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Former Tennessee lawmaker Brian Kelsey can stay out of prison while challenging sentencing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:06 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A former Tennessee state senator can stay out of prison as he challenges his 21-month sentence for violating federal campaign finance laws, a federal judge ruled.Brian Kelsey, a Republican, was supposed to report to federal prison in October, but U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw agreed Tuesday to let him remain free while his legal team appeals the prison term to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.Kelsey received his sentence last month in a case centering on his attempts to funnel campaign money from his legislative seat toward his failed 2016 congressional bid.His attorney, Alex Little, has argued that federal prosecutors violated Kelsey’s plea agreement when they pushed for a harsher sentence after he attempted to withdraw his guilty plea. Prosecutors have countered that Kelsey broke his deal first when he tried to back out of his guilty plea this year and that a harsher sentencing would have been appropriate, but they ultimately chose not to ...

Powerball jackpot up to $835 million after months without a big winner

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:06 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An $835 million Powerball jackpot will be up for grabs Wednesday night for players willing to risk a couple dollars and brave incredibly long odds.The jackpot is the world’s ninth-largest lottery prize of all time, behind earlier prizes in the Powerball and Mega Millions games that all topped $1 billion.The jackpot has grown so large because there have been 29 consecutive drawings without a big winner, dating back to July 19. Powerball’s terrible odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes becoming ever larger as they repeatedly roll over when no one wins.The largest jackpot was a $2.04 billion Powerball prize hit by a player in California in November 2022.In most states, a Powerball ticket costs $2 and players can select their own numbers or leave that task to a computer.The $835 million jackpot is for a sole winner who opts for payment through an annuity, doled out over 30 years. Winners almost always take the c...

Ontario records lower deficit for the last fiscal year than projected

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:06 GMT

TORONTO — Ontario ended the last fiscal year with a smaller deficit than projected in the 2022 budget, largely on the strength of higher tax revenues due to economic growth and inflation.Treasury Board President Caroline Mulroney and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy released the province’s public accounts for 2022-23 today, which looks at the final numbers for the last fiscal year.The government’s 2022 budget had projected a $19.9 billion deficit for that fiscal year, but the province actually ended $5.9 billion in the red.Total spending ended up being almost exactly what the government had projected, but revenues were $13 billion higher.The ministers say that’s mainly due to higher taxation revenues, particularly in corporate taxes and sales tax, reflecting higher-than-expected inflation and strong economic growth.In the last public accounts, the government showed it ended 2021-22 with a $2.1 billion surplus, a far cry from the $33-billion deficit projected in ...

Moose on the loose in Stockholm subway creates havoc and is shot dead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:06 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — A moose which was found wandering down the tracks of the Stockholm subway and causing havoc was shot dead by a wildlife ranger on Wednesday after the service on the southern part of a busy line had to be suspended. The moose somehow managed to enter the enclosure that surrounds the tracks and roamed the southwestern part of the so-called Red Line with above-ground stations. At one point, seven stations had to be closed. Claes Keisu, a press officer with the subway operating company — owned by Stockholm County Council — told Swedish news agency TT that the animal had entered the Varby Gard station in suburban Stockholm at around 11 a.m.TT said that the moose wandered for several hours and the number of stations that were shut down gradually increased. At most, a total of seven stations along the Red Line that goes from north to south via the city center were shut.The animal moved back and forth very quickly, Keisu said. After failed efforts to catch it or make it lea...

Bahrain says a third soldier has died after an attack this week by Yemeni rebels on the Saudi border

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:06 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Bahrain’s military said a third soldier died of his wounds on Wednesday after an attack by Yemeni rebels on a Bahraini contingent patrolling Saudi Arabia’s southern border.The attack on Monday, which also wounded a number of soldiers, threatened recent progress in winding down Saudi Arabia’s eight-year war against the Iran-aligned rebels, known as Houthis. The rebels have not commented on the attack.Bahrain says the rebels launched an unprovoked drone attack on the soldiers. Bahrain and its close ally Saudi Arabia condemned the attack, and the Saudi-led military coalition said it had “the right to respond at the appropriate time and place.”The Pentagon condemned the attack in a statement Wednesday. “Such unacceptable attacks threaten the longest period of calm since the war in Yemen began,” it said.It was unclear what impact the attack would have on the ongoing peace efforts.Yemen’s war began in 2014 when the Houthis swept down fr...

Screenwriters return to work for first time in nearly five months while actor await new negotiations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:06 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hours after Hollywood’s writers strike officially ended, Bill Maher led the charge back to work by announcing early Wednesday that his HBO show “Real Time with Bill Maher” would be back on the air Friday.“My writers and ‘Real Time’ are back! See you Friday night!” he posted on social media.On Tuesday night, board members from the writers union approved a contract agreement with studios, bringing the industry at least partly back from a historic halt in production that stretched nearly five months.Maher had delayed returning to his talk show during the ongoing strike by writers and actors, a decision that followed similar pauses by “The Drew Barrymore Show,” “The Talk” and “The Jennifer Hudson Show.”The new deal paves the way for TV’s late night to return to work. They were the first to be affected when the strike began, with NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and “The Late ...

Travis Kelce breaks silence after appearance with Taylor Swift

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:06 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) – Talk of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's appearance together at Sunday's Chiefs game has been nonstop, especially among Swifties and the Chiefs Kingdom.Now, the Chiefs tight end is breaking his silence about Swift attending his game, as well as her stay in Kansas City.On Wednesday morning, Kelce and his brother Jason released the latest episode of their "New Heights" podcast, during which Travis Kelce finally commented on the rumors concerning him and the "Cruel Summer" singer."We've been avoiding this subject out of respect for your personal life," Jason Kelce said in the episode. "Now, we've gotta talk about it.""Yeah, my personal life that's not so personal — I did this to myself, Jason. I know this," Travis Kelce said, laughing. "What's real is that you know it is my personal life … And I want to respect both of our lives. She's not in the media as much as I am doing this show every single week."On Sunday, Swift attended the Chiefs' game against the Chic...

The Cubs' loss on Tuesday is as painful as it gets

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:06 GMT

ATLANTA — When the stakes are high at the end of the season, the wins get bigger and the losses get more painful.The latter was the case on Tuesday night at Truist Field for the Cubs, as they endured as painful of a finish as they've had in the last few years. In fact, it even brought back memories of a loss nearly 25 years ago to the day that played out the same.After taking a 6-0 lead in the sixth inning against the Braves, the Cubs endured a collapse in the final 3 1/2 frames, dropping a 7-6 decision in Atlanta in a painful loss for their hopes for a National League Wild Card spot. What makes it most painful is the player at the center of the critical play of the game.(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Arguably the Cubs' best player over the last two months of the season, Seiya Suzuki made a critical error in the bottom of the eighth inning as his team was protecting a one-run lead.With two on and two out, Sean Murphy lifted a fly ball to right-center field, where Suzuki was in ...

'No reasonable excuse': TSA says man blamed wife for prohibited item in bag

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:06 GMT

ARLINGTON, Va. (WJW) – A Virginia man traveling through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport tried to blame his wife after security found a loaded gun in his bag, according to the Transportation Security Administration.The man, who was not identified, was stopped on Sept. 21 after TSA officers at the D.C.-area airport detected a .22 caliber pistol during an X-ray of his carry-on.Upon closer inspection, officers found the gun was loaded with five bullets."The man blamed his wife and told officials that she packed his carry-on bag and did not know that he already had his loaded gun inside," the TSA wrote in a press release issued shortly after the incident.The traveler claimed his wife packed the carry-on bag, according to the TSA. (Transportation Security Administration)Law enforcement officials confiscated the weapon, and the traveler was cited. PHOTO: TSA officials find dog when X-raying passenger’s bag The TSA, meanwhile, is hoping the incident will remind other travelers t...

Fetterman compares Menendez to Tony Soprano: 'He needs to go'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:06 GMT

(The Hill) -- ­Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., on Tuesday said he was surprised he was the first senator to call for Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., to resign.Fetterman, who joined MSNBC’s Joy Reid, compared Menendez’s federal bribery allegations to that of Tony Soprano.“Honestly, I was actually surprised that I was the first one,” he said. “I mean it’s so black and white. I mean, it’s so clear""The last time there’s ever been a man with so much cash in their home in New Jersey was Tony Soprano. You know?” Fetterman added.Fetterman became the first senator to join a growing list of House Democrats and Speaker Kevin McCarthy calling for Menendez’s resignation following last week’s indictment. "I hope he chooses an honorable exit and focuses on his trial,” the Pennsylvania senator said Saturday in a statement.Now, 18 Democratic senators have joined that list, including fellow New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. Fetterman said he can’t speak for everyone in the Senate but thinks Menendez should step d...