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Mexican President Sheinbaum's legal adviser is selected as the new attorney general

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's Senate on Wednesday selected Ernestina Godoy, a longtime legal adviser to PresidentClaudia Sheinbaum, as the country's next attorney general.

The appointment came afterAlejandro Gertz Manero stepped downlast Friday. Godoy had been filling in on an interim basis since then.

Prior to that, Godoy had served as Sheinbaum's legal adviser since she took power in October 2024. She was also Mexico City prosecutor when Sheinbaum was mayor.

Sheinbaum said earlier on Wednesday that her short list of candidates was all women. Her Morena party controls the Senate.

Gertz Manero, 86, had preferred to stay out of the spotlight and had held public security positions since the 1970s. He resigned to take a position as an ambassador, but the administration has not said to which country.

In January 2019, he became the country's first attorney general who was supposed to be completely independent of political power. But his time in the post was marked by his close ties to the then-president who nominated him,Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Civil organizations have long criticized him for these close ties.

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Mexican President Sheinbaum's legal adviser is selected as the new attorney general

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's Senate on Wednesday selected Ernestina Godoy, a longtime legal adviser to PresidentClaudi...

Drunk raccoon found passed out on liquor store floor after breaking in

Staff at a Virginia liquor store got a shock on Saturday when they came into work to find a raccoon had burgled the store, drinking its way through the spirits section.

The "masked bandit" was found passed out in the bathroom between the toilet and bin having helped itself to bottles on a bottom shelf.

Animal control officer Samantha Martin transported the "suspect" for questioning at Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter but not before it had a chance to sober up.

After a few hours of sleep and zero signs of injury (other than maybe a hangover), the animal was safely released back into the wild.

The Ashland ABC store had been closed for Thanksgiving when it suffered its "Black Friday break-in".

When staff arrived on Saturday they found smashed bottles and liquor pooling on the floor, including its apparent tipple of choice, scotch.

Officer Martin said the animal had fallen through one of the ceiling tiles before going "on a full-blown rampage, drinking everything".

Only one blurry CCTV image of the boozy break-in exists, so it's unknown just how much alcohol the thirsty creature consumed before passing out in the bathroom.

In a social media post, the store thanked Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter for its professionalism and providing its visitor with a "sober ride home".

Officer Martin said it was "just another day in the life of an animal control officer".

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15:42

Drunk raccoon found passed out on liquor store floor after breaking in

Staff at a Virginia liquor store got a shock on Saturday when they came into work to find a raccoon had burgled the st...

Exclusive drone footage shows devastated Ukrainian town almost encircled by Russian forces

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Exclusive drone footage obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday shows a devastatedUkrainiantown nearly encircled by Russian forces near the city that Moscow this week claimed to now control.

Barely a street appears to be untouched in Myrnohrad in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, 12 kilometers (7 miles) from the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk. Some destruction is so fresh that smoke was still rising in the footage shot in the past few days.

"They are trying to simply erase the (town) from the face of the earth," said Oleksii Hodzenko, press officer of the drone battalion of the 38th Marine Brigade, whose soldiers were still fighting inside Myrnohrad on Wednesday.

The town is almost encircled by Russian forces, according to DeepState, an open-source Ukrainian map widely used by the military and analysts.

Hodzenko said that while there was still a route out for Ukrainian troops, Russian efforts had made logistics in and out of the town difficult: "We (can only) very rarely carry out even a small rotation of personnel. People sit there for weeks."

Ukraine's eastern command on Wednesday said on Telegram it was channeling supplies to troops in Myrnohrad. Hodzenko said they were relying onground-robot dronesto carry food and water to remaining soldiers. He did not say how many were left in town, in keeping with military restrictions.

Myrnohrad had a population of about 46,000 before Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. It has since suffered the same fate as dozens of other Ukrainian towns and villages in the east and south as they have nearly emptied of people.

Over more than a year, the assaults by Russian forces using glide bombs that weigh up to 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds), as well as swarms of attack drones and artillery, have turned the town into an uninhabitable shell.

"When you sit at the command post and hear the exchanges between (Ukrainian) units, once every few minutes a radio comes in, 'KAB (glide bomb) on Myrnohrad,'" Hodzenko said. "As of now, all our fighters can do, and all they do, is hold the city as best they can, exerting absolutely inhuman, titanic efforts."

Kremlin presidential aide Yurii Ushakov said Wednesday that Russia's progress on the battlefield had strengthened its negotiating position in talks with the United States on the U.S.-drafted plan aimed at ending the war.

"The progress and nature of the negotiations were, of course, influenced by the Russian army's battlefield successes in recent weeks," Ushakov told reporters. "These developments had a positive impact on the negotiations."

On Tuesday, Russia's defense ministry claimed troops had taken control of nearby Pokrovsk, posting a video of Russian soldiers holding the Russian flag in the city's center. The claim was rejected by Ukraine's General Staff.

Col. Volodymyr Polevyi, head of communications for the 7th Corps Assault Brigade, which is stationed on that part of the front, told the AP on Wednesday that Ukrainian forces were still fighting in the northern part of city.

Hodzenko urged Western allies to continue supporting Ukraine.

"Despite some agreements or disagreements between the U.S., Russia, the European Union, NATO, we still need help, in particular military help," Hodzenko said, and added: "In order for the West not to go to war with Russia after a certain time, the West must certainly help us in any possible way."

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Exclusive drone footage shows devastated Ukrainian town almost encircled by Russian forces

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Exclusive drone footage obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday shows a devastatedUkrainiantow...

New York Liberty hire Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco as head coach

The New York Liberty have hired Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco as their head coach, the team announced Wednesday.

DeMarco has been with the Warriors for 13 years in a variety of positions, including player development coach and assistant, and helped the franchise win four NBA championships.

"After a thorough search, we could not be more thrilled to welcome Chris DeMarco as our head coach," said Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb. "Throughout the process, our goal was clear: identify a leader who could elevate our culture, implement elite-level systems, and bring a modern vision for how to guide this franchise forward on the court."

He's the latest WNBA hire with an NBA background,joining Alex Sarama(Portland) andSonia Raman(Seattle), who were two of the five head coaches hired this offseason in the league.

"I'm incredibly honored to join the Liberty and proud to help carry forward the standard this franchise has set — excellence on the court and a strong connection to the community," DeMarco said. "The chance to work with some of the greatest players in basketball, supported by an exceptional front office and ownership group, is the kind of opportunity every coach dreams of. I can't wait to get started — building on the winning foundation and culture that make the New York Liberty so special."

He's the third coach that Kolb has hired in his six-year tenure with the Liberty. New York, like nearly every other team, has most of its roster as free agents, but Kolb said after the season he expected the core of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones back.

The Liberty let Sandy Brondello go soon after their loss in the first round of the WNBA playoffs this past season. She helped guide the team to its first WNBA championship in 2024. She was recently hired by the Toronto expansion team.

DeMarco has been the Bahamian national team coach since 2019. Jones hails from that island nation. He has been a part of all four of the Warriors championships.

AP WNBA:https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

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New York Liberty hire Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco as head coach

The New York Liberty have hired Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco as their head coach, the team announced Wed...

WNBPA reportedly will reject WNBA's latest offer due to 'math'

Asnegotiations continue between the WNBA and the WNBPAon a new CBA,Sports Business Journalreported the players association plans to reject the league's latest offer.

According to the report, it is partially due to "vague pay-scale projections." The WNBPA reportedly has concerns about the league's "math." The WNBA has proposed an average salary of $500,000. But with a proposed salary cap of $5 million a team and 12 players, the numbers do not add up. The salary cap would reportedly increase over the length of the CBA and be directly tied to the league's revenue growth each year. Specific revenue-sharing details haven't been disclosed.

USA TODAY Sports reached out to the WNBA for comment.

The league's latest offerto the players' association includes a max base salary of $1 million guaranteed, with the opportunity tomake more than $1.2 millionin conjunction with projected revenue sharing. The WNBA's offer raises the minimum player salary to more than $225,000 and the average salary to $500,000, up from $220,000 and $460,000, respectively, in the WNBA's previous proposal on Nov. 18.

Game 2: The Las Vegas Aces' Jewell Loyd (24) and A'ja Wilson (22) celebrate after scoring against the Phoenix Mercury.

Game 2: The Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson (22) shoots the ball against the Phoenix Mercury's Alyssa Thomas.

Game 2: The Phoenix Mercury's Kahleah Copper (2) drives the ball past Las Vegas Aces guards Jackie Young (0) and Dana Evans (11).

Game 2: Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) drives the ball against Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally.

Game 2: Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) shoots a layup against Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22).

Game 1: Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) celebrates with teammates after the Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury, 89-86, at Michelob Ultra Arena.