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Parrot eggs smuggled at MIA hatch, find new home on the West Coast

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

The endangered parrots were smuggled into the United States through Miami as eggs, but now they have safely found a new nesting place on the West Coast. More than two dozen parrots are now hidden in the hills near San Diego, under the watchful eye of a guard tortoise named Jean-Louis.The parrots are mostly critically endangered yellow-naped Amazons from Central America.“Maybe 4,000 of these birds left in the wild, at best,” said Brooke Durham. Durham and her team from the nonprofit SoCal Parrot, are taking care of the birds. At only two weeks old, the parrots have already had a difficult life as they were poached from their nests as eggs to be trafficked.They were carried into Miami International Airport in a temperature-controlled, refrigerated bag, but one of the eggs happened to hatch right before the smuggler went through customs.“One of the customs agents, heard the little parrot cheeping sounds that were coming out of the thing and asked to see inside it,R...

Dog rescued after falling 300 feet down cliff in Ecola State Park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

ASTORIA, Oregon (KPTV) — The Coast Guard rescued a German shepherd after she fell off a cliff and was injured in Ecola State Park Wednesday evening.Around 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sector Columbia River received an agency assist request from Cannon Beach Fire Department for a dog who fell 300 feet down a cliff to a remote section of the beach. The area is only accessible by repelling down from a hiking trail.An aircrew from Air Station Astoria was sent to the rescue. Around 8:20 p.m. the crew arrived and were able to lift the dog to her owner at the Ecola State Park parking lot.After a visit to an emergency vet the dog has been reported as doing just fine thanks to the first responders in Astoria and Cannon Beach.

Putin claims new world order upon us in rambling Ukraine rant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

Russia’s economy might have taken a battering since its invasion of Ukraine but all is going to plan, President Vladimir Putin declared, arguing his country has made a permanent break with the West.Speaking to business leaders at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum on Friday, the Russian leader said the war raging across the border was proof “the ugly neo-colonial world system has ceased to exist and the multipolar world order is being strengthened.”According to Putin, there is a plan to help Russia’s “long-term sovereign development” and become one of the world’s leading economies. “The strategy chosen by both the state and Russian business has worked,” he added.The country has long lagged behind Western nations in terms of GDP per capita and key developmental indicators, with sanctions imposed on Moscow by the EU and U.S. hitting key sectors such as finance, technology and defense.Just a day before, speaking at the same forum, th...

Top MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld quits Dutch D66 party to join federalist Volt

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

Longserving Dutch liberal MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld announced Friday she quit her national party Democrats 66 in frustration at its stance on Europe and joined the pan-EU federalist party Volt. In a post online, in ‘t Veld, who has been an MEP since 2004, accused D66 of having an increasingly narrow focus on Dutch domestic politics at the expense of EU politics and took a swipe at the party for failing to root out “transgressive behavior” in its ranks.“Volt’s social-liberal, progressive, radically pro-European vision fits seamlessly with the vision I have,” wrote in ‘t Veld who has fought hard against the use of illegal spyware by EU governments, been critical of Hungary’s leader Viktor Orbán, and advocated a stronger role for the European Parliament against the European Commission and Council of the EU.Volt has two MPs in the Dutch parliament, one in Bulgaria and one MEP in Europe — the German lawmaker Damian Boeselager — who described hi...

Ukraine readies for waterborne disease outbreak from dam floodwaters

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

KYIV — Ukraine’s health ministry is preparing for an outbreak of waterborne diseases such as cholera following the huge release of water caused by the destruction of the Nova Kakhovaka dam in the country’s Kherson region, Ukraine’s Health Minister Viktor Lyashko has told POLITICO.Ten days since the dam of the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant was destroyed, floodwaters are receding and people who did not leave their homes have started to clean up the surrounding areas.But the health threat is not over.In a speech on June 8, two days after the dam’s destruction, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that water could be contaminated by the flooding of fuel storage facilities, warehouses with chemicals and fertilizers, and animal burial grounds — including two where the animals had died from anthrax. Sewage in the water is also a concern.“We inform people that it is now dangerous to swim or take animals to rivers and lakes,” Lyashko said. “These all are effectiv...

After George Floyd’s killing, DOJ probe finds Minneapolis police show pattern of violating rights

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Justice Department accused Minneapolis police Friday of engaging in a pattern of violating constitutional rights and discriminating against Black and Native American people following an investigation prompted by the killing of George Floyd.The sweeping two-year civil rights investigation concluded that systemic problems in the Minneapolis Police Department “made what happened to George Floyd possible.”The investigation found that Minneapolis officers used excessive force, including “unjustified deadly force,” and violated the rights of people engaged in constitutionally protected speech.The probe also found that both Minneapolis police and the city discriminated against people with “behavioral health disabilities” when officers are called for help.As a result, the city and the police department agreed to a deal known as a federal consent decree, which will require reforms to be overseen by an independent monitor and approved by a federal judge. That arra...

Michael Jordan reaches agreement to sell majority stake in NBA’s Charlotte Hornets

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

(CNN) — Michael Jordan has reached an agreement to sell his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, it was announced Friday.Jordan will retain a minority ownership stake in the NBA team.The NBA legend became majority owner of the North Carolina franchise in March 2010, when the team was called the Charlotte Bobcats, and after four years as part of the franchise’s ownership group. He was the first former player to become the majority owner of an NBA franchise.The transaction is subject to the approval of the NBA Board of Governors.

Pair convicted for roles in online romance scams, pandemic unemployment relief fraud

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — A federal jury has convicted two people of playing a role in what prosecutors called “expansive online fraud schemes” that included romance scams and coronavirus pandemic unemployment assistance fraud.Osakpamwan Henry Omoruyi, 37, and Osaretin Godspower Omoruyi, 36, were convicted in U.S. District Court this week after an eight-day trial of bank fraud, bank fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.The men, Nigerian citizens who lived in the Boston suburb of Canton, opened multiple bank accounts in the names of fake people using fraudulent foreign passports, prosecutors said. Their accomplices then sent the proceeds from romance scams, pandemic relief fraud and other illegal online schemes to those bank accounts, authorities said.The defendants took in more than $1.7 million in fraudulently obtained money from 2019 until 2021 and transferred most of it overseas, prosecutors said.Both men are being held pending...

Chicago Bears training camp: 9 practices are open to the public. Here’s how to get free tickets.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

The Chicago Bears released their 2023 training camp schedule, which is open to the public for nine practices.Fans will need a free ticket to watch the action at Halas Hall. Tickets will be available at chicagobears.com/camp at 10 a.m. July 6 with a limit of four per date.As in previous years, fans are not allowed to park at Halas Hall and instead can take the free shuttle bus from nearby Hawthorn Mall with a valid training ticket. For more information about parking lot opening times and bus schedules, click here.Bears 2023 schedule: Here’s who they’ll play — and our predictions for each gameWhat to know about the Bears’ possible move from Soldier Field — and what other suburbs are vying for the stadiumSign up for our Bears alerts on all your devices2023 Bears training camp scheduleTuesday, July 25: Report dayWednesday, July 26: 10 a.m. practice (closed to public)Thursday, July 27: 10 a.m. practiceFriday, July 28: 10 a.m. practiceSaturday, July 29: 10 a....

Conor McGregor statement dismisses sexual assault allegation as ‘shakedown’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:47 GMT

Conor McGregor isn’t going down without a fight. The mixed martial arts fighter slammed new sexual assault allegations as a “shakedown.”The Dublin-born UFC champ, 34, was accused this week of sexually assaulting a woman on June 9, following the game 4 of the NBA finals between the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat, TMZ reported Thursday. Video has been released showing McGregor and his accuser outside the bathroom at the Heat’s Kaseya Center, where the alleged victim claims McGregor attacked her.“After the video was released by TMZ, the claimant’s lawyer now has changed her story. Mr. McGregor welcomes the investigation, which he firmly believes will show the claims against him are false,” McGregor’s legal team told TMZ Sports.“After not responding to the demand for money made by claimant’s counsel, she turned to the media to apply pressure. This is no more than a shakedown.”The alleged victim’s attorney claims ...