McClatchy and Gannett Reduce Their Connection With A.P.

 The Associated Press, a global provider of news stories and photos, will see a significant reduction in business ties with Gannett and McClatchy, two of the largest American newspaper chains.

The biggest newspaper firm in the US, Gannett, which also publishes USA Today, announced on Tuesday that it will stop using content from The A.P. in its hundreds of publications as of Monday.

"Within our remarkable network of over 200 newsrooms and USA Today, we produce more journalism daily than The A.P." stated in a message sent by Gannett's chief content officer, Kristin Roberts.

Ms. Roberts stated that Gannett will keep using The A.P.'s stylebook, which offers recommendations on language and acceptable journalism practices, and election data. She also mentioned that Gannett had a deal in place for international news with Reuters, a competing news organization, "while we build our capacity."

Lark:The decision, according to Gannett spokeswoman Marie Antón, "enables us to invest further in our newsrooms."

McClatchy, which Chatham Asset Management, a hedge fund, acquired out of bankruptcy in 2020, informed its editors this week that it will no longer be utilizing some A.P. services as of next month. About thirty newspapers, including The Miami Herald and The Kansas City Star, are published by McClatchy, which also has a bureau in Washington, D.C.

Senior vice president of news and audience at McClatchy, Kathy Vetter, stated in an email on Monday that The A.P.'s feed will terminate on March 29 and that no A.P. content will be produced after March 31. She did, however, state that McClatchy would keep using the election results data from The A.P.

The New York Times saw Ms. Vetter's email, which stated, "With this decision, we will no longer pay millions for content that serves less than 1 percent of our readers." "We have typically discovered alternatives. We are still developing a comprehensive solution for state "wires" content, though.

An attempt to reach McClatchy for comment was met with no response right away.

The A.P. spokeswoman Lauren Easton stated that talks over Gannett and McClatchy's contracts "have been productive and are ongoing."

Ms. Easton stated in a statement, "We recognize that these are tough choices to make and fully comprehend the difficulties the news industry faces." "Yet, news consumers nationwide would suffer as a result, as The A.P. would no longer provide fact-based journalism."

Founded in 1846, the A.P. employs reporters in approximately 100 nations and every state. It supplies news outlets and broadcasters worldwide, such as The New York Times, with wire content, which includes stories, images, and videos.

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Posted in USA NEWS

Steve Nikoui is not prosecuted by the DC attorney general for interfering with Congress during his SOTU speech

 Gold Star parent Steve Nikoui was charged with obstruction of Congress during President Biden's State of the Union speech earlier this month, but those charges have since been dismissed by Democratic attorney general in Washington, D.C. Brian Schwalb.

Kareem Nikoui, who was killed in 2021 during the tumultuous withdrawal of the Biden Administration from Afghanistan, was the son of Nikoui.


Fox News was informed of the choice on Tuesday night. The Speaker's Office verified the decision to withdraw the charges.

Nikoui was "thrilled and humbled," Rep. Darrel Issa of California told Fox News, adding that there were tears shed when he received the news.

 
When he received the news, other families were present as well.

During the speech, Nikoui—who was invited by Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla.—interrupted the president by yelling, "Abbey Gate!"

After giving Nikoui a warning, the US Capitol Police (USCP) took him out of the chamber and placed him under arrest.

USCP put out a statement that night stating that "disrupting the Congress and demonstrating in Congressional Buildings is illegal."

Mast demanded that the accusations be withdrawn, as did Representatives Michael Waltz, R-Fla., Representative Issa, and House Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul.

Issa and Waltz begged USCP Police Chief Tom Manger to dismiss the charges in a letter.

That was a decision left to Schwalb, though. 

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Posted in USA NEWS

Williamson leads the Pelicans over the Clippers 112-104

The Los Angeles Clippers were three games ahead of the Pelicans in fourth place in the Western Conference standings going into Friday night's game in New Orleans.

The two teams played like it from beginning to end, with a lot on the line, in front of an enthusiastic crowd that was possibly the loudest of the season at Smoothie King Center.


With everything on the line, Zion Williamson elevated his play and led the Pelicans to victory, helping New Orleans secure a crucial 112-104 victory.

In a full game, Williamson scored 34 points, grabbed seven rebounds, distributed four assists, and committed three thefts.

There was an immediate playoff vibe to the game.

Both teams guarded with tremendous physicality and energy in the opening quarter, which established the tone for the whole game, but the Clippers came out on top 22–20.
Despite shooting just 39% from the field in the first half, New Orleans played strong defense to lead 50–44 at the intermission.
Williamson led New Orleans to an 11-point lead in the third quarter with 16 points from him, but the Clippers rallied to close the quarter with a 29–20 run, cutting the margin to 82–80.

In the fourth quarter, New Orleans would not give up the lead.

Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and four 3-pointers. Trey Murphy III's bench contribution was crucial as the team scored 43 points from substitutes. Jose Alvarado scored nine points, Naji Marshall scored eight, and Larry Nance Jr. had a huge game with twelve points, four rebounds, and three assists.

It was necessary since CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram were both held to 13 and 11 points, respectively.

The Pelicans were careful with the ball, making only nine mistakes as opposed to the Clippers' fifteen. Los Angeles had just 18 assists compared to New Orleans' 28.

Thanks in large part to Williamson's play, which has seen him score 33 and 34 points in his past two games and average 31.3 points per game over his last three, New Orleans dominated the paint, winning by a score of 58–36. At the perfect moment, he is pushing himself to a new level.

With 16 games remaining, the Pelicans have won 40 of their season, good for fifth place in the Western Conference.

The Pelicans' defense was crucial in keeping the Clippers 10 points below their season average.

In their previous ten road games, the Clippers had eight victories. The Pelicans, who have so far proven to be a stronger road squad than home club, handled business at home.

The Pelicans now have a task as they play Portland on Saturday night in the second of a back-to-back. They must recover swiftly after the mentally and physically exhausting effort. The Blazers have a 19-47 record.

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Posted in breaking news, USA NEWS

Wall Street tops lower as biotech's fall; files up for week

 U.s. stocks slipped on Friday, as gurus busy benefits in force names heading into the weekend, wiping out promptly picks up that had pushed the S&p 500 to an intraday record high.

The S&p 500 lost energy in the wake of hitting an unsurpassed intraday high of 1,883.97, with biotechs around the essential decliners. Biogen Idec Inc (Biib.o), down 8.2 percent at $318.53, and Gilead Sciences Inc (Gild.o), down 4.6 percent at $72.07, were the two most amazing delays the S&p 500. The Nasdaq biotech record .NBI fell 4.4 percent.

U.s. administrators have asked Gilead to illustrate the $84,000 sticker of its new hepatitis C pill Sovaldi, which is experiencing safety from health guarantors and state Medicaid programs.

"They've been offering them - the techs specifically, and additionally the biotechs, much more specific there. Clearly, its an energy area, and all the force names are getting smacked around," said Joe Saluzzi, co-chief of exchanging at Themis Trading in Chatham, New Jersey.

"When you see the energy names turning out like they are presently, that is letting you know they are lightening up here."

Gurus kept on monitorring geopolitical issues after President Vladimir Putin marked laws finishing Russia's addition of Crimea. Russia's MICEX stock file fell 1 percent after a U.s. choice to slap endorses on Putin's inward ring.

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Posted in USA NEWS