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China upholds death sentence for US citizen detained on drug charges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:39 GMT

(The Hill) – The U.S. State Department on Thursday said it’s “disappointed” by China’s decision to uphold the death penalty with a two-year suspended death sentence for “wrongfully detained” U.S. citizen Mark Swidan.“Today the People’s Republic of China’s Jiangmen Intermediate Court denied wrongfully detained U.S. national Mark Swidan’s appeal, and upheld his death penalty with a two-year suspended death sentence," State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a statement. "We are disappointed by this decision and will continue to press for his immediate release and return to the United States."Patel said U.S. officials have “repeatedly expressed their concerns” to top China officials about Swidan’s treatment and medical care, as well as “his inability to send or receive mail in a timely manner.” Swidan, from Houston, has been imprisoned in China on drug-related charges for more than ten years, Reuters reports. He was sentenced to death in 2018, according to th...

NOAA issues El Niño watch: Here's where and when Illinois will feel the impact

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:39 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Move aside La Niña – it's almost time for El Niño to take over.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center issued an "El Niño watch" Thursday morning, saying the climate pattern is expected to form sooner than previously anticipated. After La Niña ended last month, we entered "ENSO-neutral" conditions, which means neither La Niña nor El Niño is present. Those neutral conditions were expected to end at some point in the summer or early fall. But as of Thursday, it looks as though the timeline has moved up. Forecasters said there is a 62% chance El Niño will take over between May and July. The probability that El Niño will form by fall is even higher, between 80% and 90%. La Niña is officially over, NOAA announces: What does that mean? What would that mean for our weather? We usually feel the strongest effects of El Niño as we get closer to winter. An El Niño fall and winter would be the inverse of what we’ve seen the last ...

Texas House passes $12 billion property tax relief package, setting up fight over appraisal cap with Senate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:39 GMT

(Texas Tribune) -- A $12 billion proposal aimed at giving property tax relief to Texas homeowners and businesses cleared a major hurdle Thursday in the Texas House, setting up a showdown with the Senate over their warring tax-cut packages.House Bill 2 — backed by House Speaker Dade Phelan and carried by state Rep. Morgan Meyer, both Republicans — passed the full House by a 140-9 vote. It still must come back before the chamber for a final vote.The bill proposes pumping $12 billion into Texas school districts so that they, in turn, can lower their property taxes on home and business owners. For the owner of a $350,000 home, the package would result in more than $1,000 in savings over two years, according to Phelan’s office.Cutting the state’s high property tax burden has been a top priority for Texas Republicans this legislative session. HB 2 is a key part of the House’s $17 billion proposed package for how the Legislature should go about doing it.But HB 2 contains a provision that h...

Man gets 20 years in 2021 Pflugerville murder

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:39 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was convicted of murder April 4 and sentenced to serve 20 years in state prison.According to records, 28-year-old Erick Lovelace was convicted by a court after he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder by use of a firearm.Records showed Lovelace committed the offense in June of 2021 in the 2800 block of Halite Bend in Pflugerville. RELATED: Affidavit: Fight over girlfriend led to Pflugerville shooting death, suspect charged with murder Past KXAN reporting showed Lovelace was charged after what an affidavit said was a physical altercation turned deadly with a man dating his former girlfriend. He was then charged with the murder of 31-year-old Cornelius Ramon Moore.Before his plea, Lovelace was scheduled to have his trial by a jury Monday.

AJ Johnson, projected NBA lottery pick, decommits from Texas to join Australian NBL

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:39 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas men's basketball is hard at work trying to configure a roster for the 2023-24 season, and the work just got a little tougher for new head coach Rodney Terry. AJ Johnson, a five-star recruit out of Southern California Academy in Northridge, California, told ESPN that he's decommitting from Texas and joining the Australian National Basketball League.According to ESPN, the 6-foot-6 forward is a projected lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. "This was a pretty tough decision. It is just so far and I really like Coach Terry, he's my guy and all of those people at Texas I really love them," Johnson told 247 Sports. This news comes a day after forward Dillon Mitchell announced that he will declare for this year's NBA Draft, while maintaining college eligibility. Johnson signed the deal with Illawarra Hawks, he will presumably use his time in Australia as a tune-up for a potential NBA career. An already busy recruiting time for Rodney Terry is even more intense these d...

Minneapolis to pay $8.9M over Chauvin’s actions before George Floyd

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:39 GMT

By JIM SALTER (Associated Press)The city of Minneapolis agreed Thursday to pay nearly $9 million to settle lawsuits filed by two people who said former police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into their necks years before he used the same move to kill George Floyd.John Pope Jr. will receive $7.5 million and Zoya Code will receive $1.375 million. The settlements were announced during a meeting of the Minneapolis City Council.Both lawsuits stemmed from arrests in 2017 — three years before Chauvin killed Floyd during an arrest captured on video that sparked protests worldwide, prompted a national reckoning on racial injustice and compelled a Minneapolis Police Department overhaul.At a news conference Thursday, Mayor Jacob Frey apologized to all victims of Chauvin and said that if police supervisors “had done the right thing, George Floyd would not have been murdered.”“He should have been fired in 2017. He should have been held accountable in 2017,” Frey told reporters.Both lawsui...

No more excuses. The Timberwolves simply must find a way to win

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:39 GMT

Rudy Gobert said he shouldn’t have suited up Sunday against New Orleans due to the back spasms that limited his mobility.“I tried to be a superhero, but I couldn’t move,” the center said. “If I’m out there and I can’t move, I can’t be myself.”Gobert admitted he likely wouldn’t have played Tuesday against the Lakers because of the back, which took quite a bit of the bite out of the one-game “team suspension,” and also put some doubt into the center’s status for Friday.Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said Gobert still looks “a little tight, a little bound up,” but he did participate in Thursday’s practice.“He got, today, a good chance to get out there with the guys and then (Friday) too, so we’ll see,” Finch said. “We’ll keep working on it.”Finch hopes Gobert can play, but wouldn’t commit to as much Thursday. If there was a game Thursday night, Gobert said he would’ve tested the back out pre...

Fatal structure fire closes down parts of Columbia Turnpike

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:39 GMT

EAST GREENBUSH, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The structure fire that broke out at Hanley Motor Park Home at 148 Columbia Turnpike has claimed the life of one individual. Police say a motor home residence was fully involved. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! During the overhaul and investigation, police located a body inside the residence. The identity will be released pending notification of the next of kin.Columbia Turnpike from Discovery Drive to Sherwood Avenue was closed in all directions. Drivers should avoid the area and expect heavy traffic delays. We will provide updates as more information is released.

Limits on transgender care for Missouri youths begin shortly

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:39 GMT

COLUMBIA. Mo. (AP) — Missouri's attorney general announced new restrictions Thursday on transgender care for adults in addition to minors, in a move that is believed to be a first nationally and has advocacy groups threatening to sue.Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced plans to restrict transgender health care weeks ago, when protesters rallied at the Capitol to urge lawmakers to pass a law banning puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries for children. But the discussion was focused on minors, not adults.Missouri Attorney General spokeswoman Madeline Sieren clarified in a statement later in the day that adults also would be covered.“We have serious concerns about how children are being treated throughout the state, but we believe everyone is entitled to evidence-based medicine and adequate mental health care,” Sieren said. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News ...

Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic says calf is “doing good,” keeps smiling through “bumps and bruises”

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:39 GMT

Nikola Jokic smiled Thursday when asked about getting battered and bruised over the course of a long NBA season. So there’s that.In fact, the Nuggets came across as fairly jovial on the whole following practice early Thursday afternoon at Ball Arena, despite having to wait out which opponent they’ll face — it’ll be the winner of Friday’s play-in game in Minneapolis between Minnesota and Oklahoma City — in their NBA Playoffs opener late Sunday night.“Doing good, going good,” Jokic, the reigning two-time NBA MVP, said of his calf tightness, which had forced him to sit out the regular-season finale at home against Sacramento last Sunday.When asked whether the injury still lingered in his mind, the Serbian center was a little more cryptic.“I mean, it’s there,” he replied. “But (it’s) … sometimes good and sometimes bad.”And the wrist you recently had taped up?“Yeah, (it was taped) a little bit, just trying to prevent (problems),” Jokic responded, then grinned. “Little bumps and bru...