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California condors spotted near Mount Diablo, Morgan Territory

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:26:04 GMT

By Tony Hicks | Bay City NewsWinged visitors alien to the area have been casting their large shadows over Contra Costa and Stanislaus counties.Representatives for the preservation group Save Mount Diablo said they have tracked the paths of six California condors soaring through the skies above Round Valley and Morgan Territory regional preserves, with one even flying a mile or two west of Mount Diablo’s summit.“This is amazing news,” said Seth Adams, Save Mount Diablo’s land conservation director. “This is the first flock of California condors to visit Contra Costa in 100 years, and the first record of one flying west of Diablo’s peaks.”Adams said he’s been “chasing condors” for 40 years, since the recovery program began.In the 1970s, biologists found only a few dozen condors remained in the wild. Lead poisoning in dead animals shot with human-made bullets has been a major factor in the condors’ decline. Condors are s...

Lawsuits target Maryland’s juvenile justice system with claims of child sex abuse

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:26:04 GMT

They were told that no one would believe their claims of sexual abuse.Now, four law firms are representing 50 plaintiffs in cases alleging that from 1962 through 2012, dozens of juveniles — one as young as 7 years old — were sexually assaulted at six facilities in the Maryland juvenile justice system.Sharon Iskra is a partner at Bailey Glasser, one of the four law firms that filed suit.Iskra handles cases of institutional abuse, from group homes to foster care — “anywhere where vulnerable people are victimized,” she told WTOP.The suits come just as Maryland’s new law eliminating the statute of limitations in cases of child sex abuse went into effect. Previously, anyone who wanted to sue for damages in abuse cases had to file by the time they were 38. One of the clients represented by Iskra’s firm is 68 and the abuse in his case dates back to 1962, said Iskra.“He finally has a remedy,” she said.Iskra said while there are 50 plaintiffs now, “We have another 350 or so who’ve called us ...

Strife-torn Myanmar wins first medal at Asian Games. China continues dominance with more than 300

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:26:04 GMT

HANGZHOU, China (AP) — Strife-torn Myanmar won its first medal at the Asian Games in China on Wednesday, beating Indonesia to take home gold in men’s sepaktakraw, a popular regional sport also known as kick volleyball. The Southeast Asian nation took two straight sets from Indonesia in the sport with similarities to volleyball, but played only with the feet, knees, head and chest. Myanmar has been overwhelmed by violence since the military seized power in February 2021 from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The takeover triggered mass nonviolent protests nationwide and the military and police responded with deadly force. That gave rise to armed resistance, which has since turned into what U.N. experts have characterized as a civil war.In comments after the sepaktakraw win, Burmese player Tun Thant Zin said the team was dedicating the gold medal “to our people back home.”“This is our first gold medal in Hangzhou,” he said. “It has been very diffic...

Las reservas de munición occidentales están al “fondo del barril” mientras la guerra en Ucrania se prolonga, advierte un funcionario de la OTAN

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:26:04 GMT

(CNN) — Los ejércitos occidentales se están quedando sin municiones para dárselas a Ucrania, advirtieron este martes funcionarios británicos y de la OTAN, mientras instaban a las naciones del bloque a aumentar la producción para “mantener a Ucrania en la lucha contra los invasores rusos”.La noticia de una posible escasez de municiones llega después de que el dinero para comprar armas para Ucrania no fuera incluido en un proyecto de ley de gasto provisional que el Congreso de Estados Unidos aprobó el fin de semana para evitar un cierre del Gobierno federal.Nueva incertidumbre sobre el futuro de la ayuda estadounidense surgió este martes cuando el presidente de la Cámara de Representantes, Kevin McCarthy, que abogaba por el apoyo a Ucrania, fue destituido de su posición de liderazgo por colegas republicanos.Los acontecimientos son noticias preocupantes para Ucrania, ya que la guerra con la vecina Rusia está en su vigésimo mes y plantea dudas sobre si Moscú puede sentirse capaz d...

Diamondbacks look to sweep Brewers in NL Wild Card Series

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:26:04 GMT

Arizona Diamondbacks (84-78, second in the NL West during the regular season) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (92-70, first in the NL Central during the regular season)Milwaukee; Wednesday, 7:08 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Diamondbacks: Zac Gallen (17-9, 3.47 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 220 strikeouts); Brewers: Freddy Peralta (12-10, 3.80 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 210 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Brewers -130, Diamondbacks +111; over/under is 7 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Milwaukee Brewers take on the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series. The Diamondbacks have a 1-0 lead in the series and will advance to the NLDS with a victory.Milwaukee is 92-70 overall and 49-32 in home games. The Brewers have a 68-15 record in games when they out-hit their opponents.Arizona has gone 41-40 on the road and 84-78 overall. The Diamondbacks have the eighth-ranked team slugging percentage in the NL at .408.The teams play Wednesday for the eighth time this season. The Diamondbacks lead the se...

Phillies look to sweep Marlins in NL Wild Card Series

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:26:04 GMT

Miami Marlins (84-77, third in the NL East during the regular season) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (90-72, second in the NL East during the regular season)Philadelphia; Wednesday, 8:08 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Marlins: Braxton Garrett (9-7, 3.66 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 156 strikeouts); Phillies: Aaron Nola (12-9, 4.46 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 202 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Phillies -155, Marlins +132; over/under is 8 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Phillies host the Miami Marlins on Wednesday in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series. The Phillies have a 1-0 lead in the series and will advance to the NLDS with a victory.Philadelphia is 90-72 overall and 49-32 in home games. Phillies hitters have a collective .327 on-base percentage, the fifth-ranked percentage in the NL.Miami has an 84-77 record overall and a 38-42 record on the road. The Marlins have a 64-20 record in games when they have more hits than their opponents.Wednesday’s game is the 15th time these teams square off this se...

The DC area needs more housing, so why might Prince George’s Co. cap new permits next year?

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:26:04 GMT

Officials in Maryland discussed what the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action could mean for minority business owners. At right is Rep. Glenn Ivey, followed by Prince George's County Council member Jolene Ivey and Bowie Mayor Tim Adams. (WTOP/John Domen) Officials in Maryland discussed what the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action could mean for minority business owners. At right is Rep. Glenn Ivey, followed by Prince George's County Council member Jolene Ivey and Bowie Mayor Tim Adams. (WTOP/John Domen) There’s a proposal moving through the Prince George’s County Council that would limit residential building permits in 2024 — and more severely in areas beyond the Beltway and designated transit are...

Russian anti-war TV protest journalist given 8+ years in prison

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:26:04 GMT

Marina Ovsyannikova, a former Russian state TV editor turned Kremlin critic, has been sentenced in absentia to eight and a half years in prison by a Moscow court.The Basmanny District Court found Ovsyannikova guilty of disseminating false information about the Russian army, state news agency TASS reported on Wednesday, citing the Moscow prosecutor’s office.The charges related to Ovsyannikova’s protest near the Kremlin in July 2022, where she held a poster saying Russian President Vladimir Putin “is a murderer” and “his soldiers are fascists.” The journalist was placed on pre-trial house arrest, but later fled to Europe with her daughter, which landed her on the Kremlin’s wanted list.Ovsyannikova first made headlines around the world in March last year when she denounced Moscow’s war on Ukraine during a live Russian TV broadcast. The former Kremlin propagandist stormed the set of Russia’s top evening newscast Vremya brandishing a poster that re...

Battenfeld: Army-Navy game at Gillette has turned into ‘cluster’ because migrants have taken up hotel rooms

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:26:04 GMT

Scores of military veterans, service academy graduates and families are scrambling to find hotel rooms for the big Army-Navy game at Gillette Stadium because their reservations were canceled to make way for migrant families.Related ArticlesOpinion Columnists | More than 1,200 families entered Massachusetts emergency shelter since August A travel agent who handles hotel rooms for military families said at least 70 of his rooms at three hotels were “taken back” by the hotel management company because the state recently contracted to put newly arrived migrants there.“That is correct,” said Mark Mansbach of Hillsdale Travel. “I have enough rooms to cover some of the people. Some people are looking around but pricing is very high. For many, the issue is safety … they are questioning the safety of remaining hotels located near those that are now filled with migrants. Lots of questions by my clients and most hotels are scrambling to come up with safety protocols.”A spokeswo...

The Orioles’ regular season is over. To recap it, here’s one word to describe every player’s performance.

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:26:04 GMT

Ryan O’Hearn didn’t have much time to talk in the Orioles’ clubhouse before he went out to the field, but he didn’t need it.The question wasn’t one that required a long-winded answer: How would you describe the 2023 Orioles in one word?“That’s a really hard question,” he responded.Other Orioles players said the same thing before landing on different words. Danny Coulombe said “magical.” Tyler Wells offered “underdogs.” Gunnar Henderson cheated a bit and used the hyphenated “never-give-up” to describe the team’s attitude.As O’Hearn rummaged through his locker, he paused and grinned.“Tenacious.”His reason?“Because it’s an awesome word, and it fits our team.”What about his regular season? A year ago, he was a Kansas City Royal coming off a year in which he spent more games on the bench than in the lineup and hit just .239.“Breakout,&#...