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Amazon’s HQ2 office towers are open. They’re named Jasper and Merlin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:35 GMT

Amazon is finally graduating from rented space in Crystal City, Virginia, with the official opening Monday of its two Metropolitan Park office towers in Pentagon City.The opening comes nearly five years after the digital giant chose Northern Virginia for HQ2, and committed to creating 25,000 jobs by 2030.Construction of Metropolitan Park started in early 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The construction project includes more than 2.1 million square feet.The two 22-story buildings are named Jasper and Merlin.Amazon names all of its buildings after key moments in the company’s evolution. Jasper was the code name used for a project to enhance the customer experience for Alexa. Merlin was the codename for QuickSight, an Amazon Web Services product.Amazon has more than 8,000 employees in Northern Virginia now. It did not immediately say how many of those would be moving to Metropolitan Park, or when.Met Park includes a 2.5 acre public park. Crews planted more than 175 trees as...

NFL approves emergency 3rd QB after 49ers’ injury woes in NFC title game

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:35 GMT

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — NFL owners approved a rule change Monday that allows teams to play an emergency quarterback from the inactive list if the first two are injured during a game, a decision that stems from San Francisco’s depth-chart challenge in the NFC championship game.The bylaw was initially proposed by the Detroit Lions. The third quarterback designation will not count against the limit of active players — either 47 or 48 — that is determined 90 minutes before kickoff.The emergency activation can only occur after injury or disqualification, not for a performance-related decision or other conduct. If either of the first two quarterbacks are cleared by the team’s medical staff to return to play, the third must be removed from the game and can only return as a quarterback if an injury scenario arises again.If a team puts three quarterbacks on the active list for a game, it can’t use the emergency option. Game-day practice squad elevations are not eligible, either...

Student hospitalized after shooting near KIPP DC College Preparatory in Northeast DC

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:35 GMT

An 18-year-old student is in the hospital after a shooting outside a school in Northeast D.C. on Monday afternoon.D.C. police said it happened just after 1:30 p.m. outside the KIPP DC College Prep School on Brentwood Parkway.A DC Fire and EMS spokesman said the victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to be OK.In a letter sent to families, the school said all students and staff are safe and that the scene is secure. Students and staff remained in classrooms with the doors locked, the school said.Teachers made phone calls to families to talk through a dismissal plan, the school said.“No student will be permitted to be sent home without confirmation from their parent/guardian,” the letter said. “We continue to monitor the situation and share updates with you as soon as they become available.”The shooting comes days after another teenage boy was shot and killed at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Northwest D.C. on Wednesday afternoon.Below ...

Smith: North Wilkesboro ‘definitely has a place’ in NASCAR’s world, but unclear what capacity

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:35 GMT

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (AP) — Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith said North Wilkesboro Speedway “definitely has a place in the NASCAR world” moving forward, despite an All-Star race that lacked drama Sunday night.In what capacity remains to be seen.Smith was non-committal about how North Wilkesboro might fit into NASCAR’s schedule moving forward. There are no guaranteed dates on the Cup Series points race schedule and future All-Star sites haven’t been determined.“That question’s on my mind as well,” Smith said. “I think when you see a successful week of events like we’ve had here it’s natural to think, ‘Boy, maybe we can come back here.’ So, I’m definitely thinking that way. … It’s definitely something that we’re thinking about.”Smith and Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. spearheaded the effort to bring Cup Series racing bac k to the .625-mile track, a monumental task considering the dilapidated track sat mostly dormant since Jeff Gordon won the last Cup race there in...

Are Nuggets tickets for the NBA Finals already on sale?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:35 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The Denver Nuggets were up 3-0 against the Los Angeles Lakers going into Monday's Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference Finals, meaning the team is only one win away from the NBA Finals.This has led some people to speculate -- and hotly anticipate -- that the Nuggets could soon be making history in a first-ever finals appearance. Nuggets could be headed to NBA Finals for 1st time ever Even though the future is uncertain and nothing is set in stone, you might be wondering if you can already buy tickets to a game before basically anything about it is announced.Are NBA Finals tickets on sale already?Yes, sort of.Because the conference finals aren't over, there are no set dates or times. This also means there isn't a set opponent yet, but if they do go to the finals, they will play against either the Miami Heat or the Boston Celtics.But with the way the NBA Finals are structured, it is guaranteed that if Denver does pull off four total wins against the LA Lakers, at le...

BSO search for man who went missing as child in Lauderhill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:35 GMT

The Broward Sheriff’s Office is looking for a man who went missing more than 40 years ago as a young child in Lauderhill. Jason Townsend was last seen on May 20, 1980, when he was just three years old.An age progression photo has been created to show what Townsend might look like as an adult.Authorities said he vanished while his mother was at work in the care of one of her friends.They suspect foul play was involved.If you have any information call 1-888-356-4774 or your local police department.

Founder of student aid startup Frank pleads not guilty to fraud

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:35 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — With an indictment and a not-guilty plea, the fraud case against the founder of a student loan assistance startup company that J.P. Morgan Chase acquired for $175 million two years ago took a step toward trial on Monday in a New York court.Charlie Javice, 31, entered the plea through her lawyer to an indictment returned late last week in Manhattan federal court charging her with conspiracy, wire fraud and bank fraud.The Miami Beach, Florida, resident who founded Frank appeared at a remote proceeding in which her face and the faces of defense lawyers and prosecutors were projected onto a video screen before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel Gorenstein. He said her next appearance was scheduled for June 6 before a judge who would preside over a trial.Javice, who is free on $2 million bail, is charged with tricking JPMC into buying her company by producing data to make it seem like Frank had over 4.25 million customers when it had fewer than 300,000 clients. At the time of ...

Corrections employee arrested for bringing drugs into jail where she worked

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:35 GMT

An employee with the Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation Metro West Detention Center was arrested after, police said, she had been smuggling drugs into a local correctional facility. The suspect, 39-year-old Junell Raquel Bess, was caught following an investigation that uncovered her secret scheme.According to officials, a tip led investigators to suspect Bess, a part-time Financial Specialist at Jackson Memorial Hospital, of giving an inmate drugs for personal use and for selling to fellow prisoners. As the investigation continued, officials discovered that Bess was getting paid for her operation. Officers eventually tracked her down and made the arrest.Bess is facing multiple charges. Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez stressed that it’s their duty to thoroughly investigate any questionable behavior by employees at Miami-Dade County facilities. “We gotta make sure everyone acts professionally and sticks to Miami-Dade County’s core values,”...

Germany, Hungary spar as tensions mount over blocked Ukraine aid

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:35 GMT

Germany and Hungary quarreled Monday during a foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels over the role a controversial Hungarian bank is playing in Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to four diplomats familiar with the exchange.The bank, OTP, has become a focal point for officials in recent days as Hungary is refusing to approve more EU military aid for Ukraine until Kyiv removes the company from a “war sponsors” list it maintains. Diplomats also say the dispute is delaying new Russia sanctions. When Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó reiterated Budapest’s stance on Monday during the closed-door gathering, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock shot back, according to the diplomats, who spoke anonymously to describe the exchange. They said she cited unspecified reports that OTP recognizes the Russian-occupied territories of Luhansk and Donetsk — contravening international law — and has extended credit lines to Russian soldiers. Hun...

Officials: Danvers officer’s firearm accidentally went off while responding to swatting call, prompting larger response at St. John’s Prep

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:35 GMT

Authorities say that an officer’s firearm accidentally went off while police were responding to what turned out to be a “swatting” hoax call at St. John’s Preparatory School in Danvers on Monday.Massachusetts State Police say no threats were found after state and local police were called to the Catholic, all-boys school for what was initially a report of an active shooter. In a message entitled “Report of an Active Shooter on Campus,” the Catholic, all-boys school stated on its website that authorities were investigating and that students and staff were sheltering in place on Monday afternoon.The initial message stated:“There has been a report of an active shooter on campus at Benjamin Hall. Danvers and State police are on site. Students, Faculty, and Staff are sheltering in place. We will further provide updates as soon as possible.”By 2:20 p.m., Massachusetts State Police provided an update, stating that after both troopers ...