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Florida ethics commission chair can’t work simultaneously for Disney World governing district

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:54:50 GMT

The chair of Florida’s ethics commission has an ethics problem, but it’s due to working at The Mouse rather than being a rat.Glen Gilzean, the new administrator of Walt Disney World’s governing district, can’t continue to work in his new job and chair the Florida Commission on Ethics at the same time since Florida law prohibits public employees from serving as members on the commission, according to a legal opinion issued Thursday.The ethics commission is charged with setting the standards of conduct for public employees and public officeholders in Florida, and it investigates complaints of violations.Gilzean is an ally of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and was selected to the position in May by DeSantis’ appointees who took control of the governing district’s board. The takeover was in retaliation for Disney’s public opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay ” legislation championed by DeSantis and Republican lawmakers.Members on the ethics commission don’t ea...

DNA links killing of Maryland hiker to Los Angeles home invasion

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:54:50 GMT

BEL AIR, Md. (AP) — DNA evidence has linked the recent killing of a Maryland woman whose body was found near a hiking trail to a Los Angeles home invasion and assault of a girl earlier this year, authorities said.Both cases remain unsolved. Detectives matched DNA collected from the crime scenes, but they haven’t identified the suspect yet. Following a news conference Thursday evening in Harford County northeast of Baltimore, authorities released surveillance footage and photos of the suspect from video captured while he was leaving the house that authorities said he broke into in March.Rachel Morin, 37, left her home to go hiking the evening of Aug. 5 and never returned. Her boyfriend reported her missing later that night and her car was found near an entrance to a trail she frequented, officials have said.Her body was discovered the following day after her disappearance was widely reported. “We believe this was a person that Rachel probably didn’t know,” Col. William Davis with the...

Dance show tours local schools to motivate youth to take climate action

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:54:50 GMT

A local dance group is taking an innovative approach to climate education that’s helping students in Brockton Village turn their eco-anxiety into action.Emma Bartolomucci, a choreographer and climate activist, launched The Fourth R: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Revolutionize, a dance performance about climate action, in 2020.At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bartolomucci became interested in climate science, so she decided to combine this knowledge with her passion for dance. It resulted in a theatre production that shows how our actions as consumers can impact the planet.Emma Bartolomucci onstage at Saint-Frère-André Catholic Secondary School. (Tony Fera/CityNews)“We’re so privileged here in North America. We have so much that to not to be ignorant about this issue, it’s unacceptable,” explained Bartolomucci. “So, I was using any resources I could. I’m a skilled dancer. How can I incorporate this urgency into my dance? How can I incorporate ...

Rhode Island tornado lifts car as New England storms flood roads, topple trees

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:54:50 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — A rare Rhode Island tornado lifted a car off an interstate highway Friday morning as severe weather swept already storm-weary New England, a fire official said.Johnston Fire Chief David Iannuccilli said firefighters responded to Interstate 295 after reports of a car lifted off the road by a tornado. The driver was shaken up but unharmed, he said.“The driver said she got caught in the funnel, was lifted 10 feet in the air and was dropped back down on her tires,” Iannuccilli said. She was not injured, he said: “She was shaken up more than anything.”The tornado moved through wooded areas and residential neighborhoods, but there were no reported injuries, Iannuccilli said. The tornado was confirmed by radar, and lifted tree limbs and other debris into the air, said Glenn Field, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. Authorities were still investigating to see if there was additional damage from the tornado in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.Across New Englan...

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez claims he’s qualified for GOP presidential debate, but RNC can’t confirm

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:54:50 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Miami Mayor Francis Suarez claimed on Friday that he has qualified for next week’s Republican presidential debate and would become the ninth White House hopeful to meet the fundraising and polling thresholds required to participate in the opening face-off of the 2024 campaign.But senior advisers with the Republican National Committee who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal discussions said later that Suarez had not yet officially met the criteria.Suarez, 45 and the only Hispanic in the field, would be perhaps the least-known Republican on the stage Wednesday in Milwaukee. But with an audience expected of more than 10 million viewers, he said the debate will give him equal footing to contrast his personality against his higher-profile opponents. He argued that he is uniquely positioned to help the Republican Party reach out to Hispanic and younger voters in particular. “Oftentimes, it’s not policy because we agree, by and large about policy, ri...

Quavo releases ‘Rocket Power,’ his first solo album since Migos bandmate Takeoff’s death

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:54:50 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Migos rapper Quavo has released his second solo album, “Rocket Power,” a lively and powerful tribute to his late bandmate and nephew Takeoff. It is Quavo’s first full-length release since Takeoff was fatally shot outside a private party at a downtown Houston bowling alley in 2022. The pair join forces on the tracks “Patty Cake” and “Back Where It Begins,” released Friday. The latter also features Future.Young Thug, Babydrill, Hunxho are also featured on “Rocket Power.”Many of the tracks serve as homages to Takeoff. On “Patty Cake,” Quavo raps, “Me and Take pop up like a date / ‘Cause we go together anyway / Unc’ and ‘phew stickin’ like glue / It’s some dogs runnin’ on the loose.”In 2022, Quavo and Takeoff released a collaborative album under the moniker Unc & Phew, a reflection of their close familial bond, without the third Migos member Offset. It was titled “Only Built for Infinity Links.”“I call him twin ’cause that be my brother,” Takeoff rappe...

Unapologetic Shiite cleric blasts corruption in Iraq and Lebanon, and attempts to silence him

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:54:50 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — A Lebanese Shiite cleric who has angered politicians and religious leaders in Lebanon and Iraq said Friday that groups including Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah are trying to silence voices of dissent within the sect — including his own.Shiekh Yasser Auda has developed a reputation on social media in recent years for his criticism of corruption in Iraq and Lebanon. He has also spoken out against the use of violence against opponents of Iran-backed groups in the two crisis-hit countries. He vowed in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday not to bow down even if it costs him is life.His comments came two days after a department within The Supreme Islamic Shiite Council of Lebanon, the country’s top Shiite religious authority, issued a statement naming 15 clerics whom it said are not qualified to provide religious guidance. Auda was at the top of the list and was almost stripped of his religious status. But the council later issued a statement saying that the posit...

Congresswoman Robin Kelly announces death of husband

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:54:50 GMT

CHICAGO — Congresswoman Robin Kelly announced Friday the loss of her husband of 20 years."My husband was a remarkable man. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him and loved him," Kelly said on Twitter.Dr. Nathaniel Horn died at the age of 68. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, two step children and two grandchildren."He was a loving father, a compassionate husband, an incredible friend, and a great doctor that touched the lives of many people in a positive way," Kelly said.The congresswoman is asking for privacy during this time.

Zoo Pals are back – here's where you can find the beloved 2000s-era plates

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:54:50 GMT

(WPHL) - After nearly a decade, the iconic Zoo Pal plates are back. Zoo Pals plates are being sold online starting this week, Hefty announced. The line of colorful animal-themed paper plates will feature ten of the original iconic "Pals" like Curly the Pig, Domino the Dalmatian, Fritz the Frog, Kosmo the Cow, and more. As one of the most memorable and nostalgic products of every 2000 kid's childhood, with a catchy jingle and all (Oink Oink Zoo Pals... Zoo Pals make eating fun!) Zoo Pals plates are the perfect choice for picky eaters, kids and adults who just want to reminisce. Trump’s Georgia case lists 30 unindicted co-conspirators: What we know Just like the original Zoo Pals, the new collection plates offer three portioned sections to put all your favorite foods, with one large space for your main food item and two ears or feet for dipping sauces and sides."Over the last nine years, we have received many calls, social media, and even petition requests from fans to bring back Z...

College-bound, South Side entrepreneur to host back-to-school giveaway for Chicago youth

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:54:50 GMT

CHICAGO — An incoming college freshman and entrepreneur from the city's Chatham neighborhood has dedicated his teen years to giving back to Chicago youth, turning trauma into inspiration and innovation. Before 18-year-old Jaqueza Thomas starts his freshman year at the University of Illinois at Chicago in a few weeks, he plans to host a back-to-school giveaway to gather backpacks and school supplies for the neighborhood kids returning to school.“It's in my heart to just do it, I don't ask for anything,” Thomas said.He hopes to buy and give out 50 backpacks filled with school supplies – all using his own funds. “I want to do 50 backpacks, and I have been reaching out to different non-profits to see if they will donate,” Thomas said. Thomas said the Architecture Center would match his goal of 50 backpacks, bringing him to 100 backpacks for youth. Thomas will also receive school supply donations from the Chicago Police Department. This isn't the start of Thomas’s phi...