgan Hill police arrested a suspect they said lit several fires on Christmas night along the Monterey Road Corridor, officials said.The first of four fires was reported at a Safeway gas station located at 100 Tennant Avenue around 7:16 p.m. Two garbage cans were reportedly on fire. Morgan Hill Fire responded and put out the fire.While officers were investigating the first fire, police said they got a report of another garbage can fire at a Chevron gas station at 15865 Monterey Road. Officials said one of the employees was able to put out the fire.Around 8 p.m., Morgan Hill police and fire officials responded to a third fire reported at the Community Cultural Center at 17000 Monterey Road. Firefighters were able to put this fire out before it did significant damage to the structure, officials said.Around 9:41 p.m., officials responded to the report of smoke in one of the stairwells of the Crossings apartment complex at 16800 Monterey Road. Officials said the fire sel...

SF's Urban Putt mini golf announces closure

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:17:17 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A San Francisco mini golf course has closed, but a similar business is set to open in its place. Urban Putt, located at 1096 South Van Ness Ave. in the Mission District, said on Facebook on Monday that it is closed permanently. The indoor putt-putt course featuring San Francisco-themed holes was around for nearly 10 years. USA Boxing new transgender athlete policy receives backlash "Urban Putt would love to thank the thousands of customers who have visited us down in the Mission since 2014 and all of the team that brought it to life," it said. However, mini golf lovers will have an easy replacement. Urban Putt said another mini golf venue called Holey Moley will open at the same location.Holey Moley has a location open in Denver, and it is opening courses in Houston and Austin in addition to San Francisco. The San Francisco location is expected to open in early 2024. "We’re a mini golf course and bar that turns traditional putt putt into a multi-sensory la...

State Department: Israel “Must Not” Pursue “Mass Displacement Of Palestinians From Gaza”

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:17:17 GMT

Israel “must not” engage in the “mass displacement of Palestinians from Gaza,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller insisted on Wednesday afternoon at a briefing with reporters. Miller’s remark followed earlier statements from him as well as from U.S. ambassador to the United States Linda Thomas-Greenfield, both of whom issued identical remarks Tuesday, saying, “There should be no mass displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.” The statements were issued in response to public comments from Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom made clear the end goal of the assault on Gaza is to push out much of the Palestinian population and build Israeli settlements. Because the U.S. has repeatedly insisted that Israel “should” take a variety of steps that it has refused to take — allow sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza, take efforts to reduce civilian casualties, and so on — the repeated use of the word, “should” rais...

Brock Purdy, Tua Tagovailoa were selected to their 1st Pro Bowl as the starting quarterbacks

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:17:17 GMT

Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa were selected to their first Pro Bowl as the starting quarterbacks for their respective conferences.It’s the first time the two starting QBs are first-time picks since the 1999 season when Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner were chosen.Purdy was one of nine players picked from the San Francisco 49ers, who clinched the NFC’s No. 1 seed. He was joined by edge rusher Nick Bosa, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, tight end George Kittle, running back Christian McCaffrey, cornerback Charvarius Ward, linebacker Fred Warner and tackle Trent Williams.The 49ers (13-3) had the most players selected. Baltimore (13-3) and Dallas (11-5) each have seven Pro Bowl players.Quarterback Lamar Jackson, safety Kyle Hamilton, center Tyler Linderbaum, defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, linebackers Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith and kicker Justin Tucker were picked from the Ravens, who secured the AFC’s No. 1.Quarterback Dak Presc...

Clemson tailback Will Shipley entering NFL draft

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:17:17 GMT

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson tailback Will Shipley is giving up his college eligibility to enter the NFL draft. Shipley announced his decision on social media Wednesday night. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound junior from Weddington, North Carolina, in 2022 became the only player selected to the all-Atlantic Coast Conference first team as a runner, an all-purpose player and a specialist. “I am grateful for the last three years and am excited to see what the future holds,” Shipley said on X, the platform previously known as Twitter. Shipley finished his Clemson career with 2,747 yards and 31 touchdowns on the ground. He also had 85 career receptions and two receiving touchdowns. Shipley ran for 827 yards and five touchdowns this season as Clemson won its final five games to finish 9-4. Shipley chose to play in Clemson’s 38-35 Gator Bowl win over Kentucky last week and it looked as if it might cost him as he was carted off the field after stumbling and somersaulting out of bounds after a...

13-year-old gamer becomes the first to beat the ‘unbeatable’ Tetris — by breaking it

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:17:17 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The falling-block video game Tetris has met its match in 13-year-old Willis Gibson, who has become the first player to officially “beat” the original Nintendo version of the game — by breaking it.Technically, Willis — aka “blue scuti” in the gaming world — made it to what gamers call a “kill screen,” a point where the Tetris code glitches, crashing the game. That might not sound like much of a victory to anyone thinking that only high scores count, but it’s a highly coveted achievement in the world of video games, where records involve pushing hardware and software to their limits. And beyond.It’s also a very big deal for players of Tetris, which many had long considered unbeatable. That’s partly because the game doesn’t have a scripted ending; those four-block shapes just keep falling no matter how good you get at stacking them into disappearing rows. Top players continued to find ways to extend their winning streaks by staying in the ga...

Jewish protesters calling for cease-fire in Gaza disrupt first day of California legislative session

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:17:17 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Hundreds of protesters calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war interrupted the first day of California’s legislative session on Wednesday, forcing the state Assembly to adjourn just moments after convening.Lawmakers had just listened to the opening prayer and said the Pledge of Allegiance when protesters wearing matching black t-shirts stood from their seats and started singing “Cease-fire now” and “Let Gaza live.”A few people unfurled banners from the chamber’s gallery that read: “Jews say never again for anyone.”At first, Jim Wood, a Democratic assemblymember from Healdsburg who was presiding over the session, tried to continue the session despite the singing. Eventually though he called for a recess and adjourned a few minutes later.Nearly all of the lawmakers left the floor. Protesters cheered when officials turned the lights off in the chamber, holding up the flashlights on their phones as they continued to sing, which includ...