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SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches X-37B plane, one of the US military’s most fascinating secrets

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:32:59 GMT

(CNN) — SpaceX’s hulking Falcon Heavy rocket returned to the skies Thursday evening, and this time it launched a mysterious spacecraft for the US military that will carry out cutting-edge research.The rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 8:07 p.m. ET, carrying the military’s X-37B space plane — which is uncrewed and operates autonomously — to unprecedented altitudes. The launch streamed live on SpaceX’s website. The side boosters returned to Earth and safely touched down.It is not clear, however, exactly where the space plane is going.The X-37B’s activities in space have long been the subject of fascination and speculation in the space community as amateur enthusiasts race to track its whereabouts and share theories about its activities.Resembling a miniature NASA space shuttle with the windows blacked out, the reusable and fully autonomous X-37B has been known to carry out research on concepts such as relaying solar energy from space for use back on...

Domestic shooting in Miramar leaves 1 dead; suspect in custody

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:32:59 GMT

Miramar police are investigating a domestic shooting that unfolded in a residential area, resulting in the loss of one life. The incident occurred on Southwest 39th Street and 62nd Avenue where a significant police presence was evident . Live footage from the scene captured evidence markers on the ground as authorities blocked off portions of the neighborhood.Miramar Police have confirmed that the shooting was domestic in nature. The suspected shooter is now in custody, having remained at the scene after the incident and is reportedly cooperating with the investigation.The victim, a man, was being transported to the hospital by his ex-girlfriend when she urgently called 911 for assistance. Despite paramedics arriving quickly, the man succumbed to his injuries.According to police, both the shooter and the victim had a romantic history with the same woman. The suspected shooter is the current boyfriend of the woman who drove the victim to the hospital, while the deceased was her form...

Ukraine’s hopes for victory fade in the face of waning Western support and Putin’s relentless war machine

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:32:59 GMT

(CNN) — A year ago, a resolute President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled direct from the battlefield of Bakhmut to address the US Congress and meet with President Joe Biden. He was feted as a hero; Ukraine’s determination to resist Russian aggression met with strong bipartisan backing in Washington.One year on, the outlook looks much grimmer. A long-anticipated Ukrainian offensive in the south has made scant progress. Russia appears to have weathered international sanctions, for now, and has converted its economy into a war machine.The Russian way of war, absorbing hideous losses of men and materiel but throwing yet more into the fight, has blunted the Ukrainian military’s tactical and technological edge, as its top general admitted in a candid essay last month.The mood in Moscow seems grimly determined: the goals of the “special military operation” will be achieved, and the fighting will continue until they are.As the long frontline becomes ever more calcified, the ...

Elon Musk and these other 9 bosses had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad 2023

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:32:59 GMT

New York (CNN) — For some top executives, 2023 is a year they would rather forget.Some of their companies lost billions of dollars. Some have lost their jobs. And others badly damaged their reputations and face even more trouble ahead in 2024.CNN Business ended the year celebrating Microsoft’s Satya Nadella as CEO of the year, Taylor Swift as business leader of the year and tapped United Auto Workers union President Shawn Fain as its first labor leader of the year. But it seemed only fair to note 10 CEOs and chairpersons for whom 2023 did not go as well as planned.Elon MuskIn some ways, Elon Musk had a much better year than your typical CEO, let alone the other members of this group.Tesla: Shares of Tesla, his most profitable company, more than doubled this year, recapturing more than half of the value they lost during a disastrous 2022. Tesla has already topped its previous annual sales record in just the first three quarters of the year...

Massive California waves injure some onlookers and bring flooding, treacherous beach conditions up the West coast

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:32:59 GMT

(CNN) — A powerful offshore storm is driving towering waves into the California coastline, triggering flooding and warnings of dangerous and damaging swells after several people were injured by a wave along Ventura beach on Thursday.The wave crashed over a barrier along the southern California beach, tossing a wall of fast-moving water at a group of onlookers who rushed to escape the deluge, witness video shows. Seawater quickly knocked some people off their feet and pummeled cars as drivers tried to speed away.Nearly 20 people were briefly swept away in the incident and eight people were taken to the hospital, Ventura officials said.High water and dangerous rip currents will churn along some of California’s beaches through the weekend as much of the West coast – spanning from the US-Mexico border to southern Oregon – is under coastal flood and high-surf alerts, the National Weather Service said.Waves as high as telephone poles – about 40 feet – could slam i...

Column: How does this Chicago Bears run defense match up with dominant teams of the past? The numbers don’t lie.

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:32:59 GMT

There is a link between the 2023 Chicago Bears and past teams, including the division champions in 2018 and 2001 and even the Super Bowl XX champions of 1985.The run defense this season is every bit as good as it was for the dominant defenses of those successful teams. In fact, with two games remaining, Matt Eberflus’ team has a shot at being the best run defense in Bears history, a remarkable possibility when considering last year’s team ranked 31st in the NFL allowing 157.3 yards per game, the organization’s second-worst season in the Super Bowl era (161.4 yards per game in 2013).It’s the same scheme — a base Tampa Two defense that, historically can have a weakness against the run — with mostly the same coaches and many of the same players. General manager Ryan Poles wasn’t oblivious to the problem a year ago when five opponents rushed for 200 or more yards against the Bears.He responded by bucking up at the linebacker position and signing...

1 dead after truck hits several people in city in southern Germany

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:32:59 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — One person is dead after a truck struck several people in southern Germany on Friday morning, police said.The 63-year old truck driver struck a group of five people close to the railway station in downtown Passau, police said in a statement. A 37-year old woman died of her injuries at the site and the other four pedestrians were severely injured, including the 11-year-old child of the woman killed, police said.The truck driver was injured and taken to a hospital.A spokeswoman told German news agency dpa that police are “currently assuming that this was an accident situation.” Police said an investigation was ongoing.The Associated Press

France heightens security for New Year’s Eve, with 90,000 police officers to be mobilized

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:32:59 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Security will be tight across France on New Year’s Eve, with 90,000 law enforcement officers set to be deployed, domestic intelligence chief Céline Berthon said Friday.Of those, 6,000 will be in Paris, where French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said over 1.5 million people are expected to attend celebrations on the Champs-Elysees.Speaking at a press conference, Darmanin cited a “very high terrorist threat” because, in part, of “what is happening in Israel and Palestine.”Darmanin said that police for the first time will be able to use drones as part of security work, and that tens of thousands of firefighters and 5,000 soldiers would also be deployed.New Year’s Eve celebrations in Paris will center on the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, including DJ sets, fireworks and video projections on the Arc de Triomphe.The security challenge ahead of the Olympics was highlighted when a tourist was killed in a knife attack near the Eiffel Tower on Dec. 2. Large-scale attacks — such a...

What stores are open and closed for New Year’s Eve 2023? See hours for Walmart, Target, CVS and more

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:32:59 GMT

It’s just about time to celebrate New Year’s Eve and say goodbye to 2023. Preparing for a midnight toast and more year-end festivities may require a run or two to the store — but it’s wise to expect some limited business hours. While a handful of major chains operate normally on the final day of the year, many others close up shop early. Much of this depends on location and each company’s policy — so when in doubt, call ahead or check online for more specific schedules near you.Here’s a rundown of New Year’s Eve hours for stores across the U.S. this year.WALMART NEW YEAR’S EVE HOURSWalmart is open with regular operating hours on New Year’s Eve.TARGET NEW YEAR’S EVE HOURSMost Target stores will close at 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.COSTCO NEW YEAR’S EVE HOURSCostco’s warehouses will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, although hours may vary between locations. You can check local hours here.CVS NEW YEARR...

Poland says an unidentified object has entered its airspace from Ukraine. A search is underway

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 08:32:59 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s armed forces said Friday an unknown airborne object entered the country’s airspace from the direction of Ukraine and subsequently vanished off radars.The Operational Command of the Armed Forces said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that the unidentified airborne object was observed by radars of Poland’s air defense system from the moment it crossed the border until the signal disappeared.It said troops have been mobilized to identify and find the object.Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened a meeting with the defense minister, military commanders and heads of national security bodies, to be followed by a meeting of the National Security Bureau.There were no immediate reports of any explosion or casualties.The governor of Lublin province in eastern Poland, Krzysztof Komorski, told the Onet news portal that the unidentified object appeared on radars near the town of Hrubieszow, where a border crossing with Ukraine is located. Komor...