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Why US troops remain in Iraq 20 years after ‘shock and awe’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Twenty years after the U.S. invaded Iraq — in blinding explosions of shock and awe — American forces remain in the country in what has become a small but consistent presence to ensure an ongoing relationship with a key military and diplomatic partner in the Middle East.The roughly 2,500 U.S. troops are scattered around the country, largely in military installations in Baghdad and in the north. And while it is a far cry from the more than 170,000 U.S. forces in Iraq at the peak of the war in 2007, U.S. officials say the limited — but continued — troop level is critical as a show of commitment to the region and a hedge against Iranian influence and weapons trafficking.A look at America’s evolving role in Iraq:HOW DID IT START? The U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003 in what it called a massive “shock and awe” bombing campaign that lit up the skies, laid waste to large sections of the country and paved the way for American ground troops to converge on Baghdad. The i...

Warnock’s campaign chief sees lessons from Dems in Georgia

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:52 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — When Quentin Fulks went back home to Ellaville, Georgia, last year, people kept telling him how proud they were to watch a native son lead Sen. Raphael Warnock’s reelection bid. Then came the caveat: They still weren’t going to vote for his boss.“I didn’t take it personally,” Fulks recalled with a laugh. If anything, growing up Black in a majority white county where Donald Trump won 79% of the vote helped Fulks understand what Democrats had to do to win in a historically conservative state.As a campaign manager, that meant framing Warnock as the deal-making, results-driven incumbent and building an operation that went beyond the Democratic strongholds of Atlanta and other cities to connect with Republican-leaning voters throughout the state — even before Republicans nominated Herschel Walker and gambled on his complicated personal history. “In a tough environment, we chose to communicate with those voters,” Fulks told The Associated Press. “And it set us apart, ...

Austin FC falls 3-2 on aggregate to Violette AC in CONCACAF Champions League 1st round

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Violette AC came into Austin shorthanded with a 3-goal advantage from the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League opening round and withstood an onslaught to advance in the tournament 3-2 on aggregate Tuesday at Q2 Stadium.Austin FC midfielder Sebastian Driussi scored twice for a 2-0 match win, but Verde needed a third to force penalty kicks, and another would have given them the win outright when combining the scores from the two matches. Violette AC won the first match on March 7, 3-0 in the Dominican Republic, where five Violette starters were left behind for Tuesday's game due to visa issues. Violette had to sign four new players to field a full team for the game and only had three substitutes available.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersAustin fired 35 shots to Violette's six, and Verde peppered Violette's goal with 10 shots on goal. Violette AC go...

PD: Texas man facing additional charges after smearing 'fecal matter' on detention officer, jumping out of moving ambulance

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:52 GMT

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A McAllen man is facing additional charges after smearing fecal matter on a detention officer's face and leaping out of a moving ambulance, documents stated.Jose Luis Velasquez Jr. was arrested on charges of harassment of a public servant, resisting arrest and escaping from custody, according to Hidalgo County Jail records.A probable cause affidavit obtained by ValleyCentral shows that on March 8, someone called police to the 2700 block of Cedar Avenue in reference to two men wanting to kill him. When officers arrived, they located the caller, identified as Velasquez who was shaking with a knife in his hand. 3 men accused vandalizing South Padre Island hotel Officers noted that Velasquez was shaking and sweating with his eyes wide open and dilated pupils, the affidavit stated.Police say a pat down on Velasquez revealed a meth pipe in his back pocket. They say he told them he had smoked meth an hour before. Velasquez was taken into custody and trans...

Kim Gardner files response to attorney general suit

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:52 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A spokesperson from the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office announced Tuesday night that circuit attorney Kim Gardner had filed her motion in response to the attorney general's lawsuit. Her filing denies wrongdoing and asks the courts to dismiss the lawsuit. Last month, a judge said Gardner had until Tuesday's deadline to respond; if not, she would face a judgment by default.Gardner faced multiple criticisms and challenges after a horrible crash caused 17-year-old Tennessee volleyball player Janae Edmondson to lose both of her legs. The driver accused of the accident, 21-year-old Daniel Riley, was out on bond in a robbery case and had multiple bond violations.Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey had filed a petition to remove Gardner from office in February. Bailey said she failed to do her duties.Gardner responded to the accusations, saying she would not step down and defend her action in the Riley case.This is a developing story. FOX 2 will give ...

Denver mayoral candidates pick fights in latest debate

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:52 GMT

With ballots now in the hands of some Denver voters, 11 leading mayoral candidates gathered at a school in northeast Denver on Tuesday for a televised debate that was noticeably nastier than previous gatherings as the cluster of people in the race sought to create separation.Lisa Calderón, Mike Johnston, Kelly Brough, Chris Hansen, Debbie Ortega, Leslie Herod, Al Gardner, Thomas Wolf, Trinidad Rodriguez, Terrance Roberts and Andy Rougeot were the 11 of the 17 people running for mayor in the April 4 election invited to Tuesday’s showdown, hosted by 9News and aired on sister station KTVD.That roster was decided via polling commissioned by 9News, Colorado Politics, the Denver Gazette and Metro State Univeristy at the end of February. Taking the temperatures of 594 likely Denver voters, that poll found Calderón, Johnston and Brough had the most support. They were in a three-way tie with just 5% support in a poll with a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points. Every candidate who ...

Tuberculosis exposure investigated at Denver’s George Washington High School

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:52 GMT

Health officials are investigating tuberculosis exposure at George Washington High School in Denver.The Public Health Institute at Denver Health (PHIDH) is working closely with Denver’s Department of Public Health and Environment and Denver Public Schools on the investigation, according to a Denver Health news release.“Those who may have been exposed have already been contacted and will be tested,” the release said. “All students, staff, and parents have been informed of the matter. Currently, there is no ongoing risk for TB exposure at the school. It is safe for students and staff to attend school and participate in activities as usual.”So far, health officials have identified one patient, who had symptoms over the past two weeks, and who recently tested positive.Related ArticlesHealth | Denver Black, Jewish community leaders work to unite communities to combat white nationalism, propaganda Health | Glenwood Springs upsets top-seed...

Antioch city manager placed on leave amid City Hall turmoil

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:52 GMT

ANTIOCH – City Manager Cornelius “Con” Johnson has been placed on administrative leave, the Antioch City Council decided Tuesday evening.The vote was announced when council members emerged from a closed session hearing — and came as a shock to Johnson, who said he was out sick Tuesday.“I have no idea what’s going on,” Johnson told the Bay Area News Group. “I wasn’t there in closed session, so this is a surprise to me.”The City Council appointed Johnson, a former San Francisco police commander and longtime Antioch resident, as the city manager in October 2022, awarding him a $266,400-a-year contract.The reasons behind his leave are unclear.Over the weekend, this newspaper reported that the city’s spokesperson blamed Johnson for a quote he provided to a Bay Area TV news station. It turned out that it was falsely attributed to police Chief Steven Ford. The police chief demanded — and received — a retraction from the news outlet.Johnson later fired the city’s contracted public informati...

Bay Area storm updates: Over 200K remain without power

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:52 GMT

(KRON) -- Nearly 300,000 PG&E customers are without power after heavy rain and strong winds that disturbed the morning commute led to hazardous conditions across the Bay Area Tuesday. The excessive rainfall from the latest storm could bring the potential for heavy flooding as well as downed trees and power lines. The rain is expected to dry up by Wednesday and Thursday before some more showers for St. Patrick's Day weekend, according to KRON4 meteorologist John Shrable. Walmart big rig overturns on Richmond-San Rafael bridge, causes lane closures The National Weather Service also issued a High Wind Warning for the entire Bay Area effective Monday night through Wednesday morning. Peak gusts in the valleys are expected to reach between 40 and 50 miles per hour while coastal gusts are expected to reach between 55 to 70 miles per hour.Tuesday, March 149:40 p.m. -- Over 200K remain without powerCurrent Bay Area outage numbers indicate that there are 218,787 PG&E customers curre...

Crowl scores 36, Wisconsin tops Bradley 81-62 in NIT

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:52 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Steven Crowl scored a career-high 36 points and Wisconsin cruised to an 81-62 victory over Bradley on Tuesday night in the first round of the NIT.Crowl buried 12 of 16 shots from the floor, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range, and all seven of his free throws for the second-seeded Badgers, who advance to play No. 3 seed Liberty in the second round. Crowl, a junior, topped his previous high by 11 points. He also grabbed nine rebounds. Max Klesmit totaled 16 points and three steals, while Connor Essegian was 9 of 9 at the foul line and scored 14.Rienk Mast scored 14 points to lead the Braves (25-10). Zek Montgomery added 12 points.Crowl scored 19 points in the first half to guide the Badgers to 40-35 lead at halftime. Crowl scored 17 in the second half and Klesmit added 13 to help Wisconsin pull away.___AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25Source