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Florida governor declares widespread state of emergency ahead of Idalia’s expected landfall

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Florida residents loaded up on sandbags and evacuated from homes in low-lying areas along the Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Idalia intensified Monday and forecasters predicted it would hit within days as a major hurricane with potentially life-threatening storm surges.As the state prepared, Idalia thrashed Cuba with heavy rain, especially in the westernmost part of the island, where the tobacco-producing province of Pinar del Rio is still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Ian almost a year ago. Authorities in the province issued a state of alert, and residents were evacuated to friends’ and relatives’ homes as authorities monitored the Cuyaguateje river for possible flooding. As much as 10 centimeters (4 inches) of rain fell in Cuba on Sunday, meteorological stations reported.Idalia is expected to start affecting Florida with hurricane-force winds as soon as late Tuesday and arrive on the coast by Wednesday. It is the first storm to hit Florida this hurr...

University of North Carolina warns of armed person on campus and urges people to stay inside

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sent out an alert Monday warning of an “armed, dangerous person on or near campus” and urging people to go inside and avoid windows.The first alert was sent out just after 1 p.m. At 1:50 p.m., officials posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the shelter-in-place order remained in effect and that it was “an ongoing situation.” About 40 minutes later, the school added a post saying: “Remain sheltered in place. This is an ongoing situation. Suspect at large.”Officials said as soon as they had verified information, they would share it.Video footage showed a heavy police presence on the campus of the state’s flagship university, where the fall semester started last week.Campus officials did not immediately respond to an email seeking additional information.Nearby Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools posted on social media that all doors would be locked at its schools and offices until authorities say itR...

Biden will observe 9/11 in Alaska instead of the traditional NYC, Virginia or Pennsylvania events

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will observe next month’s 22nd anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil at an Alaska military base with service members and their families, the White House announced. It will be the first time that a president has not attended any of the observances that have been held annually in New York City, Pennsylvania and Virginia, just outside Washington, according to an Associated Press review of media coverage of these events. Biden will stop in Alaska for the 9/11 observance at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage on his way back to Washington after he attends a summit in New Delhi with other world leaders and visits Vietnam on Sept. 10. Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, will participate in the annual commemoration at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in lower Manhattan.First lady Jill Biden will lay a wreath at the 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon. Terrorists hijacked commercial airplanes ...

Report: John Herdman leaves men’s national team for Toronto FC job

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

John Herdman, who has coached both the women’s and men’s national soccer teams, has taken the head coaching job with Toronto FC, according to Joshua Kloke of The Athletic.The divagationfrom his role with the men’s national program is effective immediately, according to Kloke.John Herdman has been hired as Toronto FC's next head coach and will leave the Canadian men's national team immediately, per @joshuakloke. pic.twitter.com/xSCQm2ilE4— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 28, 2023Canada is set to co-host the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and the U.S., which automatically grants the team a spot in the tournament.More to come

Georgia’s election board leader who debunked unfounded 2020 election fraud claims is stepping down

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — The retired federal judge leading Georgia’s State Election Board is resigning effective Friday from the panel, which sought under his tenure to debunk unfounded claims of election fraud stemming from the 2020 presidential vote.Gov. Brian Kemp made the announcement Monday that William “Bill” Duffey Jr. would be stepping down, although his resignation letter was dated July 18.Duffey wrote that he wanted to step down now that the board has transitioned to a freestanding agency under Georgia’s 2021 election law. It previously was chaired by the secretary of state.“Now that a new board structure is in place, it is important to name the next chair in sufficient time for that person to continue to prepare for the 2024 election cycle,” Duffey wrote.The board makes rules for state elections and recommends what should be done about people who break rules and laws.Duffey had only been appointed in June 2022, after a yearlong delay following the passage of the law.Und...

Haiti police probe killings of parishioners who were led by a pastor into gang territory

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The director of Haiti’s National Police vowed Monday to hold accountable those who encouraged hundreds of parishioners to take up machetes and sticks over the weekend to try and rid a community of gang members, only to be fatally shot by them. Police Chief Frantz Elbé said the group’s religious leader, identified as Marcorel Zidor, participated in the protest Saturday and was accompanied by unidentified people clad in olive green carrying assault rifles as they and the parishioners marched toward the community of Canaan.Elbé said the group drew gunfire from gang members, and that “multiple” people were killed and several kidnapped, though he did not provide numbers. He said police were trying to recover the bodies of those killed in Canaan, a community established north of the capital by survivors of the country’s devastating 2010 earthquake. The community is controlled by a powerful gang whose leader goes only by “Jeff,” and who is an ally of anot...

As worker actions continue nationwide, White House highlights how administration is helping unions

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — As worker actions continue from Hollywood to Detroit, and new labor unions crop up at firms like Starbucks and Amazon, the White House on Monday was highlighting its effort to bolster worker organizing throughout the U.S.President Joe Biden is counting on critical labor support as he campaigns for a second term in office, holding his first re-election campaign rally at a Pennsylvania union hall in June, declaring: “I’m proud to be the most pro-union president in American history.” The White House and Treasury on Monday issued a joint analysis on what the administration sees as the importance of unions, and also the White House efforts to safeguard and bolster them. There is “evidence that unions strengthen the middle class and grow the economy” by raising wages of members and improving health care, retirement and predictable scheduling plan benefits, according to the analysis. “There have been recent signs of a reinvigorated labor movement, as union election ...

Poland is investigating disruptions to train traffic from unauthorized radio signals

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish security authorities are investigating multiple cases of disruption to railway traffic, after unauthorized radio signals stopped several trains over the weekend. On some of the signals, the Russian national anthem could reportedly be heard in the background. Poland’s railway is the main transport route for international military support going to neighboring Ukraine, which is fighting Russia’s aggression. The network also transports Ukraine’s agricultural exports to markets further west. Two men in their 20s were arrested Sunday after they generated intercom signals that halted five passenger trains and one cargo train near Bialystok, in the northeast. Prosecutors have opened an investigation.Similar “radio-stop” signals briefly stopped some passenger and cargo trains in other regions across Poland over the weekend. In some cases, the Russian anthem could be heard over the intercom, Polish media reported. Authorities said there was no th...

Videos show how the Fargo shooter targeted officers, North Dakota attorney general says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — More video recordings of an ambush of police officers in Fargo, North Dakota, show how the gunman cased the scene of a fender bender, waiting and watching for roughly four minutes as more officers arrived before opening fire. The additional videos — from officers’ body cameras, a police dashboard camera and a nearby business — were showed to The Associated Press and other media by North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley.“It’s fair to deduce from all of this that he is clearly targeting the police,” Wrigley told the AP. “He seemed to be waiting, and by waiting, doubled the number of police officers that were there,” but that “doesn’t speak to motive of why he did it,” the attorney general said.As the investigation wraps up, the FBI is helping to interview people who exchanged “unremarkable” amounts of money with gunman Mohamad Barakat before the July 14 shooting, Wrigley said.The attorney general has said Barakat appeared to be an example of the “...

Police ID man charged with 2nd-degree murder in Richmond Hill

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:08 GMT

York Regional Police identified a 35-year-old Toronto man charged with second-degree murder after a woman he was previously in a relationship with was found dead inside a Richmond Hill residence.Authorities were called to the home, located on Taylor Mills Drive South, just after 6:30 p.m. on Friday, August 25, to check on the welfare of the residents.York Regional Police said officers found an adult male who required medical attention and was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.An adult female was located inside the home and pronounced dead at the scene.On Monday, police identified the suspect as 35-year-old Daniil Matin of Toronto. He’s facing a second-degree murder charge.Authorities confirmed that Matin and the victim knew each other and had been in a past relationship.Police said the woman’s identity is not being released at the family’s request.