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Lawyer says suspect, charged with hate crime, may argue self-defense in dancer’s death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:59 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A 17-year-old pleaded not guilty Friday to hate-motivated murder in a stabbing that followed a clash over men dancing, and his lawyer said the youth “regrets what happened” and may argue he was defending himself.Charged as an adult, Dmitriy Popov was being held without bail after his arraignment in the killing of O’Shae Sibley, a professional dancer. Prosecutors say the killing was fueled by bigotry that was trained on Sibley and his friends as they cut loose to a Beyoncé song while pumping gas at a Brooklyn filling station. Sibley, 28, was stabbed after he and a couple of his friends confronted the defendant “to speak out and protect himself and his friends from anti-gay and anti-Black slurs,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Thursday. “Defending yourself from the anti-gay or anti-Black comments, arguing back, it’s not a cause for someone to take a weapon and do what was done in this case,” the prosecutor said.But Popov’s lawyer, Mark Pollar...

Six Nations leaders say Robbie Robertson gave cultural centre invaluable support

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:59 GMT

A gesture by late musician Robbie Robertson has drawn attention to a Six Nations community’s cultural restoration project and local leaders anticipate it will have a lasting positive impact.Heather George, executive director of the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford, Ont., says a public request from Robertson’s family to donate to the centre’s fundraising efforts for a new building has already drawn much attention as news spread of the musician’s death on Wednesday at 80 years old.“One of my hopes is that more people learn about Woodland, the work that we do and the history of our site,” said George in a phone interview.The Woodland Cultural Centre is located on Six Nations land and is part of the former grounds of the Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School. The school closed in 1970 and is now preserved as a historic space to educate people on the impacts of the residential school system.The cultural centre provides resources to promote In...

EXPLAINER: What are special counsels and what do they do?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:59 GMT

The appointment of a special counsel to oversee the Justice Department’s probe of Hunter Biden is bringing renewed attention on the role such prosecutors have played in modern American history.On Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland tapped David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware who has been probing the financial and business dealings of the president’s son, to oversee the department’s investigation. He said Weiss asked to be appointed to the position and told him that “in his judgment, his investigation has reached a stage at which he should continue his work,” now as special counsel.In January, Garland appointed Robert Hur, a former U.S. attorney in Maryland, to oversee the department’s investigation into how several batches of documents marked as classified ended up at Joe Biden’s Delaware home and at the offices of the president’s Washington think tank.And last year, Garland appointed former Justice Department public corruption prosecutor Jack Smith to lead in...

VP Kamala Harris back in Chicago Friday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:59 GMT

CHICAGO — The issue of gun violence is bringing Vice President Kamala Harris back to Chicago.Harris will address a gun safety conference at McCormick Place Friday afternoon.Officials said she'll discuss the administration's ongoing commitment to reducing gun violence. Illinois Supreme Court upholds state’s ban on semiautomatic weapons This is Harris' third visit to Chicago this summer.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines

Man who bought Michael Jordan rookie card with fake signature gets $34,000 refund: 'Tremendous relief'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:59 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Sports card collector Ed Yakich was refunded more than $34,000 after he bid on and won an autographed Michael Jordan rookie card that wasn't actually signed by the NBA legend. Yakich, a Florida resident, had purchased the card through the PWCC auction house along with documentation that showed the card was authentic and certified by a firm called PSA/DNA.After receiving the card, he sent it off to that same firm for grading. They later called back, informing him the signature was fake.“In our opinion, the aforementioned signature is not authentic and did not pass PSA/DNA authentication," the grading company said. Nearly 70% of MLB players polled choose same city for possible expansion team “It stopped me in my tracks, and quite honestly ruined my weekend and put the last eight to 10 weeks of my life in a spindle, because it was quite a shock,” Yakich told Nexstar's WFLA.Sports card collector Ed Yakich paid $34,200 for a Michael Jordan rookie card that he later...

Crews respond to wildfire near SH 130 south of Lockhart in Caldwell County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A grass fire sprang up Friday in Caldwell County, according to the Austin Fire Department, which said crews from Travis County were headed there to help fight it.The fire is near State Highway 130 south of Lockhart. It's called the Boggy Creek Fire, the Texas A&M Forest Service reported. MAP: More than 2,500 acres have burned in Central Texas wildfires this year AFD originally said the fire was 20 acres but said in an update it was 60 acres.Boggy Creek Fire in Caldwell County near State Highway 130 south of Lockhart. (KXAN Photo/Andy Way)Boggy Creek Fire in Caldwell County near State Highway 130 south of Lockhart. (KXAN Photo/Andy Way)Boggy Creek Fire in Caldwell County near State Highway 130 south of Lockhart. (KXAN Photo/Andy Way)Boggy Creek Fire in Caldwell County near State Highway 130 south of Lockhart. (KXAN Photo/Andy Way)The agency also said forward progress had stopped and some Travis County resources that responded to a mutual aid request were being r...

2 teens arrested in shooting death of Austin 18-year-old

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:59 GMT

Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 11, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A juvenile suspect and a 17-year-old were arrested after being accused of being involved in the death of an 18-year-old who was shot and killed during a robbery in southeast Austin Monday. According to the Austin Police Department, the 18-year-old, identified as Gregory Orork, was taken to St. David's Medical Center with life-threatening gunshot wounds Monday afternoon. MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2023? APD officers arrived at the hospital and found Orork as he was being treated. Orork died at the hospital. Homicide detectives believe the shooting happened in the 5400 block of Freidrich Lane, and a friend took Orork to the hospital immediately after the shooting. The investigation revealed Orork was shot and killed during a robbery, APD said.The suspects were identified as Christian Alba, 17, and another man younger than that, who both left the scene in a vehicle. N...

Austin's 35-day streak of consecutive 100° days is the longest in recorded history

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:59 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows the latest from the KXAN First Warning Weather team.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin is currently experiencing the longest stretch of triple-digit heat in recorded history.Camp Mabry, Austin's official weather reporting site, has reached 100° or hotter every day since July 8.That means temperatures have reached the century mark for 35 days in a row. With records dating back to the 1890s, that's the longest stretch of triple-digit temperatures ever recorded in Austin. MORE HEAT RECORDS: What is Austin's hottest month ever? The previous record of 27 days was set between July 17 and Aug. 12, 2011. That summer went on to have a record-breaking 90 days of triple-digit heat. How often does Austin hit 100°? Here’s a breakdown by date, month, year and decade Meanwhile, a 13-day streak is underway at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, with temperatures hitting 100° or above every day since July 29.An 18-day streak earlier in July currently ranks ...

ERCOT extends weather watch a week as heat not expected to let up

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:59 GMT

Editor's Note: The above video shares tips for responding to heat-related illnesses.AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has extended its latest weather watch yet again as summer heat persists in the state.Its watch originally went into effect Sunday and was expected to last until Monday. It then extended it that day to Friday and on Friday announced it would be in place until the following week on Aug. 18. How you can check Texas power grid conditions Weather watches don't mean the grid is in an emergency situation, but is an early alert for Texans to monitor grid conditions. It is a type of alert that is new this year and part of the group's efforts to keep Texans informed about the power grid. ERCOT said the grid is expected to be normal during these types of alerts.In its alert Friday, ERCOT said it extended the watch "due to ongoing forecasted higher temperatures, higher electrical demand and the potential for lower reserves."The KXAN First Warning Weathe...

60-year-old arrested in deadly southeast Austin shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:38:59 GMT

Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 11, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A 60-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with the shooting death of a 54-year-old in southeast Austin Tuesday evening. APD investigating homicide in southeast Austin The shooting happened in the 7900 block of Lee Hill Drive, which is south of East Riverside Drive, off of Hoeke Lane. Austin Police Department officers responded to the scene around 6:30 p.m. after someone called 911 saying they found a person dead and the suspect was still at the location. APD identified the victim as Isaias Martinez, 54, and the suspect as Jorge Flores-Duran, 60. Flores-Duran was detained and interviewed by investigators. APD said during the interview, he admitted to shooting Martinez during an argument. MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2023? Flores-Duran was arrested and charged with first-degree felony murder. He is currently being held at the Travis County jail.Anyone ...