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For 2nd day, MSD shooting victims’ families, survivors visit site to collect belongings left behind

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:24 GMT

For a second day, survivors and families of the victims of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School went inside the building, where everything remains as it was that tragic day.The 1200 building is surrounded by a chain-link fence. It has not been changed, cleaned or used since the day of the massacre on Feb. 14, 2018. Families and those connected with the building began going inside the building since it reopened for the private visits on Wednesday.They decided to make the visit for several reasons — some to retrieve belongings, others to reflect and close this painful chapter as best as possible. It was their first time entering since the Valentine’s Day massacre, and possibly their last, because of a potential demolition in the upcoming months. Isabel Chequer was one of the students who returned to the building with her family to claim her belongings left in the classroom from that day. “I saw Helena, I noticed that she had passed away,” said Ch...

Mobile meth lab discovered at Florida Welcome Center

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:24 GMT

NASSAU COUNTY, FLA. (WSVN) – The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office provided assistance to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) after a mobile methamphetamine lab was discovered at the I-95 Welcome Center, Thursday afternoon.The incident prompted the activation of a hazmat team, resulting in the closure of traffic to the welcome center and the evacuation of its premises. The welcome center, situated along Interstate 95 South, serves as a gateway for travelers entering Florida from Georgia.https://twitter.com/NCSO_FL/status/1677018284451848193?s=20Authorities were alerted to the presence of the mobile meth lab, prompting an immediate response from law enforcement and emergency personnel. The hazardous materials team arrived on the scene to handle the volatile situation.As a precautionary measure, traffic to the welcome center was halted, and visitors and employees were evacuated to ensure their safety. The nature and extent of the meth lab, as well as any potential hazards asso...

Police searching for suspect in connection with breaking and entering in Somerville

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:24 GMT

Somerville police are looking for a suspect connected to a recent breaking and entering, the department announced Thursday.Police released a picture of the suspect in tan or gray cargo shorts and a black t-shirt. The suspect is suspected of breaking into a home although Somerville police did not share the location of the home.https://twitter.com/SomervillePD/status/1676985584408047624?s=20Somerville police also warned the public of a string of unrelated overnight break-ins on Beacon Street through unlocked first floor windows and doors. Police are asking anyone with information to reach out to them.

Victims’ families walk though Parkland school massacre site, untouched for 5 years as evidence

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:24 GMT

PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — For more than five years, the bloodstained halls and classrooms where 17 people died in the Parkland school shooting has remained locked away and mostly untouched — not even the victims’ families were allowed inside.That changed Wednesday, as heart-wrenching private tours began for relatives of the 14 students and three staff members who died. The 17 wounded and their loved ones will also be able to visit the 1200 building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, now that it is no longer needed as evidence in the trials of the convicted killer and the deputy who was just acquitted of failing to stop him.The school district plans to demolish the three-story building, likely replacing it with a memorial.Four families were led through the building Wednesday by prosecutors. Others are scheduled in the coming weeks. There might also be a reenactment of the Valentine’s Day shooting for a still-pending civil lawsuit against the deputy.“I needed to see where my s...

Twitter threatens to sue Meta after rival app Threads gains traction

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:24 GMT

(CNN) — Twitter is threatening Meta with a lawsuit after the blockbuster launch of Meta’s new Twitter rival, Threads — in perhaps the clearest sign yet that Twitter views the app as a competitive threat.On Wednesday, an attorney representing Twitter sent Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg a letter that accused the company of trade secret theft through the hiring of former Twitter employees.The letter was first reported by Semafor. A person familiar with the matter confirmed the letter’s authenticity to CNN.The letter by Alex Spiro, an outside lawyer for Twitter owner Elon Musk, alleged that Meta had engaged in “systematic, willful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property.”In response to reports on the letter, Musk tweeted: “Competition is fine, cheating is not.”The letter goes on to say that Meta hired former Twitter employees who “have improperly retained Twitter documents and electronic devices” and that Meta “de...

Legal expert weighs in as jury deliberations continue in trial of man accused of killing Weymouth police officer, bystander

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:24 GMT

After more than 16 hours of deliberations over five court sessions, there is still no verdict in the trial of a man charged with murdering a Weymouth police officer and an elderly woman in 2018.Now-25-year-old Emmanuel Lopes, who is mounting an insanity defense, is waiting to hear if he will be convicted in the murders of Weymouth police Sgt. Michael. Chesna and a longtime Weymouth resident, 77-year-old Vera Adams.The families of the officer Sgt. Michael Chesna and the other victim Vera Adams are on edge as they wait for the decision.Lopes’ legal team admits he pulled the trigger, but they are claiming he was insane and not responsible legally for what he did.“It rarely works, but sometimes it has, and it rarely works especially in murder cases,” 7NEWS Legal Analyst Tom Hoopes said, “and here, it’s not just one homicide, it’s two.”Hoopes said the jury is struggling and may be deadlocked. However, he said a hung jury is not a lock.“Who knows what’s going to happen,” he said. “Sometim...

Britney Spears says Wembanyama’s security struck her in Las Vegas, Spurs rookie says he was grabbed

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:24 GMT

By TIM REYNOLDS (AP Basketball Writer)LAS VEGAS (AP) — San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama said Thursday he believes Britney Spears grabbed him from behind as he was walking into a restaurant at a Las Vegas casino, and that the security detail he was with pushed the pop star away.Wembanyama said he wasn’t told that Spears was the person who grabbed him until hours later.Spears filed a police report saying she was struck by a security guard while trying to get the attention of Wembanyama, a person with knowledge of the matter said Thursday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the police report had yet to be released publicly.Spears’ representatives did not respond to a request for comment and police officials did not immediately return a message seeking more details. Wembanyama said security advised him to not stop for anyone as he walked into the restaurant, mindful that pausing could cause a stir and allow a crowd to build.“Something di...

FDA approves Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi; that means Medicare will pay for it

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials granted full approval to a closely watched Alzheimer’s drug on Thursday, clearing the way for Medicare and other insurance plans to begin covering the treatment for people with the brain-robbing disease.The Food and Drug Administration endorsed the IV drug, Leqembi, for patients with mild dementia and other symptoms caused by early Alzheimer’s disease. It’s the first medicine that’s been convincingly shown to modestly slow Alzheimer’s cognitive decline.Japanese drugmaker Eisai received conditional approval from the FDA in January based on early results suggesting Leqembi worked by clearing a sticky brain plaque linked to the disease.The FDA confirmed those results by reviewing data from a larger, 1,800-patient study in which the drug slowed memory and thinking decline by about five months in those who got the treatment, compared to those who got a dummy drug.“This confirmatory study verified that it is a safe and e...

Damian Lillard abandoning loyalty for South Beach: ‘Truthfully, he wants to play for Miami’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:24 GMT

The Portland Trail Blazers owe Damian Lillard over $175 million. But apparently, Lillard believes their obligation extends to something else:Making sure he goes to South Beach.The point guard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, has taken the trade demand to the next level by warning potential suitors that Lillard would become disgruntled if acquired by a team other than the Heat.“I do what I should for my client,” Goodwin told the Miami Herald. “Some teams I did call. Other teams have called me. It’s a respectful relationship with most teams.“Truthfully, he wants to play for Miami. Period.”The circumstances are troubling for a number of reasons. Mainly for the Blazers. On one hand, Lillard represents arguably the greatest player in franchise history and a symbol of commitment to a team that largely mismanaged the roster during his tenure.On the other hand, Lillard’s Miami-or-bust stance places the Blazers at a terrible disadvantage in negotiations...

A Texas man reported missing as a teen in 2015 was only missing for 1 day, police say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:24 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — The case of a Texas man who was reported missing as a teenager in 2015 and found alive last week at a church took an unexpected turn Thursday when police revealed it all was a hoax — the man was only gone for a day, but he and his mother maintained the ruse for eight years by using false names.Prosecutors did not file any charges against Janie Santana and her son, Rudolph “Rudy” Farias IV, but the investigation is continuing, Houston police detectives said. They gave few other details about where they believe the case could lead.Santana’s family said they suspected Farias was not missing and blamed Santana for keeping him away from them all these years.“We’re upset that (authorities) are not going to do anything,” Pauline Sanchez Rodriguez, Farias’ aunt, said as she and other family members stood outside Houston police headquarters.Santana did not return a telephone call seeking comment Thursday.The announcement came a week after police said they found Farias after re...