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The Supreme Court will let Alabama’s congressional map be redrawn to better represent Black voters

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:36 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the drawing of a new Alabama congressional map with greater representation for Black voters to proceed. The new districts also could help Democrats trying to flip control of the House of Representatives.The justices, without any noted dissent, rejected the state’s plea to retain Republican-drawn lines that were turned down by a lower court.In refusing to intervene, the high court allowed a court-appointed special master’s work to continue. On Monday, he submitted three proposals that would create a second congressional district where Black voters comprise a majority of the voting age population or close to it. The redrawing of the state’s districts follows a June decision by the Supreme Court in which the state’s congressional map that was drawn to reflect 2020 census results was found to dilute the voting power of the state’s Black residents. The map, which was used in the 2022 midterm elections, had jus...

Liberals, Tories join calls for House Speaker to resign over Nazi veteran invite

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:36 GMT

OTTAWA — House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota is facing calls to step down from across the political spectrum after he invited a man who fought for the Nazis to attend a speech by Ukraine’s president.Government House leader Karina Gould said Tuesday morning that she believes members of Parliament have lost confidence in Rota.Gould said she “can’t see” how Rota will maintain the confidence of Liberal MPs, and it’s time for the Speaker to do the “honourable thing.”Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is also urging Rota to resign, following similar calls by the NDP and Bloc Québécois on Monday.Rota, whose role it is to be impartial and maintain order in the House of Commons, has been facing international scrutiny over the controversy. On Friday, Rota honoured and recognized Yaroslav Hunka, a veteran of the First Ukrainian Division, during a parliamentary address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The voluntary unit was under the comm...

JPMorgan to pay $75M on claims that it enabled Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking operations

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:36 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — JPMorgan Chase agreed Tuesday to pay $75 million to the U.S. Virgin Islands to settle claims that the bank enabled the sex trafficking acts committed by financier Jeffrey Epstein.JPMorgan said that $55 million of the settlement will go toward local charities and assistance for victims. Another $20 million will go toward legal fees. The Virgin Islands, where Epstein had an estate, sued JPMorgan last year, saying its investigation has revealed that the financial services giant enabled Epstein’s recruiters to pay victims and was “indispensable to the operation and concealment of the Epstein trafficking enterprise." In effect, the Virgin Islands had argued that JPMorgan had been complicit in Epstein's behavior and did not raise any red flags to law enforcement or bank regulators about Epstein being a “high risk” customer and making repeated large cash withdrawals. The bank also said it reached an confidential legal settlement with James “Jes” Staley, the former top JPMor...

Alleged driver in 'hit' murder of ex-girlfriend charged

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:36 GMT

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. — A man accused of driving a gunman to a targeted shooting of another man's ex-girlfriend was charged Monday.On Friday morning at around 6:05 a.m., North Chicago police responded to a report of shots fired in the 1000 block of Victoria Avenue. Officers at the scene located a woman shot to death inside of a vehicle in a driveway.Police initially told the public it appeared to be a targeted shooting and no one was in custody.Investigators allege Seferino Calihua-Rodriguez, 35, of Waukegan, had a previous relationship with the woman and became upset when it ended.Authorities allege Calihua-Rodriguez hired Misael Chavarin-Plazola, 26, also of Waukegan, to kill the woman.Authorities allege Rosalio Diaz Zarate, 29, of Waukegan, drove Chavarin-Plazola to the scene. Diaz Zarate was arrested on Monday and subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.Seferino Calihua-Rodriguez (L) and Misael Chavarin-Plazola (R)Cha...

House committee in Chicago to hold meeting on violent crime

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:36 GMT

CHICAGO — The Republican-controlled House Judiciary Committee is in Chicago Tuesday to talk about violent crime.Democrats call the move a political stunt and say Republicans should be in Washington to avoid a government shutdown.The meeting is scheduled to start Tuesday morning with three witnesses — two of which are retired Chicago police — the third had a family member who was killed.A press release from a committee spokesperson said the goal is to examine victims of violent crime in Chicago and how Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx's "pro-crime and anti-victim policies" are leading to an increase in violent crime. Foxx told the Chicago Sun-Times that Republican Committee Chair Jim Jordan, from Ohio, is here to spend time with FOP President John Catanzara, instead of focusting on victims of mass shootings caused by weak gun laws.On Monday, Congressman Danny Davis called the hearing a distraction from the Republicans inability to fund the government. The deadline to fund the go...

ChatGPT given the ability to talk

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:36 GMT

(The Hill) -- ChatGPT now has the ability to have a conversation with you, artificial intelligence parent company OpenAI announced Monday. Through voice and image capabilities, OpenAI said the new “more intuitive” interface will offer more ways to use the program. The firm said the conversation will be back-and-forth and users will have the ability to “speak with it on the go, request a bedtime story for your family, or settle a dinner table debate.”Voice conversations between ChatGPT and its Plus and Enterprise users will be rolled out in the next two week. The text-to-speech model will generate human-like audio gathered from a collaboration with voice actors, OpenAI said. In an interview with The Washington Post, Peter Deng, vice president of consumer products at OpenAI, said integrating the voice chat was critical to getting more users on the platform. “One of the hardest jobs is taking that amazing technology and translating it into the simplicity that the next 30...

Las Vegas teens accused in bicyclist’s death arraigned in court

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:36 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Two Las Vegas teens accused of intentionally hitting and killing a bicyclist appeared in court Tuesday morning, one day after being formally charged with murder and other crimes.Jesus Ayala, 18, and Jzamir Keys, 16, were arraigned in Clark County Justice Court in separate courtrooms. The two are accused of a crime spree that left one man dead and captured nationwide attention.Andreas “Andy” Probst, 64, a retired California police chief, was bicycling on Aug. 14 when he was “intentionally” allegedly hit by the teens in a stolen car, police said. Las Vegas Metropolitan police said the teens stole at least three cars, hit a 72-year-old man on a bicycle, and also hit another car before the fatal hit-and-run crash. Ayala was 17 at the time of the incident.A video, shot from the front passenger seat, recorded the teens talking and laughing as the vehicle steers toward Probst and hits the bicycle from behind. Probst's body slams onto the hood and windshield before a fina...

Government shutdown: Which veterans' benefits may, may not be affected

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:36 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — As lawmakers continue to search for a deal that will help avoid the impending government shutdown, it's hard for many Americans not to worry about their federal benefits. Congress has until Sept. 30 to strike a deal to avoid the shutdown. While Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said Americans should not expect a shutdown, it's not clear that an agreement will be reached in time.When it comes to benefits like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, those payments will remain unaffected if there is a government shutdown because they receive funding separately.But what about veterans' benefits? Moderate Republicans plot last-ditch shutdown plan with Democrats Many of the most crucial benefits and services offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs will still be available. During a press conference Friday, Secretary Denis McDonough said Veterans Affairs is “working very diligently in preparation for a lapse in funding.” “…In the case of a shutdown, there would be no impact on...

FDNY deaths from 9/11 illnesses now equal those killed in the attack

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:36 GMT

NEW YORK (WPIX) - It's a number that nobody wanted to see repeated, but 343, the number of New York City firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11, is now the number of FDNY employees who have lost their lives from illnesses related to that fateful day and its aftermath. The FDNY commissioner and union leaders alike said that number will only grow with time, which is why they also said it's imperative that resources to care for first responders from 9/11 stay fully funded.At a late morning news conference at his headquarters, Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York (UFA) President Andrew Ansbro joined the leader of the city's other major firefighters' union, Jim Brosi of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA), to mark the milestone.They said the situation is tragic for their union members in general, but it feels all the more heartbreaking for the families of the recently departed."His life and his retirement was cut short," Ansbro said about Firefighter Rober...

'Combating mental health provider shortage': New Pflugerville facility seeks to serve veterans

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:36 GMT

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — Mental health and the growing need for mental health services have become a frequent topic of discussion. Now, in Pflugerville, there's a new Family Care Center that hopes to primarily serve veterans, according to the healthcare system. "Family Care Center’s proximity to the needs of Veterans, active-duty military service members, military families and first responders in the area is no accident," Family Care Center said in a press release. "The founder, Dr. Chuck Weber, is a retired Lieutenant Army Colonel, and he founded the company to continue his efforts as a psychiatrist and bring support to the military community."According to a 2022 Metal Health America ranking, Texas is 33rd in the country for mental health care services for adults. This story will be updated by Reporter Jala Washington.