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Patrick Mahomes rallies the Chiefs to second straight Super Bowl title, 25-22 over 49ers in overtime
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs are back-to-back Super Bowl champions. Mahomes threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman in overtime, and the Chiefs rallied to beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 on Sunday, becoming the first repeat Super Bowl champs in 19 years and ninth overall. With pop star Taylor Swift watching boyfriend Kelce from a suite, the Chiefs captured their third title in five years and firmly established themselves as a dynasty. The NFL’s first Super Bowl in Las Vegas was a sloppy, mistake-filled affair that was mostly boring until the back-and-forth fourth quarter and OT.
The Israeli military says it has rescued 2 hostages from captivity in the Gaza Strip
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli military said it rescued two hostages from captivity in the Gaza Strip early Monday, marking a small but symbolically significant success in its quest to bring home over 100 captives believed to be held by the Hamas militant group. The hostages were released in a raid that included a series of Israeli strikes in Rafah, the city on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip where 1.4 million Palestinians have fled to escape fighting elsewhere in the Israel-Hamas war. At least seven people were killed. Israel has described Rafah as the last remaining Hamas stronghold in Gaza after more than four months of war and signaled that its ground offensive may soon target the densely populated city.
Allies fear the US is becoming less reliable, with growing concern over a possible Trump return
LONDON (AP) — As chances rise of a Joe Biden-Donald Trump rematch in the U.S. presidential election, America’s allies are bracing for a bumpy ride. Many worry that a second term for Trump would be an earthquake, but tremors already abound — and concerns are rising that the U.S. could grow less dependable regardless of who wins. With a divided electorate and gridlock in Congress, the next American president could easily become consumed by manifold challenges at home — before even beginning to address flashpoints around the world, from Ukraine to the Middle East. French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent verdict was blunt: America’s “first priority is itself.” The first Trump administration stress-tested the bonds between the U.S.
Woman killed after she opened fire in Joel Osteen’s megachurch, boy with her shot, hospitalized
HOUSTON (AP) — A woman in a trenchcoat opened fire with a long gun Sunday inside celebrity pastor Joel Osteen’s megachurch in Texas, sending worshippers rushing to find safety while two off-duty officers confronted and killed the shooter. Two other people were shot and injured, including a 5-year-old boy who was in critical condition. The violence erupted shortly before the Houston church’s 2 p.m. Spanish service was set to begin, just as the rest of the country was preparing for the Super Bowl. The woman entered the enormous Lakewood Church – a building with a 16,000-person capacity that was previously an arena for the NBA’s Houston Rockets — with the boy who was later hurt in the shootout with police.
Senators push forward with Ukraine aid package as their leaders say the world is watching
WASHINGTON (AP) — As former President Donald Trump and a growing number of Republicans oppose U.S. aid to Ukraine, the Senate’s leaders argued in strong terms on Sunday that the money is crucial to pushing back against Russian President Vladimir Putin and maintaining America’s global standing. In the Capitol for a rare weekend session, the Senate voted again to move forward with the assistance as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky issued stark warnings about the consequences of abandoning longtime U.S. allies in Europe. “Today it’s no exaggeration to say that the eyes of the world are on the United States Senate,” McConnell said.
Russia launches barrage of 45 drones over Ukraine as Kyiv changes more military leaders
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces launched 45 drones over Ukraine in a five-and-a-half-hour barrage Sunday, officials said, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continued the reshuffle of his war cabinet as the war enters its third year. In a statement, the Ukrainian air force said it had shot down 40 of the Iranian-made Shahed drones over nine different regions, including on the outskirts of the country’s capital, Kyiv. The attack targeted agricultural facilities and coastal infrastructure, officials for Ukraine’s southern defense forces wrote on Telegram. They said that a strike in the Mykolaiv region had injured one person, sparking a fire and damaging residential buildings.
NATO leader says Trump puts allies at risk by saying Russia can ‘do whatever the hell they want’
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The head of the NATO military alliance warned Sunday that Donald Trump was putting the safety of U.S. troops and their allies at risk after the Republican presidential front-runner said Russia should be able to do “whatever the hell they want” to NATO members who don’t meet their defense spending targets. “Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S., and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement. Speaking Saturday at a rally in Conway, South Carolina, Trump recalled how as president he told an unidentified NATO member that he would “encourage” Russia to do as it wishes in cases of NATO allies who are “delinquent.” “‘You didn’t pay?
Defense Secretary Austin hospitalized with bladder issue, transfers powers to his deputy
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized again Sunday to address a bladder issue as he continues to recover from prostate cancer and has transferred authorities to his deputy, the Pentagon said. Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December and continues to deal with complications from his treatment. At about 2:20 p.m. Sunday, he was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center “to be seen for symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue,” Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement. While Austin initially intended to retain the “functions and duties of his office,” at about 5 p.m.
First lady questions whether special counsel referenced son’s death to score political points
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — First lady Jill Biden said in an email to campaign donors that she didn’t know what the special counsel was trying to achieve when he suggested President Joe Biden could not remember when his son Beau died. ”We should give everyone grace, and I can’t imagine someone would try to use our son’s death to score political points,” she wrote in the email Saturday. “If you’ve experienced a loss like that, you know that you don’t measure it in years — you measure it in grief.” It was an emphatic defense of her husband in a note to supporters as Biden’s team worked to alleviate Democratic concerns over the alarms raised by a special counsel about Biden’s age and memory, in a report determining that Biden would not be charged with any criminal activity for possessing classified documents after he left office.
Marathon world record-holder Kelvin Kiptum, who was set to be a superstar, has died in a car crash
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Marathon world record-holder Kelvin Kiptum, who was set to be a superstar of long-distance running, was killed along with his coach in a car crash in Kenya late Sunday. Kiptum was 24 and had the world record he set last year at the Chicago Marathon ratified by international track federation World Athletics just last week. He was one of the most exciting prospects to emerge in road running in years and was a clear contender for gold in the marathon at the Paris Olympics in August. Kiptum, who was Kenyan, and his Rwandan coach Gervais Hakizimana were killed in the crash at around 11 p.m.