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Biden commutes sentences of 31 convicted of drug crimes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has commuted the sentences of 31 people convicted of nonviolent drug crimes who were serving time in home confinement, the White House announced Friday. Many would have gotten a lower sentence if they were charged today with the same offense because of changes in the laws. A commuted sentence means they’ll spend less time in home confinement. The commutations came as the White House announced a set of policy actions across 20 different agencies meant to improve the criminal justice system, which disproportionately affects Black and other non-white communities. The president announced his reelection campaign this week, and must keep Black voters in his coalition if he wants to win in 2024. The plan is an effort to expand health care access, affordable housing and education, and make it easier for those who have been mixed up in the system to get jobs, higher education and vote. The effort includes a plan to make more grants available for pe...

DougCo investigating bomb threat at high school in Parker

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

PARKER, Colo. (KDVR) -- A bomb threat at Chaparral High School is being investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. "Students have been evacuated and are gathered in the parking lots," a tweet from DougCo Sheriff's Office said.The school is set for early release at 1:15 p.m.This is a breaking story. Updates will be posted as soon as they are received.

Suspect in police custody after pursuit ends in NW Miami-Dade; suspect fled on foot, swam across canal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

A suspect has been captured by police after a pursuit ended with him swimming into a canal and fleeing into a South Florida backyard.The suspect has been identified as 54-year-old Marc A. Anderson.A Florida Highway Patrol officer attempted to stop Anderson who is accused of ramming into a trooper in the area of Northwest 103rd Street and 32nd Avenue, Friday morning. At some point, troopers lost sight of the vehicle and called for a Miami-Dade Police helicopter, which were able to locate the truck. 7Skyforce hovered over the scene where Anderson exited a white pickup and fled on foot in the area of Northwest Second Avenue near at South Biscayne River Drive.The suspect was described as having a black T-shirt and dark pants. During his escape, Anderson jumped into a nearby canal. He then then fled into a backyard. Both police agencies searched for the suspect with K-9 units. Anderson was then seen floating back in a canal. 7Skyforce hovered over the scene where dive teams surrounded An...

Key radar antenna stuck on Europe’s Jupiter-bound spacecraft

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A critical antenna is jammed on a Jupiter-bound spacecraft launched two weeks ago, the European Space Agency reported Friday.The 52-foot (16-meter) radar antenna on Juice unfolded only one-third of the way following liftoff, according to the space agency.Engineers suspect a tiny pin may be protruding. Flight controllers in Germany plan to fire the spacecraft’s engine in hopes of shaking the pin loose. If that doesn’t work, they said they have plenty of time to solve the problem.Juice, short for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, won’t reach the giant planet until 2031. It’s taking a roundabout path to get there, including gravity-assist flybys of Earth and our moon, and Venus.The radar antenna is needed to peer beneath the icy crust of three Jupiter moons suspected of harboring underground oceans and possibly life, a major goal of the nearly $1.8 billion mission. Its targets include Callisto, Europa and Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system.The sp...

Bill allows DeSantis to run for president while governor

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

Republican Ron DeSantis would not have to resign as Florida governor in order to run for president if he chooses under a bill given final approval Friday in by the GOP-dominated state Legislature.The measure, attached to a much broader elections bill, would carve out an exemption to Florida law requiring anyone seeking office to resign from one they already hold after qualifying as a candidate. Only an officeholder running for U.S. president or vice president would not have to resign.Supporters portrayed the bill as purely a clarification and not intended specifically for DeSantis, who has not yet announced a presidential bid but is widely expected to declare his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the coming weeks. The bill passed the state House 76-34 along party lines and now goes to DeSantis, who is expected to sign it into law.“It is an individual office that is unique. It is the chief executive of our country,” GOP Rep. Ralph Massullo said during House debate Frid...

Florida principal forced out in ‘porn’ flap views David statue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

ROME (AP) — A former Florida school principal who was forced to resign after students were shown an image of Michelangelo’s iconic statue of a nude David viewed the masterpiece in person on Friday in Florence.Cecilie Hollberg, who directs the Accademia Gallery in Florence, where the David is the star attraction, said that Hope Carrasquilla, her husband and two children, came straight to the museum right after they arrived in the city.Carrasquilla stepped down as principal of Tallahassee Classical school in the Florida city last month after one parent claimed the towering sculpture was pornographic. Other parents complained they weren’t notified in advance that their children would be shown the nude figure during a lesson featuring the Renaissance.Hosting Carrasquilla was an “immense pleasure,” the gallery director said.“I am happy to be able to welcome her and introduce her to the beauties of our museum, besides showing her the David, a sculpture that, I repeat as I have...

Street flood advisory issued for parts of Miami-Dade County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

Due to heavy rains in South Florida, the National Weather Service on Friday issued a street flood advisory for parts of Miami-Dade County. The areas under the advisory include the following:Cutler BayPrinceton Palmetto Bay NaranjaPinecrestCountry WalkThe advisory lasts until 4:45 p.m. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Eastern EU countries strike deal with Commission to clear Ukrainian grain glut

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

BRUSSELS — Five EU countries have struck a deal with the European Commission on shifting millions of tonnes of Ukrainian grain out of the region after almost two weeks of intensive negotiations, EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis said Friday.“I’m glad to announce that we have reached a political agreement concerning Ukrainian agrifood imports in the EU. We’ve agreed with the five neighboring EU member states and Ukraine on how we’ll tackle the situation,” Dombrovskis said. Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria restricted imports of Ukrainian produce earlier this month following protests by farmers unable to sell their crops due to a supply glut.As previously announced, the European Commission will put forward emergency safeguard measures for wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, Dombrovskis said, adding that investigations into other products could follow.He did not provide more details on what the emergency measures entail, but EU diplomats say that the imports of those...

France’s financial intelligence chief slams weak anti-corruption efforts in Germany, EU

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

PARIS — The head of France’s financial watchdog slammed anti-corruption efforts in Germany and among European partners at hearings held by a parliamentary committee in France.Recently released documents reveal that France’s financial intelligence chief Guillaume Valette-Valla deemed the risk of corruption among French MPs, ministers and elected officials to be “incomparably much lower” than elsewhere, “including in neighboring countries.”Valette-Valla was answering questions from MPs at a hearing of a parliamentary committee investigating foreign interference in France in February.The head of Tracfin, an anti-money laundering unit of the French finance ministry, expressed frustration at the lack of cooperation with Germany’s Central Office for Financial Transaction Investigation, whose appointed director has yet to take office amid reports of unprocessed suspicious activity notifications.“We are again trying to collaborate with the German financial intelligence unit that is in a com...

Boston man wins a million via Mega Millions, plans to put cash toward buying home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

A man from Boston was the winner of a million dollar prize after buying a Mega Millions ticket earlier this month, according to lottery officials.The Massachusetts State Lottery said Melvin McKenzie had the right first five numbers on his Quic Pic ticket during the Mega Millions drawing on Friday, April 14.Claiming his prize days later at the lottery’s headquarters in Dorchester, McKenzie received a one-time payment of $1,000,000 (before taxes), which he told officials he planned on putting towards buying a home.The winning ticket itself was bought at the Quick Pick Convenience store at 973 Tremont Street, which received a $10,000 bonus for selling it.