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North Carolina lawmaker signals party switch with big impact

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Speculation is rising in the North Carolina legislature that a Democrat is about to switch parties and give Republicans a complete veto-proof majority in the General Assembly, a move that could affect legislation on immigration, abortion and voting. The GOP scheduled a Wednesday news conference at party headquarters with Rep. Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County. House Speaker Tim Moore said Tuesday that Cotham and chamber leaders will “make a major announcement.” If the Democrat does switch parties, it would be a major political setback for Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and allies in their attempts to block conservative initiatives during the governor’s final two years in office. It could make it easier for Republicans to enact bills that would force sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration agents and prevent counting absentee ballots received after Election Day. The GOP is also debating if and how to place further restrictions on abortion. While Republ...

Flight data recorders found after deadly Black Hawk crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) — Investigators recovered “black boxes” from two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters that crashed last week in Kentucky, killing all nine soldiers aboard, the military announced Tuesday. A U.S. Army aviation safety team from Fort Rucker, Alabama, found the flight data recorders, which are commonly referred to as black boxes in civilian aircraft, from the HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, a news release from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) said. The helicopters crashed near Fort Campbell during a nighttime training exercise on March 29. The recorders have been sent to Fort Rucker for further analysis.“The duration of the investigation is determined by the thorough analysis of all factors,” division spokesman Lt. Col. Tony Hoefler said in the news release. The pilots were using night-vision goggles during the exercise, Army officials said. Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the 101st Airborne deputy commander, has said the accident occurred while the helicopters w...

5th arrest made in mass shooting at Georgia teen house party

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. (AP) — A fifth suspect has been arrested in a March 4 mass shooting at a 16th birthday party in suburban Atlanta that killed two teens and wounded seven other people, authorities said Tuesday.Tahkel Marquise Beverly-Smart, a 21-year-old resident of Dallas, Georgia, was arrested Saturday in connection with the shooting at a house in Douglasville, Douglas County Sheriff Tim Pounds announced.In addition to two counts of murder, Beverly-Smart is facing 40 counts of participating in gang activity, nine counts each of aggravated assault and aggravated battery, and 20 counts of being a party to a crime, jail records show. Beverly-Smart, like the four other suspects arrested so far, was denied bail. It was not clear whether any had lawyers who could speak on their behalf. Arrested earlier were Kingston Cottman, 17, Timothy Coleman, 18, and twin brothers Chance and Chase McDowell, 17. They all face murder and gang charges, while Cottman and Coleman also face aggravated assa...

LIVE BLOG: Tracking the Chicago mayor runoff election results

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

CHICAGO — It's Election Day and the race for Chicago mayor will be decided in a runoff election.The race pits former Chicago schools CEO Paul Vallas, a moderate Democrat endorsed by Chicago’s police union and several trade unions, against progressive Brandon Johnson, a former teacher and union organizer backed by the Chicago Teachers Union and several public sector unions. Tuesday's runoff election is due to no candidate receiving over 50% of the vote on the Feb. 28 election. On that day, Vallas, 69, was the majority frontrunner. Johnson, 46, followed and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot finished third in the polls. The soon-to-be-ousted Lightfoot was the first city mayor in 40 years to seek reelection and lose.Vallas has been endorsed by at least 20 council members, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin and three of his rival candidates; Willie Wilson, Ald. Sophia King (4th Ward) and Ja’Mal Green. He has raked in big campaign cash since Feb. 28, getting nearly $10 million from bu...

Black leaders pay tribute to MLK on 55th anniversary of assassination

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

Just after 6 p.m. on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was on his way to dinner in Memphis, Tenn. As he was standing on the balcony of his second-story room at the Lorraine Motel, he was fatally shot. “Today, 55 years ago my life changed forever,” Rev. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center and King’s daughter, tweeted on Tuesday. “At 5 years of age my father was violently taken from me and my family. Although the void persists... I choose to love anyway.” King was among many this week to honor the slain civil rights leader and to share how the work to achieve his dream is still strong.Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) said Tuesday was a day of reflection for the nation. “As we observe the 55th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we must not only remember the tragic loss of a great civil rights leader, but also reflect on the continuing struggle for justice and equality,” Green said in a statement to The Hill.“We owe it to posterity to continue...

Cruise passenger falls off balcony, dies after ship leaves Florida

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

MIAMI (WFLA) — A passenger died on a cruise ship departing Miami Sunday after falling off a balcony, according to reports.The incident happened shortly after Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady left Miami en route to Roatan, Honduras on Sunday, a spokesperson told Insider.In a statement, the company spokesperson said the passenger fell from their balcony and landed on another person on the lower deck. Man goes overboard from Carnival cruise ship in Gulf of Mexico According to Virgin Voyages, the first passenger died of their injuries but the second one was not seriously hurt."We are deeply saddened by this loss of life and our hearts and thoughts are with this person's loved ones," the cruise line's statement said.Additional details about the incident weren't immediately available. The ship returned to Miami Monday after the deadly incident but resumed its voyage, according to NBC News.

Don't use the front passenger seat in these 140K recalled vehicles, Volkswagen says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Volkswagen is warning not people not to sit in the front passenger seat of over 140,000 of their SUVs that are now under recall.The recall pertains to 143,053 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles, according a National Health Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) release.Volkswagen warns that, because of faulty wiring, the occupant detection system might fail to recognize someone sitting in the front passenger seat and mistakenly deactivate the air bag. These seemingly ordinary things will get you sent home from the Masters "Until the free recall repair is developed and completed, owners should not allow anyone to sit in the front passenger seat," the release stated. "Volkswagen is currently developing a remedy and will notify affected owners as soon as the repair is available."If the vehicle has faulty passenger occupant detection system, or PODS, Volkswagen says it will trigger an error message and a warning sound.Volkswagen will be notifying ow...

2 APD officers cleared in use-of-force deadly March 2022 shooting, Travis County DA says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas -- A Travis County special grand jury cleared two Austin Police Department officers in a March 2022 use-of-force incident that left one man dead, according to a news release from the Travis County District Attorney's Office.On March 6, 2022, APD officers, including Britton Taylor and Charles Wesley, were near Interstate 35 and East St. John's Avenue investigating a separate shooting incident, the release said. APD releases body cam video of deadly March 6 police shooting in central Austin While on the scene, Taylor and Wesley heard three gunshots, ran to where the gunshots were heard and found Miguel Ruiz-Rivera, the release said. Ruiz-Rivera didn't comply with multiple commands from officers and shot a handgun in the direction of both officers, according to the DA.Taylor and Wesley shot at Ruiz-Rivera, hitting him multiple times, the release said. Officers attempted life-saving measures, but Ruiz-Rivera did not survive.“The District Attorney’s office takes th...

Dozens of activists head to the capitol to protest 'anti-DEI' legislation 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Dozens of activists went to the Texas Capitol Tuesday to protest several bills they posit are anti-DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion – saying these bills set back progress African Americans have made in recent decades. “Make no mistake, these bills are anti-Black and anti-Latino. We’re talking about everything from the continuation of suppressing voting rights to eliminating programs in Texas colleges and universities that help recruit, retain and support African American students as well as other students of color,” said Gary Bledsoe, President of the Texas chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Two bills the activists called out were HB 5140, filed by House Rep. Briscoe Cain, and HB 3164, filed by House Rep. Carl Tepper. If HB 5140 passes it will prohibit recruiters filling roles for government employment or contracting from considering race and ethnicity when hiring. It would also prohibit universities...

Mike Hastings cherishes ‘special opportunity’ at Wisconsin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

MADISON, Wis. — It was a bit of an unconventional introduction to those who wish him nothing but success, but when new Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey coach Mike Hastings met the fans and his future players on the ice at the Kohl Center, he grinned and admitted his ties to a kind of hockey underworld.Interviewed by Badgers radio voice Brian Posick after his formal introduction, to the strains of the Badger band playing “On Wisconsin,” Hastings admitted that his three greatest coaching mentors — Don Lucia, Bob Motzko and Dean Blais — are all current or former coaches or players for the Minnesota Gophers, and are collectively playfully known as the “Minnesota Mafia.”“They’ve always been there, and when I’ve needed them, they’ve answered the phone, which I’ve had to do often,” Hastings said. “I’m thankful to have the relationships I’ve had with those guys, because they’ve put me in a good spot.”Posick was quick to remind Hastings that, as the Badgers coach, one of the ...