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The former head of a Florida domestic abuse agency has been charged with fraud and grand theft

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:40 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The former head of a nonprofit domestic violence agency is charged with fraud and grand theft two years after she and the agency agreed to pay Florida $5 million to settle a civil lawsuit, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced Thursday.The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued an arrest warrant for Tiffany Carr, the former CEO of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The state began investigating the agency after learning Carr received $7.5 million in compensation, much of it in paid time off, for the three years before she resigned in November 2019. The department also arrested former Chief Financial Officer Patricia Duarte. Both are charged with fraud, grand theft and official misconduct, all felonies. Carr and Duarte submitted false reports, billed the state for vacant positions and charged for services never provided, investigators said. The money was used for excessive bonus and leave payouts totaling $3.4 million for Car...

Federal judge sets May trial date for 5 former Memphis officers charged in Tyre Nichols beating

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:40 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A judge on Thursday set a May trial date for five former Memphis police officers who have pleaded not guilty to federal civil rights charges in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop.U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris set a May 6 jury trial for Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin, Desmond Mills and Justin Smith during a hearing in federal court in Memphis. The former Memphis Police Department officers were indicted by a federal grand jury on Sept. 13 on charges of using excessive force and conspiring to lie about the Jan. 7 beating of Nichols as he cried out for his mother just steps from his Memphis home. Nichols, 29, died in a hospital three days after he was punched, kicked and hit with a baton in a pummeling that was caught on police video. His beating was one of several violent encounters between police and Black people that sparked protests and renewed debate about police brutality and police reform in the U.S. The five former o...

Haiti’s government to oversee canal project that prompted Dominican Republic to close all borders

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:40 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Haiti’s government on Thursday doubled down on the construction of a canal on Haitian soil that would divert water from a river it shares with the Dominican Republic, which in response last week shuttered land, air and sea borders between both countries. The Haitian government said on social media that the agriculture ministry is working with a group of Haitians building the canal so that it meets technical standards and ensure it would not negatively affect crops and people living in the nearby Maribaroux plain, which is under a drought.The canal “MUST BE BUILT,” the government said in a series of posts on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter.It added that “the ministry always remains available to sit with all sectors concerned in the construction of the canal for a better planning of the construction sites. Without forgetting that mobilization is the expression of solidarity and patriotism of a population that shows the world th...

Young Ukrainian hockey players await Quebec government OK to attend English school

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:40 GMT

MONTREAL — A half-dozen boys from Ukraine who played this year in Quebec City’s famed peewee hockey tournament have been sidelined since returning to the province to attend high school.The youngsters arrived in Quebec on Sept. 1 but so far have not been able to attend an English high school in the Quebec City area as planned because they don’t have provincial Education Department authorization.Sean Bérubé, a Quebec City businessman, helped arrange for the team of 11-and-12-year old Ukrainian refugees to play in the annual Quebec International Peewee Hockey Tournament in February.He says six of those children returned to study, but under Quebec’s language law they need special dispensation to attend school in English, and that process could only begin after they had arrived.Quebec’s Education Department says in a statement it is currently processing the requests, which takes about 10 days.The department says it has been dealing with a high volume of requests f...

Sophie Turner sues Joe Jonas, demands daughters return to England

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:40 GMT

(KTLA) -- Weeks after it was revealed Joe Jonas had filed for divorce from actress Sophie Turner, the fight doesn't seem to be over. People magazine reports the latest battle is over who will have custody of their young children and where they will live. According to the outlet, Turner has filed a lawsuit in a Manhattan, New York, court requesting they be returned to England. Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner release statement on divorce Court documents obtained by the magazine say that the "Game of Thrones" actress is calling for "the immediate return of children wrongfully removed or wrongfully retained." The documents claim this "wrongful retention" began around Sept. 20.She also alleges she and the singer agreed in late 2022 that England would be their "forever home." The documents say the couple sold their home in Miami and were in the process of buying a home in the English countryside in April. Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner attend the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika...

Zelenskyy delivers upbeat message to US lawmakers as some Republican support softens

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:40 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy worked to shore up U.S. support for Ukraine on a whirlwind visit to Washington on Thursday, delivering an upbeat message on the war's progress while facing new questions about the flow of American dollars that for 19 months has helped keep his troops in the fight against Russian forces.The Ukrainian leader received a far quieter reception than the hero's welcome he got last year, but also won generally favorable comments on the aid he says he needs to stave off defeat.Zelenskyy, in long-sleeve olive drab, came to the Capitol with a firm message in private talks with Republican and Democratic leaders. The Ukrainians have a solid war plan, and “they are winning,” lawmakers quoted him as assuring them, at a time that the world is watching Western support for Kyiv.Zelenskyy also spoke with military leaders at the Pentagon and was meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin greeted Zelenskyy at the Pe...

Peso Pluma cancels concert in Tijuana after cartel threats

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:40 GMT

SAN DIEGO (Border Report) -- Peso Pluma, one of Latin America's top artists said to be the most streamed in Mexico, was scheduled to perform on Oct. 14 at Tijuana's Caliente Stadium. But yesterday, the concert was officially canceled.In the past, Peso Pluma, whose real name Hassan Emilio Kabante Laija, has praised Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, former head of the Sinaloa cartel.Last week, three "narco banners" were hung around the city of Tijuana with menacing threats directed at Peso Pluma: “This is for you, Peso Pluma. Don’t show up on October 14 because it will be your last presentation, you are disrespectful and loose-tongued," read the banners. Peso Pluma receives death threats ahead of Tijuana concert, officials say The messages were all signed CJNG, which is short for Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion, a rival of the Sinaloa cartel."Groups that have songs justifying crime expose themselves to these type of situations," said Tijuana Mayor Montserrat Caballero Ram...

Alex Murdaugh pleads guilty to federal financial crimes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:40 GMT

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Alex Murdaugh pleaded guilty to 22 federal financial crimes charges in a downtown Charleston courtroom on Thursday morning.Murdaugh appeared before Judge Richard Gergel and admitted that he stole millions of dollars from his former clients. The disbarred attorney-turned-convicted-murderer had agreed to plead guilty to those charges in a court filing earlier this week.Those charges include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering. ‘Murdaugh Murders: The Movie’ to premiere on Lifetime in October Nexstar's WCBD was inside the courtroom for Thursday’s hearing. Murdaugh appeared to enter the courtroom with a smile and was seen talking to his attorneys, but he was seemingly concerned about the number of media members who were present.Murdaugh later said he was proud to be 744 days sober and away from opioids and alcohol. He then became emotional when talking about why he was accepting the plea deal, saying he wanted to take responsibilit...

Evacuations lifted after gas leak reported in Kyle neighborhood

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:40 GMT

KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — People are allowed to return now to four buildings that previously evacuated because of a natural gas leak in a Kyle neighborhood. The City of Kyle posted Thursday afternoon on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the evacuations are now lifted. Emergency crews also cleared the scene and reopened the intersection, the city noted. Earlier in the day, city leaders reported the leak happened near the intersection of Wetzel and Mather. The city noted the evacuations were "out of an abundance of caution," according to its initial social media post. City leaders said crews from CenterPoint Energy are still working in the area, and it's unclear how much longer they'll be there.

Brushy Creek MUD to stop adding fluoride to water supply

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:29:40 GMT

BRUSHY CREEK, Texas (KXAN) — The Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District announced earlier this month that it would stop adding fluoride to its drinking water. The substance is often added to communal water supplies to prevent tooth decay.In a letter sent to water customers, Brushy Creek MUD General Manager Shean Dalton wrote that fluoride addition will be permanently terminated on December 1, 2023.Dalton went on to write that the decision was made on several key factors.He stated that scientists have "raised questions about the long-term effects and potential risks associated with water fluoridation," and that eliminating fluoride would allow the district to fund separate public health initiatives."We commit to fostering an open dialogue and providing information about maintaining good oral health through alternative means. We encourage residents to consult with their healthcare providers and dental professionals to ensure optimal dental hygiene practices," Dalton wrote.According t...