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By DIDI TANG, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has updated a decades-old science and technology agreement with China to reflect their growing rivalry for technological dominance. The new agreement, signed Friday after many months of negotiations, has a narrower scope and additional safeguards to minimize the risk to national security. The State Department said the agreement sustains intellectual property protections, establishes new guardrails to protect the safety and security of researchers and “advances U.S. interests through newly established and strengthened provisions on transparency and data reciprocity.” It covers only basic research and does not facilitate the development of critical and emerging technologies, the department said. This includes technologies related to artificial intelligence and quantum computing, which are considered crucial for economic strength and military supremacy. The first such agreement was signed in January 1979 when the two countries established diplomatic ties to counter the influence of the Soviet Union and when China severely lagged behind the U.S. and other Western nations in science and technology. The agreement was last extended in 2018, and given temporary extensions last year and this year to allow

Sacramento

Russia targets Ukrainian infrastructure with a massive attack by cruise missiles and drones

By ILLIA NOVIKOV, Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine on Friday, firing 93 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 drones, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, describing it as one of the heaviest bombardments of the country’s energy sector since Russia’s full-scale invasion almost three years ago. Ukrainian defenses shot down 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles that were intercepted by F-16 warplanes provided by Western allies earlier this year, Zelenskyy said. Russia is “terrorizing millions of people” with such assaults, he said on his Telegram channel, renewing his plea for international unity against Russian President Vladimir Putin. “A strong reaction from the world is needed: a massive strike – a massive reaction. This is the only way to stop terror,” Zelenskyy said. But uncertainty surrounds how the war might unfold next year. President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next month, has vowed to end the war and has thrown into doubt whether vital U.S. military support for Kyiv will continue. In Moscow, the Defense Ministry said the Russian military used long-range precision missiles and drones on

Far North

Music Tonight: Friday, Dec. 13

Here’s an unusually and fittingly outré gig for the final Friday the 13th of 2024. Visiting from Spain, the enigmatic, masked (and possibly haunted doll) LA NEUTRA is presenting a DJ-curated, mixtape trip called “March of the Trolls, Dance Exorcism.” Expect a wide range of globe-spanning music, including remixes of Indian and Arabic music, as well as reggae, dub, dubstep, and deep and heavy meditation dance trax. This one-of-a-kind sonic carnival will be going down at the Ocean Grove Lounge, providing an extra edge of deep woods, remote highway eeriness to the wham-a-lam. Music kicks off at 10 p.m. until late and it’s a mere $5 to get inside. Viva…

U.S.-backed forces worry ISIS could try to capitalize on Assad’s ouster

By Holly Williams, Erin Lyall Updated on: December 13, 2024 / 1:54 PM EST / CBS News ISIS threat in Syria after fall of regime Uncertainty in Syrian prison filled with ISIS supporters after fall of Assad regime 03:10 Eastern Syria — CBS News was among the first news outlets to speak on Thursday with Travis Timmerman , an American who was feared dead by family and friends, days after he was freed from a notorious prison in Syria . He said he had spent seven months jailed by the regime of now- ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad before rebels broke down his cell door. But he was just one of the many thousands of people locked up over half a century of iron-fisted rule by Assad, and his father before him. Many remain missing, and the rebel forces, along with the families of those who’ve disappeared without a trace, have mounted a herculean effort since Assad fled to Russia on Sunday to find those who vanished. But there’s one group of prisoners that Syria’s still-evolving, rebel-led leadership wants to keep behind bars. Five years ago

Eye Opener: New evidence behind killing of UHC CEO Brian Thompson

Eye Opener: New evidence behind killing of UHC CEO Brian Thompson – CBS News Watch CBS News New evidence in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson includes the movements of his accused killer. Meanwhile, inside Syria, efforts are ongoing to control ISIS after the fall of the Assad regime. All that and all that matters in today’s Eye Opener. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

President-elect Trump says he may not be able to deliver promise of lowering grocery prices

President-elect Trump says he may not be able to deliver promise of lowering grocery prices – CBS News Watch CBS News President-elect Donald Trump, who was named Time magazine 2024 Person of the Year, said in an interview with the magazine that it may be difficult to lower grocery prices, a cornerstone of his campaign. Trump also said one of his first official acts as president will be to pardon most of the Jan. 6 rioters. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

UnitedHealth leader addresses CEO murder, says health care system flawed

By Kerry Breen Updated on: December 13, 2024 / 9:45 AM EST / CBS News Police learning what suspect knew Investigators track movements of suspect before and after UnitedHealthcare CEO killing 03:22 The leader of UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, paid tribute to slain chief executive officer Brian Thompson and acknowledged that the health care system “does not work as well as it should” in an op-ed published in The New York Times on Friday. There has been an “enormous outpouring of support” for Thompson and his loved ones after the UHC leader was shot and killed in New York City, Andrew Witty, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group, wrote, but he said company employees have also faced threats and vitriol online. “No employees — be they the people who answer customer calls or nurses who visit patients in their homes — should have to fear for their and their loved ones’ safety,” Witty wrote. Witty said that he understood people’s frustrations with the health care system. Americans pay more than ever for health insurance, even as insurers are rejecting more than 1 in 5

Burglary suspect enters 2 homes on same night in Ventura County: Police

Police caught a burglary suspect accused of breaking into two homes Thursday night in Simi Valley. Officers first responded to a home in the 2200 block of Rolling River Lane after a resident called 911 around 7:15 p.m. to report that an unknown man had entered the home and walked upstairs. “The resident confronted the suspect, who then left the house,” the Simi Valley Police Department stated. Arriving officers were unable to locate the man but learned that the front door of the home was unlocked at the time of the incident. No property was reported missing, police said. About four hours later, a resident in the 4100 block of Eileen Street called police to report a similar incident. The suspect in that instance, believed to be the same man, also fled the home when confronted, investigators said. Officers established a perimeter and then deployed an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to help with the search. “The suspect was located in the backyard of a residence in the 4200 block of Helene Street,” police said. Officers took the man, identified as 39-year-old Matthew Scott of Simi

Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture

By JAIMIE DING | Associated Press LOS ANGELES — A former Syrian military official who oversaw a prison where alleged human rights abuses took place has been charged with several counts of torture after being arrested in July for visa fraud charges, authorities said Thursday. Samir Ousman al-Sheikh, who oversaw Syria’s infamous Adra Prison from 2005 to 2008 under recently ousted President Bashar Assad, was charged by a federal grand jury with several counts of torture and conspiracy to commit torture. “It’s a huge step toward justice,” said Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the U.S.-based Syrian Emergency Task Force. “Samir Ousman al-Sheikh’s trial will reiterate that the United States will not allow war criminals to come and live in the United States without accountability, even if their victims were not U.S. citizens.” Federal officials detained the 72-year-old in July at Los Angeles International Airport on charges of immigration fraud, specifically that he denied on his U.S. visa and citizenship applications that he had ever persecuted anyone in Syria, according to a criminal complaint. He had purchased a one-way plane ticket to depart LAX on July

Oakland faces tight deadline if it seeks to add a sales tax measure to upcoming special election to replace mayor

Oakland faces tight deadline if it seeks to add a sales tax measure to upcoming special election to replace mayor Possible spring ballot measures would tax parcels, local sales A packed City Council chambers awaits Mayor Sheng Thao’s first State of the City address at City Hall in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) “I want to consider the potential ramifications of the budget deficit,” said Councilmember Carroll Fife, “but also how taxpayers are feeling the implications of (it).” Originally Published: December 13, 2024 at 6:15 AM PST

Wish Book: Bay Area organization helps first-generation college students succeed

Karla Cisneros never imagined she would be able to attend college. She knew her parents wouldn’t be able to afford the tuition and no one in her family had ever pursued higher education. “Going to college was never in my plan,” she said. “We don’t have the ability even if we want to, due to financial situations. I never envisioned myself pursuing higher education.” Instead, the San Jose resident planned on graduating from high school and getting a job to help support her low-income family and raise her two youngest siblings. Five years later, Cisneros holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology, works two jobs — as a substitute teacher and a program coordinator at Sacred Heart Community Services — and owns a small business creating events and floral arrangements. Sisters Cindy, left, and Karla Cisneros, of San Jose are two PCF scholars, talk with potential donors at The Peninsula’s annual College Fund’s Annual Fall Fundraiser at Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club in Menlo Park, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) “Knowing where I’m at currently, it just feels like a

Monterey County man found guilty for attacking two brothers with an ax, killing one

Kevin James Powell of Greenfield has been found guilty of first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder, District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced Thursday morning. A jury found Powell guilty of the September 2022 attack which he carried through with an axe. On Sep. 14, 2022, the deceased victim and his brother were staying at a Motel 6 in King City while they were in town for work. The two were standing outside of the motel room when Powell pulled into the parking lot, got out and retrieved a three-foot ax from the backseat, according to a news release. As Powell ran up to attack the victims, one brother managed to get away with minor injuries. The victim tripped during the attack and suffered serious injuries. He later died at the hospital. According to the news release, Powell testified that he attacked the victims “due to methamphetamine-induced psychosis.” In addition to the murder charges, the jury found Powell used a deadly weapon and that the crimes involved “great violence, great bodily harm or a high degree of cruelty, viciousness or callousness.” During the trial, the court

King tides are back and what they’re telling us

MONTEREY – King tides return this weekend and with them a reminder of rising sea levels. “As sea level rises, the king tides will get higher and the potential damage that extreme high tides cause will be greater,” said Annie Kohut Frankel, grants and education manager at the California Coastal Commission. “Soon the places we love so much – the beaches, trails and coastal communities will be underwater or flooded at least twice a year.” When the earth, the moon and the sun all align in a straight line, there are higher tides due to the combined gravitational pulls of the moon and the sun. The moon orbits the earth in an ellipse, and so does the earth around the sun. Ellipses are not quite round, tending to be more oval-shaped, causing varying distances from the center to the diameter. Twice a year, when the earth is closest to the sun, while the moon is also closest to the earth, we get the highest high tide and also the lowest low tides. These are called king tides. King tides are often 1 to 2 feet

El paraatleta guatemalteco-persa Prince Mahboubian es la definición de perseverancia y resiliencia

Prince Mahboubian es la representación latente de la resiliencia y la riqueza cultural. Nacido en Los Ángeles y de ascendencia latina, Mahboubian, muestra un profundo respeto por sus raíces guatemaltecas, inculcadas por su madre, y persas, por el lado de su padre, de las que dice reflejan su carácter guerrero y de mucha perseverancia ante las adversidades. La vida del estudiante de California State University, Northridge, cambió radicalmente en 2017, cuando sufrió un accidente de motocicleta que le costó parte de su pierna izquierda, desde la rodilla. Ese día comenzó como cualquier otro, con obligaciones laborales y de amistades, pero que terminó en tragedia. “A veces, los días más normales son los que cambian tu vida para siempre”, dijo Mahbouiban en una conversación con LA Times en Español, mientras se preparaba en CSUN para uno de sus tantos eventos de paratriatlón. El accidente con su moto, que fue golpeado por un auto, lo dejó inconsciente por varias semanas, llevándolo a vivir experiencias metafísicas, con visiones que marcaron un antes y un después en su vida. Cuando despertó en el hospital, él enfrentó una nueva realidad

Review: Heading abroad, a stranger decides to stay awhile in the gently funny ‘The Black Sea’

I’ve never been to Bulgaria and mostly know it as a picturesque Balkan country, affordable as a location for action films, and the birthplace of tennis star Grigor Dimitrov and Oscar nominee Maria Bakalova. But a movie that’s put me in mind of wanting to visit — if only to locate the scrappy sociability and beauty it displays so winningly — is “The Black Sea,” a made-on-the-fly comedy from co-directors Crystal Moselle and Derrick B. Harden, the latter who also stars. It’s a loose, lively and big-hearted tale about an accidental American tourist (Harden) who, in trying to get back home, attracts a welcoming party and maybe the roots of a happy future. Wandering in an unfamiliar place and picking up new friends never looked so inviting. The setup is Preston Sturges-worthy enough to suggest something more knockabout than the charmer in store. Harden plays Khalid, a cash-poor, personality-rich Brooklynite beckoned to the sleepy Bulgarian fishing village of Sozopol by an easy payday: a wealthy local woman having been told by her fortune teller that she needs a Black man to fix what ails her.

Authorities Seek Help Locating 14-Year-Old Girl Last Seen in East Los Angeles

Authorities sought the public’s help Friday in locating a 14-year-old girl considered at-risk because of a mental disorder last seen in East Los Angeles. Gionna Marie Landos was last seen 1 a.m. Thursday in the 900 block of South Simmons Avenue, near East Olympic Boulevard and the Commerce city limits, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Gionna was described as a 5-foot-7-inch tall Latino girl weighing 170 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a black sweater, pants and sandals. Anyone with information regarding Gionna’s whereabouts was urged to call Detective P. Franco or the on-duty watch commander at 323-264-4151 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

U.K. bars Chinese man with ties to Prince Andrew over security concerns

By Haley Ott Updated on: December 13, 2024 / 9:11 AM EST / CBS News London – A Chinese businessman with ties to disgraced British royal Prince Andrew , the Duke of York, has lost an appeal against a 2023 decision to bar him from the United Kingdom over national security concerns. The man, who is not named in published judicial documents, had links to the Chinese government and was close enough to Andrew to be invited to his birthday party in 2020, according to a U.K. Special Immigration Appeals Commission judgement. “I also hope that it is clear to you where you sit with my principal and indeed his family,” a letter sent to the man by Andrew’s top aid, Dominic Hampshire, said, according to the court’s judgement, which was published online. “You should never underestimate the strength of that relationship. Outside of his closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on.” The letter from the duke’s aid also said: “We have wisely navigated our way around former Private Secretaries and

U.S. concerns about ISIS comeback in Syria

U.S. concerns about ISIS comeback in Syria – CBS News Watch CBS News Syria is at a crossroads in the wake of Bashar al-Assad’s fall, with fears persisting that ISIS could use the collapse of the regime, and a potential power vacuum, to stage a comeback. CBS News senior foreign correspondent Holly Williams has more. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

‘Shoplift With a Cop’ retail theft sting led to drug seizures, 16 juvenile arrests

Authorities in Ventura County shared the results Thursday of a weekend operation dubbed “Shoplift With a Cop” that led to narcotics seizures and multiple arrests, including several juveniles. “While many Ventura County residents embraced the holiday spirit of giving at this past weekend’s ‘Shop with a Cop’ event, others had a much different idea and found themselves in handcuffs as a result of the Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force’s ‘Shoplift With a Cop’ blitz operation,” the Ventura County sheriff posted on Instagram. The task force conducted its holiday-time “blitz” operation at Pacific View Mall in the city of Ventura last Friday and Saturday. Authorities released images from a “shoplift with a cop” operation in Ventura County. (Ventura County Sheriff’s Office) Authorities released images from a “shoplift with a cop” operation in Ventura County. (Ventura County Sheriff’s Office) Authorities released images from a “shoplift with a cop” operation in Ventura County. (Ventura County Sheriff’s Office) Authorities released images from a “shoplift with a cop” operation in Ventura County. (Ventura County Sheriff’s Office) Authorities released images from a “shoplift with a cop” operation in

San Diego

Michael Smolens: Were Turner, Faulconer ever really in the hunt?