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Alaska landslide survivor says force of impact threw her around ‘like a piece of weightless popcorn’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:36 GMT

WRANGELL, Alaska (AP) — Christina Florschutz was dressing after stepping out of the shower of her upstairs bathroom when she heard “a horrible noise, a very loud noise.”Florschutz, who had heard both a tornado and a mudslide before, knew exactly what this noise was — a landslide.The force of the mountainside slammed into the home she shared with her husband near the southeast Alaska island community of Wrangell, tossing her around “like a piece of weightless popcorn” before she lost consciousness, she told the Wrangell Sentinel and KSTV radio in a recent interview as she still waited to hear the fate of her husband, who remains missing from last week’s disaster. The Nov. 20 landslide came down into the path of three homes, one unoccupied, after a storm brought heavy rain. She is the only person so far found alive. Four people have been confirmed killed in the landslide: Timothy and Beth Heller and two of their children, Kara, 11, and Mara, 16. Two other people remain missing: ...

New Mexico creates new council to address cases of missing and slain Native Americans

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:36 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico is creating a new advisory council that will be charged with implementing a state plan for responding to cases of missing or slain Native Americans, with top state officials vowing Tuesday that the work will lead to more people being found and families gaining closure.Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s announcement follows criticism from advocates who feared the state was losing momentum after the governor dissolved the task force that came up with the plan more than a year ago.Advocates on Tuesday renewed their criticism, saying work to implement the plan has stalled and that communication among law enforcement and victims’ families remains one of the biggest problems. That issue was acknowledged by the governor as she announced the next step in New Mexico to address what has been described as a crisis for Indigenous communities both in the United States and Canada.“Bringing more law enforcement to the table will help address a major cr...

Honduran opposition party leader flees arrest after being stopped in airport before traveling to US

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:36 GMT

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — The president of Honduras’ main opposition party fled an international airport Tuesday breaking through a parking gate with his pickup truck after immigration agents stopped him for carrying two passports before he boarded a flight to the United States, authorities said.David Chávez Madison, president of the National Party, fled the Palmerola International Airport around 3 a.m. Tuesday, leaving behind his passports when immigration agents called him for a second inspection, Allan Alvarenga, director of Honduras’ immigration agency told local press.Chávez fled the terminal dressed in a black baseball cap, black jacket and black pants, according to images released by authorities.The passport issue, however, may not have been Chávez’s main problem.Hours later, a judge ordered Chávez’s capture based on the investigation of a 2016 complaint by the nongovernmental National Anticorruption Council related to irregularities during Chávez’s time as director of the...

Migrants battle cold as city looks to clear Chicago police stations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:36 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Police Department's Harrison District remains one of the few stations where migrants are being placed as the city finds housing for them.The Harrison District has a warming bus from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., but the conditions even during the day are very difficult.Migrants told WGN-TV that they're experiencing freezing water, ice covering tents inside and out, and are not being allowed inside the station.The goal has been to move migrants out of police stations as winter approaches. Migrants awaiting shelter placement face frigid temperatures as winter weather sets in According to the city, eight police stations have been cleared as of Monday, including Wentworth, Grand Crossing, South Chicago, Chicago Lawn, Austin, Jefferson Park, Albany Park, and Near North.But there are still nearly 1,100 migrants at Chicago police districts, which has gone down from 3,300 in mid-October.A volunteer said the city has offered to take migrants to a warming center during the ...

Jurors get first glimpse of undercover videos in Ed Burke Trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:36 GMT

CHICAGO — At the Ed Burke Trial Tuesday, jurors got the first glimpse of the undercover videos secretly recorded by former alderman Danny Solis, the tapes of which have been described as key evidence in the case against the powerful former alderman.It was 18 degrees in downtown Chicago when former 14th Ward Ald. Ed Burke walked into the Dirksen Federal Building. Inside the 25th floor courtroom where his historic trial was taking place, the proceedings heated up Tuesday.Charged with 14 counts of racketeering, bribery and extortion, prosecutors began their presentation by presenting evidence of Burke's alleged extortion of the developers of one of Chicago's most iconic buildings, The Old Main Post Office, from January 2016-20.New York-based developer "601 West" took on the nearly $600 million project to bring the behemoth of a building back to life along the Eisenhower Expressway in the South Loop.It had been laying vacant since the U.S. Postal Service moved to a new building in the m...

Certification program at Cook County jail teaches inmates how to weld

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:36 GMT

CHICAGO — According to industry experts, there’s an enormous demand for welders nationwide, with experienced union workers earning more than $80,000 annually.It's a development that caught the attention of Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and piqued the interest of many individuals in custody."I never thought I would experience this at the Cook County jail," said Christopher Sliwinski, who has been in custody on an identity theft case for a year and a half. But thanks to an innovative training program, the 32-year-old hopes to be certified by the American Welding Society and ready to step into a job and new life once released. Johnson unveils plan to move migrants into churches as tent camp construction to begin "I just had a son and I really want to be able to provide for him and have a good, stable life," he said. "I think with this certification, I can really do that."Welding instructor Lee Bugg described the goal behind the training and certification program, which was developed b...

How much have 2024 presidential candidates raised, spent?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:36 GMT

(NewsNation) — The 2024 presidential election so far has garnered nearly $269 million in fundraising for candidates across the board.Collectively, Republicans are by far spending the most, having run through $115.2 million so far. That’s compared to the $28.09 million spent by Democrats, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings. Republicans are also raising the most. So far, they’ve collectively raised $192.6 million compared to Democrats’ $59.7 million.Individually, former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden have raised the most money, raking in $60.5 million and $56.8 million, respectively, according to the FEC. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is in a distant third place with $31.6 million raised, followed by fellow Republicans Vivek Ramaswamy and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, according to FEC reports. NewsNation to host fourth 2024 GOP presidential primary debate It’s Biden’s campaign, however, that has spent the most money so far. The ca...

Texas women who could not get abortions despite health risks take challenge to state's Supreme Court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:36 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday scrutinized efforts to clarify exceptions to the state's abortion ban, which a growing number of women say forced them to continue pregnancies despite serious risks to their health.The Texas lawsuit is among the biggest challenges to abortion bans in the U.S. since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year. In July, several Texas women gave emotional testimony about carrying babies they knew would not survive and doctors unable to offer abortions despite their spiraling conditions.A judge later ruled that Texas' ban was too restrictive for women with pregnancy complications, but that order was swiftly put on hold after the state appealed.The decision now rests with Texas' highest court, and during arguments Tuesday, one justice on the all-Republican panel signaled concerns about potentially giving physicians too broad discretion to provide exceptions.“This very well could open the door far more wid...

Texas Supreme Court hears challenge to abortion ban

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:36 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday heard oral arguments in a case brought by women challenging the state's near-total ban on abortion, marking the latest development in a long legal battle spurred by women who said the ban nearly cost their lives.Twenty-two women are suing the state in Zurawski v. Texas. Many of the plaintiffs nearly died due to pregnancy complications they said could have been prevented with a medically-necessary abortion. But they argue the abortion ban's medical exceptions are unclear, tying doctors' hands and threatening them with life in prison if they perform an abortion the state deems premature.The lead plaintiff, Amanda Zurawski, said she nearly died of sepsis last year after her doctor delayed terminating her pregnancy. She developed cervical insufficiency, and her daughter would not live."My doctors didn’t feel safe enough to intervene as long as her heart was beating or until I wassick enough for the ethics board at the hospital to co...

How do other states do education savings accounts?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:36 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Throughout the intractable impasse over Gov. Greg Abbott's priority education savings accounts, lawmakers on each side of the contentious issue have pointed to other states' models, finding both cautionary tales and lessons to emulate.ESAs around the nation:All highlighted states have implemented voucher-like programs. Red states are led by Republican governors.Of the 20 states that have established programs similar to Texas' pending legislation, eight offer nearly "universal" school choice programs. Fifteen are led by Republican governors. The issue has become a rallying point for conservatives and a coveted résumé point for top Republican officials.Nearly all of these states' programs started small, often reserved for low income households and children with special needs. Tennessee, for example, is operating a pilot program that offers subsidies to students in just three counties. Gov. Bill Lee is expected to announce a plan to expand that statewide on Tuesday,...