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US aims to rejoin UN scientific and educational organization to push back on China

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:19 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration says the U.S. will rejoin the U.N.’s educational and scientific organization after a five-year absence that began while Donald Trump was president. The State Department said it had delivered a letter seeking re-admission to the Paris-based body, known as UNESCO, late last week. The June 8 letter from Deputy Secretary of State for Management Richard Verma proposed “a plan for the U.S. to rejoin the organization,” the department said.“Any such action would require concurrence by UNESCO’s current membership, and it is our understanding that UNESCO leadership will convey our proposal to the membership in the coming days,” the department said in a statement.Details of the proposal were not immediately clear. The U.S. owes a significant amount of money to the organization for arrears in dues payments. But earlier this year, the administration set aside $150 million in its current budget plan to pay for a return to UNESCO. The U.S. and UNESC...

Select list of winners at 2023 Tony Awards

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:19 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Select winners so far at the 2023 Tony Awards:Best choreography: Casey Nicholaw, “Some Like It Hot”Best original score: “Kimberly Akimbo,” Music: Jeanine Tesori, Lyrics: David Lindsay-AbaireBest orchestrations: Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter, “Some Like It Hot”Costume of a musical: Gregg Barnes, “Some Like It Hot”Costume of a play: Brigitte Reiffenstuel, “Leopoldstadt”___For more coverage of the 2023 Tony Awards, visit https://apnews.com/hub/tony-awardsThe Associated Press

Aurora Pride Parade takes place after preliminary injunction in US District Court

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:19 GMT

AURORA, Ill. — Thousands attended or took part in the Aurora Pride Parade Sunday, but the event almost didn't happen after a squabble between the City and organizers."It’s great and the fact that there were so many people who marched, that’s super awesome," said Gwen Gaglione, an Aurora resident. "And so many people that showed up that it kept getting longer and longer at the end … It’s so amazing."For weeks at this time last year, the City of Aurora and and Aurora Pride went back and forth over police presence and attire for the parade, with the city revoking Aurora Pride's permit before eventually restoring it.However, after restoring Aurora Pride's permit, police staffing the parade were given a triple-time incentive by the City, effectively making the nonprofit liable for the price at nearly two times the original quote they were given."It was about almost double, if I remember correctly," said Gwyn Ciesla, President of Aurora Pride. Biden marks LGBTQ+ Pride Month with celebra...

Thai Festival returns to Chicago after 4 year hiatus

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:19 GMT

CHICAGO — In a weekend of larger-than-life street festivals from the Far North Side to the West, we find a taste of Thailand. This is the first year since 2019 for the outdoor festival celebrating Thai culture. It takes place in a parking lot at the corner of Irving Park Road and Freemont Avenue. The Thai American Association of Illinois is one of the big backers of this celebration. Not only to introduce Chicago to Thailand, but also for the younger generation of Thai Americans."They will keep some cultural. A lot of generation of the younger generation they start with the music and the Thai dance right now it’s a lot of them," said Orachorn Nanner, from the Thai American Association of Illinois. Changing the Stigma: PTSD to PTSI Dancing, music, food and a lot more, it is a glimpse of the rich culture of Thailand."I think the beauty of this, Sean is this," Todd Tongdee Lavelle said. "Thai people are beautiful ambassadors of themselves. They really are. They have a saying … put yo...

'Everyone was screaming': Man accused of driving truck through Oregon parade route

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:19 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The annual Grand Floral Parade in Northeast Portland wasn’t all sunshine and roses Saturday morning. About 20 minutes before the festivities began, police and parade officials say a man drove into the parade route.Witnesses told Nexstar's KOIN that children had still been in the road grabbing candy when 42-year-old Sidney Sean Mecham came racing through in a pickup truck.“I thought any minute someone was going to get hit…tons of little toddlers. Little kids were running out in the middle of the road grabbing candy and then all of a sudden, probably about two blocks down...I believe it was a gray pickup truck come barreling down the street,” one witness told KOIN. “We think he was going about 30 miles an hour. And everyone was screaming, running out to get their kids.”An officer with the Portland Police Bureau reported seeing Mecham head into the parade route, where he “saw parade goers running out of the street and heard them screaming, trying to get his atte...

Twins’ rehabbng Gallo leads Saints past Iowa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:19 GMT

Two-thirds of the Saints’ outfield on Sunday afternoon consisted of Twins players on rehab assignment, with Joey Gallo in left and Gilberto Celestino in center. Gallo provided some offensive fireworks, and Celestino shined bright in the field as the Saints beat the Iowa Cubs, 8-5, at CHS Field.Gallo hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning to erase a 3-2 Iowa lead. It was his second home run in as many days, and both were no-doubters, landing on the roof of the building beyond the right-field concourse.Sidelined since June 2 due to a left hamstring strain, Gallo appears set to rejoin the Twins, although there was no official word after the game.  But he feels he accomplished what he set out to do during his time in St. Paul.“Yeah, it was just kind of getting back on my feet and playing competitive baseball,” Gallo said. “Getting some at-bats and some live looks. It’s always good to come and play. It’s hard, when you’re hurt, to just go right back into (major-league) games.”Along...

2023 Capital Pride Parade and Festival colors Albany

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:19 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -Washington Park was filled with vendors and crowds enjoying the parade and music. Around 1,000 people came out to show their support for the LGBT+ community. Owner of McGeary’s Irish Pub, Tess Collins, says Pride is a labor of love in Albany. Without the help of local businesses and volunteers, events like these wouldn’t happen.“People from all ages, we band together. A lot of us volunteer our time to help out with the festivals, and especially gay Pride. Probably the first year we might have had 30 or 50 people on the street and now you can’t even walk or drive," described Collins. Pride Center on celebrations and concerns: “It feels like people are trying to suppress who we are” Members of the community say New York makes them feel safe, being able to express themselves openly. “Just making sure that people know that we’re here. It sucks that there are still people who don’t think we deserve rights and all the politics going around the country," explained ...

Nolan Jones’ walk-off homer lifts Rockies over Padres

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:19 GMT

Fire up the fountains of youth at Coors Field.The Rockies captured a wet and wild 5-4 victory over the Padres Sunday afternoon at Coors Field on a 472-foot walk-off homer by rookie outfielder Nolan Jones off Brent Honeywell.NOLAN JONES 472 FEET TO END THE GAME pic.twitter.com/CxilXikIM5— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) June 11, 2023The Rockies also got homers from rookies Ezequiel Tovar and Coco Montes, who was making his big-league debut.The first hero of the game was Ryan McMahon, who made like Roy Hobbs in “The Natural.” He tied the game, 4-4, to lead off the ninth as the thunder rolled and the skies opened. McMahon smashed lefty Tom Cosgrove’s 0-2 slider deep to right, the ball bouncing off the third-deck facade.Then came a 1 hour, 25-minute rain delay.Tovar hit a solo home run in the first off veteran lefty Blake Snell, who allowed just one run on three hits with no walks and 12 strikeouts over seven innings.Montes, who started at second base, blasted a game...

Hydrant sheared off during traffic collision in Calabasas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:19 GMT

Crews with the Los Angeles County Fire Department worked to shut off water spewing from a sheared fire hydrant struck by a motorist in Calabasas on Sunday.  The details leading up to the crash are unclear, but firefighters responded to the intersection of Park Granada and Park Capri at around 1:30 p.m. Video footage of the incident showed water spewing high into the air near a county fire engine.  “Big mess at Park Granada and Park Capri. Car v. hydrant. Water district is on scene. Please avoid the area for the next few minutes,” officials with the City of Calabasas announced on Twitter.  A fire hydrant was sheared off during a traffic collision on June 11, 2023, in Calabasas. (KTLA)While paramedics did respond to the scene, officials said that no one suffered life-threatening injuries, and no one was taken to the hospital.  It is unclear if anyone was cited for the incident or if drugs and or alcohol may have been a factor in the crash.  

Win country: Truex Jr. surges to 4th career Sonoma Raceway victory

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:19 GMT

SONOMA — Martin Truex Jr. won at Sonoma Raceway for the fourth time in his career Sunday, passing Chase Elliott for the lead after a final-stage restart and holding off Kyle Busch for his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season.The 42-year-old Truex confidently drove his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to another victory on the hilly road course at the base of Northern California wine country, where he also won in 2013, 2018, and 2019. Only Jeff Gordon has more victories (five) at Sonoma than Truex, who earned the 33rd win of his Cup career and his second in the last six races after winning at Dover.Elliott finished fifth in his return from a one-race suspension for deliberately wrecking Hamlin at Charlotte. Elliott, who has missed seven races this season, twice held the lead in the final stage before Truex blew past him on fresher tires. Truex has seven top-10 finishes in his last nine races.“Hats off to my team,” said Truex, who finished 26th at Sonoma last year. “To be so bad last...