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Trump-appointed judge who issued rulings favorable to him assigned to oversee criminal case

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

MIAMI (AP) — Donald Trump ‘s historic criminal case on felony charges of mishandling classified documents is set to unfold in Florida and will at least initially be overseen by a federal judge who issued rulings favorable to him last year and expressed repeated skepticism of Justice Department positions.The assignment of U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, confirmed Friday by a person familiar with the development, is a rare bit of positive news for Trump in the face of an indictment with several criminal charges that carries the prospect of a years-long prison sentence.Cannon was broadly criticized last year for granting the Trump legal team’s request for a special master to conduct an independent review of the hundreds of classified documents seized from his Florida property last year. The move, which temporarily halted core aspects of the Justice Department’s investigative work, was overturned months later by a three-judge panel of a federal appeals court.Meanwhi...

Silvio Berlusconi readmitted to hospital

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

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was admitted to hospital for scheduled leukemia tests in Milan on Friday, weeks after being discharged following a long stay, ANSA reported. “President Silvio Berlusconi is currently hospitalised at the San Raffaele Hospital for scheduled tests in relation to the known haematological pathology,” his doctors said in a statement.It’s the third time this year the 86-year-old Forza Italia leader has been admitted to hospital.Berlusconi was hospitalized on March 27 for three days for tests related to heart issues. He also was rushed into intensive care on April 5 after suffering from severe breathlessness and stayed in hospital for 45 days. Doctors confirmed he was treated for a type of chronic leukemia during that stay.While in hospital in April and May, Berlusconi addressed party members at a conference via video link and sent messages to supporters saying he was ready to return to work.Both Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ...

TPD: Man attempts to steal South Station cash register, zaps himself in the process

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

The MBTA Transit Police Department is looking for a suspect who got a shock to his system while allegedly trying to steal from South Station.Authorities said it was on Monday, June 5, when a male suspect tried to steal a cash register from a business inside of the station.According to a statement from the TPD, the suspect tried to make the steal by cutting the register’s power cord, only for things to “not go as he expected.”Video shared by the department’s Twitter account showed a hooded figure attempting to cut a wire, only to be hit with some serious sparks.Transit police detectives have been investigating the matter, according to the department. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call 617-222-1050.No other details on the alleged theft attempt were released.

Red Line service resumes after ‘mechanical problem’ forced delays during tail end of morning commute

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

A train with a mechanical problem at Central station forced Red Line riders onto shuttle buses for a significant stretch of the morning commute before rail service resumed.The MBTA said train service resumed sometime after 11 a.m., hours after what started as a 15-minute delay for southbound trains.The transportation authority later said on social media that shuttle buses were called in to replace to replace rail service between then-Davis and Park Street stations due to a “train with a mechanical problem.”In later updates, the MBTA said shuttles would run between Harvard and Park Street, while also recommending riders on the South Shore opt for Commuter Rail service from the Braintree, Quincy Center or JFK/UMass stations as crews responded to the issue.By 10:36 a.m., the MBTA Twitter account stated that service would be delayed for another hour “while the train is moved and the track and third rail are inspected.”An hour later, a new update stated rail servi...

End Dates Still Unknown For T’s Slow Zones

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

A comprehensive plan outlining when all speed restrictions will be eliminated on each subway line is “not ready to be released,” MBTA General Manager Phil Eng said Thursday.Fielding questions from reporters for about 15 minutes after an MBTA Board of Directors meeting, Eng said his focus for now is on forecasting shorter-term maintenance projects — and related service disruptions for riders — that can be accomplished more quickly to tackle the worst stretches of slow zones, which were suddenly imposed in March.“We can give them a better timeline on when we’ll be tackling those, but maybe the specifics of which week, things of that nature, has to be a little more as we get closer to those points,” Eng said about providing commuters with a sense of when to expect improvements.MBTA officials still have not explained why the speed restrictions now pitched as a safety necessity were not in place before a March site visit by Department of Public U...

Julian Assange loses latest attempt to appeal against extradition to the US

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

London (CNN) — A High Court judge in London has denied Julian Assange permission to appeal an order to extradite him to the United States, where he faces criminal charges under the Espionage Act.The decision was dated Tuesday and is the latest in a years-long legal saga. His camp told CNN on Thursday that they will lodge a new appeal next week.In a ruling dated June 6, 2023 and seen by CNN, Mr. Justice Swift said Assange’s application had been refused stating that “none of the four grounds of appeal raises any properly arguable point.”In a separate ruling, the High Court judge also denied Assange permission to appeal and challenge the dismissal of other parts of his case during a ruling by district judge Vanessa Baraitser in January 2021. After revising eight proposed grounds of appeal the judge argued he did not consider the proposed appeals raised “any properly arguable case.”The 51-year-old is wanted by US authorities on 18 criminal counts after WikiLeaks, the orga...

New studio working to bring hip-hop back to downtown Toronto while celebrating its history

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

This year marks the 50th anniversary since hip-hop became established as both a musical genre and culture.In Toronto, neighbourhoods like Malvern and Rexdale are credited with producing the most hip-hop artists and music in the city, but one dance studio chose to set up shop in an unlikely part of the city with a hidden hip-hop history.Choreographers and co-owners Aaron Aquino-Annobil and Nicole Rosove, along with their third business partner Lisa Heath, opened Run The Flex dance studio this year after initially launching the dance program in 2017.Located just north of Yonge Street and Davenport Avenue in the neighbourhood of Rosedale-Moore Park, the studio is aiming to bring the culture of hip-hop back to the downtown core and celebrate its history by teaching its students about the narratives and architects behind various choreography.“I want dance to become the next jogging. A lot of people back in the days used to think that jogging was meant for athletes and Olympians to get re...

Indie artist Caroline Rose is proud of new album’s vulnerability, despite moments of regret

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

LOS ANGELES (AP) — During a recent performance at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles, indie musician Caroline Rose disappeared from the stage and emerged moments later atop a table in the back of the room.“We’re going to do a trust fall,” they told the audience, encouraging concertgoers to gather around before plunging backward into the sea of people and letting it carry her back to the stage.The stunt was emblematic of her latest album — admittedly, their most unguarded yet — about a breakup and its aftermath. One to always hide behind humor, Rose said this level of vulnerability was new for her and that she is still processing whether it was even the right choice.“When I’m writing the material, it feels really cathartic. And I’m like, ‘Wow, I made something beautiful from this really dark time.’ But performing the songs has been totally different,” they said of having to recount those dark memories over and over.But despite having some “huge moments of regret,” the singer, songwrite...

Archdiocese of St. Louis to pay $1 million to settle sex abuse lawsuit

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

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Archdiocese of St. Louis will pay $1 million to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who was sexually abused as a child by a priest who previously spent 12 years in prison for abusing another boy, an attorney for the victim said Friday.The plaintiff was an altar boy at Ascension Catholic Church in Chesterfield, Missouri. The suit alleged he was abused by the Rev. Gary Wolken starting in 1993, when the boy was in fourth grade, and continuing through 1995. The lawsuit said the plaintiff repressed memories until he was an adult. The man’s lawsuit, which did not use his name, was filed in 2018.His attorney, Rebecca Randles, said the settlement was reached this week.“We applaud our client who has been very brave in facing down the Archdiocese of St. Louis in a case that was very hard-fought and difficult from an emotional and legal standpoint,” Randles said.The archdiocese didn’t immediately respond to messages Friday but said in a statement to the St. Louis P...

UConn students getting expelled for vandalism that followed team’s NCAA championship

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

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Some University of Connecticut students are getting expelled for vandalizing their campus following their basketball team’s April 3 victory in the NCAA championship game, a university spokesperson said Friday.“Although we can’t address individual students’ outcomes, we can say that some reviews have concluded with expulsions,” UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said. She said the investigations are ongoing for other students who were arrested following the vandalism at the Storrs campus, which included smashing windows and damaging a police vehicle.The Huskies’ 76-59 win over San Diego State University in the championship game in Houston secured UConn’s fifth NCAA title in 24 years. Most of the celebrations that followed in Storrs were peaceful, but some students pulled down signs and light poles and smashed windows.The vandalism, which included damaging a campus police cruiser and flipping a van on its side, caused thousands of dollars w...