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El Salvador is seeing worst rights abuses since 1980-1992 civil war, Amnesty reports

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:23 GMT

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — El Salvador is experiencing one of the worst human rights crises since the country’s 1980-1992 civil war, because of President Nayib Bukele ’s harsh anti-gang crackdown, Amnesty International said in a report released Tuesday.The rights group claimed that the almost 74,000 people jailed in the crackdown were subjected to “systematic use of torture and other mistreatment.”“The deterioration in human rights that we have documented in recent years is extremely worrisome,” said Ana Piquer, the Americas director for Amnesty International. “The adoption of a highly repressive security policy and the weakening of the rule of law has led the country to one of its worst crises since the civil war,” Piquer said, referring to the 1980s conflict between leftist guerrillas and government forces that left 75,000 dead.The group based its report on 83 interviews in El Salvador, including victims of abuses.The Associated Press interviewed two former inmates who were ...

Attorneys for family of absolved Black man killed by deputy seeking $16M from Georgia sheriff

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:23 GMT

WOODBINE, Ga. (AP) — Attorneys for the family of a Black man fatally shot by a Georgia deputy during an October traffic stop have given formal notice of plans to sue the sheriff’s office in a letter demanding $16 million in restitution.Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Harry Daniels told reporters Tuesday that the sum represents $1 million for every year Leonard Cure spent imprisoned in Florida on a wrongful conviction. He was killed just three years after Florida authorities set him free.“Everything was going right for Leonard, things were looking up, until he had this encounter with this sheriff’s deputy,” Crump said during a news conference with members of Cure’s family.Camden County Staff Sgt. Buck Aldridge killed 53-year-old Cure during a violent struggle on the shoulder of Interstate 95 after pulling him over for speeding and reckless driving.Dash and body camera video of the Oct. 16 shooting show Aldridge shocking Cure with a Taser after he refused to put his h...

Bridgeport mayor says supporters broke law by mishandling ballots but he had nothing to do with it

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:23 GMT

The mayor of Connecticut’s largest city said Tuesday that he believes his supporters broke the law while handling absentee ballots and he doesn’t plan on appealing a judge’s decision to toss out the results of a Democratic primary and possibly rerun the general election.Speaking in a radio interview, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim denied having anything to do with rule-breaking during the Sept. 12 primary, in which some backers of his campaign were recorded on surveillance videos stuffing multiple absentee ballots into outdoor collection boxes.“I’m embarrassed and I’m sorry for what happened with the campaign. Granted, I had no knowledge of what was going on,” Ganim said on the Lisa Wexler Show on WICC 600AM. He acknowledged that “there were people in the campaign that violated, you know, the election laws, as the judge clearly saw from the evidence.”Ganim called on state elections officials to do more to curb potential absentee ballot abuse. He also claimed that the v...

Man charged with murder in Philadelphia store stabbing that killed security guard, wounded another

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:23 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A man accused of stabbing two security guards who stopped him from stealing merchandise from a department store in Philadelphia — killing one and critically injuring the other — has been charged with murder and several other counts, prosecutors said Tuesday.Tyrone Tunnell, 30, was being held without bail and a preliminary hearing in his case will be held within two weeks. It was not known if he has an attorney. The prosecutor’s office didn’t immediately respond to an email or voicemail seeking further information.The stabbings occurred around 11 a.m. Monday at a Macy’s store. Police said the security guards — Eric Harrison, 27, of Frankford, and Christian Mitchell, 23 — saw Tunnell attempting to steal some hats and took back the merchandise.Tunnel then left the store but returned a short time later armed with a knife, authorities said. He confronted Harrison and stabbed him in the neck, and stabbed Mitchell in the face and arm when the guard tried to ...

Duelling housing messages showcase different Conservative, Liberal strategies

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:23 GMT

OTTAWA — Every week now for more than a month, cabinet ministers have been appearing in front of cameras on Parliament Hill in an effort to convince Canadians that the Liberal government has the housing crisis in hand. Ever since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s summer cabinet shuffle, they’ve been scrambling to be seen making the cost of living a top priority, hoping to catch up to the runaway Conservatives on the issue of affordability. Like clockwork, Housing Minister Sean Fraser appeared Tuesday alongside Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, this time to announce millions in spending to build or upgrade thousands of co-operative homes. The Conservatives, meanwhile, have been racking up the clicks, views and shares with a slick 15-minute explainer video, complete with graphs, news segments and narration from none other than leader Pierre Poilievre. Welcome to the main event of Canadian politics: the battle to become the party voters can trust to confront one of the...

Police search for group spotted stealing $5K worth of trading cards from Chesterton game shop

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:23 GMT

CHESTERTON, Ind. — Police in northwest Indiana are asking for help as they search for a group of people who stole a binder full of trading cards from a board game shop.According to Chesterton Police, a search is underway for three people who officers believe were involved in the theft at Reliquary Gaming, a board game shop in the 1500 block of South Calumet Road in Chesterton. State will not proceed with Brighton Park migrant camp after environmental review, governor says In a post shared by the game shop on social media, store owners said the theft occurred around 6 p.m. last Wednesday.Store owners say the three individuals entered the shop and asked employees if they could look through a binder that was full of 'Magic: The Gathering' cards that were worth between $10 and $20 apiece. According to shop employees, two of the three people then distracted store employees while a third person slipped the binder into their bag.One of the store's owners confirmed that the bind...

'Mental health crisis' prompts heavy police presence in Aurora

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:23 GMT

AURORA, Ill. — Locals in Aurora have been asked to shelter in place as police officials respond to what the department called a 'mental health crisis.'While details are limited, members of Aurora police's crisis intervention unit, a special response team and a crisis negotiations team remain on scene in the 300 block of Springlake Lane.Residents were asked to avoid the area out of an abundance of caution. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines No further information was made available by police. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Police: 3 women arrested after stealing from Ulta, leading police on pursuit before crash in Oak Brook

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:23 GMT

OAK BROOK, Ill -- Three Chicago women have been arrested after stealing merchandise from the Ulta beauty store in Oak Brook and then leading police on a pursuit Monday afternoon.According to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office, Oak Brook police responded to the Ulta store on the 2100 block of West 22nd Street on reports of a store theft on Monday. 3-year-old fatally shot in Merrillville ID’d Three women from Chicago, 27-year-old Damoncia Stewart, 28-year-old Omesha Hawkins, and 32-year-old Onegua Hawkins, reportedly entered the Oak Brook Ulta store around 3:15 p.m. on Monday and stole $300 worth of items before leaving the store without paying. The group allegedly fled the scene in a BMW that Oak Brook police were able to later locate after the car drove down a one way street near the 22nd Street and Midwest Road intersection.Police attempted to pull over the BMW allegedly being driven by Stewart, but she tried to avoid authorities by weaving in and out of lanes, driving o...

Shohei Ohtani met with the Dodgers in LA for 2-3 hours, manager Dave Roberts says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:23 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani met with the Los Angeles Dodgers a few days ago at Dodger Stadium, manager Dave Roberts revealed Tuesday at the winter meetings.The two-way star is expected to command a record contract of $500 million-plus on the free agent market coming off his second AL MVP award in three seasons.“He has a very good poker face,” Roberts said.The meeting lasted two-to-three hours.“We want to respect Shohei’s wishes as far as being private,” Roberts said, "but obviously people talk. I don’t think I need to share what we talked about.”Roberts at first hesitated before giving a few details.“It’s a good possibility,” he said. “Yeah, we met with him. I don’t want to — I’d like to be honest and so we met with Shohei and we talked and I think it went well. I think it went well. But at the end of the day, he’s his own man and he’s going to do what’s best for himself, where he feels most comfortable.”Ohtani led the AL with 44 homers and hit .304 with 96 RBIs, eight tri...

Tuberville finally ends blockade, allows military promotions

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:56:23 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – A months long blockade of hundreds of military promotions is now over.“I'm not going to hold the promotions of these people any longer,” Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) said.The senator dropped his holds on all officers at the three-star level or below and only keeping holds in place for about ten of the four-star officers, allowing the Senate to quickly confirm hundreds of promotions at once.“Hundreds of military families across the country can breathe a sigh of relief,” Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said.Tuberville initially began his blockade in February as a protest over a Pentagon abortion policy.“It's been a long fight. We fought hard,” Tuberville declared. “We did the right thing for the unborn and for our military.”But critics blasted Senator Tuberville for putting national security at risk and leaving hundreds of military families in limbo.Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder remarked, “We have a very important mission in terms of defend...