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Son of federal judge in Puerto Rico pleads guilty to killing wife after winning new trial

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:38:48 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The son of a federal judge who was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of his wife more than a decade ago pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Thursday in a deal reached with Puerto Rican prosecutors during a retrial.Pablo Casellas had won a new trial after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that criminal cases require unanimous verdicts. At the time, suspects in Puerto Rico could be convicted by a minimum of nine jurors, and Casellas had been found guilty in an 11-1 verdict.Casellas was convicted in 2014 on first-degree murder and other charges and was sentenced to 109 years in prison for the fatal shooting of his wife in one of Puerto Rico’s most high-profile cases. Carmen Paredes, 46, was shot several times, including in the forehead and chest, in July 2012 at the couple’s upscale home where they lived with their two children.Casellas’ father is U.S. District Court Judge Salvador Casellas, a former Puerto Rico treasury secretary ap...

So Biden’s a no-show on the New Hampshire primary ballot. What happens next?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:38:48 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden wasn’t successful in unseating New Hampshire from the first-in-the-nation primary slot it has held for more than a century, but his campaign’s announcement this week that he won’t appear on the state’s 2024 primary ballot has nonetheless added a new wrinkle to the contest and created complications for his campaign, state election officials, and voters.Although several key details about next year’s New Hampshire primary have yet to be determined, the event has begun to take shape.When is the 2024 New Hampshire primary?State law gives New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan exclusive authority to set the date for the 2024 primary, but he has yet to do so. For 40 years, it has been held the Tuesday following the Iowa caucuses, which are scheduled for Jan. 15. State law also says the primary must be held at least seven days before any similar contest. The South Carolina Democratic primary on Feb. 3 is the earliest contest on the Democra...

With map redrawn favoring GOP, North Carolina Democratic US Rep. Jackson to run for attorney general

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:38:48 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson of North Carolina announced a 2024 bid for state attorney general on Thursday, one day after the Republican-controlled legislature approved a new congressional map for the state that would now situate him in a heavily GOP district. Jackson, a former local prosecutor, ex-state senator, Afghan war veteran and National Guard soldier, had in 2022 won an open U.S. House seat in a district in and around Charlotte that favored a Democrat. It was clear since he took office in January that Republicans could attempt to create new lines to push him out after only one term.“A group of politicians in North Carolina just redrew my congressional district to take me out. They’re going to replace me with one of their political allies,” Jackson said in a video announcing his decision. “That’s political corruption. And I’ve got news for them. I’m running for attorney general and I’m going to use that job to go after political corruptio...

1 stabbed, critically injured at west-end Toronto high school

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:38:48 GMT

Toronto police are on the scene at a west-end high school after one person was critically injured in a stabbing.Officers say the stabbing happened inside Oakwood Collegiate Institute in Regal Heights just before 1 p.m. Related: Teen charged in thwarted Oakwood Collegiate attack back in court next year The high school, located at St. Clair Avenue West near Dufferin Street, has been locked down. Police describe the victim as a youth, but Toronto Paramedics say they’re transporting an adult male with potentially life-threatening injuries to hospital.There is no suspect description at this time.

Newcastle player Tonali banned from soccer for 10 months in betting probe. He will miss Euro 2024

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:38:48 GMT

ROME (AP) — Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali was banned for 10 months by the Italian soccer federation on Thursday for betting on teams he played for — ruling him out of the rest of the Premier League season as well as competing for Italy at next year’s European Championship.The 23-year-old Tonali, who became the second player suspended in the widening case, agreed to a plea bargain with the federation that included therapy for a gambling addiction.Tonali’s agent, Giuseppe Riso, recently acknowledged that his client has a gambling problem and that Tonali told prosecutors he bet on AC Milan and Brescia when he played for those clubs.The federation acted following an investigation by Turin prosecutors into soccer players using illegal websites to bet on games.Tonali’s ban means he will not be able to return in time for Euro 2024, which runs from June 14-July 14. Defending champion Italy has not yet qualified.Tonali’s cooperation with authorities allowed the minimum ban of thre...

Doug Ford, François Legault call for swift end to St. Lawrence Seaway strike

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:38:48 GMT

The premiers of Ontario and Quebec are calling on both sides in the St. Lawrence Seaway strike to reach a deal right away, saying the shutdown of the vital trade artery risks significant harm to the region’s economy.In a joint statement Thursday, Doug Ford and François Legault said they were pleased the two parties were set to return to the negotiating table alongside federal mediators Friday, but urged Ottawa to use whatever tools it has on hand to bring about a resolution should an agreement fail to emerge immediately.The job action by 361 Unifor members at 13 of the 15 locks along the waterway kicked off Sunday, shutting it down immediately. Wages are the key sticking point in the dispute.Ford and Legault say they cannot have a repeat of the B.C. port workers strike, which halted the flow of goods for 13 days in July.They warn that businesses and people across the country will soon feel the ripple effects of the current disruption, with tens of millions of dollars in econom...

‘A sculpture garden’: acclaimed artist to design Calgary museum terrace

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:38:48 GMT

CALGARY — A globally recognized artist is to design the rooftop terrace for the Glenbow Museum in Calgary.The 13,000-square-foot terrace will be housed at the JR Shaw Centre for Arts and Culture.The museum says Maya Lin, best known for designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, is to take on the Glenbow project.Lin was 21 when she designed the Washington memorial and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 and a lifetime achievement award from the World Economic Forum this year.A 1994 documentary about her work, “Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision,” received an Academy Award. The terrace is to include an all-season pavilion, event spaces, sculptures and gardens, along with a skylight and oculus to filter natural light into the museum. “I was absolutely intrigued and when I saw the designs … I had to come up here to see the site,” said Lin.“This is a sculpture garden. I want the space to be neutral enough so that artists can come in a...

Peter Nygard continues testimony at his sexual assault trial in Toronto

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:38:48 GMT

TORONTO — Former fashion mogul Peter Nygard is testifying in his own defence for a second day at his sexual assault trial in Toronto.Nygard, the founder of a now-defunct international women’s clothing company, is accused of using his position in the fashion industry to lure women and girls.The 82-year-old has pleaded not guilty to five counts of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement in alleged incidents ranging from the 1980s to mid-2000s.Multiple complainants in the trial have alleged they were taken to Nygard’s Toronto headquarters under pretences ranging from tours to job interviews, with encounters ending in a top-floor bedroom suite where they allege they were sexually assaulted. Some of the testimony court heard from complainants included allegations of being trapped within the suite.Nygard told the jury Wednesday that there was no way someone could get locked inside the suite because it had three exits and only one of them required a passcode since ...

Grandpa Google? Tech giant begins antitrust defense by poking fun at its status among youth

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:38:48 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Google executive testified Thursday that the company’s success is precarious and said its leadership fears their product could slide into irrelevance with younger internet users. Prabhakar Raghavan, Google’s senior vice president for knowledge and information products, testified for the tech giant as it defends itself in the biggest antitrust trial in the last 25 years. The government has accused the company of illegally thwarting competitors from making inroads against its ubiquitous search engine. Raghavan downplayed Google’s dominance and described it as a company beset by competitors on all sides. He said the company has been tagged with the disparaging moniker “Grandpa Google” among younger demographics who don’t see it as an interesting product. “Grandpa Google knows the answers and will help you with homework,” Raghavan said. “But when it comes to doing interesting things, they like to start elsewhere.”Google’s lawyers sho...

Missouri nonprofit director stole millions from program to feed needy kids, indictment alleges

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:38:48 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The executive director of a Missouri nonprofit stole millions of dollars from a program intended to provide meals for low-income children, according to a federal indictment announced Thursday.Connie Bobo, 44, of St. Charles, Missouri, was indicted on three counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft and two counts of obstruction of an official proceeding.Bobo is executive director of New Heights Community Resource Center in the St. Louis suburb of Bridgeton. The nonprofit accepted funding provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by the state to feed low-income school-aged children after school and during the summer, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.The U.S. Attorney’s office said the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services paid out about $11 million from February 2019 to March 2022, after Bobo submitted reimbursement claims stating that the organization served nearly 6 million meals. The indictment said New ...