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Japan’s Cabinet approves a record $56 billion military budget to speed up strike capability

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:03 GMT

By MARI YAMAGUCHI (Associated Press)TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s defense spending will increase more than 16% next year under a record military budget approved Friday that is intended to accelerate the deployment of long-range cruise missiles that can hit targets in China or North Korea.The budget adopted by the Cabinet also will further fortify the military with F-35 stealth combat jets and other American weapons as Japanese troops increasingly work with allies and take on more offensive roles.The 7.95 trillion-yen ($56 billion) defense budget for the 2024 fiscal year that begins in March marks the second year of a five-year military buildup program under a new security strategy Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government adopted a year ago.The reinforcement of strike capability the strategy envisions is a major break from Japan’s postwar principle of limiting the country’s use of force to self-defense. The defense budget is part of a 112.7 trillion-yen ($794 billion) national budget plan an...

Hydrogen tax credit plan unveiled as Biden administration tries to jump start industry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:03 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration released its highly anticipated proposal for doling out billions of dollars in tax credits to hydrogen producers Friday, in a massive effort to build out an industry that some hope can be a cleaner alternative to fossil fueled power.The U.S. credit is the most generous in the world for hydrogen production, Jesse Jenkins, a professor at Princeton University who has analyzed the U.S. climate law, said last week.The proposal — which is part of Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act passed last year — outlines a tiered system to determine which hydrogen producers get the most credits, with cleaner energy projects receiving more, and smaller, but still meaningful credits going to those that use fossil fuel to produce hydrogen. Administration officials estimate the hydrogen production credits will deliver $140 billion in revenue and 700,000 jobs by 2030 — and will help the U.S. produce 50 million metric tons of hydrogen by 2050.“That’s equivalent to ...

Procrastinators in focus for retailers as the holiday season shopping nears the finish line

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:03 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Retailers are stepping up sales and other enticements in the final days before Christmas to lure shoppers who’ve been waiting for the best deals, or who didn’t have the time or the urge to wrap up gift-buying early.Incentives to spend last minute are an extension of ongoing efforts by stores to keep shoppers engaged, an effort that began as early as October this year. Some retailers have put goods on clearance racks and shelves before the holiday to lure bargain hunters. Michaels, the arts and crafts chain, trimmed prices on holiday trees by up to 75% on Dec. 15, cuts that would typically arrive the day after Christmas.“I think this is a more challenging year than if you looked across the last decade of Christmases,” said Amanda Rassi, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Michaels. “But overall, we’re happy with how it’s come in.”There had been rising concern among retailers leading up to the holiday about the willingness of Americans to s...

One person was injured in shooting at a Virginia hospital. A suspect is in custody

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:03 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Police said one person was injured at a Richmond hospital when a man who had come into the hospital for a mental health evaluation began shooting.Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards told reporters that a 911 call came in at 4:11 a.m. of shots fired at Chippenham Hospital. Officers who were already in the emergency room responded and found one adult male with critical, but not life-threatening, gunshot wounds. The suspect surrendered and was taken into custody. Edwards said that a Chesterfield police officer who was also at the hospital for an unrelated reason had returned fire with his weapon during the incident, but the suspect was not injured. Edwards said the suspect in the shooting is a 27-year-old man from Glen Allen, Virginia, who had come to the hospital on his own for a mental health evaluation. Edwards said the man was armed and began shooting, but the motive was unclear. The Associated Press

Holiday togetherness can also mean family fights. But there are ways to try to sidestep the drama

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:03 GMT

The holidays, a time where families and friends can get together to talk, to laugh — or get into screaming arguments. There are plenty of reasons togetherness can turn into tension — maybe that cousin you mostly love has that one opinion on politics or world events you just can’t stand, or that one nosy grandparent won’t stop asking about your life choices. Perhaps someone at the table is struggling with a substance abuse issue or a mental health concern. And don’t forget that person who is just mean and miserable and spoiling for a fight.It can be enough to make you want to hit the eggnog extra hard. But experts in psychology and mental health say it doesn’t have to be that way, and they offer suggestions for how to help manage gatherings that might be less than jolly:KNOW YOUR “WHY”It’s important for people to know why they are going into situations they know could be tense or worse, says Ramani Durvasula, Ph.D, a licensed clinical psychologist who ta...

Congress launches an investigation into the Osprey program after the deadly crash in Japan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:03 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A congressional oversight committee has launched an investigation into the V-22 Osprey program following a deadly crash in Japan which killed eight Air Force special operations service members.The entire Osprey fleet remains grounded following the Nov. 29 crash with the exception of limited Marine Corps flights in emergencies. More than 50 U.S. service members have died in Osprey crashes over the lifespan of the program, and 20 of those died in four crashes over the last 20 months.The Osprey is a fast-moving airframe that can fly like both a helicopter and an airplane — but its many crashes have led critics to warn it has fatal design flaws. The government of Japan, the only international partner flying the Osprey, has also grounded its aircraft after the Nov. 29 crash. On Thursday the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin requesting a massive amount of documentation on the OspreyR...

These numbers show the staggering losses in the Israel-Hamas war as Gaza deaths surpass 20,000

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:03 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The latest conflict between Israel and Hamas is by far the deadliest and most destructive of their five wars since the militant group seized the Gaza Strip in 2007.The fighting erupted on Oct. 7 when Hamas carried out a surprise attack in southern Israel. Since then, Israel has unleashed thousands of airstrikes and waged a fierce ground offensive, flattening entire neighborhoods. A weeklong ceasefire in late November saw Hamas release hostages from Gaza in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Here’s a look at the toll of the war, as of Dec. 22, based on information from the Gaza Health Ministry and Israeli officials, as well as international observers and aid groups:20,057The number of Palestinians killed in Gaza.301 The number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank.Around 1,200The number of people killed in Israel on Oct. 7.139The number of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of the Gaza ground offensive.53,320The number of Palestinians injured in G...

A South Korean religious sect leader has been sentenced to 23 years in prison over sex crimes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:03 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean religious sect leader whose sex crimes were featured in the popular Netflix series “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal” earlier this year was sentenced to 23 years in prison on Friday, court officials said. The Daejeon District Court in central South Korea said that it handed the prison term to Jeong Myeong-seok after convicting him of sexual violence against three of his female followers from 2018-2021. Jeong, 78, is leader of the Christian Gospel Mission in South Korea, which is also known as Jesus Morning Star, or JMS.A court statement said that Jeong’s convicted crimes include “quasi-rape” and “quasi-imitative rape,” which court officials said meant illicit sexual intercourse with a person who was unconscious or unable to resist.The court refused to provide details of Jeong’s convicted sexual crimes. Dozens of Jeong’s supporters gathered near the court, shouted slogans and raised placards that say Jeong isn’t guil...

Friday Favorite: Neil the Seal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:03 GMT

Lauren shares her Friday Favorite - a lazy seal terrorizing Australia.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

EXCLUSIVE: Austin police officers cleared from indictments share story for first time

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:03 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Sergeant Joshua Blake and Detective Christopher Irwin used the word "shocked" to describe how they felt when they received news of their indictments related to actions taken during the May 2020 protests following the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Michael Ramos in Austin. They were two of the group of 19 officers indicted by a grand jury in February 2022 on charges of aggravated assault by a public servant. Twenty-one officers total would be indicted related to the 2020 protests in Austin, which responding officers said became "riotous."Earlier this month, District Attorney Jose Garza announced that his office dropped 17 of those indictments. Blake and Irwin were on that list. DA Garza ‘stands by’ dropping police indictments, asking for federal review of APD protest actions "It's been a whirlwind of emotions," said Irwin. "A constant dark cloud looming over myself and my family."The District Attorney's office is still pursuing charges against four offic...