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US Border Patrol chief is retiring following end of Title 42 restrictions at US-Mexico border

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:23 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the U.S. Border Patrol is stepping down following major changes at the U.S.-Mexico border that came with the end of Title 42 pandemic restrictions. Chief Raul Ortiz said in a note to staff Tuesday obtained by The Associated Press that he has decided to retire effective June 30. Ortiz has been on the job for 32 years and held many different jobs. “I leave at ease, knowing we have a tremendous uniformed and professional workforce, strong relationships with our union partners, and outstanding leaders who will continue to tirelessly advocate for you each day,” he said in the note. Ortiz took over when asked by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas after the Biden administration pushed out the former chief, Rodney Scott. Ortiz had planned to retire but didn’t in order to take the helm.The Border Patrol and its 19,000 agents have been under a constant spotlight for years. Under Title 42, migrants were returned over the border and denied the rig...

Guilt-ridden man confesses to landlord’s killing 15 years later, recordings show

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:23 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Officers found Tony Peralta sitting on a curb not far from a convenience store where he borrowed a cellphone to call 911 and confess to the 2008 killing of his former landlord.Sweating and taking puffs from his cigarette, he told them he’s tired of covering it up, tired of living with the lie and tired of being overwhelmed by guilt. He agreed to take the officers to where he buried the body before standing up and volunteering to be cuffed.Police in the southeastern New Mexico community of Roswell released the 911 recording and nearly an hour of officer body camera video in response to a records request filed by The Associated Press. The May 1 footage shows Peralta repeatedly thanking the officers for picking him up.“I confess, man. I confess. I don’t want to live life anymore without confessing,” he said while sitting in an interview room at police headquarters. The uniformed officers and detectives who talked with Peralta peppered him with quest...

Prosecutors seek pretrial detention without bail in deadly shootout at New Mexico biker rally

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:23 GMT

TAOS, N.M. (AP) — Two men from Texas appeared in court Tuesday to confront drug-possession and firearms-related charges in connection with a deadly shootout at a motorcycle rally in northern New Mexico that left three people dead.Authorities say three men were killed and five people wounded during Saturday’s shootout in the mountain resort town of Red River, where the rally was held. Police say the violence stemmed from a previous altercation in Albuquerque between rival motorcycle gangs known as the Banditos and Waterdogs.Matthew Charles Jackson, 39, of Austin, Texas, entered initial pleas of not guilty to charges of carrying a firearm in a liquor establishment and methamphetamine possession at a state District Court appearance in Taos, a court-appointed defense attorney said. Texas resident Christopher Garcia also appeared in court to plead not guilty to a felony charge of cocaine possession and a misdemeanor charge of tampering with evidence.The Taos-based district attorney...

US military complains of unsafe, aggressive move by Chinese fighter jet

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:23 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said Tuesday that a Chinese fighter jet flew aggressively close to a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea, forcing the American pilot to fly through the turbulent wake.The Chinese J-16 fighter pilot “flew directly in front of the nose of the RC-135,” which was conducting routine operations in international airspace last Friday, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement. It called the Chinese move an “ unnecessarily aggressive maneuver.”U.S. defense leaders have complained that China’s military has become significantly more aggressive over the past five years, intercepting U.S. aircraft and ships in the region. And tensions with China have only grown in recent months over Washington’s military support and sales of defensive weapons to self-governing Taiwan, China’s assertions of sovereignty to the contested South China Sea and its flying of a suspected spy balloon over the U.S. In a further sign of the tensions, China sai...

Nevada Republican governor approves abortion protections in rare cross-party move

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:23 GMT

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada’s Joe Lombardo on Tuesday became one of the first Republican governors to enshrine protections for out-of-state abortion patients and in-state providers, adding the western swing state to the list of those passing new laws to solidify their status as safe havens for people seeking abortions.The legislation codifies an existing executive order from former Gov. Steve Sisolak last year — who lost reelection to Lombardo — that bars state agencies from assisting in out-of-state investigations that could lead to the prosecution of abortion patients who travel to Nevada. It also ensures medical boards and commissions that oversee medical licenses do not discipline or disqualify doctors who provide abortions. Lombardo, who describes himself as pro-life and cites his Catholic faith, said on the campaign trail that he would respect the will of voters who codified abortion rights up to 24 weeks in a 1990 referendum vote. He was the only Republican to defea...

UN extends arms embargo on South Sudan over protests from world’s newest nation and 5 abstentions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:23 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A divided U.N. Security Council extended an arms embargo on South Sudan Tuesday over protests from the world’s newest nation and abstentions from Russia, China and the council’s three African nations sympathetic to its demands that sanctions be lifted.The 10-0 vote with five abstentions on the U.S.-drafted resolution was the same as the vote on the previous sanctions resolution adopted last May.In a report to the Security Council earlier this month, U.N. experts monitoring the arms embargo and a travel ban and asset freeze on targeted individuals said South Sudan is facing violent clashes and increasing disillusionment and frustration as it struggles to implement the most challenging provisions of a fragile 2018 power-sharing agreement.They pointed to difficulties integrating rival military forces, drafting a new constitution and preparing for the country’s first election as an independent nation in December 2024, they said.The resolution welcomes “encour...

Florida art dealer gets 2 years, 3 months in Warhol forgery scheme

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:23 GMT

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A South Florida art dealer was sentenced Tuesday to two years and three months in federal prison in connection with a scheme involving the sale of fake Andy Warhol paintings.Daniel Elie Bouaziz, 69, was sentenced in Fort Pierce federal court, according to court records. He pleaded guilty in February to a single count of money laundering, while prosecutors agreed to drop 16 other counts related to fraud and embezzlement. Bouaziz was fined $15,000, and a restitution hearing is scheduled for Aug. 16.Prosecutors said Bouaziz, the owner of Danieli Fine Art and Galerie Danieli in Palm Beach County, sold counterfeit artworks to a customer in October 2021 including pieces purportedly by Warhol. Bouaziz told the customer that the pieces, which he was selling for between $75,000 and $240,000, were authentic originals and that some were signed by the artist, investigators said.Officials said the customer gave Bouaziz a $200,000 down payment that was deposited into Boua...

Get a free donut on National Donut Day at Dunkin'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:23 GMT

(WSYR) -- In anticipation for National Donut Day, on Friday, June 2, Dunkin' is reminding its donut fans that they can get a free donut during this celebration.Last year, some missed out on their free donut, so Dunkin' is sounding the alarm early so everyone can have their free donut, and here's how. Dunkin’ adding ‘adored’ seasonal drink to year-round menu after 10 years On National Donut Day, Dunkin' goers can enjoy a classic donut of their choice -- whether it be a classic glazed donut, a creamy Boston creme, or a fun strawberry frosted donut with sprinkles -- with a beverage purchase.Photo provided by Dunkin'Photo provided by Dunkin'“Friends don’t let friends miss out on free donuts,” said Jill McVicar Nelson, Chief Marketing Officer, Dunkin’. “This June, we’re rallying donut fans nationwide to end donut FOMO for good. So gather your friends, grab your favorite donut on us, and indulge in the sweet delight of National Donut Day!”  Dunkin' customers can purchase their...

Third man charged in death of Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay, 21 years later

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:23 GMT

NEW YORK (WPIX) -- A third man has been arrested for the 2002 murder of Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.A superseding indictment was filed against 48-year-old Jay Bryant of Queens, who was being held on federal drug charges in an unrelated case, officials said.The hip-hop star, whose real name is Jason Mizell, was shot in the head and killed in his recording studio in Queens on Oct. 30, 2002. He was 37. Mizell’s friend, Tony Rincon, was hit by one bullet in the leg and the next bullet hit Jay in the head, killing him. Mizell's fellow group members, Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels, were not in the second-floor studio on Merrick Boulevard in Jamaica when the gunfire broke out. Iconic rock and soul singer Tina Turner dies When authorities indicted two other men, Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington, in August 2020, they said Mizell's death involved a drug deal gone bad.In a letter filed with t...

Check your phone: Popular Android app reportedly started spying on users, making recordings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:23 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - A screen recording app available in the Google Play store that was installed over 50,000 times functioned normally for months before it started spying on users, researchers say.The app, iRecorder – Screen Recorder, was first uploaded to the Google Play store on September 19, 2021, according to Lukas Stefanko, a malware researcher with cybersecurity firm ESET.Stefanko said that the app had no harmful features until a later update changed the code, likely in August 2022. After that date, malicious code allowed bad actors to make secret audio recordings and secretly transfer images, videos, saved web pages, and other files off of devices, according to ESET. Trader Joe’s addresses ‘conspiratorial theories’ about its small parking lots Anyone who had downloaded the app before August 2022, might still have been exposed if they updated the app manually or automatically. It's not yet clear if the developer or another actor is responsible for the update that converted the app ...