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Deck the White House halls: Jill Biden wants holiday visitors to feel like kids again

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:39 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Step inside the White House during the holidays by walking beneath the branches of a Christmas tree. Stroll along a hallway decorated with oversized holiday candy and other sweets. See Santa’s sleigh and his eight reindeer suspended above the grand foyer in dramatic fashion.Jill Biden wants everyone who visits the White House during the holidays to feel like a kid again. “Each room is designed to capture this pure, unfiltered delight and imagination” so visitors “see this time of year through the wondrous, sparkling eyes of children,” the first lady said Monday at the first of a month’s worth of holiday receptions. “Magic, Wonder and Joy” is the theme this year, President Joe Biden’s third in the White House.Jill Biden said it was “so amazing” to see the Christmas tree atop the entrance to the East Wing when they returned Sunday night after spending the Thanksgiving holiday in Nantucket, Massachusetts. “When Joe and I saw that last nig...

Guardians new manager Vogt rounds out staff, brings back long-time coaches Alomar Jr. and Willis

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:39 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt has rounded out his staff, retaining Sandy Alomar Jr. and Carl Willis — two long-tenured coaches under former manager Terry Francona.Vogt was hired earlier this month by Cleveland despite not having any managing experience. He’ll have continuity in Alomar, who will coach first base and the catchers, along with Willis, who has had a major impact in the Guardians developing one of baseball’s best pitching staffs.A six-time All-Star catcher with Cleveland, the popular Alomar has been on the team’s staff for 15 seasons, and Willis 14. They were instrumental in helping Francona, who stepped away after leading the Guardians to the playoffs six times in 11 seasons.Vogt also named Craig Albernaz his bench coach, replacing DeMarlo Hale, who was recently named Toronto’s associate manager.It’s a quick change for Albernaz, San Francisco’s bullpen coach last season who was named a major league field coo...

FIBA holds draw for final 4 Olympic men’s basketball qualifying events

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:39 GMT

Dallas’ Luka Doncic, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns all still have a chance to play in next summer’s Paris Olympics.But at least two of those stars won’t get there.FIBA held the Olympic qualifying tournament draws for the final four spots left in the Paris Games field on Monday — with Slovenia, Greece and the Dominican Republic all getting slotted into the same event. That means, at most, only one of those nations will make it to the Olympics.Doncic has been Slovenia’s best player for years, Antetokounmpo is the best player for Greece and Towns led the Dominican Republic to a strong showing at the World Cup this past summer.“These tournaments are something else,” FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis said. “They are six-team tournaments, every game counts, you have 12 of the top 20 teams in the world playing there. Each game could be a quarterfinal of the World Cup or a quarterfinal of the Olympics.”There are eight teams...

Suspect shot by Denver police during attempted traffic stop

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:39 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- An attempted traffic stop by Denver Police Department officers Monday ended with a suspect shot and taken to the hospital, according to police.The incident happened in the 800 block of Oneida Street.The condition of the suspect was not known as of 2:07 p.m.An investigation was underway, according to police. Download the FOX31 App: Breaking news alerts & Pinpoint Weather FOX31 will provide updates as they become available.

13-year-old arrested in deadly Aurora stabbing

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:39 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A 13-year-old boy was arrested and booked into jail on second-degree murder charges for the stabbing death of a 40-year-old man in Aurora on Sunday night.The Aurora Police Department said they believed the suspect was the victim's stepson. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox The Arapahoe County Coroner's Office identified 40-year-old Dominic Ramon Robinson as the victim.The 13-year-old was not identified due to his age, according to police.Aurora Police responded to the 16000 block of East Easter Circle around 9 p.m. and found an unresponsive man lying in an entryway.He had "multiple obvious stab wounds to his torso," police said.The man was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died. The 13-year-old suspect remained at the scene and was taken into custody. Download the FOX31 App: Breaking news alerts & Pinpoint Weather The investigation was ongoing. Anyone with information was asked to contact the Metro Denver Crime Stopp...

Last chance for Denver's e-bike rebate vouchers in 2023 is Tuesday

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:39 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The next round of Denver's e-bike rebate voucher program is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 28, with applications intended to open at 11 a.m. The 11 a.m. opening is important because during previous releases the city opened its rebate program only to have all vouchers claimed in mere minutes. This will be the last voucher release for 2023, according to the city's rebate website portal. The vouchers are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are available monthly in limited numbers for Denver residents.How to claim a rebateThere are three kinds of rebates Denver residents can apply for.First, a standard rebate. This allows for a $300 point-of-sale rebate on any e-bike or up to $500 on the sale of an e-cargo bike (which allows the rider to haul items as well). Colorado is getting older, according to Census data Second, an income-qualified rebate. If your household income is either below 60% of Colorado's median income, below 200% of the relevant federal pove...

Broward high school principal, staff reassigned amid investigation into transgender athlete’s participation, sources say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:39 GMT

The principal of Monarch High School and several staff members have been reassigned to non-school sites pending the outcome of an “investigation into allegations of improper student participation in sports,” according to a statement from Broward County Public Schools.Sources with knowledge of the situation told 7News that the investigation is related to a biological male who is transitioning or has transitioned and was allowed to play on the girls’ volleyball team. According to Florida law, it bars biological males from participating in female sports. The district’s website lists James Cecil as the principal of Monarch High School, located at 5050 Wiles Road in Coconut Creek.The statement, issued by John J. Sullivan, Chief Communications and Legislative Affairs Officer of Broward County Public Schools, did not provide specific details regarding the nature of the investigation.“The principal of Monarch High School and several staff members have been reas...

Israel says 11 more hostages have returned from captivity in Gaza

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:39 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Israeli military says 11 hostages have been released from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip and returned to Israeli territory.Military officials said late Monday that the hostages were on Israeli soil and undergoing initial medical checks before being reunited with their families.It is the fourth such release under a cease-fire deal with the Hamas military group. Israel is to free 33 Palestinian prisoners later Monday.The cease-fire had been set to expire early Tuesday. But Qatar, which has been mediating between the sides, said they agreed to extend the truce by two more days.The war broke out Oct. 7 when Hamas militants burst across the border into Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 240 others captive. Israel declared war, and over 13,000 Palestinians have been killed in weeks of Israeli strikes, according to health authorities in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.Israeli media said the hostages included two women and nine children. Two of the childr...

Greek PM slams Sunak as row over Elgin Marbles escalates

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:39 GMT

ATHENS — Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis lashed out at his British counterpart Rishi Sunak on Monday in what would appear to be a bitter escalation of a long-running dispute over the Parthenon Marbles.The two were scheduled to meet on Tuesday, but Sunak called off their meeting late on Monday, a move Greek government officials attribute to Mitsotakis’ recent strong insistence upon the return of the ancient sculptures from the British Museum.“I express my annoyance that the British prime minister cancelled our planned meeting just hours before it was due to take place,” Mitsotakis said.“Anyone who believes in the rightness and justice of his positions is never afraid of confronting arguments,” he added, noting that Greece’s position on the issue of the so-called Elgin Marbles was well known.The marble sculptures were removed from Athens by diplomat and art aficionado Lord Elgin in the 19th century and have been housed in London since then.Campaigners — most famou...

Boston man ordered to undergo evaluation after allegedly damaging historic headstones during vandalism spree, including Paul Revere’s

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:39 GMT

A suspect accused of going on a vandalism spree throughout Boston on Saturday night was ordered by a judge to undergo a psychiatric evaluation after appearing in court on Monday.Lawrence Hawkins, 46, of Boston was placed under arrest by Boston Police officers at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26 and charged with multiple counts of destruction of property, and destruction of a place of worship.“This is an individual who, over the weekend, was his own one-man crime spree down in downtown Boston,” prosecutor Samuel Jones told the court during Hawkins’s arraignment. “He took bricks and rocks and threw them into businesses throughout the Commonwealth.”Authorities were first called to the area of 125 Charles St. South around 11:30 p.m. Saturday night for a report of breaking and entering. Officers saw the front door of the business smashed and located a brick inside. After checking video surveillance a description of the suspect was circulated.About 30 minute...