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Guatemala’s Congress refuses to recognize president-elect’s party

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:51:42 GMT

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemala’s Congress, which is controlled in its majority by the governing party, on Wednesday refused to recognize the seven lawmakers from the Seed Movement party of President-elect Bernardo Arévalo, following the suspension of his party earlier this week.Lawmakers declared their Seed Movement colleagues independents in the latest move against the party since Arévalo’s landslide win Aug. 20. Prosecutors have accused the Seed Movement of wrongdoing in gathering signatures for the party’s registration years earlier. The case was announced in July after Arévalo won a surprise place in the presidential runoff against former first lady Sandra Torres.Anti-corruption prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche officially advised the Congress of the party’s suspension despite pending court appeals. The U.S. government has sanctioned Curruchiche for allegedly obstructing corruption investigations.Wednesday was the Congress’ first session after a two-month recess. Arévalo is among t...

University of North Carolina students rally for gun safety after fatal shooting of faculty member

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:51:42 GMT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — A shooting that left a faculty member dead and frightened students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has galvanized gun safety advocates and local Democrats, who rallied the grieving campus community Wednesday to fight for stricter state gun laws.About 600 students held protest signs on a large lawn in the heart of campus and bowed their heads during a moment of silence as the iconic campus Bell Tower rang in honor of the deceased associate professor, Zijie Yan.Yan, who led a research group in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences, was fatally shot Monday by one of his graduate students inside a science lab building at the state’s flagship public university, authorities said. Students who spoke at the rally described hours of terror and confusion during a lockdown and police manhunt that resulted in the arrest of Tailei Qi, 34, who has been charged with first-degree murder and having a gun on educational property. Qi briefly appeared T...

Two dead in Caledon crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:51:42 GMT

Two people are dead following a serious crash in Caledon. Provincial police were called to the scene of a collision on Airport Road just north of Charleston Side Road around 4 p.m. Wednesday.Images provided by Chopper 680 show two vehicles heavily damaged in the crash, a black van and a silver SUV which ended up in the ditch.“Both drivers and sole occupants have been pronounced deceased at the scene,” Caledon OPP said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Police say road closures will remain in place in the area for several hours as they continue to investigate.

Memphis plant that uses potentially hazardous chemical will close, company says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:51:42 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A medical equipment sterilizing plant that uses a chemical whose emissions could lead to cancer and other health risks says it plans to close its Tennessee location by next spring, according to a letter sent by the company to U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen.In the July letter, lawyers for Sterilization Services of Tennessee told the congressman that the company has dealt with issues relating to a lease extension for its Memphis plant and the facility will be closed by April 30. The Environmental Protection Agency has said the plant has used ethylene oxide to sterilize medical equipment and materials. The facility has operated since 1976. The county health department’s air program has permitted the facility since 1985.Ethylene oxide is used to clean catheters, syringes, pacemakers, plastic surgical gowns and other items.While short-term or infrequent exposure to ethylene oxide does not appear to pose a health risk, the EPA said long-term or lifetime exposure to the colorl...

Russia’s actions at U.N. terminate Mali sanctions and panel of experts reporting, recently on Wagner

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:51:42 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Mali’s military junta succeeded in kicking out the U.N. peacekeeping force, and on Wednesday its Russian allies scored yet another victory against the U.N.: They were able to terminate all U.N. sanctions on Malians and abolish a panel of experts which has been critical of activities of Russia’s Wagner Group in the West African nation.The travel ban and asset freeze, currently affecting eight Malians on the U.N. blacklist for threatening peace efforts, and the mandate of the panel of experts monitoring the implementation of sanctions were up for renewal in the U.N. Security Council.A French and United Arab Emirates-drafted resolution that would have extended the sanctions regime until Aug. 31, 2024 and the mandate of the U.N. panel of experts monitoring sanctions until Sept. 30, 2024 was put to a vote first. It got 13 “yes” votes in the 15-member council but was vetoed by Russia. China abstained.A rival Russian resolution that would have extended sanctions “for ...

Former deputy in Massachusetts indicted for allegedly threatening to blow up courthouse

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:51:42 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — A former sheriff’s deputy in Massachusetts was indicted Wednesday for allegedly threatening to blow up a courthouse and kill law enforcement officers. Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said a federal grand jury indicted Joshua Ford, 42, of Kingston, Massachusetts, on three counts of interstate transmission of a threatening communication. If convicted, Ford could be sentenced up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 on each charge. Ford, who is currently being held in state custody, is accused of sending a dozen emails to around 140 people, most of them Massachusetts law enforcement officers, in which he calls for their help in burning down the Plymouth County Courthouse, breaking the arms and legs of every court officer and killing court security officers.Ford also allegedly calls on law enforcement officers to come to the courthouse with gasoline, explosives, weapons and SWAT teams on March 14. Ford was arrested on Marc...

West Point time capsule that appeared to contain nothing more than silt yields centuries-old coins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:51:42 GMT

A nearly 200-year-old West Point time capsule that appeared to yield little more than dust when it was opened during a disappointing livestream contained hidden treasure after all, the U.S. Military Academy said Wednesday. It was just more hidden than expected.The lead box believed to have been placed by cadets in the base of a monument actually contained six silver American coins dating from 1795 to 1828 and a commemorative medal, West Point said in a news release. All were discovered in the sediment of the box, which at Monday’s ceremonial opening at the New York academy appeared to be its only contents.“When I first found these, I thought, man, you know, it would have been great to have found these on stage,” said West Point archeologist Paul Hudson, who after the event, took the box back to his lab and began carefully sifting through the silt with a small wooden pick and brush.“Before long, lo and behold, there’s the edge of a coin sticking out,” he recounted by phon...

Man barricades, attacks Chicago firefighters in basement: department says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:51:42 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Fire Department is calling a garage fire suspicious, after they believe the resident could have set it on purpose to lure two firefighters inside his home.According to the Chicago Fire Department, crews responded to the 7700 block of South Marshfield in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood around 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday on reports of a fire in a detached garage.Upon arrival, crews discovered the garage engulfed in flames. The 47-year-old resident also told CFD crew that he also smelled gas inside his home.A battalion chief and truck lieutenant went in the house and the resident brought them to the basement. The Chicago Fire Department reports that the 47-year-old man was holding a power tool and removed screws from a board blocking the door.The three men went downstairs and the fire personnel say they didn’t smell anything and the resident went back upstairs. The Auburn Gresham resident allegedly barricaded two doors and held a knife towards the CFD battalion...

American Airlines attendants vote in favor of strike authorization

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:51:42 GMT

CHICAGO — American Airlines flight attendants overwhelmingly voted in favor of authorizing a strike. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants said Wednesday that more than 99% of the voting membership supports the authorization. Voting took place during the last month, but the results don't mean a strike will happen just yet. Flight attendants held informational pickets at O'Hare Airport and eleven other locations across the United States. Among the signs visible were, "AA makes billions. We can't pay rent," and "Ready to strike.""We are ready for an unprecedented contract," said Dray Howard, Chicago-based president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants. "We are ready for our flight attendants, who are new hires, to be able to live off of a decent wage. Not just survive. We are ready for a contract that allows us to have a healthy work-life balance. We are ready for a better retirement package. We are ready for better contractual language....

'This means a lot to us': Tyson Bagent's rise with Bears celebrated by college team

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:51:42 GMT

CHICAGO — One of the best stories of the Bears' 2023 preseason is one that's being enjoyed in Chicago and in West Virginia.That's because Tyson Bagent's rise from undrafted free agent to an NFL quarterback brings quite a bit of pride to the place he called home before starting his professional career."It means a lot to us," said Ernie McCook, the head coach of Division II Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where Bagent was a standout signal caller from 2018-2022, to WGN News Now this week. "We couldn't be more excited to watch his successes and continue to root for even more success moving forward."An undrafted free agent out of Shepherd, Bagent showed Bears' coaches what he could do during practice and then in the preseason. He took the second team snaps in the exhibition finale against the Bills on Saturday, beating out P.J. Walker and Nathan Peterman to remain on the roster through cuts. While the attention has come onto him specifically over the last month, the...