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Former US intel director’s daughter gets 35 years for murder

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:56:55 GMT

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — The daughter of former U.S. intelligence director John Negroponte was sentenced Friday to 35 years in prison in the fatal stabbing of a friend after a drunken argument at a Maryland home, prosecutors announced.Sophia Negroponte, 30, of Washington, D.C., was convicted in January of second-degree murder in the 2020 death of 24-year-old Yousuf Rasmussen. Guidelines called for a sentence of 15 to 25 years, but Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Terrence McGann went beyond those guidelines, citing a need for community protection and rehabilitation, and calling her a “struggling, anger-filled alcoholic,” news outlets reported.“That rage drove Ms. Negroponte to stab her friend in the neck,” McGann said.“While nothing can ease the pain caused by this senseless loss of life, we thank Judge McGann for an appropriate prison sentence in this case,” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said in a statement. Nearly a dozen people, including Rasmussen̵...

No handcuffs but a mug shot: Trump to be arraigned Tuesday

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:56:55 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump will be formally arrested and arraigned next Tuesday in his hush money case, court officials said — an announcement promising the historic, shocking scene of a former U.S. commander in chief forced to stand before a judge.As the Manhattan court confirmed the timing on Friday, the streets outside had calmed from earlier in the week. There were no large-scale demonstrations for or against Trump, though tourists stopped to take selfies and throngs of reporters and police officers remained assembled.When Trump turns himself in, he’ll be booked mostly like anyone else facing charges, mug shot, fingerprinting and all. But he isn’t expected to be put in handcuffs; he’ll have Secret Service protection and will almost certainly be released that same day.In the meantime, Trump’s legal team prepared his defense while the prosecutor defended the grand jury investigation that propelled the matter toward trial. Congressional Republicans, as well...

Florida teen debuts trans visibility film as bans spread

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:56:55 GMT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A Florida teenager has documented how it feels to be young and transgender for a film set to debut at a festival as transgender people around the world celebrate visibility and lawmakers across the country look to restrict their rights and care.Carys Mullins, 19, who is gender non-conforming and uses she and they pronouns, said their experience inspired conversations with community members for a documentary, “You’re Loved.” The film directed and produced by Mullins is set to premiere Friday at the Tampa Bay Transgender Film Festival on International Transgender Day of Visibility. “That’s a big part of what the festival is,” Mullins said. “A big part of the Tampa Bay Transgender Film Festival is: Look at us.”“You’re Loved” debuts at a time where access to gender-affirming care for transgender and nonbinary young people is under assault across the United States. Florida, Missouri and Texas have regulations banning puberty-blocking hormones and gender-affirm...

US boosts anti-China Pacific push with embassy in Vanuatu

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:56:55 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Friday that the U.S. will open an embassy in the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu in its latest move to blunt China’s increasing influence in the Indo-Pacific. The new embassy in Port Vila will be the fifth diplomatic mission that the U.S. has either opened or announced that it will build in the region over the past three years as it seeks to confront what it sees as a threat or challenge from China.“Consistent with the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, a permanent diplomatic presence in Vanuatu would allow the U.S. government to deepen relationships with Vanuatu officials and society,” the State Department said in a statement.“Establishing U.S. Embassy Port Vila would facilitate areas of potential bilateral cooperation and development assistance, including efforts to tackle the climate crisis,” it said. A low-lying island nation of some 300,000 people, Vanuatu last year declared a climate emergency as it faces moving dozens of village...

TikTok top attorney reiterates safety measures for users

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:56:55 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The top attorney for TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance said Friday the Biden administration hasn’t given any feedback to the company since TikTok’s CEO testified in Congress last week. During a panel conversation at a conference in San Francisco that featured top government officials, tech executives and journalists, TikTok and ByteDance’s general counsel Erich Andersen also said TikTok has given user data to the U.S. government in response to requests related to law enforcement. The comments come as the social media behemoth is under intense scrutiny over concerns it could hand user data to the Chinese government or push pro-Beijing propaganda and misinformation on its behalf.Leaders at the FBI, CIA and officials at other government agencies have warned that ByteDance could be forced to give user data — such as browsing history, IP addresses and biometric identifiers — to Beijing under a 2017 law that compels companies to cooperate wit...

Man warning others after falling victim to e-transfer text scam through Kijiji

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:56:55 GMT

A Toronto man is warning the public after he fell victim to an intricate scam targeting individuals selling items through online platforms like Kijiji and Facebook marketplace.“I’ve been on Kijiji for a very long time”, Alex tells CityNews, adding that he’s come across his fair share of scammers through these platforms. But this one took him by surprise.Alex says he was selling a pair of skis online and received a message from someone who presented themselves as an interested buyer. After discussing the price, the individual informed Alex that he would be sending his son to pick up the item and requested Alex provide his phone number to connect.Not an uncommon practice when arranging these exchanges. “So I had provided my phone number and then immediately they said, ‘Okay, I’ve just e-transferred you the funds’”, explained Alex, who received a text message that looked almost identical to a legitimate one you would expect to receive. Copy of text message seller received in susp...

Inquiry into N.S. mass shooting says spouse of killer was revictimized by RCMP probe

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:56:55 GMT

HALIFAX — The final report of the public inquiry into the Nova Scotia mass shooting says the gunman’s partner — a survivor of his violent domestic abuse — was revictimized by the RCMP investigation into the tragedy.Gabriel Wortman’s rampage left 22 dead in April 2020 and began when he assaulted his partner, Lisa Banfield, who escaped and survived by hiding in the woods.The inquiry’s report released Thursday said the Mounties’ treatment of Banfield during their investigation is an example of the kind of revictimization that makes it less likely that female survivors of gender-based violence will seek help from police. One of the report’s main findings is that “the RCMP did not treat Lisa Banfield as a surviving victim of the mass casualty.”“It’s clear (that) for 19 years Lisa Banfield was abused by her spouse and it culminated on April 18, (2020),” inquiry commissioner Michael MacDonald said Thursday.“We highlight that she was clearly the first victim, and our...

Russia clashes with US over tactical nukes for Belarus

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:56:55 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia and the U.S. clashed in the United Nations on Friday over Moscow’s plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which neighboring Ukraine denounced as a desperate Kremlin attempt to avoid military defeat and “threaten the world with nuclear apocalypse.” China, without naming Russia, made clear its opposition to the planned deployment.Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya called for the U.N. Security Council meeting following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement on March 25 that his country plans to deploy tactical, comparatively short-range and small-yield nuclear weapons in Belarus. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko upped the ante just before the council meeting, saying Russia might also deploy strategic nuclear weapons in Belarus, which Russian forces have used as a staging ground for the war in Ukraine.Kyslytsya said it took only four days for Putin to violate a pledge he made to China’s President Xi Jinping in a joint ...

Martin Luther King III stops in Chicago to rally for Brandon Johnson

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:56:55 GMT

CHICAGO -- Chicago mayoral candidates have a jammed packed weekend in the final days of what’s expected to be a very tight race.Both candidates, Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas, were out Friday trying to connect with voters in a race that will likely come down to turnout."As we approach April 4, the thought for me is what would he be thinking," Martin Luther King III said. "I do know that he would be supporting Brandon Johnson." WGN Poll: Vallas leading Johnson in Chicago Mayoral runoff election Martin Luther King III noted the significance of the upcoming Election Day and that face that it falls on the anniversary of his father’s assassination.King III joined with Rev. Jesse Jackson and labor and faith leaders rallying behind Johnson in North Lawndale, near the site where the King family lived when Dr. Martin Luther King came to Chicago to fight for fair housing.Later on Friday, Johnson and the City Treasurer met with residents at the early vote supersite in the loop.Thursday nig...

Chicago's Daniel James wants to make most of major MMA moment at Bellator 293

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:56:55 GMT

TEMECULA, CA. — A native of Chicago is going to have the shot to headline a major Mixed Martial Arts event this weekend.This comes as Daniel James is looking to jumpstart his career after spending a few years overseas.The native of the west side will face Marcelo Golm at Bellator 293 in the heavyweight main event on Friday night at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California. It's one of the biggest fights in James' career as he looks to climb up the ranks of the mixed martial arts company. He comes into the event with four-straight knockouts in his last four fights, including a victory over Tyrell Fortune at Bellator 288 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. James captured that victory just 27 seconds into the second round to improve his professional MMA record to 14-6-1. This bout continues James' return to the United States after fighting overseas for the last three years in Russia and Europe. The win over Fortune in Chicago the American "comeback" match for the fighter who goes by th...