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Maryland prison contraband scheme ends with 15 guilty pleas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — Fifteen people have pleaded guilty for their roles in a prison contraband scheme in Maryland that included the use of drones to smuggle drugs, cellphones and other items into a state prison, the state’s attorney general announced. The guilty pleas came seven months after Attorney General Anthony Brown first announced that a correctional officer and civilians had been indicted on charges that they assisted inmates in illegal activity at the Roxbury Correctional Institution in Hagerstown, Maryland. “Safety is as important in our correctional institutions as it is to the public in our neighborhoods and communities,” Brown said in a news release this week. “This meticulous investigation and subsequent convictions send a clear message that we will not tolerate crime or corruption within our correctional facilities that disrupts the goals of rehabilitation.” An investigation began in April 2022, after authorities recovered drugs and other contraband that had b...

Ohio gives historical status to building that once housed internet service pioneer CompuServe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

A Central Ohio building that once served as the global headquarters for CompuServe has been recognized with historic marker status by the state.At its height in the 1990’s, the pioneering tech company — one of the first to offer commercial internet services — was known by the public for online forums that offered news, message boards and data file transfers. The firm also introduced the GIF image format back in 1987.“This may be the first historical marker about the internet. Most history is not recognized and celebrated in your lifetime, but this is and its really special,” said Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted at a dedication event featuring state officials and former CompuServe CEO Jeff Wilkins. “Today we have a vibrant, growing tech economy in the state of Ohio. And it began right here.”The company opened its headquarters in 1973 and, according to records housed at the Columbus Metropolitan Library, closed the location in the summer of 2006. Ohio’s historical markers pro...

The Super League had its day in court and won. What is it and why do some fans and clubs object?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled Thursday that soccer’s governing bodies UEFA and FIFA acted contrary to EU competition law by blocking plans for a breakaway Super League. Emboldened by that ruling, organizers quickly revealed plans for the new competition designed to change the face of European soccer.That news was celebrated by Real Madrid, which along with Barcelona, has been leading the fight to get the new competition off the ground.“Today a Europe of freedoms has triumphed, and also football and its fans have triumphed,” Madrid president Florentino Pérez said. “We are facing a great opportunity to improve European club football.” A previous attempt to launch a Super League in 2021 collapsed when clubs backed out in the face of angry fan protests. And despite the latest ruling, it is unclear if the competition has wide backing or if clubs would be willing to join and risk alienating supporters and challenging UEFA. WHAT IS THE SU...

‘You are the father!’ Maury Povich declares to Denver Zoo orangutan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

Initially unsure of which orangutan was the father of a new baby primate, the Denver Zoo decided to have a little fun and turned to the paternity announcement guru himself: former daytime talk show host Maury Povich. Just as he would do on his long-running show, Povich pulled the purported DNA results for 4-month-old Siska out of an envelope and declared: “Berani. You are the father!”The zoo posted the video on social media this week.Siska, a female who was born on Aug. 27, is the first baby for Eirina, a 15-year-old Sumatran orangutan, who came to the Denver Zoo from Germany’s Dortmund Zoo in 2016.Sumatran orangutans are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with a rapidly declining wild population due to habitat loss, illegal hunting and the black-market pet trade, the zoo said in announcing Siska’s birth.Siska’s father remained a mystery because the zoo’s animal care team had to wait a few months before Eirina was...

Weekend need-to-know: Celebrate holiday cheer just before Christmas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

There will be lots of events to celebrate the holidays this weekend ahead of Christmas Day on Monday, including festivals, performances and lots of last-minute chances to talk to Santa before his big night.There are no TTC or GO Train closures over the weekend, and if you want full details of what’s open and closed over the holidays, click here.Here are some of the top events.Christmas at the CastleCelebrate Christmas at Casa Loma with Christmas at the Castle with a wide range of activities and “thrilling performances.” There will be holiday magic throughout the castle with decorations, including a 40-foot-tall tree in the Great Hall and eight other trees decorated by talented Canadian designers.Kids will also have the chance to visit the centre and participate in festive arts and crafts. It’s happening on Dec. 24 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.Tickets are available on their website and children three and under are free.Distillery District Winter VillageWhile the Di...

Energy Fuels starts uranium production at three mines, shares rise

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

TORONTO — Shares of Energy Fuels Inc. were up after the company said it has started production at three of its uranium mines in the United States and was preparing to start production at two more.The mining company says it made the move in response to strong uranium market conditions, with spot prices at a 16-year high.Once production is fully ramped up at the three mines in Arizona and Utah by mid- to late-2024, the company says it expects to be producing uranium at a run-rate of 1.1 million to 1.4 million pounds per year.The company is also preparing two mines in Colorado and Wyoming to start uranium production within one year.Once in production, the company says they would increase its uranium production to over two million pounds per year starting in 2025, if market conditions continue as expected.Energy Fuels shares were up 62 cents at $9.92 in late-morning trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 21, 2023.Companies in thi...

Apple loses latest bid to thwart patent dispute threatening to stop U.S. sales of two watch models

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple has been rebuffed in its latest attempt to untangle a patent dispute that is pushing the company into suspending sales of two popular Apple Watch models as the holiday shopping season wraps up.The International Trade Commission rejected Apple’s bid to get around a late October order revolving around the technology used in the Blood Oxygen measurement feature on the Series 9 and Ultra 2 versions of its internet-connected watch.The dispute stems from a patent infringement claim filed in 2021 by medical technology company Masimo, culminating in a U.S. ban on Apple using the technology that makes the Blood Oxygen feature work on those two watches The decision issued Wednesday means Apple will follow through on its plan to stop selling two watch models in the U.S. to comply with the ITC ruling unless the Biden administration overturns it by Christmas. Online sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 are scheduled to stop at 3 p.m. EST Thursday and...

A wildcat strike shuts down English Channel rail services, causing misery for Christmas travelers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

PARIS (AP) — The train company Eurostar canceled all services to and from London starting at noon Thursday and “until further notice” due to a wildcat strike by staff at Eurotunnel, which links Britain and the European continent. The unannounced strike triggered by what Eurotunnel staff said was an insufficient bonus caused outrage and disarray in train stations as travelers on both sides of the English Channel tried to join families and friends for the Christmas holidays. French Transport Minister Clement Beaune called the stoppage “unacceptable.”“A solution must be found immediately,” he said on X, formerly Twitter. “We are closely monitoring the situation as it evolves and, our teams are currently working to minimize the impact on our customers,” a brief statement from Eurostar said. “Customers affected will receive direct communication about their journey and can exchange their tickets free of charge or claim a refund.” Eurostar and Eurotunnel are two separate companies.Un...

High school student revived with defibrillator after collapsing at New York basketball game

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — A western New York high school student was revived with an on-site defibrillator that’s required under state law after collapsing during a junior varsity basketball game Wednesday, authorities said.Police in Rochester credited quick access to an automated external defibrillator with saving the 15-year-old boy’s life.The Monroe High School student collapsed from apparent cardiac arrest about 5:30 p.m. as Monroe played the School of the Arts at the John James Audubon School No. 33, authorities said. A school safety officer and athletic trainer used the defibrillator before emergency medical crews arrived and the boy regained consciousness before being taken to a hospital, where he is in stable condition and improving, school officials said.Officials canceled the rest of the game, as well as the varsity game that was to follow.The boy’s name has not been released.State lawmakers and then-Gov. George Pataki approved a law in 2002 that required al...

A police SUV slammed into a bar in St. Louis. Police response drawing scrutiny

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis police are pledging a thorough investigation after a police SUV slammed into a bar. But supporters of the bar question why one of the owners was arrested in the aftermath of the accident, while the officers in the SUV were not tested for intoxication.No one was hurt early Monday when the police car struck the front of Bar:PM in south St. Louis but the front window was smashed. Video footage released Wednesday by Javad Khazaeli, the attorney for the bar owners, showed what he said was the same police SUV running a red light seconds before the crash. Another video showed the SUV suddenly veer into the building.A message left Thursday with police was not immediately returned.Chad Morris, who owns the bar with his husband, was arrested and charged with assault and resisting arrest for allegedly striking an officer after the crash, then trying to run away. He was released from jail Tuesday. Supporters packed the bar that night.Police Lt. Col. Renee Kriesmann sa...