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How ‘swatting’ calls spread as schools face real threats

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:44:38 GMT

A spate of threats and false reports of shooters have been pouring into schools and colleges across the country for months, raising concerns among law enforcement and elected leaders. Schools in Pennsylvania were the latest targeted by so-called swatting. Computer-generated calls on Wednesday made claims about active shooters, but it was all a hoax. One day earlier, nearly 30 Massachusetts schools received fake threats. School officials are already on edge amid a backdrop of deadly school shootings, the latest Monday at a Christian school in Nashville.Here is a look at the issues involved:WHAT IS SWATTING?Hundreds of cases of swatting occur annually, with some using caller ID spoofing to disguise their number. The goal is to get authorities, particularly a SWAT team, to respond to an address.An FBI official said in November that they believe the wave of false threats focused on schools may be coming from outside of the country.Officials said at the time that they had identified call...

Officials warn of wildfire risk as Southwest US dries out

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:44:38 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Snowcapped mountains in the Southwestern U.S. signal a possible delayed start to the wildfire season for some higher elevations, but officials in New Mexico and Arizona warned Wednesday that dry, windy conditions in other areas are increasing wildfire risks and prompting red flag warnings.With leaves crunching under her feet and the wind starting to kick up, New Mexico’s governor warned that if the state wants to avoid a historic wildfire season like last year’s when more than 1 million acres (400,000 hectares) burned, she said everyone will have to be prepared.“You can start to think about the landscape in New Mexico and the extreme drought here,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham told those gathered at the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park. “We are at extreme risk.”New Mexico is coming off a devastating wildfire season that included the largest blaze in the state’s recorded history — a conflagration sparked last spring by the U.S. government ...

Graphic novelist, 9 other writers win $50,000 Whiting Awards

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:44:38 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A graphic novelist based in Hawaii, a reporter for an offshoot of The Economist and a contributor to The New Yorker are among this year’s winners of the Whiting Award, a $50,000 honor given annually to 10 emerging fiction and nonfiction writers. R. Kikuo Johnson is the first graphic novelist to receive a Whiting since the prize was established in 1985, according to the Whiting Foundation, which announced the awards Wednesday night. Other winners include Linda Kinstler, who writes for The Economist’s 1843 magazine; New Yorker writer Stephania Taladrid; fiction writers Marcia Douglas, Sidik Fofana and Carribean Fragoza; poets Tommye Blount and Ama Codjoe; dramatist Mia Chung and poet-dramatist Emma Wippermann.“Every year we look to the new Whiting Award winners, writing fearlessly at the edge of imagination, to reveal the pathways of our thought and our acts before we know them ourselves,” Courtney Hodell, Whiting’s director of literary programs, said...

Most gig workers paid sick leave under new Seattle law

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:44:38 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — Most gig workers in Seattle will be permanently entitled to paid sick leave and safe time under a first-in-the-nation law signed by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell on Wednesday. The measure expands pandemic-era protections and strengthens labor rights for app-based workers.Seattle previously allowed food delivery workers to accrue paid sick and safe time, but that policy was due to expire May 1, six months after the end of the emergency order imposed by the city during the coronavirus pandemic. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to make it permanent for “on-demand” gig workers on apps such as DoorDash, Postmates and Instacart.“A healthy workforce leads to a healthy community, and no one should have to choose between taking a sick day to care for themselves — or their families — and making rent,” Harrell said. The measure also expands the categories of workers covered by the policy beyond food delivery, to include those who work for car wash or other apps. Wo...

Woman shot and killed in gas station in Chicago's Austin neighborhood

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:44:38 GMT

CHICAGO — A woman is dead after she was shot in the head while she was in a gas station Wednesday afternoon in Chicago's Austin neighborhood.The shooting happened around 3:30 p.m. at a gas station in the 4800 block of West Washington Boulevard. Woman found shot to death in Chatham alley According to information from the Chicago Police Department, the 22-year-old woman was in the gas station when someone got out of a car and fired shots. She was shot in the head and leg and taken to a hospital where she died, police said. No one has been arrested yet and Area Four detectives are still investigating.

Senator blocks nearly 200 military promotions over abortion policy

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:44:38 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) -- A single U.S. senator is blocking military promotions because he says the Pentagon shouldn’t be paying for the travel of personnel to obtain abortions.Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville is blocking the promotions of high-level military officials to take a stance against the Pentagon's policy of paying for travel for military members seeking out-of-state abortions.“As long as I have a voice in this body, Congress will write the laws, not the Secretary of Defense, not the Joint Chiefs,” Sen. Tuberville said. “This is about not forcing the taxpayers of this country to fund abortion. That's been a bipartisan consensus for more than 40 years.”Sen. Tuberville says the military already provides abortions in cases of rape, incest or if the mother's life is at risk. And Tuberville says paying for travel for elective abortions is a violation of federal law.Pentagon officials say Tuberville is jeopardizing national security.Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin defended the P...

7 California officers, nurse charged in 2020 in-custody death of suspected DUI driver

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:44:38 GMT

(KTLA) - Seven California Highway Patrol officers and a registered nurse have been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of an alleged DUI driver in California nearly three years ago, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.Officers Dionisio Fiorella, 39; Michael Little, 57; Dustin Osmanson, 41; Darren Parsons, 48; Diego Romero, 35; Justin Silva, 30; and Marciel Terry, 32; as well as RN Arbi Baghalian, 42; have been charged in the death of Edward Bronstein.The officers have also been charged with assault by an officer. City of Chicago forces suburban couple to pay red light violation that isn’t theirs On March 31, 2020, Osmanson and Terry pulled over Bronstein in Burbank on suspicion of driving under the influence, prosecutors said.The officers took Bronstein, 38, to a CHP maintenance yard in Altadena and obtained a warrant to draw his blood.Bronstein at first refused to have his blood drawn but eventually agreed as officers “pushed him ...

St. Paul man gets 8 years for ramming squad car after assaulting wife

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:44:38 GMT

St. Paul police officer Joe Labathe says he didn’t see it coming. Before he knew it, Ble Moo accelerated his pickup truck straight toward his squad car and rammed the driver’s side, injuring the officer.With the truck pinned up against the squad car, Labathe climbed out through the passenger side. He and another officer arrested Moo, who had his 4-year-old daughter and an infant daughter in the truck without safety seats. The children were not injured.Ble Moo (Courtesy of the Ramsey County sheriff’s office)Labathe recalled the Oct. 14, 2021, incident Wednesday at Moo’s sentencing, telling Ramsey County District Judge Andrew Gordon that Moo “self-admitted to the investigator in the case, Sgt. Amber Larson, that he was indeed attempting to kill me.”Gordon went on to convict Moo of first-degree assault involving use of deadly force against a peace officer and sentence him to just over eight years in prison. A second-degree attempted murder charge filed in the case was...

Twins slide Max Kepler back into leadoff spot to begin season

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:44:38 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Max Kepler spent 105 games atop the Twins’ batting order in 2019. Last season, that number was down to just two. Only time will tell how often the right fielder hits leadoff in 2023, but it’s safe to say manager Rocco Baldelli likes having him as an option there against right-handed pitchers.When the Twins kick off their season Thursday afternoon in Kansas City against Royals pitching ace Zack Greinke, Kepler will be the first to dig into the batter’s box. He’ll be followed in the order by Carlos Correa (shortstop), Byron Buxton (designated hitter), Trevor Larnach (left field), Jose Miranda (third base), Nick Gordon (second base), Joey Gallo (first base), Christian Vázquez (catcher) and Michael A. Taylor (center field). Pablo López will be on the mound.“Maybe there’s something that works for him confidence-wise up there in that spot. He’s been exceptional hitting up there,” Baldelli said. “… I don’t know if he loves it, likes it or is just content with it, b...

FBI holds briefing on Schoharie limo crash

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:44:38 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEWS10) -- The Federal Bureau of Investigation held its first briefing for lawmakers in Washington on the investigation into its possible role in the 2018 Schoharie limousine crash. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Shahed Hussain, the owner of the limo company involved, was a longtime FBI informant. Both republican and democratic lawmakers have been looking into whether Shahed's role with the FBI impacted the charges against his family.His son, Nauman Hussain, operated the limo company. He initially reached a plea deal that would have allowed him to avoid prison time, but the agreement was rejected by a different judge in September 2022. The case is now expected to go to trial in May.