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Audit finds Fairfax County police shootings on the rise, but use-of-force complaints down

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:20 GMT

This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.The Fairfax County Office of the Independent Police Auditor recently published its annual report, which showed an increase in police shootings but a decrease in use-of-force complaints last year.The report comes as the police department agreed to have a research forum examine police shootings in the county since the start of 2021.The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors created the office in 2016 in an effort to increase trust between residents and the police department. The auditor, Richard Schott, must review all death, serious injury, and use-of-force investigations conducted by Fairfax County police.“The types of force used by FCPD officers in these allegations were varied and included two takedowns, two uses of force to cuff, one brandished firearm, one strike, and one assault,” the report reads.The report highligh...

Senators press Moderna CEO on COVID-19 vaccine price hike

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:20 GMT

Moderna’s CEO on Wednesday defended a plan to more than quadruple the company’s COVID-19 vaccine price, but he also said the drugmaker will work to ensure patients continue paying nothing at drugstores or clinics. Stephane Bancel told the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions that the drugmaker will charge a list price of around $130 per dose for the vaccine in the U.S.That price is expected to go into effect later this year. Until now, the federal government had been Moderna’s lone U.S. customer, buying doses in bulk to make sure that people weren’t charged anything.The government paid around $15 per dose in 2020 and more than $26 last summer for Moderna’s bivalent booster, according to an analysis by the non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation. More than 270 million doses of Moderna’s original COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots have been administered in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That makes it the second most popular...

Student wanted after 2 faculty members shot at Denver East High School

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:20 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — The shooting suspect who injured two faculty members at Denver East High School has been identified. He is still not in police custody. Two faculty members were shot at Denver East High School on Wednesday morning, Denver Public Schools said. The two victims, who are deans at the school, were transported to local hospitals.According to the Denver Police Department, the suspect is 17-year-old Austin Lyle. Lyle is a student at the school and was under a safety plan to be patted down each day before entering the school. Austin Lyle is suspected of shooting two faculty members at Denver East High School on March 22, 2023. (Photo via Denver Police Department)During that search on Wednesday, Lyle got hold of a weapon and shot the two faculty members. He then fled the scene.DPD Chief Ron Thomas said one victim is in serious but stable condition and the other is in surgery and listed as critical. FOX31 has learned that the victims are Jerald Mason and Eric Sinclair. Denver...

Watch: Upset parents confront Denver mayor, police chief after East High School shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:20 GMT

Editor's note: The video in this story contains strong language used by some in the crowd. It is being presented uncensored. Content in the video may not be appropriate for all viewers.DENVER (KDVR) -- After a shooting Wednesday morning at East High School that injured two faculty members, a crowd that included parents confronted Denver's mayor and police chief.The crowd gathered outside the school late in the morning, while students inside had not yet been released.Comments and questions from the crowd were constant as Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Chief of Police Ron Thomas began sharing information. New updates on East High School shooting As Thomas said there would be two police officers in the school for the remainder of the school year, one person can be heard saying "Good," before another says, "That's not enough, sir."A short time later, a voice can be heard saying, "They don't want to play Russian roulette with their lives."Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, center right, a...

South Florida prepares for Ultra Music Festival’s 23rd year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:20 GMT

There are only a few days left until the biggest music festival in the world returns to South Florida. The Ultra Music Festival is back and ready to take over downtown Miami and preparations are now underway. Crews were seen working Wednesday as they put up barricades for the festival’s 23rd year. Over the next three days, over 165,000 people will be in the Miami area for some of the hottest names in electronic dance music.“It’ll be interesting to see how the city manages it, you know, with the safety and everything, everybody going to the festival,” said Matt Ledford, a visitor. 7Skyforce hovered over the scene in downtown Miami as the main stage was being prepared. Seven stages will have performances, and a Miami Heat basketball game will also happen over the weekend.To prevent any incidents, Miami’s chief of police said a vast majority of the department would be out working with other police partners to keep everyone safe.“In our command cente...

Appeals court sides with Justice Dept. in Trump lawyer fight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:20 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday directed a lawyer for Donald Trump to turn over to prosecutors documents in the investigation into the former president’s retention of classified documents at his Florida estate.The order is reflected in a brief notice by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The case is sealed, and none of the parties in the dispute are mentioned by name.But the details appear to correspond with a closed-door fight before a lower court judge over whether M. Evan Corcoran could be forced to provide documents or give grand jury testimony in the Justice Department special counsel probe into whether Trump mishandled top-secret information at Mar-a-Lago.Last Friday, Beryl Howell, the outgoing chief judge of the U.S. District Court, directed Corcoran to answer additional questions before the grand jury. He had appeared weeks earlier before the federal grand jury investigating the Mar-a-Lago matte...

Chicken Katsu / NARA, North Miami Beach

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:20 GMT

The Chef: Magdiel “Ray” RamosThe Restaurant: NARA, North Miami BeachThe Dish: Chicken KatsuIngredients:3 lbs Chicken Breast1 qt Panko2 Cups All Purpose Flour4 Large Eggs2 Tbsp Powdered Ginger1 Tbsp Salt2 Tbsp Black PepperOrange Teriyaki Sauce:2 qt Orange Juice1 qt Light Soy Sauce¼ Cup Cilantro¼ Cup Chopped Ginger2 Tbs Chopped Garlic2 Cups Sugar2 Tbsp Cornstarch SlurryAgave Sriracha Salad:¼ Cup Sriracha½ qt Heavy Duty Mayonnaise1 Fresno Chili1 Jalapeño¼ Cup Agave¼ Chopped Cilantro1 qt Julienne Purple Cabbage1 qt Julienne Nappa Cabbage2 Cup Green Cabbage¼ Shredded CarrotMethod of Preparation:For Orange Teriyaki Sauce:Boil all ingredients for 5 minutes and reduce for 15 on low simmer.Slowly add cornstarch slurry on high heat and mix well until slow bubbles roll.For Katsu Chicken:Filet chicken breast into two pieces.Using plastic wrap, cover all chicken breasts.Use a kitchen mallet and lightly pound the chicken until tenderized.Place flour in a mixing bowl with salt, pepper,...

YMCA offering free swim lessons all week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:20 GMT

With the help of the YMCA, people of all ages can learn how to swim with free lessons.The YMCA of South Florida is hosting its water safety and drowning prevention program this week.Water safety is a priority in Florida, which leads the country in child drownings.The lessons are being offered through Friday.Click here to register.

Culex lactator: experts warn about new mosquito breed in Florida ahead of rainy season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:20 GMT

Some pests are apparently making the Sunshine State their new home, and experts warn residents need to be careful and take steps to avoid exposure.Dr. Lawrence Reeves, a researcher at the University of Florida, said he and his team have discovered a new breed of mosquito.“It took us maybe a year or so to pin down what exactly this mosquito was,” he said. “This is a mosquito that looks similar to mosquitoes that already occur in the state, so like, on first pass, we didn’t think too much of it. We went back to look for some other mosquitoes out of that specimen samples and noticed these guys, noticed that the looked a little bit off from what we normally expect.”The population of this new type of mosquito, Culex lactator, is exploding. It has been detected in Miami-Dade County, as well as Lee and Collier counties. Reeves said these new mosquitoes could carry a wide array of diseases.“Dengue, chikungunya and zika, those are viruses that are all vect...

Dieselgate: Three-quarters of European diesel cars ‘likely’ to have emissions-cheating devices, study finds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:12:20 GMT

Seventy-seven percent of European diesel-powered cars produce levels of emissions that indicate the presence of an emissions-cheating device, a report by the nonprofit International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) found.Using data from 1,400 official government tests under controlled settings, the study found that 77 percent of Euro 6 diesel cars (Euro 6 being the name of the current EU emissions rules) and 85 percent of the older Euro 5 vehicles have “suspicious” test results, showing excessive emissions.The amounts of nitrogen oxide emitted by these cars during testing, the report says, indicates “the likely use of a prohibited defeat device” — i.e. software allowing cars to momentarily turn on their pollution controls while being tested.“Extreme” emission levels were found in at least 40 percent of the tests, showing that the presence of a defeat device was “almost certain” in these cases, according to the NGO.The report esti...