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White ex-officers in Mississippi plead guilty to racist assault on 2 Black men during raid

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:07 GMT

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG and EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS (Associated Press)JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Six white former law enforcement officers in Mississippi who called themselves the “Goon Squad” pleaded guilty Thursday to a racist assault on two Black men in a home raid that ended with an officer shooting one man in the mouth.The officers entered the house without a warrant on Jan. 24, assaulting the men with a sex toy and using stun guns and other objects to abuse them over a roughly 90-minute period, court documents show. After one victim was shot and wounded in a “mock execution” that went awry, the documents say the officers conspired to plant and tamper with evidence instead of providing medical aid.The Justice Department launched its civil rights probe in February. The Mississippi attorney general’s office announced Thursday it had filed state charges against the six former officers, including assault, conspiracy and obstruction of justice.“The defe...

Fired New Mexico State basketball coach says he was made the scapegoat for toxic culture

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:07 GMT

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Former New Mexico State University basketball coach Greg Heiar says he was made the scapegoat for hazing and other problems that administrators chose to ignore and that he has suffered mental anguish and emotional distress since being fired by the university.He outlined the claims in a document related to an arbitration case in which he alleges that the university wrongfully fired him without cause, violated his due process rights and breached its contract. He contends that Athletic Director Mario Moccia and former Chancellor Dan Arvizu fired him “in order create their own self-serving narrative with the public and make (him) the scapegoat for all of the issues and cultural dysfunction within the university that NMSU had ignored.”The university responded with its own filing, denying the allegations that Heiar was wrongfully fired and that there were cultural problems at NMSU.The university released the documents Thursday following a report by ESPN, whic...

Appeals court allows Biden asylum restrictions to temporarily stay in place as case plays out

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:07 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court Thursday allowed a rule restricting asylum at the southern border to temporarily stay in place. The decision is a major win for the Biden administration, which had argued that the rule was integral to its efforts to maintain order along the U.S.-Mexico border.The new rule makes it extremely difficult for people to be granted asylum unless they first seek protection in a country they’re traveling through on their way to the U.S. or apply online. It includes room for exceptions and does not apply to children traveling alone.The decision by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals grants a temporary reprieve from a lower court decision that had found the policy illegal and ordered the government to end its use by this coming Monday. The government had gone quickly to the appeals court asking for the rule to be allowed to remain in use while the larger court battles surrounding its legality play out. The three-judge panel ruled 2-1 in favor of the governm...

2 children critically injured in multi-vehicle crash in Brampton

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:07 GMT

Two children have been critically injured following a multi-vehicle crash in Brampton Thursday night that sent six people to hospital. Peel police say they were called to the area of Airport Road and Clark Boulevard just before 7:30 p.m. for reports two to three vehicles were involved in a crash. Police indicated it may have been a hit and run but have provided no further details. Peel paramedics tell CityNews two children were taken to SickKids hospital with critical injuries while a man and a woman were taken to a trauma centre in life-threatening condition. Two other men were transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. No indication as to the relationship between the six or how many people were in each vehicle at the time of the crash.

Expelled Nashville Democrat Justin Jones of the ‘Tennessee Three’ wins back state House seat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:07 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nashville Democrat Justin Jones, a member of the so-called “Tennessee Three,” won back his state House seat Thursday after Republican lawmakers expelled him for his participation in a pro-gun control protest in the Capitol. Jones, 27, defeated Republican candidate Laura Nelson.Along with Jones, fellow Democrat Justin Pearson, 28, was also vying to reclaim his House seat in Memphis against independent candidate Jeff Johnston after also being expelled in April. The young Black lawmakers were reinstated by local officials after being booted from the GOP-dominated Statehouse, but only on an interim basis. They needed to clear a special election in order to fully take back their legislative positions. Thursday’s election comes as lawmakers are preparing to return to Nashville later this month for a special session to address possibly changing the state’s gun control laws. While Jones and Pearson’s reelection to their old posts won’t make a significant dent to the ...

The son of Colombia’s president says his father’s election campaign received money of dubious origin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:07 GMT

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro acknowledged Thursday that his father’s 2022 election campaign received money of dubious origin, according prosecutors investigating the son for alleged illicit enrichment and money laundering.Nicolás Petro, who was a legislator representing a northern coastal region, agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in the probe after being charged Tuesday.Prosecutor Mario Andrés Burgos, who heads the investigation, said the younger Petro has revealed that unjustified increases detected in his assets came from two individuals being questioned by Colombian authorities. The money went partly into his own accounts and partly into the campaign that made his father Colombia’s first elected leftist president, the prosecutor said. On Tuesday, when he was charged, prosecutors said the younger Petro took thousands of dollars from drug traffickers and used it to buy luxurious homes and expensive cars. Nicolás Petro, 36, pleaded in...

Panama Canal foresees its income falling after shipping limited due to a drought

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:07 GMT

The managers of the Panama Canal said they expect income from the waterway to drop after authorities were forced to limit the number of ships passing through each to 32 due to a lack of rainfall. Ricaurte Vásquez, the canal’s administrator, said Thursday that income in 2024 could drop by as much as $200 million because of the drought. The canal implemented a measure Sunday capping the number of ships passing through its locks daily to a maximum of 32, compared to 36 to 38 under normal operation. Not enough rain has fallen to feed the watershed system of rivers and brooks that fill lakes, whose waters in turn fill the locks.The watershed also supplies freshwater to Panama City, home to about half the country’s population of 4 million. The canal had expected to earn about $4.9 billion in fees next year before the measures were announced.The Associated Press

Environment Canada says tornado touches down near Ottawa Thursday evening

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:07 GMT

Environment Canada says a tornado touched down in the Ottawa area Thursday evening during a severe thunderstorm.It was confirmed near Metcalfe, Ont., a rural community about 30 kilometres southeast of Ottawa, just before 7 p.m. eastern time.#ONStorm #ottawa#Tornado check it out. Right in the center pic.twitter.com/KUC7dLWbfo— Ghazi H. Wadi (@GhaziOttawa) August 3, 2023Tornado Warning issued for a confirmed tornado located 9 kilometres northwest of Metcalfe, moving east at 50 km/h. Details ???? https://t.co/vErVG5QII4#ONStorm #ONwx pic.twitter.com/kqniC8YY5A— ECCC Weather Ontario (@ECCCWeatherON) August 3, 2023There were also a number of reports of hail throughout the national capital, along with strong winds and rain.Ottawa Fire Services says part of a roof was ripped off a home in Riverside South, a community south of Nepean.The fire service says everyone got out of the home safely and the home’s structural integrity was not damaged, but it’s not clear whet...

CPD: 71-year-old man with dementia missing from West Roseland

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:07 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Police Department is asking for the public's help in locating a missing 71-year-old who was last seen early Wednesday morning.Alonzo Sain, 71, was last seen leaving his home on the 200 block of West 112th Street in Chicago's West Roseland neighborhood. CPD: 28-year-old missing from West Town neighborhood Sain is described as 5-foot-8, weighing 183 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He has stage 4 cancer and the onset dementia in that he reportedly gets a little confused in the evenings. He also is partially blind in his left eye.Sain was heading to McDonald's at 29 East 87th Street to hand out flyers for a construction company at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, but never returned home.Anyone with information regarding Alonzo Sain's whereabouts are asked to contact the Chicago Police Department at 312-747-8274.

Uptick of COVID cases attributed to Travis County wastewater

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:07 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — With the uptick of COVID cases in the Austin area, Austin Public Health said it was making moves to keep children safe during the back-to-school season.APH said it was giving vaccines to children who might need them, as well as helping to support mobile clinic operations in the area.The increase in cases can be attributed to Travis County wastewater, where covid has been found over the past 6 weeks."We are seeing SARS-CoV-2 present in the wastewater stream,” said Janet Pichette, the chief epidemiologist at Austin Public Health. “As I mentioned, it’s being collected in two of our regional wastewater treatment plants. Those plants represent 95% of the wastewater that comes in for 95% of the Austin population.”While the COVID-19 national public health emergency has ended, cases continue to persist in Travis County; however, hospitalizations remain low, which experts have attributed to vaccines.Boosters were encouraged to protect those who are high-risk and updated vacci...