USPS now accepting 'Santas' for annual Adopt a Letter campaign

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

If you're looking to give back this holiday season, the United States Postal Service wants your help.The Postal Service's annual Operation Santa turns 111 years old this year, and for the very first time in the program's history, the charitable event is starting before Black Friday.Operation Santa is a yearly tradition in which children, individuals and families write letters to "Santa" in hopes of having some wishes fulfilled that might otherwise go unanswered.The Postal Service screens the letters across the country and makes the senders eligible to receive a gift from a willing and giving participant. The letters are being reviewed and posted online and people can sign up to "adopt" one of the letters and make those dreams come true.Letters need to be sent to "Santa's U.S. workshop," 123 Elf Road, North Pole 88888, with a legible and accurate return address to ensure senders are eligible to participate in the charitable event.A letter to Santa from Jaidyn, one of many children to...

Pop star Shakira reaches tax deal with Spanish authorities

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

By Joseph Wilson | Associated PressBARCELONA, Spain — After having maintained her innocence for nearly five years, pop star Shakira struck a last-minute deal on the opening day of her tax fraud trial in Barcelona to avoid the risk of going to prison.Shakira told the presiding magistrate, José Manuel del Amo, on Monday that she accepted the agreement reached with prosecutors. She answered “yes” to confirm her acknowledgment of six counts of failing to pay the Spanish government 14.5 million euros (about $15.8 million) in taxes between 2012 and 2014.The trial, which was expected to include more than 100 witnesses over several weeks, was instead called off after just eight minutes.Under the deal, Shakira is to receive a suspended three-year sentence and to pay a fine of 7.3 million euros ($8 million) in addition to the previously unpaid taxes and interest. She will pay another fine of 432,000 euros ($472,000) in exchange for having her prison sentence waived.However, she no...

Jewish student sues Musk over being labeled a Nazi

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

By Donie O’Sullivan and Audrey Ash | CNNBen Brody says his life was going fine. He had just finished college, stayed out of trouble, and was prepping for law school. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Elon Musk used his considerable social media clout to amplify an online mob’s misguided rants accusing the 22-year-old from California of being an undercover agent in a neo-Nazi group.The claim, Brody told CNN, was as bizarre as it was baseless.But the fact he bore a vague resemblance to a person allegedly in the group, that he was Jewish, and, that he once stated in a college fraternity profile posted online that he aspired to one day work for the government, was more than enough information for internet trolls to falsely conclude Brody was an undercover government agent (a “Fed”) planted inside the neo-Nazi group to make them look bad.For Brody, the fallout was immediate. Overnight, he became a central character in a story spun by people seeking to deny and downplay the actions of...

Here's what to know about the Thanksgiving travel surge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

(KRON) -- While it may seem Thanksgiving has snuck up on us this year, travel authorities have definitely been preparing for it. Thanksgiving is one of the busiest times of the year for travel as people use planes, trains and automobiles to get to their loved ones. The California Highway Patrol is preparing for its annual Thanksgiving Maximum Effort Period to prevent as many crashes, injuries and fatalities on the roads as possible. This period begins on Wednesday at 6:01 p.m. and stretches until Sunday at 11:59 p.m. throughout California. The best days to fly around Thanksgiving in 2023 “Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude and celebration, but the holiday is also associated with increased travel and a higher risk of traffic incidents,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. In 2022, 37 people were killed in car accidents and 1,016 people were arrested for driving under the influence over the four-day period in CHP's jurisdiction, officials said. Additionally, 8,600 citations we...

Vallejo police shoot armed robbery suspect

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

(KRON) -- An officer with the Vallejo Police Department shot a suspect in an armed robbery on Monday, the Vallejo Police Department said. The person who was shot has injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, per VPD. VPD responded to the 3400 block of Sonoma Boulevard at 11:43 a.m. for the report of an armed robbery. Police said officers were immediately able to locate a car that matched the description given by victims of a suspect vehicle. 2 arrested for armed carjacking before leading a police chase The car led officers on a short chase, police said, before it crashed into an uninvolved car near the intersection of Tennessee Street and Sonoma Boulevard. After a short chase on foot, an officer shot the suspect, police said. The suspect was shot at least once, but police believe they will survive. A handgun was recovered at the scene, per VPD. The Solano County Major Crimes Task Force is investigating the incident.

Aircraft overshot Marine Corps runway in Kaneohe Bay

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

HONOLULU (KHON2) -- The Honolulu Fire Department responded to an initial aircraft fire call just after 2 p.m. Marine Corps Base Hawaii confirmed to KHON2 that a P-8A aircraft overshot the runway and landed in Kane'ohe Bay. The runway is closed, according to the FAA. According to the Navy's website, the P-8A is a reconnaissance aircraft, which operates with a smaller crew. EMS responded but said there were no patients.

Elizabeth Kitley, No. 9 Virginia Tech roll over UNC Greensboro 72-51

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Elizabeth Kitley scored a 31 points to lead No. 9 Virginia Tech to a 72-51 victory over UNC Greensboro on Monday.Kitley connected on 13 of 22 from the floor and grabbed 10 rebounds to lift the Hokies (3-1) to their second consecutive win.Jayde Gamble scored a career-high 25 points to pace UNC Greensboro (3-2), which saw its three-game winning streak end. Gamble connected on 12 of 19 from the floor.The Hokies led just 17-16 after the first quarter, but held the Spartans to just four field goals in the second quarter. A 17-4 run in which Kitley scored 10 points enabled the Hokies to open a 14-point lead and they were never threatened again. Kitley scored 18 of her team’s 39 first-half points.Georgia Amoore added nine points and eight assists for the Hokies, who shot 46.8% (29 of 62). Matilda Ekh scored nine as well.TAKEAWAYSUNC Greensboro: The Spartans, who were picked to finished sixth in the Southern Conference in the league’s preseason poll, made things diffi...

NCAA 2023 FCS Playoff Glance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

All Times ESTFirst RoundSaturday, November 25Mercer (8-3) vs. Gardner-Webb (7-4), 3 p.m.Youngstown St. (7-4) vs. Duquesne (7-4), 5 p.m.Richmond (8-3) vs. N.C. Central (9-2), 2 p.m.Southern Ill. (7-4) vs. Nicholls (6-4), 3 p.m.North Dakota (7-4) vs. Sacramento St. (7-4), 1 p.m.North Dakota St. (8-3) vs. Drake (8-3), 3:30 p.m.Austin Peay (9-2) vs. Chattanooga (7-4), 3 p.m.Delaware (8-3) vs. Lafayette (9-2), 2 p.m.Second RoundSaturday, December 2South Dakota St. (11-0) vs. Mercer-Gardner-Webb-winner, 2 p.m.Villanova (9-2) vs. Youngstown St.-Duquesne-winner, NoonUAlbany (9-3) vs. Richmond-N.C. Central-winner, NoonIdaho (8-3) vs. Southern Ill.-Nicholls-winner, 10 p.m.South Dakota (9-2) vs. North Dakota-Sacramento St.-winner, 2 p.m.Montana St. (8-3) vs. North Dakota St.-Drake-winner, 3 p.m.Furman (9-2) vs. Austin Peay-Chattanooga-winner, 1 p.m.Montana (10-1) vs. Delaware-Lafayette-winner, 9 p.m.QuarterfinalsSouth Dakota St.-Mercer-Gardner-Webb-winner vs. Villanova-Youngstown St.-Duquesne-...

US Navy plane overshoots runway and goes into a bay in Hawaii, military says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii (AP) — A U.S. Navy plane overshot a runway and went into a bay in Hawaii, the military said Monday. The P8-A aircraft overshot the runway at a Marine base on Kaneohe Bay, said U.S. Marine Corps spokesperson Gunnery Sgt. Orlando Perez. He did not have further information, including any details on injuries. The base is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Honolulu on Oahu. Source