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Prosecutor in the Hunter Biden case denies retaliating against IRS agent who talked to House GOP

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:02 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal prosecutor leading the investigation of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter is pushing back against claims that he was blocked from pursuing criminal charges in Los Angeles and Washington and denies retaliating against an IRS official who disclosed details about the case.In a two-page letter to House Republicans on Friday, U.S. Attorney David Weiss in Delaware defended the lengthy investigation into Hunter Biden’s financial dealings that ended last month with a plea with the Justice Department that likely spares Biden from time behind bars.Weiss, who was named to that post by President Donald Trump and was kept on by the Biden administration, said in his letter that the department “did not retaliate” against Gary Shapley, an IRS agent who said the prosecutor helped block Shapley’s job promotion after the tax agency employee had reached out to congressional investigators about the Biden case.Shapley is one of two IRS employees interviewed ...

Fanfare, golf and boos have marked July Fourth for US presidents. Zachary Taylor’s was the worst

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:02 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Through history, the Fourth of July has been a day for some presidents to declare their independence from the public. They’ve bailed to the beach, the mountains, the golf course, the farm, the ranch. In the middle of the Depression, Franklin Roosevelt was sailing to Hawaii on a fishing and working vacation.It’s also been a day for some presidents to insert themselves front and center in the fabric of it all. Teddy Roosevelt drew hundreds of thousands for his July Fourth oratory. In 2019, Donald Trump marshaled tanks, bombers and other war machinery for a celebration that typically avoids military muscle.Richard Nixon enraged the anti-war masses without even showing up. As the anti-Nixon demonstrations of 1970 showed, Independence Day in the capital isn’t always just fun and games. It has a tradition of red, white and boo, too.In modern times, though, presidents have tended to stand back and let the people party. George W. Bush had a ceremony welcoming immigrants as...

Ontario tracks spread of tick borne illnesses; top doctor links it to climate change

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:02 GMT

Ontario’s top doctor expects to see a growing number of cases of three types of tick-borne illness in the province, in addition to Lyme disease – a spread he says is directly linked to climate change.A new regulation that takes effect this weekend requires health-care providers in Ontario to report cases of anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Powassan virus to their local medical officers of health.There have been anecdotal reports and publications about the three illnesses being found in Ontario in recent years, but the province now needs to start formally tracking them, said Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore.“We can now count and track when these illnesses are occurring, map it for a risk map and be able to inform the public when these diseases become more prevalent,” he said in an interview.“It’s absolutely expected that we’ll have greater incidence over the next several years because this is a known wave of infections that weR...

Day 2 of NASCAR in Chicago: Organizers hoping for green flags, no storms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:02 GMT

Organizers are hoping the weather cooperates Sunday for Day 2 of NASCAR in Chicago.Day one of the first ever street race in Chicago was partially washed away by rain.Saturday’s events started with Xfinity practice and qualifying. Then the checkered flag waved to start the race. But about halfway through, lightning and rain threats forced NASCAR to postpone it until Sunday.The Loop 121 race will resume at 10 a.m. Sunday on lap number 26. Gates will open to the general public at 9 a.m. What happens if bad weather hits the NASCAR Chicago Street Races? The green flag for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 220 has been moved up to 4:05 p.m.NASCAR announced that single-day tickets are still available for Sunday.Also Saturday, the Chainsmokers concert scheduled for after the race was also canceled and won't be rescheduled. More coverage: NASCAR in Chicago Some fans are requesting refunds. But most attendees didn't let the rough weather rain on their parade and took in...

2 dead, 28 injured after Baltimore block party shooting: police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:02 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — Gunfire erupted at a block party in Baltimore on Sunday — killing two people, wounding 28 and leaving an extensive crime scene that marred the U.S. holiday weekend, police said. Three of the wounded were in critical condition.Baltimore Police Department Acting Commissioner Richard Worley told reporters there were a total of 30 victims during a press conference at the scene.The shooting took place just after 12:30 a.m. at a block party in the Brooklyn Homes area in the southern part of the city, Worley said.The shooting comes amid gatherings around the country leading up to the July Fourth holiday. Elsewhere, a shooting in Kansas left seven people with gunshot wounds and two more victims hospitalized after being trampled as people rushed out of a nightclub early Sunday morning, police there said.All of the Baltimore victims were adults. Nine victims were transported by ambulance and 20 victims walked into area hospitals with injuries from the shooting, Worl...

Video: Crack found in North Carolina roller coaster, ride closed until further notice

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:02 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WNCN) - A Charlotte, North Carolina amusement park has closed its tallest roller coaster after someone spotted an apparent crack in one of its support beams.In a statement, Carowinds said Fury 325 – advertised as the world's tallest and fastest giga roller coaster – was closed Friday after park personnel became aware of a crack at the top of a steel support pillar.(Shared with WNCN)A giga coaster is a type of roller coaster with a height or drop of at least 300 feet.In a video shared with Nexstar's WNCN, the beam, seen in the photo here, appears to move as one of Fury 325's trains whizzes by. The viewer who captured the video said he reported the crack to guest services. According to Carowinds, a maintenance team is inspecting the ride, which will be closed until repairs have been completed."Safety is our top priority and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our valued guests during this process," Carowinds' statement read in part. "As part of our compreh...

What is a 'pig butchering' online dating scam?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:02 GMT

(NewsNation) — A "love at first swipe" cost a Philadelphia woman nearly $500,000.Shreya Datta explains she was matched with a guy on the dating app Hinge — they bonded and realized they shared a lot in common including investing.The person she was communicating with recommended she put her cash into Coinbase and change it to cryptocurrency. After a lot of money transfers into what Datta thought was a legitimate site, some of the guy's fishy behavior caught her attention. She realized she had been swindled out of a lot of her hard-earned cash and was a victim of a romance scam known as "pig butchering." Is unlimited vacation time really unlimited? "I thought it was definitely the beginnings of a very deep romantic connection," Datta explained. "Now, you have to understand that the scammers are very sophisticated. I wasn't scammed by a person. I was scammed by an organization. So they have the perfect script to psychologically kind of hack you and ...

George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum offers free exploration of Texan's legacy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:02 GMT

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (FOX 44/KWKT) — A stop in College Station is also a chance to step into history in an interactive and educational way by visiting the George H.W. Bush Library and Museum.This destination is celebrating its 25-year milestone and is a free stop for history lovers and those wanting to learn more about one of the United States' impactful leaders.The museum and library are rich in history and offer multiple exhibits narrating the late former president's life as well as scavenger hunts, and interactive zones for kids. The exhibits capture some of the most significant history from his term — from replicas of the rooms that former President Bush used to occupy, to an actual piece of the Berlin Wall — and show how legacies from his term are still prevalent to this day.Exhibit at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum (KWKT Photo)Exhibit at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum (KWKT Photo)Exhibit at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library...

Letters: Our water supply isn’t inexhaustible

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:02 GMT

Think twice about waterYour story by Jennifer Leonard in the June 29 newspaper should give pause to every city, county and state official and general residents as well (“DNR casts blame for tapped-out private wells”). Think twice or more when offered contracts for high-volume well construction and water extraction from Minnesota aquifers.Even with the Mississippi River and Lake Superior water (partly owned by Canada) our access to a large supply of good water is not inexhaustible.Carl Brookins, Roseville The work of creating opportunity remainsI’m not surprised by last week’s ruling by the Supreme Court ending affirmative action in college admissions. As economist Daniel Kahneman has found, people are much more disturbed about losing what they have than feeling aggrieved about what they don’t have.For nearly 350 years Caucasians in America protected their privilege over African Americans and Native Americans through law and violence. The 1954 Brown...

Local hotel worker strike looms amid upcoming holiday weekend 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:02 GMT

Thousands of unionized hotel workers are threatening to strike after the contract between the hotels and the union expired. Up to 15,000 employees in the Unite Here Local 11 union could walk off the job this weekend, which would affect 65 major hotels in Los Angeles and Orange counties, including Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, Marriott, and Four Seasons. According to hotel officials, management and other non-unionized employees will be in place if a strike occurs.