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US Border Patrol chief is retiring after seeing through end of Title 42 immigration restrictions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:36 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the U.S. Border Patrol announced Tuesday that he was retiring, after seeing through a major policy shift that seeks to clamp down on illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border following the end of Title 42 pandemic restrictions.Chief Raul Ortiz said in a note to staff Tuesday obtained by The Associated Press that he will leave June 30. It’s not clear yet who will replace him. “I leave at ease, knowing we have a tremendous uniformed and professional workforce, strong relationships with our union partners, and outstanding leaders who will continue to tirelessly advocate for you each day,” Ortiz said in the note. Ortiz managed the Border Patrol and its roughly 20,000 agents through the COVID-19 pandemic and Title 42 emergency health restrictions that began in March 2020 and allowed agents to quickly return migrants over the border. He also oversaw a new set of restrictions rolled out May 11 meant to discourage migrants from crossing illegally while ...

Australian Parliament takes step toward holding a referendum on Indigenous Voice this year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:36 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s House of Representatives voted overwhelming Wednesday for a referendum to be held this year on creating an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, an advocate aiming to give the nation’s most disadvantaged ethnic minority more say on government policy.While the Voice would advocate for Indigenous interests, it would not have a vote on laws, and debate for and against the elected body has become increasingly heated and divisive.The 121-to-25 House vote that approved the referendum being held does not reflect the level of lawmakers’ support for enshrining the Voice in the constitution. The opposition conservative Liberal Party voted in support of giving Australians a choice at a referendum but is also campaigning for the Voice to be rejected by the public.The Senate will vote on the bill in June, and the bill needs majority support to ensure that Australia’s first referendum since 1999 takes place between October and December this year.Proponents hope th...

DeSantis kicks off presidential campaign in Iowa, signals he plans to go harder after Trump

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:36 GMT

CLIVE, Iowa (AP) — Calling for “a revival of American greatness,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday kicked off a multistate campaign blitz aimed at establishing himself as the Republican Party’s leading next-generation culture warrior while bolstering his place as Donald Trump’s chief rival.In a fiery speech in Iowa during his first campaign event for the 2024 GOP nomination, he called American decline avoidable and offered himself as its alternative.“Our country is going in the wrong direction. We can see it and we can feel it,” DeSantis told about 500 people in a evangelical Christian church auditorium in suburban Des Moines plastered with red, white and blue signs proclaiming a “Great American Comeback.” Hundreds more watched from an overflow room.While DeSantis jabbed at Trump indirectly during his hourlong speech, he pointedly critiqued the former president while talking to reporters and a small audience afterward.DeSantis lashed out at Trump’s suggestion that New York’s pan...

19th police district council members hold first meeting, address weekend violence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:36 GMT

CHICAGO — Newly-elected council members for the Chicago Police Department's 19th District held their first meeting today, and used part of their time to address violence that happened over Memorial Day weekend in the area."I’m sure many of you are here because of the news of shootings that have taken place in a few blocks span," said 19th District council member Sam Schoenberg. "There have been 5 people shot over the last week."The shootings happened over a span of a few days in the Lakeview neighborhood, which is a part of CPD's 19th District. North Lawndale family seeks justice for woman killed in hit-and-run The shooting that sparked the conversation was a triple shooting that happened in the 600 block of West Barry Avenue early Sunday morning.Two other shootings that happened in the area include one in the 500 block of West Surf Street where police said a man was shot and killed, and another in the 500 block of West Melrose Street, where police said a person was injured after ...

Accelerated cognitive decline seen after heart attacks: study 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:36 GMT

(The Hill) - A new study has found a rapid decline in global cognition, memory and executive function in those who suffer from a heart attack compared to those who do not.  In a study published in the JAMA Neurology journal, researchers found that people who suffered from at least one or more incidents of myocardial infarction (MI), also known as a heart attack, had a “significantly faster” rate of decline in global cognition, memory and executive function over the years compared to those who did not. The research also found that having a heart attack was not associated with an immediate decrease in these functions after the event, but rather impacted long-term brain health.  The researchers analyzed a pool of more than 30,000 people from six different studies based in the United States. Out of this sample, 1,033 individuals suffered from a myocardial infarction event. The median time for a follow-up was 6.4 years after the heart attack.   Which virus is causing congestion, c...

Fire destroys two buildings in Delmar apartment complex

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:36 GMT

DELMAR, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Two buildings were destroyed, and eight families were displaced after a fire in Delmar on Tuesday. The fire took place at an apartment complex on Equinox Court. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Crews were called to Buildings 9 and 11 around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday after someone saw flames while driving down Kenwood Avenue. Both buildings were fully engulfed and are now a total loss. It took multiple fire crews around two hours to put out the blaze. They had some challenges with the water pressure due to the complex being on a dead end."We still had water, but it wasn't enough to knock both of these buildings down. Plus, we were fighting two fires at the same time, so both buildings were totally engulfed in flames, so it took more water to do that." Colonie Town Supervisor suing NYC, Albany over migrant arrival Eight families were displaced and are receiving help from the Red Cross. Officials said one fi...

Tired of waiting, St. Louis County residents contact FOX 2 about getting burned-out home demolished

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:36 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A north St. Louis County resident contacted the You Paid For It team to get a burned-out shell of a house demolished.Reginald Newburn said the house on Yvette Court burned down years ago, but residents in the Florissant-area subdivision just haven’t been able to get the county to tear it down.“Calls, emails, pictures going out there. I can’t get any help from anybody to do anything,” Newburn said. “I keep getting promises right now. They act like we never did anything at all. Other neighbors have called, same thing. They don’t answer our calls, they don’t return calls, they won’t address it. They say they’re coming out. They come out, we never see them. Ask them to stop by and talk to us personally, so we can explain to them. We don’t get none of that.” Woman ‘saving up’ as Ferguson PD cracks down on expired tags Newburn said the house is attracting trouble.“We got drug dealers now and do their little business now in the cul-de-sac. As you can see, illegal ...

'I will try and get a fifth vote,' Councilman Trakas not giving up on pedestrian travel ban bill 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:36 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - Aimee Wehmeier travels from her Webster Groves home to the Walgreens across the street, where she picks up her prescription. It’s a trip that does not provide her with any sidewalks, so she uses her wheelchair in the street."For me, getting from point A to point B is a choice and a freedom," Wehmeier said.It's a decision that may have been illegal if St. Louis County Executive Sam Page had not vetoed Bill 86 Tuesday morning."What makes it interesting is suddenly I go from a being a law-abiding citizen to somebody that is violating the law,” Wehmeier said. Woman ‘saving up’ as Ferguson PD cracks down on expired tags She and her organization, Paraquad, asked Page to veto the bill that would ban people from traveling or sitting on roadways in unincorporated St. Louis County.St. Louis County Councilman Ernie Trakas introduced the bill.“If you live in unincorporated St. Louis County, you don't matter, that’s the message Sam Page sent today," Trakas said. &n...

New rules at Ferguson pool after shooting incident

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:36 GMT

FERGUSON, Mo. - Ferguson residents will need to bring proof of residency to get into the pool at January-Wabash Park this summer. The new rule is the city's response to calls for fighting and shots fired at the park over the weekend.“There were families that were actually coming there to enjoy the atmosphere that was out there," said Chief Troy Doyle for the Ferguson Police Department.He said fighting in the pool area escalated to the parking lot when teenagers pulled out guns and began firing them.“It was the first day the pool was being open. A lot of the kids were looking forward to going swimming and the seniors," said Ferguson Mayor Ella Jones. "And just doing a picnic around the pool." Woman ‘saving up’ as Ferguson PD cracks down on expired tags One of the bullets hit a nearby home.“The bullet that went through our house did not have a name," said Felicia Baines. "Even though nobody got hurt, it was just the fact that there were so many kids and so many people in the park at...

Feds: Chesterfield man's ‘green book’ had plan to seize White House, take power

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:36 GMT

ST. LOUIS – It was a last-minute request by a federal public defender representing a Chesterfield man accused of plotting against the United States.A defense attorney representing Sai Kandula, 19, asked for more time before a detention hearing that would decide whether Kandula will be released from custody.A judge granted the request, and the hearing has been re-scheduled for June 9.New court filings show federal prosecutors will argue to keep Kandula behind bars. The government believes he poses a threat to public safety and is a flight risk.Federal authorities released new surveillance images showing the Marquette High School graduate nearly struck two pedestrians before driving a U-Haul into security barriers near the White House.Court filings reveal the 19-year-old has what he refers to as his "green book," which agents say contains his thoughts in writing."The defendant stated he eventually started writing about his plans to enter the White House, and what he would accomplish i...