QueensNews51

VLADIMIR Putin has flexed his military muscles today as Russia's army engaged in war games involving nuclear missiles close to the Ukrainian border. It comes as Western leaders gathered for crisis talks in the German city of Munich over fears the Russian president could order a military invasion of Ukraine at any time.  

A Chinese state-controlled news outlet appears to have accidentally published official instructions for how Chinese media outlets are to cover Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Washington Post first reported on Tuesday that the Chinese media outlet Horizon News posted the instructions on its Weibo, a Chinese alternative to Twitter. The since-deleted.

"The enemy has been stopped in most directions. The fights continue," Zelenskyy said in a speech that was translated by NBC News. Ukraine's army has about 145,000-150,000 troops, according to a January report from the U.S. Congressional Research Service. The situation on the ground in Ukraine is fluid, and...

Late on Thursday, in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden unveiled a second tranche of sanctions against Russia’s business interests that contained a dramatic broadside: a complete embargo on selling semiconductors to Russia. “We’re going to impair their ability to compete in the 21st century economy,” Biden said on Thursday, announcing sanctions that will cut Russia off from the computer chips that power cars, smart phones, and even missiles. Under Biden’s new embargo, any chip developed with any American technology is prohibited from sale to Russia. According to U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Thea Rozman Kendler, “even most products made overseas using sensitive U.S. technology will be restricted for export to Russia.” “Russia’s access to cutting-edge U.S. and partner country technology will halt. Its defense industrial base and military and intelligence services will not be able to ...

Rising inflation, a continuing pandemic, a foreign policy misstep in Afghanistan and Democratic infighting all marred President Biden's first year, and now a majority of respondents to a new NPR/ PBS NewsHour /Marist poll say his first year was a "failure." In all, 56% said Biden's first year in office was a failure, versus just 39% who said it was a success. What's more, 54% said he's not fulfilling his campaign promises, and 52% said he has done more to divide the country than unite it, despite uniting the country being a pillar of Biden's 2020 presidential run. The president is clinging to just a 39% overall approval rating, a 36% approval for his handling of the economy and 47% for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Just 30% of respondents said they think the U.S. is headed in the right direction, days before Biden is set to give his first formal State of the Union address. All are the worst marks of his presidency in the survey. ...

In 2016, Pinky Cole's Jamaican-American eatery in New York City's Harlem neighborhood went up in flames. A grease fire destroyed the restaurant. Cole says her inexperience as an entrepreneur put the nail in the coffin. The damage from the fire wasn't covered by the proper form of insurance, leaving her sifting

  Personal loans are in high demand among credit union members, according to a new report from the Credit Union National Association (CUNA).  During the month of December, unsecured personal loans grew 2.6% and credit card consolidation loans grew 2.3%. Other loan products, such as mortgages and auto loans, saw more modest growth during that time period.

Major international corporations that have operations in Russia and Ukraine are keeping a watchful eye as the conflict progresses, with some even shuttering facilities.  Toyota Motor Corp. told FOX Business on Thursday that the company is temporarily shutting down all its Ukraine dealerships through Friday. Between Toyota and Lexus, the company has 37 dealerships in Ukraine. Its plant in St. Petersburg, Russia, "is currently maintaining normal operations," Toyota said.  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS The company declined to give further details on the matter, but said it's monitoring the situation "while keeping the safety and well-being of our employees and their families as a top priority."  A line of cars is seen at one of the local gas stations, Kyiv, capital of Ukraine.  (Yevhen Kotenko/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images / Getty Images) The company has just over 2,600 employees in Russia, including both at the St...

Mortgage rates decreased for the first time in weeks, dropping slightly after nearing the 4% mark last week, according to the latest data from Freddie Mac. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage decreased to 3.89% annual percentage rate (APR) for the week ending Feb. 24th. This is down from 3.92% last week and up from 2.97% last year. "Even with this week’s decline, mortgage rates have increased more than a full percent over the last six months," Freddie Mac Chief Economist Sam Khater said. If you want to take advantage of this dip in rates, you could consider a mortgage refinance to potentially help you save money on your home loan. Visit Credible to find your personalized interest rate without affecting your credit score  

FOX Business'  Stuart Varney , during his latest "My Take" on  "Varney & Co."  Friday, argued the Biden administration ' s green energy policies "opened the door" to Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.  RUSSIAN ATTACK ON UKRAINE COULD EXACERBATE ALREADY-HIGH ENERGY COSTS STUART VARNEY: Guess who came out with this statement this week?… 'I hope President Putin will help us stay on track with respect to what we need to do for the climate.' That was John Kerry. The president's climate czar . Stop laughing. It’s not funny. Green energy policies opened the door to Putin’s invasion. If we were still energy independent, still drilling and fracking like 2019, Putin would have no leverage. He's laughing at the John Kerry’s of this world.  

  John Catsimatidis, the billionaire owner and CEO of New York City supermarket chain Gristedes, who is also in the oil industry , reacted to U.S. President Biden continuing to buy oil from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Catsimatidis, who is also the CEO of United Refining, told "Cavuto: Coast to Coast," Friday that America is "being conned," and "lied to." "We are still buying crude oil from Putin. We are wiring him money every day from the United States and payment for crude oil going into Boston Harbor. You know, we are being lied to. We are being conned." OIL PRICES BOUNCE ON SUPPLY CONCERNS FOLLOWING INVASION OF UKRAINE President Biden said Thursday that the U.S. is working with other countries on a coordinated oil release from the global petroleum reserve in the coming days in a bid to reduce rising gasoline prices.

Pending home sales fell for the third month in a row in January, amid all-time low inventory and sky-high prices The latest data from the National Association of Realtors shows contract signings for home sales dropped 5.7% last month, when the number of available homes on the market hit a record low of 860,000 units. "With inventory at an all-time low, buyers are still having a difficult time finding a home," said NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun.

Two Chinese state-owned banks will restrict financing for Russian commodity purchases, suggesting there are limits to Beijing's support for Moscow as the Kremlin confronts severe economic sanctions over its attack of Ukraine.   Offshore units of Industrial & Commercial Bank of China have stopped issuing U.S. dollar-denominated letters of credit for purchases of physical Russian commodities ready for export, while the Bank of China has also limited funding, according to Bloomberg News, citing people familiar with the matter  

Cryptocurrency donations for the Ukrainian military are pouring in from nongovernmental organizations and volunteer groups as Russia's invasion of the country has entered its second day. On Friday alone, 1 nongovernment organization raised $3.4M in Bitcoin for Ukraine's military forces  

Russia's technology and communications regulator has partially blocked access to Facebook in the country after the tech giant placed restrictions on the accounts of four state-owned media outlets.  "On February 24, Roskomnadzor sent requests to the administration of Meta Platforms, Inc. [to] remove the restrictions imposed by the social network Facebook on Russian media and explain the reason for their introduction. The owners of the social network ignored the requirements of Roskomnadzor." the agency said in a statement . "In accordance with the decision of the Prosecutor General's Office regarding the social network Facebook, starting from February 25, 2022, Roskomnadzor, in accordance with the law, takes measures to partially restrict access in the form of slowing down traffic."  

To get around those sanctions, Russian banks and oligarchs could put money into Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. MILLIONS IN CRYPTO DONATIONS FOR UKRAINIAN MILITARY POUR IN Lawyers say going that route still has complications, especially when trying to turn the cryptocurrency back into a regular currency in order to spend it. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on developments in Ukraine and Russia, and announces sanctions against Russia, from the East Room of the White House Feb. 22, 2022 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images / Getty Images) Business partners would also have to agree to accept digital currency for payments. At best, experts see it as a short-term solution. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS Coinbase, the largest U.S. crypto exchange, said it is blocking IP addresses in areas affected by Western sanctions and working alongside authorities to ensure the sanctions are enforced, according to a statement to NPR.  

Ukraine recently prohibited males age 18 to 60 from leaving the country as it deals with Russia’s invasion but has not yet enacted a military draft. Yet thousands of men have been rushing to enlist to help defend their homeland, according to a report. Hundreds were seen lined up outside the town hall in Mankivka, a town in central Ukraine, according to NPR. "Ukraine will not kneel," one of the prospective enlistees told the news outlet. "We will push these bastards from our land."  

Liquor stores and bars in North America are pulling Russian vodka off their shelves — and in some cases, pouring it down the drain — in protest of the country’s invasion of Ukraine. In what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called “a declaration of war against the whole of Europe,” Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine on three fronts early Thursday, Feb. 24, “bombarding cities, towns and villages” as forces advanced toward the capital of Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin has argued that his military forces are protecting citizens in eastern Ukraine who want to rejoin Russia, BBC News reported. Zelenskyy and President Joe Biden have rejected those claims. “President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering,” Biden said in a statement announcing sanctions against Russia, CNN reported. To protest Russia’s aggression against the former Soviet Union republic, some liquor stores and bars are imposing their...

As Russia's military pounds Ukraine , causing death and destruction, it has not yet seized the nation's capital, Kyiv . Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who says he's the Kremlin's No. 1 target, has vowed to stay in Ukraine, ev  

As Canadian protesters shut down a border crossing over vaccine mandates, some American truckers took note. Now, several groups are planning their own 'convoys' to Washington, D.C., to draw attention to a range of concerns. An expert on extremism said this movement has morphed into a protest of 'perceived threats on their freedom.'  

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced guideline changes allowing most Americans to unmask indoors, which health experts say may be the first step in shifting the U.S. to an “endemic phase” of the pandemic. The agency said in a news briefing Friday afternoon it will be using different metrics to determine whether to recommend face coverings. Under the old guidelines, masks were recommended for people living in communities of substantial or high transmission, which applied to roughly 95% of U.S. counties. Now, in addition to caseloads, the guidance also will consider hospitalizations, current beds occupied by COVID patients and hospital capacity. The new metrics would put more than half of U.S. counties – where more than 70% of Americans live – in areas of low or medium risk, according to the CDC data. "We are in a stronger place today as a nation with more tools today to protect ourselves and our community from COVID-19 like vaccina...

The  Ukraine S tate Border Guard Service has announced that men ages 18 to 60 were prohibited from leaving the country, according to reports . Thursday's action came after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 's declaration of  martial law across the country after Russia invaded Ukraine and attacked major cities, including the capital, Kyiv.  "In particular, it is forbidden for men aged 18-60, Ukraine citizens, to leave the borders of Ukraine," a statement from the service said, according to CNN . "This regulation will remain in effect for the period of the legal regime of martial law. We ask the citizens to take this information into consideration." Under martial law, military officials  are in charge of applying law and not civilian leaders or police. It is usually invoked in times of war when  the rule of law has broken down. It's really an alien concept': Ukraine's president declared martial law after Russia's attack. But what is i...

MOSCOW – Risking arrest and intimidation, Russian citizens took to the streets across the country Thursday night and into Friday to protest President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine . 

 WASHINGTON – By 1966, U.S. District Judge Constance Baker Motley had smashed every barrier  in her path, winning some of the biggest legal battles of the civil rights era and securing a spot in history as the first Black woman to preside over a federal court .

When Russia launched a military invasion into Ukraine early Thursday, some, including  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy , drew comparisons with Germany's invasion into neighboring countries during the Nazi era of World War II. "Russia treacherously attacked our state in the morning, as Nazi Germany did in 2#WW years. As of today, our countries are on different sides of world history," Zelenskyy tweeted Thursday. Former prime minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Honcharuk said Russia's actions could even spark another world war .  “It could be the start of a third world war. We should realize it, because Putin will not stop," Honcharuk said. Amid talk of a wider war, as well as news that Zelenskyy has called up reservists and those liable for service for a  full military mobilization , questions about the U.S. draft process have emerged. Could the government ever reinstate the draft? Who can be drafted and why? Here's what to know. What is...

  Russian forces have reportedly moved in closer to Kyiv early Saturday morning, and explosions were seen and heard in parts of the capital suggesting an escalation of fighting with Ukrainian defenders, according to CNN. The cable network reported that operations by Ukrainian forces to repel the Russian advance were intensifying in the early morning hours of Saturday, Kyiv time, not long after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy warned that the battle could be over by morning. "This night will be very difficult, and the enemy will use all available forces to break the resistance of Ukrainians," Zelenskyy said in a late-night video message Friday that was widely circulated on Twitter.  "This night we have to stand ground,” Zelenskyy said, surrounded by members of his national security team. “The fate of Ukraine is being decided right now." CNN teams in the capital reported hearing loud explosions to the west and south of the city. And Ukraine's...

An 80-year-old Ukrainian man was photographed apparently trying to enlist in the army to fight for “for his grandkids.” The widely circulated photo, shared on social media by former Ukrainian first lady Kateryna Yushchenko Thursday night, shows the elderly man in a black cap approaching a Ukrainian soldier with a leather bag.  “Someone posted a photo of this 80-year-old who showed up to join the army, carrying with him a small case with 2 t-shirts, a pair of extra pants, a toothbrush and a few sandwiches for lunch,” Yushchenko wrote. “He said he was doing it for his grandkids.” It’s not clear where the picture was taken, but it went viral Friday as Russia advanced its attack on Ukraine, bearing down on the capital of Kyiv. Yushchenko’s tweet has been favorited more than 230,000 times and retweeted more than 36,000 times by Friday night, with social media users applauding the grandfather’s bravery.  

  Smoke and flames rise over during the shelling near Kyiv, as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine February 26, 2022. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

Blinken reveals how US believes Russia would invade Ukraine In a terse U.N. Security Council meeting Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that  Russia’s  continued hostility toward  Ukraine  is a "moment of peril" and threatens global stability. Blinken proceeded to explain that though U.S. intelligence does not yet know exactly how Russia will choose to launch its attack there are a series of steps the U.S. is anticipating.  "Here’s what the world can expect to see unfold, in fact it's unfolding right now today as Russia takes steps down the path to war," he began. "First Russia plans to manufacture a pretext for its attack -- this could be a violent event that Russia will bring on Ukraine or an outrageous accusation that Russia will level against the Ukrainian government." The secretary described how Russian state-controlled media has already begun spreading falsified claims, including stories of mass graves, to "lay th...

  The United States continues to warn that Russia could invade Ukraine " any day " amid escalating tensions in the region, with President Joe Biden telling reporters Thursday that the threat is now "very high." Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday, making urgent remarks to the U.N. Security Council, challenged Moscow to commit to no invasion. More than 150,000 Russian troops are estimated to be massed near Ukraine's borders, U.S. officials said, and while Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin claim that some Russian forces have begun to withdraw, Biden said more Russian troops have moved in, contrary to Moscow's claims. It remains unclear whether Putin has made a decision to attack his ex-Soviet neighbor. Russia has denied it plans to invade and issued new demands Thursday that the U.S. and NATO bar Ukraine from joining the military alliance.

  Ever since cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in a  shooting on the set of the movie “Rust” last October, Alec Baldwin has maintained he did nothing to cause her death, even though the gun that discharged was in his hand and pointed directly at her when it fired. The criminal investigation into the shooting is still ongoing, but Hutchins’ family has now filed a civil suit against Baldwin “and others”, arguing that the “reckless behavior” of those responsible for safety on the set resulted in her death. Among the allegations laid out by the attorneys for the family is the claim that the negligent discharge that killed Hutchins was actually the fourth   discharge of a firearm on the set. Camera operator Lane Luper texted a production manager five days before Hutchins was killed complaining that the set was “super unsafe” and that there had been three negligent discharges of a firearm.

  A woman and a baby are lucky to be alive after they narrowly escaped a car just before it was struck by a Brightline train in Delray Beach Tuesday morning. Delray Beach Fire Rescue officials said the crash happened near Southwest 10th Street. Neither the woman or the baby were injured. Photos released by fire rescue showed the badly damaged car on the train tracks.

  Police say one person is dead following a home invasion in Coram. Multiple people broke into the home at 5 Everglades Lane around 3:45 a.m. Wednesday, authorities say. Police say they shot Eric Westby, a resident of the home, and struck a female resident with a pistol. Westby, 46, was transported to John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson where he was pronounced dead. The female was treated for her injuries at a local hospital. There were two other residents home at the time of the burglary, but were not injured. Detectives are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS .

  NEW YORK — With her brown eyes wide open, Guiying Ma occasionally summons the strength to move her right leg and right hand, as her doting husband of more than 40 years tries to make her hospital bed feel more comfortable. What Zhanxin Gao doesn’t know is if his wife even recognizes him. “But as long as she hears what I am saying and her eyes are open, then I am very happy,” Gao said Saturday, speaking through a translator. What You Need To Know Guiying Ma was attacked by a stranger, who police said bashed her in the head with a rock on Nov. 26 She had surgery to open her skull to drain fluids, and was placed in a medically induced coma Her husband of more than 40 years, Zhanxin Gao, said his wife was sweeping a sidewalk when she was attacked Police have arrested 33-year-old Elisaul Perez on charges that include assault and criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the attack After Gao’s wife was attacked by a stranger, who police said bashed...

  NEW YORK — A city man has been arrested and charged in connection with the stabbing death of a woman inside her Chinatown apartment building over the weekend. The NYPD says Assamad Nash, 25, of Manhattan is charged with murder and burglary. Police say officers responded to a 911 call around 4:20 a.m. Sunday reporting a dispute inside an apartment at 111 Chrystie Street. When the officers entered the apartment, they found Christina Yuna Lee, 35, in the bathroom with trauma to her body, the NYPD said. Police sources said the woman had been stabbed.

  NEW YORK — A 4-year-old boy and his grandmother who died in Brooklyn last year were poisoned — and police are investigating both of their deaths as homicides, the NYPD said Thursday.  Tofoon Man, 63, of the Lower East Side, was at her grandson Wilhelm Ducatl’s home in Mapleton last February when she started to experience stomach pain, police said.  Man was taken to Mount Sinai Brooklyn, where she was pronounced dead on Feb. 17 of last year, the NYPD said.  Three months later, on May 24 of last year, emergency personnel responding to a 911 call transported Man’s grandson to Maimonides Medical Center in critical condition after he began to feel stomach pain inside his home, police said.  The boy was pronounced dead two days later, the NYPD said. A preliminary probe found that he might have been poisoned, “prompting further investigation” into his grandmother’s death, according to police. Investigators exhumed Man’s body, and the city’s Office of ...

  FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — For the victim, a 78-year-old man from Annandale, it started with an effort to find some companionship. He created an account on a social network called iFlirt, then made contact with someone identifying herself as a widowed woman in her 30s who seemed interested. As the online relationship grew, though, the scam started to emerge. The woman, who claimed to be from New York, said she was arrested while traveling to Germany to retrieve an inheritance of gold bars, and needed money to make bail. The man paid it, only to get another message that she was arrested a second time and needed even more money. In the end, the Annandale man, who is not identified in court papers, got taken for well over $500,000, the latest victim in a growing trend known as romance fraud. Romance scams reached a record high in 2021, increasing by nearly 80% from 2020, according to a report from the Federal Trade Commission. In the past five years, victims have lost mo...

  Officials say the tanker crashed into a liquor store and then into a former La-Z-Boy furniture store around 1:15 a.m. at North Centre Avenue and Sunrise Highway. Sources say the gasoline tanker was owned by Rocket Express of Bay Shore and was traveling eastbound. Officers tell News 12 the driver of the tanker ran out and said another driver cut him off before he collapsed. Three firefighters were hurt during the fire but were not seriously injured, the Village of Rockville Centre confirms. The driver of the tanker also suffered minor injuries. "I've seen fires and I've seen them go out quick, but I've never seen a building collapse like that,” said Brett Agostini, of Rockville Centre. Agostini was on his way home from work when he saw the former La-Z-Boy furniture store erupt in flames. “It was a heavy, high volume of fire. Again, 9,200 gallons spilling. It was in the storm drains, causing explosions underground. It was quite a scene they had to handle ...

  Angelenos at home weren't the only ones vibing to the Super Bowl 56   halftime show .  The star-studded Super Bowl game at SoFi Stadium  in Inglewood, California, brought in A-list athletes, artists, actors and even royals (Prince Harry was joined by cousin Princess Eugenie), bopping their heads to "Still D.R.E" and "California Love."  Sunday's Super Bowl between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals tapped California natives and hip-hop legends Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre, alongside Mary J. Blige and Eminem , to perform a 13-minute show at halftime.  Before the Rams took home the trophy, celebrities were enjoying the musical performances .  Review: Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Snoop, Dre, Kendrick Lamar prove fiery mix in Super Bowl halftime show Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, Ye, more celebrities enjoy Super Bowl halftime show Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James was "living his best life" as 50 Cent surprised every...

  Ivan Reitman , the influential filmmaker and producer behind beloved comedies from "Animal House" to "Ghostbusters," has died. He was 75.  Reitman died peacefully in his sleep Saturday night at his home in Montecito, Calif., his family told The Associated Press.  "Our family is grieving the unexpected loss of a husband, father, and grandfather who taught us to always seek the magic in life," children Jason Reitman, Catherine Reitman and Caroline Reitman said in a joint statement. "We take comfort that his work as a filmmaker brought laughter and happiness to countless others around the world. While we mourn privately, we hope those who knew him through his films will remember him always." Known for big, bawdy comedies that caught the spirit of their time, Reitman's big break came with the raucous, college fraternity sendup "National Lampoon's Animal House," which he produced. He directed Bill Murray in his first sta...

Trucker protests on US-Canada border couldn't come at worse time for automakers, car buyers Jamie L. LaReau Detroit Free Press DETROIT – Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor North America continue to see production disruptions at various factories caused by the trucker protest at the Ambassador Bridge.  But General Motors and Stellantis were running plants on normal operations as of early afternoon Friday. Though both were monitoring the situation after experiencing some production stoppages earlier in the week.  The auto industry struggled to get parts over the U.S.-Canada border as the protest by truck drivers at the bridge entered its fifth day.  The difficulty couldn't come at a worse time for carmakers and car buyers.  "The blockade comes at a terrible time as the auto industry already has been shutting down plants due to the chip shortage. This exacerbates the situation," said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Cox Automotive....

It's a bad time to buy a used car . And a great time to sell one. According to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday, the consumer price index for used cars and trucks jumped up by 40.5% from January 2021 to January 2022. That means within a year, the average price of used cars and trucks for urban consumers has gone up by 40.5%. The number of used car transactions has also grown, according to AUTO1, a used-car marketplace. In the past year, the marketplace had approximately 330,000 vehicle transactions, AUTO1 told USA TODAY. Bleak as the market is for used-car buyers, the computer chip shortage has also driven new-vehicle prices higher. The average new vehicle, Edmunds.com says, is edging toward $46,000. The price for new vehicles in January has gone up by 12.2% since the same time last year, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The prices for used cars have risen faster than the rate of inflation,...

LOS ANGELES — Four people were shot and wounded early Saturday after a fight broke out outside a Los Angeles restaurant hosting a party that followed a Justin Bieber   Super Bowl weekend concert, police said. The gunfire erupted outside The Nice Guy restaurant, striking and injuring four men ages 60, 19, 20 and 22, LAPD Officer Lizeth Lomeli said. Their names were not released. Officers responded to the gunshots around 2:45 a.m and found two victims. Paramedics took them to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, police said in an updated statement Saturday afternoon. Two additional victims went to hospitals on their own, according to the statement. All four victims were listed in stable condition. Detectives asked witnesses to come forward to help them identify the gunman. No suspect has been identified. The party followed Bieber’s private concert at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California, as part of a Super Bowl-week p...

  WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke Sunday about the potential of a Russian invasion of the eastern European country. Biden reiterated during the 50-minute call that the U.S. would “respond swiftly and decisively” should Russian President Vladimir Putin send Russian forces into Ukraine, a White House statement said. The two also agreed they’d continue “pursuing diplomacy and deterrence in response to Russia’s military buildup.” On Sunday, Ukraine’s top diplomat, Dmytro Kuleba, said Russia had given no response to a request Ukraine had filed Friday for Russia to explain its troop buildup on their shared border. The Ukrainian government filed the formal request through the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, a forum for countries to discuss international security. Ukraine’s request came after the Baltic states filed a similar request to Belarus, which also did not respond. “If Russia is serious...

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — They were built for this, desperate for this and assembled for this, an unprecedented urgency attached to a season that could be judged a success with only one possible outcome: Win it all. Anything less than everything would mean nothing to the Rams. They mortgaged their future for the present and that present looked bleak Sunday night, when they trailed the Bengals late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 56. A drive to win or abject failure. Matthew Stafford hung tough and orchestrated a mammoth 15-play, 79-yard drive. Eli Apple, the former Giants first-round pick, was called for holding when he grabbed Cooper Kupp’s jersey, putting the Rams on the 1-yard line. Liking what they saw, the Rams went that way again, and Stafford had no trouble lofting the ball to Kupp in the end zone, with Apple in coverage and never reacting to the pass. The touchdown put the Rams ahead with 1:25 remaining. Stafford hung tough on the drive that took 4:48 o...

 Your Los Angeles Rams are now Super Bowl champions. LA beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 and have become the second team in NFL history to win in their own stadium. It took all over the Rams stars and newest additions to put together a game worthy of Hollywood, but in the end it all came together. Here is how it all went down.

The Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl LVI 23-20 in front of a home crowd Sunday in a heartbreaker for a Cincinnati Bengals team brimming with young talent. It was the Rams' first Super Bowl championship as an L.A. team and its second in franchise history.

  Los Angeles Rams All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey saw the text pop up on his phone the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 11. “Call me,” Ramsey’s former teammate, 13-year NFL safety Eric Weddle, had messaged. Ramsey glanced nervously at what was now three Weddle messages he hadn’t returned. Did a lecture await, another reminder of which tight end route he’d covered too leniently or which technique he hadn’t executed to standard? “It was not what I was expecting,” Ramsey said. “It was like, ‘Oh, that’s what you want to talk about? Let’s go.’” Ramsey was among a Southern California contingent whom the 37-year-old Weddle surprised that Tuesday afternoon when the Rams asked Weddle, who played for them in 2019 before retiring, to return to help chase a Super Bowl run. Rams safety Taylor Rapp had suffered a concussion; fellow safety Jordan Fuller had sustained a season-ending ankle injury in the regular-season finale. The Rams sought depth from a player whose fitness and capacity f...

  WASHINGTON –  FBI agents arrested a New York couple this morning for allegedly conspiring to launder most of the   cryptocurrency stolen during the 2016 hack of a virtual currency exchange that is now worth a whopping $4.5 billion. Justice Department officials called it a record-shattering amount of stolen currency – digital or otherwise – and said that they have seized at least $3.6 billion in cryptocurrency linked to that hack that they will now try to return to its rightful owners. So far, authorities have not publicly linked Ilya "Dutch" Lichtenstein, 34, and his wife, Heather Rhiannon Morgan, 31, to the actual hack of the cryptocurrency, saying the investigation is ongoing. They are accused of laundering the $3.6 billion through a series of complicated financial transactions , and diverting unspecified amounts to accounts that they controlled.  The two were scheduled to make their initial appearances in federal court in Manhattan later Tuesday, b...

  The Philadelphia 76ers have traded Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond and two first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden and Paul Millsap, two people with knowledge of the trade told USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly until the trade is official. This ends a spectacle that has hampered both teams: Simmons has not played a game for Philadelphia this season as a result of the fallout from his performance in last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals against Atlanta and the subsequent blame placed on him. TRADE TRACKER: NBA trade deadline tracker: Bucks acquire Serge Ibaka, Pistons land Marvin Bagley in four-team deal It also ends a disappointing attempt by Brooklyn to create a super team with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. The three played just 16 games together over the course of 1½ seasons and have nothing to show for it. Philadelphia president of basketball operations D...

SpaceX's newest fleet of satellites are tumbling out of orbit after being struck by a solar storm. The company reports that up to 40 of the 49 small Internet-service satellites launched last week have either burned up, or are about to do so

New York State will end COVID mask mandate requiring face coverings in most indoor public settings, but will keep masking rules in place in schools for now. New York City will continue with its mandate for now. 

 ine states this week announced plans to roll back requirements that people wear masks at indoor venues, including businesses and, in some cases, schools, as Covid-19 case numbers decline and pressure to return to normal life rises. Officials in New York, Illinois, Massachusetts and Rhode Island said Wednesday that rules requiring masks or proof of vaccinations intended to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic would end by March. Earlier in the week, California, Oregon, New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware officials announced similar rollbacks.  All of those states, which voted for President Biden in the 2020 election, now aren’t following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after previously hewing to federal guidance to continue requiring face covering indoors and in schools. New York Gov. Kathy...