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A Florida sinkhole that claimed a man’s life in 2013 reopens, this time harmlessly

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:44 GMT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A Florida sinkhole that in 2013 fatally swallowed a man sleeping in his own house has reopened for a third time, only now it’s behind chain-link fencing and doing no harm to people or property.Hillsborough County officials said the sinkhole located in the Tampa suburb of Seffner appeared again Monday, which they said is not unusual for such underground formations especially in central Florida with its porous limestone base. The hole was about 19 feet (6 meters) wide at its largest point.“None of the homes surrounding this appear to be in any danger,” said Jon-Paul Lavandeira, director of the county code enforcement department. “This is not uncommon, what we’re seeing here.”A decade ago, 37-year-old Jeff Bush was sleeping in a bedroom when the earth opened up and devoured him and part of the house. Five other people escaped unharmed and Bush’s brother, Jeremy, tried in vain to dig him out of the hole. Jeff Bush’s body has never been...

Suspect in Larry Nassar stabbing said ex-doctor made lewd remark watching Wimbledon, AP source says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:44 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A prisoner suspected of stabbing Larry Nassar at a federal penitentiary in Florida said the disgraced former sports doctor provoked the attack by making a lewd comment while they were watching a Wimbledon tennis match on TV, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.The inmate, identified as Shane McMillan, was previously convicted of assaulting a correctional officer at a federal penitentiary in Louisiana in 2006 and attempting to stab another inmate to death at the federal Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado in 2011, court records show.McMillan attacked Nassar in his cell Sunday with a makeshift weapon, stabbing him multiple times in the neck, chest and back before four other inmates rushed in and pulled him off of Nassar, according to the person familiar with the matter.Correctional officers assigned to the unit at the United States Penitentiary Coleman responded to Nassar’s cell and performed what officials said were life-saving measur...

Deputies arrest 55-year-old man accused in hit-and-run crash during illegal street race in Pompano Beach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:44 GMT

Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a man Wednesday accused of a hit-and-run crash during an illegal street race that left a pedestrian injured. Charles Standifer, 55, is facing four charges, which include speeding/racing on the highway, failure to stop and remain on the scene of the accident involving serious injury, reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and failure to provide proof of liability security. According to BSO, the illegal street race took place on Sunday evening in the 300 block of Northwest 31st Avenue. During the race, the vehicle lost control and collided with a pedestrian, Warren Ferrell, who was on a sidewalk before the vehicle crashed into a construction fence and ended up in a ditch. The driver left the scene of the crash without rendering any aid to Ferrell. Ferrell was then transported to Broward Health North for treatment. He had injuries to his left side and head trauma. He has since been released from the hospital but his family said h...

EU conservatives’ anti-Green Deal push falls short

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:44 GMT

STRASBOURG — In an extremely tight vote on Wednesday, lawmakers in the European Parliament sent a message to their conservative colleagues: Don’t mess with the Green Deal. The result — after a bruising debate — saw MEPs fend off a deeply polarizing right-wing effort to kill EU legislation aimed at restoring nature.It was an embarrassing outcome for European People’s Party leader Manfred Weber, who for months had plotted to ensure the Parliament would torpedo the proposal, arguing against scientists and the Commission that it will destroy farmers’ livelihoods and put food security at risk. “We have fought for our convictions and we came very close,” Weber said at a press conference, seeking to downplay the defeat, which saw 15 of the EPP’s 176 members breaking ranks by refusing to kill the bill outright.The campaign saw Weber square off with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a fellow EPP member and the Green Deal’s original architect. Von der ...

How Ukraine lost its battle for a NATO membership commitment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:44 GMT

VILNIUS — Ukraine wanted this year’s NATO summit to end with a clear declaration that it will become an alliance member once the war ends, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is leaving Lithuania without that ultimate prize.For weeks, Ukrainian officials pushed their counterparts in the United States and Europe to draft language that offered a timeline and clear path toward membership. The communiqué allies released Tuesday fell short of that, stating instead that “we will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine when allies agree and conditions are met.”That line proved a deep disappointment for Kyiv, which raged behind the scenes as the U.S. and Germany resisted pressure to offer Ukraine concrete pledges. It was particularly upset at the vague reference to conditions, seeing it as a potential arbitrary roadblock to membership.Ukraine’s leadership reached out to Washington and Berlin to make its displeasure felt, ending in Zelenskyy firing off an irritated tweet on Tuesday...

How do you buy a home with little or no credit? Turn rent payments into credit score points

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:44 GMT

Lizzie Kane | Chicago Tribune (TNS)Zhiqiang Su, 50, and Yuping Liang, 50, moved from China to Chicago in 2020, seeking a life with better education opportunities for their now 21-year-old daughter and more freedom.They have been renters since they immigrated, living in a single-family, two-bedroom home in Bridgeport for $1,200 a month, never having missed or been late on a payment.But, Su said, they want a place to call their own to help them achieve their American Dream.“I want to purchase a house because it will allow me to have a more stable life,” Su said in Cantonese as Ivan Man and Sharon Wong, two members of his real estate team, translated.Being immigrants, however, adds extra layers of difficulty to the already challenging housing market.The couple works hard to make a living: Su works 10-hour days, six days a week making sushi in a restaurant, and his wife does the same while working a part-time job as a home care aide. But their real estate team expects them to run into c...

Cape Cod beaches close to swimming after several shark sightings: ‘Lots of activity today’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:44 GMT

The summer new normal along the Cape is here for the season.Beaches were closed to swimming on Wednesday as several great white sharks were spotted close to shore.The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app was blowing up with shark alerts along the Outer Cape.“!! SHARK ALERT !! White shark sighting Longnook beach (Truro), swimming closed:11:15 am to 12:15 pm,” tweeted the account MA Sharks, which is run by shark expert John Chisholm.“Lots of activity today so get the @sharktivity app to stay up to date. #SharkSmart,” added Chisholm, who confirms sharks sightings for the Sharktivity app.A white shark sighting at Head of the Meadow and Coast Guard Beach in Truro shut down swimming there from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.Shark sightings were also reported near Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet.“!! SHARK ALERT !! White shark north of Newcomb Hollow,” Chisholm tweeted. “If you haven’t downloaded the @sharktivity app yet, now wo...

How health care may be affected by the high court’s affirmative action ruling

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:44 GMT

Michelle Andrews | (TNS) KFF Health NewsDoctors are concerned that a Supreme Court ruling issued June 29 will have far-reaching effects not only on the diversity of doctors and other care providers in training but ultimately also on patient care.The decision found it is unconstitutional for colleges and universities to use race as a factor in student admissions, which will affect enrollment decisions at public and private educational institutions, including medical schools.Like other academic institutions, medical schools have long factored race into admission decisions. The schools operated under the principle — and there is considerable evidence they are correct — that a more diverse workforce of doctors does a better job of treating diverse patients.The “decision demonstrates a lack of understanding of the critical benefits of racial and ethnic diversity in educational settings and a failure to recognize the urgent need to address health inequities,” read a statement from David S...

Steve Bannon ordered to pay nearly $500K in unpaid legal bills

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:44 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Steve Bannon must pay nearly $500,000 in outstanding legal fees to his former attorneys, a New York judge ruled.Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump and far-right strategist, was sued earlier this year for allegedly stiffing the Manhattan law firm that has defended him against a cascade of legal troubles in recent years.In her six-page order released this week, Judge Arlene Bluth found that Bannon paid just $375,000 of more than $850,000 in legal fees he owed to Davidoff, Hutcher & Citron LLP.He was ordered to pay the balance of $480,487, along with 1% interest and “reasonable legal fees.”In a statement, Bannon’s current attorney, Harlan Protass, said his client plans to appeal the “clearly wrong” decision.Jeffrey Citron, a managing partner at Davidoff, Hutcher & Citron, said it was unfortunate that Bannon forced the firm to take legal action despite receiving “excellent representation.”“The firm intends to pursue every opportunity to coll...

Reenactment of Parkland school massacre on campus will be allowed as part of lawsuit against deputy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:44 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The 2018 Parkland high school massacre will be reenacted twice with the firing of about 140 blanks on campus as part of families’ lawsuits against the former sheriff’s deputy they accuse of failing to stop the gunman, a judge ruled Wednesday. Circuit Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips granted the motion from attorney David Brill, who says his video recorded reenactment will prove former Broward Deputy Scot Peterson knew the shooter was firing inside a three-story classroom building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, but chose not to intercede. Phillips also granted the request by Peterson’s attorney, Michael Piper, who questioned the validity of such reenactments but said his side would also now need to conduct one. Peterson, the school’s on-campus deputy, was acquitted last month of criminal charges accusing him of inaction, but the civil case against him, the Broward Sheriff’s Office and others is governed by...