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New US-Mexico agreement to monitor foreign investments comes as more Chinese money flows into Mexico

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:48 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — As more Chinese money flows into Mexico, the United States and Mexico on Thursday agreed to monitor foreign investments and regularly share information about the screening.The U.S and Mexico “benefit when they work together to guard against foreign investments that pose national security risks,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement. The U.S. wants to prevent Chinese purchases of sensitive American technology that could be accessed through other U.S. trading partners. The U.S.-Mexico agreement may help achieve that goal. “This engagement is further evidence of the close partnership between our two countries, not only on matters of trade but also on critical issues of national security,” Yellen said.The U.S. is Mexico’s top trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching more than $850 billion in 2022. But China has increased its investment into Mexican companies in the past few years and is the fastest-growing source of foreign investment in Mexi...

Best movies of 2023: ‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘Fallen Leaves,’ ‘May December’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:48 GMT

The Associated Press’ Film Writers Lindsey Bahr and Jake Coyle’s picks for the best movies of 2023:LINDSEY BAHR1. “Oppenheimer”Christopher Nolan has had so many major films in a relatively short time, that “ Oppenheimer ” might seem like a given, rather than the triumphant fusion of everything he’s passionate about: Large format film; the tension between humanity and science; the turmoil of a brilliant mind; and the wonder of an exceptional group coming together to make an impossible thing (in this case a nuclear weapon) but also on a meta level, the film.2. “The Zone of Interest”Like “Oppenheimer,” the horror in Jonathan Glazer’s “ The Zone of Interest ” is what is unseen. Depiction bubbled up as a hot topic this year, as though audiences aren’t intelligent enough to imagine the worst. In “The Zone of Interest,” it’s only a wall that separates one Nazi family from the gas chambers of Auschwitz. Glazer’s film is a masterclass in atmosphere: A chilling, artful repre...

Deputy U.S. Marshal charged with entering plane drunk after misconduct report on flight to London

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:48 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A deputy U.S. Marshal was charged in the United Kingdom on Thursday with entering an aircraft while drunk, after being arrested on allegations of misconduct aboard a flight from New York, London police said.Michael Brereton, 39, was arrested when he landed at Heathrow Airport. The flight crew had contacted officers to report onboard disruptions from the federal agent, London police said in a statement. He is expected to appear in court Friday.No court representative was immediately available for him, and a relative declined to comment when reached by phone. The Associated Press left an email message for the union that represents deputies.The Metropolitan Police Service said in a statement that flight crew members reported that the marshal “was disruptive and had sexually assaulted other passengers and crew.” No sexual assault charges have been filed. The British offense of sexual assault is one person intentionally touching another with any body part or an object, ...

Construction of a cable to connect the power grids of Greece and Cyprus is set to start next year

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:48 GMT

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Construction of a 1.9 billion-euro ($2.05 billion) section of an electricity cable that will connect the power grids of Greece and Cyprus is slated to begin in the new year, officials said Thursday.An eventual extension of the renamed Great Sea Interconnector is planned to connect Israel’s power grid as well.Manousos Manousakis, president and chief executive officer of Greece’s Independent Power Transmission Operator, told reporters that contracts also are expected to be signed with technology company Siemens next year for the construction of converter stations on the Greek island of Crete and in Cyprus that are key to the flow of electricity through the cable.The Crete-Cyprus section of the Mediterranean Sea cable should be ready by 2029 at the latest, Cyprus Energy Minister George Papanastasiou said.Technical talks on moving ahead with the Cyprus-Israel section are on hiatus because of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, according to Papanastasiou.“We hope that ho...

Lawsuit accuses NY college of negligence for harboring ex-con who abused students

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:48 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York college where ex-convict Lawrence Ray moved into his daughter’s campus housing and began grooming her friends for abuse has been sued by two former students and the sister of one of the students who say they suffered years of abuse because of the college’s negligence.The plaintiffs allege in their lawsuit filed Nov. 21 in Manhattan federal court that Ray made little attempt to hide the fact that he had moved in with his daughter in 2010 and was allowed to remain on the campus of Sarah Lawrence College “while he committed acts of manipulation, grooming, sexual abuse, food deprivation and sleep deprivation.”A college spokesperson said in a statement Thursday, “Larry Ray committed heinous crimes for which he properly has been held responsible, convicted, and sentenced. We hope that sentencing has brought some resolution to Ray’s victims, for whom the College has deep sympathy. We will not comment on any aspect of this litigation, beyond noting t...

California faces record $68 billion budget deficit, nonpartisan legislative analyst says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:48 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California is facing a record $68 billion budget deficit, state officials announced Thursday, a consequence of a cooling economy and delayed tax filings because of last winter’s damaging storms.Californians didn’t have to pay their 2022 taxes until November this year, meaning Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and his legislative allies had to come up with a budget over the summer without knowing how much money the state had to spend.It turns out, they badly misjudged how much taxes people and businesses would pay. The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst Office said tax collections were off by $26 billion, a major driver of the deficit. When combined with the economic slowdown California has been facing since last year, it leads to a predicted deficit of $68 billion.That’s the biggest deficit by dollars in state history. Previous deficits have been larger as a percentage of total state spending. California’s current budget tops $300 billion, t...

Carrie Underwood a headliner for this year's Windy City Smokeout

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:48 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago's annual Windy City Smokeout, the outdoor country music and BBQ festival, is set to return to the United Center parking lot next summer. Organizers announced Thursday the festival will be held July 11-14, 2024. This year's festival features some of country music's biggest names – highlighted by Carrie Underwood – and up-and-coming talents, along with BBQ and craft beer from around the country.The music lineup was also announced Thursday and was handpicked by Ed Warm, co-founder of the Windy City Smokeout. The festival was named the 2022 "Festival of the Year" at the Academy of Country Music Awards.In addition to Underwood, an eight-time Grammy award winner, this year's Windy City Smokeout lineup includes CMA award-winner Cody Johnson, CMA nominee and ACM's 2022 New Male Artist of the Year Parker McCollum and five-time Grammy Award nominee Thomas Rhett, the opening-night headliner.Each headliner will take the stage at 8:30 p.m. on their respective nights. Here is th...

Faith, community leaders gather to discuss Chicago's welcoming city ordinance

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:48 GMT

CHICAGO -- Faith and community leaders gathered with the Committee on Migrants and Refugees Thursday morning to say migrants will always be welcome in Chicago -- calling the federal government to pass immigration reform. "The reality is, there is enough of Chicago for everyone," Pastor JeVon Moore from Bryn Mawr Community Church said. 3 Chicago aldermen call for resignations over failed Brighton Park migrant site Even before the Brighton Park site at 38th and California was shut down by the state, the city had increasingly been looking to faith-based organizations and churches to help house migrants. The base camp now being torn down, could have housed up to 2,000 migrants. The contractors may have to put the bill instead of the state. Since the site was deemed unsuitable, the city will not have to pay the $91,000 a month to lease the land. Three critics of the mayor call for some of his top aids to resign over the Brighton Park base camp. The mayor has since dismissed those calls...

Lawyers lay out plan for final stages of historic Ed Burke trial

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:48 GMT

CHICAGO — In the corruption trial of former Chicago Aldermen Ed Burke, lawyers laid out their plans for the final stages of the historic case.Ed Burke's defense attorneys told Judge Virginia Kendall Thursday morning that they do indeed plan to call former Alderman Danny Solis to testify as early as next week, after prosecutors rest their case.Solis is the former Chicago alderman who wore a wire, and undercover cameras, to secretly record conversations with Burke, revealing the rarely seen back rooms of Chicago politics.Those recording make up some of the key evidence in this trialDefense attorneys said they plan to ask Solis about the specifics of what was said on those tapes, and give the jury more context about the dealings surrounding the development of the Old Main Post Office.They also plan to delve into Solis' motivations for cooperating with the government.Solis was confronted by FBI agents with evidence of his own crimes, and took a deal to avoid prosecution. Ed Burke tria...

Delphi murder suspect moved downstate from Northwest Indiana prison

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:48 GMT

DELPHI, Ind. – Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen has been moved from Westville Correctional Facility to another prison in the state.According to court documents, Allen has been transferred to Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Carlisle, Indiana. That’s in Sullivan County.The order to move Allen was signed by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and is dated Dec. 6, 2023. Trial for Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen pushed back to October 2024 "The Indiana Department of Correction anticipates continuity of services and care provided to Mr. Allen at Wabash Valley Correctional Facility," the order said.Allen is charged with two counts of murder in the February 2017 deaths of Abby Williams and Libby German near the Monon High Bridge in Delphi.His case has been working its way through the court system for more than a year following his arrest in October 2022. His trial is currently scheduled for October 2024.Allen's previous defense attorneys, who are fighting to stay on the cas...