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A UN envoy has made his first visit to Western Sahara. He pledged to advance the political process

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:16:40 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations doubled down on its pledge to revive stalled negotiations over the disputed Western Sahara during a visit to the region this week in which its top negotiator met with officials on all sides before the release of a highly anticipated U.N. report next month.The visit was Staffan de Mistura’s first to the Western Sahara since he was appointed in 2021 to oversee U.N. efforts to guide negotiations that date back more than three decades.Morocco annexed Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony in 1975, sparking a conflict with the pro-independence Polisario Front. The region is believed to have considerable offshore oil deposits and mineral resources and is slightly larger than the United Kingdom.The U.N. brokered a 1991 cease-fire and established a peacekeeping mission to monitor the truce and help prepare a referendum on the territory’s future. Disagreements over who is eligible to vote have prevented the referendum from taking place. The Polisario...

Lawsuit blames Peloton for death of NYC man whose bike fell on his neck during workout

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:16:40 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A woman has filed a lawsuit against Peloton over the death of her son, who was killed when his exercise bike fell on his neck during a workout in his New York City apartment.Ryan Furtado, 32, was doing a workout in his Brooklyn apartment that involved getting off his Peloton bike to do floor exercises and then getting back on it when the accident occurred on Jan. 13, 2022, according to the lawsuit filed March 10 in New York state court.Furtado grabbed the bike to hoist himself up, but it “spun around and impacted him on the face and neck,” according to the lawsuit filed by his mother, Johanna Furtado. The impact severed Furtado’s carotid artery, killing him instantly, according to the lawsuit, which alleges that the equipment was sold “in a defective and unreasonably dangerous condition.”Johanna Furtado, who is seeking unspecified damages, accuses Peloton of negligence for selling the bike “in a defective and unreasonably dangerous condition” and fa...

Former Philadelphia police officer charged with murder after shooting Black man

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:16:40 GMT

(The Hill) -- The Philadelphia District Attorney charged a former city police officer with murder on Friday over the shooting of a Black man during a traffic stop last month.Then-officer Mark Dial, who is white, shot and killed Eddie Irizarry, who is Black, while he sat in his vehicle after police stopped his car over alleged erratic driving last month, video showed.District Attorney Larry Krasner (D) released the graphic unedited body camera footage of the shooting Friday, which appears to show Dial exiting his police cruiser, approaching Irizarry’s driver’s side window and firing six shots just seconds after approaching the car.Dial and a second police officer then appear to remove Irizarry from his vehicle by his hands and feet and place him in a police cruiser to be transported to a hospital. He was declared dead at an area hospital minutes later.There was “no question” that the district attorney’s office should bring charges, Krasner said at a press conference, adding if the sh...

Private texts, whistleblower memes revealed in Paxton impeachment trial

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:16:40 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Whistleblower Ryan Vassar resumed testimony in Ken Paxton's impeachment trial Friday morning, recounting the events surrounding his decision to report Paxton to the FBI for alleged ethical and legal violations.Friday morning began with tense cross-examination from Paxton's defense team.Thursday afternoon, Vassar teared up at Paxton's suggestion that he and the whistleblowers were "rogue employees." That assertion was "contrary to the years that I dedicated my life to the state," he said. Defense attorneys on Friday appeared to attempt to discredit those solemn emotions, referencing text messages Vassar sent in a private group chat of whistleblowers.Paxton defense attorney J. Mitchell Little displayed numerous text messages showing Vassar and other former employees demeaning other colleagues, insulting their intelligence and making light of their difficult experience following the FBI complaint.One text from Vassar included an image of "Going Rouge: The Sarah Pali...

Bastrop officials cancel missing person alert for 79-year-old

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:16:40 GMT

BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- A missing person's alert was canceled Friday afternoon after being issued by the Bastrop County Sheriff's Office earlier in the day. The sheriff's office initially asked the public for help locating a 79-year-old man Friday morning at 10:41 but canceled the alert just before 1:30 p.m.

Tommies excited to step up in competition vs. South Dakota

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:16:40 GMT

The St. Thomas football team has accomplished some impressive things in its first two seasons at the Division I level, including going unbeaten in the Pioneer Football League last season while managing to extend its home winning streak to 27 games.While they have had limited opportunity, one thing that eluded the Tommies so far is securing a victory against a Division I team that offers athletic scholarships. The Pioneer and the Ivy League are the only two conferences in Division I that don’t offer athletic scholarships, a distinction that has some viewing them as being Division I with an asterisk.The Tommies get their third crack at changing that perception this weekend when they face South Dakota of the Missouri Valley Conference in Vermillion. S.D. In its inaugural Division I season, St. Thomas fell on the road at Northern Iowa of the Missouri Valley, 44-3. Last season, the Tommies lost at Southern Utah of the Western Athletic Conference, 44-13.While St. Thomas head coach Glenn C...

"Women Aren't Funny" comedy series features Buttonista

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:16:40 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — News10's Stephanie Rivas sat down with comedian Erin Harkes, the creator of the "Women Aren't Funny" series, and Taylor Rao. Rao is known best as the "Buttonista" and Co-Founder of media company Two Buttons Deep. Rao joined Harkes at the stand-up microphone for the first on September 6 at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. Harkes will continue to feature an all-female cast of comedians in the ongoing "Women Aren't Funny Series."

New beauty store open inside Aviation Mall Target

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:16:40 GMT

QUEENSBURY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - A new beauty store has arrived at the Aviation Mall - inside an existing store. A new Ulta Beauty location opened this week inside the Target location at the Queensbury-based mall. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Ulta Beauty sells more than 50 brands of beauty products, including Urban Decay and Ariana Grande products. The new location is located near Target's pre-existing beauty department."This unique partnership is another way we continue to elevate the guest experience across our multicategory business to drive traffic as we meet guests’ needs in innovative ways,” said Target Executive Vice President Christina Hennington. “With two powerhouse retailers, our collective brand love, loyalty, and omnichannel expertise will inspire guests and raise the bar for the beauty shopping experience.” Annual 5K back in action along Lake George The new location isn't the only recent development at the Aviation Mall. I...

Missouri could see major hike in gas prices soon

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:16:40 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas and Missouri drivers should prepare for a steep price increase at the pump, experts say. Gas Buddy, which monitors gas prices around the United States, Canada and Australia, predicts gas prices in the Midwest will spike anywhere from 50 cents to $1 per gallon over the next several days. Experts fear gas prices could get worse before they get better There are few details on what's leading to the increase, but Gas Buddy says a refinery outage could be to blame. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said the price hike could be limited if the EPA switches to the winter blend of gasoline early. "The spike in gas prices may be relatively short-lived, but the situation remains volatile," De Haan said in a news release. As of Thursday, wholesale gas prices in the Midwest were already up nearly $1 per gallon from one week ago, and AAA reports a gallon of gas is up 7 cents in Missouri and 3 cents in Kansas.But AAA did note on Thursday that the...

Colorado Senate Democrats select Denver senator as No. 2 leader

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:16:40 GMT

Colorado Senate Democrats selected state Sen. Robert Rodriguez Friday as their new majority leader.State Sen. Robert Rodriguez looks upward during the first day of the 2023 Colorado legislative session in the Senate Chambers at the Colorado State Capitol on January 9, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)Rodriguez, who represents the largely south Denver District 32, will replace former Senate Majority Leader Dominick Moreno, of Commerce City. Moreno left his Senate seat a year before his term was up to join new Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s administration.Rodriguez will help steer the chamber during the 2024 legislative session and set priorities for the majority. Democrats occupy 23 of the 35 seats in the chamber, just one vote shy of a supermajority.Democrats hold an outright supermajority in the state House of Representatives, and Gov. Jared Polis is also a Democrat. But that Democratic trifecta has split at times, including over a high-profile la...