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Conservatives call on feds to see killer Bernardo returned to maximum-security prison

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:50:32 GMT

OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on the federal government to use whatever tools it can to reverse a decision by the Correctional Service of Canada to transfer killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security prison. Bernardo’s move to a facility in Quebec was made public last week after the correctional service notified the lawyer representing the families of 15-year-old Kristen French and 14-year-old Leslie Mahaffy, whom Bernardo kidnapped, tortured and murdered in the early 1990s.The killer and serial rapist had been serving a life sentence at Millhaven Institution, a maximum-security penitentiary near Kingston, Ont. Tim Danson, a lawyer for the victims’ families, says it was unacceptable that the prison service refused to answer questions about the reason for the Bernardo’s move or details of his custody conditions, citing his privacy rights. Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Poilievre called Bernardo a “monster” and said Prime Minis...

A man wants to trademark ‘Trump too small’ for T-shirts. Now the Supreme Court will hear the case.

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:50:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it will hear a case in which a man tried to trademark a phrase mocking former President Donald Trump as “too small.”The Justice Department is supporting President Joe Biden’s once and possibly future rival in urging the court to deny a trademark for the suggestive phrase “Trump too small” that a California man wants to put on T-shirts.The case will be argued in the fall, one of two disputes on the court’s upcoming agenda that involve Trump or one of his businesses. Government officials said the phrase “Trump too small” could still be used, just not trademarked because Trump had not consented to its use. But a federal appeals court said refusing trademark registration violated free speech rights.The high court has considered a raft of Trump-related cases in recent years. The justices have dealt with cases about Trump’s claims of fraud in the 2000 election and with his efforts to shield his tax records from Congress and to keep oth...

U.S. sanctions Russia-backed actors over Moldovan destabilization protests

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:50:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. sanctioned a group of Russian-intelligence linked individuals Monday for their role in allegedly helping the Kremlin destabilize Moldova’s democratically-elected government through protests in Moldova’s capitol earlier this year. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated seven members of a group linked to sanctioned Moldovan oligarch, Ilan Shor, currently in exile in Israel, and leader of Moldova’s pro-Russia Shor Party. The Shor Party supports a group calling itself Movement for the People, which organized the anti-government protest in Moldova’s capital earlier this year. The protestors demanded that the country’s pro-Western government fully subsidize citizens’ winter energy bills and to “not involve the country in war.”Moldovan police in March said they foiled a plot by groups of Russia-backed actors who were trained to cause mass unrest during the protest.Brian E. Nelson, Treasury’s under secretary for terrorism and fina...

Man charged for sexually assaulting woman multiple times at Vaughan Mills mall

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:50:32 GMT

York Regional Police have arrested and charged a man in the alleged sexual assault of a woman while she shopped with her children at a mall in Vaughan.Investigators received reports of a sexual assault at Vaughan Mills in the Rutherford Road and Jane Street area just after 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 4.It’s alleged that a 48-year-old woman was shopping with her children when an unknown man sexually touched the victim while she was in a shoe store.Police said she left the store, and the suspect followed her to the food court, where another assault occurred. The victim informed mall security, and the police were called.Responding officers located the man in the mall and arrested him a short time later.The accused was identified as 27-year-old Tyrone Medeiros of Forest, Ont. He’s facing two counts of sexual assault.Police said they released the man’s photo, hoping other victims would come forward.

Wildfire on German military training site contamined with ammunition

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:50:32 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Strong winds have fanned flames at a wildfire on a German military training site that is known to contain large amounts of ammunition, causing it to double in size, officials said Monday.The fire near Jueterbog, south of Berlin, had been simmering for days as authorities scrambled to prevent it reaching surrounding villages.Firefighters have cleared large strips of land to contain the blaze but are avoiding the training grounds itself, where several explosions were heard Monday, officials said.Weeks of dry weather have increased the risk of wildfires in eastern Germany, with some regions on the second-highest alert level.Meteorologists say rain predicted for the coming days may lower the threat of wildfires again.The Associated Press

California attorney general blames Florida for charter flight that took migrants to Sacramento

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:50:32 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Florida appears to have arranged for a group of South American migrants to be transported from Texas to California and dropped off in Sacramento, California’s attorney general said, noting that he’s looking into whether any crimes may have been committed.If true, the 16 Colombian and Venezuelan migrants who turned up at the Roman Catholic Church diocese’s headquarters in Sacramento on Friday would be the latest to have been moved from a Republican-led state to one led by Democrats.Attorney General Rob Bonta said that although the circumstances surrounding their arrival in the California capital are still being investigated, the migrants had documentation that appeared to have been issued by Florida.He also said he’s evaluating whether violations of civil or criminal law took place.“While we continue to collect evidence, I want to say this very clearly: State-sanctioned kidnapping is not a public policy choice, it is immoral and disgusting,...

Three bodies recovered in Iowa building collapse; lawsuit accuses city and owners of negligence

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:50:32 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The bodies of three men have been removed from the site of a collapsed six-story apartment building, the police chief in Davenport, Iowa, announced Monday. “We don’t have any other information at this time that there are any additional people missing,” Chief Jeff Bladel said.One of the residents injured in the collapse of an apartment building sued the city of Davenport and the building’s current and former owners on Monday, alleging they knew of the deteriorating conditions and failed to warn residents of the risk.The complaint filed on behalf of Dayna Feuerbach alleges multiple counts of negligence and seeks unspecified damages. It also notes that additional lawsuits are likely. “The city had warning after warning,” attorney Jeffrey Goodman said in an interview with The Associated Press. He called it a common trend in major structural collapses he’s seen. “They had the responsibility to make sure that the safety of the citizens comes first. It is very...

European Central Bank chief signals more rate hikes ahead with inflation still ‘strong’

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:50:32 GMT

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde said Monday that price pressures are “strong” and made clear that the bank will raise interest rates high enough to bring down inflation and keep them there “for as long as necessary.”Lagarde’s remarks reinforced her earlier statements indicating the ECB was not done raising rates even after inflation fell by almost a full percentage point in May, to 6.1%. The ECB has been hiking rates at the fastest pace in its history, launching its drive in July 2022 as inflation headed for record highs. While energy prices are falling and food prices have started to ease from high levels, “there is no clear evidence that underlying inflation has peaked,” Lagarde told the European Parliament’s economic and monetary affairs committee in Brussels. “Our future decisions will ensure that the policy rates will be brought to levels sufficiently restrictive to achieve a timely return of inflation to our 2% medium-te...

'Was hit 25 times': Mother wants justice after 16-year-old son gunned down in Joliet

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:50:32 GMT

JOLIET, Ill. — A mother is devastated after she said two suspects "mutilated" her son at a Joliet playground.At around 6 p.m. on May 31, officers were dispatched to the 400 block of South Joliet Street on the report of a person shot. It happened at the Warren Sharpe Playground.Within two hours, 16-year-old Antoine Shropshire was pronounced dead at the scene."My son was in the house until 5:45 p.m. and then his friends called him to come out," mother Tysha Hammond said. "They went to the park, you know being kids, talking to girls."Hammond said her son, who just finished his sophomore year at Joliet West High School, was initially shot in the head and then sustained around 25 gunshot wounds."He was hit 25 times. The shooters were shooting at the park — some kids there were as young as four," Hammond said. "They had no regard for human life."On Saturday afternoon, Joliet police released surveillance footage and images asking the public for help identifying two people near the scene.Bo...

Taylor Swift wraps up 3-day 'Eras Tour' stop in Chicago

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:50:32 GMT

WGN Entertainment Reporter Dean Richards has the highlights from Taylor Swift's 3-day 'Eras Tour' stop in Chicago this past weekend.Get Dean's reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean's Downloads weekly newsletter. You'll also get his Dean Cooks recipes too!