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Trump returns to Iowa aiming for more disciplined campaign

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:28 GMT

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — To outsiders, they looked like simple stacks of paper. But for Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign, they represented a missed opportunity.A month before Iowa’s 2016 presidential caucuses, mountains of so-called pledge cards sat in the corner of Trump’s suburban Des Moines state headquarters. They contained the names and contact information of roughly 10,000 Iowans who attended Trump campaign events and responded by returning the cards suggesting they were open to backing the reality television star who was now seeking the White House.In what’s considered political malpractice by Iowa standards, those who returned the cards received no follow-up contact from the campaign.“None of that data was used. None of it was entered,” said Alex Latcham, the former political director for the Iowa Republican Party and now Trump’s early-voting state director. “And those people weren’t encouraged or mobilized to caucus.” Chuck Laudner, who...

Cohen to testify before grand jury in Trump hush-money probe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:28 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen is poised to testify Monday before a Manhattan grand jury investigating hush-money payments he arranged and made on the former president’s behalf.Cohen’s impending grand jury appearance was confirmed by two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly about grand jury proceedings and did so on condition of anonymity.Cohen’s closed-door testimony is coming at a critical time as the Manhattan district attorney’s office closes in on a decision on whether to seek charges against Trump.A Trump loyalist turned adversary, Cohen is likely to provide critical details about whatever involvement the Republican presidential candidate may have had in the payments, made in the final weeks of the 2016 campaign, to two women who alleged affairs with him.Cohen has given prosecutors evidence, including voice recordings of conversations he had with a lawyer for one of the women, as well ...

US turns to new ways to punish Russian oligarchs for the war

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:28 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has begun an aggressive new push to inflict pain on Russia’s economy and specifically its oligarchs with the intent of thwarting the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. From the Treasury Department to the Justice Department, U.S. officials will focus on efforts to legally liquidate the property of Russian oligarchs, expand financial penalties on those who facilitate the evasion of sanctions, and close loopholes in the law that allow oligarchs to use shell companies to move through the U.S. financial system. Andrew Adams, who heads the KleptoCapture task force, designed to enforce the economic restrictions within the U.S. imposed on Russia and its billionaires, told The Associated Press that the group is prioritizing its efforts to identify those who help Russians evade sanctions and violate export controls. “These illicit procurement networks will continue to take up an ever-increasing amount of our bandwidth,” said Adams, who also serves as acting deputy assis...

Biden to announce Australia submarine deal in San Diego

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:28 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to meet with two of America’s closest allies to announce that Australia will purchase U.S.-manufactured, nuclear-powered attack submarines to modernize its fleet, amid growing concerns about China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.Biden is traveling Monday to San Diego, where he will meet Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for talks on the 18-month-old nuclear partnership known by the acronym AUKUS.The partnership, announced in 2021, paved the way for Australia’s access to nuclear-powered submarines, which are stealthier and more capable than conventionally powered boats, as a counterweight to China’s military buildup.San Diego is Biden’s first stop on a three-day trip to California and Nevada. He will discuss gun violence prevention in the community of Monterey Park, California, and his plans to lower prescription drug costs in Las Vegas. The trip will include fundr...

AP News in Brief at 12:04 a.m. EDT

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:28 GMT

US government moves to stop potential banking crisisNEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. government took extraordinary steps Sunday to stop a potential banking crisis after the historic failure of Silicon Valley Bank, assuring all depositors at the failed institution that they could access all their money quickly, even as another major bank was shut down.The announcement came amid fears that the factors that caused the Santa Clara, California-based bank to fail could spread. Regulators had worked all weekend to try to find a buyer for the bank, which was the second-largest bank failure in history. Those efforts appeared to have failed Sunday. In a sign of how fast the financial bleeding was occurring, regulators announced that New York-based Signature Bank had also failed and was being seized on Sunday. At more than $110 billion in assets, Signature Bank is the third-largest bank failure in U.S. history.The near-financial crisis that U.S. regulators had to intervene to prevent left Asian market...

China’s Xi wants bigger global role after Saudi-Iran deal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:28 GMT

BEJIING (AP) — President Xi Jinping called for China to play a bigger role in managing global affairs after Beijing scored a diplomatic coup by hosting talks that produced an agreement by Saudi Arabia and Iran to reopen diplomatic relations.Xi spoke Monday following a legislative session that installed a government of loyalists to tighten his control over the economy and society.China should “actively participate in the reform and construction of the global governance system” and promote “global security initiatives,” said Xi, the country’s most powerful leader in decades, in a speech at end of the annual meeting of China’s ceremonial legislature.That will add “positive energy to world peace and development and create a favorable international environment for our country’s development,” Xi said.Xi gave no details of the ruling Communist Party’s ambitions, but his government has pursued increasingly assertive policies abroad since he took power in 2012. It has pressed for chang...

Keller’s 2nd of game in OT gives Coyotes 5-4 win over Wild

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:28 GMT

TEMPE, Ariz. — Clayton Keller’s second goal of the night at 4:09 of overtime lifted the Arizona Coyotes to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday night.Barrett Hayton had two goals and an assist for Arizona. Keller’s pair gave him 29 for the season and Brett Ritchie scored his eighth — and second in three games since being acquired from Calgary in a trade involving his brother Nick. Ritchie also had two assists. Karel Vejmelka had 30 saves.Minnesota tied its franchise record points streak at 13 games (10-0-3). The Wild matched the team mark (12-0-1) set from Dec. 2-29, 2016. But the Wild trail Dallas by one point (85-84) in the Central Division.Mats Zuccarello, Ryan Reaves, Matt Boldy and Connor Dewar had goals for Minnesota. Filip Gustavsson finished with 18 saves.The Wild played their second game without injured Kirill Kaprizov, who went out Wednesday against Winnipeg with a lower-body injury and may miss the rest of the regular season. Kaprizov leads Minnesot...

Dog swimming out to sea rescued by Long Beach lifeguard

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:28 GMT

Lifeguards rescued a small white dog who was swimming out to sea Sunday in Long Beach, officials announced.  At around 6 p.m., lifeguards received a call regarding a dog that was running loose in the Junipero Lot. When personnel arrived, they saw the pooch run into the ocean and start swimming out to sea. “Lifeguard 7 put on his wetsuit, grabbed his rescue board and buoy, and headed out to rescue the small white lap dog,” the Long Beach Fire Department said.  The dog made it all the way out to the swim line before crews on a boat were able to help the lifeguard get the dog on the rescue board and safely back to shore.Before running into the ocean, the little pooch had been seen running loose in the Junipero Lot Mar. 12, 2023 (LBFD).So far, lifeguards have been unable to locate the dog’s owner and animal control was called to take custody of the animal.  Officials asked the owner of the dog call 562-570-7387. 

Oscars 2023: ‘Everything Everywhere’ makes history

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:28 GMT

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” proved to be the weird little movie that could at the 95th annual Academy Awards on Sunday, winning seven of its 11 nominations, including Oscars for best picture, best director and three of its actors.Producer Jonathan Wang thanked the “brilliant and bighearted cast and crew” who surrounded him onstage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood after “Everything Everywhere” closed out the night with a win for best picture.Co-director Daniel Kwan wrapped up with a message of hope for the continuing role of film to help “shelter each other from the crazy chaos of this world.”“I have great faith in our stories,” Kwan said of film in general. “These stories have changed my life. They have for generations. And I know that we’ll get through this.”Michelle Yeoh, the first Asian to win a best actress Oscar, accepted her award for “Everything Everywhere” with a shout-out for holding fast to your dreams no matter one’s background or age.“For all the little boys and...

Photos: See the winners and best performances of the 95th annual Academy Awards in Hollywood

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:35:28 GMT

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” was the big winner on the historic 95th annual Academy Awards night.With seven awards, capping a huge haul on Hollywood’s biggest night, the movie won best picture to close the evening.With 11 nods, the film helmed by the duo known as the Daniels also picked up awards for best actress (Michelle Yeoh), best supporting actor (Ke Huy Quan), best supporting actress (Jamie Lee Curtis), best director, best original screenplay and best film editing.For Michelle Yeoh, it was an Oscar. For Asian women, it was history. Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win best actress.Brendan Fraser was “The Whale.” He’s now the winner. Fraser’s journey is complete, winning Best Actor for “The Whale” on Sunday at the Oscars, the crowd at the Dolby Theater erupting in what seemed like one of the loudest ovations of the night when he was announced.You might think Lady Gaga’s bare-faced, ripped-jeans-and-T-shirt appearance during her performance of “Hold My Han...