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China raises stakes in cyberscam crackdown in Myanmar, though loopholes remain

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:21 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — China is ramping up a crackdown on online scams operated by criminal syndicates in border areas of military-ruled Myanmar in an effort that has included a shootout, confession videos and national TV broadcasts of arrests of high-profile suspects.But the drive has been confined to a limited area and appears unlikely to root out the kingpins behind the human trafficking and other illicit activities aimed at cheating people of their savings via phone calls and online overtures, schemes that are thought to generate tens of billions of dollars in revenue a year. Over the summer, China announced a series of joint operations with neighboring countries that led to thousands of people being returned to China, many of whom had been lured by the promise of high-paying jobs. Experts say many are victims who were forced into conducting the scams. Those campaigns did not include arrests of ring leaders in Myanmar.“As soon as we discover them, we hand them over,” said Lu Jiantang, t...

McHenry County Jail inmate found dead in cell

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:21 GMT

WOODSTOCK, Ill. — An inmate at the McHenry County Adult Correctional Facility was found dead in his cell on Tuesday afternoon, authorities say.According to McHenry County deputies, a 74-year-old man was found unresponsive around 4 p.m. in a single-occupied booking cell at the facility, which is located in Woodstock Vinyl record shops report surge in burglaries, shoplifting Deputies say Corrections officers and Woodstock Fire and Rescue crews began performing life-saving but were unsuccessful. The inmate was then pronounced dead at the scene.Authorities have not yet identified the man, and deputies say, in compliance with sheriff’s office protocol and state law, an investigation by the McHenry County Major Investigation Assistance Team is now underway.

Salesforce Tower opens in Chicago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:21 GMT

CHICAGO -- Mayor Brandon Johnson joined business leaders to celebrate the opening of Salesforce Tower in Chicago.The 57-story building is located at Wolf Point, where the north and south branches of the Chicago River meet. CTA, Google Public Sector to launch new chatbot to answer CTA rider’s questions Salesforce will allow local non profits to use the top two floors of the building to host fundraising events at night and on weekends at no cost.The cloud-based software company is headquartered in San Francisco, but have 2,200 employees that work in Chicago.

Parents of young Chiefs fan wearing headdress threaten to sue Deadspin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:21 GMT

(NewsNation) —  The parents of a 9-year-old Kansas City Chiefs fan threatened to sue the sports website Deadspin following the publication of an article that accused their son of racial insensitivity. The article alleged that their son, Holden Armenta, exhibited racist behavior by painting his face black and red and wearing a Native American headdress to a football game.In a letter obtained by NewsNation, Holden's parents, Shannon and Raul Armenta, hired Clare Locke LLP to demand a retraction and threaten further action against the author Carron J. Phillips, Deadspin, G/O Media, and Great Hill Partners. Texas TikTok teacher firing upheld by school board "These Articles, posts on X, and photos about Holden and his parents must be retracted immediately. It is not enough to quietly remove a tweet from X or disable the article from Deadspin’s website. You must publish your retractions and issue an apology to my clients with the same prominence and fanfare with which you defamed t...

Social Security, Medicare: Where GOP candidates stand on retirement benefits

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:21 GMT

NewsNation will host the fourth Republican primary debate on Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. E.T. The debate will be aired and streamed live on all NewsNation platforms. Not sure how to find us on your TV? Use our ChannelFinder app. If you have a question for the candidates, submit it here. (NewsNation) —  While President Joe Biden vowed to strengthen Medicare and called for “protecting and strengthening” Social Security, the future of retirement benefits has exposed a rift in opinion and policy among the 2024 Republican presidential candidates. How to watch the fourth Republican presidential debate The candidates are split on whether to call for changes to the programs; reducing the benefits afforded to retired Americans is very unpopular, but so are tax hikes on high earners proposed to keep the programs afloat. Most adults think AI will add to election misinformation in 2024, poll finds Ahead of the 2024 election, NewsNation is committed to covering the issues that matter mos...

DeSantis sets aside $1 million to sue over Florida State's playoff snub

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:21 GMT

(The Hill) -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he plans to set aide $1 million from the state’s annual budget to Florida State University (FSU) for potential ligation over their controversial snub from the College Football Playoff. DeSantis, whose currently running for president, made the announcement during a press conference on his budget proposal for the Fiscal Year 2024-2025. “But what we decided to do, we're setting aside a million dollars for any litigation expenses that may become as a result of this really, really poor decision by the college football playoffs to exclude an undefeated team who won a big Power Five conference championship,” DeSantis said at the press conference. DeSantis, who noted that his kids are big Seminoles fans, said litigation may not change the outcome, but that the state would let “the chips fall where they may on that.” Chiefs fan’s mom defends son after critics call him racist “We had one of our schools, Florida State, go undefeated...

Globally, Mariah Carey is still dominating Christmas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:21 GMT

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) -- Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time ever this week, but, love it or loathe it, Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" was the top track globally, coming in at No. 1 on Billboard's Global Hot 200 chart. Lee's holiday classic came in at No. 4 on the Global Hot 200 chart. Lee was 13 years old when she recorded the song, originally released in 1958. The 78-year-old is now the oldest artist to have a current No. 1 song at the top of the charts.Billboard's Hot 100 is based on data collected on US purchases, streams, and downloads. Globally speaking, however, Mariah still dominates.Carey's hit isn't the only divisive song on the "Global Hot 200." The 80s duo Wham has the No. 2 position with "Last Christmas," a song whose fame or infamy has even spawned a yearly competition called "Whamageddon." Brenda Lee talks about hit holiday single 65 years in the making Only two other Christmas songs...

Rise in anti-Semitic incidents causes concern among Jewish families ahead of Hanukkah

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:21 GMT

CHICAGO — The start of Hanukkah is just days away and this year, for many in the Jewish community, the festival of lights is clouded by fear.  "It’s really just another layer of a lot of concern about showing one’s Jewishness," Addie Goodman said. Goodman, who is the CEO of the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago (JCC), said the conversation families are having about whether to put a menorah in their windows for the holiday is unlike anything she’s witnessed ever before.  Police search for group spotted stealing $5K worth of trading cards from Chesterton game shop "Is this something we should do because we’re proud to be Jewish, and we want to find solidarity and comfort in one another and see the menorahs in the window, or is there fear? And it’s making us uncomfortable, such that we don’t want to show this is a home where Jews live," Goodman said. The reason is the rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the United States since the war between Israel and Hamas escalated...

Suspect arrested, linked to south Austin homicide and officer shootings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:21 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A suspect was arrested Tuesday in connection with a homicide and two separate shootings involving an Austin Independent School District officer and an Austin police officer, multiple law enforcement sources confirmed to KXAN. Shortly before 7:30 p.m., APD said a police officer was shot in southwest Austin. APD is expected to hold a media briefing. Austin ISD officer shot at Northeast ECHS Law enforcement sources tell KXAN the suspect in the southwest Austin shooting is the same person who is accused of killing two people on Shadywood Drive in south Austin and shooting an Austin Independent School District officer at Northeast College High School Tuesday morning.The school district’s police chief said the AISD officer was expected to be released from the hospital after being shot in the leg.Details surrounding the shooting were not immediately available. A KXAN crew on the scene reported a heavy law enforcement presence in the area of Austral Loop in the Circle C c...

Ellis Medicine to open youth intervention crisis center

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:21 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A local hospital has received funding to expand mental health treatment services for children and teens. Ellis Medicine was awarded more than $700,000 from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to establish The Family Room, which will offer crisis intervention to patients between the ages of 10 and 17.It will be located at the State Street Health Center in Schenectady, which houses the hospital's behavioral health programs. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The hospital already has a similar program for adults. The Living Room was established in 2018. It's connected thousands of people to support and kept 98 percent of its patients out of the emergency room and helped ease the strain on the ER. Both services provide a comfortable environment with furniture, soft lighting and a relaxed atmosphere.If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call or text 988 to reached the National Suicide and Cris...