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Mexican cartel forces locals to pay for makeshift Wi-Fi under threat of death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:25 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A cartel in the embattled central Mexico state of Michoacan set up its own makeshift internet antennas and told locals they had to pay to use its Wi-Fi service or they would be killed, state prosecutors said Wednesday. Dubbed “narco-antennas” by local media, the cartel’s system involved internet antennas set up in various towns built with stolen equipment. The group charged approximately 5,000 people elevated prices between between 400 and 500 pesos ($25 to $30) a month, the Michoacán state prosecutor’s office told The Associated Press. That meant the group could rake in around $150,000 a month.People were terrorized “to contract the internet services at excessive costs, under the claim that they would be killed if they did not,” prosecutors said, though they didn’t report any such deaths.Local media identified the criminal group as the Los Viagras cartel. Prosecutors declined to say which cartel was involved because the case was still under inve...

Judge recommends ending suit on prosecuting ex-felons who vote in North Carolina, cites new law

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:25 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina law that makes it a serious crime for someone to vote while still on probation or parole for a felony conviction shouldn’t be thrown out, especially with a change to the law that took effect this week, a federal judge has ruled.U.S. Magistrate Judge Joe Webster on Tuesday issued an order recommending to deny a request by lawyers for groups representing poor residents and Black union members to invalidate what they called the “strict liability” law. The law was first challenged in part on racial bias claims over three years ago, with those who sued hoping to get it addressed in time for the 2020 elections. But following a series of legal hurdles, Webster’s ruling came just weeks before absentee voting begins for this year’s primary elections in the nation’s ninth-largest state for contests like president, governor and attorney general.The groups who sued state election officials can formally object to Webster’s recommendation to...

Lisa Batstone, B.C. mother who murdered daughter, 8, dies in prison

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:25 GMT

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. — A British Columbia woman who was convicted of murdering her eight-year-old daughter has been found dead in prison.Correctional Service Canada says Lisa Batstone, who was serving an indeterminate life sentence for suffocating her sleeping child with a plastic bag in 2014, died in custody on Monday.It says Batstone, who began her sentence in 2019, died in the Fraser Valley Institution and her next of kin have been notified.The correctional service says it will inform police and the coroner, and will review the circumstances of Batstone’s death.Batstone lost an appeal against her conviction for the second-degree murder of her daughter Teagan Batstone in 2022.The Appeal Court ruling says Batstone never came to terms with her marital breakdown from Teagan’s father, and intended to commit suicide and did not want to leave her daughter with him.She was sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of at least 15 years, a sentence upheld on appeal.This ...

The AP goes behind the scenes at PWHL opener to capture ‘the birth of women’s hockey’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:25 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — An hour before one of the most significant faceoffs in the history of women’s hockey, New York players were roused by a commotion at the entrance of their dressing room. Enter Billie Jean King.“I just wanted to say, hi,” the former tennis star and gender equality champion said, before apologizing for interrupting.Wearing a purple blazer, the color adopted by the Professional Women’s Hockey League which King helped launch, she proceeded to congratulate players for achieving their dream, and reflected on similar pivotal moments in women’s sports.“Today, I think, is really the birth of women’s hockey. This is the moment,” King said. “It’s special. Thank you for playing. Thank you so much.”King made a similar stop in the Toronto room, where she announced the team’s starting lineup ahead of the six-team PWHL’s opening game Monday.It was a moment generations in the making after previous leagues failed because of funding, vision and infrastructure issues. This solution...

New Illinois law expands unpaid leave for grieving parents

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:25 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Parents in Illinois who lose a child to suicide or homicide can not take protected, unpaid time off from while to mourn.A new state law expanding unpaid leave for grieving family members took effect Monday.The amount of time parents can take depends on the size of their workplace, and they do not have to the take the time off all at once. Here’s a list of new Illinois laws going into effect in 2024 Laura Kane worked to pass the 'Child Extended Bereavement Leave Act' in memory of her 14-year-old son Zachary, who died by suicide in 2018. At the time, she was on a probationary period at work and ended up losing her job.

The new 'Mean Girls' is a musical — and people are surprised

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:25 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — The latest incarnation of "Mean Girls," the now-iconic 2004 teen comedy, finally hits theaters next week, and based on its trailers, the film promises "a new twist" on the story. But so far, the film's marketing hasn't explicitly shown what that means.On Wednesday, the film's final trailer was released and while it gives slightly more of a hint, there's still some obfuscation around the fact that "Mean Girls" (2024) is a musical. If that's shocking to you, you're not alone. How to turn off Facebook’s latest way to track you "What's the point of remaking 'Mean Girls'? .... This advert doesn't make it seem like it's being changed in any serious way," one user opined on X, formerly Twitter, in early November. He quickly learned the answer as more and more people responded with the news."OK, turns out there is an answer to this. It's a musical now — which for some reason the advert makes completely opaque?" he said in a follow-up. "I don't understand what went into this de...

Haley briefly surpasses DeSantis in national GOP polling average

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:25 GMT

(The Hill) — GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley surpassed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in FiveThirtyEight’s (538) national polling average on Tuesday for the first time in the 2024 campaign. Nathaniel Rakich, a senior editor and senior elections analyst for the polling analysis website, announced Haley’s move into second place on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday. By Wednesday, however, DeSantis appeared to have pulled ahead slightly once more.Still, Tuesday's polling numbers marked the first time in the 2024 election that Haley has come in second in 538's average — which may highlight her rising popularity over the last few months. Haley, a former United Nations ambassador and also the former governor of South Carolina, has been gaining momentum since August, with fuel from multiple strong primary debate performances. Trump, 14th Amendment put Supreme Court on the spot DeSantis had held second place in the GOP field throughout most of the race, and at one time wa...

Texas is U-Haul's 'top growth state' for third consecutive year; Austin ranks top 5 among cities

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas remains the most popular state for people to move to for the third consecutive year, according to U-Haul.The moving company released its annual rankings of 'top growth states.' The rankings show which states had the largest number of one-way movers using U-Haul equipment in 2023. More than 2.5 million one-way trips were recorded across the U.S. and Canada. Texas added more people than any other state in the past year, new census estimates show Texas remained the most popular state, with Florida remaining in the No. 2 spot. North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee round out the top five for 2023."Migration to states in the Southeast and Southwest is still very pronounced," said J.T. Taylor, president of U-Haul International. "Demand for one-way equipment out of certain markets in the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast mirrors what we have seen during recent moving cycles."California ranked last among all states and had the largest net loss of one-way movers...

Alaska Airlines cancels nonstop route between Austin and Boise

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:25 GMT

Editor’s Note: The above video highlights Austin-Bergstrom International Airport’s busiest days.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Alaska Airlines is canceling its seasonal nonstop route from Austin to Boise, meaning the Idaho capital will no longer served directly from AUS.The last flight will operate on Feb. 15, according to an airline spokesperson. Alaska launched the route in June 2021."We're always looking for the best ways to maximize our flight schedule," the spokesperson told KXAN in a statement. "Occasionally, we need to make adjustments, including in Boise."Alaska is the fifth-largest airline operating at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, based on passenger totals. Between January and October 2023, the airline flew more than 740,000 passengers in and out of AUS, about 4% of all passenger traffic at the airport.Several other routes from AUS will be cut over the coming months, most notably by American Airlines, which announced 21 route cancelations back in November. In addition, British ...

Shortage of pediatric RSV shots continues to hinder Austin pharmacies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:25 GMT

Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Nearly six months after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration announced approval of a new drug aimed to preventing respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants and young children, supplies continue to be strapped nationwide and here in Austin.There are three different types of shots available related to RSV: one for adults aged 60 and older, a second for patients who are between 32 and 36 weeks pregnant and a third shot for young children. In the thick of respiratory season, many parents of infants and young children are left scrambling as pediatric RSV shots are reserved for patients with underlying conditions that put them at a higher risk of a severe RSV case."Anecdotally, I've had a lot of friends that have recent newborns or young children that are looking for it, and they've called 12, 13, 14, 15 different pediatrician officers," said Rannon Ching, president and chief ph...