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Arizona governor blasted for plans to defy execution order

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:48 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is facing heavy pushback from a victim’s sister and a powerful county prosecutor for her plans to defy a court order to execute a prisoner next month for his conviction in a 2002 killing. The newly elected Democratic governor vowed nearly two weeks ago that she wouldn’t carry out the Arizona Supreme Court’s order to execute Aaron Gunches on April 6, citing a review that she has ordered of death penalty protocols due to Arizona’s history of mismanaging executions.Hobbs has said executions will not be carried out until Arizonans can be confident the state isn’t violating the law. She maintains that while the court authorized Gunches’ execution, its order doesn’t require the state to carry it out.Over the last several days, lawyers for Karen Price, whose brother Ted Price was the victim in Gunches’ case, and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell have told the state’s highest court that Hobbs doesn’t have the legal authority to disregard ...

FACT FOCUS: Claims link ‘woke’ policies to bank’s demise

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:48 GMT

As Wall Street reels from the swift demise of Silicon Valley Bank — the biggest American bank failure since the 2008 financial meltdown — some social media users are honing in on a single culprit: its socially aware, or “woke,” agenda. But the Santa Clara-based institution’s professed commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, wasn’t a driver of the bank’s collapse, say banking and financial experts. Its poor investment strategies and a customer base prone to make devastating bank runs were.Here’s a closer look at the facts.CLAIM: Silicon Valley Bank failed because it focused on “woke” policies such as diversity, equity and inclusion.THE FACTS: The nation’s 16th largest bank collapsed because of poor investment and risk strategies that left the bank with insufficient cash to weather a mass withdrawal of assets from its largely tech sector customers, who have been particularly hard hit in the current economy, financial and banking experts explain. There’s also no ev...

Man wanted in connection with hate-motivated attack against woman

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:48 GMT

Toronto police are looking to identify a suspect wanted in connection with a hate-motivated attack aboard the TTC a week ago.Police say a woman was riding the subway southbound from Vaughan Metropolitan station on March 9 when she was approached by a man around 5 p.m.The man became agitated during a conversation with the woman and produced a knife. The woman fled the train as it arrived at Wilson station. The man is described as being between 50 and 60 years old with a thin build and a long white beard. He was last seen wearing layered clothing including a black hoodie, dark baseball cap, black leather jacket, green military-style pants and carrying a green backpack. He is believed to be armed and dangerous, according to police. “Investigators believe the victim was targeted because of her Muslim faith,” police said in a statement. The National Council of Canadian Muslims said the man was asking the woman “hypothetical questions” about Muslims and Islam befor...

Researcher calls for more wild horse protections after 17 shot dead in rural B.C.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:48 GMT

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — A biologist and wild horse researcher is calling for stronger federal and provincial protections for the animals after 17 carcasses were found in rural British Columbia.Wayne McCrory, who has been studying horses in the province for about two decades, said he was shocked to learn the animals had been shot to death. Wild horses are an important part of Canadian heritage, First Nation culture and the ecosystem, and need legislation to protect them, he said in an interview on Wednesday.“It’s time to ramp up protection, both federal and provincial, in my opinion, to stop this senseless slaughter when some trigger-happy person just decides to take the law into his own hands,” McCrory said. “In Canada, whether it’s a species at risk, wild horses or old-growth (trees), it just takes a lot of political will on the Canadian public to see that happen.”RCMP Cpl. Cory Lepine, who is the sole such livestock investigator in the province, said i...

Ecuador, Argentina order out envoys amid diplomatic clash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:48 GMT

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Argentina and Ecuador are in a diplomatic clash after a former Ecuadorian Cabinet minister who had been convicted of corruption and taken refuge with the Argentine ambassador escaped from Ecuador’s capital of Quito to VenezuelaBoth countries have expelled the other’s ambassador as a result of their disagreement over the handling of María Angeles Duarte, who served in the Cabinet of then Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa.Duarte had been living in the residence of the Argentine ambassador in Quito with her Argentine son since August 2020 to avoid serving an eight-year corruption sentence. Argentina had offered Duarte political asylum, but Ecuador refused to grant her safe passage. Argentina told Ecuador on Monday that Duarte was no longer in the Quito residence, saying she had left of her own accord. It was later revealed that she left Friday. Ecuador did not hide its anger, summoning Argentina’s ambassador, Gabriel Fuks, and telling him to leave the count...

Police: Man dies after shooting in Walmart parking lot on Chicago's South Side

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:48 GMT

CHICAGO — A man is dead after he was shot multiple times Wednesday evening while he was in a Walmart parking lot on Chicago's South Side, according to police.The man, 51, was shot around 5:30 p.m. in the 8300 block of South Stewart Avenue by an unknown person, according to information from the Chicago Police Department. Chicago’s top cop checks out early He was taken to a hospital and later died, according to the Chicago police and fire departments.Police haven't said if any arrests have been made but said Area Two detectives are still investigating.

Florida ride dismantled after teen's fatal fall, mother calls it 'bittersweet moment'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:48 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (WFLA) — The mother of the Missouri teenager who fell to his death from the Orlando FreeFall attraction at ICON Park last year visited the site for the first time Wednesday.Tyre Sampson, 14, died while on vacation in Orlando on March 24, 2022.An autopsy showed that Sampson suffered numerous broken bones and internal injuries in the fall, which was ruled an accidental death. It showed Sampson weighed 383 pounds, well above the ride manual’s weight limit of 287 pounds.Now, the Orlando FreeFall is in the process of being demolished as part of an agreement made between the company and the Florida Department of Agriculture. Florida woman loses strip club gig after posing as Tyre Sampson’s cousin: report Orlando Slingshot, the ride operator, told Nexstar's WFLA in a statement it retained the amusement park, Ride Entertainment, to coordinate the deconstruction, which began this week.“That activity is expected to continue into the following week because of the large size of ...

T-Mobile Acquires Ryan Reynold’s Mint Mobile, For $1.85 Billion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:48 GMT

SXSW concert moved ahead of potential Thursday storms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A South by Southwest concert scheduled Thursday night at Lady Bird Lake is moving indoors ahead of potential severe weather, according to a SXSW release.The KUTC Rockin Near The Shores concert will be held in Ballroom A of the Austin Convention Center. Luck Reunion postponed due to weather threat A cold front is expected to move through Central Texas late Thursday evening, bringing the threat of strong to severe storms, according to the KXAN First Warning Weather team.Concert schedule6 p.m.  Lucky Diaz6:30 p.m.  Red Yarn & Aaron Nigel Smith  7 p.m.  Mega Ran 7:30 p.m. SaulPaul8 p.m. Rosie Flores 8:30 p.m. Thao NguyenAnother music festival postponed Thursday ahead of the inclement weather.Luck Reunion with Willie Nelson announced it is postponing until Friday. All existing tickets, parking passes and press credentials will be honored for the rescheduled Luck Reunion date on Friday.

Changes to paratransit service coming to Round Rock in June

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:48 GMT

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — City of Round Rock's Transportation Director Gary Hudder said it will change how it provides paratransit services in June.Hudder said low ridership in some areas amid rapid population growth in others has spurred the city to revamp the service.He said, currently, there is a fixed-line system where paratransit riders are picked up and dropped off on a daily schedule.At next week's Round Rock City Council meeting, Hudder said he will share more about these transportation changes, including the replacement of the current system with a mobility, on-demand service.The service will be similar to how a person would order a rideshare service, he said.Those currently using the paratransit system, contracted through San Antonio-based Star Shuttle, will qualify for the new system provided by Austin-based Ztrip, Hudder said.“The transit system has to continue to be modified and morphed to satisfy a rapidly growing community," Hudder said.The change will exclude at lea...