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North Carolina’s election maps for 2024 are racially biased, advocates say in lawsuit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:11 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina voting-rights advocates sued Tuesday to overturn all of the redistricting plans drawn by Republicans and being used starting with the 2024 elections, saying legislative leaders unlawfully weakened the electoral influence of Black voters. The North Carolina chapter of the NAACP, Common Cause and eight Black residents filed a lawsuit in federal court. They accuse GOP legislative leaders of intentionally moving this fall boundary lines for General Assembly and congressional districts in part so that many Black voters will be prevented from having the opportunity to elect their preferred candidates. Instead, the plaintiffs contend, Black voting blocs are submerged into districts with white majorities that don’t normally vote for Black candidates. For decades, Black residents have overwhelmingly favored Democratic candidates.“The General Assembly targeted predominantly Black voting precincts with surgical precision throughout the state in drawing...

Presidential motorcade could bring traffic delays to DC area during Tuesday evening rush hour

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:11 GMT

Heads up, D.C.-area drivers: President Biden is set to depart the White House en route to a campaign reception in Bethesda, Maryland, which could exacerbate Tuesday evening rush-hour congestion in the D.C. area.“Motorcades in the D.C. area are a fact of life,” said WTOP traffic reporter Dave Dildine. “Sometimes, the traffic control happens in the blink of an eye with little impact, but sometimes the traffic impacts are more significant.”Whenever a large motorcade dips onto the suburban highways, the traffic impacts tend to be more pronounced, Dildine said, adding that any traffic queues must be cleared in advance.Last week, the area saw some of those “significant” traffic impacts during another presidential motorcade. Drivers should be prepared to see the same on Tuesday, though Dildine mentioned circumstances can “change quickly.”“Like the weather, traffic control for motorcades is only a best guess,” Dildine said. “...

Good Samaritan saves driver's life when passenger tried to light her on fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:11 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — On Dec. 12, a good Samaritan saved the life of a woman who drove into a construction site after her adult son allegedly poured gasoline on her and attempted to light her on fire.The events took place off Tower Road in the Reunion neighborhood in Commerce City, according to the Commerce City Police Department.Ashton Miller was working at the job site and jumped into action when he saw the physical altercation. As a legally armed citizen, he held the suspect at gunpoint until Commerce City officers arrived.Miller's actions allowed the gas-soaked woman to escape without injury, although the events were still traumatic. Arson suspected in large Aurora fire on Addison Court FOX31's Jim Hooley was the first reporter on the scene, and he spoke to witnesses working in the area. They told Hooley a Lexus sped into the area before coming to an abrupt stop and a woman jumped out of the driver's side while a man jumped out of the passenger's side.Witnesses said the man ran to t...

Boulder's 10-cent bag fee will include all stores on Jan. 1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:11 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Boulder's 10-cent disposable bag fee is expanding on Jan. 1 to include all retail stores, regardless of size, according to an announcement by the city.The stores that will now have to charge a bag fee include all liquor stores, dry cleaners, pharmacies and clothing stores, in addition to grocery stores.The Boulder fee previously did not include businesses that only operated in Colorado and had three or fewer locations. Say goodbye to plastic bags, they may start disappearing soon The expanded fee in Boulder goes into effect the same day as the next phase of Colorado's law against plastic disposable bags and expanded polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam. The only exception to the rule in Boulder will be restaurants and other food establishments, which will still be able to use disposable bags starting in January.Additionally, just like Colorado's law, there are certain bags that the fee does not apply to, including prescription bags, dry-cleaning bags, or smal...

LGBTQ group speaks out against proposed state legislation targeting flag displays at government buildings and schools

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:11 GMT

The LGBTQ community is speaking out against a proposed legislation in the Florida legislature targeting flag displays at government buildings and schools. It would prohibit flying flags related to political topics, including sexuality, gender orientation and race.“I currently do not support HB901,” said Compass LGBTQ Community Center CEO Julia Seaver.The bill, sponsored by state Rep. David Borreo who represents Sweetwater, would limit where certain flags can be flown at government buildings and schools including pride or progressive flags.A rainbow flag of just inclusion is to me just a beautiful thing but at the same time there are those that support that positive messaging and in fact want to bring us back to darker time in my opinion,” said Maxwell Chapman at Lake Worth BeachFlag waving, raises an issue of heated discussion for many across the state, including Palm Beach County parent Frank Deliu.Last year Deliu sued the county’s school district over pride...

Man accused of drugging, raping minor at Dolphin Mall; suspect arrested

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:11 GMT

A 33-year-old man is behind bars, accused of drugging and raping an 11-year-old girl at Dolphin Mall.Police said David Rivero was at the mall, located at 11401 NW 12th St in Sweetwater, on Dec. 10 when he allegedly gave the minor an edible, took her to a family bathroom, and raped her. Rivero was a stranger to the victim and had met her at the mall, officials said. According to the report, mall surveillance video shows Rivero and the victim entering the family restroom and then exiting. That same day, arrest records show that the victim told her mother about the incident and the mother took her to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital to get physically examined. The victim then told the story to a doctor. Rivero is charged with sexual battery on a minor by an adult. He is being held with no bond.

Serbian opposition protest election fraud

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:11 GMT

BELGRADE ― Opponents of Serbia’s illiberal President Aleksandar Vučić, who claimed a win in Sunday’s elections amid allegations of major irregularities and voter fraud, have declared a hunger strike and have set up camp inside the central election commission building.Since the vote, opposition parties and independent election observers have claimed that electoral fraud occurred despite claims by Vučić, the former head of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), to have won the snap ballots, especially in Belgrade, the country’s capital.“We cannot and must not recognize the stolen Belgrade elections,” Marinika Tepić from the opposition Serbia Against Violence party announced Monday night before joining the protest inside the building. Several thousand Serbs rallied in the center of the city and blocked one of its main thoroughfaresThe ruling SNS clinched about 47 percent support on the national stage, giving the party a commanding majority in parliament that...

Day of drama ends with France and Germany confident of EU spending rules deal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:11 GMT

PARIS AND BRUSSELS ― France and Germany said they are confident that last-ditch talks on an overhaul of the EU’s public spending rules will result in a deal ― despite lingering disagreement between the bloc’s biggest governments.On the eve of a virtual meeting of all 27 finance ministers on Wednesday, France’s Bruno Le Maire and his German counterpart, Christian Lindner, said they hoped to wrap up a compromise in the hours that followed, which would pave the way for looser targets allowing countries to be given more time to rein in spending.Their dinner in Paris on Tuesday night came after a day of back-and-forth between Brussels and EU capitals that at one point left diplomats believing that negotiations were about to collapse. The ambition had always been to find agreement before the end of the year.“I am sure we will have a deal tonight,” Le Maire said before Tuesday’s talks. Standing next to him, Lindner clarified the word should be “solution”...

Restoration efforts ongoing along South Shore after high winds bring down trees, power lines

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:11 GMT

Restoration efforts continued on the South Shore Tuesday, one day after the region was hit hard by Monday’s major storm. Ramping up overnight into Monday morning, powerful wind gusts sent debris flying, knocking down trees and leaving nearly all residents in Scituate in the dark. As of around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, 34% of Scituate energy customers were still without power, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. Sixty-six percent of customers in Norwell were impacted, while more than 50% of customers in Hanson, Pembroke and Duxbury were in the dark. Elsewhere, 62% of energy customers in Rochester were without power.National Grid said it brought in crews from New York and Canada to support restoration efforts. Crews were then visible around town in Scituate Tuesday making repairs. Still, officials said it could take until Thursday to fully restore power.Scituate schools were closed Tuesday, as were schools in Cohasset, Duxbury, Marshfield, Norwell, and Pembr...

From the Beatles and Maria Callas to Thelonious Monk and Eric Clapton, new 2023 box sets run the gamut

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:36:11 GMT

George Varga | The San Diego Union-TribuneAny CD or vinyl box sets worth releasing are worth rereleasing, ideally in expanded, more lavishly packaged and more expensive form.That is not an official business model for the record industry, but it certainly could be with regards to new 2023 box sets by everyone from the Beatles to opera icon Maria Callas. Their new releases affirm that any box set done once is worth doing again, the bigger the better.This seems to be the best way to entice music fans who want to ensure their collections are complete, even — make that, especially — if it means buying a box set they already have. Or, rather, a box set they already have that is now lacking compared to the newly expanded version of that set, which boasts songs not included in prior iterations, spiffy new audio mixes, accompanying books with extensive essays and artist interviews, memorabilia and more.Consider the recently released updated versions of “The Beatles 1962-1966” and...