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Former FBI agent Robert Hanssen, who was convicted of spying for Russia, dies in prison

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:37 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI agent who took more than $1.4 million in cash and diamonds to trade secrets with Russia and the former Soviet Union in one of the most notorious spying cases in American history died in prison Monday. Robert Hanssen, 79, was found unresponsive in his cell at a federal prison in Florence, Colorado, and later pronounced dead, prison officials said. Hanssen is believed to have died of natural causes, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of Hanssen’s death and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. He had been serving a sentence of life in prison without parole after pleading guilty to 15 counts of espionage and other charges in 2001. He had begun providing highly classified national security information to Russia and the former Soviet Union in 1985, and got more than $1.4 million worth of cash, bank funds and diamonds in exchange over the course of 16 years, accord...

Off-duty York regional officer sentenced after failing to remain at scene of collision

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:37 GMT

York Regional Police say one of its officers has been sentenced to an 18-month conditional sentence in connection with a 2019 fail-to-remain collision in Markham while off duty.On September 29, 2019, authorities responded to a report just after 7:15 p.m. of a serious collision on Highway 7, near York Durham Line where a motorcycle had been struck and the vehicle had fled the scene. The motorcyclist was taken to hospital with serious, life-altering injuries.Officers learned that a Nissan Pathfinder had collided with the motorcycle. Constable Nathan Coates drove the Nissan a few kilometres away, and once York police located the vehicle they arrested the off-duty officer.Coates was sentenced to an 18-month conditional sentence on Monday, which includes nine months of house arrest, 100 hours of community service and a 30-month driving prohibition. He also must submit a DNA sample to the National DNA Data Bank.In a release, York police said Coates had been a member of its force since 200...

Buffalo Bills break ground on new $1.54 billion stadium

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:37 GMT

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — In preparing to break ground on the Buffalo Bills new stadium, owner Terry Pegula looked to the sky to deliver a message to his late predecessor and franchise founder, Ralph Wilson.“Ralph, we’re moving across the street,” Pegula said to an eruption of laughter from a large gathering that included Wilson’s wife, Mary.“And what would he say to that, Mary?” Pegula said. “And don’t start crying because you’ll get me crying.”Using the Bills current home as a backdrop, Pegula, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday dug into a small plot of dirt across the street in breaking ground on new stadium scheduled to open by the 2026 season, and projected to cost $1.54 billion, with taxpayers picking up $850 million of the tab.The hour-long ceremony was a celebration of the team’s future, which is essentially secured with a new stadium that comes with a 30-year lease, and also the past. It was held amid construction equipment in what serve...

Wisconsin judge: Don’t delete records from probe into 2020 Trump loss

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:37 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin judge on Monday declined to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to ensure that no records are deleted from a now-closed state office created to investigate former President Donald Trump’s loss in 2020.The lawsuit was one of several filed by liberal watchdog group American Oversight against former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman and the office of special counsel that he led. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos hired Gableman to lead the probe in 2021 under pressure from Trump and conservative Republicans in Wisconsin who were pushing for decertifying Biden’s win. Vos put the investigation on hold in April 2022 and then fired Gableman in August 2022 after he turned up no evidence to back Trump’s false claims that the election had been stolen from him. Vos fired Gableman just days after Vos won his primary over an opponent endorsed by Gableman and Trump. Vos called Gableman an “embarrassment” to himself and the state. Even though the off...

India among top actors for foreign interference in Canada: national security adviser

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:37 GMT

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s national security adviser says India is among the top sources of foreign interference in Canada, a public designation Ottawa has largely limited to authoritarian states.“When I talk about foreign interference and economic security, I’m now talking about a number of state actors and non-state proxies,” Jody Thomas said last Friday.“This includes Russia, Iran, India. That said, the actor that comes up most on these issues, and it’s no surprise to anybody, is China.”Thomas’s remarks, at a conference held by the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, come months after the Liberals highlighted India as part of their Indo-Pacific strategy and as a priority for establishing closer economic and scientific ties.India’s high commission in Ottawa has not responded to a request for comment.On occasion India has argued that elements in Canada are behind interference in Indian domestic affairs, particularly...

Agenda spat at UN climate talks as top official sees chance to ask ‘difficult questions’ in Dubai

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:37 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Nations resumed talks on tackling global warming Monday with the aim of shaping a deal that might put the world on track to prevent a dangerous increase in temperatures, as the U.N.’s top climate official called for deep cuts in fossil fuel use.Diplomats began two-week negotiations in Bonn, Germany, despite failing to agree on a formal agenda because of differences on the topic of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.The issue lies at the heart of the climate problem, since burning oil, coal and gas is responsible for most warming that’s occurred since preindustrial times.Simon Stiell, who heads the U.N. climate office, told The Associated Press in an interview over the weekend that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) will require a phaseout of fossil fuels, something many oil-producing countries have pushed back on.Environmental campaigners have lamented that this year’s U.N. climate summit will be held in the United Arab Emi...

Apple unveils sleek 'Vision Pro' goggles after years of speculation

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:37 GMT

CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple on Monday unveiled a long-rumored headset that will place its users between the virtual and real world, while also testing the technology trendsetter's ability to popularize new-fangled devices after others failed to capture the public's imagination.After years of speculation, Apple CEO Tim Cook hailed the arrival of the sleek goggles — dubbed "Vision Pro" — at the the company's annual developers conference held on a park-like campus in Cupertino, California, that Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs helped design.“This marks the beginning of a journey that will bring a new dimension to powerful personal technology," Cook told the crowd.Although Apple executives provided an extensive preview of the headset's capabilities during the final half hour of Monday's event, consumers will have to wait before they can get their hands on the device and prepare to pay a hefty price to boot. Vision Pro will sell for $3,500 once it's released in stores early next yea...

Dave Chappelle to perform this summer in Austin

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:37 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for June 5, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Comedian Dave Chappelle is coming to Austin this summer.The Moody Center announced Chappelle is making a stop in Austin on July 14, and tickets go on sale Monday at 5 p.m.Chappelle's Austin date is one of several Texas shows this summer. Chappelle is also going to perform in June and July in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Currently, his only other scheduled show, aside from the Texas dates, is Monday, June 5, at San Francisco's Punch Line Comedy Club.Dave Chappelle in AustinChappelle recorded a Netflix special "Deep in the Heart of Texas: Dave Chappelle Live at Austin City Limits" at the Moody Theatre in 2017.He also performed with Joe Rogan in a series of shows in January 2021 at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater.

Rain and thunderstorms moving through the area

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:37 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Showers and thunderstorms are moving through the area this afternoon, producing dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning and pockets of heavy rainfall that may produce minor flooding.LIVE RADARUPDATED RAIN TOTALSToday's rain comes after overnight storms dropped 1-2 inches of rain in parts of Austin, adding a bit of water to some creeks and more moisture to the soil.Preliminary rainfall totals as of 8:45AMSevere thunderstorms are not of great concern this week (hail, wind or tornadoes).Scattered rain and thunderstorms continue overnight and again on Tuesday, but rain chances drop thereafter. Only an isolated storm is in the forecast late-week through the coming weekend as heat and humidity become the main story. A ridge of high pressure will lead to the hottest temperatures of the year so far this weekend, and may send temperatures to 100 degrees next week.Heat turns up late week BLOG: Summer forecast released: When do 100º days begin Hotter than normal temperatures exp...

Our first 100-degree day of the season could be next week

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:58:37 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The First Warning Weather team is tracking some major changes to our weather pattern. After a fairly mild end to Spring and start to Meteorological Summer, (especially when compared to last year) odds are increasing that we will see our first triple-digit temperature of the season at some point next week. 2022 had the third-highest number of triple-digit days in a year with 68. 2011 had the most ever with 90! The average in a given year is 29. FORECAST: Scattered storms to kick off the work week Models are getting into better agreement that our pattern will change from wet and mild to hot and dry. The 'National Blend of Models' forecast data, which essentially takes into account various forecast models, is starting to compute our first triple-digit temperature of the season at some point next week. July 4th is when we typically on average see our first 100-degree day. So if we get our first next week that would place us a few weeks ahead of schedule.A blend of for...