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Biden calling China’s leader a ‘dictator’ opens new rift just after Blinken’s tensions-easing trip

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER and AAMER MADHANI (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s remarks calling Chinese leader Xi Jinping a “dictator” and China a country with “real economic difficulties” drew fast condemnation from China on Wednesday, cracking open a new rift just after the two countries agreed to tentative steps to stabilize the relationship. In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning condemned Biden’s unusually pointed comments as “extremely absurd and irresponsible.”The clash of words comes after Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a visit to Beijing on Monday that sought to break the ice in a relationship that has hit a historical low. While both sides saw those talks as productive, they did not result in any significant breakthroughs beyond an agreement to return to a broad agenda for cooperation and competition.China’s quick response to Biden, a president known for seemingly off-scrip...

Recipe: This Tuscan Chicken Pasta dish gets a boost from lots of garlic and lemon juice

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

For this Tuscan-style chicken and penne pasta dish, lots of garlic and lemon juice bring an appealing flavor personality. The chicken breasts are dredged with flour and pan-fried, then later cut into diagonal slices. Once cooked the chicken is removed from the skillet and the sauce-making begins by patiently cooking the 12 garlic cloves and 3 shallots, all thinly sliced. A pinch of dried red pepper flakes come to the sauce party, along with dry white wine and chicken broth.After cooking the penne in boiling salted water and draining, some of the cooking water is reserved for the sauce. Two cups of the sauce, along with baby arugula, Parmesan cheese, and lemon juice, are tossed with the pasta. The consistency is adjusted by adding about 1/2 cup (or less) of the reserved cooking water. Scooped into individual bowls, the mix is topped with chicken and drizzled with the remaining sauce.Garlicy Tuscan Chicken PastaYield: 4 to 6 servingsINGREDIENTS3 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chic...

Justice Alito accepted Alaska resort vacation from GOP donors, report says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

By The Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito accepted a 2008 trip to a luxury fishing lodge in Alaska from two wealthy Republican donors, one of whom repeatedly had interests before the court, and he did not disclose the trips on his financial disclosure for that year, ProPublica reports.A story published Wednesday by the nonprofit investigative journalism organization states that in July 2008 Alito flew to a remote corner of Alaska aboard the private plane of businessman and Republican donor, Paul Singer. A hedge fund founded by the billionaire has brought roughly a dozen cases before the court since then, ProPublica reported. Alito did not recuse himself from participating in any of those cases.Alito’s three-day stay at the King Salmon Lodge was paid for by another wealthy donor, Robin Arkley II, the owner of a mortgage company then based in California. Leonard Leo, then a leader of the conservative legal group The Federalist Society, helped make arr...

MASN: Orioles, Nationals reach a settlement agreement on past payments

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

After more than a decade of dispute and debate over precisely how much the Orioles and Washington Nationals each were owed by the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network for a five-year period from 2012 to 2016, the two clubs have reached a settlement, according to The Associated Press.The network, majority owned by the Baltimore club, will pay both teams about $100 million, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because neither team had made an announcement.The settlement closes a lengthy, bitter chapter between the teams during which they had disagreed over the distribution of hundreds of millions of dollars. But it does not necessarily end the quarrel between the clubs. Going forward, they must agree on how much they each are owed for other five-year periods, including from 2017 to 2021.Earlier this year, attorneys for the teams argued their cases in New York’s highest court. The clubs previously had battled over how much...

Senior living: What to do when arthritis dictates what you do

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

By Elissa Lee and Albert Jiang, Contributing Writers Thomas, 72, was once an avid hiker. Throughout his 50s and 60s he had frequented the sandy trails of Crystal Cove for strenuous and beautiful day-hikes. The retired post office clerk had been struggling with osteoarthritis in his knees for decades, but now the pain in his knees flared so badly that he found himself spending more time indoors – in bed, in the armchair next to his television especially after an unusually rainy California winter.One morning, after Thomas finished his business on the toilet, he put down his newspaper and prepared to stand up when he realized – he couldn’t. He tried to pull his feet under him to ready himself when he felt his knees increase in stiffness, and then, the pain came on. It was a radiating ache he knew all too well, but now the intensity was excruciating, and for the first time, made Thomas more fearful than annoyed.As Thomas recounted this incident for me at our first physical therapy sessi...

Math and reading scores for American 13-year-olds plunge to lowest levels in decades

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

By COLLIN BINKLEY (AP Education Writer)WASHINGTON (AP) — Math and reading scores among America’s 13-year-olds fell to their lowest levels in decades, with math scores plunging by the largest margin ever recorded, according to the results of a federal test known as the nation’s report card.The results, released Wednesday, are the latest measure of the deep learning setbacks incurred during the pandemic. While earlier testing revealed the magnitude of America’s learning loss, the latest test casts light on the persistence of those setbacks, dimming hopes of swift academic recovery.More than two years after most students returned to in-person class, there are still “worrisome signs about student achievement,” said Peggy G. Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, a branch of the federal Education Department.“The ‘green shoots’ of academic recovery that we had hoped to see have not materialized,” Carr...

Celery: Not just for veggie trays

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)Celery often is relegated to veggie trays where its built-in scoop makes it ideal for dipping. It’s also used to add extra crunch to holiday stuffing, or tuna or chicken salad.But celery offers far more.Low in calories, rich in nutrientsCelery is a nutrient-rich, low-calorie food. Two stalks of celery contain only 15 calories. Aside from its low calorie count, celery contains dietary fiber, vitamin K, and small amounts of vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. Although celery also contains some natural sodium, it’s still considered a low-sodium food. Celery also has antioxidant properties, which may help reduce the risk of some chronic conditions. Made up of almost 95% water, celery is a great snack to have on hand during warm summer months to help maintain hydration.Pick of the cropChoose celery with crisp, firm and bright stalks in tightly formed bunches. If the leaves are attached, they should be fresh and green. Avoid celery that is soft, dry, yellowin...

Morgan and Rapinoe selected for the US Women’s World Cup roster

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

By ANNE M. PETERSON (AP Sports Writer)Eighteen-year-old Alyssa Thompson was among the 23 players selected Wednesday for the United States team that will defend its title at the Women’s World Cup next month.Thompson, who has been impressive this season as a rookie for Angel City in the National Women’s Soccer League, joins veterans Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe on the roster selected by coach Vlatko Andonovski.“We want to do something that’s never been done before. We believe in the quality of the team and the support we have and we think we have what it takes to make it possible,” Andonovski said about the opportunity to win a third straight World Cup title.The players were introduced with a star-studded social media post that included President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Taylor Swift, Lil Wayne and Megan Thee Stallion.Morgan, 33, and Rapinoe, 37, will be making their fourth World Cup appearances.Defender Kelley O’Hara, 34, also earned a sp...

Live updates | Passenger on 2021 dive describes risks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

Follow along for live updates on the submersible that vanished while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic. ____PASSENGER ON 2021 DIVE TO TITANIC DESCRIBES RISKSLooking back on his own 2021 dive to the Titanic, an early OceanGate passenger says one must be “a little bit crazy.”Arthur Loibl, a retired businessman and adventurer from Germany, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he conceived the idea to see the Titanic while on a 2016 trip to the South Pole. He paid $110,000 for a dive in 2019, but the first submersible didn’t survive testing. Loibl went two years later.“Imagine a metal tube, a few meters long with a sheet of metal for a floor. You can’t stand, you can’t kneel. Everyone is sitting close to or on top of each other,” Loibl said. “You can’t be claustrophobic.”The dive, which was repeatedly delayed to fix problems, took 10 1/2 hours, he said.Lost aboard the vessel are pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of the company leading the expedition. His passengers a...

Israeli airstrike targets car in northern West Bank, escalating crackdown on Palestinian militants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:48 GMT

TURMUS AYYA, West Bank (AP) — An Israeli airstrike has hit a car in the northern West Bank in an escalation of Israel’s ongoing battle against Palestinian militants in the area.The airstrike on Wednesday hit near the militant stronghold of Jenin and set the car on fire, according to video circulated on social media. The target of the attack was not immediately known.The army confirmed the airstrike. In a statement, the military said it had “identified a terrorist cell inside a suspicious vehicle” and attacked the vehicle in a drone strike. It said the militants had been responsible for a number of shooting attacks on Jewish settlements.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.TURMUS AYYA, West Bank (AP) — Hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed into a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, setting fire to dozens of cars and homes to avenge the deaths of four Israelis killed by Palestinian gunmen the previous day, residents said. Palestini...