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As Navalny vanishes from view in Russia, an ally calls it a Kremlin ploy to deepen his isolation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:00 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — The loss of contact with Alexei Navalny at the prison colony where the opposition leader was being held likely signals a Kremlin effort to tighten his isolation while President Vladimir Putin runs for reelection over the next three months, Navalny’s spokeswoman said Tuesday.Worries about Navalny spread Monday after officials at the facility east of Moscow said he was no longer on the inmate roster. Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said his associates and lawyers have been unable to contact him for a week. Prison officials said he has been moved from the colony where he has been serving a 19-year term on charges of extremism, but they didn’t say where he went.Prison transfers in Russia are notoriously secretive, with authorities providing no information about the whereabouts of inmates for weeks until they reach another facility and are given permission to contact relatives or lawyers.“We now have to look for him in every colony of special regime in Russia,” Yar...

DeSantis attorneys ask federal judge to dismiss Disney’s free speech lawsuit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:00 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Attorneys for Gov. Ron DeSantis are asking a federal judge on Tuesday to dismiss a free speech lawsuit filed by Disney after the Florida governor took over Walt Disney World’s governing district in retaliation for the company opposing a state law that banned classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades. The planned hearing is the first time oral arguments are being made in federal court in Tallahassee over Disney’s claim that DeSantis used state powers to punish the entertainment giant in violation of the First Amendment. The governor’s attorneys are arguing that the case should be dismissed, claiming DeSantis is immune since he doesn’t enforce any of the laws that removed supervision of the government from Disney supporters.Any decision U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor makes could determine who controls the governing district that performs municipal services such as planning, mosquito control and firefi...

Ranked choice voting bill moves to hearing in front of Wisconsin Senate elections committee

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:00 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A bipartisan bill that would dramatically change how Wisconsin residents choose congressional candidates by asking them to rank their top choices instead of voting for one of two candidates is headed for its first public hearing.The state Senate’s election committee was set to take public comment on a proposal Tuesday that would implement a ranked choice system known as final five. Under that system, voters would rank their top five candidates from all parties rather than just the top Democratic and Republican contenders. The hearing is the first for the complicated plan that would drastically change in how Wisconsin voters pick their representatives in Washington.“The aim of Final Five Voting is not to change who gets elected; it is designed to change the incentives of those who do get elected,” the bill’s chief authors — Republican Reps. Ron Tusler and Tony Kurtz, Democratic Rep. Daniel Riemer, Republican Sen. Jesse James and Democratic Sen. Jeff Smith —...

Prosecutors want a former Albanian prime minister under house arrest on corruption charges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:00 GMT

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albanian prosecutors on Tuesday asked lawmakers to strip former Prime Minister Sali Berisha of his parliamentary immunity because he did not abide by their previous decision to report regularly while he is being investigated for corruption. Prosecutors of the country’s Special Court on Corruption and Organized Crime, which was created in 2019 to handle high-level graft cases, asked for Parliament’s clearance to put Berisha under arrest or house arrest. Berisha, 79, was charged with corruption in October. Prosecutors alleged that his son-in-law, Jamarber Malltezi, had exploited his prime minister’s post to buy land in Tirana owned by both private citizens and the country’s Defense Ministry, and build 17 apartment buildings on the property. Berisha and Malltezi say they are innocent and that the case is politically motivated by the ruling Socialist Party of Prime Minister Edi Rama.Berisha considered as “unconstitutional” the prosecutors’ request that...

Jeep used in crash-and-grab at West Loop clothing store

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:00 GMT

CHICAGO — Police are investigating after a crash-and-grab at a clothing store in the city's West Loop.The incident happened around 3:10 a.m. Tuesday in the 100 block of North Aberdeen. Police said several people used a Jeep and struck the security gate and front door of the clothing store to gain entry.The offenders then fled the scene in several vehicles with an unknown amount of merchandise. 3 teens among 4 injured after argument leads to shooting on South Side No one is in custody. Area Three Detectives are investigating.

Antetokounmpo leads Bucks past Bulls 133-129 in OT

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:00 GMT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 133-129 victory over the Chicago Bulls in overtime Monday night.Brook Lopez and Malik Beasley each had 19 points and Bobby Portis scored 17 for the Bucks, who were coming off a 128-119 loss to Indiana in the semifinals of the In-Season Tournament.DeMar DeRozan had 41 points and Coby White scored 33 for Chicago, which had won four straight. DeRozan also had 11 assists, becoming only the second Bulls player and first since Michael Jordan in 1992-93 with at least 40 points and 10 assists in a game. Jordan did it nine times in his career.Torrey Craig hit the second of two free throws to put Chicago up 119-118 to open overtime, but the Bucks answered with seven straight points, capped by Antetokounmpo’s layup to make it 126-119 with two minutes remaining.Milwaukee left the door open, though, by missing three of six free throws down the stretch. DeRozan scored on a dunk to pull Chicago wi...

Top 25: Here are the most-read Wikipedia articles of the year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Eighty-four billion pageviews later, and we now know which Wikipedia articles were most popular this year.The Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia, has released its annual list of most popular articles in the English language. Tired of seeing Taylor Swift during NFL games? Here’s what she has to say ChatGPT takes the top spot, with more than 49 million views. The article had between 100,000 and 400,000 views almost every single day in the first half of the year, and the interest wasn't confined to the English-language version of Wikipedia. Across all languages, ChatGPT picked up more than 79 million pageviews in total.The second-most popular article was Wikipedia's annual list of deaths, which frequently makes an appearance in the most-viewed articles of each year. Individual deaths also spurred significant traffic on the site — the articles on Matthew Perry and Lisa Marie Presley were both in the top 25 most-viewed list.Other celebrities also a...

Gong cha opens in Crossgates Mall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:00 GMT

GUILDERLAND, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Gong cha, an international drink franchise specializing in bubble tea, has officially opened in Crossgates Mall. The shop is located on the lower level around the corner from APEX Entertainment. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! The Gong cha menu includes milk foam and milk teas, slush teas, tea lattes, coffee, drink toppings, and more. You can view the menu on the Gong cha website.“We are very excited to introduce the Gong cha brand to shoppers here at our center,” said Jennifer Smith, Crossgates Marketing Director. “Continuing to give our guests the option of variety is what we strive to do, and Gong cha certainly adds to this unique mix.” Albany restaurant relocating, planning new concept for original space Gong cha is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The chain has over 1,800 cafes in 20 countries. In the Capital Region, Gong cha also has location...

Teen safe driving initiative to be announced in Columbia County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:00 GMT

HUDSON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A multiple-county initiative to create safe driving among teenagers will be announced Tuesday at the Columbia County DMV at 10 a.m. Columbia County Clerk Holly Tanner will announce the effort that will provide parents and guardians with resources to help their teens develop good driving habits to support them as they learn to drive. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! The initiative is based on research that shows the risks teens face while on the road, such as distracted driving, impaired driving, and passenger influence. The effort will look to reduce teen crashes and fatalities, improve traffic safety, and more. According to Columbia County, dialing a phone while driving increases the risk of teen crashes by six times. Also, adolescent drivers are 3.95 times more likely to engage in risky driving, and driving while texting increases the risk of teen crashes by 23 times.

Letters: Teen driver fears the mean streets of Colorado

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:00 GMT

Teen driver fears mean streetsRe: “A growing rage on our roads,” Nov. 26 editorialThe Denver Post editorial board mentions the major issue of road rage in Colorado. There are too many incidents where someone’s life is taken due to selfish driving choices. The article provides different solutions to improving this problem, including re-education and public messages on signs reminding drivers to be patient.I agree with this article because, as a teen driver, I often get nervous that I will make a driving mistake and someone will yell at me or flip me off. Living in the Highlands Ranch community, I have noticed different electronic signs reminding drivers to be patient and avoid road rage. I believe the idea of implementing these signs across Colorado’s major roads and highways would be quite effective. First, it does not take long to read, and second, sometimes all an angry driver needs is a reminder that road rage and death threats are not the answer.The other solution is...