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Strong earthquake shakes coast of Ecuador; no word on damage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:25 GMT

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — A strong earthquake shook Ecuador on Saturday, but there was no immediate word on damage or injuries.The U.S. Geological Survey reported an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 in the country’s coastal Guayas region. It was centered about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s second-largest city.More to come.

Supervisor in Tyre Nichols’ death retired before firing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:25 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis police supervisor on scene when Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by officers retired with his benefits the day before a hearing to fire him, according to documents filed to revoke his law enforcement certification.Lt. DeWayne Smith was identified Friday in records obtained by media outlets as the officer that officials said earlier this month had retired before his termination hearing. Some Memphis City Council members were upset an officer was allowed to retire before steps could be taken to fire them, including the council’s vice-chairman JB Smiley Jr., who said it didn’t seem fair that the then-unidentified officer could keep pension and other benefits. “I just don’t like the fact that his parents are paying this officer to go on and live and that’s troubling,” Smiley said.The attorney for Nichols’ family said the department should not have let Smith “cowardly sidestep the consequences of his actions” and retire after 25 years.“...

District responds to student’s Pledge of Allegiance lawsuit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:25 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina school district said a ninth grader walking in a hallway was stopped during a moment of silence and not the Pledge of Allegiance, as the student had said in a lawsuit filed last month.Marissa Barnwell said she was pushed against the wall by a teacher at River Bluff High School when she didn’t stop to recite the pledge as she walked to class in November, according to her family’s lawsuit.A lawyer for Lexington School District 1 said videos from the hallway shows the teacher touched Barnwell’s shoulder to get her attention but didn’t push her.It also shows the confrontation didn’t take place until after the end of the Pledge of Allegiance — which state law says students can refuse to recite if they are not disruptive — and the start of a moment of silence.Barnwell was not silent, arguing with the teacher until she walked away, the district said.“There would be no prohibition on the school requiring students to stop d...

Reports of violence as Nigeria elects new governors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:25 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Millions of Nigerians voted Saturday to elect state governors but faced intimidation and violence in some cities amid heightened tensions following a disputed presidential election in Africa’s most populous nation last month.New governors were being chosen for 28 of Nigeria’s 36 states as the political opposition continues to reject the victory of President-elect Bola Tinubu, who belongs to the ruling All Progressives Congress party. The performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission “has improved considerably compared to the Feb. 25 elections, but violence has been much more intense across the country,” said Idayat Hassan, head of the Center for Democracy and Development, Nigeria’s largest democracy-focused group.Local observer group YIAGA Africa said it found several instances in which voters were intimidated and prevented from voting unless they agreed to cast their ballots for certain political parties. Among the places it listed w...

Republican lawmakers blast potential Trump indictment as 'politically motivated,' 'abuse of power’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:25 GMT

Republican lawmakers blasted the prospect of former President Trump being indicted after he revealed he expects to be arrested next week, calling the potential move “politically motivated” and an “abuse of power.” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he would direct relevant committees to investigate if any federal funding is being used to “subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions.” “Here we go again — an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA who lets violent criminals walk as he pursues political vengeance against President Trump,” he tweeted, referring to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Condemnations of the potential charges from McCarthy and other Republicans came after Trump posted on Truth Social early on Saturday that “illegal leaks” indicate he will be arrested on Tuesday. Bragg appears to be close to deciding on whether to file charges against Trump after having invited the former presi...

Texas leads the country in combined wind, solar renewable energy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — There's a certain pride exhibited by Texans when it comes to living here. For example, Lone Star State denizens can be proud of the fact that there were more jobs created in 2022 in Texas than in any of the other 49 states. Now, Texans who are working to save the planet take pride that Texas leads the country in the generation of renewable energy according to a report issued by the United States Energy Information Administration. Not California. Texas. Wind energy is the biggest reason that Texas leads in the creation of sustainable energy. And, it likely won't be too long before this state overtakes California in solar power.Texas leads the country in wind-focused renewable energy Courtesy: Getty ImagesTexas more than doubled what California produced in renewable energy last calendar year. The gap will only widen in the next few years as our state looks for continued increases in solar power harnessing. The numbers? Texas created over 136,000 gigawatt-hours...

WEEKEND READ: South By Southwest highlights

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As South by Southwest in Austin comes to a close Sunday, here are some highlights from this past week.Miss old Austin? Buy memorabilia from this vending machineA vending machine selling old Austin relics opened this week in the Paramount Theatre lobby that aims to preserve the history of the gentrified areas of the city, said Carl Settles, the executive director of Austin nonprofit E4 Youth.The LostIn vending machine includes items from old Austin establishments like a t-shirt from the Victory Grill in east Austin or a piñata from the now-shuttered Jumpolin or a L.C. Anderson High School pencil case.The machine will be located at the Paramount through the South by Southwest festival.“Creative and tech companies are a gentrifying force, in that they are bringing these people to the city, and they don’t really understand the history of the places they inhabit, so this is a way of reminding these folks,” Settles said about the SXSW timing.Can’t make ...

Crime podcast examines unsolved 1985 murder of Burnsville college student in New York state

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:25 GMT

The 1985 slaying of a 20-year-old Burnsville college student who was killed walking home from a party in New York state is the subject of a podcast released this month, according to producers.An episode of “Method and Madness,” a true-crime podcast, will focus on the death of Kristin O’Connell, who was slain in Ovid, N.Y., while visiting a friend. She vanished after leaving a party to go for a walk. Her nude body was found two days later in a cornfield a quarter mile from the friend’s home. Her throat was slashed.The investigation into O’Connell’s killing has made headlines after crime investigators blamed the New York Health Department for blocking efforts to use a sophisticated DNA technique to try to solve the murder.State police said they were promised funding from the county to hire a Dutch team who specialize in DNA techniques to solve cold-case homicides, but that state health officials blocked the test, saying the team wasn’t certifi...

Your Money: Everyone needs a will, but what about a trust?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:25 GMT

Bruce Helmer and Peg WebbNot having an estate plan can lead to a longer estate-settlement process (also known as probate), potential confusion and disagreements among family members over your end-of-life care and increased legal fees and court costs that your loved ones may have to bear.This week’s article focuses on the central questions of estate planning, and in particular, whether you need to have both a will (yes!) and a trust (maybe). But first, some definitions may be in order.What is a will?One of the most important documents you need to have is a will, a formal legal document that states your final wishes and provides instruction for the ultimate distribution of your assets to beneficiaries.In your will, you set forth the following instructions in a written document:• Naming your executor, the person who will settle your affairs, pay off your debts, and file your final tax return;• Naming guardians for minor children and providing for their care and support;• Designating ca...

More improv comedy headed to Albany

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:25 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Masters in the world of improvisational comedy will be all over the Capital Region come April. Two longtime cast members of the TV show "Whose Line Is It Anyway" will playing the Proctors Theatre on April 28. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Their comedy show, "Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood: Scared Scriptless," promises to be a hilarious team up that creates original scenes and deliverys completely unique content. Like any good night at the improv, the show becomes truly interactive when Mochrie and Sherwood incorporate audience suggestions, or even call audience members onstage to play along.That's in addition to the official "Whose Line" tour that's making a stop in Albany on April 25. Though Mochrie is still a main cast member—and has appeared on the show since 1991 in the show's original U.K. run—and Sherwood has appeared in nearly 100 episodes of the franchise, including the most recent season....