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Biden set for busy week of foreign policy, including talks with Brazil, Israel and Ukraine leaders

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’ s busy agenda for his time at the annual U.N. General Assembly next week will include meetings with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.He’ll then return to Washington for critical talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan also confirmed that Biden will host Zelenskyy on Thursday for talks at the White House. Zelenskyy is also expected to meet with Democratic and Republican lawmakers while in Washington.The sit-down — Zelenskyy’s third visit to the White House since Biden took office — comes as Congress is increasingly divided over providing additional funding for Ukraine as the war is well into its second year. Biden has sought a package of $13.1 billion in additional military aid for Ukraine and $8.5 billion for humanitarian support. It also includes $2.3 billion for financing and to catalyze donors through t...

What are the articles of impeachment against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

The Texas Senate is deliberating 16 articles of impeachment against state Attorney General Ken Paxton after a two-week trial. Paxton, a Republican and star of the conservatives legal movement, was suspended from office in May when the GOP-controlled House voted 121-23 to impeach him on 20 articles that include bribery and abuse of public trust. Most of the articles deal with Paxton using his office to benefit a wealthy donor, Nate Paul, prompting eight of the attorney general’s top deputies to report him to the FBI in 2020.The Senate did not take up four of the articles. Three of those date back to Paxton’s pending 2015 felony securities fraud case, including lying to state investigators. The other is related to Paxton’s ethics filings in the impeachment trial. Paxton would be permanently removed from office if he is convicted of any of the articles.A look at the 16 articles the Senate is considering and the four that it set aside:DISREGARD OF OFFICIAL DUTYARTICLE 1 – Protecti...

A Georgia state senator indicted with Trump won’t be suspended from office while the case is ongoing

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia state senator won’t be suspended from office after he was one of 18 others indicted along with former President Donald Trump on charges that he sought to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state.A three-person panel didn’t recommend that state Sen. Shawn Still be temporarily removed from office while the case is pending, Garrison Douglas, a spokesperson for Gov. Brian Kemp, said Friday.Still, a Republican who lives in suburban Johns Creek to the borth of Atlanta, is a swimming pool contractor and former state Republican Party finance chairman. He was one of 16 Georgia Republicans who signed a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won the state and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors.Still was the secretary of that meeting and is one of only three members of that group who was indicted. He faces seven counts, including the main racketeering charge as well as felony counts...

A look at notable impeachments in US history, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial on corruption allegations is among several such proceedings that have occurred in U.S. history.Impeachment is a political proceeding, not a court one. Typically in a U.S. legislative body, it is the House of Representatives that impeaches an officeholder, charging him or her with wrongdoing. The Senate then conducts a trial, and a guilty verdict results in ejection from office. Sometimes that includes a stipulation that prevents future qualification to hold office. In Texas, an impeachment charge from the House results in immediate suspension from office, as is the case for Paxton. The Senate is deliberating articles of impeachment to determine whether Paxton is permanently removed. He is accused of trying to protect an Austin real estate developer who was indicted in June on federal charges of making false statements to banks. In the past 25 years, impeachment has been used three times against two presidents. The current GOP-led...

A Colorado mountain tied to an 1864 massacre is renamed Mount Blue Sky

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Federal officials on Friday renamed a towering mountain southwest of Denver as part of a national effort to address the history of oppression and violence against Native Americans.The U.S. Board on Geographic Names voted overwhelmingly to change Mount Evans to Mount Blue Sky at the request of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes and with the approval of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. The Arapaho were known as the Blue Sky People, while the Cheyenne hold an annual renewal-of-life ceremony called Blue Sky.The 14,264-foot (4,348-meter) peak was named after John Evans, Colorado’s second territorial governor and ex officio superintendent of Indian affairs. Evans resigned after Col. John Chivington led an 1864 U.S. cavalry massacre of more than 200 Arapaho and Cheyenne people — most of them women, children and the elderly — at Sand Creek in what is now southeastern Colorado.“It is a huge step, not only for the Cheyenne and Arapaho people, but also for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Sout...

North Dakota panel will reconsider denying permit for Summit CO2 pipeline

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota utility regulators in an unusual move granted a request to reconsider their denial of a key permit for a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline.North Dakota’s Public Service Commission in a 2-1 vote on Friday granted Summit Carbon Solutions’ request for reconsideration. Chairman Randy Christmann said the panel will set a hearing schedule and “clarify the issues to be considered.”Reconsideration “only allows additional evidence for the company to try to persuade us that they are addressing the deficiencies,” he said.Denying Summit’s request would have meant the company would have to reapply, with a monthslong process that would start all over again without any of the information in the current case, including lengthy testimony.Summit Executive Vice President Wade Boeshans told The Associated Press that the company appreciates the panel’s decision and the opportunity to present additional evidence and address the regulators...

Women’s World Cup winners maintain boycott of Spain’s national team, coach delays picking her squad

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The new coach of Spain’s women’s team had to delay the announcement of her first squad Friday after nearly all of the country’s World Cup-winning players maintained their boycott of the national team as part of their fight against sexism in soccer.Spain coach Montse Tomé was set to announce her squad Friday. But 20 minutes before a scheduled news conference, the federation said it was postponed to a time to be determined.The federation said the players had rejected their attempts to convince them to return to the team early Friday.That leaves Tomé with the difficult decision of whether to still call up the players revolting, or select a completely different team for upcoming Nations League games against Sweden and Switzerland on Sept. 22 and 26. According to Spanish sports law, athletes are required to answer the call of its national teams unless there are circumstances that impede them from playing, such as an injury.Spain’s women have had ...

Ibrahim Ali’s lawyer suggests person whose DNA was inside victim may not be killer

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

VANCOUVER — A defence lawyer at the Ibrahim Ali murder trial in British Columbia Supreme Court has raised the possibility that the person whose DNA was found inside the victim may not be the one who killed the teenager.Kevin McCullough has finished cross-examining forensic biologist Christine Crossman, focusing on the fact Ali’s genetic profile only matched samples found in the 13-year-old girl’s vaginal and anal areas.McCullough questioned the decision by investigators not to test some evidence that may establish another suspect in the case, asking Crossman to confirm if she has an idea whether stains found on the girl’s clothing contained DNA.The body of the girl, who can’t be named because of a publication ban, was found in Central Park in Burnaby, B.C., in July 2017. McCullough asked Crossman if she or the police noted that it was important to establish beyond a reasonable doubt the time of death and the time of sexual contact in this case, to which Crossman re...

E. coli outbreak spotlights daycare food safety, experts say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

TORONTO — An outbreak of E. coli that’s sickened hundreds has shone a much-needed spotlight on food safety at daycares, experts said as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith pledged to consider further regulations in shared kitchens. There have been 337 lab-confirmed cases of the bacterial infection in the Calgary outbreak, and though an investigation is ongoing, officials believe it is linked to a shared kitchen — Fueling Minds Inc. — that serves local daycares. “I know parents want answers, and so do I,” Smith said at a press conference on Friday. “That’s why we’re conducting a review of all shared kitchens that serve child-care centres. We will explore regulations and make changes if needed.” Canada is in the midst of building up its child-care system with a recent cash infusion from the federal government, and so far food hasn’t been a big part of the conversation, said Martha Friendly, executive director of the non-profit Childcare Resou...

Man arrested on child pornogrpahy charges in East York

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:50 GMT

Toronto police’s Sex Crimes – Internet Child Exploitation unit has arrested one man after a child pornography investigation.On Sept. 14 members of the unit executed a search warrant in the Dawes Road and Victoria Park Avenue area.Abdel-Aziz Mahran, 51, of Toronto was arrested and charged with two counts of possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography and failing to comply with his court release order.Anyone with information is asked to contact police.