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When Finland Matters More Than Donald Trump

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, left, shakes hands after handing over his nation’s accession document to United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, April 4, 2023.Photo: Johanna Geron/APDonald Trump’s arraignment in New York on Tuesday was only the second most important news story of the day. In Brussels, Finland abandoned its nonaligned status and officially joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, redrawing the map of Europe and bolstering the West’s front-line defense against Vladimir Putin. Finland’s accession into NATO was Tuesday’s most significant and historic event — by far.It would never have happened if Trump were still in the Oval Office, rather than sitting in a Manhattan courtroom facing felony charges in a tawdry case involving a porn star and the National Enquirer.Trump has committed many crimes; in addition to those of which he was accused in New Yor...

Photos show stone-faced Trump navigate historic arraignment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump turned his head toward photographers as he sat, stone-faced with shoulders rounded, at the defense table in a downtown Manhattan courtroom. “Not guilty,” he said in a firm voice during a historic appearance before a judge. Trump became the first U.S. president — former or current — to be charged with a crime. Prosecutors state in a 34-count felony indictment that Trump conspired to illegally influence the 2016 presidential election through hush money payments to two women, including a porn performer, who said they had sexual encounters with him. In addition, charging documents say a payoff went to a doorman who claimed to have a story about an out-of-wedlock child allegedly fathered by Trump. Earlier Tuesday, Trump struck a defiant pose, raising a clenched fist as he exited Trump Tower for the short ride from midtown to lower Manhattan. He wore a dark blue suit, white shirt and red tie. Television news helicopters followed his motorcade’...

Former Springboks rugby coach Ian McIntosh dies at 84

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Ian McIntosh, who coached South Africa’s rugby team through the country’s transition from apartheid to multi-party democracy, died Wednesday, SA Rugby said. He was 84.McIntosh was the coach of the Springboks from 1993-94 and also held the distinction of being the only man to coach South Africa’s national 15-man and sevens teams. He was the sevens coach in 2003.He died Wednesday in a hospital near the east coast city of Durban after battling cancer, SA Rugby said.Durban was central to McIntosh’s legacy after he took the city’s Sharks team, then known as Natal, to its first Currie Cup title in 1990 and made them a force in South African rugby when they had previously been little more than an underdog.He won three more titles with the Sharks in 1992, 1995 and 1996 and also led them to the final in the first season of the southern hemisphere’s Super 12 competition.McIntosh, who was nicknamed “Mac” and sometimes “Master,”...

Tornado strikes Missouri amid severe weather threat in US

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A tornado struck Missouri on Wednesday morning, causing an unknown number of injuries, as severe thunderstorms packing the threat of more hail and tornadoes were forecast across parts of the Midwest and South.The storms threatened a region that includes portions of the country still reeling from deadly weekend weather. The Storm Prediction Center said up to 40 million people from Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit to Memphis, Tennessee, were at risk for storms later Wednesday, with the greatest threat from lower Michigan, across the middle to lower Ohio River valley and into the mid-South.Storms were moving Wednesday morning across the Ozarks in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri, prompting tornado warnings. The National Weather Service said a tornado struck in Bollinger County in southeastern Missouri on Wednesday morning, causing an unknown number of injuries.“A tornado definitely touched down, there is damage to homes, we know that, there have been people...

Prince George’s Co. approves universal basic income pilot program

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

People living in poverty in Prince George’s County, Maryland, are now eligible to get no strings attached payments from a new pilot program approved by the county council unanimously on Tuesday.Sponsors of the measure argue that many residents in Prince George’s County are “trapped in this generational cycle with little to no prospects for economic mobility,” according to the council’s resolution.More Local NewsMore Prince George’s County NewsThe Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Program would be modeled after the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED) program based in Stockton, California.In that program, 125 qualified people are randomly picked to receive unconditional payments of $500 a month over two years.A report from the SEED program showed participants were able to pay off debts and cover unexpected expenses and saw a 12% increase from part-time to full-time employment.The exact details of Prince George’s County program will be hashed out by a workgroup. But du...

Park Hill plan losing in Denver election, yes campaign shares concession

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Early returns show Denver voters rejecting the plan to develop the former Park Hill golf course.Tuesday night's returns showed more than 60% of voters had rejected the plan as of 11:30 p.m. The opposition campaign declared victory late Tuesday night. Full Results: Denver ballot questions Yes on 2O concession statementWhile the votes are still being counted, the Yes on 2O campaign sent in a concession state to FOX31 as more than 60% of voters have already rejected the plan.The Park Hill Golf Course will forever be a case study in missed opportunities. With historically low turnout, Denver has rejected its single best opportunity to build new affordable housing and create new public parks. Thousands of Denverites who urgently need more affordable housing are now at even greater risk of displacement.Because the Park Hill easement is unambiguous, the land will return to a privately-owned, regulation-length 18-hole golf course. The site will immediately be closed to pu...

1 killed, 2 injured in Thornton crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

THORNTON, Colo. (KDVR) — One person was killed and two others suffered serious injuries following a single-car crash on Colorado Boulevard. According to the Thornton Police Department, officers were investigating a deadly car crash. Due to the investigation, both directions of Colorado Boulevard were closed from 108th Avenue to 112th Avenue at around 12:30 a.m. this morning. US 36 reopened after deputy-involved shooting TPD said that one adult man died in the crash, and two other men were transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. Officers have not provided an update on their conditions. Officers did not release information on how the crash happened or any factors that may have been involved. The roadway reopened hours later at around 4 a.m. Wednesday.

Denver 8th-largest sports city in revenue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Of the cities in the nation with all four major sports teams, Denver is one that rakes in the most from its teams. An analysis of sports revenues from OLBG ranked Denver as the nation's eighth-biggest sporting city. The Colorado Rockies, Denver Broncos, Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets collectively made $1.159 billion in revenue in 2022, just behind Detroit. The cities with the greatest sports revenue are already the nation's largest metros including Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Houston. Situated nearby major cities, Arlington, Texas; Inglewood, California; and East Rutherford, New Jersey round out the 10 cities with the most. Retirees are fleeing Colorado, but one city still attracts them Chicago's teams made the most - $1.661 billion overall - followed by New York City. Denver's teams are projected to make even more by the end of the decade. OLBG analysts forecast $1.59 billion from its sports teams in 2030, which will put Denver in ...

Broward County woman wins $1 million from $5 scratch-off ticket

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

A Broward County woman hit the jackpot when she won $1 million from a scratch-off ticket.Litoria Ellis, 25, of Oakland Park, claimed a $1 million top prize from the FLORIDA 50X THE CASH Holiday Edition Scratch-Off game at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. She chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $695,000.00. Ellis purchased her winning ticket from Super Stop, located at 1801 Northeast 45th Street in Ft. Lauderdale. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket.Earlier this year, Super Stop sold two winning million dollar tickets in less than a month.The $5 game launched in October 2022 and features more than $101 million in cash prizes, including four top prizes of $1 million. The game’s overall odds of winning are 1-in-3.78.According to the Florida Lottery, Scratch-Off games accounted for approximately 77 percent of ticket sales in 2021-2022. Since inception, Scratch-Off games have generated more than $17.06 ...

Officer speaks out 1 week after killing Nashville shooter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

Officer Rex Engelbert was one of the officers who helped take down a school shooter that terrorized the people inside The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee and he spoke out about the incident in a press conference on Tuesday.He was en route to the Metro Police Academy on Mar. 27 to get some work done, but as he was driving outside of his precinct, he ended up near the school.“I really had no business being where I was,” said Engelbert. “I think you can call it fate or God.”Engelbert was the one who fired at the suspect, but he was then relieved of duty.“I was told to sit in my car and that was difficult because I could tell there was more work to be done,” he said.A reporter asked the officers, who are all fathers, how they would explain what happened that day to their children. Detective Sgt. Jeff Mathes, who has an 11-month-old baby, said he would have that conversation with his son when he is ready.“Obviously it’s difficult,&#...