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Mississippi’s capital city is considering a unique plan to slash water rates for poor people

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:37 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The manager of the long-troubled water system in Mississippi’s capital city proposed a slight rate increase for most residents Friday alongside what he said is a first-in-the-nation proposal to reduce water rates for low-income people who get government help with grocery bills. The proposal from Ted Henifin, the third-party manager of Jackson’s water and sewer systems, is the culmination of a monthslong effort to increase revenue collections in a city where roughly a quarter of the population lives in poverty. If enacted, it would be the latest in a series of changes after infrastructure breakdowns in 2022 caused many Jackson residents to go days and weeks without safe running water. “We think this is a great opportunity to really change the dialogue around water and sewer in the city of Jackson,” Henifin said at a news conference. Henifin said about 5,000 properties in the Jackson area use water without paying, adding to the financial strain on a s...

Ohio Catholic priest gets life sentence for sex-trafficking convictions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:37 GMT

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — A Roman Catholic priest received a life sentence Friday for his convictions on five counts related to sex-trafficking charges in the molestation of three boys who prosecutors say he met at an Ohio preschool and coerced to continue sexual activity as adults.Rev. Michael Zacharias, 56, received concurrent life sentences for counts of sex trafficking a minor and sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud, or coercion. He received concurrent 20-year sentences for two counts of sex trafficking of an adult by force, fraud, or coercion and one of similarly trafficking a minor.Prosecutors have said Zacharias “paid the victims to engage in sex acts with him using the victims’ fear of serious harm to compel their compliance.” They also said the three victims were developing serious drug addictions and the priest “waited to propose commercial sex” until they were heavily involved in drug abuse.Zacharias has maintained his innocence, saying none of the sexual contact occurre...

Nylander, Bertuzzi shine in Sweden as Maple Leafs beat Red Wings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:37 GMT

William Nylander continued his impressive and torrid stretch to the season with a goal and three points as the Toronto Maple Leafs erased a two-goal deficit to come back and beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in their opening game in Sweden.All three Maple Leafs goals came in the third period. Nylander’s assist on Tyler Bertuzzi’s goal cut the Red Wings’ lead to 2- 1, extending his point streak to 16 straight games. Nylander then evened the game with his 11th goal of the season and, for good measure, added his third point by assisting on John Tavares’ go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal.Toronto’s second line dominated the game on Friday. Tavares finished with a goal and two assists, while Bertuzzi added two points and a season-high seven shots on goal. Mitch Marner was the only other Leaf with a point, an assist. Nylander now has 25 points across 16 games this season and is fourth in the NHL in points behind Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson and J.T. Mille...

Rio’s iconic Christ statue welcomes Taylor Swift with open arms thanks to Swifties and a priest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:37 GMT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Welcome to Brazil, Taylor Swift, it’s been waiting for you.As her sweep of Rio de Janeiro shows got underway this week, the pop superstar and her legions of devoted fans were greeted by the wide-open arms of the world’s most-famous Christ statue, sporting a projected image of a Swift-inspired T-shirt.The 125-foot Christ the Redeemer was illuminated Thursday night with a towering message welcoming the singer to the country for the latest leg of her Eras Tour. The grand show of hospitality was thanks to a charitable act by her fans and orchestrated by the Christ the Redeemer Archdiocesan Sanctuary, which manages the iconic statue.On social media, Swifties asked Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes to project onto the statue a likeness of the “Junior Jewels” shirt from Swift’s “You Belong with Me” music video. Their plea went viral. Paes, who once called the singer the “Madonna of our times,” said he’d take the matter to the Rev. Omar Raposo, the rector ...

WhatsApp enters sports in deal with F1 team Mercedes. Channels feature to offer exclusive content

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:37 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — WhatsApp has chosen the Mercedes Formula One team for its first sports sponsorship, a multi-year agreement that will give followers of the eight-time world champion exclusive team content and in-race updates through the Meta-owned private messaging service. The deal announced Friday is the first of its kind for WhatsApp, which connects over two billion people globally and is heavily used outside of the United States. While Americans tend to use iMessage through their Apple phones, WhatsApp is utilized most everywhere else and had become the main tool of communication for the Mercedes team.Team principal Toto Wolff told The Associated Press it is not unheard of for him to receive messages in WhatsApp group chats from Mercedes board members questioning strategy during races. “I’m trying to turn the phone upside down so I’m not seeing the board members texting me, ‘What the hell is the strategy department thinking?’” Wolff told AP. “It’s quite fun. So...

Woman convicted of killing pro cyclist Anna ‘Mo’ Wilson gets 90 years in prison. What happened?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:37 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The murder trial of a Texas woman charged in the May 2022 shooting death of rising professional cyclist Anna “Mo” Wilson has ended with a guilty verdict and a 90-year prison sentence.It took jurors only two hours to convict Kaitlin Armstrong on Thursday and just over three hours to decide her sentence on Friday. Investigators said Armstrong fled the U.S. shortly after Wilson was killed and underwent plastic surgery in an attempt to evade authorities.“Find her guilty of shooting Mo Wilson in the heart and the head and taking away this prodigy at the age of 25,” Travis County Assistant District Attorney Rick Jones told the jury in closing arguments. “Justice for Mo Wilson.”Wilson — a Vermont native and former alpine skier at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire — was an emerging star in gravel and mountain bike riding when she was killed in a friend’s apartment in Austin. She had been preparing to participate in a Texas race that she was among the favorites to win.I...

Saskatchewan Party member charged with procuring sex, kicked out of caucus: premier

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:37 GMT

REGINA — Premier Scott Moe says a Saskatchewan Party legislature member has been kicked out of caucus and stripped of his appointments after being charged with obtaining sexual services.Moe said he learned Friday of the charge against Ryan Domotor and took immediate action.“Those in public office should be working to support vulnerable women, not exploit them,” Moe said in a statement. “There is absolutely no place in our government, nor frankly in the assembly, for someone who has been charged with such a crime.”Domotor could not be immediately reached for comment.Domotor was elected in the Cut Knife-Turtleford constituency in the 2020 provincial election. He served as a member of the standing committee on human services. The Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly website also said he had recently been appointed to the cabinet committee on the economy.In June, the backbencher was acclaimed as the party’s candidate in the constituency for the 2024 provincial election.He was p...

Fewer migrants in police stations, more in shelters, data shows

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:37 GMT

CHICAGO — As Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson responds to criticism over the cost and competence of his policies toward migrants, new numbers show fewer new arrivals are sleeping in police stations and the city’s airports.Nearly 1,300 fewer migrants are sleeping on the floors of police stations and in an old bus depot at O’Hare airport than mid-October. City data also show the number of migrants in shelters has doubled since August and now stands at 12,095. Related: Johnson’s new migrant plan includes 60-day limit in shelters, dedicated entry point for asylum seekers It’s unclear whether cold weather, a lack of shelter space or alternative housing is behind the drop in migrants sleeping in police stations and airports.  There are still more than 2,200 awaiting shelter space.The Johnson administration announced this week that new arrivals will only be allowed to stay in city-run shelters for 60-days. Despite signing a $29M contract with Garda World in September to construct ...

Man killed, another injured in West Town shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:37 GMT

CHICAGO — A man was killed and another was injured early Friday morning following a double shooting in Noble Square.Just before 3:40 a.m., officers responded to the 1000 block of North Milwaukee.A 23-year-old man was found at the scene suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at St. Mary Hospital.Another man, 26, was found suffering from a gunshot wound to the neck. He was transported to Stroger Hospital in fair condition. Man dies after crash involving CTA bus No one is in custody. Anyone with information can leave an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com.

1 killed, 1 injured in West Town shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:37 GMT

CHICAGO -- A 23-year-old man has died after being shot early Friday morning in Chicago's West Town neighborhood.According to the Chicago Police Department, officers responded to the 1000 block of North Milwaukee Avenue in the West Town neighborhood on reports of a shooting just after 3:30 a.m. on Friday.A 23-year-old man was found shot in the head and transported to a local hospital were he later died.A 26-year-old man was discovered with a gunshot wound to the neck and transported to another hospital in fair condition.No one is in custody at this time. The investigation is ongoing.