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Secret Chinese police station in New York leads to arrests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Two men were arrested Monday on charges that they helped establish a secret police station in New York City on behalf of the Chinese government, and about three dozen officers with China’s national police force were charged with using social media to harass dissidents inside the United States, authorities said Monday.The cases, taken together, are part of a series of Justice Department prosecutions in recent years aimed at disrupting Chinese government efforts to locate in America pro-democracy activists and others who are openly critical of Beijing’s policies and to suppress their speech.One of three cases announced Monday concerns a local branch of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security that had operated inside an office building in Manhattan’s Chinatown neighborhood before closing last fall amid an FBI investigation. The two men who were arrested were acting under the direction and control of a Chinese government official and deleted communicati...

Tribal colleges tap US energy funds to build ‘living labs’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Tribal colleges and universities around the U.S. will be able to tap nearly $15 million in grant funding to boost clean energy development as part of the federal government’s latest investment in creating more reliable and sustainable electricity generation for Native American communities.The U.S. Department of Energy announced the new funding opportunity last week. It comes on the heels of another $50 million round of grants for deploying clean energy technology across Indian Country, where many communities have long been without basic services such as running water, electricity and broadband internet.“We know that there is a huge need for energy reliability but also for energy access in Indian Country,” said Wahleah Johns, director of the agency’s Office of Indian Energy.Johns, who is from the Navajo Nation, described it as an energy crisis in which families — and tribal governments — often have to be creative when finding ways to operate on th...

S&P/TSX composite posts small gain Monday, U.S. markets also rise

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index posted a small gain to start the week while U.S. markets also rose in the latter half of the afternoon after sagging for most of the day. Monday was a benign trading day with investors in “wait and see” mode, said Kevin Headland, chief investment strategist at Manulife Investment Management.“We’re kind of still digesting the information from last week,” he said.The S&P/TSX composite index was up 62.06 points at 20,641.97.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 100.71 points at 33,987.18. The S&P 500 index was up 13.68 points at 4,151.32, while the Nasdaq composite was up 34.26 points at 12,157.72.In Canada, investors are waiting for fresh inflation data to be released Tuesday, Headland said. After last week’s rate decision by the Bank of Canada saw the central bank hold its key interest rate at 4.5 per cent, all eyes will be on key economic figures to see whether any more hikes could be in the cards, he said. The Bank of...

Defendant charged with kidnapping mother, child testifies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The Vermont man on trial for kidnapping a New Hampshire woman and her 4-year-old child more than four years ago testified Monday in his federal court trial that he took the two vehicles he is accused of stealing and taking across state lines, but he denied kidnapping the woman or her son.Everett Simpson, who is representing himself in the trial, wrote the questions that were asked by his standby attorney. U.S. District Court Judge William Sessions told the jury that Simpson had provided the questions that were being asked of him.After the day’s testimony, Sessions said closing arguments would be held on Tuesday, after which the case would be given to the jury. If convicted of the kidnapping charges, Simpson could be sentenced to life in prison. Simpson answered “I do,” several times after Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Lasher asked questions, including whether he had taken the alleged victim and her son from New Hampshire to Vermont and whether...

Convicted serial rapist sentenced to more than 150 years

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indiana judge has sentenced a convicted serial rapist to more than 150 years in prison, authorities said Monday.Darrell Goodlow was charged in 2021 with 57 counts, including rape, burglary and criminal confinement. He pleaded guilty in March to nine counts, including eight felony counts of rape and one felony count of killing a domestic animal, as part of a plea agreement.Marion Superior Judge Mark Stoner sentenced him to 156 1/2 years behind bars on Friday, prosecutors said in a news release. “With this resolution, the defendant will spend the rest of his life in prison without putting the survivors in a position to relive the trauma they have experienced throughout the duration of a trial,” Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said.Telephone messages were left with defense attorneys listed in online court records as representing Goodlow.Prosecutors alleged that Goodlow targeted women in their 60s and 70s on the east side of Indianapolis and in the suburb of L...

Protestors force play to be stopped at world snooker champs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

The Crucible Theatre’s famous green baize turned orange at the world snooker championship on Monday when a protestor interrupted a match by jumping on the table and releasing a packet of powder, causing play to be suspended.Two “Just Stop Oil” protesters invaded snooker’s most famous arena shortly after play began in two matches in the evening session.On one table, where Robert Milkins and Joe Perry were playing, a man leapt onto the table — scattering the balls — and threw orange dye over one half of the baize as boos and jeers came from the audience.On the other table, featuring a match between Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi, a woman was stopped from getting onto the table by the quick-thinking response of referee Olivier Marteel.Both protestors were taken away by security, but the incident forced a stoppage in play while the mess was cleaned up.Play resumed in the Allen-Zhengyi match about 45 minutes later but the affected table in the Milkins-Perry match was covered and ...

Man arrested just minutes after allegedly attacking CTA worker

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

CHICAGO — A Chicago man is accused of attacking a Chicago Transit System employee while riding a train in the city's Garfield Park neighborhood. Police said 44-year-old Damion Fisher was taken into custody Sunday in the 2800 block of W. Lake St. around 8:20 a.m., minutes after allegedly striking the CTA worker. Police charged Fisher with felony aggravated battery of a transit employee.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesNo booking photo of Fisher was made available by police.

Republicans attack Manhattan District Attorney Bragg amid Trump investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) – Republicans held a hearing in Manhattan focusing on crime in the city, but Democrats say the hearing is really an attempt to attack the district attorney for trying to prosecute Trump.In a field hearing in New York City, Republicans -- led by Congressman Jim Jordan -- accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of being soft on crime.“In Bragg's Manhattan, you can resist arrest, deal drugs, obstruct arrest and even carry a gun to get away with it,” said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH).One witness said, “if Mr. Bragg would lock people up, it would save a lot headaches in New York City and save lives.”Jordan added, “the president of NYPD Detectives Endowment Association said ‘Bragg gives criminals the road map to freedom from prosecution and control of ours streets.’”New York Congressman Jerry Nadler pushed back on Republican's claims.“Under the leadership of Mayor Adams and District Attorney Bragg, over the last year crime in Manhattan has dropped in nearly every ma...

Muslim students embrace challenges of fasting for Ramadan during school and sports

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

Zareen Syed | Chicago TribuneEvery morning during Ramadan, high school soccer player Zara Hasan wakes up around 4:30 a.m. for a quick bowl of oatmeal and quite a few glugs of water for suhoor.The predawn meal marks the beginning of the day’s fast when Muslims observing the Islamic holy month abstain from eating or drinking from dawn until sunset.For Hasan, captain of the junior varsity girls’ soccer team at Naperville North High School in Illinois, the breakfast gets her through the day and into after-school practice.“I don’t really think about fasting when I’m playing that much,” she said. “But when there’s a water break or something, I usually just rinse my mouth with water and spit it out just to freshen up a bit.”Since the soccer season started while Ramadan was already underway, Hasan deliberately didn’t tell her teammates she was fasting.“I just didn’t want them to think I’m playing differently because I’m fasting,” she said, crediting her competitive nature coupled with the s...

Ken Powell steps down as UMN regents chair after reelection bid stalls

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:56 GMT

Ken Powell has stepped down as chair of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, acknowledging the Legislature is unlikely to award him a second term in the coming weeks.“Given the many consequential and urgent decisions facing us, including selecting an interim president, the presidential transition and other critically important University matters, the Board needs a leadership team now that will be in place throughout these transitions and beyond,” he wrote in a letter to colleagues Monday.Ken Powell (Courtesy of the University of Minnesota)Powell was elected to a six-year term on the board in 2017, soon before retiring as CEO and chairman of General Mills. Fellow regents named him chair in 2019.His bid for a second term stalled in January when the Regent Candidate Advisory Council recommended four other candidates for his at-large seat.“The Minnesota Legislature is poised to elect new Regents in the coming weeks, and it is very unlikely I will be elected for a second term,” ...