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Gun-related deaths reached record levels in the US in 2021, report says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

(CNN) — The gun violence epidemic in the United States was deadlier than ever in 2021, according to a new report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.Both gun-related homicides and suicides reached record levels in 2021, leading to nearly 49,000 total firearm deaths.Firearm-related deaths soared during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic and spiked again in the second year. The 8% jump – leading to about 3,600 more deaths in 2021 than in 2020 – was the largest single-year increase in four decades.“Our country is breaking records for all the wrong reasons – record gun sales combined with increasingly permissive gun laws are making gun violence a pervasive part of life in our country, leading to a sharp increase in gun deaths,” Ari Davis, policy adviser at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions and lead author of the new report, said in a statement.More than half of all firearm deaths, as well as most of the year-over-year increase, were suicides, ...

Bills’ Damar Hamlin takes next step in recovery by practicing fully 6 months since cardiac arrest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — What was once routine for Damar Hamlin, such as pulling on a helmet and heading out to practice, has become something the Buffalo Bills safety celebrated with a phone call to his parents.That was the case last week, general manager Brandon Beane said on Tuesday, after Hamlin participated fully in practice for the first time in the six months since having a near-death experience during a game at Cincinnati.“Just so proud of him and thrilled for where he’s at in his journey,” Beane said.“He’s still got more milestones to hit. But to think back, we’re just at the beginning of June, and that was the beginning of January, and we were just hoping he’d live,” he added. “Now he’s not only got a normal life, but we’re talking about playing not just any football, but NFL football.”The Bills practice on Tuesday was the first in which reporters were allowed to see Hamlin don his helmet and take part in various team drills. Beane said, Hamlin enjoyed his first full sess...

CNN chief to step down after rocky tenure, controversial Trump interview

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

CNN CEO Chris Licht is stepping down, according to reports published Wednesday morning.The news comes after Licht’s rocky tenure as CEO, a widely criticized town hall with former President Donald Trump and a recent Atlantic profile on the CEO.The news of Licht’s departure was first reported by Puck, and confirmed by The New York Times and Axios. Licht will be replaced for an interim period by longtime CNN executive Amy Entelis, according to Puck.

EU sues Poland after blowback over Kremlin influence law

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

BRUSSELS — The European Commission announced Wednesday it is suing Poland over a law creating a special body to probe Russian influence in Polish politics, which critics say violates the Polish constitution and could be used to intimidate political opponents.The EU executive has “agreed to start an infringement procedure by sending a letter of formal notice in relation to the new law on the state committee for examination of Russian influence” to Warsaw, Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis told a press briefing. Commission spokesperson Dana Spinant said more details would be announced during a regular press briefing Thursday.Poland’s Europe Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk said Warsaw was confident. “We will calmly pass on the legal and factual arguments in this case after reviewing the [Commission’s] concerns.”It’s the latest in a series of disputes between Brussels and Warsaw over the Polish authorities’ repeated viol...

Noel Gallagher says England is ‘shit’ and it’s because of Brexit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

Former Oasis songwriter and guitarist Noel Gallagher reckons his homeland is “shit” and “fuck all works” — and it’s because of Brexit.Speaking to the NME, Gallagher said: “What has happened to this country? I have no idea, well I have an idea, Brexit happened … A lot of people fell under some kind of mass hypnosis. But yeah, it’s shit England now. And it was going downhill for a bit but actually, fuck all works.”Gallagher has changed his tune (pun intended) on Brexit. In 2017, he said the U.K. should “move on” and those complaining about the EU referendum result should “fucking get over it.”Speaking back then during a Facebook live chat with the Noisey music channel, Gallagher said he sided with Remain, although he didn’t vote in the referendum. “In England, the Brexit thing, it’s like, I can’t believe there’s so much noise about it,” he said at the time, according to the NME. “You know what I mean? It was put...

Person found dead at scene of possible explosion in Merrimack, New Hampshire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

Authorities say a person was found dead at the scene of a possible explosion in Merrimack, New Hampshire, that remains under investigation.In an update provided Wednesday morning, the Merrimack Police Department said that “a person was found deceased” after officers and firefighters initially responded to the area of Grapevine and Pearson roads Tuesday afternoon after receiving multiple reports of an explosion in the area.Both the police and fire departments, as well as state and federal investigators went on to secure the scene after finding evidence of a possible explosion.“Subsequent to the area being rendered safe, a person was found deceased,” Merrimack police said in a news release. “There is no sign of foul play and there are no threats to the public.”No additional details were released as the investigation continues. The latest update came after officials returned to the scene of the apparent blast Wednesday morning, where a crater and sco...

CNN head Chris Licht is out at the global news network after a brief, tumultuous tenure

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

By DAVID BAUDER (AP Media Writer)NEW YORK (AP) — Chris Licht is out after a year as chief executive at CNN, following a series of missteps and plunging ratings.David Zaslav, the CEO of CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, announced the leadership change on CNN’s morning editorial call on Wednesday.Zaslav appointed a four-person leadership team to lead the network in the interim.Licht replaced Jeff Zucker as CNN’s chief executive last year, with a mandate to make the network move the network more toward the political center. But a town hall meeting with Donald Trump received wide criticism, and a revamp of the network’s morning show imploded with the firing of Don Lemon.A lengthy profile of Licht in Atlantic magazine that came out on Friday proved embarrassing and likely sealed his fate. Only two days ago, Licht promised on the same morning editorial call to fight to regain the trust of CNN employees.But internally, Licht couldn’t gain the support ...

Jacob deGrom’s former teammates feel for ex-Mets ace as his career is put on pause

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

ATLANTA — The last time the Mets were in Atlanta, they had their three best pitchers lined up to try and hold off the surging Braves for a chance to win the NL East. One by one, they all fell to the team that eventually won the division. It was Jacob deGrom’s final regular season appearance for the Mets, and though he kept the team’s title hopes alive with a Wild Card win over the San Diego Padres, ultimately, that was the end for the dominant, homegrown right-hander in New York.Now, the Mets are back in Atlanta, and they arrived just in time to find out that deGrom, now a member of the AL West-leading Texas Rangers, will have to undergo his second Tommy John surgery.“You feel awful for him,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said Tuesday at Truist Park. “I know how much it means for him to pitch and he enjoys pitching. It’s certainly sad news for all of us.”His former Mets teammates reached out right away.“I sent him a text and said t...

Mets lose to rival Braves, 6-4, despite home runs from Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

ATLANTA — The last time the Mets were in Atlanta, their stars went dim. This time, the Mets’ biggest stars hit like stars early in the game, but by the end the pitching and hitting failed to come through.After an hour and 40 minutes of a rainless rain delay to start a three-game NL East series, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso homered, with the latter extending his league lead to 22 on the season. But right-handers Carlos Carrasco and Drew Smith imploded in the sixth and the Mets lost 6-4.The Mets managed only four hits in the game and all four came off Atlanta starter Bryce Elder, with three relievers rendering the Mets’ bats ineffective.“We’ve got some guys who are capable of doing better, but we haven’t been able to string a lot together,” said manager Buck Showalter. “We got [Elder’s] pitch count up, but they have other good people they can bring in. Four hits is tough. Going to be tough to make that always stand up.”Ca...

Ukrainian dam breach: What’s happening and what’s at stake

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:52 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The fallout from the breach of a river dam along a front line of Russia’s war in Ukraine continued to wreak havoc on lives, livelihoods and the environment on Wednesday. When the Kakhovka dam ruptured on Tuesday, it sent a torrent of water from Ukraine’s largest reservoir into streets and homes downstream on the Dnieper River where tens of thousands of people live — in the thick of a combat zone where shelling regularly takes place. It’s not clear what caused the breach: the structure had already been damaged in the war.Ukraine’s government, which controls the river’s western bank and the city of Kherson, has accused Russian forces of blowing up the facility. Officials in Russia, which controls the eastern bank for about the last 300 kilometers (about 185 miles) before the river reaches the Black Sea, has blamed Ukrainian military strikes.WHAT ARE THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS?Authorities and rescue workers on both sides stepped up effort...