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Rome court convicts far-right activists for storming union offices to oppose COVID vaccine passes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:28 GMT

MILAN (AP) — A court in Rome convicted the leader of a far-right party and six other far-right activists Wednesday for rampaging through the headquarters of Italy’s most powerful labor confederation during an October 2021 protest against COVID-19 certification requirements for workplaces.Roberto Fiore, leader of the Forza Nuova, or New Force, party, was found guilty of resisting public officials, instigation to delinquency and an aggravated charge of causing devastation. He received a prison sentence of 8 1/2 years.His convicted co-defendants were sentenced to terms ranging from eight years and two months to eight years and seven months. All had denied the charges, describing the protest as peaceful and joyful. Prosecutors presented testimony to the contrary from numerous law enforcement officers as well as video evidence.An Associated Press report at the time said that 10,000 opponents of a government decree requiring vaccine certificates to return to work turned out in Rome’s vast...

Federal regulators give more time to complete gas pipeline extension in Virginia, North Carolina

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:28 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The builders of a proposed natural gas pipeline that will enter North Carolina from Virginia now have another 2 1/2 years to complete the project after federal regulators pushed back a deadline for the work.The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved on Tuesday a request by owners of the proposed 75-mile (121-kilometer) Southgate extension of the Mountain Valley Pipeline to allow for more time for construction, news outlets reported.According to the previous FERC certificate, the project was supposed to be built and in service six months ago. But permitting problems in North Carolina and Virginia amid legal challenges to the larger Mountain Valley Pipeline meant the owners missed the deadline.Now, with the FERC’s order, the owners have until June 2026 to complete the MVP Southgate project and bring it into service. More permits still must be secured for construction to occur.The owners of the project, which includes a consortium of natural gas and energy c...

International astronaut will be invited on future NASA moon landing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:28 GMT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An international astronaut will join U.S. astronauts on the moon by decade’s end under an agreement announced Wednesday by NASA and the White House.The news came as Vice President Kamala Harris prepared to convene a meeting of the National Space Council, the third such gathering under the Biden administration.There was no immediate word on who the international moonwalker might be or even what country would be represented. NASA has included international astronauts on trips to space for decades. Canadian Jeremy Hansen will fly around the moon a year or so from now with three U.S. astronauts. Another crew would actually land; it would be the first lunar touchdown by astronauts in more than a half-century. That’s not likely to occur before 2027, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.All 12 moonwalkers during NASA’s Apollo program of the 1960s and 1970s were U.S. citizens. The space agency’s new moon exploration progr...

3 charged after woman killed, body set on fire in Riverdale

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:28 GMT

RIVERDALE, Ill. — Three people have been charged after a woman was killed and her body was set on fire in Riverdale.Officers were called to the 14400 block of South Wallace just after 3:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 9.Upon arrival, officers found the body of a woman who they said had been set on fire. On Wednesday, the woman was identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office as Danielle Banks, 29, of Harvey. Her body was found in an alley.Prior to her body being found, Banks sustained sharp force injuries and her death was ruled a homicide.Riverdale police announced first-degree murder charges Wednesday against Keith Bassett, 55, of Riverdale, Latoya Laramore-Milons, 39, of Evanston, and Scotty Jobe-Scott, 30, of Evanston.No other details have been provided regarding their arrests or circumstances around the incident. Previous: Police seek help identifying woman found dead after south suburban fire Police reached out to the public earlier with a picture of a watch in an effort t...

Naloxone, the crucial opioid overdose-reversal medication, to be available for free at certain South, West Side gas stations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:28 GMT

CHICAGO — A new effort to save lives by reversing opioid overdoses has been unveiled in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the city's West Side.An initiative to deliver naloxone, the life-saving opioid overdose-reversal medication, was announced Wednesday morning outside the Amoco gas station at 4402 W. Roosevelt Rd. That location and 14 others across Chicago's South and West sides will now be stocked with free-of-charge naloxone, delivered via Zimhi.Zimhi is a naloxone injection intended for emergency use. According to its website, Zimhi "offers the highest dose of naloxone available as an intramuscular injection to get into the blood fast."Officials say gas stations are often "hot zones" where opioid overdoses occur. Used effectively, naloxone can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and potentially save someone’s life. Officials say the Zimhi injections that will be stocked at gas stations and available for free are being paid for through a donation by a medical company to t...

US releases ally of Venezuela's president in swap for jailed Americans: AP

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:28 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — The Biden administration has released a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a swap for jailed Americans, The Associated Press has learned.Alex Saab, who was arrested on a U.S. warrant for money laundering in 2020, was released from custody Wednesday. In exchange, Maduro will free some, if not all, of the roughly dozen U.S. citizens who remain imprisoned in Venezuela, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.The White House declined to comment on the specifics of the deal, but National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said nothing was more important to President Joe Biden than the safety and security of Americans overseas. “Sometimes that means you’ve got make some difficult decisions,” he said.On Friday and again on Monday, two docket entries were filed under seal in the long-dormant criminal case out of federal court in Miami, an indication that a be...

Ryan Gosling reimagines his 'Barbie' power ballad 'I'm Just Ken' for Christmas, shares new EP

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:28 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — She's Barbie. He's just Ken. And now, it's Christmas.On Wednesday, Ryan Gosling — the Ken to Margot Robbie's “Barbie” in the film — released the “I'm Just Ken” EP alongside collaborators Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. It features the original Grammy-nominated, ‘80s-style power ballad from the movie, also titled “I’m Just Ken,” as well as three remixes: the stripped down “I’m Just Ken (In My Feelings Acoustic),” the dance floor ready “I’m Just Ken (Purple Disco Machine Remix),” and the festive “I’m Just Ken (Merry Kristmas Barbie).”The later was released with an official music video, where Gosling, Wyatt and Ronson are seen working on the holiday remix of the song in a studio drenched in Christmas lights with an impressive live band, bantering with one another. At one point, a goofy Gosling puts on a pair of sunglasses to get into character, telling Ronson he's doing so because "the world can have Ken's voice but only Barbie can have his eyes.”The trio are joined by a ...

IL Secretary of State reveals 2023 license plate 'naughty list'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:28 GMT

CHICAGO — Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has rejected more than 300 personalized license plate requests due to profanity, offensive language or illegibility.“I appreciate the creativity and pride Illinoisans take in choosing their own customized license plates, but they must meet the standards of good taste and decency,” Giannoulias said. “We keep an eye out for anything tawdry, lewd or offensive, all of which are rejected and placed on our permanent rejection list.”According to the secretary of state's office, some of the rejected plate requests this year include terms like: MILFS, WOOPASS, POOPSY, DZNUTZ and IOWASUX.In a video shared to YouTube Wednesday, Giannoulias read a few of them out loud.The office received 54,768 requests for vanity and personalized plates this year. The ever-growing rejection list stands at more than 7,674 license plate combinations deemed offensive or difficult to read.

WATCH: Marine surprises son during school assembly in Connecticut

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:28 GMT

WALLINGFORD, Conn. (WTNH) -- A third-grader at a Wallingford, Connecticut, elementary school got an early Christmas surprise on Tuesday when his father returned home from Marine training.Marcel Black thought his early morning assembly at Mary Fritz Elementary School was about upcoming events. Principal Eric Carbone said he was going to show a video from Marcel's dad during the assembly, but it seemed to malfunction.That's because the Marine, who is stationed in California for training, was actually there in person. "Once I got a closer look, I realized that was my dad, so I ran up to him and hugged him," Marcel said.Black will head back to California in January. For now, he's soaking up the time with his family."I hadn't seen him in a long time," Pfc. Clayton Black said. "He's my motivation to push through my training.""I really want to catch up on some father-son things we haven't done in a while," Marcel Black said.

Seattle Hospital sues after Texas Attorney General asks for handover of patient records

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Seattle Children's Hospital filed a lawsuit in Travis County District Court on Dec. 7 against the Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG), after that agency requested documents related to gender transition policies and any such care provided to Texas children. However, hospital claims that the OAG lacks jurisdiction to demand such records from the hospital, and that Washington's "Shield Law" protects it from requests made by states that "restrict or criminalize reproductive and gender-affirming care." OutLaw: Helping or hurting trans kids? Health care fight continues after law "The Shield Law prohibits Washington-based entities such as Seattle Children's from '[c]omply[ing] with subpoena, warrant, court order, or other civil or criminal legal process for records, information, facilities, or assistance related to protected health care services that are lawful in the state of Washington,'" the lawsuit stated.KXAN reached out to the OAG multiple times prior t...