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Expelled to reinstated: Pearson to return to Tennessee House

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:46:29 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The second of two Black Democrats expelled from the Republican-led Tennessee House will follow his colleague in a return to work at the Capitol on Thursday, a week after their banishments for a gun control protest on the House floor that propelled them into the national spotlight.Justin Pearson was easily reappointed to his position by Shelby County commissioners Wednesday, and delivered a speech like a fiery pastor to a throng of jubilant supporters outside in a churchlike celebration. The Memphis lawmaker plans to be sworn in outside the Capitol on Thursday before returning for the House floor session that morning.Republicans expelled Pearson and Rep. Justin Jones last week over their role in a gun control protest on the House floor after a Nashville school shooting that left three children and three adults dead.The appointments are interim and special elections for the seats will take place in the coming months. Jones and Pearson have said they plan to run...

Syria, Saudi Arabia move toward restoring embassies, flights

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:46:29 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Syria and Saudi Arabia are moving toward reopening embassies and resuming flights between the two countries for the first time in more than a decade, the countries said Thursday in a joint statement.The announcement followed a visit by Syria’s top diplomat to the kingdom, the first since Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic relations with Syria in 2012.Syria was widely shunned by Arab governments over Syrian President Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on protester,s and later civilians, in an uprising turned civil war that began in 2011. The breakdown in relations culminated with Syria being ousted from the Arab League. However, in recent years, as Assad has consolidated control over most of the country, Syria’s neighbors have begun to take steps toward rapprochement. The overtures have picked up pace since the massive Feb. 6 earthquake in Turkey and Syria, and the Chinese-brokered reestablishment of ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, regional rivals that had bac...

Trump set to give 2nd deposition in New York fraud lawsuit

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:46:29 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump was expected to visit the offices of New York’s attorney general Thursday for his second deposition in a legal battle over his company’s business practices.The Republican was scheduled to meet with lawyers for Attorney General Letitia James, who sued Trump last year. Her lawsuit claims Trump and his family misled banks and business associates by giving them false information about his net worth and the value of assets such as hotels and golf courses.The lawsuit is unrelated to the felony criminal charges filed against Trump by the Manhattan district attorney, which led last week to his historic arraignment, the first for a former president.Trump and his lawyers have said the Democrat’s lawsuit against him is politically motivated and legally baseless. He and the company have denied doing anything wrong. James declined to answer a question about the planned deposition at a news conference on an unrelated matter Wednesday...

Death penalty looms over Pittsburgh synagogue massacre trial

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:46:29 GMT

The man charged in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history tried for years to avoid a federal jury trial, which would decide whether to convict him of shooting to death 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue. Ultimately those efforts failed, and jury selection is less than two weeks away.Court filings show 46-year-old Robert Bowers had offered to plead guilty in the 2018 attack on the Tree of Life synagogue, a crime for which he was arrested at the scene and made incriminating statements to police. He indicated he was willing to accept life without parole and relinquish appeals rights.But his offer came with a condition that the U.S. Justice Department declined: In return for a guilty plea, he would no longer face the death penalty. Much of the legal battling that has stretched on for more than four years has been looking to the critical sentencing phase after the guilt-or-innocence portion of the trial is over.The families of some victims have endorsed the deal for life witho...

Denver mayor runoff election candidate Q&A: Mike Johnston and Kelly Brough

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:46:29 GMT

The Denver Post sent a questionnaire to candidates in the Denver municipal election. Answers are lightly edited.Mike JohnstonPROFESSIONEDUCATIONEXPERIENCESchool principal, State Senator (2009-2017), President and CEO of Gary Community VenturesWEBSITE • FACEBOOK • TWITTERBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.One of the biggest risks Denver faces is the risk of a doom loop that other cities have entered where increased homelessness and crime drive businesses and individuals out of downtown. Decreased visits downtown shutter restaurants and bars, reducing commercial occupancy which in turn reduces tax revenue, decreases our tax base, and decreases the public services. This can lead to a decrease in safety and disincentivizes residents to revitalize a city that is struggling. However, the first hurdle that Denver faces is the belief that these problems can’t be solved. We not only know these problems can be solved, but we ...

Get to know the Denver mayor runoff candidates: Mike Johnston and Kelly Brough

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:46:29 GMT

Since no candidate for Denver mayor received more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters, Mike Johnston and Kelly Brough, will go head-to-head in a June 6 runoff election. Here’s a roundup of our coverage of the candidates. Four City Council races appear to be headed for runoffs as well.Stories• Denver mayor’s race runoff set between Mike Johnston and Kelly Brough• Here are the mayoral candidates with the most money behind them• We asked every Denver mayoral candidate for 5 years of tax returns. Here’s what we learned.• Denver mayoral candidates pick fights in latest debateQ&AsWe sent questionnaires to Denver election candidates — here’s how Johnston and Brough answered some of the questions. Read all of their answers on the Denver mayor runoff candidate Q&A page.What should Denver leaders do to address the city’s lack of affordable housing?Mike JohnstonI spent the last two years building a coalition of 260 organizations to support passage of Propos...

Teen shot, killed during possible attempted robbery Koreatown identified 

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:46:29 GMT

A teen who was a passenger in a vehicle was shot to death during a possible attempted robbery in Koreatown Tuesday night, police said. The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. near the intersection of 7th and Berendo streets, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police say a man approached the Nissan Altima that the victim, now identified as 17-year-old Dylan Ramirez, and his friend, who was driving, were in. The suspect allegedly pulled out a gun and demanded money.  That’s when the teen's friend drove off, trying to escape as police say the man fired several shots at the vehicle. Ramirez was struck by gunfire at least once.  His friend tried to drive him to the hospital, but only got as far as Olympic Boulevard and Burlington Avenue where he flagged down LAPD officers who attempted to render aid before Los Angeles Firefighters arrived. The 17-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.  On Wednesday night, family members of Ramirez gathe...

Man found stabbed to death on Long Beach metro train, suspect at large

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:46:29 GMT

Police are searching for a suspect after a man was found stabbed to death on a train in Long Beach Wednesday.Long Beach officers responded to reports of a stabbing on the Metro Blue Line on the 100 block of East 1st Street around 3:38 p.m.When authorities arrived, they found an adult male victim “suffering from apparent stab wounds to the body.”A male suspect fled the scene before police arrived, officials said.A man was found stabbed to death on a train in Long Beach on April 12, 2023. (KTLA)vA man was found stabbed to death on a train in Long Beach on April 12, 2023. (KTLA)A man was found stabbed to death on a train in Long Beach on April 12, 2023. (KTLA)A man was found stabbed to death on a train in Long Beach on April 12, 2023. (KTLA)A man was found stabbed to death on a train in Long Beach on April 12, 2023. (KTLA)The victim was transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries, police confirm."Downtown Long Beach Station remains closed due to police investi...

Judge orders San Jose church to pay $1.2 million in COVID fines

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:46:29 GMT

A Santa Clara County judge has ordered a San Jose church that flouted COVID public health rules at the height of the pandemic to pay $1.2 million in fines.The ruling by Superior Court Judge Evette D. Pennypacker is the latest turn in a yearslong legal battle between Calvary Chapel and Santa Clara County, which has been seeking millions of dollars in fines from the church after it flagrantly violated mask-wearing and social distancing rules.In her ruling, Pennypacker reduced the fine to a specific period between November 2020 and June 2021 when Calvary Chapel did not follow the county’s mask-wearing policy — and added 10 percent interest to the fines during that time period.“It’s the County’s job to take care of its residents and protect the public health,” said County Counsel James Williams in a statement about the ruling, which was signed on April 7. “The County’s response to the pandemic, including the Health Officer’s public health orders and enforcement a...

The California state parks among those everyone should visit in their lifetime

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:46:29 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- With warmer weather finally here, it's time to get outside and there's no better place to do that than in California.The Golden State has the most parkland between national and state lands in the country, with 279 individual parks spanning hundreds of thousands of acres.From desert badlands and mountain peaks to coastal bluffs and lush forests, there are so many natural wonders to see. For anyone looking to narrow the options of places to visit this spring, Yelp has compiled a list of state parks that everyone should visit in their lifetime and five are right here in California: Anza-Borrego, Wilder Ranch, Montaña de Oro, Henry Cowell Redwoods and Pfeiffer Big Sur.The full list from Yelp, including parks from almost all the 50 states, can be found here.Anza-Borrego State Park in San DiegoAnza-Borrego State Park, right on the edge of eastern San Diego County, showcases the wonders of the California desert. Named after Spanish explorer, Juan Bautista de Anza, the par...