List of All Articles with Tag 'erica'

He is responding to a heckler's demand for a ceasefire in a war which has claimed thousands of lives.

Natalie Raanan and her mother Judith were visiting family in Israel when they were taken hostage on 7 October.

The FBI has been alerted over online posts that used slurs about Jewish students at the New York college.

Irish police say two women are being treated in hospital for serious injuries after a dog attack.

Biden's statement comes days after collisions between Filipino and Chinese ships in the South China Sea.

Students at the Oregon State University were warned to “avoid all robots” following a bomb threat prank involving automated food delivery machines on campus. The threat was made by a student on Tuesday via social media, causing university staff to issue the urgent warning. “Bomb Threat in Starship food delivery robots. Do not open robots. Avoid all robots until further notice. Public Safety is responding,” the institute wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. The university later provided several updates on the unfolding situation, saying that the robots had been isolated in a “safe location” before being inspected by a technician. Students were advised to “remain vigilant for suspicious activity”. The emergency was declared over just before 2pm local time with “normal activities” resuming. “All robots have been inspected and cleared. They will be back in service by 4pm today,” the university later wrote online. Starship, the company that designs the robots, said that despite the student’s subsequent admission that the bomb threat had been “a joke”, it had suspended the service while investigations were ongoing. In its own statement, the company wrote: “A student at Oregon State University sent a bomb threat, via social media, that involved Starship’s robots on the campus. “While the student has subsequently stated this is a joke and a prank, Starship suspended the service. “Safety is of the utmost importance to Starship and we are cooperating with law enforcement and the university during this investigation.” Read More University of Michigan slithers toward history with massive acquisition of jarred snake specimens Trump boasts that he ‘killed’ Tom Emmer’s speaker bid ‘Bandaid on an open chest wound’: Democrats mock latest speaker chaos

Autonomous carmaker Cruise must suspend its driverless taxi operations in California immediately, state motor vehicles regulators announced on Tuesday. "The California DMV today notified Cruise that the department is suspending Cruise’s autonomous vehicle deployment and driverless testing permits, effective immediately,” the state Department of Motor Vehicles said in a statement. “The DMV has provided Cruise with the steps need to apply to reinstate its suspended permits, which the DMV will not approve until the company has fulfilled the requirements to the department’s satisfaction.” The regulator said it has the right to pull back permissions when “there is an unreasonable risk to public safety.” The suspension, which only applies to Cruise trips where no human safety driver is onboard the vehicle, follows an incident earlier this month, where a woman in San Francisco was struck by a human driver in a hit-and-run accident that propelled her into the path of a Cruise robotaxi. “Ultimately, we develop and deploy autonomous vehicles in an effort to save lives,” Cruise said in a statement to ABC7. “In the incident being reviewed by the DMV, a human hit and run driver tragically struck and propelled the pedestrian into the path of the AV. The AV braked aggressively before impact and because it detected a collision, it attempted to pull over to avoid further safety issues. When the AV tried to pull over, it continued before coming to a final stop, pulling the pedestrian forward.” “Our thoughts continue to be with the victim as we hope for a rapid and complete recovery,” the company added. The suspension is a major blow to Cruise, which is owned by General Motors. Alongside Waymo, a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet, Cruise saw California, and in particular San Francisco, as a key testing ground of driverless taxi technology. The companies both got permission from state regulators in August to conduct paid taxi service 24/7 without a safety driver in San Francisco, despite vigorous debate in the city over whether the AVs were safe enough to operate. The rollout of robotaxis in San Francisco has been marred with problems. Driverless cars, in particular Cruise taxis, were accused of causing traffic and impeding first responders. According to data Cruise shared with the state in August, between January and mid-July of 2023, Cruise AVs temporarily malfunctioned or shut down 177 times and required recovery, 26 of which such incidents occurred with a passenger inside, while Waymo recorded 58 such events in a similar time frame. Meanwhile, according to the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency (SFMTA), between April 2022 and April 2023, Cruise and Waymo vehicles have been involved in over 300 incidents of irregular driving including unexpected stops and collisions, while the San Francisco Fire Department says AVs have interfered 55 times in their work in 2023. Last year, Cruise lost contact with its entire fleet for 20 minutes according to internal documentation viewed by WIRED, and an anonymous employee warned California regulators that year the company loses touch with its vehicles “with regularity.” Since being rolled out in San Francisco, robotaxis have killed a dog, caused a mile-long traffic jam during rush hour, blocked a traffic lane as officials responded to a shooting, and driven over fire hoses. Jeffrey Tumlin, San Francisco’s director of transportation, has called the rollout of robotaxis a “race to the bottom,” arguing Cruise and Waymo weren’t yet definitive transit solutions, and instead had only “met the requirements for a learner’s permit.” Others have argued the introduction of driverless cars in San Francisco and beyond will further displace workers pushed out of the taxi industry by companies like Uber and Lyft. Read More Live updates: Republicans nominate Tom Emmer for House speaker New doc on the wrestling abuse that dogged Jim Jordan’s Speaker run Trump slams ‘Globalist RINO’ Tom Emmer after speaker nomination win Live updates: Republicans nominate Tom Emmer for House speaker New doc on the wrestling abuse that dogged Jim Jordan’s Speaker run Trump slams ‘Globalist RINO’ Tom Emmer after speaker nomination win

By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith has withdrawn a subpoena seeking records about fundraising by

Ukrainian special forces reported on Tuesday that they had struck two Russian military airfields, following the first-time deployment of long-range ballistic missiles supplied by the US. The details of the weapons’ delivery has been shrouded in secrecy – unlike previous aid provided to Ukraine from the Biden Administration. The missiles – which Ukraine has reportedly been petitioning the US to deliver for months – may prove key to helping Ukrainian forces in the months of conflict ahead. Here’s what we know. What are ATACMS and why does Ukraine need them? The Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) is a long-range guided missile that gives operational commanders the “immediate firepower to win the deep battle”. Produced by US global security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin, the missiles carry a 500lb (227kg) class blast fragmentation warhead. The weapons are fitted with a specialised GPS system and have a maximum range of 300km (around 190 miles) – though the ones supplied to Ukraine have a shorter range and carry cluster munitions. When fired, the clusters open in the air, releasing hundreds of bomblets rather than a single warhead. Ukraine says the missiles will help fuel their counteroffensive as it heads into the muddy and colder winter months, enabling troops to strike behind Russian lines while staying out of firing range. The ATACMS have been key in Ukraine’s ability to hit an airfield in Berdyansk since it is within striking distance of the shorter-range version of the missile, and the cluster munitions would be effective in hitting multiple targets. The closest Ukrainian troop positions on the western bank of the Dnieper River are just about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Berdyansk. What have they been used for? On Tuesday, president Zelensky confirmed the ATACMS had been used on the battlefield against Russia and "executed very accurately” during an offensive known as “Operation Dragonfly”. Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces claimed that a nighttime attack on targets in eastern and southern Ukraine destroyed nine Russian helicopters and other military equipment and personnel at two airfields in Russia-occupied regions – including the one at Berdyansk. The missiles also struck an airfield in Luhansk, an occupied city in eastern Ukraine. The special forces also managed to successfully damage airfield runways, Ukraine said. “The ammunition depot in Berdyansk detonated until 4am. The detonation in Luhansk continued until 11am,” Ukrainian Special Operations Forces said in a statement. “Losses in the enemy’s manpower amount to dozens of dead and wounded. Bodies are still being pulled from the rubble.” How many ATACMS has the US provided? After many months of dragging its feet, the Biden administration greenlit the delivery of a “small number” of the missiles last month, following continued pressure from Ukraine. The delivery of the missiles was made quietly and US officials have refused to discuss it publicly. The expectation was that the first public acknowledgment would come when the missiles were used on the battlefield. An official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity said the missiles got into Ukraine within the last few days. The US has refused to provide any details on how many missiles have been delivered, although officials had suggested that the plan was indeed to send a small number – roughly two dozen. During his Tuesday address, Mr Zelensky said: "Today I express special gratitude to the United States," adding that the missiles "have proven themselves." Why the secrecy? That intense secrecy is a marked change from previous US weapons sent by the Biden administration. In nearly all other cases, the US has publicly announced its decision prior to the weapons and equipment being shipped overseas. The hesitancy may be, in part, to do with the range of the missiles, with concerns that Kyiv could use the weapons to hit deep into Russian territory, enraging Moscow and escalating the conflict. Lingering US concerns about escalating tensions with Russia are reportedly the reason that the ATACMS version that went to Ukraine has a shorter range than the maximum distance the missiles can have. The small number of missiles sent also underscores the US reluctance to send the powerful weapons. Sending the cluster munition version will mark the second time the Democratic administration has moved to send that type of weapon. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin’s forces suffer blow as helicopters destroyed by missile strikes, says Kyiv Experts reveal what the winter will bring for the Ukraine war – and why Putin will be banking on Trump

The American public expresses deep sympathy for the Israeli people and broadly sees the Israeli government's military response to Hamas' attacks as justified, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, and two-thirds are at least somewhat worried the fighting between Israel and Hamas could lead to terrorism in the US.

For Israelis and Palestinians alike, the world has been upended in a matter of days. For them, along with anxious loved ones across the United States, a terrifying new reality is starting to set in: A sense of impending doom, loss and uncertainty.

The White House said it was “running out of runway” on supporting both Ukraine and Israel as US Republican lawmakers warned they would protest any funding request for military aid from the Biden administration for the two crisis-hit nations. “I think in the immediate term, right now, we can continue to support – with the authorities in the appropriations we have – Israel and Ukraine. But, you know, we’re ... certainly running out of runway,” said John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council. Mr Kirby was answering a question at a daily briefing on the administration meeting the immediate needs of Ukraine and Israel along with the continuing fight to elect a House Speaker. Mr Kirby said the US administration had the means to support both Israel and Ukraine in the near term. “But you don’t want to be trying to bake in long-term support when you’re at the end of the rope,” he said on Wednesday. “And on the Ukraine funding, we’re coming near to the end of the rope. I mean, today we announced $200mn, and we’ll keep that aid going as long as we can, but it’s not going to be indefinite,” he said, adding that the US is moving with “a sense of alacrity”. He added a certain date could not be put on “near term” because it hinged on Ukraine’s expenditure rate and replenishment ability. The National Security Council coordinator also said the House Speaker position was critical in terms of bringing legislation to the floor and moving things forward. “So the sooner that there’s a Speaker of the House, obviously, the more comfortable we’ll all be in terms of being able to support Israel and Ukraine,” he said. The White House has been considering a budget request tying money for these two conflicts together to increase the chances that the heavily-debated assistance for Ukraine will be approved. President Joe Biden on Tuesday called the attack in Israel “an act of sheer evil” and said that the US military assistance was being sent to help Israel in its fight. Saturday’s Hamas attack was “the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust”, he said. He told Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US will send more military assistance to help Israel fight Hamas. On Tuesday, he warned other countries and armed groups against entering the war. The US is already rushing munitions and military equipment to Israel and has deployed a carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean as deterrence. Read More Israel-Hamas war – live: IDF tanks and troops mass at Gaza border as soldiers prepare for attack order What is Hamas, and why did it attack Israel? All you need to know about militant group in Gaza A brief history of the Israel-Palestine conflict - explained How big is the Israeli military and what is the Iron Dome? White House walks back Biden comments that he had seen pictures of beheaded Israeli children