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Montgomery Co. school bus safety report shows fewer cars passing stopped buses

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:27 GMT

There are fewer drivers blowing past stopped school buses in Montgomery County, Maryland, and 91% of drivers cited don’t do it again, according to police.Montgomery County police said there were a total of 54,766 violations involving drivers passing stopped school buses in the 2021-2022 school year, compared to 29,303 so far this year.In a briefing before the county council’s Public Safety and Education and Culture committees, Council member Will Jawando referred to the tickets generated through automated cameras on the bus stop arms by saying, “One could assume that maybe the program is working.”The fine for passing a school bus when it’s stopped with flashing lights and the stop arm extended is $250 when the violation is issued as a result of the automated camera. If a police officer issues a citation, the fine could be as high as $570, and drivers could face an added penalty of three points on their license.More Local NewsMore Montgomery County NewsM...

House GOP demands info from NY prosecutor about Trump case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:27 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — House Republicans rallied to the defense of former President Donald Trump ahead of his possible indictment, demanding that the Manhattan district attorney who is investigating him turn over documents and come for an interview. The Republican chairmen of three House committees sent a letter Monday to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, seeking information about his actions in the Trump case, which they characterized as an “unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority.” They requested testimony as well as documents and copies of any communications with the Justice Department.No authorities wanted to take the case but then “what changed? President Trump announces he’s running for president and shazam,” Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said shortly after sending the letter.The letter to Bragg — effectively demanding transparency in the middle of a criminal investigation — suggested that Republicans intend to use ...

Biden signs bill on COVID origins declassification

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:27 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill Monday that directs the federal government to declassify as much intelligence as possible about the origins of COVID-19 more than three years after the start of the pandemic.The legislation, which passed both the House and Senate without dissent, directs the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to declassify intelligence related to China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology. It cites “potential links” between the research that was done there and the outbreak of COVID-19, which the World Health Organization declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The law allows for redactions to protect sensitive sources and methods.U.S. intelligence agencies are divided over whether a lab leak or a spillover from animals is the likely source of the deadly virus. Experts say the true origin of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 1.1 million in the U.S. and millions more around the globe, may not be known for many years...

Montana senator wants to block mandatory diversity training

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:27 GMT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A Republican lawmaker in Montana wants to prohibit mandatory diversity training for state employees with a bill whose language matches a Florida law that is temporarily blocked by the courts.The proposed “Montana Individual Freedom Act,” would prohibit diversity, equity and inclusion training as a condition of state employment if the training is aimed at having the employee believe that a group of people are responsible for “and must feel guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress,” for historical injustices. A House committee heard testimony Monday after the Senate passed the bill on party lines. “I find it interesting and confusing that we’re trying to legislate emotional responses,” the executive director of the Montana Human Rights Network, Angelina Gonzalez-Aller, said Monday when she testified in opposition to the bill before a House committee.“I have no doubts that this is little more than a censorship attempt rooted in a coordin...

Sports bets abound, NCAA now embraces Vegas in March Madness

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:27 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — An event that would have been unthinkable not even a decade ago is coming to Las Vegas this week. That’s March Madness.The NCAA Tournament avoided the city until now because sports gambling is legal here. The governing body for collegiate athletics even had a policy in place of not allowing its championship events to be played in Nevada.Gone are those times. With sports betting abound, the NCAA has no qualms about placing its championships in Las Vegas. The West Region games at T-Mobile Arena are among the many championship events the NCAA awarded to the city.Others include hockey’s Frozen Four in 2026, the Final Four in 2028, and a shot at the College Football Playoff National Championship as early as 2027.This no longer is Jerry Tarkanian’s Las Vegas, at least in the eyes of the NCAA, which for many years had fought with the UNLV Hall of Fame coach who sued the governing body and settled in 1998 for $2.5 million.Between the outlaw image of Tarkanian and an overall...

Biden awarding 1st batch of arts, humanities medals Tuesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:27 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bruce Springsteen has a Presidential Medal of Freedom and a coveted Kennedy Center Honor. He has won multiple Grammys and Golden Globes, plus an Academy Award and a special Tony Award. Springsteen will add to his collection of accolades on Tuesday when President Joe Biden honors “the Boss” with the 2021 National Medal of Arts. It’s the nation’s highest award for advancing the arts in America.Springsteen, who has sold around 140 million albums, is among a dozen individuals and groups that Biden has chosen to honor with arts medals during a White House ceremony on Tuesday. First lady Jill Biden will also participate. At the same event, Biden will award 2021 National Humanities Medals to a group including authors Amy Tan, Colson Whitehead and Ann Patchett. The medal honors individuals or groups for work that deepens understanding of the humanities. Both medals are the first of their kind to be awarded by Biden. The president surprised Sir Elton John with a...

Policía: hallan cuerpo de una mujer en contenedor de basura al sureste de DC

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:27 GMT

El cuerpo de una mujer fue hallado en un contenedor de basura la tarde del lunes en el sureste de DC, informó la policía. Detectives están investigando el cadáver encontrado detrás de un edificio de apartamentos en 1616 27th Street SE en el área de Randle Highlands, según las autoridades. Más información no estuvo disponible de inmediato.Esta es una historia en desarrollo. Source

Denver weather: Rain-snow chances, feet of mountain snow

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:27 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver's weather will become more active this week with a chance for rain or snow showers every day for at least the next seven days. The mountains will see several feet of snow in spots over the next few days. Weather tonight: Snow west, northMountain snow showers will increase in coverage overnight. Roads will be slick for travel in the higher elevations Monday night into early Tuesday. Denver and the Front Range will keep mostly cloudy skies with temperatures falling into the upper 20s. What will spring weather be like for Colorado? The northern Front Range and foothills have a chance after midnight to see isolated snow showers early Tuesday morning. A light dusting is possible, but it shouldn't be enough to impact roads in the lower elevations. Weather tomorrow: Mountain snow Denver will hit the upper 50s on Tuesday with partly cloudy skies and a 10% chance for isolated rain showers in the afternoon and evening. The mountains will see another wave of scat...

Boston pizza shop owner called to court after arrest on forced labor charge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:27 GMT

A Boston pizza shop owner was called to federal court in Boston for a detention hearing on Monday a matter of days after he was arrested last week on a charge of forced labor. Stavros Papantoniadis, 47, of Westwood is accused of abusing employees, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced on Thursday. U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins, who spent most of the day watching Papantoniadis’ detention hearing on Monday, said Papantoniadis is guilty of a form of human trafficking by using threats and physical violence to retain employees. One employee told a Homeland Security investigator he worked between 85 and 110 hours a week at Stash’s Pizza in Dorchester with no days off, according to officials.Special Agent John Heaton, testified that one victim, an undocumented immigrant from North Africa, was brutally beaten on multiple occasions. Heaton said the man even lost his teeth. In 2007, Heaton said Papantoniadis kicked the man in the groin when he asked for a...

Failed Dem Lt. Gov., AG candidate lands $160K job in Healey admin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:27 GMT

Former candidate for attorney general Quentin Palfrey has landed a sweet new job in the Healey-Driscoll administration, as their new Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure, the governor’s office announced.“Massachusetts has a unique opportunity to aggressively compete for billions of federal dollars to support crucial infrastructure, climate and economic development projects in our state – from the Inflation Reduction Act to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to the CHIPS and Science Act and beyond,” Gov. Maura Healey said along with the announcement.“Quentin Palfrey’s extensive federal and state government experience, combined with his passion for serving the people of Massachusetts, make him the perfect fit to take on this challenge and deliver results,” she continued.The position is an entirely new invention of the Healey Administration, though Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration did have a similar Director of Infrastructure Investment gig to oversee the spending of st...