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2024 officially begins: DeSantis, Burgum file New Hampshire primary paperwork

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:41 GMT

CONCORD, N.H. — The 2024 election cycle has officially begun, now that there are at least two major Republican candidates officially vying for the party nod in the first-in-the-nation primary.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, arguably the second-most-popular conservative in the country, was just a few hours behind North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum in meeting with New Hampshire’s Secretary of State on Thursday to declare he would seek the Republican nomination in 2024.“Now is the time for leadership,” DeSantis said when signing, surrounded by press and supporters.“Live free or die,” he added to his signature, quoting the New Hampshire State motto.DeSantis is currently polling in second place nationally behind former President Donald Trump, a position he has maintained for months despite a slowly slipping lead in the Granite State and elsewhere. In a theoretical matchup against President Biden, the likely Democratic nominee, the former Navy JAG officer polls a few points behind or even.The Sunsh...

Bigfoot in Colorado? The ‘ever-elusive creature’ may have been caught on camera

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:41 GMT

By Jacob Factor, Denver PostIs Bigfoot in Colorado?A Wyoming couple thinks so after spotting what they believe to be the “ever-elusive creature” while they were riding the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in southwest Colorado over the weekend.Shannon and Stetson Parker were looking for elk during their Sunday train ride through the San Juan Mountains on the way to Durango from Silverton when Stetson saw what he thought could be Bigfoot.“We were looking for elk in the mountains and my husband sees something moving and then can’t really explain it. So he’s like, ‘Bigfoot!’” Shannon told The New York Post. “It was at least 6, 7 feet or taller. It matched the sage in the mountains so much that he’s like camouflaged when crouching down.”Shannon said in a Facebook post that she scrambled to take photos of the beast, while a man sitting next to Stetson took a video of the creature that has now gone viral on social media.“Y’all, out of the hundreds of people on the train, thre...

Fentanyl lab discovered in Mexicali; 7 arrested

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:41 GMT

SAN DIEGO (Border Report) -- An anonymous phone call is said to have led investigators to a fentanyl lab in the Mexican border city of Mexicali, about 120 miles east of Tijuana.Officers discovered what they call a "full working fentanyl lab where other synthetic drugs were being stored." Mexico denies producing fentanyl; Texas Republicans baffled The Baja California Attorney General's office says officers responded to a call about several men walking around carrying long weapons. And as they responded, they were shot at by a group of men sitting in two separate vehicles.Federal Mexican agents discover 20,000 fentanyl pills in Tijuana last week. (Courtesy: Baja California Office of Public Safety)Investigators say the officers exchanged fire with the suspects, and that with the aid of Mexican National Guard troops, they were able to take seven men into custody without any injuries. Mexican president to US: Fentanyl is your problem An AR-15 and an AK-47 were two of the weapons seiz...

5 spooky cocktails in San Diego to resurrect your spirits this Halloween season

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:41 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Looking for a cocktail to put a spell on you this Halloween season? San Diego mixologist are brewing up some spooky potions for the occasion.From disguised speakeasies to downtown lounges and coastal rooftop bars, the options are many when it comes to finding a glass of fall flavors with a garnish of Halloween charm.Here are five spooky cocktails in San Diego to be tried this spooky season: There’s a dog-friendly speakeasy hidden in this Carlsbad corn maze "Fire in the Cemetery" at Oculto 477This Old Town speakeasy is located within the Tahona Bar and requires a reservation to be enjoyed. When created, flames are put to this specialty cocktail, which creates a cloud of smoke upon its serving. It gives graveyard vibes with a kick of Monkey Shoulder blended malt scotch, Argonaut brandy, Angostura bitters, among other ingredients. "Live, Laugh, Lobotomy" at Cutwater Spirits Tasting RoomHead on over to this Miramar distillery to try a sip of this bone-chilling concoc...

As desperation in Gaza grows, Israel pledges to block vital aid until Hamas releases hostages

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:41 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military pulverized the Gaza Strip with airstrikes, prepared for a possible ground invasion and said Thursday its complete siege of the territory — which has left Palestinians desperate for food, fuel and medicine — would remain in place until Hamas militants free some 150 hostages taken during a grisly weekend incursion.A visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, along with shipments of U.S. weapons, offered a powerful green light to Israel to drive ahead with its retaliation in Gaza after Hamas’ deadly attack on civilians and soldiers, even as international aid groups warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis. Israel has halted deliveries of basic necessities and electricity to Gaza’s 2.3 million people and prevented entry of supplies from Egypt.“Not a single electricity switch will be flipped on, not a single faucet will be turned on and not a single fuel truck will enter until the Israeli hostages are returned home,” Israeli Energy Minister Israel ...

Trump’s criticism of Israel’s Netanyahu draws strong condemnation from GOP rivals

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:41 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Several of former President Donald Trump ‘s Republican rivals denounced him on Thursday for lashing out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu days after Hamas’ deadly attack, a rare moment in which multiple competitors directly criticized the GOP front-runner.Trump at a rally Wednesday night said Netanyahu “let us down” just before the U.S. killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in 2020. He also said Israeli leaders needed to “step up their game” and referred to Hezbollah, the group Israel fears may launch a large-scale attack from the country’s north, as “very smart.” In an interview that aired Thursday, he added to his criticism, saying Netanyahu “was not prepared” for the deadly weekend incursion from Gaza.“Now is not the time to be attacking our ally,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, one of Trump’s 2024 rivals, echoing denunciations from the White House and elsewhere. More than 2,700 people are dead on both the Israeli an...

1 officer convicted, 1 acquitted in death of Elijah McClain

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:41 GMT

BRIGHTON, Colo. (AP) — Jurors Thursday convicted a Denver-area police officer of criminally negligent homicide and 3rd-degree assault and acquitted another in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a Black man whose name became a rallying cry in protests over racial injustice in policing.Aurora police officer Randy Roedema was found guilty by the 12-person jury, and officer Jason Rosenblatt was found not guilty.McClain died after being put in a neck hold by a third officer and pinned to the ground, then injected by paramedics with an overdose of ketamine. The third officer and two paramedics are awaiting trial.The case initially did not receive widespread attention, but protests over the killing of George Floyd the following year sparked outrage over McClain’s death. His pleading words captured on body camera footage, “I’m an introvert and I’m different,” struck a chord.Colleen Slevin And Matthew Brown, The Associated Press

El Salvador is gradually filling its new mega prison with alleged gang members

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:41 GMT

TECOLUCA, El Salvador (AP) — With tattoo-covered faces, and wearing white shirts and shorts, gang members captured during El Salvador’s state of exception are gradually filling the country’s new mega prison.Unveiled earlier this year, the prison 45 miles (72 kilometers) southeast of the capital now holds some 12,000 accused or convicted gang members, barely a quarter of its 40,000 capacity.Prisoners here do not receive visits. There are no programs preparing them for reinsertion into society after their sentences, no workshops or educational programs.The exceptions are occasional motivational talks from prisoners who have gained a level of trust from prison officials. Prisoners sit in rows in the corridor outside their cells for the talks or are led through exercise regimens under the supervision of guards. They are never allowed outside.President Nayib Bukele ordered its construction when El Salvador began making massive arrests early last year in response to a surge in gang violen...

Northwestern State football player shot and killed near campus, coach calls it ‘a tremendous loss’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:41 GMT

NATCHITOCHES, La. (AP) — A Northwestern State University football player was shot and killed early Thursday near an apartment complex not far from campus in Natchitoches, police said.Ronald Caldwell, a 21-year-old junior from Austin, Texas, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds by Natchitoches police officers who responded shortly after 1 a.m. to a report of a shooting. The coroner’s office pronounced Caldwell dead at the scene.No arrests have been made, said Cpl. John Greely, a spokesperson for the department.“This investigation is ongoing and the Natchitoches Police Department will release more details as they become available,” the department said in a statement on Facebook.The university canceled Saturday’s football game at Nicholls State University as a result of the shooting. Decisions regarding future football games will be made as the season progresses, the school said.“The Northwestern State family has suffered a tremendous loss,” head football coach Brad ...

Prosecutor removed from YNW Melly murder trial after defense accusations of withholding information

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:41 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A South Florida judge removed the lead prosecutor in the double murder retrial of rapper YNW Melly on Thursday after defense attorneys claimed prosecutors didn’t reveal that the lead detective in the case had been previously accused of being willing to lie as he gathered evidence.Broward Circuit Court Judge John Murphy granted the defense’s motion to recuse prosecutor Kristine Bradley in an abundance of caution. The judge didn’t find that Bradley’s integrity had been comprised but agreed that she couldn’t serve as a prosecutor on the case if the defense was planning to call her as a witness regarding the credibility of one of the investigators.Jury selection is set to begin next week, and no replacement for Bradley was immediately announced.Last week, attorneys for Melly, whose legal name is Jamell Demons, asked Murphy to remove the Broward State Attorney’s Office from the case and potentially dismiss the case entirely. The reques...