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Florida executes ‘ninja killer’ for couple’s 1989 death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:54 GMT

STARKE, Fla. (AP) — Florida executed a man known as the “ninja killer” on Wednesday for the 1989 slayings of a couple visiting the state from New Jersey.Louis Bernard Gaskin, 56, was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. after receiving a lethal injection, the governor’s office said. He was convicted of killing Robert Sturmfels, 56, and Georgette Sturmfels, 55, on Dec. 20, 1989, in their Flagler County winter home on Florida’s northeastern coast.Gaskin woke up at 4:45 a.m. Wednesday and had his last meal at 9:45 a.m., Department of Corrections spokesperson Kayla McLaughlin Smith said during a news conference. The meal included BBQ pork ribs, pork and turkey neck, Buffalo wings, shrimp fried rice, french fries and water.Gaskin was visited by his sister Wednesday, but he did not meet with a spiritual adviser, McLaughlin Smith said. No relatives of the victims had arranged to be in the witness room during the execution.Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has been signing death warrants at a rapid pace...

Maryland sheriff charged in illegal gun rental scheme

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:54 GMT

A Maryland sheriff repeatedly lied to federal authorities to help a local firearms dealer illegally obtain machine guns and rent them out to his customers, forming a partnership that was profitable and politically beneficial, according to a federal grand jury indictment filed last week.Frederick County Sheriff Charles “Chuck” Jenkins pleaded not guilty Wednesday to several charges, including conspiracy and making false statements to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.After initially pledging to remain in office while the case proceeds, Jenkins said Wednesday he is taking a leave of absence.“I have full confidence in the system, and I know that my innocence will prevail at the end of all of this,” Jenkins said in a statement released by the agency.He was released pending trial on several conditions, including that he refrains from possessing a firearm or other dangerous weapons.Federal law generally prohibits firearm dealers from importing machine guns un...

OAS rights court rules against Mexico on no-bail policy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:54 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Inter American Human Rights Court ruled Wednesday that Mexico violated the rights of two men who were held in pre-trial detention for 17 years before being convicted of homicide. The court, which is a branch of the Organization of American States, said such extended detention violates the right to personal freedom and the presumption of innocence, among others. It ordered the Mexican government to make amends to Daniel García Rodríguez and Reyes Alpízar Ortiz, who were arrested in 2002. It also said Mexico should review the practice of pre-trial detention for a long list of crimes.Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department said the government would review the ruling. It has a year to comply.President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has sparked debate in Mexico by expanding the number of crimes considered ineligible for bail, and he has publicly called on the Supreme Court not to release more people pending trial. Mexico does not have cash or property bail like th...

University of Toronto study finds banned chemicals in several consumer products

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:54 GMT

It’s been a decade since chlorinated paraffins were banned in Canada, but scientists involved in a newly released University of Toronto study say they found the chemicals in a large majority of the products they tested.Chlorinated paraffins are used in plastics as additives to soften the materials and make the materials easier to move. Those behind the study said a lot still needs to be learned about the chemicals, but the concerns have been lingering for some time.“It’s generally considered under the class of possible carcinogens. There haven’t been much in the way of human studies on them or they’ve been inconclusive, but there have been some studies on rats showing that they are carcinogenic and possibly neurodevelopmentally toxic,” Dr. Steven Kutarna at the University of Toronto told CityNews.“It’s similar enough to compounds that we know are toxic that we’re concerned.”Kutarna said the team bought 96 lower-cost, everyd...

Judge urged to reject Trump’s effort to delay rape trial

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:54 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A lawyer for a columnist who says former President Donald Trump raped her over a quarter century ago in a Manhattan department store dressing room urged a New York judge Wednesday to reject his request to delay this month’s civil trial because of publicity about charges in his criminal case.Attorney Roberta Kaplan said in a letter to the trial judge that it was “somewhat perverse” for Trump to claim the trial must be delayed because of publicity when “so much of the publicity he complains about has been driven by his own incendiary statements.”A Trump lawyer on Tuesday asked for a one-month delay in the April 25 start of a trial over E. Jean Carroll’s rape claims.Trump has repeatedly denied he raped Carroll or that he ever encountered her at a department store in 1996. Carroll first made her claims publicly in a 2019 book.Kaplan accused Trump of using a delay tactic to try to postpone the civil trial resulting from a November lawsuit. A temporary state law that took ...

Gulf nations Bahrain, Qatar to restore ties after blockade

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:54 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Gulf nations of Bahrain and Qatar agreed to restore diplomatic relations late Wednesday.Bahrain had been the last holdout of four Arab nations that imposed a boycott and blockade on Qatar in 2017. They were angered by Qatar’s support for Islamist groups that rose to power in some countries following the 2011 Arab Spring protests, which the other autocratic nations viewed as terrorist organizations.The blockade was lifted at the start of 2021, and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have restored ties with Qatar since then, with top leaders paying official visits in recent months.Bahrain and Qatar each issued official statements announcing the decision to restore relations following a meeting between their delegations at the headquarters of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a six-nation bloc of which both are members, in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.The four nations had severed all ties to Qatar, and at the height of the crisis the...

Chicago politicians promise spectacular 2024 DNC

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:54 GMT

CHICAGO — With Chicago's skyline glistening in the background, local Democrats took a victory lap Wednesday after landing the 2024 Democratic National Convention.The campaign to win the convention for Chicago began in late 2021, with Governor JB Pritzker, Senator Tammy Duckworth, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot leading the charge. They promised the selection committee and President Joe Biden — who is expected to be nominated for a second term during festivities — two things: a spectacular showcase and Chicago standing as a shining example of progressive politics. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Chicago selected to host 2024 Democratic National Convention "We're an example of what it looks like when you work to solve the real challenges that working families face every single day," Duckworth said.Outgoing mayor Lori Lightfoot hopes the convention changes the perception some have about Chicago."We have too many things out there in the mouths of pundits and critics who talk about our city in a way that'...

Illinois police investigate nearly 2 dozen school threats Wednesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:54 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (KTVI/WGN) — As many as 19 Illinois counties received school threats on Wednesday, in what is being referred to as "swatting," Illinois State Police said in an update Wednesday afternoon.Totaling 21 calls, several Illinois communities across the state received swatting threats, dangerous and illegal fake calls about an active shooter situation, directed toward schools, a spokesperson from Illinois State Police told WGN News. All threats have been unfounded. "The Illinois State Police Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center currently has no information concerning credible threats related to school safety. Law enforcement, public safety, and private sector security officials are encouraged to remain vigilant and report all suspicious behavior to local police agencies," the statement read.Chicago and Aurora reported swatting calls on Wednesday, in addition to Rockford and Springfield, according to Nexstar affiliate WTVOSeveral reports of threats and swatting ...

'Harry Potter' TV series and 'Game of Thrones' prequel are a go

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:54 GMT

(AP) - Warner Bros. Discovery is sticking with safe bet franchises that will likely lure viewers, including a “Harry Potter” series and a “Game of Thrones” prequel for its rebranded Max streaming service.Executives touted Max and made original Warner Bros. Discovery programming announcements on Wednesday during a presentation for journalists and investors. The $16-per-month service will be released May 23 in the U.S. and automatically replace the company’s existing HBO Max.The “Harry Potter” series is described as a “faithful retelling” of the books about the boy wizard by J. K Rowling, featuring a new cast.Each season is intended to focus on one of the seven books, though Max anticipates stretching the series to a decade-long run. Sam’s Club offering $10 memberships for limited time Max also announced it has also ordered a “Game of Thrones” prequel called “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight,” set in Westeros 100 years prior to the events of “Game of Thrones." It's b...

'Adopt a Grandparent' helps bring sunshine to seniors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:00:54 GMT

MCHENRY COUNTY, Ill. -- Warmer temps are giving gardeners a early lead this Spring and a local organization is getting their hands dirty for those who can't.In McHenry County, hundreds of seniors are about to be "adopted" by local gardeners determined to spread a little sunshine."In 2019, my mom and dad both passed unexpectedly four months apart," Jacci Richards, the founder of the Adopt a Grandparent program said. "I was shocked and heartbroken."With the early morning thaw comes renewal and for Jacci Richards, it comes in the form of a shovel as she found healing in the soil.Planting new seeds to share with those like the parents she lost.She delivered her first bounty to an assisted living facility down the road. That's when a funny thing happened: the more she gave away, the less sadness she felt.It was the beginning of what's now known as the "Adopt a Grandparent" program."It started with one facility with 67 seniors and this year we have five facilities with over 300," Richards...