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Mistrial declared for Texas officer in fatal shooting of an unarmed man

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:32 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A mistrial was declared Wednesday for a Texas police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man in Austin. The mistrial for Austin Officer Christopher Taylor was announced by Judge Dayna Blazey after jurors were unable to reach a verdict following five days of deliberations.Prosecutors did not immediately return a phone call for comment about whether they will again try Taylor. They had filed a murder charge against him shortly after the April 2020 shooting and he pleaded not guilty.Taylor’s defense attorney also did not immediately return a phone call for comment.Taylor has been on administrative since the shooting that killed Michael Ramos, who is Black and Hispanic. Ramos was shot as he tried to drive away from police who were attempting to arrest him in an apartment complex parking lot.Police were investigating reports of a man with a gun using drugs with other people inside a car in the parking lot.The woman who said she made the call, Meko Scott...

The UK government wants to send migrants to Rwanda. Here’s why judges say it’s unlawful

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:32 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Supreme Court dealt the government a defeat on Wednesday, ruling that its flagship policy to send migrants on a one-way trip to Rwanda is unlawful. The government is vowing to make some changes and press on with the controversial plan.Here’s a look at the decision and what could happen next.WHAT IS THE RWANDA PLAN?The Rwanda plan is the British government’s response to the growing number of migrants from around the world — 46,000 in 2022 – who cross the English Channel from France to Britain in small boats. Most people who arrive that way apply for asylum, and in the past many have been granted it. The Conservative government says these migrants should not be treated as genuine refugees because they did not claim asylum in another safe country, such as France, that they reached first.In an attempt to deter people from making the risky journeys, the U.K. struck a deal with Rwanda in April 2022 to send migrants who arrive in the U.K. as stowaways or in bo...

Vatican plans to gradually replace car fleet with electric vehicles in deal with VW

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:32 GMT

ROME (AP) — The Vatican signed an agreement Wednesday with German carmaker Volkswagen AG to gradually replace its auto fleet with electric vehicles as part of the Vatican’s efforts to reduce its carbon emissions.The announcement did not give any details on the value of the deal or set a timetable for completing the switch to electric vehicles.The partnership falls under the Vatican’s “Ecological Conversion 2030” plan, which aims to pursue sustainable, carbon-neutral projects and technologies in the 44-hectare (109-acre) city state in the center of Rome. Pope Francis has made caring for the planet a hallmark of his papacy and will become the first pope to address a U.N. climate conference when he attends the upcoming COP28 meeting in Dubai. Last month, in a prelude to what he will likely say in Dubai, the Argentine Jesuit issued an urgent update to his landmark 2015 encyclical on the environment. In it, he challenged world leaders to commit to binding targets to slow climate ch...

City council expected to approve Johnson's budget

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:32 GMT

CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson's $16 billion budget is expected to be approved by the city council Wednesday.The budget does not include any property tax hike, which is a departure from prior mayors, who used their first budget to increase taxes.The budget does include $150 million to support the influx of migrants into the Chicago area.But some critics say that won't be enough because the city is already spending $40 million a month for migrants.

Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer latest 'Friends' stars to post touching tribute to Matthew Perry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:32 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matthew Perry’s “Friends” co-stars are sharing more remembrances of the star in their first personal social media posts since the actor’s death last month.Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer posted heartfelt notes about Perry, who died Oct. 28, on Instagram. The posts on Tuesday and Wednesday were accompanied by photos from the “Friends” set.“In the last couple weeks, I’ve been pouring over our texts to one another. Laughing and crying then laughing again,” Aniston posted Wednesday, sharing a text message where Perry sent her photo of a script reading session where Perry made her laugh.“Oh boy this one has cut deep... Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before,” Aniston’s post read.The stars, including Lisa Kudrow, issued a joint statement a few days after Perry's death, saying they were "all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. ...

Travis Kelce comments on weekend with Taylor Swift, being 'shocked' by changed song lyric

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:32 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) – It's Wednesday, which means a new episode of the Kelce brothers' "New Heights" podcast has dropped. And — as is so often the case these days — Travis and Jason Kelce discussed the former's relationship with Taylor Swift.This week's episode aired amid an especially big couple of weeks for the Kelce brothers, thanks to an upcoming game between Travis Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs and Jason Kelce's Philadelphia Eagles. And then, of course, there was Travis Kelce's weekend in Argentina with Swift. Travis Kelce kisses Taylor Swift in viral video from Argentina The brothers talked specifically about Swift changing the lyrics to her song "Karma" during her performance in Buenos Aires.During the song, which is the last on the Eras Tour set list, Swift changed a lyric from "Karma is a guy on the screen coming straight home to me" to “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs coming straight home to me."You can see the moment here: Jason Kelc...

Des Plaines man accused of shooting pregnant wife, killing unborn child

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:32 GMT

DES PLAINES, Ill. — A Des Plaines has been charged with shooting this pregnant wife, resulting in the death of an unborn child, police said Wednesday.Amal Reji, 30, faces one felony count of attempted murder and intentional homicide of an unborn child after allegedly admitting to shooting his wife on Monday, Nov. 13.According to police, around 7:30 p.m. Monday, officers responded to the St. Zachary Church parking lot, located in the 500 block of W. Algonquin Rd. There, officers encountered Reji and his wounded wife. At the scene, Reji allegedly confessed that the two had been arguing over finances before the shooting.SEE ALSO: Man charged in attack that critically injured woman on Michigan AvenuePolice learned that the argument between Reji and his wife, identified as Meera Abraham, allegedly began inside their home. Both left their residence and continued to argue in the car, which police said was a silver Honda Odyssey. While Abraham was seated in the backseat of the SUV, police s...

'Suspected bear encounter' happened after woman's death, California officials say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:32 GMT

(KTXL) — Officials in Northern California have reason to suspect that a woman who died inside her Downieville home was visited by a bear sometime after she passed.On Nov. 8, deputies with the Sierra County Sheriff's Office were asked to perform a welfare check on Patrice Miller, 71, as she had not been seen or heard from in days. Responding deputies forced their way inside to find Miller deceased, along with evidence that suggested a "subsequent encounter with a bear," the SCSO wrote in a Facebook post. Bear enters hotel through 'series of doors,' attacks security guard Investigators believe that Miller died before the "suspected bear encounter" inside her home. The sheriff's office thinks the animal could have been drawn to the home by scent, among other possible factors. "The Sierra County Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Patrice Miller during this difficult time. The loss of a community member is always a tragedy, and our thoughts a...

500,000 people rejected from Facebook privacy settlement: How to tell if you will get paid

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:32 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Half a million hopefuls waiting for a check from the massive $725 million Facebook privacy settlement received a rejection letter over the past couple of weeks. The huge payout, which Facebook parent company Meta agreed to in order to settle claims it violated users' privacy by sharing their data with third parties, was given final approval by a judge in San Francisco last month. Meanwhile, the company administering the settlement fund, Angeion, is working to verify the 28 million claims it received. How big will Facebook settlement checks be? Lawyers reveal estimated payment per person “As far as we can tell that’s the largest number of claims ever filed in a class action in the United States,” Lesley Weaver, co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs in the case, said in court.Angeion is still working through the pile of applications, but a representative for the company told Nexstar about 17 million have been validated so far. As the company checks each applicati...

Largest-ever Texas Lottery prize, worth more than $157 million, claimed in South Dakota

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:32 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The largest-ever Texas Lottery prize has been paid out to a lucky person in South Dakota.The Mega Millions ticket, worth $360 million, was claimed by the Blue Yucca Trust of Rapid City, South Dakota. A lottery trust helps keep the winner of lottery prizes worth $1 million or more anonymous.The winner chose the cash value option, meaning they took home $157,367,045, before taxes. Almost 2,000 Texans have won more than $1 million in state lottery history The ticket had been purchased at a Stripes convenience store in San Angelo for the Oct. 6 drawing. The retailer also received a $1 million bonus for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.The winnings are the largest-ever Lottery prize in Texas, surpassing a $157 million prize claimed by an anonymous Leander resident in October 2019.Three other players have won more than $100 million since the Texas Lottery was introduced in 1992, according to the Texas Lottery Commission. People from 45 states and six other co...