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Task force arrests nine and recovers 18 victims of sex trafficking

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

(BCN) -- Nine people were arrested, and 18 victims were recovered during a law enforcement operation targeting a Colombian-based sex trafficking operation operating in the South Bay. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday that Operation Phoenix resulted in charges ranging from human trafficking, conspiracy to commit human trafficking, pimping, pandering, and money laundering. SF city commissioner arrested on sexual battery charge, asked to resign Suspects "face major prison time, if convicted. The investigation is ongoing and other subjects may be charged with additional crimes," the DA's office said in a statement. Six additional suspects remain at large, the DA's office said. The operation relied on incriminating text messages and involved legal wiretapping by the Law Enforcement Investigating Human Trafficking (LEIHT) Taskforce - a DA's office- led task effort in Santa Clara County and co-led with the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). "...

Chelsea’s Palmer comes back to haunt Man City in thrilling 4-4 draw

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Former Manchester City player Cole Palmer scored a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Chelsea came back to draw 4-4 with the defending Premier League champions on Sunday. Palmer left City for Chelsea in a deal worth around $52 million in September and showed supreme composure to fire past Ederson in the dying stages of a thrilling match at Stamford Bridge. Rodri had looked like securing a win for Pep Guardiola’s team with a deflected effort with four minutes left of regulation time. But referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot when Ruben Dias slid into substitute Armando Broja in the box. After a delay, Palmer swept his shot into the corner to stop City moving three points clear at the top. Chelsea dented Tottenham’s title ambitions with a wild 4-1 win against Ange Postecoglou’s team on Monday and proved a challenge for City, too, by coming back from behind on three occasions. Erling Haaland fired City ahead from the penalty spot in th...

El primer río atmosférico de la temporada afectará California la próxima semana: este es el pronóstico

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

(CNN) — Un importante cambio de patrón en la condiciones meteorológicas producirá el primer río atmosférico de la temporada en California la próxima semana. Se pronostican importantes lluvias y nevadas en el estado, mientras que en otras partes del oeste de Estados Unidos se avecinan días húmedos y sombríos, a medida que surgen indicios de la influencia de El Niño en la próxima temporada invernal.Noviembre empezó con lluvias en el noroeste del Pacífico, pero estas no llegaron al sur de California. Dos situaciones cambiarán drásticamente esa tendencia la semana que viene: un descenso hacia el sur de la corriente en chorro ––el río de aire de rápido movimiento que transporta las tormentas por todo el planeta–– apuntará directamente a California; y una gran zona de energía atmosférica perturbadora permanecerá justo frente a la costa oeste.Las tormentas de la próxima semana estarán alimentadas en parte por un río atmosférico, el tipo de tormenta invernal característico de la regió...

Record-equaling Bayer Leverkusen returns top of the Bundesliga with 4-0 rout of Union Berlin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Xabi Alonso did it as a player. Now he’s done it again as a coach.Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen routed Union Berlin 4-0 to return to the top of the Bundesliga after matching the league’s best-ever start on Sunday with 10 wins and a draw.As a classy midfielder, Alonso was also part of the Bayern Munich team that only dropped two points in the first 11 rounds under coach Pep Guardiola in 2015-16.“We don’t want to talk too much about the record,” Alonso said. “We want to keep going, we want to look forward. It’s going to be difficult before the winter break.”Spanish compatriot Álex Grimaldo – a defender – scored again and set up another goal Sunday.Grimaldo, who joined Leverkusen in the offseason from Benfica, took his league tally to six goals by scoring for the second consecutive game.Leverkusen capitalized on some lackluster defending from Union when the 28-year-old Grimaldo was set up by Florian Wirtz to open the scoring in the 23rd minute.The home team missed...

The Week … Rishi Sunak has a Suella Braverman conundrum

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Sky News In this episode, they look ahead to what could be the biggest week of Rishi Sunak’s premiership so far. The prime minister is set to resolve a conundrum about the future of his home secretary, Suella Braverman, which could potentially trigger a cabinet reshuffle.Plus, the Supreme Court is set to announce its judgment of the legality of the government’s Rwanda policy – not to mention monthly inflation figures and Liz Truss.Email with your thoughts and rate how their predictions play out: [email protected] or [email protected]

Syriza’s bad Sunday: Greece’s main opposition cracks up

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

Crushed by the outright election win of conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in June, which sparked the resignation of its charismatic leader Alexis Tsipras, Greece’s main opposition party Syriza is now cracking up, with an exodus of dozens of members over the weekend.The radical left-wing party gained Europe-wide notoriety at the peak of the financial crisis in 2015 when it looked as if Tsipras and his Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis were about to lead Athens out of the eurozone in a game of high-stakes brinkmanship with German-led debt hawks in the EU. Eight years on, the party now appears to be on its last legs. The unlikely election of ex-Goldman Sachs banker Stefanos Kasselakis as Syriza leader has infuriated a large segment of the party core, which sees him as out of touch with Greece and its left. His meteoric rise from obscurity; his lack of a political agenda; the media tittle-tattle around his American nurse husband; the couple’s Cartier rings; a...

Barbie’s Ken left out again: Cabbage Patch Kids and Fisher-Price Corn Popper make Toy Hall of Fame

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Fans have pushed the Fisher-Price Corn Popper into the National Toy Hall of Fame, elevating it from perpetual finalist to 2023 inductee, alongside baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids and NERF foam toys, the hall announced.But Barbie’s kind-of boyfriend, Ken?He was left out, despite having a huge year and a hit song due to his portrayal by Ryan Gosling in the summer blockbuster “Barbie.”The Fisher-Price popper, a push toy that encourages babies to walk, was chosen by fans who were invited to celebrate the Toy Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary by voting for one of five toys that had made it to the finals more than once but were passed over. The rest of the so-called“Forgotten Five” included the pogo stick, My Little Pony, PEZ dispensers and Transformers.Baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids and NERF toys were voted in in the usual way from among a field of 12 finalists, with input from a panel of experts.“These four deserving induc...

Callahan: It’s time for the Mac Jones era to end in New England

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany —  You don’t bench a quarterback you believe in.You hand him the keys at the end of the game, and trust him to drive to victory.Instead, Bill Belichick ripped them away from Mac Jones and tossed them to Bailey Zappe.Forget what Zappe did in the ensuing moments or what Belichick said later. That moment spoke loudest about Jones’ future in New England: the Patriots coaching staff has no faith in him.Judging by players’ post-game comments, and whispers over the last month, the locker room would be open to a long-term change. So if they don’t believe in Jones, why should you?Jones turns the ball over. He makes poor decisions before and after the snap. His strengths — quick processing and decision-making — have rapidly deteriorated into weaknesses this season.This should be clear as day.Instead, the Jones conversation has been convoluted by bad framing; fans and media alike dealing in false binaries that complicate what should ...

‘The Marvels’ melts down at the box office 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

NEW YORK — Since 2008’s “Iron Man,” the Marvel machine has been one of the most unstoppable forces in box-office history. Now, though, that aura of invincibility is showing signs of wear and tear. The superhero factory hit a new low with the weekend launch of “The Marvels,” which opened with just $47 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.The 33rd installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a sequel to the 2019 Brie Larson-led “Captain Marvel,” managed less than a third of the $153.4 million its predecessor launched with before ultimately taking in $1.13 billion worldwide.Sequels, especially in Marvel Land, aren’t supposed to fall off a cliff. Yet “The Marvels” debuted with more than $100 million less than “Captain Marvel” opened with — something no sequel before has ever done. David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Research Entertainment, called it “an unprecedented Marvel b...

Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey, RB Keaton Mitchell active vs Browns; RT Morgan Moses inactive

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:30 GMT

Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who was limited in practice this week with a hamstring injury and listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Browns, is active for the AFC North tilt.The 27-year-old for All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection went through an extensive warm-up routine that lasted about 10 minutes at M&T Bank Stadium and had no obvious issues. He also isn’t the only Ravens player who was listed as questionable but will be active.Running back Keaton Mitchell, who had 138 yards and a touchdown on nine carries in last week’s win over the Seattle Seahawks, is as well. The undrafted rookie out of East Carolina was a full participant at practice Friday after being limited with a hamstring injury earlier in the week and had been listed as questionable.However, Baltimore (7-2) will be without right tackle Morgan Moses (shoulder), who practiced all week but was listed as questionable and on Sunday made inactive.Four others are also inactive ...