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FIRST ON WTOP: Former U. Md. student cleared of sex assault claims sues school, 2 ex-members of campus advocacy group

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:47 GMT

A two-and-a-half-year drama has moved from a local campus disciplinary panel to a federal court room.It involves a former University of Maryland student accused and later exonerated of a sexual assault accusation who has now filed a civil lawsuit against the school, two Title IX coordinators and two former students who were part of a campus sexual assault advocacy group. The suit is asking for at least $1 million in damages.More Maryland NewsMore Local NewsAccording to the lawsuit, on Oct. 27, 2020, a student referred to in the suit as “Jane Roe” accused two students — including the plaintiff in this case who uses the pseudonym of “John Doe” — of sexually assaulting her.After an investigation and a hearing conducted by the University of Maryland’s Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct on Sept. 1, 2021, the hearing officer found “Roe” lacked credibility and found both “Doe” and his friend “Jacob Poe” were not responsible for the two claims that she made, according to “Do...

Denver weather: Fire danger, high winds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:47 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — High winds are back across Denver on Friday, meaning there is enhanced fire danger along the southern Front Range and southern Eastern Plains from noon through 7 p.m. in the Denver weather forecast. Pinpoint Weather: Advisories on March 31. Weather today: Red flag warningsFriday has a mix of sun and clouds with below-average highs in the middle 50s. High winds are back and coming out of the northwest at 25-35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph this afternoon. 1,000-acre wildfire forces evacuations in Park, Teller counties With dry conditions, there is an enhanced fire danger Friday.Pinpoint Weather: Daily forecast for March 31. Weather tonight: Slower winds, coolSkies will slowly clear overnight Friday with lighter winds. Overnight lows will dip into the upper 20s with a southwest wind at 5-10 mph.Pinpoint Weather: Overnight forecast on March 31. Looking ahead: Nice weekend, snow and rain aheadThe weekend ahead looks great with mostly sunny skies and warm temperatures. D...

Pope to be discharged from hospital on Saturday, Vatican says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:47 GMT

(CNN) — Pope Francis is expected to be discharged from hospital on Saturday, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Friday in a statement.Francis, 86, was hospitalized on Wednesday for the treatment of a respiratory infection.The Pontiff had pizza for dinner on Thursday together with medical and police staff, and Friday “after breakfast, he read some newspapers and resumed his work. His Holiness’s return home to Santa Marta is expected tomorrow, following the results of the latest tests this morning,” Bruni said.Bruni had earlier revealed that Francis was given antibiotics to treat infectious bronchitis during his stay in hospital.He spent a second “restful” night at the Policlinico A. Gemelli Hospital in Rome, Vatican sources told CNN on Friday.The pontiff — who as a young man suffered from severe pneumonia and had part of a lung removed — has had a recent history of medical issues.He has often been seen with a walking stick and sometime...

Tennis legends to compete in pickleball tournament for $1M prize

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:47 GMT

Some tennis legends are trading in their rackets for pickleball paddles on Sunday. John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and Michael Chang are competing in a pickleball tournament in Hollywood, Florida for a split of a one million dollar prize. The 2023 Pickleball Slam is at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and airs on ESPN starting at noon Sunday. The slam is a multi-year partnership with the Hard Rock. It features two single matches and a double match. Pickleball is now considered a cultural phenomenon that combines tennis, ping pong, and badminton. Promoters say the idea for the tournament is for big names in one racket sport to help promote another racket sport.

Chelmsford wildlife sanctuary caring for baby porcupine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:47 GMT

Newhouse Wildlife Rescue in Chelmsford is caring for a baby porcupine named Sammy. Sammy was born at the facility and recently became popular for a video of her squealing while being cleaned. Porcupines are known to be very vocal animals and can be drama queens, according to rescuers. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Newhouse Wildlife Rescue (@newhousewildliferescue)

Vatican: Pope to leave hospital on Saturday, eats pizza

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:47 GMT

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis is expected to be discharged on Saturday from the Rome hospital where he is being treated for bronchitis as his recovery proceeds in a “normal” way, even had pizza for dinner and will be in St. Peter’s Square for Palm Sunday Mass, the Vatican said. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni gave the update in a written statement on Friday. In a subsequent statement, Bruni said that Francis was expected to be in the square for the Mass, which marks the start of Holy Week and ushers in a series of solemn public ceremonies that culminate on Easter on April 9.Francis, 86, was hospitalized on Wednesday at Gemelli Polyclinic, where doctors said the pontiff was receiving antibiotics intravenously to treat his bronchitis.“Yesterday went well, with a normal clinical recovery,” Bruni said. “In the evening (of Thursday), Pope Francis had dinner, eating a pizza, together with all those who are assisting him in these days of the hospital stay,” the spokesman said, includ...

Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit slashing 85% of its workforce

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:47 GMT

Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit is letting go of almost its entire work force with the satellite launch company finding it difficult to secure funding three months after a failed mission. The company, headquartered in Long Beach, California, will cut 675 jobs, about 85% of its workforce, according to a Friday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Earlier this month Virgin Orbit said that it was pausing all operations amid reports of possible job cuts. At the time the company confirmed that it was putting all work on hold, but didn’t say for how long.In January, a mission by Virgin Orbit to launch the first satellites into orbit from Europe failed after a rocket’s upper stage prematurely shut down. It was a setback in the United Kingdom which had hoped that the launch from Cornwall in southwest England would mark the beginning of more commercial opportunities for the U.K. space industry.The company said in February that an investigation found that its rocket’s...

EU official says major aid to Lebanon depends on IMF deal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:47 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — A European Union official visiting Lebanon said Friday that the international body will increase its humanitarian assistance to the crisis-struck country, but that more significant long-term aid depends on reforms and a deal with the International Monetary Fund.EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said at a press conference following his two-day visit that the EU will provide 60 million euros (more than $65 million) in humanitarian assistance to Lebanon in 2023, a 20% increase from last year.But he warned that such aid is “not a sustainable long-term solution” to the massive financial crisis that has left three-quarters of Lebanon’s population of 6 million in poverty.To get out of the crisis, he said, Lebanon needs to elect a president — which would resolve a presidential vacuum that has dragged on for five months – and to ink a deal with the IMF, which he said “would unlock substantial financial support also from the European Union th...

After being fired, Israel’s defense minister caught in limbo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:47 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Five days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to fire his defense minister set off a wave of spontaneous mass protests and a general strike that threatened to paralyze the country, forcing the Israeli leader to suspend his divisive plan to overhaul the judicial system.But Netanyahu never even sent Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant a formal termination letter, a spokesperson for Netanyahu said. As of Friday, Gallant — whose criticism of Netanyahu’s planned judicial changes led to his dismissal — was still on the job. Gallant’s aides said it was business-as-usual at the Defense Ministry. As local media this week crackled with reports of Netanyahu considering whether to replace Gallant with stalwarts of his right-wing Likud party, Gallant remained in limbo — and even so, the public face of his ministry. He greeted the Azerbaijani foreign minister, toured two military bases and attended Tuesday’s security cabinet meeting...

Russia might put strategic nukes in Belarus, leader says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:47 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The president of Belarus says Russian strategic nuclear weapons might be deployed in his country along with part of Russia’s tactical nuclear arsenal.Russian President Vladimir Putin announced this week that his country intended to deploy tactical, comparatively short-range and small-yield nuclear weapons in Belarus, its neighbor and ally. The statement from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko about strategic nuclear weapons such as missile-borne warheads would pose an even greater threat if it comes to pass.Lukashenko spoke during his state-of-the-nation address on Friday, amid escalating tensions over the conflict in Ukraine and contentions that Western powers want to ruin Russia and Belarus. “Putin and I will decide and introduce here, if necessary, strategic weapons, and they must understand this, the scoundrels abroad, who today are trying to blow us up from inside and outside,” the Belarusian leader said. “We will stop at nothing...