With hundreds set to descend on Tahiti for Olympics, can locals protect their way of life?

February 21, 2024

The Associated Press TEAHUPO‘O, French Polynesia — Peva Levy said he felt a powerful, natural energy known as “mana” when he surfed Teahupo‘o’s waves on a piece of plywood for the first time, rushing down a crumbling white surf in front of an untouched volcanic beach several years before the steady streams of surfers started arriving when the village got its first asphalt road over fifty years ago. “It was a secret spot,” the surfer and Tahitian native remembered, as he stood on the pristine beaches of Teahupo‘o on the island’s south side, waves crashing off in ...

Stalled US aid for Ukraine underscores GOP’s shift away from confronting Russia and Putin

February 20, 2024

The Associated Press At about 2 a.m. last Tuesday, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin stood on the Senate floor and explained why he opposed sending more aid to help Ukraine fend off the invasion launched in 2022 by Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I don’t like this reality,” Johnson said. “Vladimir Putin is an evil war criminal.” But he quickly added: “Vladimir Putin will not lose this war.” That argument—that the Russian president cannot be stopped so there’s no point in using American taxpayer dollars against him—marks a new stage in the Republican ...

Over 29,000 Palestinians have been killed in war

February 20, 2024

The Associated Press RAFAH, Gaza Strip—Israel’s assault in Gaza has killed more than 29,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7, the territory’s Health Ministry said Monday, marking another grim milestone in one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in recent history. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the offensive until “total victory” against Hamas after the militants’ Oct. 7 attack on Israeli communities. He and the military have said troops will move soon into the southernmost town of Rafah on the Egyptian border, where over half ...

Minnesota community gets some answers on killing of two officers, one firefighter

February 20, 2024

The Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS—It started out as a 911 call about a domestic incident. It ended with two police officers, a firefighter and the suspect dead, a third officer wounded, and a mostly affluent suburb of Minneapolis badly shaken and waiting for answers. Agents with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension were still conducting their preliminary investigation into Sunday’s shooting, spokesperson Bonney Bowman said Monday. They planned to share more information once that was complete. That meant that several key questions remained unanswered. While the BCA named ...

Byron launches Hendrick’s 40th anniversary season with Daytona 500 victory

February 20, 2024

The Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The goal was obvious to William Byron: put the No. 24 Chevrolet in victory lane in the 2024 Daytona 500 to launch Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary season. Mission accomplished, even if Byron had to complete an agonizing final lap under caution around Daytona International Speedway awaiting the winner to be declared. “Did we win it? Did we win it?” Byron kept asking over his radio. The emotion he heard over his radio from crew chief Rudy Fugle confirmed Byon had just won the biggest race of his career. “Well, no one told ...

NBA’s scoring boom is still going strong, and some wonder if that’s a good thing

February 20, 2024

The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS — There was a week in January unlike almost any other in NBA history. Joel Embiid scored 70 and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 62 one night, followed four days later by Luka Doncic scoring 73 and Devin Booker scoring 62. That’s four 60-point games in five days — something the league hadn’t seen since 1962. There had been entire decades where the NBA didn’t see that many 60-point outings by players. “That’s just where the state of the league is right now,” said the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis, one of the top contenders this season ...