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MOSCOW (AP) — The Cuban foreign minister visited Moscow on Wednesday as the island faces blackouts and severe fuel shortages worsened bya U.S oil embargo.

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Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and was set to meet later in the day with President Vladimir Putin.

Lavrov urged the U.S. to refrain from blockading Cuba, which has struggled to import oil for its power plants and refineries after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened any nation that sold oil to Cubawith tariffs.

"Together with most members of the global community, we are calling on the U.S. to show common sense, take a responsible approach and refrain from its plans of sea blockade," Lavrov said during the talks with Rodriguez.

He promised that Moscow will "continue supporting Cuba and its people in protecting the country's sovereignty and security."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also noted that "Russia, like many other countries, has consistently spoken against the blockade of the island."

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"We have our relations with Cuba, and we value these relations very much," Peskov told reporters. "And we intend to further develop them — of course, during difficult times, by providing appropriate assistance to our friends."

Asked whether sending fuel to Cuba could deraila recent warming of tieswith Washington, Peskov responded that "we don't think these issues are linked."

Putin has praised Trump's efforts to mediate an end to the conflict in Ukraine, and Moscow and Washington have discussed ways to revive their economic ties.

Venezuela, one of Cuba's main oil suppliers, stopped selling crude to the island in January after theU.S. captured then-President Nicolás Maduroin a pre-dawn raid and flew him to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

Mexico alsocut off oil shipments to Cubain January, after Trump issued the tariff threat.

Russia's Izvestia news outlet last week cited the Russian embassy in Havana as saying that Moscow was preparing to send humanitarian fuel shipment to Havana in the near future. On Monday, Russian ambassador to Cuba, Viktor Koronelli, said that Moscow was looking into details of organizing assistance to Cuba but offered no specifics.

Cuba's fuel shortages already have forced Russian tourist companies to halt the sales of package tours to the island after the Cuban government said that itwill not provide fuel to planes that landon the island.

A group of skiers on the final stretch of a three‑day backcountry trip near Lake Tahoe was returning to the trailhead Tuesday morning when a wave of ice, rocks and debris came crashing down on them.

In the avalanche's wake, survivors were left scrambling to try and find the rest of their group — and to improvise shelter as they awaited rescue.

The disaster at Castle Peak set off a dangerous, hours-long rescue effort that was hampered by extreme weather conditions that were hammering the skiers: Heavy snow and strong winds from the winter storm roaring through the rugged Sierra Nevada mountains in northern California.

Emergency crews received reports of the avalanche around 11:30 a.m. and "highly skilled rescue ski teams" immediately began racing to the scene — 46 emergency first-responders in all, the sheriff said.

Eleven hours later, six survivors had been rescued with "various injuries," the sheriff's office said, noting two had to be transported to the hospital for treatment. Nine are still missing.

"The search is ongoing, pending weather conditions," the Nevada County Sheriff's Office said late Tuesday.

A race to reach the survivors

The area was under the second highest level, a 4 of 5, of avalanche threat Tuesday, which continued into the early hours of Wednesday.

Blackbird Mountain Guides, the company leading the trip, said the group included 12 clients and four guides who had been staying at the Frog Lake huts since Sunday.

The sheriff's office said a total of 15 people were on the trip, revising the number down. CNN has reached out to Blackbird Mountain guides for clarification.

"The leadership team at Blackbird Mountain Guides is working in full coordination with the Nevada County Sheriff's Office and Nevada County Search and Rescue to support the ongoing rescue operation," the company said in a statement. "Blackbird Mountain Guides is in direct contact with the emergency contacts of the affected clients and guides and is providing them with regular updates as verified information becomes available."

On itswebsite, the company advertises the ski trip to the Frog Lake Huts for those with an intermediate to advanced skill level.

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Skiers spend their days navigating the mountain off-trail through steep terrain with the aid of guides, before returning to the huts for dinner, the company says.

Following the first call for help Tuesday, dozens of first responders approached the scene from multiple directions: ski rescue teams from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner's Alder Creek Adventure Center were dispatched, along with rescue crews from surrounding counties.

The rescuers approached the scene on skis and snowcats, with snowmobiles on standby, as they battled the harsh weather in the region, where snow was falling at a rate of 3 to 4 inches an hour Tuesday.

As the time ticked by, the survivors were told to "shelter in place as best they can in the conditions," the sheriff's office said.

The stranded skiers were communicating with rescuers through emergency beacons – including some with the ability to send text messages, Captain Russell Greene of the Nevada County Sheriff's Office toldCNN affiliate KCRA.

The group crafted a makeshift shelter from a tarp, "doing everything they can to survive," Greene said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's officesaidhe had been briefed on the developing situation and the state was coordinating an "all‑hands search‑and‑rescue effort with local partners and deploying resources to support the active response."

The snow slowed overnight, potentially helping rescue conditions, but on-and-off snow showers are expected through Wednesday as authorities brace for another coming storm Thursday that is expected to bring snow to the region.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN's Diego Mendoza, Karina Tsui, Danya Gainor, Briana Waxman and Brad Parks contributed to this report.

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TheHouse Oversight Committeeis hearing from a billionaire on Wednesday who was named one of Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirators by a 2019 FBI document.

Les Wexner is the latest person to be deposed in the House's investigation into the federal government's handling of Epstein's case.

Unlike most previous depositions, however, committee staff and potentially some lawmakers are traveling to Ohio on Wednesday morning to depose Wexner in his home state.

A spokesperson for Wexner declined to comment on the deposition and on whether he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right to avoid answering questions.

Bill Clinton Comes Out Swinging Against Comer For Rejecting Public Epstein Hearing: 'Stop Playing Games'

But if he cooperates with the committee's questioning, Wexner's insight is likely to be key to unlocking information on just how Epstein obtained his vast wealth before dying by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019.

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The 88-year-old businessman is the founder of L Brands, formerly called The Limited, through which he acquired well-known companies Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, Express, and Abercrombie & Fitch, among others.

He was also one of Epstein's first major clients as a financial advisor, with Epstein being granted power of attorney over Wexner's vast wealth.

Wexner also sold his Manhattan townhouse to Epstein, which was later discovered to be one of the locations where federal authorities accused Epstein of abusing young women and girls under 18.

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La Olympics Chief Responds After Emails With Ghislaine Maxwell Emerge In Epstein Files

But Wexner has never been criminally accused nor charged in relation to the late pedophile's crimes.

A letter from Wexner to his Wexner Foundation charity dated Aug. 7, 2019, said he ended his relationship with Epstein sometime after the first federal investigation into his crimes emerged nearly 20 years ago.

Wexner also accused Epstein of misusing his vast wealth.

"As the allegations against Mr. Epstein in Florida were emerging, he vehemently denied them. But by early fall 2007, it was agreed that he should step back from the management of our personal finances. In that process, we discovered that he hadmisappropriated vast sums of moneyfrom me and my family," read the letter, obtained by Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

"This was, frankly, a tremendous shock, even though it clearly pales in comparison to the unthinkable allegations against him now. With his credibility and our trust in him destroyed, we immediately severed ties with him. We were able to recover some of the funds."

Wexner is the fourth person appearing before the House Oversight Committee in its Epstein probe.

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House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., previously oversaw the panel through the depositions of former Trump administration Attorney General Bill Barr, ex-Trump Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, who was the U.S. attorney in Florida who signed off on Epstein's infamous 2008 non-prosecution agreement, and convicted Epstein accompliceGhislaine Maxwell.

Maxwell's deposition lasted less than an hour after she invoked the Fifth Amendment, refusing to answer questions unless she was granted clemency by PresidentDonald Trump.

Original article source:Billionaire Victoria's Secret mogul Les Wexner to testify in House Jeffrey Epstein probe

Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton was detained and quickly released on Tuesday on suspicion of possessing a small amount of marijuana at Lynden Pindling International Airport in the Bahamas,according to Reuters.

Ayton would have been returning to the United States from his native Bahamas as the All-Star break nears its end.

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In an initial report from TMZ, the central division of the Royal Bahamas Police Force claimed Ayton was searched after he was spotted smoking marijuana at the airport. Reuters also reports Ayton was found with the drug, which is still illegal in the Bahamas.

However, his lawyer Devard Francis said the suspected marijuana was actually in someone else's bag and that Ayton was never arrested or charged, via Reuters:

"The investigators saw that the actual very small amount of marijuana wasn't in Deandre's bag, but they still went through their investigations and he was released expeditiously," Francis said.

Ayton, a former No. 1 overall pick, is in his first season with the Lakers,who signed him to a two-year, $16.6 million deal. He entered the All-Star break averaging 13.2 points on 67.5% shooting and a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game.

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Walker Buehler has signed with theSan Diego Padresafter the right-hander spent the first eight seasons of his major league career with their archrivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Buehler was in the Padres' clubhouse Tuesday morning after agreeing to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league camp.

"Yeah, it feels a little weird," Buehler told reporters in Arizona after pulling on a brown and gold uniform. "I imagine five years ago it would have felt a lot more weird, but this is a crazy game and this is a great opportunity for me."

The 31-year-old Buehler said he will "come in and try and make the team and contribute in any way I can. I'm a starter, and I want to start, so I'm here to try and make the rotation."

Buehler spent last season with Boston and Philadelphia, whichsigned him in late Augustafter the Red Sox released him. Buehler struggled in Boston, but looked good enough during his brief time with the Phillies to generate interest from the Padres and other teams.

"I threw the ball well over there, and getting the velocity back as well as the delivery has kind of been the big thing," Buehler said. "The second half of last year was relatively successful compared to the first half, and there's stuff we want to continue to build on there."

Buehler earned two All-Star selections and two World Series rings during his 10 years in the Dodgers organization, serving as a mainstay in their rotation whenever healthy and often looking like one of the majors' top starters. He has been particularly good against the Padres in his career, going 7-1 with a 1.67 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 13 starts.

He won Game 3of the 2024 World Series before earning the save in the Dodgers' clinching Game 5 victory at Yankee Stadium, capping his return to uniform with a gritty Fall Classic. He had missed the entire 2023 season and big chunks of 2024 while recovering from his second Tommy John surgery.

But that memorable relief inning in Game 5 to preserve a 7-6 victory over the Yankees was his final appearance for the Dodgers, who allowed Buehler to leave as a free agent fora lucrative deal with Boston. After one tumultuous year back East, he's eager to be back in the NL West with the Padres, who have two openings in their rotation.

"Obviously some familiarity with the division, and living in Southern California is something that my family and I are accustomed to," Buehler said. "A good opportunity to be a part of a really talented ballclub. Looking forward to seeing what we can make of it."

Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove and Michael King already have spots in San Diego's rotation. Buehler will be competing for the final two slots with returnees Randy Vásquez and JP Sears and newly signed Germán Márquez and Griffin Canning.

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Buehler said he moved out West during the offseason to prepare for another run at the majors, and "got my body in a little better spot."

Buehler said his delivery is returning to the level and form at which he spent his first six big league seasons with the Dodgers before elbow surgery.

"My elbow and my body has kind of been through some stuff," he said.

The Padres have been remarkably busy over the past week after doing little during the winter to bolster the roster of a team that won 90 games and made the postseason for the fourth time in six years.

General manager A.J. Prellersigned slugger Nick Castellanosalong with Canning and Márquez over the weekend after adding Miguel Andujar a week earlier.

Canning is guaranteed $2.5 million in his one-year contract and can earn an additional $1.5 million. His deal includes a $1 million salary for next year and a $5 million mutual option for 2027 with a $1.5 million buyout. The buyout would escalate based on starts this year: $150,000 each for eight and 10, $200,000 apiece for 12 and 14, $250,000 each for 16 and 20, and $300,000 for 24.

To open a roster spot, outfielder Tirso Ornelas was designated for assignment.

Preller also agreed to a contract extension, keeping the second-longest-tenured baseball boss in the majors with San Diego during the club's probable sale process.

Buehler is 57-29 with a 3.52 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP over his decade in the majors. He has topped 150 strikeouts three times.

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/MLB