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Prigozhin, the mercenary chief urging an uprising against Russia’s generals, has long ties to Putin

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:07:19 GMT

Once a low-profile businessman who benefited from having President Vladimir Putin as a powerful patron, Yevgeny Prigozhin moved into the global spotlight with Russia’s war in Ukraine. As the leader of a mercenary force who depicts himself as fighting many of the Russian military’s toughest battles in Ukraine, the 62-year-old Prigozhin has now moved into his most dangerous role yet: preaching open rebellion against his country’s military leadership.Prigozhin, owner of the Kremlin-allied Wagner Group, has escalated what have been months of scathing criticism of Russia’s conduct of the war by calling Friday for an armed uprising to oust the defense minister. Russian security services reacted immediately, opening a criminal investigation and urging Prigozhin’s arrest.In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took Prigozhin’s threat, riot police and the National Guard scrambled to tighten security at key facilities in Moscow, including government agencies and transport infrastructure, Tass ...

FAFSA deadline is quickly approaching

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:07:19 GMT

(WOOD) — The deadline is quickly approaching for U.S. students to submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid.According to a recent report, LendingTree estimates a 22% decrease in FAFSA applications for this upcoming academic year compared to last year, likely due to the pandemic. Judge blocks Florida ‘anti-drag’ law in response to Hamburger Mary’s lawsuit "We compared it to the first academic year of COVID, and we see that it is in fact lower just because there's been more time where people might not have been going to university and therefore not filing FAFSA," said Michael Kitchen, student loan managing editor at LendingTree.Despite the drop in total applications, there has been an increase in high school students applying. Kitchen said this shows a potential recovery in the number of people going to college and a decrease in the amount of available money left on the table."... College is, of course, very expensive, and so, any aid that you can get is really worthwhil...

Kenta Maeda dominant in Twins’ 4-1 victory over Detroit

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:07:19 GMT

DETROIT — The Twins already have one of the best rotations in baseball, one that started Friday ranked first or second in six major pitching categories.Did it just get even better?Kenta Maeda, who finished second in American League Cy Young Award voting after the COVID-shortened 2020 season, made a brilliant — if relatively short — return to Minnesota’s rotation on Friday and mowed down the Detroit Tigers in a 4-1 victory at Comerica Park.Maeda scattered three hits in five scoreless innings, walking two and striking out eight, and Max Kepler hit a two-run home run as the Twins won three straight games for the first time since May 31-June 2.Jhoan Duran struck out the side in the ninth inning for his 10th save.After missing the last month and a half of 2021 and all of 2022 because of an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, Maeda struggled in four early starts this season, going 0-4 with a 9.00 earned-run average. He was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right triceps ...

17-year-old pleads guilty to random 2022 shooting death of businesswoman in St. Paul

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:07:19 GMT

A 17-year-old being tried as an adult pleaded guilty Friday in the “random and unprovoked” St. Paul shooting death of a 34-year-old businesswoman driving home from shopping for a dinner party.Melvin Dump Williams, of St. Paul, who was 15 at the time of the Feb. 16, 2022, shooting on the East Side, did not offer an explanation for why he shot Yuliya (Julia) Li after entering his guilty plea.Melvin Dump Williams (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)In exchange for his plea, the first count of second-degree intentional murder was dropped and he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder (drive-by shooting) in connection with the crime.According to the criminal complaint, Li was shot shortly before 7 p.m. after leaving a supermarket where she bought food and other items for a dinner party she had planned for Feb. 20.She was behind the wheel of her gray 2017 Mercedes‐Benz on Payne Avenue. She was waiting for traffic to clear so she could make a left turn onto Cook Aven...

Man charged with wounding 3 in St. Paul shooting, including his girlfriend and man walking his dog

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:07:19 GMT

Charges accuse a man of shooting and wounding three people in St. Paul this week — his girlfriend, her cousin and a 64-year-old man out for a walk with his dog — before climbing onto a roof to get away from officers.The Ramsey County attorney’s office on Friday charged Jaleel Jackson-Bey, 34, with felony domestic assault, possession of a firearm after conviction of a crime of violence and three counts of second-degree assault.The criminal complaint gives the following information:Jaleel Jackson-Bey (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)Multiple people called 911 about 9:15 p.m. Wednesday to report gunfire in the area of Cliff and Superior streets, off West Seventh Street. Officers found three people shot.A 25-year-old woman, Jackson-Bey’s girlfriend, was wounded in her leg, knee and wrist. A 22-year-old man, who the girlfriend said is her cousin, was shot through his foot. A man who lives in the area had substantial bleeding from his leg and a...

Rochester man took same Titan submersible trip two years ago

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:07:19 GMT

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Two years ago, a resident of Rochester was on the same Titan submersible that recently imploded underwater. Aaron Newman was a Mission Specialist on the sub back in August 2021. Although this is a devastating event, he says those on the craft knew the risks they were taking when they signed up. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Newman says his trip was an eight-day tour with a 10-hour trip down and back. He says he went down with both Stockton Rush and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who were aboard this expedition. He compared the trip to what it would be like to go to the moon. He adds the light goes away quickly as you descend into the depths of the ocean, saying within three minutes, passengers are in complete darkness. He says there's also just one 23-inch porthole for passengers to look through. Newman says while on his trip, he was able to see the stern of the Titanic. At the time, he says he had no con...

Lakers, Clippers release 2023 Summer League schedules

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:07:19 GMT

Hours after the door shut on the 2023 NBA Draft, fans of L.A.'s two professional basketball teams can already start planning to see their newest players when the NBA Summer League begins next month.It won't take very long for fans of the Los Angeles Lakers to see the latest crop of NBA draftees and league hopefuls.The Lakers will compete in the California Classic tournament in Sacramento in the first week of July. The California Classic is part of the NBA Summer League schedule and is hosted annually by one of the state's NBA teams and has featured the Sacramento Kings, the Golden State Warriors, the Miami Heat and the Lakers in recent years. This year, the San Antonio Spurs and the Charlotte Hornets (owners of the top 2 picks in Thursday's NBA Draft) are also joining the fold.No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama told reporters Friday that he planned to participate in some capacity in the 2023 Summer League. The extent to which the French phenom will play remains to be seen.The Lak...

Single-family residence in Oakland sells for $3 million

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:07:19 GMT

33 Sheridan Road – Google Street ViewA spacious house located in the first block of Sheridan Road in Oakland has new owners. The 3,496-square-foot property, built in 1999, was sold on May 18, 2023. The $2,950,000 purchase price works out to $844 per square foot. The property features four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a garage as well as two parking spaces. The unit sits on a 5,304-square-foot lot.Additional houses have recently been purchased nearby:On Alta Road, Oakland, in October 2022, a 2,324-square-foot home was sold for $2,265,000, a price per square foot of $975. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In January 2023, a 1,977-square-foot home on Broadway Terrace in Oakland sold for $1,175,000, a price per square foot of $594. The home has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.A 1,451-square-foot home on the 100 block of Alta Road in Oakland sold in July 2022, for $1,725,000, a price per square foot of $1,189. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. 

SF Giants lose Yastrzemski to hamstring injury, after all; power-hitting infielder recalled from Triple-A

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:07:19 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants were optimistic that Mike Yastrzemski would be able to avoid the injured list, but that turned out not to be the case.Yastrzemski was placed on the 10-day IL before Friday’s series opener against the D-backs after going through pregame drills and feeling worse than he did Thursday, a day after he aggravated the same hamstring that sidelined him for two weeks at the start of May.Infielder Isan Díaz was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to take Yastrzemski’s spot on the roster and was in the starting lineup at second base, while Thairo Estrada received his second day off in three games. Set to face three righties this series, starting with Zach Davies on Friday, the loss of one of the Giants’ top left-handed bats comes at an inopportune time, but they did get back another righty masher: LaMonte Wade Jr. (side tightness) was back at first base.Manager Gabe Kapler said Yastrzemski was “a little sore today.”Yastrzemski, who had fou...

Warriors first-round pick Brandin Podziemski is eager to prove himself: ‘In a few seasons, I’m a triple-double guy in the NBA’

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:07:19 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Brandin Podziemski has a certain swagger about him.At just 20 years old, he walks around with an overwhelming belief in himself.“In a few seasons, I think I’m a triple-double guy in the NBA,” he said Friday afternoon.Podziemski also had a point-blank answer when asked what he would say if he was told back in October that he would’ve broken out as the West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year and be a top-20 NBA draft pick.“Yes.”Podziemski’s quick response received a wave of laughter from the crowd, which included his family, coach Steve Kerr and team owner Joe Lacob, who gathered for his introductory press conference on the ninth floor of Chase Center. But it also furthered general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.’s belief that they took the right guy with their No. 19 pick in Thursday night’s draft.Cam Whitmore, the versatile 6-foot-7 wing from Villanova whom many projected to be a lottery pick, was still on the ...