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Guatemala’s top court ends candidacy of leading presidential hopeful 1 month before vote

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemala’s top court blocked the candidacy of another presidential hopeful on Friday, this time ending the campaign of poll leader Carlos Pineda for alleged violations of electoral law.The Constitutional Court rejected Pineda’s appeal after electoral authorities had ruled him ineligible only a month before the first round of voting June 25.Pineda is the third presidential candidate ruled ineligible to run. The court rejected the final appeals of candidate Roberto Arzú on Thursday, and previously had ruled against Thelma Cabrera because of a paperwork issue with her running mate.Some observers have accused Guatemala’s electoral authorities of using the judicial system to pare down the field to candidates acceptable to the establishment.Pineda, a conservative populist, running a campaign that caught fire on social media, emerged as the surprise leader atop the polls earlier this month.Authorities said there were problems in the way his party selected its candida...

U.S. cities reporting fewer killings hope crime strategies prevent a summer surge

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — An expected bump in violent crime this summer has mayors and police officials around the U.S. rolling out familiar strategies of making officers more visible and engaging with community groups, in some cases leaning on civilians to enforce curfews and keep the peace.Chicago is among the U.S. cities under scrutiny following a mayoral race that focused on public safety in response to demands for change. Violence often surges during summer months, so this holiday weekend will undoubtedly ramp up pressure on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new administration to deliver short-term improvement along with the long-term strategies that the former union organizer advocated while campaigning to lead the nation’s third-largest city.“It’s going to take all of us, not just the police, not just city government, to ensure that our communities can live and thrive in peace and safety,” Johnson said at a lakefront press conference promoting the city’s Memorial Day weekend strategy. Most large ...

Saudi Arabia and the US say Sudan’s warring sides appear to be better abiding by latest cease-fire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Saudi Arabia and the United States said Friday the warring sides in Sudan’s conflict are adhering better to a new, weeklong cease-fire following days of sporadic fighting.The truce, brokered by Riyadh and Washington, went into effect on Monday, but fighting continued in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and the western Darfur region. Particularly intense clashes flared up on Wednesday, the two mediators said in a joint statement.The conflict in Sudan erupted in mid-April after months of escalating tensions between the military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful paramilitary commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The conflict has killed at least 863 civilians, including at least 190 children, according to the most recent numbers from the Sudanese Doctors’ Syndicate.The latest, weeklong cease-fire is the seventh attempt at a truce after the others were violated. A new cross-party committee tasked with monitoring potential vio...

Aide: North Dakota Gov. Burgum planning run for GOP presidential nomination

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

Two-term North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a former computer software entrepreneur, is expected to run for the Republican presidential nomination, a political aide familiar with the plans told The Associated Press on Friday, putting him in an already crowded field dominated by ex-President Donald Trump.The aide said Burgum plans to launch his campaign with a June 7 event in Fargo, the largest city in North Dakota. The aide was speaking on the condition of anonymity because the event had not been publicized yet.The 66-year-old Burgum is jumping into a field that includes fellow Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, seen by some Republicans as the strongest alternative to Trump. Other candidates include former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Former Vice President Mike Pence is also considered a likely presidential candidate but has not yet announced a bid.The eventual GOP nominee ...

Shots fired on Chicago's North Avenue Beach hours after opening for the summer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

CHICAGO — Shots were fired on Chicago's North Avenue Beach hours after it opened on Friday for the summer.According to information from the Chicago Police Department, about 80 teens were at the beach when a fight broke out around 1:30 p.m. Chicago’s new leaders’ Memorial Day weekend public safety plan Shots were fired during the fight and no one was injured, police said.One person, who hasn't been identified yet, was eventually taken into custody, police said. Boating safety tips this Memorial Day weekend in Chicago Officers were checking bags before people were allowed on the beach.The beach is closed while officers are investigating.On Thursday, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago police officials shared their safety plans for the holiday weekend.

Bears approved to start first part of Arlington Park demolition

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — The Chicago Bears have gotten the go-ahead to begin the demotion of the former Arlington Park racecourse. Per their website, the Village of Arlington Heights has approved the permit for Phase 1 of the demolition of the former horse racing facility as the NFL franchise continues its efforts to build a new stadium on the property.This permit allows for interior demolition to begin for the grandstand, office, and jockey buildings located on the site. Permits for demolition of the exterior demolition of buildings will require approval from Arlington Heights along with Cook County. An early Bears’ Arlington Park stadium bill on hold Per the village, there will be increased traffic around the Arlington Park site as the interior demolition begins. It's expected there will be 20-to-30 trucks per day with most of the material from the demolition going to West Chicago with another transfer site in Rolling Meadows. There will be access for commuters to the Metra Ar...

2 Indianapolis brothers sentenced for gun trafficking conspiracy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS -- Two Indy brothers have been convicted of federal felonies for their scheme to illegally sell "straw-purchased" firearms.28-year-old Jacob Tomlin was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to two counts of making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. 21-year-old Ryan White was sentenced in January 2023 to 18 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to dealing firearms without a license.Court documents show during the Summer of 2021 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the source of firearms located at crime scenes in Indianapolis and Chicago. The gun investigations found that weapons from multiple crime scenes were purchased by Tomlin from federally licensed dealers in Indiana. Who killed Alexandra Anaya in 2005? FBI doubles reward to $20,000 for the answer. The ATF investigation revealed that from May 19 to June 8, 2021 Tomlin lied on federal firearms purchase documents to illegally...

Brookfield Zoo Mexican wolf puppies arrive in wild dens of Arizona, New Mexico

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

CHICAGO —  The Brookfield Zoo is helping re-establish the Mexican wolf population in the southwestern US and Mexico. Six of seven Mexican wolf puppies born at the zoo last month were placed days later in wild dens as part of a federal recovery program.   Brookfield Zoo announces summer concerts series featuring Macy Gray, Vertical Horizon and more Seven Mexican wolf puppies were born at Brookfield Zoo on April 27. On May 6, six of the puppies were flown to Arizona to be placed with wild wolf packs as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, which helps enhance the genetic diversity of the overall Mexican wolf population. (CZS-Brookfield Zoo)Dr. Lily Parkinson, a clinical veterinarian at Brookfield Zoo, examines a 9-day-old Mexican wolf puppy. The puppy was one of six flown to Arizona to be placed with wild wolf packs as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ Mexican Wolf Recovery Program. (CZS-Brookfield Zoo)Dr. Lily Parkinson, a clinical v...

Fifth House Democrat calls on Feinstein to resign

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

A fifth House Democrat on Friday called for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) to resign her seat after her return to Washington following a prolonged absence due to shingles. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) argued lawmakers should resign if they become "a shadow of your former self.""I think if you're a member, and you become a shadow of your former self, you should resign," Torres told Insider this week, calling for Feinstein to step aside for the first time. "Once you're no longer the best person to represent your state, you have a duty to move on."Torres joins Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) in calling for Feinstein to leave the upper chamber.Feinstein, 89, has had a distinguished 30-year career in the Senate but in recent years has come under scrutiny for her mental acuity and, in the past couple of months, her ability to fulfill her senatorial duties.The New York Times reported recentl...

What we know about possible impeachment against Attorney General Ken Paxton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Republican-led House is now poised to vote Saturday on the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton within the final days of the legislative session.The House General Investigating Committee presented the articles of impeachment to members late Thursday night, after unanimously adopting a formal recommendation to move toward impeachment. The five-member panel, with a conservative majority, revealed on Wednesday that it had been investigating the embattled attorney general since March.Although misconduct allegations have plagued Paxton since his first term in office, the committee’s investigation started after a proposal emerged to use state funds to pay $3.3 million to settle Paxton's whistleblower lawsuit filed by four former employees who accused him of wrongdoing. If Paxton is impeached, he'll join two other state officials on the Texas history books who have been formally ousted. Here's what we know about how the process works:Texas impeachment process d...