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Judge rejects conservative challenge to new Minnesota law restoring felons’ voting rights

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:34:32 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A judge has dismissed a conservative group’s lawsuit challenging a new Minnesota law that restores voting rights for felons once they’ve completed their prison time.Anoka County Judge Thomas Lehmann ruled Wednesday that the Minnesota Voters Alliance lacked the legal standing to sue and failed to prove that the Legislature overstepped its authority when it voted in February to expand voting rights for the formerly incarcerated. Before the change, they had to complete their probation before they could regain their eligibility to vote.The alliance argued that the law violates a clause in the state constitution that says felons cannot vote “unless restored to civil rights.” The group argued that the language means all their civil rights, not just some.“The major premise of this argument is fundamentally flawed,” the judge wrote, saying the constitution does not specify “restored to all civil rights.” He cited a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling from February ...

Man sentenced to up to life in prison for shooting deaths of retired couple on hiking trail

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:34:32 GMT

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A 27-year-old man who was living in a tent in the woods in New Hampshire was sentenced Friday to up to life in prison in the fatal shooting deaths of a retired couple who had gone out for a walk. He asserted his innocence in court. Superior Court Judge John Kissinger Jr. called Logan Clegg a “stone-cold, violent murderer” as he imposed the sentence requested by prosecutors of two sentences of 50 years to life in prison for the murders of Stephen and Djeswende “Wendy” Reid. The couple were killed in April 2022 while walking on a trail near their apartment in Concord, the state capital. They had done international development and humanitarian work before recently relocating to the city. “I truly hope he engages in rehabilitation, but there is no chance — if this sentence holds — that he will spend a day outside of the prison,” Kissinger said. A jury convicted Clegg in October of all nine counts he faced, including four counts of second-degree murder, one count of ...

Nigeria’s Supreme Court reinstates terrorism charges against separatist leader

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:34:32 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s Supreme Court on Friday overturned a lower court ruling dismissing terrorism charges against a popular separatist leader whose trial has been blamed for an outbreak of violence in the country’s southeast region.The Court said Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) separatist group that seeks independence for Nigeria’s southeastern region, still faces terrorism charges despite the lower court ruling. Kanu, who also holds British citizenship, has already pleaded not guilty to the charges. In announcing the decision, Justice Garba Mohammed said that although Nigeria’s secret police violated Kanu’s rights during his arrest and extradition from Kenya in 2021, the Court of Appeal was wrong to rule in October last year that the violation was grounds for the dismissal of the charges.“No legislation in the country stripped the trial court of the jurisdiction to go ahead with Kanu’s case, despite the illegal action,” of the secret p...

The EU’s drip-feed of aid frustrates Ukraine, despite the promise of membership talks

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:34:32 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Drop by drop, Ukraine is being supplied with aid and arms from its European allies, at a time when it becomes ever clearer it would take a deluge to turn its war against Russia around. On Friday, EU leaders sought to paper over their inability to boost Ukraine’s coffers with a promised 50 billion euros ($54.5 billion) over the next four years, saying the check will likely arrive next month after some more haggling between 26 leaders and the longtime holdout, Viktor Orban of Hungary. Instead, they wanted Ukraine to revel in getting the nod to start membership talks that could mark a sea change in its fortunes — never mind that the process could last well over a decade and be strewn with obstacles from any single member state. “Today, we are celebrating,” said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. Ukrainian government bookkeepers are unlikely to join in. Kyiv is struggling to make ends meet from one month to the next and to make sure enough is left to bolster def...

Man in central Illinois killed three people and wounded another before killing self, authorities say

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:34:32 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A man is believed to have killed three women and wounded a man before killing himself during a traffic stop in central Illinois, authorities said.Police were called to a home in rural Ashland, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Springfield, in response to a report of a man being shot late Thursday, The Springfield State Journal-Register reported. They discovered a man with a gunshot wound and a woman who was dead. The wounded man told police about a related attack at another Ashland home. Authorities found two women dead there. Police identified a suspect and officers located his vehicle in Jacksonville, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southwest of Ashland. The man was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound inside the vehicle, the Jacksonville Journal Courier reported.The surviving man was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Cass County Sheriff Devron Ohrn said in an email that he plans to release the victims and suspect&...

Turkish Airlines announces order for 220 additional aircraft from Airbus

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:34:32 GMT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s national carrier, Turkish Airlines, said Friday that it is placing an order for 220 new planes from Airbus as it seeks to expand its fleet.In a statement to Turkey’s public disclosures platform, KAP, Turkish Airlines announced that it will buy 150 narrow-body A321 Neo aircraft in addition to 50 wide-body A350-900 jets, 15 of the A350-1000 planes and five A350F cargo aircraft.The company also would procure engine maintenance services and spare engines for the A350 aircraft from Rolls-Royce, according to the statement.Airbus said the latest order increases Turkish Airlines’ total order to 504 planes, adding that 212 have already been delivered.“By modernizing our fleet with more efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft, we are reinforcing our leading position in global aviation and contributing to the nation’s prominence as an aviation hub,” Turkish Airlines board Chairman Ahmet Bolat said in a news release from Toulouse, France-based Airbus...

In a rare appearance, Melania Trump welcomes new citizens at a National Archives ceremony

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:34:32 GMT

In a rare public appearance, former first lady Melania Trump stressed the importance of “guarding our freedom” and the responsibilities that accompany American citizenship as she spoke Friday at a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives.Born in Slovenia, Melania Trump is the only first lady who is also a naturalized U.S. citizen. She recounted her path to that citizenship, beginning with a worker visa upon arriving in New York City during her career as a model.“How fortunate to be with the naturalizing individuals and their families as they recite the Oath of Allegiance and become Americans before our great nation’s founding documents,” she said.The location of the ceremony was notable. The national repository for presidential documents has featured as part of one of the criminal cases pending against her husband, former President Donald Trump, as he seeks a second term in the White House.The National Archives sent a referral to the FBI stating that 15 boxes recovered from ...

Mexico’s president inaugurates first part of $20 billion tourist train project on Yucatan peninsula

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:34:32 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president on Friday inaugurated the first part of the pet project of his administration, a tourist train that runs in a rough loop around the Yucatan peninsula.The $20 billion, 950-mile line, called the Maya Train, is meant to connect beach resorts and archaeological sites. However, it is not finished yet. Officials pledged the rest of the line would be ready by the end of February.President Andrés Manuel López Obrador opened a 290-mile (473-kilometer) stretch Friday between the colonial Gulf coast city of Campeche and the Caribbean coast resort of Cancun. That is about one-third of the entire project, and covers the least controversial stretch.It will take about 5 1/2 hours to travel from Campeche to Cancun at an average speed of about 50 miles per hour (80 kph), though officials have promised the train will be capable of speeds of up to 75 mph (120 kph). There will be two trains per day each way, with stops in the colonial city of Merida, the Mayan ruin...

Judge denies cattle industry’s request to temporarily halt wolf reintroduction in Colorado

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:34:32 GMT

DENVER (AP) — A federal judge has allowed the reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado to move forward after representatives of the state’s cattle industry asked for a temporary stay in the predators’ release in a lawsuit.While the lawsuit will continue, the judge’s ruling allows Colorado to proceed with its plan to find, capture and transport up to 10 wolves from Oregon starting Sunday. The deadline to put paws on the ground under the voter-approved initiative is December 31.The lawsuit from the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association and The Gunnison County Stockgrowers’ Association alleges that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to adequately review the potential impacts of Colorado’s plan to release up to 50 wolves in Colorado over the next several years. The groups argued that the inevitable wolf attacks on livestock would come at significant cost to ranchers, the industry that helps drive the local economies where wolves would be released.Attorneys for the U.S. go...

This winter's El Niño could be one of the strongest in 70 years. What does it mean for Illinois?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:34:32 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The 2023-2024 El Niño is growing more likely to be one for the record books. In an update released Thursday, the Climate Prediction Center said this winter's El Niño was slightly favored to be "historically strong." The national forecasters gave it about a 54% chance of being one of the five strongest since 1950. ‘Strong’ El Niño winter coming: Here’s where we could see more snow Those odds are up from last month, when the Climate Prediction Center gave this year's El Niño a 35% chance of being among the strongest ever, like the one we saw 2015-2016 or 1997-1998.But a super-strong El Niño doesn't necessarily mean super-strong impacts, like storms, flooding or heavy snow. "While stronger El Niño events increase the likelihood of El Niño-related climate anomalies, it does not imply expected impacts will emerge in all locations or be of strong intensity," says the Climate Prediction Center. El Niño predicted to flood both coasts: Here’s where risk is highest What...