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Expelled Nashville Democrat Justin Jones of the ‘Tennessee Three’ wins back state House seat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:59 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nashville Democrat Justin Jones, a member of the so-called “Tennessee Three,” won back his state House seat Thursday after Republican lawmakers expelled him for his participation in a pro-gun control protest in the Capitol. Jones, 27, defeated Republican candidate Laura Nelson.Along with Jones, fellow Democrat Justin Pearson, 28, was also vying to reclaim his House seat in Memphis against independent candidate Jeff Johnston after also being expelled in April. The young Black lawmakers were reinstated by local officials after being booted from the GOP-dominated Statehouse, but only on an interim basis. They needed to clear a special election in order to fully take back their legislative positions. Thursday’s election comes as lawmakers are preparing to return to Nashville later this month for a special session to address possibly changing the state’s gun control laws. While Jones and Pearson’s reelection to their old posts won’t make a significant dent to the ...

The son of Colombia’s president says his father’s election campaign received money of dubious origin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:59 GMT

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro acknowledged Thursday that his father’s 2022 election campaign received money of dubious origin, according prosecutors investigating the son for alleged illicit enrichment and money laundering.Nicolás Petro, who was a legislator representing a northern coastal region, agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in the probe after being charged Tuesday.Prosecutor Mario Andrés Burgos, who heads the investigation, said the younger Petro has revealed that unjustified increases detected in his assets came from two individuals being questioned by Colombian authorities. The money went partly into his own accounts and partly into the campaign that made his father Colombia’s first elected leftist president, the prosecutor said. On Tuesday, when he was charged, prosecutors said the younger Petro took thousands of dollars from drug traffickers and used it to buy luxurious homes and expensive cars. Nicolás Petro, 36, pleaded in...

Panama Canal foresees its income falling after shipping limited due to a drought

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:59 GMT

The managers of the Panama Canal said they expect income from the waterway to drop after authorities were forced to limit the number of ships passing through each to 32 due to a lack of rainfall. Ricaurte Vásquez, the canal’s administrator, said Thursday that income in 2024 could drop by as much as $200 million because of the drought. The canal implemented a measure Sunday capping the number of ships passing through its locks daily to a maximum of 32, compared to 36 to 38 under normal operation. Not enough rain has fallen to feed the watershed system of rivers and brooks that fill lakes, whose waters in turn fill the locks.The watershed also supplies freshwater to Panama City, home to about half the country’s population of 4 million. The canal had expected to earn about $4.9 billion in fees next year before the measures were announced.The Associated Press

Environment Canada says tornado touches down near Ottawa Thursday evening

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:59 GMT

Environment Canada says a tornado touched down in the Ottawa area Thursday evening during a severe thunderstorm.It was confirmed near Metcalfe, Ont., a rural community about 30 kilometres southeast of Ottawa, just before 7 p.m. eastern time.#ONStorm #ottawa#Tornado check it out. Right in the center pic.twitter.com/KUC7dLWbfo— Ghazi H. Wadi (@GhaziOttawa) August 3, 2023Tornado Warning issued for a confirmed tornado located 9 kilometres northwest of Metcalfe, moving east at 50 km/h. Details ???? https://t.co/vErVG5QII4#ONStorm #ONwx pic.twitter.com/kqniC8YY5A— ECCC Weather Ontario (@ECCCWeatherON) August 3, 2023There were also a number of reports of hail throughout the national capital, along with strong winds and rain.Ottawa Fire Services says part of a roof was ripped off a home in Riverside South, a community south of Nepean.The fire service says everyone got out of the home safely and the home’s structural integrity was not damaged, but it’s not clear whet...

CPD: 71-year-old man with dementia missing from West Roseland

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:59 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Police Department is asking for the public's help in locating a missing 71-year-old who was last seen early Wednesday morning.Alonzo Sain, 71, was last seen leaving his home on the 200 block of West 112th Street in Chicago's West Roseland neighborhood. CPD: 28-year-old missing from West Town neighborhood Sain is described as 5-foot-8, weighing 183 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He has stage 4 cancer and the onset dementia in that he reportedly gets a little confused in the evenings. He also is partially blind in his left eye.Sain was heading to McDonald's at 29 East 87th Street to hand out flyers for a construction company at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, but never returned home.Anyone with information regarding Alonzo Sain's whereabouts are asked to contact the Chicago Police Department at 312-747-8274.

Uptick of COVID cases attributed to Travis County wastewater

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — With the uptick of COVID cases in the Austin area, Austin Public Health said it was making moves to keep children safe during the back-to-school season.APH said it was giving vaccines to children who might need them, as well as helping to support mobile clinic operations in the area.The increase in cases can be attributed to Travis County wastewater, where covid has been found over the past 6 weeks."We are seeing SARS-CoV-2 present in the wastewater stream,” said Janet Pichette, the chief epidemiologist at Austin Public Health. “As I mentioned, it’s being collected in two of our regional wastewater treatment plants. Those plants represent 95% of the wastewater that comes in for 95% of the Austin population.”While the COVID-19 national public health emergency has ended, cases continue to persist in Travis County; however, hospitalizations remain low, which experts have attributed to vaccines.Boosters were encouraged to protect those who are high-risk and updated vacci...

Bee Cave teen gets his wish to ride in old-school Corvette

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:59 GMT

BEE CAVE, Texas (KXAN) — One teenager in Bee Cave had his wish come true Tuesday.Nicholas said he always wanted to drive or ride in an old-school Corvette, and on his 17th birthday, he got the chance to do just that.Make-A-Wish worked with Covert Bee Cave to make Nicholas’ wish happen.“I've been fortunate and blessed enough to be part of roughly 10 or 12 wishes that we've granted over the last 10 plus years,” Mike Ishack, Covert Bee Cave General Manager, said.Ann Jerome, President & CEO of Make-A-Wish, said Tuesday's wish was exciting.“This one we have not done a Corvette wish. We have other kinds of car wishes. But this is a super exciting day,” Jerome said.Nicholas’ mom, Jennifer Johnson, said she was happy her son’s wish was granted.“One of his dreams is probably to drive one, and sadly I don't know if we'll ever get to have that happen,” Johnson said. “So, having Make-A-Wish step in and saying ‘Hey, yeah, we can make that happen.’ It's amazing.”Photojournalist Frank Martinez...

Vikings rookie receiver Jordan Addison drawing tons of praise at training camp

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:59 GMT

Jordan Addison promised he would be ready once he put the pads on. Though he missed all of organized team activities this spring, working his way back from a minor injury, he wasn’t worried about being too far behind for training camp.“I’ve been doing this all my life,” he said at the start of training camp. “I’ll be able to jump back in and get to where I need to be at.”That has been the case so far as Addison has showcased why the Vikings selected him No. 23 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. Whether it’s making a diving catch over the middle last week in team drills, or smoking cornerback Joejuan Williams this week in individual drills, Addison has certainly looked the part of a successful draft pick.“What he’s done on the grass so far has confirmed a lot of the things that we expected from Jordan,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “He’s also done some things instinctively, playing football within the confines of our scheme.”A perfect exampl...

Schenectady County extends State of Emergency

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:59 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Schenectady County officials have extended the State of Emergency related to asylum seekers coming to the area. It will now be in effect for another five days or until it is extended again. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The State of Emergency went into effect on July 24. It states that no hotel or shelter can house migrants unless it is approved by the county.The order was in response to migrants staying at the Super 8 Motel in Rotterdam that displaced occupants already living there.

On the eve of his first homeless camp sweep, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston shakes hands of inhabitants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:59 GMT

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston visited a large homeless encampment in the 2200 block of Stout Street on Thursday afternoon, talking with and shaking the hands of people that by Friday morning will be ordered to move along as part of the first sweep authorized under the Johnston administration.“That’s the first time I’ve ever seen that,” David Lanci, one of the people living in the camp, said after Johnston talked to him and moved down the line of the tents and makeshift sun shelters. “It didn’t feel like talking to a mayor. It felt like I was talking to a friend. That is big.”Johnston earlier this week said that the city did not have hotel beds, tiny homes or any other form of short-term housing available for the people living in the camp. The promise of providing alternatives to the streets or the city’s existing congregate care shelter system is a pillar of Johnston’s approach to enforcing the city’s camping ban and, he says,...