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Connecticut landlord to pay $400,000 for tenant harassment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:38 GMT

NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) — A former Connecticut landlord must pay $400,000 to settle a federal lawsuit alleging he violated the Fair Housing Act by sexually harassing and victimizing his female tenants for at least five years, including evicting or threatening to evict those who objected to or refused his sexual advances. In an agreement reached by the U.S. Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative and announced Thursday, $350,000 of the funds will be deposited in a settlement account to benefit tenants harassed by landlord Richard Bruno. The remaining $50,000 is a federal civil penalty. “No person should ever have to endure sexual harassment in order to get or keep housing,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement. Bruno, who managed multiple rental properties in New London, is currently serving a 16-year sentence in federal prison after pleading guilty in 2017 to producing child pornogra...

Defense rests at sedition trial for Proud Boys leaders

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:38 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense attorneys on Thursday finished presenting their trial testimony for the landmark case against former Proud Boys national leader Enrique Tarrio and four other group members charged with conspiring to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 election.Federal prosecutors have a right to call rebuttal witnesses to testify before jurors hear attorneys’ closing arguments and begin deliberating. The trial, which started more than three months ago, is scheduled to resume on Friday.Lawyers for the five defendants rested their respective cases on the 50th day of trial testimony. The last defense witness to testify was one of the five defendants, Dominic Pezzola, who was a Proud Boys member from Rochester, New York.The jury is poised to decide one of the most important cases from the Justice Department’s investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Tarrio and his co-defendants are charged wi...

B.C.’s Terminal 2 Roberts Bank project gets federal approval; 370 binding conditions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:38 GMT

OTTAWA — The federal government has announced the approval of a contentious container port expansion project at Roberts Bank, south of Vancouver.The government says in a statement the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project, proposed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, can proceed subject to 370 legally-binding conditions to protect the environment and prevent harm to local species.The government says the Canada Pacific Gateway area is the country’s most important trade corridor, with more than $275 billion in trade passing through the port authority each year.It says the terminal project is estimated to increase capacity at the port in Delta, B.C., by 50 per cent.One of the approval conditions involves monitoring noise levels and implementing procedures to delay departure of container vessels to protect the area’s Southern Resident Killer Whales.The government says the approval of the project comes after extensive consultations with local communities and Indigenous groups.T...

Guatemala orders arrest of lawyers for imprisoned journalist

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:38 GMT

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — A Guatemalan judge on Thursday ordered the arrest of three lawyers defending jailed journalist José Rubén Zamora.The announcement by prosecutors was the latest in a case that has drawn concerns about press freedom in Guatemala.Zamora is the director of El Periódico, a newspaper that has published critical articles about alleged corruption under President Alejandro Giammattei.The award-winning editor was arrested nine months ago on charges of blackmail and money laundering.Prosecutors said the judge issued arrest warrants for Zamora’s defense attorneys, including lawyer Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa, an opposition activist. Foppa said he was arrested while traveling to the court to turn himself in.The lawyers are accused of participating in the alleged money laundering by negotiating a sales contract for an artwork to cover up money given to Zamora.Press freedom groups have said the prosecution of Zamora is politically motivated. His defense has maintaine...

'I'm cancer free:' White Sox closer Liam Hendriks is in remission

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:38 GMT

CHICAGO — The White Sox along with all of Major League Baseball got some great news from one of the best closers in the game on Thursday.On his Instagram account, Liam Hendriks posted that he's in remission and is cancer free after undergoing treatments for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma during the first part of 2023.Along with a collection of videos and photos from his treatments, Hendriks wrote: "How It Started VS How It’s Going….REMISSION. It’s official. I’m cancer free." Liam Hendriks' positive update on his cancer treatments on Opening Day The closer, who has been with the White Sox since 2021, announced that he was diagnosed with disease back on January 8 and began treatment the next day. On April 5, Hendriks announced that he completed his chemotherapy sessions, posting a video of himself ringing the "victory bell' along with a lengthy tribute to his wife, Kristi, and medical personnel.The White Sox had a number of efforts to show support for the closer during his cancer fight, inc...

Skilling: Tornado Watch issued for Chicago until 8 p.m.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:38 GMT

The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch until 8pm for northeast Illinois, including Chicago. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Warmth, elevated humidity's, an incoming cold front and a jet stream overhead are not a great mix if one want to avoid t-storms.Modeling and radar scans depict t-storm bubbling up through the atmosphere and like to be traversing the Chicago area in the 5 to 9 p.m. time frame.Thursday's already featured t-storms—and temps have surged to within striking distance of 8 degree, marking the 8th time in this 20-day old month we've managed temps at or above 70. The month of April is running 7 degree above normal and 10 degree warmer than the opening 20-days of the month a year ago. April 2023 to date ranks 5th warmest of the past 151 Aprils.Hail and rotating super cellular t-storms are occurring with warnings for severe storms and potential tornadoes already out in western Illinois. Radar there is indicating storm cells racing east/no...

Friday fundraiser in Irving Park aims to help families of fallen Chicago firefighters

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:38 GMT

CHICAGO — A week after the Chicago Fire Department and the city bid a final farewell to two city firefighters, an overwhelming response and outpouring of support continue with a fundraiser set for Friday to help the families of Jermaine Pelt and Lt. Jan Tchoryk.Tony Martin, the Chicago Fire Department’s EMWQ Retirees’, Widows’ and Children’s Fund, joined WGN Evening News to speak about the event set to take place on Friday, April 21. The fundraiser will be held at Leona’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, located at 3877 N. Elston Ave., in Chicago's Irving Park neighborhood.Doors open at 5 p.m. A $20 donation is suggested with proceeds going to the CFD’s EMWQ Widows’ and Children’s Fund."The fire department, we are a big family, and at the end of the day, there is going to be continuing support from the fire department, from the city of Chicago, obviously from the community, it's been tremendous and our media," Martin said. "We can't thank you guys enough."Actor David Eigenberg, Paul Valla...

WATCH: Dashcam footage from Utah Highway Patrol shows wrong-way driver crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:38 GMT

TOOELE, Utah (KTVX) - Utah Highway Patrol has released dashcam footage of the moment when a trooper struck a wrong-way driver with his patrol car in an attempt to stop him. The incident happened on Tuesday, April 18 when a pickup truck pulling a U-Haul was traveling the wrong way on the westbound lanes of I-80 at about 3 p.m. A UHP sergeant was also heading westbound, unaware of the oncoming truck. Once he saw it, he turned on his emergency lights and siren, slowed down and put himself in the path of the oncoming truck. Illinois middle school wrestler sucker-punched by opponent after loss in viral video The trooper's patrol car and truck collided head-on. UHP Sgt. Cameron Roden confirmed with Nexstar's KTVX at the time of the accident that another white pick-up truck crashed into the back of the patrol vehicle as well. In the video, which has no sound, a truck in front of the patrol car can be seen moving out of the way of the wrong-way driver. The oncoming truck, with a headligh...

APD investigating suspicious death in south Austin homeless encampment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:38 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department said it was investigating a suspicious death in south Austin near the Gaines Creek Greenbelt area Thursday.APD said officers initially responded to reports of gunshots in the 4900 block of West U.S. Highway 290 around 11 a.m. Thursday.Officers found a man with trauma in a homeless encampment. He was pronounced dead, police said.Police said delays should be expected around the area Thursday afternoon.

'Shocking and tragic': San Saba Police investigating murder/suicide incident

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:38 GMT

SAN SABA, Texas (KXAN) -- Two people are dead after the San Saba Police Department said was the result of a murder/suicide incident in San Saba Thursday, according to a news release from the agency.At approximately 3 p.m., SSPD responded to a report of a shooting in the 1200 block of Wallace Street, the release said. Furthermore, police said the shooting occurred in the parking lot area of the location, and two adults were shot.When officers arrived on the scene, they determined an altercation occurred between a husband and wife, which resulted in the death of both parties. Police said an uninjured juvenile was also on the scene and has since relocated to live with other family members in the San Saba area.Police identified the husband and wife as 45-year-old Ben Henniger and 40-year-old Jo Lei Henniger, both of San Saba."This is a shocking and tragic situation. Words cannot express the depth of our condolences for the friends and family of those involved," SSPD Chief of Police John...