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Ed Sheeran testifies in “Let’s Get It On” copyright suit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:37 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Ed Sheeran took the witness stand in a New York courtroom Tuesday to deny allegations that his hit song “Thinking Out Loud” ripped off Marvin Gaye’s soul classic “Let’s Get It On.”Sheeran, 32, was called to testify in the civil trial by the heirs of Ed Townsend, Gaye’s co-writer on the 1973 soul classic. The family has accused the English star of violating their copyright, claiming his 2014 hit bore “striking similarities” and “overt common elements” to the famed Gaye track.Sheeran, in a dark suit and tie and his trademark ginger locks, was adamant that he had come up with the song himself, sparring at times with the plaintiff’s attorney, Keisha Rice, on the subject of “independent creation.”In response to video played in the courtroom, which showed the musician segueing on stage between the two songs, Sheeran noted it was very common for musicians to weave other artists’ songs into their live shows.Earlier in the day, a lawyer for Towns...

Neighborhood fights Haiti gangs after vigilante killings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:37 GMT

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Armed with machetes, bottles, and rocks, residents in the hilly suburbs of Haiti’s capital fought back against encroaching gangs Tuesday, a day after a crowd burned 13 suspected gangsters to death in a gruesome outburst of vigilante violence.Tired of relying on an understaffed police department, scores of men in the Canape Vert neighborhood of Port-au-Prince spent the night on roofs and patrolled entrances of their community blocked with big trucks spray-painted with the words, “Down with gangs.”“We are planning to fight and keep our neighborhood clean of these savages,” Jeff Ezequiel, a 37-year-old mechanic, told The Associated Press. “The population is tired and frustrated.”The makeshift brigade is the latest example of growing attempts by Haitians to fight gangs on their own. Earlier this year, people elsewhere in Port-au-Prince and in the central Artibonite region, which has been hit by heavy gang violence, have lynched several suspected gang members...

B.C. firefighters describe Myles Gray’s injuries at coroner’s inquest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:37 GMT

BURNABY, B.C. — Myles Gray had bruising around his eyes and along the sides of his neck when he stopped moving in the minutes after a beating by Vancouver police, a retired fire captain told the British Columbia coroner’s inquest into the 33-year-old’s death.Former Burnaby, B.C., firefighter John Campbell testified that he noticed the injuries after Gray stopped struggling and police rolled him over to perform CPR.Gray died after the beating by several officers in August 2015 that left him with injuries including a fractured eye socket, a crushed voice box and ruptured testicles.When Campbell first arrived at the location where police had been struggling to handcuff Gray, he said an officer told him to wait while the scene was secured.The officer assured him that police would monitor Gray’s condition, he said.It’s common for police to instruct firefighters to wait a short distance away if there’s still violence at the scene of an arrest, Campbell told t...

Mattel introduces first Barbie with Down syndrome

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:37 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Toy company Mattel revealed its first Barbie doll representing a person with Down syndrome on Tuesday.Mattel collaborated with the National Down Syndrome Society to create the Barbie and “ensure the doll accurately represents a person with Down syndrome,” the company said.Design features of the new Barbie were made under guidance from NDSS, Mattel said. In addition to portraying some physical characteristics of a person with Down syndrome, the Barbie’s clothing and accessories carry special meaning.The blue and yellow on the doll’s dress, accompanied by butterflies, represent symbols and colors associated with Down syndrome awareness. And the three chevrons on the Barbie’s necklace represent how people with Down syndrome have three copies of their 21st chromosome, Mattel said.In addition, the Barbie wears ankle foot orthotics, which some children with Down syndrome use.“This means so much for our community, who for the first time, can play with a ...

30K pounds of manure spills onto Stevenson Expressway following semi rollover crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:37 GMT

HODGKINS, Ill. — Interstate 55 in Hodgkins is experiencing delays after Illinois State Police said that a semi-tractor trailer overturned near LaGrange Road, resulting in 30,000 pounds of manure spilling onto the expressway. The crash occurred around 3:20 p.m.Though no injuries were reported, ISP troopers say the southbound ramp to LaGrange North will be closed for at least two hours for recovery and cleanup.SkyCam9 was above the scene. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Dual degree program offers family hope, avenue forward in McHenry County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:37 GMT

WOODSTOCK, Ill. — If walls could talk, each one would tell a story in the Diaz home, stories of love, perseverance and things handed down, from generation to generation.A hardworking family with roots in Mexico, the Diaz clan moved to the United States searching for better opportunities."There definitely was a lot of uncertainty … fear and anxiety," said Marlen Diaz, a senior at Woodstock North High School. "My parents have a lot of friends who also undocumented and I see that they have very young kids and I think of myself at that age and how worried I was about deportation and raids and that stuff."Fear became motivation for Diaz when she learned that Woodstock North was offering a chance to earn both her high school diploma and a college associate's degree all at once."Marlen was one of 21 kids to sign on," said District 200 asst. Supt. Justin Smith. "It saves a ton of money for our students. Our students on average pay about $700 for two years of college out of pocket to earn 60...

COPA: CPD officer struck man in head with police radio at Midway Airport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:37 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Civilian Office of Police Accountability released video Tuesday of a Chicago Police Officer using excessive force on a Midway Airport passenger back in February.According to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, the Chicago Police Department notified COPA of an incident that took place at Midway Airport on Feb. 23, 2023. COPA: Chicago police officer under investigation since 2017 should be fired The incident began when an airline employee informed a Chicago police officer that an individual was drinking alcohol and disturbing passengers near a baggage claim carousel.An officer located the individual and asked them to leave the airport when a confrontation ensued. The officer can be seen in the video kicking the individual's bag and then striking them with a police radio.The victim requested an ambulance and was taken to Holy Cross Hospital for treatment due to sustaining a laceration to their head.Anyone with information regarding this incident are asked to ...

Woman pleads guilty in 'Killer Clown' case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:37 GMT

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WJHL) - A woman has pleaded guilty to murder in the "Killer Clown" case of 1990, court documents show. Sheila Keen-Warren, arrested in 2017, entered a guilty plea Tuesday to one count of second-degree murder in the death of Marlene Warren in Palm Beach, Florida. According to authorities, Warren was fatally shot by a person wearing an orange wig, a red nose, and white face paint who handed her flowers and foil balloons at her South Florida home, The Associated Press reports.At the time of the shooting, Warren was married to Michael Warren, who employed Keen-Warren at his used car lot. He and Keen-Warren married in 2002 and lived in Virginia where they co-owned a restaurant. According to The AP, Keen-Warren was arrested in Virginia in September 2017 and extradited to Florida after authorities found advancements in DNA technology and evidence gathered in 1990 identified her as the killer. She was scheduled to go to trial on May 12th, 2023.Previously, Keen-Warren ...

Vampire straw gets Chicago passenger arrested at Boston airport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:37 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — An airline passenger was arrested for carrying a self-defense weapon known as a vampire straw through security at Boston’s Logan International Airport, authorities said Tuesday.Arman Achuthan Nair was detained Sunday evening and charged with carrying a dangerous weapon, Massachusetts State Police said in a statement. A trooper was alerted after the 10-inch-long (25-centimeter-long) titanium straw with a beveled end was found in Nair’s backpack. Rosati’s Pizza franchisees to pay $250K in back wages, damages to employees The Transportation Security Administration doesn’t allow vampire straws to be carried onto a flight. The company that makes the straw bills it as a self-defense weapon since it can be used like a dagger. It also can be used as a straw to slurp down smoothies and other drinks."These items are not allowed in passenger carry-on bags,” the TSA said Monday in a tweet that included a photo of the straw. “A passenger found that out yesterday.”Nair, ...

FAA investigating fires on two American Airlines flights

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:37 GMT

(The Hill) – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating fires on two separate American Airlines flights, after two planes over the past week reported engine damage in North Carolina and Ohio.American Airlines Flight 2288 canceled its takeoff from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in North Carolina last Thursday, due to a possible engine fire, the FAA told The Hill. A second plane, American Airlines Flight 1958, returned to John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio on Sunday after a possible bird strike. The FAA said it would investigate both incidents.The plane that might have struck a bird, headed from Ohio to Phoenix, Arizona, was seen on fire in a cellphone video confirmed by NBC News. The video showed spurts of flames shooting out from the right side of the plane as it flew. These airlines have lost, damaged the most luggage: data The issue of bird strikes has been growing, according to the FAA. The number of reported strikes increased by 144 perc...