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GOP-controlled Texas House impeaches Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, triggering suspension

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:54:08 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ Republican-led House of Representatives impeached state Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday on articles including bribery and abuse of public trust, a sudden, historic rebuke of a GOP official who rose to be a star of the conservative legal movement despite years of scandal and alleged crimes.Impeachment triggers Paxton’s immediate suspension from office pending the outcome of a trial in the state Senate and empowers Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to appoint someone else as Texas’ top lawyer in the interim.The 121-23 vote constitutes an abrupt downfall for one of the GOP’s most prominent legal combatants, who in 2020 asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn President Joe Biden’s electoral defeat of Donald Trump. It makes Paxton only the third sitting official in Texas’ nearly 200-year history to have been impeached.Paxton, 60, decried the move moments after many members of his own party voted to impeach, and his office pointed to internal reports that fo...

Why Texas’ GOP-controlled House impeached Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:54:08 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — After years of legal and ethical scandals swirling around Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, the state’s GOP-controlled House of Representatives on Saturday voted to impeach him, causing his immediate suspension from office.The extraordinary and rarely used maneuver came in the final days of the state’s legislative session, setting up a bruising political fight that pitted Paxton, who has aligned himself closely with former President Donald Trump and the state’s hard-right conservatives, against House Republican leaders, who appear to suddenly have had enough of the allegations of wrongdoing that have long dogged Texas’ top lawyer.Paxton fought it every step of the way, calling the process “corrupt,” and asking supporters to rally for him at the state Capitol during the vote.Here is how the impeachment process works in Texas, and how the 60-year-old Republican became just the third official to be impeached in the state’s nearly 200-year history:THE PR...

Biden, McCarthy agree to talk on debt crisis, speaker says negotiators ‘closer to an agreement’

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:54:08 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to speak Saturday evening as they race to strike an agreement that would resolve the looming debt crisis ahead of a June 5 deadline to avert a catastrophic U.S. default.Biden spoke earlier in the day with the Democratic leaders in Congress to discuss the status of the talks, according to two people familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it. But they had not reached a deal yet, another person familiar with the calls said.The Republican speaker gathered top allies behind closed doors at the Capitol as negotiators pushed for a deal that would raise the nation’s borrowing limit and avoid a catastrophic default, while also making spending cuts that House Republicans are demanding. As he arrived at the Capitol early in the day, McCarthy said that Republican negotiators were “closer to an agreement.” McCarthy’s comments echoed the latest assessment from Biden, who said Friday evening that ba...

‘More connected’: Researchers looking at growing food under solar panels

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:54:08 GMT

Lawns, backyards and roofs could be used to produce both solar power and fresh vegetables, University of Alberta researchers say.Guillermo Hernandez, a soil scientist, and Camila Quiroz, a research intern from Peru, are looking into growing crops under solar panels to improve the use of space in cities and farms. “We know how to generate electricity from sunlight. We also know how to grow crops,” says Hernandez. “But the question is, can we do the two things in the same space?” Crop harvesting under solar panels is called agrivoltaics, a relatively new concept to improve land-use efficiency by producing energy and food in the same spot. In a 25-day experiment, Hernandez and Quiroz grew batches of spinach under three systems — thick solar panels, thin solar panels and without solar panels. The researchers used simulated sunlight in a small room at the university during the Alberta winter. Quiroz, who is studying energy engineering in Peru, says there werenR...

CPD: Man wanted for sexually assaulting women at gunpoint in South Shore

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:54:08 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Police Department sent out a community alert Saturday notifying the public of a man wanted for posing as a woman on Snapchat in order to rob and sexually assault women at gunpoint in South Shore.Police said that in each instance — at least four times — female victims spoke to a person they believed was also a female on Snapchat. After a short time, an in-person meeting was set up between the two at an address in the 1900 block of East 73rd Place, or the 7700 block of South Euclid Avenue.Once the victims arrived, a Black male offender, around 5'4" to 5'7", carrying a handgun (in one instance, a knife) appeared and threatened the victims, robbing them of money and cell phones before taking them to a different location to penetrate them, police said. 3 men hospitalized after drive-by shooting in Auburn Gresham Times and Locations7400 Block of South Euclid Avenue on March 21, 2023, between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.1900 Block of East 73rd Place on May 8...

Salvation Army hosts block party in Humboldt Park to connect residents with resources

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:54:08 GMT

CHICAGO — The Salvation Army hosted a family-friendly event in Humboldt Park which, along with the fun, introduced residents to safe alternatives for the summer.The Rock the Block celebration kicked off the season at the Freedom Center at Chicago and Christina Avenue. 12 shot, 3 dead in overnight shootings in Chicago ahead of weekend The festival had music, crafts, farm animals, pony rides and a safe haven for Humboldt Park families.After receiving a Reimagining Public Safety grant from the state, the money must be spent on youth programs designed to curb violence.Another goal is to educate the community on services the organization offers, like housing and rental assistance, a food pantry and free after-school programs and summer camp.Parents said young people on the West and South sides desperately need activities like these, especially when the school ear ends.

Texas House votes to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:54:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas House of Representatives voted 121-23 in favor of impeaching Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Saturday.The House had to decide whether there was sufficient evidence to justify going to an impeachment trial. Now that the House has voted to approve the articles of impeachment, the matter will go to the state Senate. “We will not tolerate corruption, bribery and abuse of power,” Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, said in closing statements. Previous coverage: Potential impeachment looms over AG Ken Paxton after investigative hearingWhat we know about possible impeachment against Attorney General Ken PaxtonWhat do the 20 Articles of Impeachment against Ken Paxton mean?How does the impeachment process work in Texas? The House General Investigating Committee laid out 20 articles of impeachment to the House members Thursday night. The articles, or accusations, are the result of a two-month investigation that began after Paxton’s proposal to use state funds to settle ...

Central PA twins at top of class separated by two minutes at birth and a fraction of GPA

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:54:08 GMT

CAMP HILL, PA (WHTM) — High school graduation season is in full swing and people at one Pennsylvania ceremony saw something pretty rare and really cool. Let's just say the valedictorian and salutatorian know each other even better than most pairs at the top of their classes do.Jose and Antonio Centenera are fraternal twins, but brothers don't come much closer than these two Trinity High grads. They're separated by two minutes at birth but only hundredths of a GPA point. WHO R U: What your license plate number could tell other drivers Antonio, the valedictorian, and Jose, the salutatorian of their class, didn't necessarily surprise everyone, including Trinity High School Principal John Cominsky.But this isn't a story about a dramatic sibling rivalry or a fight for number one. The truth is it's an even better story."It's almost like they were sad that somebody had to be first. It's that kind of thing. That's how supportive they are of one another," said Cominsky."It wasn't really an...

Late rally not enough as Orioles fall to Rangers, 5-3, for second straight loss

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:54:08 GMT

The Orioles have spent the bulk of May facing playoff-caliber teams — and more than holding their own.But after winning five of six games on a challenging American League East road trip and returning to Camden Yards with high hopes this weekend against the AL West-leading Texas Rangers, Baltimore has dropped two straight. The Orioles were looking to bounce back from a 12-2 drubbing Friday night, but instead fell, 5-3, on Saturday afternoon.In front of an announced 37,939 — the largest attendance at Camden Yards this year outside of opening day — and wearing their black City Connect uniforms for the second straight day, the Orioles got a solid outing from starter Dean Kremer but could not muster enough offense to stage a comeback after trailing early.Austin Hays opened the seventh inning with 411-foot home run to center field and he scored again in the ninth on a double from Ryan Mountcastle. Ramón Urías then drove Mountcastle in with a double of his own, ...

Motorcyclist killed in crash with U-Haul truck Saturday morning in Ramsey

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:54:08 GMT

A man driving a motorcycle was killed in a crash with a U-Haul truck Saturday morning in Ramsey.According to the Anoka County sheriff’s office, about 9:30 a.m. a woman driving a U-Haul truck northbound in the 15400 block of St. Francisco Boulevard NW in Ramsey was attempting a U-turn when the motorcyclist, also traveling northbound, struck it. He was pronounced dead at the scene.Authorities say he was not wearing a helmet. The woman driving the U-Haul was not injured.The crash is being investigated by the Ramsey Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol, Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office and the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office. Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Letters: What’s holding us back from smarter employment of immigrants and refugees? Crime & Public Safety | Authorities ask for help in finding missing Bemidji woman, 32 Crime & Public Safety | During the pandemic, one St. Paul family took on a very big pr...