NATO equips peacekeeping force in Kosovo with heavier armament to have “combat power”

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:21 GMT

NATO equips peacekeeping force in Kosovo with heavier armament to have “combat power” PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — A NATO top commander said Tuesday the alliance equipped its peacekeeping force in Kosovo with weapons of “combat power” following a recent shootout between masked Serb gunmen and Kosovo police that left four people dead and sent tensions soaring in the region.Adm. Stuart B. Munsch of the Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Italy said that a battalion of some 200 troops from the United Kingdom and 100 others from Romania “is bringing heavier armament in order to have combat power to” the NATO-led Kosovo Force, or KFOR, but didn’t elaborate further.The KFOR peacekeepers — made up of around 4,500 troops from 27 nations — have been in Kosovo since June 1999, basically with light armament and vehicles. The 1998-1999 war between Serbia and Kosovo ended after a 78-day NATO bombing campaign forced Serbian forces to withdraw from Kosovo. More than 10,000 people died, mostly Kosovo Albanians.On Sept. 24, around 30 Serb gunmen killed a Kosovar police of...

WATCH LIVE: NASA, SpaceX prepare for launch: Psyche mission aims to land on a metal-rich asteroid

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:21 GMT

WATCH LIVE: NASA, SpaceX prepare for launch: Psyche mission aims to land on a metal-rich asteroid (NEXSTAR) — The launch of NASA's first mission to study an asteroid that has more metal than rock or ice is in its final countdown.The team behind the mission is providing a mission and science update today, Tuesday Oct. 10. Watch it live in the player above at approximately 12 p.m. ET.The space agency is targeting Thursday, Oct. 12 to send its Psyche spacecraft up toward the stars aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. If all goes well, the van-sized craft will spend nearly six years traveling to one of the largest asteroids in the solar system, also named Psyche, according to NASA.Nexstar Media also plans to livestream Thursday's launch. Watch your local site for live coverage.The current mission timeline aims to put NASA's craft into orbit around the asteroid in late July 2029. At that point the actual mission will begin: two years of photo taking, surface mapping, and data collection to determine Psyche's composition. Russia reports coolant leak in backup line at space station a...

A 'Seinfeld' reunion? Comedian teases 'something is going to happen'

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:21 GMT

A 'Seinfeld' reunion? Comedian teases 'something is going to happen' (NEXSTAR) — It's been 25 years since we saw Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer be sentenced to prison in the show finale, dubbed "The Finale," of the hit television series "Seinfeld." (Sure, maybe we should've put a spoiler alert at the start of that sentence, but it has been over two decades.)If you weren't a fan of the ending, or wanted something more from the show, you may be in luck. While fielding questions from the audience during a performance at the Wang Theatre in Boston over the weekend, Jerry Seinfeld himself hinted that he and fellow show creator Larry David are working on some sort of project regarding the finale. "Well, I have a little secret for you about the ending," Seinfeld can be heard saying in a video posted to Instagram by Linda Henry, the CEO of Boston Globe Media. He goes on, saying he "can't really tell it, because it is a secret." This is the wealthiest person in your state, Forbes report shows "Here's what I'll tell you," he says. "Something is going to h...

Climate crisis costs $143 billion annually, study finds

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:21 GMT

Climate crisis costs $143 billion annually, study finds (NewsNation) — A recent study has revealed that extreme weather events, which can be directly attributed to human-caused global warming, cost an estimated $143 billion annually.  These climate crisis-related damages have averaged $16 million per hour over the past two decades, and the Guardian reported that the damage caused by the climate crisis has cost $16 million an hour for the past 20 years. Over the period from 2000 to 2019, the total human-caused climate change-attributed costs for extreme weather events reached $2.86 trillion, averaging $143 billion annually. Approximately 63% of these costs are due to the loss of human life.  Climate change made July hotter for 4 of 5 humans on Earth: Scientists This yearly cost is divided into nearly $90 billion attributed to human loss of life and $53 billion in economic damages, according to the study.“The headline number is $140bn a year and, first of all, that’s already a big number,” said Prof Ilan Noy, at the Victoria Un...

Americans have lost $2.7 billion to social media scams since 2021, report finds

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:21 GMT

Americans have lost $2.7 billion to social media scams since 2021, report finds (NewsNation) — Americans have lost around $2.7 billion from scams originating on social media, a new report from the Federal Trade Commission shows. That's more than any other contact method — phone calls, emails, texts, or regular mail —according to the FTC. In a Data Spotlight, Emma Fletcher, a senior data researcher for the FTC, wrote that scammers are often "hiding in plain sight on social media platforms.""Social media gives scammers an edge in several ways. They can easily manufacture a fake persona, or hack into your profile, pretend to be you and con your friends," Fletcher wrote. "They can learn to tailor their approach from what you share on social media, and scammers who place ads can even use tools available to advertisers to methodically target you based on personal details, such as your age, interests or past purchases. All of this costs them next to nothing to reach billions of people from anywhere in the world."Online shopping scams, especially ones where people boug...

Actor, Comedian Frank Caliendo Shares Some of His Latest Celebrity Impressions!

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:21 GMT

Actor, Comedian Frank Caliendo Shares Some of His Latest Celebrity Impressions! Frank Caliendo is the GOAT. He joined us this morning to share some new impressions. He'll be in Chicago at Zanies for a special one night only SOLD OUT show.

Expert Q&A: What happens next in Israel's counter offensive on Hamas?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:21 GMT

Expert Q&A: What happens next in Israel's counter offensive on Hamas? AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As Israel vows a complete siege of the Gaza Strip, we ask an expert on Palestine and Israel, what happens next?Sally Hernandez, KXAN: What is the relationship between Israel and Palestine?Ryan Bohl, RANE Network: So it is a complicated relationship because Palestine isn't governed by a single entity. When we talk about Palestine, we're probably talking about what we're talking about two separate territories, there's the Gaza Strip, which is on the Mediterranean; very small enclave of about two and a half million people. And then there's the West Bank, which is a bulk of Palestine territory. And where we're seeing the violence right now is in the Gaza Strip, which has been since 2007, ruled by a militant group called Hamas and Hamas won some elections back then they've never held any elections since then. And they are ideologically opposed to the existence of the State of Israel. And that differs from the West Bank, where that's governed by the Palestinian Authority,...

Buc-ee's to host groundbreaking ceremony for new Amarillo location

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:21 GMT

Buc-ee's to host groundbreaking ceremony for new Amarillo location AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) - After commuters in the Amarillo area may have noticed the appearance of building equipment and supplies at 9900 E I-40 in recent weeks, Buc-ee's announced that it will host an official groundbreaking ceremony for its incoming location.Buc-ee's detailed that the groundbreaking ceremony is expected to be held on Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. at the new location's site, and will include appearances by former and current city officials. Cinergy Entertainment Group buys closed Amarillo Regal Cinemas theater location According to Buc-ee's, its new Amarillo location will occupy 74,000 square feet and host 108 fueling positions and 24 EV charging stations. The company also noted that its location will bring at least 200 full-time jobs to the area, with "starting pay beginning well above minimum wage, full benefits, a 6% matching 401k, and three weeks of paid vacation." The groundbreaking will come as a major development in the Buc-ee's Amarillo project, which was first ...

Austin City Council member asks attorney general to revisit ruling on police oversight access

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:21 GMT

Austin City Council member asks attorney general to revisit ruling on police oversight access Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for Oct. 10, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Council Member Mackenzie Kelly is asking the Texas attorney general's office to reconsider a ruling that could give the Austin Office of Police Oversight more access to police files, according to a letter obtained by KXAN through a public information request. "The opinion in question, dated September 18, 2023, could have significant impact on the operational capacity of the Austin Police Department (APD) as it related to publicly disclosed information related to APD's personnel G-File," the council member wrote. "The security of the G-File is a necessary component to operate an efficient modern municipal police department," she continued. The original ruling from the Attorney General’s Office came tied to a public information request for the contents of an officer’s personnel file. The ruling allowed for information, which previously could not be released under state law, to be rel...

Williamson County EMS going digital when it comes to patient info

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:21 GMT

Williamson County EMS going digital when it comes to patient info WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – Williamson County EMS said Tuesday first responders and hospitals in the county are using an app to communicate patient information to area hospitals. The county said the Pulsara App replaces radio reports and phone calls between paramedics and hospitals and can provide faster treatment and better patient care. According to the county, the system will be fully implemented by the beginning of November.Pulsara App (courtesy: Williamson County Public Information Office)“We are thrilled to incorporate this technology into the care we deliver. It enables us to promptly and efficiently notify the hospital of our arrival, facilitating a smoother process,” said Williamson County EMS Director Mike Knipstein in a statement to KXAN. “In addition, it grants us the capability to securely transmit patient information to the hospital, enabling them to activate various service lines, ultimately expediting our patients' care. “