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President Joe Biden orders US flags lowered in memory of former first lady Rosalynn Carter

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:19 GMT

PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — President Joe Biden has ordered that U.S. flags on federal government buildings and property will be lowered to half staff for five days in recognition of former first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died Sunday at the age of 96. Biden’s order calls for flags to fly half-staff from Saturday through sunset on Wednesday, Nov. 25, the day Carter will be buried in Plains, Georgia, the hometown she shared with former President Jimmy Carter. The order applies to flags at the White House, all other federal buildings and grounds, and all military and naval posts, including navy vessels, in the U.S. and its territories, along with all U.S. diplomatic, military and naval outposts abroad. Such orders are common when major federal government figures die, including first ladies. Presidential spouses, though, do not receive state funerals.Rosalynn Carter will be honored with public events beginning Monday in Sumter County, Georgia, where she and the former president were born, ...

Trump has long praised autocrats and populists. He’s now embracing Argentina’s new president

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:19 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump has long praised a particular type of foreign leader — men he describes as “tough” and “strong,” even if they have chipped away at their countries’ democratic norms.The former president and GOP front-runner is now celebrating the newly elected leader of Argentina, Javier Milei, a wild-haired, chainsaw-wielding self-described “anarcho-capitalist” dubbed “the madman” by his admirers. “A very special congratulations to Javier Milei on a great race for president of Argentina,” Trump exulted in a video posted Tuesday on his social media site that echoed an earlier statement. “I am very proud of you. You will turn your country around and truly Make Argentina Great Again!”Milei’s resounding win gives Trump a new potential ally if he wins reelection — and underscores his enduring influence on global politics in the near-decade since he launched his first White House bid. It’s also the latest example of the potency of right-wing populism that fl...

Suspects intentionally rear-ended victim’s car then kidnapped, beat him: Peel police

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:19 GMT

Two men were charged in the alleged 2022 kidnapping of another man in Mississauga after investigators say the victim was intentionally rear-ended, abducted at gunpoint and taken to a warehouse, where he was assaulted.Peel Regional Police said on Aug. 23, 2022, the victim was driving in the Dixie Road and Dundas Street area in Mississauga when he was intentionally rear-ended by the suspects’ vehicle. Investigators say the male victim attempted to exchange information with the suspects when one of the men brandished a shotgun and forced him into their vehicle. He was then transported to a warehouse in the Eglington Avenue and Ridgeway Drive area in Mississauga, where he was allegedly assaulted. Related: 2 charged in violent downtown Toronto kidnapping, other man wanted Authorities said the victim made his way to a local police division to report the kidnapping. He was treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.Police said this incident is believed t...

Democratic Rep. Anna Eshoo announces retirement after three decades in Congress

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:19 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Anna Eshoo, a Democrat representing parts of California’s Silicon Valley, announced Tuesday that she will not run for reelection next year, marking the end of her more than three decades in Congress. “I’m choosing this beautiful season of Thanksgiving to announce that I will not be seeking reelection,” Eshoo said in a video posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “And I do so with a heart filled with unending gratitude to you, my magnificent constituents.” Eshoo’s retirement will likely kick off a fierce race for her seat in California’s 16th Congressional District, which encompasses Silicon Valley as well as parts of Santa Jose and San Mateo County. It is a safe Democratic seat that the 80-year-old has occupied since being elected in 1992 as the first woman and Democrat to ever represent the area. She previously served for a decade on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. Eshoo joins more than a dozen House Democrats ...

Federal judge grants injunction banning ‘Kansas Two-Step’ Highway Patrol tactic

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:19 GMT

The Kansas Highway Patrol must stop using a tactic known as the “Kansas Two-Step” to detain out-of-state drivers long enough to find a reason to search their vehicles for illegal drugs, a federal judge has ruled.U.S. District Judge Kathryn H. Vratil on Monday granted a permanent injunction. The injunction was not unexpected. It follows Vratil’s ruling in July that determined that the tactic violated drivers’ constitutional rights against unreasonable searches.KHP spokeswoman Candice Breshears said the order is being reviewed by the state attorney general’s office and declined further comment. A message left Tuesday with the office of Attorney General Kris Kobach was not immediately returned.The injunction has several requirements, including cameras and audio for all marked and unmarked patrol cars. It also says troopers must inform drivers that they can refuse or revoke consent for a search at any time. The injunction also requires better training and documentation...

Latest peace talks between Ethiopia’s government and Oromo militants break up without an agreement

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:19 GMT

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — The latest round of peace talks between Ethiopia’s federal government and a militant group waging a long-running conflict in the country’s Oromia region have broken up in Tanzania without an agreement, both sides said Tuesday.The Oromo Liberation Army says it is fighting for greater determination for the Oromo, Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, who have long claimed being marginalized. The insurgency stretches back to the 1970s but has escalated in recent years, killing thousands and rendering lawless vast swathes of Oromia, Ethiopia’s largest region.The OLA has been listed as a terrorist group in Ethiopia, and the government has accused it of carrying out mass killings against ethnic minorities.A previous round of talks between the OLA and Ethiopian officials in Tanzania earlier this year also failed.Redwan Hussein, the prime minister’s national security advisor, blamed the “intransigence” of the OLA for the latest failure.“The obstructive approach...

Maryland’s handgun licensing law has been struck down by a federal appeals court

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:19 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down Maryland’s handgun licensing law, finding that its requirements, which include submitting fingerprints for a background check and taking a four-hour firearms safety course, are unconstitutionally restrictive.In a 2-1 ruling, judges on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond said they considered the case in light of a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that “effected a sea change in Second Amendment law.”The underlying lawsuit was filed in 2016 as a challenge to a Maryland law requiring people to obtain a special license before purchasing a handgun. The law, which was passed in 2013 in the aftermath of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, laid out a series of necessary steps for would-be gun purchasers: completing four hours of safety training that includes firing one live round, submitting fingerprints and passing a background check, being 21 and residing in Maryland.Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a...

Search is on for pipeline leak after as much as 1.1 million gallons of oil sullies Gulf of Mexico

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:19 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — As much as 1.1 million gallons of oil may have been discharged into the Gulf of Mexico from a pipeline system off Louisiana’s southeast coast, the U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday.The affected pipeline has been shut down but authorities were still trying to determine the exact location and cause of the leak, officials said during a Coast Guard news conference. None of the oil has reached land so far, though its affect on wildlife was still being investigated. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife official said two oily pelicans were sighted off the Louisiana coast Saturday, but still appeared active and able to fly. The oil discharge was discovered amid high winds in the Gulf, which helped some of the oil evaporate and disperse. However, sheens and patches were will visible, said Capt. Kelly Denning, the Coast Guard’s New Orleans sector commander. The Coast Guard said the oil was discovered near a pipeline system owned by Main Pass Oil Company, a subsidiary of Houston...

Damage 'extensive' at Calumet Fisheries after fire

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:19 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Fire Department battled a fire Tuesday afternoon at Calumet Fisheries that left "extensive" damage.Just after 1:15 p.m., the department said they responded to the Chicago staple, located in the 3200 block of East 95th Street.CFD said the fire was in the roof area and no injuries have been reported. However, the department said damage to the restaurant is "extensive."Courtesy Chicago Fire DepartmentThe fire was in a large void in the upper area of the building, authorities said.It was struck out and potential damage is not known at this time.The restaurant reopened Saturday after it was closed by health officials over dead mice and droppings.The iconic restaurant is known for smoking fish steps away from the Calumet River.

Longhorn-themed lights show to dazzle the Drag this holiday season

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:49:19 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Want to show off your Longhorn spirit and Christmas spirit at the same time this holiday season? The University of Texas at Austin has you covered!A new, free light show, aptly named Longhorn Lights, will transform the Drag into a winter wonderland. The show, set to music from the Longhorn Band, will run nightly from 5 to 10 p.m. between Nov. 29 and Jan. 1.You're invited to drive or walk along Guadalupe Street, between 21st and 24th Streets, to see the burnt orange and white lights on 24 heritage oak trees. The lights will shine in sync with Longhorn Band classics like The Eyes of Texas, Texas Fight, March Grandioso and Deep in the Heart of Texas."This new magical display will connect individuals and families to our campus, and we hope this is the start of a joyful, entertaining tradition," UT President Jay Hartzell said. "Beyond the value for our community, this is also especially important for the health and wellbeing of our students as we give them a reason and pl...