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Drone attack kills 80 and wounds 240 at a packed Syrian military graduation ceremony, official says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:00 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — A drone attack hit a crowded military graduation ceremony Thursday in the Syrian city of Homs, killing 80 people and wounding 240, the health minister said, in one of the deadliest attacks on the war-torn country’s army in years.The strike killed civilians, including six children, as well as military personnel, and there were concerns the death toll could rise as many of the wounded were in serious condition, Health Minister Hassan al-Ghabash said. Syria’s military said in an earlier statement that drones laden with explosives targeted the ceremony packed with young officers and their families as it was wrapping up. It accused insurgents “backed by known international forces” of the attack, without naming any particular group, and said “it will respond with full force and decisiveness to these terrorist organizations, wherever they exist.”No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack as Syria endures its 13th year of conflict.U.N. Secretary-General A...

A man seeking Wisconsin’s governor illegally brought guns into the state Capitol – twice in one day

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:00 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A man illegally brought a loaded handgun into the Wisconsin Capitol, demanding to see Gov. Tony Evers, and returned at night with an assault rifle after posting bail, police said Thursday.The man, who was shirtless and had a holstered handgun, approached the governor’s office on the first floor of the Capitol around 2 p.m. Wednesday, state Department of Administration spokesperson Tatyana Warrick said. The 43-year-old man said “he would not leave until he saw Governor Evers” so he could talk about “domestic abuse towards men,” Capitol police said in a bulletin sent to lawmakers and their staffs.Evers was not in the building at the time, Warrick said.A Capitol police officer sits at a desk outside of a suite of rooms that includes the governor’s office, conference room and offices for the attorney general. The man was taken into custody for openly carrying a firearm in the Capitol, which is against the law, Warrick said. Weapons can be brought into th...

3 doctors fatally shot and 1 wounded at a Rio beach, and the motive remains unclear

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:00 GMT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Gunmen killed three doctors and wounded a fourth in a gangland-style hit while the men were at a beachside eatery early Thursday in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. The fact that one victim was the brother of a federal lawmaker led to immediate speculation — including from Brazil’s justice minister — that it may have been a politically motivated assassination. However, a report from television network Globo later Thursday said authorities’ main line of investigation is that the hit was a case of mistaken identity, with one of the targets confused for the son of a local militia group.Security camera footage obtained by local newspaper O Globo showed a group of black-clad gunmen emerging from a car and running up to the victims’ beachside table in the Barra da Tijuca neighborhood and opening fire before making their escape. The entire incident lasted less than 30 seconds.The men were in town from Sao Paulo for an international orthopedics conference and lawm...

The US government seems ready to order a recall of millions of air bag inflators for safety concerns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government appears poised to order a recall of millions of air bag inflators due to a manufacturing flaw that could send metal shrapnel rocketing through a car’s interior. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration held a public hearing Thursday to field commentary and testimony on inflators made by ARC Automotive Inc. of Knoxville, Tennessee, which supplies the devices to air bag makers and several major auto companies. At least 25 million vehicles containing ARC-made air bags could be affected.At the heart of the issue is a metal inflator canister inside the airbag device. The government contends that a crucial flaw could cause this canister to “rupture” upon impact. Instead of releasing pressurized gas to inflate the air bag, the canister essentially explodes, sending metal shrapnel into the vehicle at head height. “These injuries can be gruesome and can happen in crashes where otherwise the individual would have walked away from the crash...

Officers’ lawyers challenge analysis of video that shows Black man’s death in Tacoma, Washington

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:00 GMT

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Lawyers for three police officers charged in the death of Manny Ellis on Thursday challenged a forensic video analyst’s interpretation of videos shot by witnesses that show the Black man’s fatal arrest in Tacoma, Washington.Prosecutors also planned to call Ellis’ sister, Monét Carter-Mixon, to testify later Thursday.Tacoma Officers Matthew Collins and Christopher Burbank, both white, are charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Ellis on March 3, 2020. Officer Timothy Rankine, who is Asian American, is charged with manslaughter. All three have pleaded not guilty.Video evidence is key in the case against the officers. The officers say Ellis was violent toward them during the encounter, but the videos and witness statements indicate he didn’t fight back.On Wednesday, forensic video analyst Grant Fredericks walked the jury through one of the videos, frame by frame. It shows Collins on the ground behind Ellis with his hands...

Several casing markers visible as Aurora police probe deadly shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:00 GMT

AURORA, Ill. — A 47-year-old man was shot and killed in the backyard of a home in Aurora on Thursday, police said.SkyCam9 flew above the 100 block of N. Calhoun St. on Thursday as police canvassed the area. Evidence markers and a discarded bicycle were visible in the grass and nearby roadway as law enforcement officials focused their attention near a home on N. Calhoun Street.Around noon, arriving officers located the shooting victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. SEE ALSO: FBI releases video of armored car robbery attempt near south suburban WalmartNo other injuries were reported.Despite a significant police presence, authorities say there is no threat to the public. The shooting victim's name will be identified once next of kin is notified, police added. No one is in custody. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines Anyone with information is asked to call police at (630) 256-5500, Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at ...

Is Matt Eberflus feeling the heat after a bad 2023 start?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:00 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Whenever a team is playing poorly, the blame often falls at the feet of the leader.That is the head coach, and with the Bears that's Matt Eberflus, who is feeling the heat after four mostly forgettable games to start the 2023 season.Outside of 2 1/2 quarters against the Broncos last Sunday, the team has yet to show much progress despite a number of offseason additions. The Bears are in danger of their first 0-5 start to a season since 1997 as they travel to Landover, Maryland to face the Commanders on Thursday night. There are some who are wondering if the Bears would take what would be a drastic step in their franchise's history - fire a coach before the end of a season. That's how heavy the criticism has been so early in a 2023 season where there were, at the very least, expectations for modest improvement.So does Ebeflus feel the pressure after the poor start?"I've been doing this 32 years, so I understand the business, but I understand to do it right, you've ...

Momo the monkey captured after running rampant overnight in Indianapolis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:00 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (WXIN) – Momo, a male patas monkey that had been running rampant on the east side of Indianapolis Wednesday evening to Thursday morning, has been captured by authorities, officials announced Thursday morning.The exotic animal is now being held and evaluated, according to Katie Trennepohl, the deputy director of Indianapolis Animal Care Services. Additionally, Momo's owner has been cited in connection with the monkey's escape, according to Trennepohl. The citation specifically concerned Momo chasing and approaching members of the public in a "menacing fashion," she said at a Thursday news conference. Don’t put pets through airport X-ray machines, TSA says Momo had first gotten loose on Wednesday evening around 6:30 p.m., the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said. Officials do not believe Momo injured anyone during the night, though he scared several residents in the city, Nexstar's WXIN learned."It ran up in my garage, pinned me against the door, and I had t...

Ava Grace Baldwin: Father believes daughter hidden by her mother

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:00 GMT

(NewsNation) — The last time Ava Grace Baldwin's father saw her, she was 6 years old. Eight years later, he believes his ex-wife took Ava and has been hiding her for years and thinks his daughter may not even know she's a missing person.Ava was reported missing from her elementary school, having not shown up for nearly three weeks when the school contacted her father. Police think her mother took her and Ava's father has been on an eight-year quest to find her.David Hopper got the call from his daughter's elementary school in September 2015. Ava hadn't been in class for 21 days and the school wanted to know if he knew where she was. Lauren Spierer: A night out ended with a 12-year mystery Ava and her mother, Kathryn Baldwin, lived in San Antonio, Texas while Hopper lived in central Oklahoma, a seven-hour drive away. Ava was born to the couple after a 34-day marriage.When the school contacted him, Hopper called the San Antonio police to report 6-year-old Ava missing. What police f...

Illinois gets federal dollars to improve power grid against extreme weather

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:00 GMT

CHICAGO (WMBD) -- Illinois will get a $16 million federal grant to help small municipal and co-op utilities improve power grid reliability and help mitigate the impacts of extreme weather, the governor's office announced Thursday.The grant comes from the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grant Program which is administered by the U.S. Department of Energy. Illinois was among the 11 states, two territories, and 20 Tribal nations that were selected for the program’s eighth round of funding last week. Biden admin distributing $4.5 billion to help with home heating costs: Here’s how to apply for assistance “This investment in our state’s power grid will propel our clean energy objectives, uplift our most disadvantaged communities, and support our clean energy workforce to build a more sustainable Illinois for generations to come, said Gov. JB Pritzker.In the next few months, the state's Finance Authority/Climate Bank will seek competitive bids for projects that focus on reliabi...