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Metro looks to keep DC’s bus lanes clear with cameras, fines

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:00:18 GMT

You may want to stay out of those bus lanes in the city when you need a quick parking job — in the future, camera-enforced tickets may be coming.The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority estimates their busses only travel about 10 mph on average. It’s even worse for the transit agency’s most popular routes.Aiming to improve service, reliability and speed, WMATA plans to partner with the D.C. Department of Transportation to install cameras on 140 buses this year. Those cameras would target cars and other vehicles that use or park in bus-only lanes, or at bus stops.Each designated bus would receive a camera mounted on the windshield that would record videos of the violator, as well as a separate camera that would take snapshots of license plates. A GPS system would ensure videos and photos would only be taken near bus lanes.Footage and photos of any violators would then be sent to the city for tickets, which right now would cost $200.The Clear Lanes project would be a p...

April heat wave: Denver breaks temperature record from 41 years ago

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:00:18 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- It might be spring, but it feels like summer in Colorado with record-breaking temperatures in the forecast this week.Denver reached 81 degrees on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m., breaking the record of 80 degrees set in 1982, according to the National Weather Service. When could Denver see its final snow of the season? More record-breaking heat is possible on Wednesday. The record is 79 degrees set in 2018. The Pinpoint Weather team is forecasting a high of 83 degrees for Wednesday. Fire weather watchThe NWS has issued a fire weather watch for the southern Front Range foothills and the Palmer Divide due to conditions favorable for rapid fire spread.The fire weather watch is in effect from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wind gusts up to 35 mph are possible.The NWS said if you live in these areas, you should avoid outdoor burning and any activities that may produce a spark.What is the average temperature in April?The NWS said the normal high temperature during the month of April...

Manhattan DA sues Rep. Jordan over Trump indictment inquiry

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:00:18 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg filed a federal lawsuit against Rep. Jim Jordan on Tuesday, accusing the Republican of a “transparent campaign to intimidate and attack” him over his prosecution of former President Donald Trump.Bragg, a Democrat, is asking a judge to invalidate subpoenas that Jordan, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, has or plans to issue as part of an investigation of the Bragg’s handling of the Trump case.In recent weeks, the Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena seeking testimony from a former prosecutor, Mark Pomerantz, who previously oversaw the Trump investigation. The committee has also sought documents and testimony about the case from Bragg and his office. Bragg has rejected those requests.The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing in Manhattan on Monday on crime in New York City and what it alleges are Bragg’s “pro-crime, anti-victim” policies. The D.A.’s office, however, points to statistics showing...

One killed, 3 hurt in shooting outside DC funeral home

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:00:18 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — One man was killed and three other people were critically injured Tuesday in a shooting outside of a funeral for a homicide victim in the nation’s capital, according to police.Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said a police officer was stationed near the funeral home in northeast Washington where the service was held when the gunfire broke out around 12: 30 p.m.The shooting happened about 20 minutes after a funeral ended for a victim of a homicide who was shot and killed in March. The victim’s family had asked police to have officers near the funeral, Contee said.At least four people were shot, Contee said. One man died at the scene and three more people — two men and a woman — were taken to the hospital in critical condition, according to a spokesperson for DC Fire and EMS.“At this point, it appears that several people who were in the block were specifically targeted,” Contee said at a news conference outside the funeral home. “We’re unsure...

Biden calls family of reporter detained as spy in Russia

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:00:18 GMT

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Joe Biden spoke to the parents of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on Tuesday, nearly two weeks after the Moscow-based journalist was detained in Russia and charged with espionage.Biden made the call as he flew to Belfast to start a four-day trip to Northern Ireland and Ireland. The call happened one day after the Biden administration formally declared the reporter had been “wrongfully detained.”The designation elevates Gershkovich’s case for the U.S. government and means that a particular State Department office will take the lead on seeking his release.Before departing Washington on Tuesday, Biden again condemned the journalist’s detention. Both the U.S. government and Wall Street Journal have vehemently denied the Russian accusation that Gershkovich is a spy.“We’re making it real clear that it’s totally illegal what’s happening, and we declared it so,” Biden said. “It changes the dynamic.”White House press...

Charles Michel: Europe warming up to Macron’s ‘strategic autonomy’ push away from US

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:00:18 GMT

BRUSSELS — European leaders are becoming increasingly favorable toward French President Emmanuel Macron’s push for “strategic autonomy” away from the United States, European Council boss Charles Michel said Tuesday.As controversy swells around Macron’s comments that Europe should resist pressure to become “America’s followers,” Michel suggested that the French politician’s position was not isolated among EU leaders. While Macron spoke as the French president, his views reflect a growing shift among EU leaders, Michel said. “There has been a leap forward on strategic autonomy compared to several years ago,” Michel told French television show La Faute à l’Europe (which has a partnership with POLITICO) in an interview set to air on Wednesday. “On the issue of the relationship with the United States, it’s clear that there can be nuances and sensitivities around the table of the European Council. Some European leaders woul...

Second victim dies after fire in Hopkinton

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:00:18 GMT

A second victim in a house fire in Hopkinton over the weekend has died, state and local officials announced on Tuesday. The woman, described as an older adult in her 60s, was first taken to Milford Regional Medical Center after the fire. She was then taken to a Boston hospital. News of her death comes after officials already announced the death of a man in connection with the same fire. Officials on Monday said the fire did not appear to be suspicious. Crews first responded to reports of flames on Hayward Street in Hopkinton around 1:15 a.m. Sunday morning. Officials said emergency crews arriving at the scene immediately found heavy fire coming from a home. They soon began searching the building after learning two people were still inside. Miller said an older man was found in a hallway while an older woman was found in a bedroom. The man was taken to Milford Regional Medical Center, where officials said he was pronounced dead.While the exact cause of the fi...

Massachusetts House speaker unveils $654M tax relief plan

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:00:18 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts House Speaker Ronald Mariano on Tuesday unveiled a $654 million tax cut proposal for the 2024 fiscal year aimed at helping seniors, renters, businesses and wealthier homeowners while rewriting the law that sent about $3 billion back to taxpayers last year.The plan, which would increase to $1.1 billion in tax relief for the 2026 fiscal year, includes a number of proposals the Democratic speaker said will help make Massachusetts more affordable and competitive.“We wanted to have something that we felt impacted all segments of the economy, all segments of our constituency with some fairness and some equity,” Mariano told reporters Tuesday.The package would change a series of tax policies, including increasing the estate tax threshold from $1 million to $2 million.Massachusetts is one of just 12 states with an estate tax and has the lowest estate tax exemption threshold in the country, along with Oregon. Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, who released a $742 ...

Ex-candidate to change plea in child sex abuse images case

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:00:18 GMT

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A wealthy former gubernatorial candidate charged with possession of images depicting child sexual abuse plans to change his plea next month in Hancock County.The hearing for Eliot Cutler, who previously pleaded not guilty, is scheduled for May 4 in Superior Court, a court clerk said Tuesday. Cutler’s attorney declined to discuss details, including any potential agreement with prosecutors.The 76-year-old Cutler, who remains free on bail, was arrested last year at his waterfront home in Brooklin, a coastal community 130 miles (210 kilometers) from Portland. He was charged with four counts of possession of sexually explicit material of a child under 12.Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A message seeking comment was left with the prosecutor Tuesday.Cutler, a lawyer, ran for governor twice as an independent and used his personal wealth to bankroll both campaigns. He lost by less than 2 percentage points to Republican Paul...

Supermarkets to pay $800,000 in overtime violation case

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:00:18 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — A Boston-area supermarket chain will pay $800,000 to settle allegations that it violated state labor laws by failing to pay workers overtime and premium weekend rates, the state attorney general’s office said Tuesday.The C-Mart stores, which specialize in Asian foods and are located in Boston’s South End and Chinatown neighborhoods as well as in Quincy, were issued 15 citations in 2021 following an investigation by the attorney general’s Fair Labor Division.In addition to not properly paying workers for overtime hours or for hours worked on Sundays, authorities concluded that the stores failed to furnish accurate payroll records and failed to post required workplace notices.The settlement was reached after C-Mart appealed the 2021 citations.“I am proud of the office’s work to ensure that the workers harmed by C-Mart will get back the wages they are rightfully owed,” Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said in a statement.An email seeking comment was ...