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Top Venezuela oil official pleads guilty to taking bribes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:51 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — The former general counsel for Venezuela’s state-owned oil company pleaded guilty in Miami federal court on money laundering charges Wednesday in connection to a conspiracy to siphon hundreds of millions from state coffers through corrupt currency deals. As part of his plea agreement, Alvaro Ledo Nass acknowledged taking $11.5 million in bribes while serving in several senior roles at Petroleos de Venezuela SA, or PDVSA, until 2015.“I knew what I did,” Nass said in proceedings before Judge Patricia Seitz, expressing remorse for his actions. “I came here to own up to my mistakes and to take responsibility before the U.S. courts.”Nass, 43, in February became the latest among several dozen former Venezuelan officials to be charged or convicted in the U.S. as part of Operation Money Flight, a sprawling, multi-year investigation that seeks to untangle how Venezuelan insiders stole billions in oil wealth from their country. Many of the individuals involved in the massive graf...

Biden declines to veto GOP-led measure to end COVID-19 emergency

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:51 GMT

President Biden will not veto a GOP-led effort to end the COVID-19 national emergency, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told Democratic senators on Wednesday.A Senate Democratic source confirmed that Schumer informed senators of the decision. The move comes ahead of a planned vote in the upper chamber on the measure later in the day.The bill would terminate the COVID-19 national emergency effective immediately. The Biden administration has said it would let it expire in mid-May.The move marks the second time in recent weeks where Biden sided with Republicans on legislation, having declined to veto a GOP-led measure to nix updates to Washington, D.C.'s, criminal code in early March.The announcement also likely opens the door to a bigger tally among Democrats for the upcoming vote. Thirty-three Senate Democrats voted alongside every Republican in the D.C. crime bill vote, with almost every one of those decisions being made after Biden indicated his plans.The move c...

Remains found in central Illinois storage unit identified as former police chief

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:51 GMT

GALESBURG, Ill. (AP) — Human remains found in a west central Illinois storage unit have been identified as those of a former police chief.The remains discovered last fall are those of Richard R. Young, 71, the former Maquon village police chief, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.The sheriff’s office received confirmation of the identity Tuesday after taking DNA from the decomposed remains and comparing it to samples from Young's relatives. Several 7-Elevens robbed across Chicago in last 3 days The remains were found Oct. 7, 2022, at Roberts Self Storage in Maquon after Knox County deputies responded to a complaint about an odor coming from the storage unit.It's not clear how Young died.Marcy Oglesby, 50, of Maquon has been charged with first-degree murder and concealing the death of a person in the case. She has pleaded not guilty. Oglesby remains in custody at the Knox County Jail.Maquon is about 150 miles (241 kilometers) southwest of Chicago.

Jeremy Renner reveals details in snow plow accident, says he'd 'do it again'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:51 GMT

(KTLA) - Jeremy Renner has revealed devastating details about the snow plow accident he was involved in on New Year's Day but said he would do it again, despite it all. In an upcoming interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, the "Hawkeye" actor reportedly gets candid about his road to recovery. On Jan. 1, Renner was injured by his PistenBully snowplow while trying to save his nephew. Once emergency crews could get through the more than 2 feet of snow that had fallen near his home, Renner was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Jeremy Renner updates fans from ICU following snow plow accident When asked if he remembered the pain from the accident, he revealed that he was awake through the whole ordeal. "I (felt) all of (the pain)," he said in a preview clip released Wednesday.Renner's nephew also spoke with Sawyer, recalling how he found his uncle with a pool of blood coming from his head. "I didn't think he was alive," he added. Yet despite the pain and intense recovery, Renner told Sawyer h...

Texas lawmaker hopes to expand access to life-saving cancer treatment: biomarker testing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:51 GMT

 Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 29, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) – Rebecca Munoz was only 29 when she discovered a lump in her breast. The lump turned out to be breast cancer.“It was a complete shock to me,” she said.The diagnosis had big implications – she has four family members who have died from the disease.  MORE: Breast density is a greater risk for breast cancer than many think, study finds “It was devastating,” Munoz said “At that age, you don't really have a lot of experience with the health system. You don't know what questions to ask. You don't really know how to navigate this new world.”“I was just very scared. I didn't know that I would survive it,” Munoz said.But she did. Munoz just celebrated on Monday her fifth anniversary of being cancer free.“And I credit that entirely to the biomarker testing that I've received,” she said.Biomarker testing is a way for medical professionals to find genes, proteins and other substances in a p...

Expansion of transgender athlete ban passes in Texas Senate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A bill furthering the state's transgender student-athlete ban officially passed Wednesday in the Texas Senate. The legislation, introduced by Republican Sen. Mayes Middleton and 17 other conservative colleagues, passed by a vote of 19 in favor, 10 in opposition and two present. The proposal now heads for consideration in the Texas House of Representatives, which will also have to approve the bill before it heads to the governor's desk for his signature. LGBTQ+ advocates rally against Texas bills affecting trans people The Senate's version of the bill would require athletes to play on college sports teams that correspond to their sex assigned at birth. If it's signed into law, for instance, a transgender woman would not be able to compete in female events. Ahead of the vote, Middleton said his legislation is necessary for one reason: fairness in college sports. "If Congress won't stand for fairness, if our Department of Education won't stand for fairness, if the NC...

Texas DPS to begin assisting APD with patrols Thursday to help during staffing shortage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:51 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 29, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) – Members of the Texas Department of Public Safety are expected to start assisting with patrols in Austin Thursday, an Austin Police Department spokesperson told KXAN. RELATED: Texas DPS to send resources to help with Austin police staffing APD said the exact number of DPS troopers assisting the department was still being determined but confirmed there would be a "significant presence."A partnership between the two departments was announced Monday to help with local police staffing issues.During a Monday news conference, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said DPS would work to support APD. The initiative was sparked following a recent conversation with Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Watson said.“This is support and supplement, not override, not overtake. It is a partnership,” Watson said during the conference. “APD is primary, but there’s support and supplement coming from DPS so that we can ...

36 arrested during rally outside Hochul's office

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:51 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Hundreds of tenants rallied outside of Governor Kathy Hochul's office on Friday, demanding state lawmakers protect tenants facing steep rent hikes and eviction. The rallies called on Hochul to pass the Good Cause eviction protections and not to abandon tenants in her Fiscal Year 2024 Executive Budget. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! “Housing affordability is the number one issue on the minds of New Yorkers," said Sochie Nnamaeka, Executive Director of the Working Families Party. "Across the state, we’re seeing senseless evictions, harsh rent hikes, and people getting pushed out of the communities they’ve built. We need to make sure that New Yorkers can actually afford to live in our state." Tenants and advocates brought sleeping bags and moving boxes to the rally, warning of a spike in homelessness if Good Cause is not passed this year. After the action, 36 individuals occupied the hallways outside ...

Latham Dick's Sporting Goods reopening as House of Sport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:51 GMT

LATHAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Dick's Sporting Goods in Latham has been closed since at least February. That's because the store has been going through renovations and is turning into a House of Sport, a spokesperson for Dick's confirmed to NEWS10. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! According to the Dick's website, House of Sport not only sells sporting equipment, but has interactive spaces to try out the gear and practice your skills. The Latham location will have a climbing wall, HitTrax batting cages, and golf bays with TrackMan simulators, said the spokesperson.Field & Stream, which is also owned by Dick's, is also closed. That store is located right next to Dick's in Latham Farms plaza at 579 Troy Schenectady Road. Café Con Mel moving into Guilderland Public Library No opening date has been released yet but the spokesperson said it should reopen as House of Sport sometime in 2023. There are only three other House of Sport...

GOP calls for more transparency ahead of NY budget

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:51 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) -- As the clock ticks down to the state's April 1st budget deadline, Republican lawmakers are once again pushing for a constitutional amendment called the New York State Budget Transparency Act. NYS Budget could include streaming service tax  In New York, bills are supposed to age for three days, allowing lawmakers and the public an opportunity to review them. In previous years, that method was bypassed during budget season with “a message of necessity” -- used to push bills through without that three-day review period. It’s legal, but some lawmakers say it’s “sneaky” including Senator Jim Tedisco. "When we do this budget, I can’t guarantee it, but if you look at history, it is going to be in the middle of the night. And what you’re going to have is our constituents, in the middle of their dreams, hopefully they’re having sweet dreams but we may be about to create a nightmare for them with the budget we’re putting in place," he said. Democratic Assembly member ...