Category: Uncategorized

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Former U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan, who became the first female senator to represent Missouri after she was appointed to replace her husband following his death, died Tuesday. She was 90. Carnahan was appointed to the Senate in 2001 after the posthumous election of her husband, Gov. Mel Carnahan, and she served until 2002. “Mom passed peacefully after a long and rich life. She was a fearless trailblazer. She was brilliant, creative, compassionate and dedicated to her family and her fellow Missourians,” her family said in a statement. Her family did not specify the...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Arrests for illegal border crossings from Mexico reached an all-time high in December since monthly numbers have been released, authorities said Friday, exposing a growing vulnerability for President Joe Biden in his campaign for a second term. The Border Patrol tallied 249,785 arrests on the Mexican border in December, up 31% from 191,112 in November and up 13% from 222,018 in December 2022, the previous all-time high. Arrests fell more than half during the first two weeks of January, “consistent with historical trends and enhanced enforcement,” U.S. Customs and Border...

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ (Associated Press) SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A farmworker charged with killing seven people last year in back-to-back shootings at two Northern California mushroom farms was indicted by a grand jury in an effort by prosecutors to move the case along, authorities said. Chunli Zhao was in court Tuesday to be arraigned on seven counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder, but his arraignment was continued until Feb. 29, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said in an email. Zhao was charged last year in the Jan. 23, 2023,...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House announced Monday that President Joe Biden has renominated Julie Su to serve as labor secretary as her confirmation has languished in the Senate for more than 10 months. The decision to renominate Su, who has served as acting labor secretary since Marty Walsh vacated the role last February, was widely expected. Su’s nomination cleared a key Senate committee in April, but with no Republicans on record supporting her, the Biden administration and her backers have scrambled to lock down 50 Democratic votes needed to confirm her. Wavering senators say that she...

By LOLITA C. BALDOR (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized since Monday, due to complications following a minor elective medical procedure, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said Friday. It was the department’s first acknowledgement that Austin had been admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Ryder said Friday that it’s not clear when Austin will be released from the hospital, but said the secretary is “recovering well and is expecting to resume his full duties today.” He said that this has been...

By JULIE CARR SMYTH (Associated Press) COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A trade group representing TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other major tech companies sued Ohio on Friday over a pending law that requires children to get parental consent to use social media apps. The law was part of an $86.1 billion state budget bill that Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law in July. It’s set to take effect Jan. 15. The administration pushed the measure as a way to protect children’s mental health, with Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted saying at the time that social media was “intentionally addictive” and...

CORAL GABLES — Norchad Omier had 27 points and 10 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season and Miami beat North Florida 95-55 on Friday night. Omier scored 14 points in the opening 10 minutes to help Miami build a 27-14 lead. Omier made his first six shots, including a 3-pointer, while North Florida started 5 of 22 from the field. Omier finished the half with 19 points as Miami led 42-27. Seven of North Florida’s nine field goals in the first half came from behind the arc. Kyshawn George and Bensley Joseph each made a 3-pointer during Miami’s 17-5 run to begin the second half for...

By COLBY GUY (Associated Press) SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Sam Reinhart scored two goals, Aleksander Barkov tied a franchise career record by collecting three assists, and the Florida Panthers beat the NHL-leading New York Rangers 4-3 on Friday night. Carter Verhaeghe got the winning goal for Florida in the third period. Evan Rodrigues also scored for the Panthers, and Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 31 saves. Barkov tied Jonathan Huberdeau for the Panthers’ record with 415 assists. Artemi Panarin, Will Culleye and Mika Zibanejad scored for the Rangers, who tied the game twice after facing...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Charlie Sheen’s neighbor was arrested after being accused of assaulting the actor in a Malibu, California, home this week, authorities said. Electra Schrock was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement Friday. She was also taken into custody for force likely to create bodily injury and burglary. Authorities arrived at the residence Wednesday afternoon after receiving a battery-disturbance call. Schrock, 47, was expected to appear in court Friday. Representatives for Sheen did not immediately respond to a...

By COLLEEN SLEVIN and MATTHEW BROWN (Associated Press) BRIGHTON, Colo. (AP) — Two Denver-area paramedics were convicted Friday for giving a fatal overdose of the sedative ketamine to Elijah McClain in 2019 — a jury verdict that experts said could have a chilling effect on first responders around the country. The case over the 23-year-old Black man’s death was the first among several recent criminal prosecutions against medical first responders to reach trial, potentially setting the bar for prosecutors in future cases. It also was the last of three trials against police and paramedics...