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Officials file more charges, but not hate crimes, against man accused of attacking Muslim lawmaker

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A prosecutor added felony charges, including sexual assault, Monday against a man accused of attacking Connecticut’s first Muslim state representative after a prayer service, but did not file hate crime allegations demanded by the lawmaker’s supporters.Andrey Desmond, 30, appeared for a hearing in Hartford Superior Court, where supporters of state Rep. Maryam Khan, including local imams, also gathered.“It continues to be a mystery to me why the state isn’t bringing bias crimes in this type of incident,” said Farhan Memon, chairman of the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “Having this charged as a bias crime sends a message out to the rest of the population that this is going to be something that’s dealt with seriously.”Hartford State’s Attorney Sharmese Walcott did not immediately return messages seeking comment about the case and the demand to file hate crime allegations.Desmond was initially charged with misd...

Microsoft and UK regulators win more time to resolve blocked $69 billion Activision deal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Microsoft and British regulators won more time from a court Monday as the U.S. tech company uses a rare second chance to overcome opposition to its $69 billion bid for video game maker Activision Blizzard.Judge Marcus Smith conditionally approved a joint request from Microsoft and the Competition and Markets Authority to delay the appeal that the company set in motion after the CMA initially rejected the deal. The regulator later pushed back its final decision so it can consider Microsoft’s argument that new developments mean its blockbuster purchase of the Call of Duty game maker should go through. The deal has already won approval in the European Union and a slew of countries but has faced opposition from antitrust regulators in Britain and the United States. The U.K. blocked the deal on concerns that it would stifle competition in the small but fast-growing cloud gaming market. It also faced stiff resistance from rival Sony, which makes the PlayStation console...

Oregon authorities say deaths of 4 young women in Portland area are connected, person of interest has been identified

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon authorities say deaths of 4 young women in Portland area are connected, person of interest has been identified.Source

Despite shakeup at the Fed, a rate hike in September is likely

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 12: In this photo illustration, cans of Anchor Steam beer are displayed on July 12, 2023 in San Anselmo, California. Anchor Steam Brewing, the nation's first craft brewery, announced plans to close after 127 years in business. (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)(Getty Images/Justin Sullivan) SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 12: In this photo illustration, cans of Anchor Steam beer are displayed on July 12, 2023 in San Anselmo, California. Anchor Steam Brewing, the nation's first craft brewery, announced plans to close after 127 years in business. (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)(Getty Images/Justin Sullivan) Washington, DC (CNN) — Some Federal...

Former Navy commander enters Florida race to challenge US Sen. Scott

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Democrat who lost two congressional races in one of Florida’s most conservative districts announced Monday he will seek the nomination to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott.Phil Ehr, a retired Navy commander who left the Republican Party in 2017, said in a news release that Scott and the Republican Party have become too extreme.“Scott has actively participated in Donald Trump’s war on the truth, and just like Ron DeSantis, Matt Gaetz and other MAGA diehards, he’s part of the Axis of Lies that is threatening to tear America apart at the seams,” Ehr said.Ehr has twice tried to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz in the district that includes Pensacola and much of the state’s Panhandle. He lost the 2018 Democratic primary by more than 20 points. In 2020, he earned the nomination unopposed then lost to Gaetz by more than 30 points.Scott is seeking his second term in the Senate after serving two terms as governor.Source

Unhealthy air quality lingers across parts of U.S. from drifting Canadian wildfire smoke

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — For Chicagoans planning a lengthy outdoor run Monday, “today is not necessarily the day for that,” according to Kim Biggs of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.Extensive swaths of the northern United States awoke to unhealthy air quality Monday morning or were experiencing it by midafternoon, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow.gov Smoke and Fire map.Fine particle pollution caused by smoke from Canada’s wildfires is causing a red zone air quality index, meaning it is unhealthy for everyone. The particles, known as PM2.5, are tiny enough to get deep into the lungs and cause short-term problems like coughing and itchy eyes, and in the long run, can affect the lungs and heart.The EPA advises keeping outdoor activities light and short when air quality indexes reach above 150 on the agency’s map. On Monday afternoon, cities and regions hitting that mark included Lincoln, Nebraska; Peoria, Illinois; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Clev...

I-70 closes for vehicle fire at Eisenhower-Johnson tunnels

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

(KDVR) — Interstate 70 was closed Monday afternoon after a vehicle fire at the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel.Colorado State Patrol alerted the public about the closure just before 1:15 p.m. They said the vehicle fire was on the westbound bore. The passengers involved were reported as "safe," but no further information was given.Westbound I-70 traffic was being diverted onto U.S. 6/Loveland Pass. Eastbound traffic was being held at the tunnel, backing up about 3 miles, according to CSP.No estimate was given for reopening.

South Florida woman arrested twice in Kentucky after attempted vehicle theft, followed by successful car theft

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

PADUCAH, Ky. (WSVN) – A South Florida woman found herself in double trouble as she was arrested twice in Paducah, Kentucky. According to the Paducah Police Department, Yamila Laborde, 59, with addresses listed in Fort Lauderdale and Hialeah, was arrested after an attempted vehicle theft near Walmart and a successful car theft outside the Paducah/McCracken County Public Library.The first arrest occurred at approximately 12:47 p.m. when Laborde targeted a 2016 Dodge pickup truck parked near Walmart Supercenter on Hinkleville Road. The owner of the vehicle, a Paducah resident, was loading groceries into the truck while his wife occupied the passenger seat. Seizing the opportunity, Laborde jumped into the driver’s seat, claiming the truck as her own and ordering the woman out. However, her attempt was short-lived, as she failed to put the vehicle in gear before her apprehension.Charged with theft by unlawful taking, Laborde was booked into McCracken County Jail.Unfazed by he...

The EU has revealed its blueprint to curb migration

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

BRUSSELS — Cash is king in the EU’s plan to stop migrants from coming to Europe.On Sunday, the EU finalized a deal with Tunisia — a common departure point for people seeking asylum in Europe — that essentially offers the country millions in exchange for help blocking the boats that have been carrying a growing number of people to Europe. The key: the deal goes well beyond migration to also touch on areas like trade, investment and green energy. The pact is a preview of things to come. Now that the EU has this framework in place, Brussels is eager to strike similar deals with other Northern African countries. Already, negotiators are eyeing Egypt and Morocco as potential next targets, according to an EU official who spoke anonymously to discuss the plans.“A blueprint for similar partnerships,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen crowed recently.“A model to build new relations with neighbors from North Africa,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni...

Russia’s war in Ukraine gatecrashes EU-Latin America reunion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:52 GMT

A diplomatic row between EU and Latin American countries over how — or even whether — to mention the war in Ukraine risks turning what was meant to be the celebration of a renewed partnership into a diplomatic failure. The first day of a summit between the EU and the Community of the Latin American & the Caribbean States (CELAC) was all about affirming strengthened intercontinental ties. But the lofty talk quickly fell flat as EU negotiators tried to convince Latin American countries to condemn Russia over its war in Ukraine. Nicaragua and Cuba vehemently opposed the proposed language on Ukraine, according to three EU officials — with one alleging that these two countries had received calls from Moscow advising them to do so.The row in Brussels came just as Russia refused Monday to extend a U.N.-brokered deal that had allowed Ukraine to export its grain surplus through the Black Sea. Both were stark reminders of how Russia’s hybrid geopolitics seeks to drive a we...