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DeSantis pushes past embarrassing campaign start, raises $8.2M ahead of early state blitz

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:56 GMT

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday sought to push past an embarrassing beginning to his presidential campaign, outlining an aggressive travel schedule as his allies insisted they remain well funded and well positioned for a long Republican primary fight ahead.While DeSantis supporters privately acknowledged the bungled announcement was an unwelcome distraction, there was a broad sense — even among some Republican critics — that it would likely have limited long-term political consequences, if any at all. For the doubters, the campaign confirmed Thursday night that it had raised $8.2 million in the 24 hours since entering the race, a massive sum that far exceeded the amount raised by President Joe Biden over the same period.“Do they wish they could do it over again? Probably,” David Oman, a veteran Republican Iowa operative, said of DeSantis’ bungled announcement. “Will we be talking about it in 10 days? Probably not.”DeSantis formally launched his campa...

Man declared innocent of attempted murder after 33 years in California prison

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:56 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California man who spent 33 years in prison for attempted murder has been declared innocent and freed, the Los Angeles County district attorney announced Thursday.Daniel Saldana, 55, was convicted in 1990 of opening fire on a car containing six teenagers who were leaving a high school football game in Baldwin Park, east of Los Angeles. Two students were wounded but survived.The attackers mistook the teens for gang members, authorities said.Saldana was 22 at the time of the shooting and worked full-time as a construction worker. He was one of three men charged with the attack. Convicted of six counts of attempted murder and one count of shooting at an occupied vehicle, Saldana was sentenced to 45 years to life in state prison. Saldana appeared with District Attorney George Gascón at a press conference announcing his exoneration Thursday. He said he was grateful to be freed.“It’s a struggle, every day waking up knowing you’re innocent and here I am locked up in a ...

Privacy, rights commissions says Ontario needs to develop ‘guardrails’ on public sector use of AI

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:56 GMT

Ontario should put in place “effective guardrails” on the public sector’s use of artificial intelligence technologies, the Information and Privacy Commissioner and the Ontario Human Rights Commission said Thursday in a joint statement.The government must urgently develop “robust and granular” rules so it can reap the benefits of AI technologies in an ethically responsible manner, the two bodies said in the statement.“AI technologies have great potential to benefit society in terms of improved health, education, public safety, and social and economic prosperity,” they wrote.“However, they have also been shown to be unsafe when not effectively governed.”A spokesperson for the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery said the government is developing a trustworthy AI framework “that will ensure the transparent and accountable use of AI” across the public sector.That framework says the government commits to always...

Lululemon promises 2,600 new jobs after exemption from some immigration rules

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:56 GMT

Vancouver-based company Lululemon says it will expand its headquarters in the city and create 2,600 jobs over the next five years.The announcement comes months after the federal government granted the company the ability to hire foreign workers for certain highly skilled positions, including management jobs, software engineers and computer technicians, without needing to apply for a labour market impact assessment.Federal Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne says if Ottawa hadn’t acted, the company’s headquarters may have left Vancouver.CEO Calvin McDonald says Lululemon has secured an additional 125,000 square feet of office space in downtown Vancouver because of the confidence it has in the agreement.A labour market impact assessment is a process sometimes used to determine if a company needs a foreign worker to fill a position because of a lack of Canadian workers or permanent residents available to do the job.Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says Canada wo...

Man convicted of killing Washington teen at high school decades ago gets 45 years

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:56 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — A man convicted of murder in the death of a 16-year-old girl at her Washington high school over 30 years ago will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. King County Superior Court Judge Josephine Wiggs on Thursday sentenced Patrick Nicholas to nearly 46 years in prison for the killing of Sarah Yarborough, who was found fatally strangled on the Federal Way High School campus in 1991, The Seattle Times reported.A jury found Nicholas, 59, guilty of first-degree murder and returned a special verdict that Yarborough’s killing was sexually motivated, which allowed for a longer prison sentence.Defense attorney David Montes urged the mandatory minimum 20-year sentence, saying Nicholas didn’t commit crimes in the decades since. Wiggs, who had presided over Nicholas’ trial, determined more than 45 years was appropriate because of the facts of the case and his history of sexual violence. During the trial, prosecutors said Yarborough was an honor student and member of her s...

Guam ‘very blessed’ with no early reports of major damage in the messy aftermath of Typhoon Mawar

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:56 GMT

HAGATNA, Guam (AP) — Chainsaws buzzed Friday as neighbors helped each other clear toppled trees and began cleaning the wreckage of Typhoon Mawar, which walloped Guam as the strongest typhoon to hit the island in over two decades but appeared to have passed without leaving death or massive destruction in its wake. While it was still early going in the recovery effort, police Sgt. Paul Tapao said there did not seem to be any major damage, main arteries were passable and “Guam has been very blessed to have no storm-related deaths or any serious injuries.” To Tapao, the roar of the mechanical saws was a reminder of the resilience of the storm-prone U.S. Pacific territory and its people. “Everyone helps out with the cleaning,” he said. “That’s the Guamanian way — that’s embedded in the blood.”He added that there’s a saying in Chamorro — the indigenous language of the Mariana Islands — “inafa maolek,” that means cooperation, a concept of restoring harmony or order.“Storms have taugh...

Partisan split over Nevada budget threatens sports stadium, film tax credit

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:56 GMT

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada’s Republican governor and Democratic-majority Legislature drew battle lines Thursday for a fight over policy priorities with less than two weeks until the session ends.Gov. Joe Lombardo issued a terse five-point ultimatum and declared he “will not sign any budget bills until my priorities are addressed.” Earlier in the day, Senate and Assembly Democrats stood by their budget bills, which are set to receive final votes and head to Lombardo’s desk.Nevada’s Democratic leadership says a Lombardo veto would jeopardize initiatives to partially fund a new stadium for the Oakland Athletics, use tax credits to help expand the film industry in Las Vegas, and replace a crumbling tribal school.“If we do have a budget veto, I don’t know how we pass any of those bills because we don’t have a budget,” Democratic Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager told reporters Thursday. “We don’t know how much money we have. We will have to forgo doing very, very important t...

More than 40 dogs rescued from suspected puppy mill in Northwest Indiana

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:56 GMT

CROWN POINT, Ind. — More than 40 dogs were rescued on Thursday from what Lake County Sheriff's deputies in Northwest Indiana suspect was a puppy mill operation. A 41-year-old man is being questioned about the case. According to deputies, Lake County detectives on Wednesday received an anonymous tip about a man who had been purchasing large amounts of dog food and medical supplies used for animals. Crown Point police found guardian of child, 1, found in park A search at a home in Crown Point and a barn on the outskirts of Rensselaer revealed dozens of dogs in various conditions, with at least four dogs deceased, deputies said. Photo courtesy of the Lake County Sheriff's Department.Photo courtesy of the Lake County Sheriff's Department.Photo courtesy of the Lake County Sheriff's Department.Photo courtesy of the Lake County Sheriff's Department.The rescued dogs include one mountain dog, seven American bulldogs and 29 French bulldogs.Lake County Animal Adoption and Control and area ve...

Man charged with arson after fire at the New Brite Spot restaurant in Ottawa

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:56 GMT

OTTAWA, Ill. — A man has been charged with arson in connection with a restaurant fire last month in Ottawa, according to police.John Smith, 44, was charged Thursday with arson, a Class 2 Felony, after The New Brite Spot Family Restaurant was set on fire on April 15, according to a news release from the Ottawa Police Department. New Brite Spot restaurant in Ottawa damaged by fire Through their investigation, detectives learned a male was seen running from the business after the fire, police said.The Ottawa Police Department thanked those who assisted with the investigation dn those who came forward with information and video.Several fire departments and the state fire marshall assisted Ottawa's public safety personnel with the fire and investigation.

Search underway for missing Chicago woman last seen Sunday

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:56 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Police Department is asking for the public's help in locating a missing 42-year-old woman who was last seen Sunday morning.April Crandall, 42, was last seen on the 10800 block of South Avenue M on Chicago's far south side around 4 a.m. Sunday, May 21. Chicago police seek whereabouts of missing 14-year-old from Austin Crandall was last seen wearing baby blue shorts and a white t-shirt. She reportedly does not have identification or her cell phone on her.Anyone with information regarding April Crandall's whereabouts are asked to contact the Chicago Police Department at 312/747*8274.