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Fatal shooting hours before the Women’s World Cup began in New Zealand appears to be an isolated act

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:55 GMT

By NICK PERRY and JENNA FRYER (Associated Press)AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — A gunman opened fire on terrified workers on a construction site in downtown Auckland early Thursday, killing two people hours before New Zealand hosted the first game of the Women’s World Cup. The man was found dead, and authorities said his motive appeared to be connected to his previous work at the site.New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the shooting was an isolated act, and the FIFA tournament opened as scheduled with a game between the home team and Norway, though with tighter security and many jarred in a country where such attacks are rare. A large crowd, including the prime minister, still showed up at the stadium, and a moment of silence was held for the victims of the shooting, which also left a police officer and four civilians injured.“I want to reiterate that there is no wider national security threat,” said Hipkins. “This appears to be the action of one...

RJK Jr. defends record, remarks during testy House hearing on censorship

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:55 GMT

The government’s interactions with social media companies and requests that they remove certain content during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 election amount to government censorship, presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. told a House subcommittee.During an at-times testy hearing of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, at which the scion of the Kennedy family was invited to testify by Republicans alongside the author of the New York Post article concerning Hunter Biden’s laptop, RFK Jr. repeatedly defended both his past record and recent speeches.“Debate — congenial, respectful debate — is the fertilizer, it’s the water, it’s the sunlight for our democracy. We need to be talking to each other,” Kennedy said Thursday, before holding up a sheet of paper. “This is a letter that many of you signed, many of my fellow Democrats. I’ve spent my life in this party. I’ve devoted my life to the values of this party — 102 people sig...

A woman pleads guilty to fire that kept a Wyoming abortion clinic from opening for a year

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:55 GMT

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — An abortion opponent pleaded guilty to a federal arson charge Thursday after telling investigators that anxiety and nightmares about Wyoming’s first full-service abortion clinic in years led her to break into and burn the planned facility. U.S. District Judge Alan Johnson accepted Lorna Roxanne Green’s agreement with prosecutors at a change-of-plea hearing. Green, 22, was taken into custody and faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing, which the judge scheduled for Oct. 6.“While I deeply regret my actions, I accept full responsibility for what I have done,” Green told the judge. When asked whether she knew at the time that burning the clinic wasn’t right, Green hesitated and said: “I knew right after.”The fire happened at the Wellspring Health Access clinic in Casper in May 2022, weeks before it was to open. The damage kept the clinic from opening for almost a year.Green admitted to breaking in, pouring gasoline around the inside of the building and lightin...

Australian castaway recounts comfort he felt adrift at sea, thanks to meditation, swimming and dog

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:55 GMT

MANZANILLO, Mexico (AP) — He quit his corporate job and moved to Mexico to pursue his dream of sailing solo across the ocean.Australian Timothy Shaddock, 54, bought his 30-foot catamaran two years ago in the Mexican Pacific resort of Puerto Vallarta. He needed a place to live and he liked the isolation.“Of course, living on a boat and sailing on a boat is two different things and that was more of a challenge,” Shaddock told The Associated Press Wednesday after stepping onto land for the first time in months.As his training ground Shaddock chose the Sea of Cortez, a narrow finger of water between the Baja California Peninsula and the Mexican mainland. “I was aware and the only preparation that you can really do is take the boat out to sea and test the boat at sea,” Shaddock said. He would take short journeys, noting what was working on the boat and what wasn’t, but was conscious that, in late April, hurricane season was coming. “It was either now or I could not really wait one more y...

Helicopter in firefighting operation crashes in northwestern Alberta, killing pilot

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:55 GMT

PEACE RIVER, Alta. — A helicopter crash in northwestern Alberta has resulted in the third death in recent days involving wildfire-fighting efforts in Canada. “There are a lot of people across this country who have been stepping up during these very, very difficult forest fires, protecting their families, protecting their communities, protecting their fellow citizens,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a visit to Belleville, Ont., on Thursday.“And to have lost three firefighters, or individuals helping out in fighting the fires, is heartbreaking. Every single time one of these first responders or firefighters steps up, they’re doing it to keep their fellow citizens safe and they have families as well who worry about them when they go out.”RCMP said forestry workers were trying to resuscitate the pilot, who was the only one in the helicopter, when officers arrived on the scene near Haig Lake, 140 kilometres northeast of Peace River, Alta., on Wedn...

Video shows Oklahoma judge texting and scrolling on phone in trial over fatal beating of 2-year-old

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:55 GMT

CHANDLER, Okla. (AP) — A new judge in Oklahoma is facing scrutiny after courtroom video showed her scrolling through social media and texting on her cellphone throughout the murder trial for a man accused in the fatal beating of a 2-year-old, a newspaper reports.Security video obtained by The Oklahoman shows Lincoln County District Judge Traci Soderstrom texting or messaging for minutes at a time during jury selection, opening statements and testimony in the trial for a man in the death of his girlfriend’s son. At one point, Soderstrom searched for a GIF, an animated image.Soderstrom, 50, can also be seen checking Facebook during the trial, which began last month in Chandler, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast of Oklahoma City, the newspaper reported. Soderstrom was sworn in on Jan. 9 after being elected in November. Her four-year term expires in January 2027.Soderstrom declined to comment to the newspaper because the verdict could still be appealed, saying judges are pr...

Fleetwood among British Open leaders. McIlroy among the survivors.

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:55 GMT

HOYLAKE, England (AP) — The British Open showed again Thursday that even after 163 years, golf’s oldest championship can still deliver a few surprises.It started with Christo Lamprecht, the South African amateur as tall as a flag stick and almost as thin, making three birdies over his last six holes and posting a 5-under 66 to become the first amateur in 12 years to share the 18-hole lead at the Open.Curiosity about the 22-year-old amateur turned to glee at the site of local hero, Tommy Fleetwood, running off three straight birdies on the back nine at Royal Liverpool to join him atop the leaderboard. Emiliano Grillo of Argentina became the third to post 66 by holing a birdie putt from 50 feet on the last hole.Not to be overlooked was Jordan Spieth hitting a shank; Rory McIlroy missing a 3-foot putt; Justin Thomas going bunker-to-bunker-to-rough — each shot further away from the flag than the previous one — in making a 9 on the 18th hole to post his highest round in a major at ...

Grassley releases full FBI memo with unverified claims about Hunter Biden’s work in Ukraine

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:55 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley released an unclassified document Thursday that Republicans claim is significant in their investigation of Hunter Biden as they probe the financial affairs of the president’s son and revive previously debunked claims of wrongdoing.Grassley of Iowa has been working alongside House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., as Republicans deepen their probe of the President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, ahead of the 2024 election. Comer had issued a subpoena for the document from the FBI.While lawmakers on the Oversight Committee have already been able to partly review the information, this is the first time the full form — which contains raw, unverified information — is being made public. Called an FD-1023 form, it involves claims a confidential informant made in 2020 about Hunter Biden’s alleged business dealings when he served on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Top Republicans have acknow...

Mom of Colorado teen accused of trying to join Islamic State blames FBI ‘encouragement’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:55 GMT

DENVER (AP) — The mother of an 18-year-old who is accused of trying to become a fighter for the Islamic State group says her son has never had the motivation to follow through with things. Deanna Meyer testified Thursday that she does not think her son, Devin Meyer, would have taken action to travel to the Middle East were it not for the support of people he recently met who shared his views. That included FBI informants posing as Islamic State facilitators.“I bet my life he would never do that without that encouragement,” Deanna Meyer said in federal court in an unsuccessful attempt to convince a judge to allow her son to stay with her while he is being prosecuted. He was arrested Friday as he tried to board a plane to Turkey and has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.Deanna Meyer was responding to a question from Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter about whether her son, who has autism, understood the gravity of t...

Skilling: Warm weekend ahead but summer heat looms

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:55 GMT

FIRST, THE THURSDAY WEATHER HEADLINES:---Chicago has continued to escape the brutal heat breaking records in the southern and Southwest U.S.--Thursday's high is likely to reach 88 degrees—and the day is likely to be the first to log an ABOVE AVERAGE daytime temp in 4 days. There were strong west-to-northwest winds which defeated any lake cooling today. Lake breezes return in the coming days.--July continues to post a slight temp deficit averaging, with today's temps factored in, 0.7 degrees below normal.---A few thunderstorms may flare south of Chicago Thursday evening—but they'll be moving away from the city.--A wind shift to the northwest is introducing slightly less humid air which will allow temps to drop below last night's 71-degree minimum temp—likely bottoming out around 66 at O'Hare.---Northwest upper steering winds continue to guide modest amounts of smoke off the 900+ fires still burning across Canada into Chicago's airspace---but ALOFT. So air quality here at ground level...