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She won her sexual assault case. Now she hopes the Japanese military changes so others don’t suffer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Rina Gonoi came forward in summer 2022 to demand a reinvestigation of the case that authorities dropped nearly a year earlier, saying the sexual assault caused her to give up her military career. Now, with her court case won and widespread problems uncovered in the organization, she hopes Japan’s Self Defense Force will be reborn as a place where everyone can easily speak up against harassment.“I could not put (the assaults) behind as if nothing happened, and because of my appreciation for the Self Defense Force, I wanted them to become a better organization,” Gonoi told reporters Wednesday in Tokyo. Gonoi said she had mixed feelings about speaking up against her former workplace, but she was compelled to because she didn’t want to see anyone else quitting from the same pain. As a child, she witnessed the army’s disaster relief work firsthand after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami struck her hometown in Miyagi prefecture, directly north of Fukushima where the...

Tesla recalls nearly all vehicles sold in US to fix system that monitors drivers using Autopilot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Tesla is recalling nearly all of the vehicles it sold in the U.S., more than 2 million across its model lineup, to fix a defective system that’s supposed to ensure drivers are paying attention when they use Autopilot. Documents posted Wednesday by U.S. safety regulators say the company will send out a software update to fix the problems.The recall comes after a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into a series of crashes that happened while the Autopilot partially automated driving system was in use. Some were deadly. The agency says its investigation found Autopilot’s method of ensuring that drivers are paying attention can be inadequate and can lead to foreseeable misuse of the system.The recall covers models Y, S, 3 and X produced between Oct. 5, 2012, and Dec. 7 of this year.The software update includes additional controls and alerts “to further encourage the driver to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility...

Police identify 14-year-old boy, 65-year-old man in Chicago Lawn shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

CHICAGO — A 14-year-old boy and a 65-year-old man are dead after a shooting on the city's Southwest Side.Chicago police say the deadly shooting happened just before 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the 3500 block of West 61st Place in Chicago Lawn. Police seek help identifying woman found dead after south suburban fire According to police, the victims were standing outside in the area, when a grey vehicle approached and two men inside opened fire. Officers say the 14-year-old boy, who has been identified as Juan Medina Jr., suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene.The man, who has been identified as Mario Medina, was taken to the hospital in critical condition and later succumbed to his injuries. Police say the vehicle was spotted fleeing westbound on 61st Place. 2 hospitalized after crash involving school bus in Glenview Currently, it is unclear what led to the shooting and police say an investigation is underway. Anyone with information that could help aut...

Secret origins of Geminids meteor shower revealed by new research

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- One of the most spectacular shows of the year will be on display this week: the Geminids meteor shower. According to NASA, the Geminids peak each December on the 13th and 14th. Stargazers can see up to 120 meteors per hour during the show.This meteor shower is a little different than your typical meteor shower."Most (meteor) streams are formed by comets regularly passing by the sun. As they do that they release a bunch of material," said Jamey Szalay, a research scientist with Princeton University. According to Szalay, the Geminids were formed from the remnants of 3200 Phaethon. "It probably all formed very rapidly and catastrophically."New research from Princeton University has revealed potentially how this happened.How to create a meteor showerWhen a comet orbits the sun, its icy shell melts and leaves behind a trail or tube of debris. "When (the) Earth flies through the tube, the meteors in that tube hit Earth and we see them as streaks in our sky," said Wolf Cuk...

Nicholas Kristof: The old new way to provide cheap housing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

Homelessness is an American tragedy, but it’s not hopeless. In a recent column, I explored how Houston has become a national model by reducing homelessness by more than 60%.One takeaway is that homelessness, above all, reflects a shortage of cheap housing. So I’m intrigued by an approach to providing such housing that’s gaining ground around the country. It’s an idea so old, it seems new: converting single-family houses to rooming houses.Rooming houses, boardinghouses or single room occupancy (SRO) hotels used to be ubiquitous. President Thomas Jefferson stayed in a boardinghouse for several months before moving into the White House. At the seedier end, SROs largely disappeared over the past half-century, partly because of zoning and economic development projects.In Houston I dropped in on a home operated by PadSplit, a company that offers furnished bedrooms for working-class Americans. PadSplit, which is something like a long-term Airbnb for rooming houses, has housed 22,000 people...

Seven brilliant cookies to keep your holidays bright

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

A great cookie platter should excite and inspire, from first electric sight to last delicious bite. Every December, New York Times Cooking unveils showstopping cookies and videos for our annual Cookie Week. This year’s class is especially dazzling, with chewy gingerbread blondies, buttery lemon swoops and spicy hot chocolate crinkles, to name a few. Check out these recipes, then make one — or make them all.Technicolor CookiesTechnicolor Cookies. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. (Johnny Miller/The New York Times)Cookies artfully decorated with royal icing are a holiday classic, but their fine details and beautiful colors can take hours to achieve. Not with these gorgeous cookies. Once the icing is made and stained, it takes only a few minutes to decorate. The icing is simply poured over the cookies, a technique inspired by the one used to pour swirly colors of mirror glaze over smooth cakes. (For a quicker alternative to royal icing, simply dip or drizzle the cookies with melted c...

5 things to know this Wednesday, December 13

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Happy humpday! According to Meteorologist Jill Szwed, we can expect some festive weather for the next two days with chilly air blowing and setting up lake-effect snow showers off of Lake Ontario. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! New York’s highest court on Tuesday ordered the state to draw new congressional districts ahead of the 2024 elections, giving Democrats a potential advantage in what is expected to be a battleground for control of the U.S. House. Meanwhile, a small business in Saratoga Springs temporarily closed after thieves stole what the owner says was hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise. These stories, and more, are covered in your five things to know this Wednesday morning. 1. New York’s high court orders new congressional maps as Democrats move to retake control of US HouseNew York’s highest court on Tuesday ordered the state to draw new congressional districts ahead of the 2024 electi...

Downed pole & wires close all lanes on US 9 in Halfmoon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

HALFMOON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- According to 511 NY, a downed pole and downed wires on US 9 have closed all lanes in both directions between Halfmoon Xing and Sitterly Road. Drivers in the area should seek alternate routes.Check out NEWS10's traffic tracker. You can plan your route and see traffic delays in real-time!NEWS10 is working to find out more regarding the downed poles. Stick with NEWS10 as more information becomes available.

Ask Amy: Patience with the elderly in-laws is waning

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

Dear Amy: My in-laws are wonderful people. They are now elderly.Their complaint over the past five years is that I have no patience with them.This has bled over into my relationship with my wife, who complains that I always have to be the smartest person in the room.Couples counseling proved unfulfilling and solved nothing, because things are even-keeled in our marriage until her parents become involved.How do you go about finding a good psychotherapist?I have not had much luck in doing so.After all, I apparently have a serious problem.I have come to believe that I am incompatible with the human race.— IncompatibleDear Incompatible: Reading somewhat into your query, I sense a distinct “smartest person in the room” vibe. (But wait — this is supposed to be my room!)So first, this: Successful counseling depends to a large degree on you surrendering to the process. This requires a level of humility, along with a willingness to work the program, as well as submitting to a sin...

New indicators on childcare participation and intensity

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

In 2022, 69.3% of children aged from 3 years to the minimum compulsory school age in the EU participated in formal childcare or education for at least 25 hours per week. Within this age group, 12.4% of children were not involved in formal childcare (zero hours), while 18.2% participated in formal childcare for up to 24 hours per week.Children at risk of poverty and social exclusion (AROPE) of the same age group showed lower rates of participation in formal childcare or education. Specifically, 58.5% participated in formal childcare or education for at least 25 hours per week, as opposed to 72.7% of children not at risk. Moreover, 18.8% of the children at risk did not participate in formal childcare (10.5% of non-AROPE children) and 22.6% participated in formal childcare up to 24 hours a week (16.9% of non-AROPE children).This data is available through a new indicator for measuring ‘Children in formal childcare or education by age group and duration’ published by Eurostat. Source dat...