Six Oath Keepers convicted in connection with January 6 US Capitol riot

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:12:31 GMT

Six Oath Keepers convicted in connection with January 6 US Capitol riot (CNN) — Six people affiliated with the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia, were convicted Monday of various charges related to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol insurrection.Four of the defendants were found guilty on all of the charges they faced. Defendants Sandra Parker, Laura Steele, Connie Meggs and William Isaacs were accused of entering the Capitol during the riot and attempting to make their way to the Senate chamber before being deterred by pepper spray and police officers in the building.Two defendants were convicted of a lesser charge of entering and remaining on restricted grounds but acquitted of the most serious charges alleging the group conspired to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s electoral victory.The jury remains deadlocked on two counts for those two defendants and will continue to deliberate.Prosecutors said those two defendants — Michael Greene, a military veteran accused of being the Oath Keepers “operation leader” on Januar...

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon talk ‘Air’ and working together in their 50s

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:12:31 GMT

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon talk ‘Air’ and working together in their 50s (CNN) — Ben Affleck and Matt Damon truly love working together.The Boston-born buddies, who have known each other for over forty years, have a new movie, “Air,” coming to theatres on April 5. It details the origin story of Michael Jordan’s partnership with Nike.Part of the appeal of the project, they said, was the chance to work together again.“That was one of the things that we kind of wanted to do,” Affleck told CBS News, “The idea of, like, why aren’t we hanging out and spending more time together, since we managed to stay friends this whole time?”“Plus, we hit our 50s,” Damon added. “I mean, you can see the end of the tunnel!”The two rose to fame together in “Good Will Hunting,” winning the Oscar for best original screenplay for the film in 1997.The two friends recently launched a production company together, Artists Equity, and continue to enjoy their collaborating.“It...

Next goal for Heat is to get Tyler Herro playing every quarter like it’s the fourth

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:12:31 GMT

Next goal for Heat is to get Tyler Herro playing every quarter like it’s the fourth The mistake, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, was his.Through three quarters of Sunday night’s victory over the Detroit Pistons, Tyler Herro was playing like it was only the first three quarters.“I’m just going to write fourth quarter on every notepad to Tyler in every other quarter, because he has that clutch gene, he really does,” Spoelstra said of his fourth-year guard. “It doesn’t matter what’s happening during the course of the game. He’s a killer down the stretch. He loves those moments. He lives for those moments. He’ll knock some really tough shots down in those moments "Over Sunday’s first three quarters at Little Caesars Arena, Herro was 3 of 12 from the field, including 1 of 7 on 3-pointers, with the Heat outscored by six when he was on the court, down by seven entering the fourth.And then the clutch gene kicked in, with Herro 4 of 5 from the field, including 2 of 2 on 3-pointers, for 12 points in the f...

Dolphins receiver Trent Sherfield bolts for division-rival Bills in free agency

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:12:31 GMT

Dolphins receiver Trent Sherfield bolts for division-rival Bills in free agency Wide receiver Trent Sherfield is bound for the division-rival Buffalo Bills after one season with the Miami Dolphins, the Bills announced Monday.Sherfield was likely to be on the move after the Dolphins signed former New York Jets slot receiver Braxton Berrios, a University of Miami alum, and decided to hold on to River Cracraft in the receiving corps.The Bills add Sherfield after releasing former Broward County high school football standout Isaiah McKenzie, a product of American Heritage in Plantation who notably had success against his hometown Dolphins over the years.Sherfield had his best season of his five-year NFL career in 2022 with the Dolphins. He established career highs with 30 receptions for 417 yards and two touchdowns as he elevated himself to be Miami’s No. 3 wideout over fellow free-agent acquisition Cedrick Wilson Jr.Sherfield’s most notable highlight with Miami was his 75-yard touchdown on a pass from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on the first offensive pl...

This is how much a six-figure income is worth in California

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:12:31 GMT

This is how much a six-figure income is worth in California Earning a six-figure income has long been a sign of success and financial comfort for American workers. Still, with high inflation and cost of living expenses, the yearly income may not be enough to support a life in California.A new study from Smart Asset analyzed the after-tax income for $100,000 in 76 of the largest U.S. cities and adjusted those figures to represent the cost of living in each place. California cities ranked low for the places where $100,000 had the most purchasing power. Amid high cost of living expenses, Jack in the Box launches ‘free rent’ sweepstakes California cities where a six-figure income had low purchasing power:CityTake Home Pay adjusted for inflation and cost of living expensesBakersfield$63,539Sacramento$57,669Stockton$55,962Oakland$46,198San Diego$46,167Los Angeles$44,623Long Beach$44,623San Francisco$36,445Researchers used the Smart Asset paycheck calculator to determine the after-tax income for multiple cities. They used data from the Council fo...

San Diego City Attorney sues 2 large automakers over vehicle theft concerns

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:12:31 GMT

San Diego City Attorney sues 2 large automakers over vehicle theft concerns SAN DIEGO — San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliot is suing two large automakers, alleging the companies failed to install standard anti-theft technology.In a lawsuit filed Friday on behalf of the People of the State of California, the City Attorney's office said that Hyundai and Kia failed to meet industry norms, making their vehicles highly susceptible to being stolen.According to the lawsuit, Hyundai and Kia failed to adopt immobilizer technology to ensure that their vehicles could not be started without keys, which led to viral videos circulating to show how easily their vehicles could be stolen.The lawsuit covers the period from 2011 through 2021. VIDEO: Dog abandoned outside animal shelter; reward offered for information “Making sure cars are not easy to steal keeps dangerous drivers in stolen vehicles off the road,”  Elliott said. “Hyundai’s and Kia’s decisions to put cost savings and profits over public safety has had significant consequences for San Diego and its r...

French government survives no-confidence votes over pensions

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:12:31 GMT

French government survives no-confidence votes over pensions PARIS (AP) — The French government has survived two no-confidence votes in the lower chamber of parliament, proposed by lawmakers who objected to its push to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.National Assembly lawmakers rejected both motions Monday — one from the far-right National Rally and the other, more threatening one from a small centrist group that gathered support across the left.The first motion, by the centrists, garnered 278 votes, falling short of the 287 needed to pass. The far-right initiative won just 94 votes.With the failure of both votes Monday, the pension bill is considered adopted.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.The French government survived two no-confidence votes Monday in the lower chamber of parliament, prompted by a push by President Emmanuel Macron last week to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 without giving lawmakers a vote.The no-confidence motion filed by a small centrist group and supported by a leftist coal...

$9.25 million settlement announced in 2020 protest lawsuits

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:12:31 GMT

$9.25 million settlement announced in 2020 protest lawsuits PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia officials announced a $9.25 million settlement Monday with hundreds of people over several lawsuits challenging the police response to the protests and civil disorder in 2020 after George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police.Officials said the money will be distributed among 343 plaintiffs in connection with police actions during the protests that erupted in west Philadelphia and along Interstate 676 in the city center that spring. In addition, a grant will provide $500,000 to $600,000 for mental health counseling for west Philadelphia residents. Videos of Philadelphia police firing tear gas on June 1, 2020, at dozens of protesters trapped on I-676 by SWAT team officers on both sides — many unable to retreat to an on-ramp and clambering to get up a steep embankment and over a concrete wall and fence — were spread widely on social media. Attorneys suing over events the day before in and around a west Philadelphia business corridor th...

Millions in extra funding pledged for ICC work in Ukraine

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:12:31 GMT

Millions in extra funding pledged for ICC work in Ukraine LONDON (AP) — An international conference in London raised 4 million pounds ($4.9 million) to support the International Criminal Court in its investigations into alleged war crimes in Ukraine and its work to hold Russia to account, officials said Monday.Justice ministers from over 40 countries met in London for the war crimes conference days after the global court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of personal responsibility in the abduction of children from Ukraine. Friday’s move was the first time the court has issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.“We share the belief that President Putin and the wider leadership must be held to account,” Britain’s Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said as he opened the meeting. “Let’s make sure that we back up our words with deeds, that we back up our moral support with practical means to effectively investigate these awful crimes.”Karim Khan, the...

Canada’s foreign minister says China peace talks in Moscow will prolong Ukraine war

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:12:31 GMT

Canada’s foreign minister says China peace talks in Moscow will prolong Ukraine war OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says China’s attempts to broker peace in Ukraine will likely just help Russia re-arm and prolong the conflict.In a Monday statement, Joly said the only way to end the war is for Russian President Vladimir Putin to “lay down his weapons and get out of Ukraine,” and accused Moscow of turning to Beijing with a false premise.“Make no mistake, the Russian regime is looking to buy time to resupply, recruit and re-attack,” Joly said in the statement.“A ceasefire not predicated on Russia’s withdrawal of their troops from Ukrainian territory would only serve Putin’s agenda by freezing the conflict before his losses become even greater.”Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Russia, arriving on Monday for peace talks after Beijing laid out a proposal that calls for an end to the conflict, although Xi has no plans to visit Kyiv.Canada and the other countries in the G7 have said since last October t...