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N. Carolina justices hand GOP big wins with election rulings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:50 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — In massive victories for Republicans, the newly GOP-controlled North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday threw out a previous ruling against gerrymandered voting maps and upheld a photo voter identification law that colleagues had struck down as racially biased. The partisan gerrymandering ruling should make it significantly easier for the Republican-dominated legislature to help the GOP gain seats in the narrowly divided U.S. House when state lawmakers redraw congressional boundaries for the 2024 elections. Under the current map, Democrats won seven of the state’s 14 congressional seats last November. The court, which became a Republican majority this year following the election of two GOP justices, ruled after taking the unusual step of revisiting redistricting and voter ID opinions made in December by the court’s previous iteration, when Democrats held a 4-3 seat advantage. The court held rehearings in March. Friday’s 5-2 rulings also mean that state lawma...

Old Montreal fire: Inspectors cited building owner multiple times before deadly blaze

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:50 GMT

MONTREAL — Inspectors from the Montreal fire department reported multiple fire code violations during visits to an Old Montreal heritage building in the years leading up to a fire last March that killed seven people.Documents released by the City of Montreal under access to information laws show that inspectors cited the building’s owner, Émile-Haim Benamor, for violations on several occasions between 2009 and 2020.In early 2019, the fire department ordered Benamor to install an alarm system that conformed with the 1995 building code. He was also ordered to guarantee that the alarm reached a particular volume level in specific units.A November 2020 follow-up inspection found that those issues weren’t resolved. It’s unclear, however, whether the violations were addressed after that date.Seven people died in the March 16 fire, including two people who were staying in a unit that had no windows. One survivor of the fire said she never heard a fire alarm go off. A lawy...

Jury selection continues in Pittsburgh synagogue killings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:50 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ongoing jury selection in the case of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue massacre is reviving the community’s memories of that traumatic day but also of the solidarity that followed, said the director of a program helping survivors and others affected by the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.Maggie Feinstein, director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership, said the city “is reminded of what the intensity of this event was and also reminded of the intensity of healing together.”Many people have been wearing blue ribbons — an emblem of solidarity with victims — or displaying them on the doors of their homes and businesses. “People are looking for some way to say, ‘I stand with you, I stand against hate,'” she said. The first week of jury selection in the case drew to a close late Friday, with more days of questioning slated for next week.Of 81 prospective jurors interviewed, 27 of them remained eligible by the end of the week to serve on the jury for the...

Utah judge to rule next week on state abortion clinic ban

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:50 GMT

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Planned Parenthood Association of Utah argued in court on Friday that a ban on abortion clinics would “functionally eliminate” abortion access if implemented next week as scheduled.After hearing arguments from attorneys representing Utah and abortion providers, state court judge Andrew Stone said he planned to rule next week on Planned Parenthood’s motion requesting the law be delayed.“It would not be fair at this point to shoot from the hip,” Stone said, explaining that he needed several days to review each side’s briefs.Planned Parenthood argues that the clinic ban is a backdoor strategy from Utah to further restrict abortion while legal challenges to a 2020 trigger law make their way through the court system. Utah rebuffed those arguments and said abortion clinics could reapply to be licensed as hospitals under the new framework. The state’s attorneys said the court had little grounds to overrule a law passed and signed by elected officials b...

Mayor-elect Johnson listens to community members concerns on safety

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:50 GMT

CHICAGO -- Introducing himself to constituents as he prepares for his new role, Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson crisscrossed the city.From coffee on the South Side to empanadas on the North Side, Johnson also met with some of Chicago's youngest residents.Mayor-elect Johnson took time Friday to answer questions students had for him at Hyde Park High School. Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson hires Chief of Staff Johnson addressing the criticism of the chaos groups of teens caused in the Loop earlier this month. Two teens shot, more than a dozen arrests, beatings caught on video – and scenes like this one of people dancing on vehicles.Mayor-elect Johnson also told the Hyde Park students that it’s the job of the city to protect its youth.The Mayor-elect also announced his transition team Wednesday.Former Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan, Professor at UIC’s School of Social Work Dr. Kathryn Bocanegra, former head of CPD’s office of constitutional policing Robert Boik, and Stat...

LIVE BLOG: Severe storms now moving across Austin metro, large hail and strong winds possible

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Severe storms are moving across Central Texas. The main concerns tonight are large hail and damaging winds. Isolated tornadoes are also possible.The Storm Prediction Center has placed most of the KXAN viewing area in a 3 out of 5 threat for severe storms, as another potent low-pressure system dives into the state.Current Watches and WarningsSevere Thunderstorm Warning for NW Bastrop, NW Lee, SE Travis and SE Williamson counties until 6 p.m. Ping pong ball size hail, 60 mph wind gusts possible.Severe Thunderstorm Warning for S Blanco, NW Caldwell, NW Gillespie, Hays and SW Travis counties until 6:30 p.m. Golf ball size hail, 60 mph wind gusts possible.Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Bastrop, NE Caldwell, Lee, SE Travis and SE Williamson counties until 6:30 p.m. Quarter size hail, 60 mph wind gusts possible.Flood Advisory for Milam County until 8:30 p.m. Minor flooding is possible in low-lying and poor drainage areas.Flood Advisory for Blanco, Burnet, Hays, Llano, Trav...

APD: 4 detained in weapons theft during SWAT call on South Lamar Boulevard

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department detained four people after a SWAT call on South Lamar Boulevard that involved the theft of several high-powered military firearms and rounds of ammunition. APD said a call came in at 12:21 p.m. from someone who said their unit in a storage shed was burglarized. The caller told police several high-powered military firearms were stolen along with several rounds of high-powered ammunition. The weapons were tracked to 615 S. Lamar Blvd., where officers and the SWAT team were dispatched. APD said SWAT was activated based on the initial information provided and the style of weapons stolen.After searching the area, SWAT located and detained four individuals matching the descriptions given by the person who called 911. APD said the person of interest is in custody and could be facing a charge of burglary of a non-residence. APD said officers located the people in a heavily-wooded area just east of a McDonald's in the area. APD is searching the a...

'It was scared, it was running around': Raccoons are running through McCallum High School

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — McCallum High School is dealing with some unwanted visitors who just won't go away."This is not the first time me and Noah have reported on raccoons in the school," said Morgan Eye who is a journalism student at the high school.Noah Braun, who wrote a recent article about the raccoons said he has found articles from the past that show similar incidents. "There are articles you can find from the 90s, from the early 2000's and even the 2010s talking about this," said Braun.While there have been issues with raccoons in the past, recently the number of incidents has increased, according to journalism students at the school.A raccoon photographed at McCallum High School in 2022. Photo courtesy: Francie Wilhelm ‘When it rains, we have to set up trashcans’: McCallum HS students highlight daily struggles "Six catches and releases all within the same day is probably the most we have ever seen here at McCallum," said Eye.Braun says this week he heard a commotion outside his...

PHOTOS: Hail, severe storms hit Central Texas, Hill Country April 28

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Severe storms started moving through Central Texas and the Hill Country Friday afternoon. Hail and damaging winds swept across the area. KXAN viewers sent in photos and videos to show the damage caused by the storms. KXAN viewer Brien R. Aho sent the below time-lapse video of severe storms with hail and high winds moving through Liberty Hill. Viewers in several different locations across Central Texas also sent in photos of storm clouds. Storm clouds over Cedar Park on April 28, 2023. (KXAN Viewer Photo)Storm clouds over Liberty Hill on April 28, 2023. (KXAN Photo/Kristen Currie)Mammatus clouds over Cedar Park on April 28, 2023. (KXAN Viewer Photo)Weather heading into Lampasas April 28, 2023. Courtesy: Michelle SmallHail was also widespread in the area. Hail in Burnet on April 28, 2023. (Courtesy Madison Rygaard)Hail in Burnet on April 28, 2023. (Courtesy Madison Rygaard)Hail in Burnet on April 28, 2023. (Courtesy Madison Rygaard)Marb...

Former Texas guard transfers to Big 12 rival Kansas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:24:50 GMT

After one season with Texas men's basketball, guard Arterio Morris entered the transfer portal in early April. Friday, he announced his next destination will be in Lawrence, Kansas with the Jayhawks.Morris, a 5-star recruit from Kimball High School in Dallas and McDonald’s All-American, averaged 11.7 minutes per game and scored 4.6 points per game. He scored 25 points against Louisiana on Dec. 21, shooting 9-for-11 from the field. He scored 20 points for the Longhorns in the Big 12 Conference tournament, including 10 against Oklahoma State in the opening round.Morris will head to Kansas after the Longhorns and Jayhawks were the top two teams in the Big 12 a season ago. He joins Rowan Brumbaugh as Longhorns to transfer out of the program this offseason.The former Longhorn had eight points in the Big 12 championship against Kansas, including an alley-oop dunk that was the highlight of the game. His teammate last year, Tyrese Hunter, made a similar jump the year prior, transferring wit...