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Joran van der Sloot is expected to plead guilty in an extortion case today – and may be forced to give details on Natalee Holloway’s death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:35 GMT

(CNN) — Almost two decades after Alabama teen Natalee Holloway vanished in Aruba, the prime suspect in her disappearance might soon reveal long-awaited details about how she died.Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot is also accused of extorting and defrauding the teen’s mother. He is expected to enter a guilty plea to US federal charges in that case at a Wednesday hearing, Holloway family attorney John Q. Kelly said.It’s not clear what specific charges in the extortion case he will plead guilty to, or what the sentence will be. But Kelly confirmed to CNN that van der Sloot intends to plead guilty in connection to the case.As a condition of a plea deal, van der Sloot is required to say how Holloway died and how her body was disposed of, Kelly told NBC’s “Today” show.“There won’t be any further investigation or search … for Natalee’s remains,” Kelly said on “Today.”Beth Holloway, Natalee’s mother, will hold a news conference after the hearing to share what van der Sloot to...

Chicago Bears Q&A: Why haven’t we heard from Kevin Warren? What are the chances they land 2 top-5 picks?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:35 GMT

The Chicago Bears’ winning ways were short-lived as they dropped to 1-5 with a 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings — and lost quarterback Justin Fields to a dislocated right thumb in the process.As the Bears prepare to take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at Soldier Field (noon, Fox-32) with Fields doubtful to play, the Tribune’s Brad Biggs opens the weekly Bears mailbag.Where is Kevin Warren? Wasn’t he hired for this exact reason? Once again, the Bears’ total incompetence from the top down is an embarrassment to the fan base. — @heapbigWhat would you propose Warren do right now? It would be great if he could rush the quarterback or fill one of the holes created by injuries on the offensive line. But he was a basketball player in college.I’m pretty certain Warren’s No. 1 order of business is the new stadium initiative, which seems sort of stalled months after the team finalized its purchase of the land in Arlington Heights. ...

Bill Belichick isn’t telling Bills how Patriots plan to use Malik Cunningham

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:35 GMT

FOXBORO — Sunday barely served as an appetizer for those clamoring to see how Malik Cunningham will look under center in the Patriots’ offense.Cunningham served as Mac Jones’ backup quarterback in the Patriots’ 21-17 loss to the Raiders in Week 6, but he played just six snaps with three coming at quarterback. He was sacked in his only dropback and didn’t receive any rushing attempts.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots-Raiders film review: Mac Jones’ offense proving beyond repair despite improvement New England Patriots | Mac Jones details what he saw on Patriots costly last-minute safety New England Patriots | Important Patriots QB question remains a mystery New England Patriots | Is Kendrick Bourne playing his final games with the Patriots? New England Patriots | How Patriots’ Jabrill Peppers avoided flag on big hit on Davante Adams Earlier this week...

Column: Why backup quarterbacks are traditionally a Chicago Bears fan’s best friend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:35 GMT

Sitting in the north end zone of Soldier Field on Sunday during the third quarter of the Chicago Bears game with the Minnesota Vikings, I noticed quarterback Justin Fields heading toward the exit holding his right hand.I nudged one of my friends and pointed to Fields.“We (bleeped) now,” he said.Neither of us had any idea Fields had been injured on a previous play, and we weren’t really sure who the backup was that day. Would it be the guy called “the Peterman” or the rookie whose first name escaped us?It turned out to be the rookie, Tyson Bagent, who would be making his NFL debut.We were all excited to witness the start of the Bagent era, knowing it couldn’t be much worse than the current era, or any recent era for that matter.Bagent fumbled the ball away on the first series, but eventually righted himself and led a spirited fourth-quarter comeback that had Soldier Field rocking. I flashed back to my favorite unknown quarterback, Kent Nix, c...

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov arrives in North Korea in the wake of a reported weapons transfer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:35 GMT

By The Associated PressRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in North Korea on Wednesday, just days after the U.S. said Pyongyang had transferred munition to Moscow for its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian state news agency RIA Novosti posted a video of a crowd greeting Lavrov in the pouring rain in Pyongyang alongside a welcoming party waving pom poms. Shortly after arriving, Lavrov said his visit was an opportunity to discuss implementing the agreements President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had signed when they met at Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome in September, according to Russian state news agency Tass. Lavrov also said Russia highly appreciates North Korea’s “principled, unequivocal support for Russia’s actions” in Ukraine. Earlier in the week, Lavrov accompanied Putin on a visit to Beijing that underscored Chinese support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. The White House said on Friday that North Korea has deli...

Live updates | Israel OKs limited aid for Gaza as regional tensions rise following hospital blast

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:35 GMT

By The Associated PressPresident Joe Biden is in Israel on an urgent mission to keep the Israel-Hamas war from spiraling into a broader regional conflict. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that limited humanitarian aid would be allowed into Gaza from Egypt following a request from Biden.The president’s visit came after hundreds of people were reported killed in an explosion at a Gaza Strip hospital. There were conflicting claims of who was responsible for the hospital blast. Officials in Gaza quickly blamed an Israeli airstrike. Israel denied it was involved and released a flurry of video, audio and other information that it said showed the blast was due to a missile misfire by Islamic Jihad, another militant group operating in Gaza. The Islamic Jihad dismissed that claim.The Associated Press has not independently verified any of the claims or evidence released by the parties.The war that began Oct. 7 has become the deadliest of five Gaza w...

Biden says Israel has agreed to allow humanitarian assistance to move into Gaza from Egypt

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:35 GMT

By AAMER MADHANI and COLLEEN LONG (Associated Press)TEL AVIV, Israel to (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Israel had agreed to allow humanitarian assistance to begin flowing into Gaza from Egypt with the understanding it would be subject to inspections and that it should go to civilians and not Hamas militants. In remarks from Tel Aviv where the president had gone to show support for Israel following a brutal and deadly Oct. 7 terrorist attack that killed roughly 1,400 people, Biden cautioned the nation against all-consuming rage. Israel cut off the flow of food, fuel and water in Gaza following the attack. Mediators have been struggling to break a deadlock over providing supplies to desperate civilians, aid groups and hospitals. Biden said that he had spoken with the Israeli cabinet “to agree to the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance of civilians in Gaza.” “Let me be clear,” Biden said. If Hamas diverts or steals the assi...

Body found as crews respond to vegetation fire off Interstate 5

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:35 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A vegetation fire off Interstate 5 led to the discovery of a dead body Wednesday morning, the Highway California Patrol confirmed to FOX 5.CHP says a call came in around 4:55 a.m. reporting a deceased individual was found in the area of the State Route 905 eastbound connector, near Beyer Boulevard. 1 person dead, another wounded in South Bay shooting San Diego Fire-Rescue crews are still on the scene of the fire.There is no further information at this time. CHP is handing the investigation.This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

People of African ancestry are poorly represented in genetic studies. A new effort would change that

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:35 GMT

Scientists are setting out to collect genetic material from 500,000 people of African ancestry to create what they believe will be the world’s largest database of genomic information from the population.The hope is to build a new “reference genome” — a template to compare to full sets of DNA from individuals — and better understand genetic variants that affect Black people. It could eventually translate into new medicines and diagnostic tests — and help reduce health disparities.The initiative was launched Wednesday by Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, as well as Regeneron Genetics Center, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk and Roche. The pharmaceutical companies are providing the funding, while the data will be managed by a nonprofit started by Meharry, called the Diaspora Human Genomics Institute. Organizers said there’s a clear need for the project, pointing to research showing that less than 2% of genetic information being studied today comes from people of African ancestr...

Movie Review: Scorsese’s epic ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is sweeping tale of greed, richly told

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:40:35 GMT

There tends to be lots of fast talking and fast moving in Martin Scorsese films, often from shifty types trying to get away with something. Or sometimes, simply because the master filmmaker has so much to pack in.But in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” everything seems to slow down, and especially when the camera lands on Lily Gladstone. As Mollie, the Osage woman at the heart of this sprawling, real-life tale of greed and treachery on a scale both broad and intimate, Gladstone is the quiet, powerful center — taking her time, letting her eyes do the work, and unafraid of silence.It’s a beautifully cadenced performance, all the more impressive because Gladstone’s sharing the screen with two of our most celebrated actors. Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro both turn in superb work for their legendary director, appearing together for the first time in 30 years. But Gladstone, in the rare Scorsese film that gives center stage to a female character, is the emotional core here, and it’s he...