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Florida attorney general, against criticism, seeks to keep abortion rights amendment off 2024 ballot

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:33 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s Republican attorney general has asked the state Supreme Court to keep a proposed abortion rights amendment off the ballot, saying proponents are waging “a war” to protect the procedure and ultimately will seek to expand those rights in future years.But proponents of the proposed amendment said Attorney General Ashley Moody is playing politics and that her arguments fall legally short given what the call the clear and precise language of the proposed measure.A group called Floridians Protecting Freedom has gathered nearly 500,000 of the 891,523 voter signatures needed ahead of a Feb. 1 deadline for signatures to put the proposal on the 2024 ballot. The state Supreme Court would be tasked with ensuring the ballot language isn’t misleading and applies to a single subject if it goes before voters.The proposed amendment would allow abortions to remain legal until the fetus is viable. But Moody argued that abortion rights proponents and opponents h...

Defendant in Tupac Shakur killing loses defense lawyer ahead of arraignment on murder charge

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:33 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The former Southern California street gang leader charged with killing Tupac Shakur in 1996 in Las Vegas has lost his bid to be represented at his arraignment by the lawyer who spoke publicly about his defense two weeks ago.Attorney Ross Goodman told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis could not meet terms of an agreement that a judge on Oct. 19 gave them two more weeks to reach. Goodman did not specify a reason for the impasse.Davis is due for arraignment Thursday, and Clark County District Court Judge Tierra Jones could order a financial accounting of Davis’ assets to determine if he can afford a lawyer or if she should declare him indigent and name an attorney to defend him at public expense.Scott Coffee, a deputy Clark County public defender, said attorneys there were reviewing Davis’ case to determine whether they can represent Davis or if they have a conflict such as having in the past represented other people involve...

Brisket Arancini / Smoke & Dough, Kendall

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:33 GMT

A South Florida chef has a recipe combining barbecue with an Italian classic to make a dish that’s totally Miami. Time to grab a Bite with Belkys. The Chef: Harry ColemanThe Restaurant: Smoke & Dough, KendallThe Dish: Brisket AranciniIngredients:1 cup Carnarolo (risotto) Rice4 cups Chicken Stock1 cup chopped smoked Brisket1 cup chopped sweet Onion3 tbsp fresh garlic¾ cup White WineHalf stick butterExtra virgin Olive oil1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano7 Saffron threads2 cups smoked mozzarella cubed8 eggs3 cups bread crumbsOil for fryingSalt and pepper to tasteMethod of Preparation:Have chicken stock warm in a separate pan and add the saffron.Add olive oil to a heavy saucepan to heat up. Add onions and sauté until cooked through and translucent. Add garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Remove from pan and wipe down clean to use again.Heat up the pan and sauté rice for 30 seconds. Add white wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Gradually add the chicken stock one ladle at a t...

New gaming options including craps, roulette and sports betting coming to South Florida casinos

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:33 GMT

South Florida gamblers will soon have a trio of new betting options to try their luck at three local casinos. Craps, roulette and sports betting are set to make their debut on Dec. 7 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood and Seminole Casino in Coconut Creek.This expansion of gaming offerings follows the approval of the gaming contract by the state in 2021. The three casinos in South Florida are just the beginning, as these new games will also be featured at Seminole casinos across the state.

Kamala Harris seizes agenda as Rishi Sunak’s AI summit kicks off

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:33 GMT

LONDON — Kamala just showed Rishi who’s boss.As British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s showpiece artificial event kicked off in Bletchley Park on Wednesday, 50 miles south in the futuristic environs of the American Embassy in London, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris laid out her vision for how the world should govern artificial intelligence.It was a raw show of U.S. power on the emerging technology.Armed with a freshly-released White House Executive Order on AI and walking out to the piping trumpets of a brass band, Harris could point to comprehensive domestic action the Biden administration is taking, including new binding guardrails on the most advanced forms of the emerging tech which American companies dominate. By contrast, for all the bruh-hah around Sunak’s summit — and notable diplomatic breakthroughs with the Bletchley Declaration signed by Beijing, Washington and others — Britain is falling behind the likes of the EU, Canada and now the U.S. in bringing through concret...

Biden administration thinks Netanyahu may not last politically

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:33 GMT

Joe Biden and top aides have discussed the likelihood that Benjamin Netanyahu’s political days are numbered — and the president has conveyed that sentiment to the Israeli prime minister in a recent conversation.The topic of Netanyahu’s short political shelf life has come up in recent White House meetings involving Biden, according to two senior administration officials. That has included discussions that have taken place since Biden’s trip to Israel, where he met with Netanyahu.Biden has gone so far as to suggest to Netanyahu that he should think about lessons he would share with his eventual successor, the two administration officials added.A current U.S. official and a former U.S. official both confirmed that the administration believes Netanyahu has limited time left in office. The current official said the expectation internally was that the Israeli PM would likely last a matter of months, or at least until the early fighting phase of Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip...

Sunak raises ‘humanitarian pauses’ with Netanyahu

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:33 GMT

LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said Britain “will continue to do everything we can” to get aid into Gaza as it emerged the country is discussing plans with France and the Netherlands to send shipments directly by sea to the besieged and blockaded Palestinian territory. Israel, which controls Gaza’s air, land and sea borders, imposed a “complete siege” on the territory in early October after an attack by Hamas. In doing so it cut off fuel, water and electricity — and stopped aid delivery of food and medicine — to 2.2 million people. The majority of Gaza’s residents rely on humanitarian assistance, and before the Israel-Hamas war hundreds of aid trucks crossed into Gaza daily. Since the outbreak of hostilities, however, only dozens have been allowed across the border. Sunak’s statement comes after the first British nationals crossed the Rafah border crossing from Gaza into Egypt, following days of uncertainty about when foreign n...

Rishi Sunak defends Elon Musk ahead of AI summit face-to-face

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:33 GMT

LONDON — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended his decision to invite tech tycoon Elon Musk to a livestreamed conversation to mark the end of his two-day AI Safety Summit this week.The billionaire owner of Tesla, SpaceX and X is expected to attend both days of the summit before joining the U.K. PM for a tête-à-tête on Thursday evening to reflect on efforts to manage the risks of advanced AI.“I think actually if you listen to what Elon Musk is saying, he’s someone who for a long time has been talking about the potential risk of AI and its existential risks,” Sunak told POLITICO’s Power Play podcast. “But he also talks very passionately as he did today about the incredible benefits that AI can bring — and what I want to do is make sure people are reassured.”Pressed again on whether it was appropriate for Sunak to give a “special welcome for someone who is criticized for spreading disinformation and endorsing unverified posts,” the ...

Neighbors in Medford react to attack on postal worker as search for suspects continues

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:33 GMT

Authorities are continuing to gather surveillance video as the search for a group of suspects who attacked a mail carrier in Medford continued on Wednesday.US Postal Service officials said a letter carrier was delivering mail in the area of Arden Road and Winthrop Street just before noon on Tuesday when a group of “several unidentified suspects” attacked the victim, leaving the carrier with significant but not life-threatening injuries.Medford police at the time said he suffered serious facial injuries, and noted that the suspects appeared to steal the master key for the mail box(es) on the carrier’s letter route.While the suspects’ getaway car was later found in Lowell, a large backpack was also found four houses down from the scene of the attack.“I saw it, I came inside and told my husband, I said ‘Is that your bag, I’ve never seen it before,’ and he said ‘No,’ so that’s when we called the police,” Michelle Ab...

Father held without bail after arrest in connection with 4-year-old son’s shooting in Cranston, RI

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:33 GMT

A Rhode Island father was in court Wednesday, one day after his arrest in connection with the shooting of his 4-year-old son in Cranston.Michael Jones, 33, was arraigned on felony charges of assault with a handgun, assault on the body of a juvenile and possession of a handgun after being convicted of a violent crime. Jones was being held without bail as of Wednesday afternoon and is due back in court next week. Cranston police in a statement said emergency crews first responded to a home on Queen Street around 10:15 a.m. Tuesday after receiving a 911 call reporting a four-year-old boy had been shot. “The caller indicated the father was responsible for the shooting,” police said. Police said officers arrived to find Jones holding his son with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. The child was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital and remained in critical condition as of Wednesday afternoon. Police said authorities took Jones into custody. Cranston police said investiga...