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Fiery crash kills 2 at Niagara Falls’ Rainbow border bridge. Officials say no sign of terrorism

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:16:35 GMT

By CAROLYN THOMPSON, JOHN WAWROW and JENNIFER PELTZ (Associated Press)NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) — A vehicle speeding toward a U.S.-Canada bridge from the American side crashed and exploded at a checkpoint in Niagara Falls on Wednesday, killing two people and prompting the closing of multiple border crossings for hours. Authorities weren’t sure what spurred the wreck but said there were no signs it was a terror attack.Much remained unclear about the incident at the Rainbow Bridge, which stirred concerns on both sides of the border as the U.S. headed into the Thanksgiving holiday. Both U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were briefed soon afterward, and Trudeau excused himself from Question Period in the House of Commons to get further information, saying officials were “taking this extraordinarily seriously.” A few hours later, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and western New York’s U.S. attorney, Trini Ross, both sought to ease ...

Driver of stolen truck dies in head-on crash

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:16:35 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A driver of a stolen pickup truck died Tuesday night in a head-on crash in Ramona, authorities said.Around 7 p.m., a 35-year-old El Cajon man was traveling westbound on state Route 78 near Barnett Drive when the Ford F-250 he was driving crossed into the eastbound lanes, California Highway Patrol said in a news release. The truck crashed head-on into a Subaru Outback, overturned and crashed into a tree before coming to a stop down an embankment. Passengers ejected in rollover crash in La Jolla, driver fled on foot The F-250 driver died at the scene. The 45-year-old woman driving the Outback had minor injuries and was not hospitalized.The truck was stolen out of Ramona shortly before the crash, CHP told FOX 5.

Inmate dies after being attacked by other prisoners at California max-security lockup, officials say

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:16:35 GMT

TEHACHAPI, Calif. (AP) — An inmate at a California maximum-security prison died Wednesday after being stabbed several times by two other prisoners, authorities said. David Moreno, 38, was attacked shortly before 9 a.m. at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi, according to a statement from the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.Guards used chemical agents to quickly break up the attack, but Moreno died on the way to a hospital less than an hour later, authorities said.Three inmate-made weapons were seized, and two prisoners, Carlos Cervantes and Armando Taylor, have been moved to restricted housing while Moreno’s death is under investigation.Moreno was sent to the maximum-security prison in 2004 to serve a life sentence with the possibility of parole. He was convicted in Los Angeles County of two counts of attempted murder using a gun. In 2015, he was given an additional three years for battery on a non-prisoner while behind bars, authorities sai...

Utah Tech women’s hoops coach suspended for 2 games after investigation based on player complaints

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:16:35 GMT

ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) — Utah Tech has suspended women’s basketball coach JD Gustin for two games following an investigation into allegations of misconduct by players.A private investigator hired by parents of Utah Tech players submitted a report to the university in May alleging that Gustin bullied, physically intimidated and retaliated against players dating back to 2018, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. Players also spoke with the Tribune about their allegations and said the athletic department had ignored their complaints.Utah Tech hired a consulting firm that does workplace investigations to review the complaints.University spokesperson Jyl Hall confirmed Tuesday that the investigation has been completed and that Gustin has been suspended for two games. She declined to say if there were any other components to Gustin’s punishment, citing private personnel matters.Gustin will remain as head coach, the university said in a statement, while the findings of the investigation will be ...

Mexico arrests alleged security chief for the ‘Chapitos’ wing of the Sinaloa drug cartel

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:16:35 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s National Guard officers on Wednesday arrested the hyper violent, alleged security chief for the “Chapitos” wing of the Sinaloa drug cartel. The Public Safety Department’s arrest registry says Nestor Isidro Pérez Salas was detained around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at a walled property in the Sinaloa state capital of Culiacan. The department listed his alias as “El Nini.” The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in April had posted a $3 million reward for his capture. Pérez Salas is wanted on U.S. charges of conspiracy to import and distribute fentanyl in the United States. But he also allegedly left a trail of murder and torture behind him in Mexico.He allegedly protected the sons of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. The sons lead a faction of the cartel known as the little Chapos, or “Chapitos” that has been identified as one of the main exporters of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid, to the U.S. market.Fentanyl has been blamed for about 70,000 ...

Federal judge shortens Montana’s wolf trapping season to protect non-hibernating grizzly bears

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:16:35 GMT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A federal judge in Montana has significantly shortened the state’s wolf trapping season to protect grizzly bears that have not yet begun hibernating from being injured by traps.U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula granted a preliminary injunction Tuesday saying Montana’s wolf trapping season can only run from Jan. 1 through Feb. 15, the time during which he said it is reasonably certain that almost all grizzly bears will be in dens. The order applies to all five of the state’s wolf hunting districts along with Hill, Blaine and Phillips counties in north-central Montana — basically the western two-thirds of the state.The injunction remains in effect while the case moves through the courts.“We are elated that Montana’s grizzly bears will at least temporarily avoid the cruel harms caused by indiscriminate steel traps and snares in their habitat,” Lizzy Pennock, an attorney at WildEarth Guardians said in a statement. “We are optimistic tha...

Argentina’s President-elect is racing against the clock to remake the government

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:16:35 GMT

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina ’s President-elect Javier Milei has called for the wholesale reinvention of the government but he has precious little time.And with less than three weeks until his Dec. 10 inauguration, Milei has no executive experience and few allies in his bullpen.From the moment of the wild-haired outsider ’s decisive victory on Sunday night, the clock started ticking. Argentina’s presidential transition period is one of the shortest in Latin America; it lasts at least six weeks in Colombia and two months in Brazil. Next year’s election in Mexico will feature a six-month handover. Milei “is new to politics, leads a minor political party and has not built an experienced team. He could use more time to prepare his agenda, recruit advisers and senior officials, and build coalitions in the new Congress,” Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin America Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center, told The Associated Press. “This is especially important because ...

Morton Grove apartment residents discover eviction notices ahead of Thanksgiving

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:16:35 GMT

MORTON GROVE, Ill. -- Residents who live in 48 units at a Morton Grove apartment complex were surprised to find an eviction notice on their doors letting them know they must find elsewhere to live by Monday.Tenants at three apartment buildings on the 8500 block of Waukegan Road in Morton Grove have been worried about the conditions for a while.In July, the Village of Morton Grove responded to a resident’s complaint and found the steel and concrete support for the outside walkways and railings were in in disrepair. ‘Adopt-a-Sailor’ program helps welcome Navy members into local homes for Thanksgiving The village asked the owner to find a structural engineer to temporarily support the balcony structures, but said the owner failed to respond.The village then issued a series of citations and posted notices on tenants windows on Tuesday deeming the structures unsafe stating the damage is hazardous.The owner hired Martin Lewansowski to come out and assess the corrosion, and give him a qu...

Ed Burke trial: Cross-examination of Burger King owner continues

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:16:35 GMT

CHICAGO — A Texas-based fast food restaurant magnate who owns a Burger King in the ward of Ed Burke once again took the witness stand Wednesday in Burke's federal trial.The franchise owner, Shoulkat Dhanani, spent most of Tuesday answering questions from prosecutors — telling them he felt pressure to hire Ed Burke so that a construction project at his Burger King would go smoothly.Burke is charged with 14 counts of racketeering, bribery and extortion. They're tied to four alleged schemes: the aforementioned Burger King, Binny's Beverage Depot, the Old Main Post Office development and the Field Museum.In the Burger King episode, Burke is accused of trying to pressure Dhanani into using his private law firm to do Dhanani's property tax appeals for all 150 Burger King locations he owns in the area. Previous: Ed Burke trial shifts to alleged Burger King scheme Burke is allegedly heard of a wiretapped phone call telling a Texas political contact that he'd like to get Dhanani's la...

Pate Philip, towering figure in Illinois Republican politics, dies

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:16:35 GMT

CHICAGO — A hero of the conservative movement, James Peyton Philip, or "Pate" as he was called was an old-school politician. A prolific fundraiser and strategist, he was perhaps best known, however, for his sharp tongue.Phillip served in the Illinois General Assembly for 36 years. After a stint in the House, he was elected to the Senate, rising to president in 1993. It was a post he held for a decade."Growing up, my three heroes were John Wayne, Ronald Reagan and Pate Philip," said former State Senator Walter Dudycz.Now retired, Dudycz, who was an assistant leader under Philips, called the former president one-of-a-kind, blunt and loyal.MORE FROM TAHMAN BRADLEY: Migrants, crime, investment in people: Brandon Johnson’s first 6 months as mayor "He was honest, he was straightforward, he was very, very truthful, and he kept his word," Dudycz said. A Marine, Philips was an imposing statue. His tough guy persona made him a force to reckon with, even among fellow Republicans."I can’t tell ...