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James Harden’s tiebreaking 4-point play snaps Clippers’ 6-game skid, beats Rockets 106-100

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:20 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Harden hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer while getting fouled sending the Los Angeles Clippers to their first victory since his arrival and snapping their six-game losing streak with a 106-100 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night in the NBA In-Season Tournament.Harden dramatically drew the foul from Jae’Sean Tate and drilled his vintage 26-footer from atop the key with six seconds to play before completing the four-point play to secure the win for the Clippers, who had lost their first five games since acquiring Harden from Philadelphia.Kawhi Leonard added two free throws in the final second and finished with 26 points as the Clippers avoided their longest losing streak since Leonard and Paul George arrived in 2019. Harden had a season-high 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists against the Rockets, his team for nine seasons from 2013-21. George added 23 points and eight rebounds.Alperen Sengun had 23 points and eight rebounds for the Rockets, wh...

Sam Altman ousted from OpenAI

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:20 GMT

Sam Altman, often considered the face of the new wave of artificial intelligence — and an influential figure in the national AI policy debate — was removed from his role as CEO of OpenAI Friday.Altman’s departure comes after OpenAI’s board lost confidence in him, according to a blog post from the company.“Mr. Altman’s departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities,” according to the post. “The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.”Altman will be replaced by chief technology officer Mira Murati.Altman over the past several months has played an active role in shaping Washington’s response to AI, meeting personally with President Joe Biden and other CEOs, and testifying in a high-profile Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing in May.He has pushed Congress to pass laws to mitigate the catastroph...

Gaza communications blackout ends, giving rise to hope for the resumption of critical aid deliveries

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:20 GMT

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Internet and phone service was partially restored to the Gaza Strip on Saturday, ending a telecommunications blackout that forced the United Nations to shut down critical humanitarian aid deliveries because it was unable to coordinate its convoys.Meantime, an Israeli airstrike hit a residential building on the outskirts of the town of Khan Younis, killing at least 26 Palestinians, according to a doctor at the hospital where the bodies were taken. Early in the war, the Israeli military told civilians to flee northern Gaza, the target of its ground offensive, but also kept up its bombardment in the southern evacuation zone where Khan Younis is located. Israel has signaled plans to expand its offensive south while continuing operations in the north, including Gaza City, where troops were still searching the territory’s biggest hospital, Shifa, for traces of a Hamas command center that Israel alleges was located under the building — a claim Hamas and...

Gutsy playcalling pushes Los Gatos to CCS Division I semifinal victory at St. Ignatius: ‘Shoot, we’re going to play to win’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:20 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO – Los Gatos coach Mark Krail certainly isn’t averse to going for it on fourth down in certain circumstances.Los Gatos converted two pivotal fourth-down plays in the second half against host St. Ignatius during the Central Coast Section Division I second-round game Friday. The first produced the eventual game-winning touchdown by Boxer Kopcsak-Yeung in the third quarter; the second was for a key first down as Los Gatos ran out the clock in an eight-minute drive as it beat St. Ignatius 21-17.“Shoot, we’re going to play to win,” said Krail about the final fourth-down play, a fake punt for a 25-yard pass from Jaylen Thomas to Kopcsak-Yeung from the Los Gatos 32 with 5 minutes, 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter. “I didn’t want to put that much time on our defense to try to keep them out with one score. We thought we might have it; two big players made a play, Jaylen throwing the ball to Boxer. Those guys have been so good all year long, and it was no different tonight.”...

No doubt about it: Serra dominates Wilcox to claim CCS Open Division title

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:20 GMT

SAN JOSE — The Serra football team left no doubt. In regards to the Central Coast Section, there’s Serra, and then there’s everyone else.Serra won the CCS Open Division championship Friday at San Jose City College by a 63-27 margin over Wilcox.It was Serra’s fourth consecutive championship in the CCS’s top division.“A lot goes into the DNA of a championship,” Serra coach Patrick Walsh said. “But at the end of the day, it’s the players. These guys have exceeded everyone’s expectations. This senior class is arguably the best to ever play in the CCS. Everyone who watched us play got to see some of the most fantastic football players the San Francisco Peninsula has ever seen. I’m honored and proud they decided to come to Serra.”Serra (12-0) will almost assuredly have the next two weeks off before playing in the state championship game Dec. 9 against the Southern California finalist. The CIF will make the official an...

CIF state volleyball: Valley Christian, Crystal Springs Uplands win championships

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:20 GMT

ORANGE — Undersized but unfazed and undaunted, Valley Christian upended powerful Palos Verdes 25-20, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23 to win the CIF Division I state championship at Santiago Canyon College on Friday night.Charley Staats led the Warriors (26-10) with 26 kills and Addison Carbonara belted 21 kills, with freshman opposite Whitney Fleming contributing 12 kills.The CIF crown came in the Warriors’ first appearance since 2016, which capped a four-year run of three appearances with two titles. Both the 5-foot-7 Staats and 5-foot-9 Carbonara play libero in club volleyball, yet had success against a much taller SoCal powerhouse.“The key is being able to move the ball around and set the ball fast so as to not let the block set up,” Valley Christian setter Hailey Newell said.Palos Verdes (25-12) was led by Kendall Beshear with 30 kills and a .311 attack percentage. Beshear is a Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo commit whose club team won the 17s Open Division at Junior Nationals.Middle Daniela...

Israel investiga actos de violencia sexual cometidos por Hamas durante el horror del 7 de octubre

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:20 GMT

Nota del editor: esta historia contiene relatos gráficos y perturbadores de violencia sexual.(CNN) — La policía israelí está utilizando pruebas forenses, videos, testimonios de testigos e interrogatorios de sospechosos para documentar casos de violación durante los ataques de Hamas a Israel el 7 de octubre.Mujeres y niñas atrapadas en los ataques fueron víctimas de brutalidad sexual, tortura física y asesinato, según afirman los testigos.El superintendente de policía Dudi Katz declaró que los agentes han recogido más de 1.000 declaraciones y más de 60.000 videos relacionados con los ataques que incluyen relatos de personas que declararon haber visto mujeres violadas. Añadió que los investigadores no disponen de testimonios de primera mano y que no está claro si alguna de las víctimas de violación sobrevivió.Alrededor de 1.200 israelíes murieron y otros más resultaron heridos ese día en pueblos y granjas cercanos a Gaza cuando combatientes de Hamas pasaron a través de la fronte...

Netanyahu scrambles to quell revolt by far right over Gaza fuel

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:20 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel — Benjamin Netanyahu scrambled to quell a revolt by religious nationalists and settler leaders within his increasingly unruly governing coalition demanding he reverse a decision to let two fuel trucks per day enter Gaza — a concession the Israeli prime minister made amid growing U.S. and international pressure. Rebellious coalition partners demanded to have more say over the conduct of the war after Netanyahu’s decision was announced Friday. They argued there should be no delivery of fuel, however limited, to the Palestinian coastal enclave — or any other humanitarian concessions — until Hamas frees the 240 Israeli hostages the group seized on October 7, when gunmen launched an attack on southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people, Israeli officials say.Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right settler leader, insisted the war cabinet be expanded from three people, including Netanyahu, so that all seven parties in the coalition government have a s...

Daisaku Ikeda, head of global Japanese Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai, dies at 95

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:20 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Daisaku Ikeda, who headed Soka Gakkai, a Japanese Buddhist organization, that includes famed musician Herbie Hancock and other celebrities in its fold, has died at 95, the Japanese religious organization said Saturday.Ikeda died on Nov. 15 at his home in Tokyo, “from natural causes,” the group said in a statement, without giving details.Along with his two predecessors, Ikeda is credited with reviving Nichiren Buddhism in the modern age, making it more accessible for present-day practitioners by emphasizing a philosophy of goodness, respect for others and being happy and at peace.Soka Gakkai has been set up in 192 countries, drawing more than 8 million member households in Japan and nearly 3 million people outside Japan, according to the group.An educator, photographer and poet, Ikeda played a key role in spreading the teachings abroad, founding Soka Gakkai International in 1975.He met Josei Toda, the second president of Soka Gokkai, during the 1950s when Ikeda was just ...

B.C. New Democrats gather in Victoria for convention ahead of next year’s election

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:20 GMT

VICTORIA — British Columbia New Democrats gather in Victoria this weekend to debate policy and strategy at the party’s convention ahead of next year’s provincial election.Premier David Eby will address party delegates this afternoon.Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is expected to speak to delegates Sunday. Party officials say the weekend gathering marks the first in-person convention since 2019, and the first under Eby, who took over as party leader from former premier John Horgan last November.Eby’s first year as premier has seen the NDP introduce housing policy initiatives, public safety reforms and cost-of-living assistance measures.The B.C. election is scheduled for fall 2024.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2023.The Canadian Press