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Serbian democracy activists feel betrayed as freedoms, and a path to the EU, slip away

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

KRALJEVO, Serbia (AP) — When Serbia began talks to join the European Union in 2014, pro-Western Serbs were hopeful the process would set their troubled country on an irreversible path to democratization. A decade later, that optimism is gone, replaced by feelings of betrayal — both toward their government, which has slid toward autocracy, and the EU, which has done little to stop it.Predrag Vostinic, 48, says he became a democracy activist by necessity — his way of pushing back against the rising authoritarianism, government corruption and organized crime gripping the Balkan nation. Since May, a grassroots movement he founded in the central city of Kraljevo has joined weekly protests against the government of President Aleksandar Vucic, part of a wider movement.He and other members of the group faced threats in the streets and on social media. Other government opponents, in Kraljevo and elsewhere, have been sidelined at work or sacked from their jobs in state-run companies, he said....

US Asians and Pacific Islanders view democracy with concern, AP-NORC/AAPI Data poll shows

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — About 7 in 10 Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the United States believe the country is headed in the wrong direction and only about 1 in 10 believe democracy is working “extremely” or “very” well, according to a new poll from AAPI Data and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.About half say they disapprove of President Joe Biden, though more lean toward the Democratic Party than toward the Republicans. The poll shows Asian Americans are more likely to trust Democrats over Republicans to handle issues like the spread of misinformation, election administration, student debt and climate change, but slightly more likely to trust Republicans than Democrats on handling the economy and split on which is better suited to handle immigration. Many in the community trust neither party to handle major issues, especially election integrity and misinformation. The poll is part of a series of surveys designed to reflect the views of Asian Ame...

Analysis: It’s uncertain if push to ‘Stop Cop City’ got enough valid signers for Atlanta referendum

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Opponents of an Atlanta police and fire training center exulted as they marched into City Hall in September with 16 boxes of petitions to force a referendum on the issue. “116,000 signatures — can you hear us now?” they asked, confident they had enough.But an analysis by four news organizations finds the outcome — if city officials ever count the petitions — could be decided by a narrow margin.Organizers of the monthslong petition drive to “Stop Cop City” still say they have 116,000 signatures, but a hand count by The Associated Press, Georgia Public Broadcasting, WABE and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution tallied only about 108,500.The news organizations found nearly half of a statistical sample of 1,000 entries couldn’t be matched to an eligible registered city of Atlanta voter. Some signers live outside the city, some seemingly fabricated addresses, and others provided far too little information — like the “Lord Jesus” who signed with an address of “homeless.”...

Michigan prosecutors to outline case against false Trump electors in first hearing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Prosecutors will outline their case Wednesday against 15 Michigan Republicans charged for acting as false electors for then-President Donald Trump in 2020, giving the fullest glimpse yet at the charges brought by Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office. Former Michigan GOP co-Chair Meshawn Maddock and Kathy Berden, a Michigan committeewoman for the Republican National Committee, are among the seven defendants appearing for preliminary examinations. The other defendants in the case will have preliminary examinations at later dates. State prosecutors are expected to present key witnesses and evidence, aiming to get a judge’s agreement that a felony has occurred and more likely than not the defendant committed it. Nessel announced the criminal charges against Michigan’s slate of 16 false electors in July. All defendants have pleaded not guilty, but one, James Renner, had all criminal charges dropped in October after he reached a cooperation deal wi...

Amid outcry over Gaza tactics, videos of soldiers acting maliciously create new headache for Israel

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli soldiers rummaging through private homes in Gaza. Forces destroying plastic figurines in a toy store, or trying to burn food and water supplies in the back of an abandoned truck. Troops with their arms slung around each other, chanting racist slogans as they dance in a circle.Several viral videos and photos of Israeli soldiers behaving in a derogatory manner in Gaza have emerged in recent days, creating a headache for the Israeli military as it faces an international outcry over its tactics and the rising civilian death toll in its punishing war against Hamas. The Israeli army has pledged to take disciplinary action in what it says are a handful of isolated cases.Such videos are not a new or unique phenomenon. Over the years, Israeli soldiers — and members of the U.S. and other militaries — have been caught on camera acting inappropriately or maliciously in conflict zones. But critics say the new videos, largely shrugged off in Israel, reflect a national moo...

2023 in other words: AI might be the term of the year, but consider these far-flung contenders

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

Many sentiments are universal. Many words are not. As 2023 ends, The Associated Press reached out to colleagues around the world for terms that emerged this year and seized or crystalized the popular mood. Some were newsy, some cultural. A couple were kind of delightful. Whatever the language, the emotions came through. Some might consider AI, or artificial intelligence, as “the” word of 2023, while Merriam-Webster went with “authentic ” and Oxford University Press named “rizz,” a riff on charisma.We wanted to share diverse examples of what folks in Germany call a “gefluegeltes Wort,” or “word with wings.”___Password child: AustraliaThe Macquarie Dictionary in Australia has named a “word of the month” all year. One was “cozzie livs,” slang for cost of living. Another was “murder noodle” for snake, both cute and accurate in a country that’s home to the world’s most venomous one.But we’re going with “password child,” which families anywhere can appreciate. It refers to a child s...

Minnesota Opera names Christopher Franklin its new principal conductor

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

Minnesota Opera has hired Christopher Franklin as the company’s new principal conductor, a position that’s been dormant since 2018. Franklin’s three-year contract starts with Gaetano Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love,” which runs from Jan. 27 to Feb. 4 at St. Paul’s Ordway Music Theater.“Minnesota Opera is a company that I’ve had a long and fruitful relationship with for years and it seems like a natural development for our artistic paths to cross in this way,” Franklin said in a news release. “It’s an honor to be stepping into more regular collaboration with such a respected and forward-looking opera company and its wonderful artists.”A Pittsburgh native, Franklin spent his summers in Minnesota growing up, as his father is from Willmar. He went on to graduate from St. Paul’s Macalester College in 1990 with a degree in violin and German literature. After earning subsequent degrees at the University of Illinois and the Peabody...

Blues fire head coach Craig Berube

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

5 hospitalized after crash between train and semi-truck

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

At least five people were taken to the hospital after a collision between an Amtrak train and a semi-truck in Ventura County Tuesday evening, authorities announced.  The incident occurred in Somis, an unincorporated area of Ventura County, at around 6:20 p.m. on State Route 118 at Sand Canyon Road, according to a post to X, formerly Twitter, by the California Highway Patrol.  Video of the crash obtained by KTLA showed heavy roadway traffic in both directions as a result of the collision, along with a large response by Ventura County Firefighters who responded to the scene to help passengers safely off the train and triage those injured.  Fire officials said that the five people taken to local hospitals suffered only minor to moderate injuries.  First responders on the scene of a collision between a semi-truck and Amtrak train in Ventura County on Dec. 12, 2023. (RMG News)Wreckage seen in Ventura County after a semi-truck and an Amtrak train collided on Dec. 12, 2...

California most expensive state in U.S. to get a divorce

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

There’s no doubt that most people go into matrimony, holy or otherwise, with every intention of it lasting through “richer and poorer,” “sickness and health” and “’til death do we part.”  It’s also true that there’s an unlimited number of reasons, none of which there is time to discuss here, that drive a wedge between married partners and result in divorce.  For those in California who are considering divorce, it might come as yet another blow to learn that the Golden State ranks as the most expensive place in the United States to dissolve a marriage at an average cost of $10,159, according to a recent analysis. In order to find the most and least expensive states to get a divorce in 2023, Forbes Advisor considered the cost of divorce filing fees, the average cost of a lawyer, the cost of living and the percentage of household income it takes to pay for a divorce across the country.  The Top 10 Most Expensive States to Get a Divorce. (Forbes Advisor)According to ...