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Indiana man indicted in threats made to Michigan clerk following 2020 election

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — A 37-year-old central Indiana man has been indicted in connection with a telephone threat made to a municipal clerk in Michigan following the 2020 presidential election.Andrew Nickels, of Carmel, a suburb of Indianapolis, appeared Friday in federal court in Detroit on one count of making a threatening interstate communication, the U.S. Justice Department said in a release.Nickels pleaded not guilty and was released Friday on a $10,000 bond, his attorney Steven Scharg said.The case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force launched in 2021 to address threats of violence against election workers and to ensure they are able to do their jobs free from intimidation, the Justice Department said.Scharg told The Associated Press he does not yet have any details of the case from prosecutors, but added “knowing my client, there’s no way in the world he would hurt anyone.”An expletive-laced voicemail was left on or about Nov. 10, 2020, threatening to ...

Canadian evacuees tell of chaotic scenes in Maui wildfire ‘war zone’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

VANCOUVER — Canadians returning from Maui have told of harrowing scenes during their escape from the fire-devastated Hawaiian island.Among the evacuees was British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Matthew Taylor who drove through the ruined town of Lahaina on Thursday and said it resembled a “war zone.”Taylor, who arrived in Vancouver Friday morning on an Air Canada ferry flight, said buildings on both sides of the highway out of Lahaina had been “razed to the ground.”“Driving through Lahaina was absolutely shocking. It was really, really sad,” said Taylor. Officials in Hawaii say at least 55 people died this week after wildfires erupted on Maui in the state’s deadliest natural disaster since a 1960 tsunami killed 61 people. Governor Josh Green has warned that the death toll will likely rise as search and rescue operations continue.Taylor had travelled to Maui with his family for a vacation on Monday night, staying north of Lahaina. They arrived to ...

Some news outlets report difficulty posting on Meta apps amid restriction rollout

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

TORONTO — News outlets have been unable to post on Meta’s social media sites some or all of the time since the digital giant began rolling out its restrictions on Canadian news in response to federal legislation. CBC has noticed inconsistencies when posting on Facebook and Instagram, including instances where content submitted does not get posted, said CBC spokesperson Kerry Kelly in an email. At Bell, which owns CTV, some account users are still able to post to the brand’s accounts, while others cannot, a spokesperson said. But not all outlets are experiencing this problem. The Toronto Star is still able to post on its Meta accounts, said spokesperson Bob Hepburn in an email. Staff at the Winnipeg Free Press are also able to post on the outlet’s Facebook and Instagram pages, editor Paul Samyn confirmed, though only people from outside Canada can view the posts. Meta did not respond to requests for comment about companies unable to post. It has previously directed questions about th...

US appeals court dismisses motion challenging permits for natural gas pipeline

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A federal appeals court on Friday granted a motion to dismiss a challenge to construction permits for a controversial natural gas pipeline in Virginia and West Virginia after Congress mandated that the project move forward.The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, sided with lawyers from Mountain Valley Pipeline in dismissing challenges to the project by environmental groups over concerns about the pipeline’s impact on endangered species, erosion and stream sedimentation.The U.S. Supreme Court last month allowed construction to resume. Work had been blocked by the 4th Circuit, even after Congress ordered the project’s approval as part of the bipartisan bill to increase the debt ceiling. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law in June.Lawyers for the pipeline argued before the appeals court two weeks ago that Congress was within its rights to strip the 4th Circuit from jurisdiction over the case. They also said that any debate over the...

Where the Chicago Sky stand in the WNBA playoff race with a month left in the season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

CHICAGO — There has been a lot of change for the team over the last year and even the last few months, but one thing remains the same for Chicago's WNBA team.They're entering the last month of the season with a shot to reach the postseason, something that's become an annual tradition of late for the team. So where do the Sky stand with just 12 games to go in the regular season? Coming into their game against the New York Liberty at 6 p.m. central time at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the team is currently hanging on to the eighth and final spot in the playoff standings with a 12-16 record. That puts them 1 1/2 games ahead of the Los Angeles Sparks, who are the next team below them in the standings hoping to get into the postseason. Thanks to a tightly-packed middle of the WNBA standings, the Sky are just a game behind the Mystics and Lynx for the next two spots in the playoff order.The fourth and fifth seeds, the Wings and Dream, and just 2 1/2 games ahead of the Sky.Should they ...

Lawmakers introduce bill requiring colleges, universities to report serious accidents

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- Almost five years ago, Joel Hausman and his late wife dropped off their son Corey at the University of Colorado for his first year of college."We made plans to come back probably a month later for the parents' weekend…sadly, parents' weekend never came for us," Hausman said.Just after starting school, Corey was severely injured in a skateboard accident and died a few days later."We received a call that no parent ever ever ever wants to get," Hausman said.Corey's death is not unique, as a study by the American College Health Association shows accidents are the leading cause of student fatalities on college campuses."We need to be mindful that students are at risk," Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said.That's why Blumenthal introduced a bipartisan bill - the COREY Safety Act - to require universities to disclose accidents and other incidents that result in serious injury or death in their annual safety report."Reporting and tracking gives colleges a powerful ...

Armored BMW i7 takes bulletproof cars into electric era

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

(Motor Authority) -- BMW’s 7-Series flagship sedan has traditionally been offered with armor protection, and the new i7 electric version is no exception.The BMW i7 Protection made its debut on Wednesday and is billed by BMW as the first armored sedan with an electric powertrain. It makes its formal debut in early September at the 2023 Munich auto show, together with an armored version of the gas-powered 7-Series.It appears the big battery in the floor of the i7 Protection, in this case a lithium-ion unit with a usable capacity of 101.7 kwh, is no impediment to armor protection as the vehicle has been certified with a VR9 safety rating from Germany’s VPAM, an association of test labs for ballistic materials and construction.That’s the highest rating for civilian vehicles and means the i7 Protection’s body and glass provide resistance to military-grade small arms like M14 and FAL-FN rifles from 33 feet, and at least three shots from a heavy machine gun like an M60, from...

Records: 20 Texas corrections officers, incarcerated people diagnosed with heat-related illness this summer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- At least 36 people working and living inside Texas prisons were diagnosed with heat-related illnesses during some of the hottest months this summer and last, according to Texas Department of Criminal Justice records obtained by KXAN. The agency reported at least 16 incarcerated people and workers getting sick from the heat from May 1 to July 5, 2022, records show. This year, records show at least 20 people diagnosed with heat-related illnesses. Agency officials said none of the incidents described in the reports are tied to the death of an inmate.  Texas inmates ‘being cooked alive’ in heatwave with no air conditioning TDCJ answered several of our questions for this report. But has not yet agreed to our request for an interview or provided comment.In June, one man was transported to Christus Spohn Beeville Hospital after he was found in "medical distress" in the dormitory of the Garza West Unit in Beeville. He was diagnosed with a heat-related illness, ...

Pedestrian dies in crash with trash truck at Riverside Drive, police say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Police said one person died Friday morning in a crash between a trash truck and a pedestrian at the intersection of East Riverside Drive and South Congress Avenue, just south of downtown Austin.The crash happened in a parking lot in the 300 block of South Congress Avenue, police said.Police said the driver stayed on the scene of the crash, which occurred around 3:30 a.m. The pedestrian who died hasn't been identified.Austin-Travis County EMS said on social media an adult was pronounced dead on the scene, and no other patients were involved. Police told KXAN one lane of Riverside Drive was closed at Congress due to the crash. Police are investigating this crash as Austin's 56th fatal crash of the year, resulting in 59 fatalities for the year. On the date of this crash in 2022, 64 fatal crashes had resulted in 65 deaths.Anyone with information should call APD's Vehicular Homicide unit at 512-974-8111. You can submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area ...

7 must-see shows at Minnesota Fringe Festival’s closing weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

The 2023 Minnesota Fringe Festival wraps up its 11-day run on Sunday, capping 30 years of debuting more than 100 hour-length stage shows, from musicals, magic acts and kids’ shows to burlesque, drama and horror.Pioneer Press reviewers took in Fringe performances throughout Minneapolis from opening weekend onward, and here — in their view — were the “must see” shows, all of which are ongoing.“Float,” a one-woman show about a self-important wellness guru who tends to get in her own way. Presented by Juliana Frick at Augsburg Mainstage; 1 p.m. Saturday.“Write Me Letters,” a musical about a young man who exchanges letters with his grandmother. Presented by Noah Gundermann at Augsburg Mainstage; 8:30 p.m. Saturday.“101 Goofin’ Things,” in which a duo of many talents showcases kid-friendly antics based on audience preference and participation. Presented by Goof Goof at Theatre in the Round; 10 p.m. Saturday.“Pea...