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Top court ruling unleashes permit upheaval in Puerto Rico

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:28 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A ruling by Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court has thrown into limbo hundreds of thousands of business and construction permits issued by a U.S. territory already struggling to attract investors amid an economic crisis.Government officials on Thursday sought to quell anxieties over fallout from the ruling, which upholds the decision of an appeals court that voids a document from 2020 that regulates land use and the granting of permits on the island.The ruling released Wednesday prompted the government to take the unprecedented step of temporarily suspending access to the website where people apply for permits. While access was restored Thursday, confusion still reigned as people began to question whether they’re allowed to operate a new business they opened, keep a new deck they built or start from scratch and obtain new permits if they were in mid-construction of a hospital or other buildings.“This puts our weak economy at risk,” said Luis Vega Ramos, general ...

Collision between minivan and truck leaves two dead, four injured in Quebec

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:28 GMT

SAINT-JOSEPH-DE-BEAUCE, Que. — A 12-year-old girl and a man in his 40s died Wednesday in a head-on collision between a minivan and a heavy truck in Quebec’s Chaudière-Appalaches region.Emergency services were called to the scene shortly after 4 p.m. on Highway 112 in the small municipality of St-Frédéric, about an hour’s drive south of Quebec City.The minivan was carrying six people, and provincial police said two of its occupants were left in critical condition while the other two suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.Authorities also said that none of the five people in the truck sustained any apparent injuries.It was not immediately clear what led to the collision, but initial findings showed that the 16-metre truck was travelling eastbound and the minivan was heading westbound at the time of impact.Police say the investigation is ongoing.This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 16, 2023.The Canadian Press

CPS faces lawsuit on alleged teacher assault allegations in West Pullman school

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:28 GMT

CHICAGO — Multiple families are suing CPS over claims of an elementary school teacher allegedly assaulting their children in a Far South Side school. A press conference regarding the incident took place Thursday. Eight families claim that their children were abused at Whistler Elementary school in the West Pullman neighborhood with four of the families present at the press conference.Attorneys with the Cochran Firm say a whistleblower came to them in February about the issue. While the lawsuit does not name the authority figure involved, attorneys describe the alleged abuse as an open secret and believe it has been occurring by the same teacher for several years, perhaps even 20 years. Eric Carter selected as CPD’s interim superintendent The students who were allegedly abused are in kindergarten through second grade and have varying developmental and physical disabilities along with learning disorders.The lawsuit says the teacher struck the students with her hands, wooden rulers,...

Certificate of innocence delayed again for brothers wrongly convicted of 1994 murder

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:28 GMT

CHICAGO — Two brothers wrongly convicted of murder did not leave the Cook County courthouse with their certificates of innocence Thursday.The Henderson brothers were hoping to have a judge make a decision on the case without an additional hearing, but that won't happen now despite what they say is overwhelming evidence that the two are innocent.It has been a very long journey for the brothers, who are now in their 40s. The two are said to be victims of police torture under disgraced Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge. Eric Carter selected as CPD’s interim superintendent Sean Tyler and Reginald were just 17 and 18-years-old when they were convicted of a 1994 murder. Their confession, they say, was coerced out of them by detectives working for Burge.They were both exonerated and freed in 2021, but they did not get their certificate of innocence which not only wipes their records clean — but also makes them eligible for $200,000 from the state.For unknown reasons, the Cook County sta...

Anglers catch probable great white shark in Alabama

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:28 GMT

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (WKRG) — Dylan Wier and Blaine Kenny were having a relatively boring night on Sunday. They had been sitting on their fishing line with their clients in Orange Beach, Alabama, hoping for a bite. The two shark fishing guides never would have guessed that just before sunrise they were about to catch a 10-foot long great white shark. Their catch is believed to be the first great white caught in Alabama.“As soon as we got our hands on that fish, I think I blacked out for a quick second, just because of the adrenaline and then got right back into action and got that fish out as quick as possible," said Kenny. Mexican pharmacies selling fentanyl-, meth-laced pills: Study They estimated that the shark weighed between 800 and 1,000 pounds.  “I’m in the kayak coming back into the beach," said Wier. "Blaine over here, my business partner, he sticks that thing from the beach and immediately we knew we had a really big fish.”Amidst the chaos, it took an all-h...

Heated blankets recalled due to burn, fire hazards

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:28 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (WXIN) – More than 40,000 heated blankets are being recalled over the risk of people being burned while using them.The Consumer Product Safety Commission said the recall involves Sunbeam® Queen Size Heated Blankets. The blankets were sold on Amazon and in small independent stores nationwide from September 2022 through January 2023. 81,000 chairs sold at T.J.Maxx, HomeGoods recalled following injury reports The recalled blankets have model number 32810027 printed on the wash label. They were sold with detachable controllers and in the following colors: beige, ivory, light green, dark blue, light blue, burgundy, dark gray, light gray and gray violet.Photo//CPSCPhoto//CPSCThe recall was initiated because the recalled heated blankets can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards. So far, the company received 13 reports of the blankets overheating. No injuries have been reported as of the time of the recall posting.Anyone with the recalled blankets should stop using...

TikTok CEO: Sale won't resolve perceived security risks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:28 GMT

(The Hill) -- Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, said in an interview that an eventual sale of the company won’t resolve perceived security risks of the app amid calls from Congress for the Chinese owners of the company to sell their stakes. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Thursday, Chew said that the U.S.’s latest demands for ByteDance to sell its stake in the social media platform don't offer any more protection than a multibillion-dollar plan the company already proposed with U.S.-based company Oracle Corp. TikTok’s proposed plan will allow Oracle to store the data of American users and also safeguard against any influence from China over what videos Americans view on the app, according to the Journal.“I do welcome feedback on what other risk we are talking about that is not addressed by this,” Chew told the Journal. “So far I haven’t heard anything that cannot actually be solved by this.” Axios fires reporter after email calling DeSantis press r...

Patient's 'embarrassing' private health information posted to Facebook after breach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:28 GMT

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) -- A woman has reported that the results of her test for sexually transmitted diseases were posted to Facebook after a worker at a California hospital gained access to her medical records, according to a complaint shared by her attorney. For privacy, the woman was identified by the initials S.B. Her attorney, Torin Dorros, alleges that an employee at the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in Contra Costa County gained access to S.B.'s personal medical records and released the information without the patient's consent, in violation of the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Stanford employee arrested on suspicion of false rape claims on campus In February 2022, S.B. learned that a Facebook page impersonating her had been created. The page posted copies of S.B.'s private medical records -- including evidence of STDs and other "embarrassing" details -- on the public page. After she reached out to Facebook to take the pa...

Menu for 2023 Masters Club Dinner is announced, and Twitter has opinions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:28 GMT

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF/NEXSTAR) – Masters champion Scottie Scheffler has announced the menu for the upcoming 2023 Masters Club Dinner scheduled for April.Scheffler, the winner of the 2022 tournament and the current number-one ranked golfer on the Official World Golf Ranking, revealed his menu choices on Wednesday during a video call ahead of his title defense at Augusta National on April 6–9.Appetizers include cheeseburger sliders (served "Scottie-style") and firecracker shrimp. The second course, tortilla soup, is followed by entrees of either Texas ribeye steak or blackened redfish, with sides of mac & cheese, jalapeno creamed corn, fried brussels sprouts, and seasoned fries served family-style.For dessert, guests will be served warm chocolate-chip cookie skillets alongside "milk & cookies ice cream," according to the menu. The Masters Tournament: How much money does the winner take home? The Masters Club dinner dates to 1952, an idea started by Ben Hogan for all the Masters...

Man convicted of murder in northeast Austin shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A 31-year-old man was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison after the 2021 death of a 20-year-old woman, according to a Travis County District Attorney release.Frank Lee Nobles was accused of shooting and killing Iyanna Dukes at a northeast Austin apartment complex in September 2021.According to an arrest affidavit, witnesses at the complex told police Dukes lived with Nobles, and described him as her “on and off” boyfriend. The Travis County jury found Nobles guilty of murder Thursday.“Our office is committed to holding people who commit acts of violence accountable,” Travis County District Attorney José Garza said in the release. “We hope this verdict brings closure and peace to the victim’s family.”