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Charges dropped against man who served 21 years in prison for deaths of 2 Michigan hunters

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:32 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Prosecutors dropped murder charges Thursday against a man who spent nearly 21 years in prison for the fatal shooting of two Michigan hunters. Jeff Titus was released from prison in February when authorities acknowledged that critical information about another suspect — an Ohio serial killer — was never shared with his trial lawyer in 2002.After reviewing the case for three months, Kalamazoo County prosecutor Jeff Getting said Titus will not face a new trial.“This is the right thing to do,” Getting told reporters.At the same news conference, Titus, 71, said he’s “truly innocent.”“You can put me on the rack, the truth serum, whatever. I did not do it. … I did not shoot those people,” Titus said.Doug Estes and Jim Bennett were fatally shot near Titus’ rural property in 1990. Titus was cleared as a suspect — he had been hunting deer 27 miles (43 kilometers) away — but murder charges were filed against him 12 years later, after a new team of investigators...

Money stored in Venmo, other payment apps could be vulnerable, financial watchdog warns.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:32 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Customers of Venmo, PayPal and CashApp should not store their money for the long term with these apps because their funds might not be safe during a financial crisis, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned on Thursday. The alert comes several weeks after the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank, which all experienced bank runs after fearful customers with uninsured deposits pulled their money en masse. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insures bank accounts up to $250,000. But money stored in Venmo or CashApp or Apple Pay Cash is not being stored in a traditional bank account. So, if there was an event similar to a bank run with these payment apps, those funds may not be insured. Some of these funds may be eligible for pass-through insurance coverage if the customers do certain activities with the apps, the CFPB says, but generally by default these apps are not covered by deposit insurance. “We find that stored funds...

New Mexico imposes oil and gas moratorium on state land near schools

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:32 GMT

COUNSELOR, N.M. (AP) — Members of the Navajo community have complained to Samuel Sage for years about the noise and vibrations that rattle their homes. They tell him about the dust kicked up by heavy trucks traveling the surrounding dirt roads and the smells that come from some of the oil and natural gas wells and tank batteries that dot the land around their Navajo community of Counselor in northwestern New Mexico. On one day recently, Sage stood on a hill overlooking a public school that serves Counselor. He pointed to wells and tanks in the distance, painted green to blend in with juniper trees and sagebrush.“Monitoring shows pollution heading either toward the school across the highway or toward the chapter depending on which way the wind is blowing,” he said.Sage, the former president of the Navajo Chapter in Counselor and current community services coordinator, is among a group of residents and environmentalists who have sued New Mexico for allegedly failing to prevent polluti...

The store owner charged with killing a teen shot at people he suspected of shoplifting before

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:32 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A store owner in South Carolina charged with murder this week after shooting a teen he wrongly thought stole water has shot at suspected shoplifters two other times in the past eight years and not faced charges, authorities said.In 2018, Rick Chow confronted a shoplifter at his Xpress Mart Shell station in Columbia and the man attacked him, Richland County deputies said. Chow fired two shots and wounded the man, who pleaded guilty to charges in the case, in the leg. investigators said.In 2015, Chow fired several shots at a vehicle after he tried to stop someone he suspected of shoplifting, and the suspect got into the vehicle and threatened to shoot Chow, deputies said. No one was hurt.In both cases, authorities said Chow’s actions were not criminal. Self-defense law in South Carolina requires the shooter doesn’t instigate the incident, believes he is in imminent danger and has no way to avoid that danger.Deputies decided that was not the case Sunday, whe...

Florence bans new short-term vacation rentals in Italian city’s historic center

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:32 GMT

MILAN (AP) — The city of Florence on Thursday announced an immediate ban on new short-term private vacation rentals in the Renaissance city’s historic center, part of an effort to draw full-time residents back to one of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations. Mayor Dario Nardella called the ban “daring’’ but legally defensible.“If we don’t try to take politically disruptive actions, no one makes a move,’’ Nardella said, referring to expectations that the Italian government would adopt a plan that so far allows only Venice to cap the number of days a property can be rented out at 120. “We are tired of announcements,’’ Nardella said. “The problem has become structural.”Students in Italian cities, including Florence, Milan and Rome, have been camping out in tents on campuses to protest a lack of affordable housing. At the same time, art cities like Florence and Venice have seen their housing stocks depleted by short-term rentals, defined as covering any period less than 30 days.Nard...

Balogun on US roster ahead of CONCACAF Nations League, could debut

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:32 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — B.J. Callaghan was at home in suburban Chicago last Friday morning when new U.S. Soccer Federation sporting director Matt Crocker called and told him Anthony Hudson had quit as interim coach.“I was basically packing up my kids, taking my daughter to a lacrosse tournament in North Carolina,” Callaghan said Thursday. “He told me the news and asked me if I was willing to step up.”“In professional sports, a lot changes in a short amount of time,” Callaghan added. “We constantly say next man up, next man up. And at this point in time, my number one was called.”Striker Folarin Balogun was among 24 players picked by Callaghan for a training camp ahead of the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal and could make his national team debut against Mexico on June 15.Wingers Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna and Tim Weah also are on the roster along with goalkeeper Matt Turner and outside back Sergiño Dest, among 13 veterans of last year’s World Cup squad. Pulisic, Reyna, Turner and D...

‘Diablo IV’ is almost here. What to know about the video game’s coming release

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The release of “Diablo IV” is right around the corner. Early access for the highly anticipated action role-playing video game begins Thursday night — ahead of next week’s official launch.“Diablo IV” marks the latest installment of Blizzard Entertainment’s “Diablo” series, which began in 1996, and arrives more than a decade after “Diablo III” was released in May 2012.Rod Fergusson, general manager of Diablo, has described “Diablo IV” as “our most brutal vision of Sanctuary,” the fictional world where Diablo is set. It brings “the darkness of the original game” and builds on key aspects of previous installments of the series, he added.In April, Blizzard Entertainment parent company Activision Blizzard reported a net revenue of $2.38 billion for the first quarter of 2023 — up from $1.77 billion for the first three months of 2022. At the time, Activision noted that presales for “Diablo IV” were strong, pointing to successful public testing of the game.Here&...

Biden falls on stage at Air Force graduation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:32 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — President Joe Biden fell while on stage at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation.Thursday, Biden was in Colorado Springs for the USAFA graduation which he attended as the commencement speaker. Mother of missing 5-year-old arrested after human remains found In a video at the ceremony, Biden shakes the hands of one of the cadets who received their diploma and appears to trip over a black sandbag and fall onto the stage. He is then helped up by at least three Air Force officials.President Joe Biden falls on stage after handing out diplomas during the 2023 United States Air Force Academy Graduation Ceremony at Falcon Stadium, Thursday, June 1, 2023, at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)President Joe Biden falls on stage during the 2023 United States Air Force Academy Graduation Ceremony at Falcon Stadium, Thursday, June 1, 2023, at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. (AP Photo/Andrew Harni...

Mother of missing 5-year-old arrested after human remains found

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:32 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — An Aurora mother has been arrested following an investigation into a missing 5-year-old.On Tuesday, Aurora911 received a call from an out-of-state person who reported their daughter, 27-year-old Alexus Tanielle Nelson, had made concerning statements. The caller told 911 they were worried about the safety of their granddaughter.After the 911 call, officers responded to Nelson's apartment in the 1000 block of South Elkhart Way. Nelson allegedly told police that she gave her daughter up for adoption but could not prove it with records. The Aurora Police Department couldn't independently verify the adoption either and arrested Nelson for attempting to influence a public servant. Driver killed by passing car during traffic stop on I-70 According to APD, detectives with Crimes Against Children searched Nelson's apartment and located child human remains.Nelson is now facing charges of child abuse resulting in death, tampering with a deceased human body, and tampering with...

South Florida drama teacher who includes deaf students in school shows will receive a special Tony Award

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:32 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The special Tony Award that honors educators will go this year to a drama teacher in Florida who has closed the gap between the deaf and hearing worlds by having productions performed in both voice and American Sign Language.Jason Zembuch-Young, artistic director of the public South Plantation High School, in Plantation, Florida, is being honored for “empowering every student to make and be part of theater.”“I didn’t start out with a mission of let’s be as inclusive as we possibly can. I’ve always championed the underdog because I kind of relate to that,” he told The Associated Press ahead of the formal Wednesday announcement. “What made sense to me was if there’s somebody that’s standing in front of you and they want to work, well, let’s put them to work and let’s figure out a way to have them be as successful as they possibly can.”Zembuch-Young runs a theater department with more than 150 students participating, which includes putting on both a full-length mus...