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Use of snitches unravels 57 murder and other felony cases in California county

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

New numbers released by an attorney with the Orange County Public Defender’s Office show that the illegal use of jailhouse informants unraveled 57 homicide and other felony cases, with convictions overturned, charges dropped and sentences dramatically reduced.Previous estimates had placed the number of affected cases at about 12 — far less than the results of the new analysis by Assistant Public Defender Scott Sanders, partially using data from the district attorney’s office.“We already knew that this was the largest and longest running informant scandal in U.S. history, but there had never been a complete accounting of the cases with changed outcomes.” Sanders said.With Sanders first sounding the alarm in 2014, state justices and federal investigators have confirmed that Orange County prosecutors and law enforcement officers systematically violated the constitutional rights of criminal defendants with the illegal use of jailhouse informants.Authorities assembled a secret cadre of j...

Got packages to return? Starting Wednesday, Uber drivers will mail them

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

Uber is adding a new task to its list of services: mailing consumers’ return packages.The ride-hailing and delivery company said Wednesday that its drivers will collect up to five prepaid and sealed packages and drop them off at a local post office or at UPS or FedEx stores. Uber will charge a flat fee of $5 for the service or $3 for its Uber One members.The San Francisco-based company said the service will be available in nearly 5,000 U.S. cities to start. Uber said customers will be able to choose package drop off locations within its app. Only locations open for at least the next hour will be listed. Drivers will provide visual confirmation once a package has been dropped off.While the service is expected to be used primarily to return packages, Uber drivers will also mail new packages that are sealed and have prepaid labels.The new service opens up a potentially vast market to Uber. According to Pitney Bowes, a provider of mailing technology, the U.S. Postal Service, UPS a...

A huge fire rages in a plastics factory in eastern Croatia and residents are asked to stay indoors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Firefighters in eastern Croatia were battling to contain a huge fire in a plastics factory on Wednesday, and authorities asked residents to remain indoors and keep their widows shut.The fire erupted early Wednesday in the Drava International factory complex in the town of Osijek, spreading quickly and sending thick dark smoke high in the air.Emergency services said that large amounts of plastics stored in an open area were on fire, making it difficult for firefighters to control the raging blaze.“The temperature is unbelievable, horrible,” said Boris Banjan, deputy commander of the regional firefighting unit. “Our equipment is melting.”The state HRT television reported that two firefighters were slightly injured. The report said firefighters managed to take out large amounts of flammable liquid from the fire zone, preventing further incidents.The fire also forced the closure of a road, police said. Some schools canceled classes for the day.The TV said a strong...

Helen of Troy: Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

HAMILTON, Bermuda (AP) — HAMILTON, Bermuda (AP) — Helen of Troy Ltd. (HELE) on Wednesday reported fiscal second-quarter earnings of $27.4 million.On a per-share basis, the Hamilton, Bermuda-based company said it had net income of $1.14. Earnings, adjusted for stock option expense and amortization costs, were $1.74 per share.The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.60 per share.The personal and household products company posted revenue of $491.6 million in the period, which also topped Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $485.4 million.Helen of Troy expects full-year earnings in the range of $8.50 to $9 per share, with revenue in the range of $1.97 billion to $2.02 billion._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on HELE at https://www.za...

RPM International: Fiscal Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

MEDINA, Ohio (AP) — MEDINA, Ohio (AP) — RPM International Inc. (RPM) on Wednesday reported fiscal first-quarter net income of $201.1 million.The Medina, Ohio-based company said it had net income of $1.56 per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, were $1.64 per share.The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.56 per share.The specialty chemicals company posted revenue of $2.01 billion in the period, which also beat Street forecasts. Six analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $1.96 billion._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on RPM at https://www.zacks.com/ap/RPMSource

The US warns of a Chinese global disinformation campaign that could undermine peace and stability

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — For much of the world, China’s Xinjiang region is notorious, a place where ethnic Uyghurs face forced labor and arbitrary detention. But a group of visiting foreign journalists was left with a decidedly different impression.On a tour in late September sponsored by Beijing, the 22 journalists from 17 countries visited bazaars and chatted with residents over dates and watermelon slices. They later told state media they were impressed with the bustling economy, described the region as “full of cultural, religious and ethnic diversity,” and denounced what they said were lies by Western media.The trip is an example of what Washington sees as Beijing’s growing efforts to reshape the global narrative on China. It’s spending billions of dollars annually to do so.In a first-of-its-kind report, the State Department last week laid out Beijing’s tactics and techniques for molding public opinion, such as buying content, creating fake personas to spread its message and using rep...

Biden cancela US$ 9.000 millones en deuda de préstamos estudiantiles días después de que se reanuden los pagos

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

(CNN) — La administración Biden aprobó el alivio de la deuda para otros 125.000 prestatarios de préstamos estudiantiles, por un total de US$ 9.000 millones de condonación, dijo la Casa Blanca este miércoles.El anuncio se produce pocos días después de que se reiniciaran los pagos de préstamos federales para estudiantes después de una pausa de más de tres años.Aunque la Corte Suprema anuló el característico programa de condonación de préstamos estudiantiles del presidente Joe Biden, que prometía hasta US$ 20.000 en alivio de la deuda para prestatarios de ingresos bajos y medios, la administración ha seguido buscando otras formas de brindar alivio de la deuda.Las cancelaciones anunciadas este miércoles provienen de tres programas diferentes de alivio de deuda existentes que han estado plagados de problemas en el pasado. La Casa Blanca está llevando a cabo lo que llama “arreglos” de un “sistema de préstamos estudiantiles fallido”.Nueva página web del Gobierno para condonar deuda e...

5 top-rated taco spots around Denver for National Taco Day

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Oct. 4 marks one of the best days of the year: National Taco Day. While the weekly celebration is known as Taco Tuesday, Wednesday is still a perfect day to try out some of Denver's best tacos.To determine the best taco spots, FOX31 scoured Google reviews and found the top-rated tacos in the metro area with at least 4.5 stars and over 1,000 reviews. Denver ranked as one of the most foodie-friendly cities in US Here are the best taco spots near Denver.1. Adelitas Cocina Y CantinaAdelitas Cocina Y Cantina, located at 1294 S Broadway, ranked the highest out of the search results. The restaurant has 4.6 stars with 3,100 reviews. The Google reviews rave about the Taco Tuesday deal, which is $2 tacos. Most people who dined at the restaurant recommended the al pastor tacos, which are served with pork, red onions, cilantro, pineapple and tomatillo salsa on a corn tortilla.2. D'Corazon Mexican RestaurantD'Corazon Mexican Restaurant, located at 1530 Blake St. Unit C, battled...

Officer-involved crash causes road closures on Krome Avenue in Florida City

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

Authorities were on the scene of a crash involving a police officer, Wednesday morning. The incident occurred around 6:45 a.m. at the intersection of Southwest 344th Street and Krome Avenue. Officials said an off-duty police officer in a marked vehicle collided with another vehicle. According to the Miami-Dade Police Department, two people, including the officer, were transported to a local hospital for medical evaluations. No major injuries were reported, authorities said. As a result of the crash, the northbound and southbound of Krome Avenue have been closed off to traffic, along with the westbound lanes of Southwest 344th Street. Morning commuters should avoid this area as police investigate the incident. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

A plan with a lot of baggage! MEPs push for airlines to stop charging for carry-on bags

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:25 GMT

Three words that strike fear into the heart of low-cost airlines: Free cabin baggage.That’s what MEPs are pushing for in Strasbourg this week.Lawmakers voted Wednesday afternoon to support a resolution that calls for airlines to scrap fees for “reasonable” sized carry-on luggage, and standardize rules on the size of cabin bags.“You cannot commoditize a right, nor have a business model that inflates profits by dint of trampling on consumer rights,” said Spanish Renew MEP Jordi Cañas, who pushed for the free-of-charge element to be included in the resolution and said he was frustrated by carriers “repeatedly carrying out abusive practices against European citizens’ rights.”The resolution arrived before all MEPs following a vote in the Parliament’s Committee on Petitions. It calls for airlines to respect a 2014 ruling from the Court of Justice of the EU which says that cabin bags — provided they are of “reasonable” size and weight — are a “necessary aspect”...