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Unprecedented wildfire on Canada’s Atlantic coast still burning after four days

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:30:19 GMT

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — An unprecedented string of wildfires in Canada’s Atlantic-coast province of Nova Scotia continued to burn out of control for a fourth day on Wednesday, preventing thousands of evacuees from trying to see if their homes have been destroyed. Fire officials were hoping for a break in the dry, windy weather, but that’s not forecast to happen until Friday night at the earliest.Halifax deputy fire chief David Meldrum made it clear that none of the 16,000 evacuees from the suburbs around Halifax will be able to return home for now. Another 2,000 people who fled a much larger uncontained fire in southwestern Nova Scotia also are being kept away from their properties. Fire officials say an estimated 200 structures, including 151 homes, have been destroyed since the fire started in the Upper Tantallon area on Sunday afternoon. No deaths or injuries have been reported, but “it’s the site of a tragedy,” Meldrum said.“There’s widespread destruction, and th...

2nd teen charged in Fairfax Co. Memorial Day shooting, stabbing that left 2 dead

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:30:19 GMT

Two people were shot dead and two others stabbed in a Fairfax County, Virginia, apartment complex on May 29, 2024. (WTOP/Kyle Cooper) Two people were shot dead and two others stabbed in a Fairfax County, Virginia, apartment complex on May 29, 2024. (WTOP/Kyle Cooper) A second teen has been arrested in what police have described as a drug-related shooting and stabbing incident at an apartment complex in Fairfax County, Virginia, on Memorial Day that left two dead.Fairfax County police said Wednesday that Vladimir Garcia Montes, 18, of Falls Church, has been arrested and charged with robbery resulting in death.On Tuesday, police arrested another teen — a 17-year-old who they did not publicly identify — and charged h...

Europe’s leaders meet in Russia’s shadow

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:30:19 GMT

CHIȘINĂU — Gathering more than 40 European leaders in Moldova on Thursday will be a symbolic thumb in Vladimir Putin’s eye — a sign of collective commitment to join hands against Moscow.It’s also a major risk. Literally and metaphorically, the so-called European Political Community’s second summit is taking place in Russia’s backyard, a region Putin sees as part of Moscow’s sphere of influence. That makes getting several dozen world leaders in and out no easy task.  Moldova has closed its airspace for the duration of the summit and NATO surveillance planes will keep a watchful eye — a nod to the constant threat of Russian incursions. Access to the main airport has been restricted — a recognition of the myriad fake bomb alerts there since the start of the war. And most leaders won’t stay overnight — preferring to keep their visit to a minimum.The measures illustrate Europe’s daunting task as it tries to embrace a wider community of countries. The o...

Boston Police searching for Roxbury wedding band bandit

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:30:19 GMT

A woman was attending Zion Apostolic Church in Roxbury on Sunday when she stepped out for a breath of fresh air — but soon found herself tussling with a man who ripped a gold chain that carried her dead husband’s wedding band off her neck and ran off.Police arrived at the church at 241 Blue Hill Avenue just after noon and met with the woman, whose age is not disclosed, who told them she’d been “robbed of her gold chain that has her deceased husband’s wedding band attached to it,” according to the police report. The chain was standard gold color and the band is described further as “a yellow hood ring with a lot of detail and to be an older style ring.”She told the cops that she had stepped outside and sat down on a chair when she saw the alleged robber, who she said has a limp, pacing around her. Soon, she told them, he walked up and tried to push her out of her chair.“The victim stated that she began fighting the suspect off and that is when the suspect ripped her chain off of her ...

Ravens 2023 undrafted free agent tracker: Jordan Swann, former St. Frances and James Madison cornerback, signs

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:30:19 GMT

With the NFL draft over, the Ravens have turned their attention to the undrafted market.Baltimore entered the draft with 63 players and made six picks, leaving space to add a big class. Here’s a look at the announced additions:James Madison cornerback Jordan Swann: General manager Eric DeCosta said earlier this year that the team can never have too many cornerbacks, so the Ravens added more depth to the position with the signing of Swann.Swann, who began his college career at Connecticut in 2017 and spent three seasons at Maine, had 24 tackles, two interceptions, two sacks and one forced fumble in 11 games last year for James Madison.Joining the Ravens is also something of a homecoming for the 5-foot-10, 181-pound cornerback. Swann is a native of Newark, Delaware, and spent his senior year of high school at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, where he helped the Panthers win the 2016 MIAA A Conference title.SMU offensive lineman Jaylon Thomas: The Ravens added more depth to thei...

House debt ceiling vote to avert default on track with Biden and McCarthy both confident of passage

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:30:19 GMT

By LISA MASCARO, KEVIN FREKING, STEPHEN GROVES and FARNOUSH AMIRI (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — Crossing a crucial hurdle, the debt ceiling and budget cuts package to avert default headed toward House passage late Wednesday as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy assembled a coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans against fierce conservative blowback and progressive dissent.Tensions rose during an afternoon procedural vote when heavy Republican support lagged, but the package ultimately sailed to approval once Democrats unleashed favorable votes in a show of bipartisan support. Onlookers filled the visitor galleries. The vote was 241-187 to proceed toward final approval.As debate began, Biden expressed optimism that the agreement he negotiated with McCarthy would pass the chamber and avoid an economically disastrous default on America’s debts.“I think things are going as planned,” he told reporters. The president was to depart Washingt...

3-alarm fire displaces 78 residents in Brighton

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:30:19 GMT

Seventy-eight Brighton residents were forced out of their homes Wednesday morning when a three-alarm fire tore through their apartment building at 1980 Commonwealth Ave.“People are just very relieved that there wasn’t any injuries or anything worse,” said building resident Meghan Morrissey, sitting on the stoop next door with her bewildered dog Ellie Bean and a mass of neighbors clutching possessions.“It’s damaged though, which is hard. Yes, you can replace everything, but still, it’s hard.”Boston Fire announced “all companies” were responding to a fire that quickly went to three alarms at the building around 9:40 a.m. Wednesday morning.“The first arriving companies had fire on the sixth floor,” said Boston Fire District Chief Mark Loschiavo. “As they were going to attack that fire, a fire broke out on the third floor from fallen embers, and they changed their attack.”The spread from upper to lower floor i...

Biden approves a new $300M military aid package for Ukraine

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:30:19 GMT

By AAMER MADHANI and LOLITA C. BALDOR (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has approved a new package of military aid for Ukraine that totals up to $300 million and includes additional munitions for drones and an array of other weapons. It comes as Russia has continued to pummel Ukraine’s capital and unmanned aircraft have targeted Moscow. U.S. officials have said there is no suggestion that U.S.-made drones or munitions were used in the Moscow strikes, which the Kremlin blamed on Ukraine but Kyiv has not acknowledged. The Biden administration has said it has made clear to Ukraine that U.S.-made weapons should not be used for attacks inside Russian territory.“We don’t tell them where to strike. We don’t tell them where not to strike. … Ultimately President Zelenskyy and his military commanders decide what they’re going to do from a military perspective,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said...

Veteran character actor John Beasley, who appeared in the TV drama ‘Everwood,’ dies at 79

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:30:19 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — John Beasley, the veteran character actor who played a kindly school bus driver on the TV drama “Everwood” and appeared in dozens of films dating back to the 1980s, has died. He was 79. Beasley died Tuesday after a “brief and unexpected illness” at a hospital in his hometown of Omaha, his manager, Don Spradlin, said. Beasley played an assistant coach in the 1993 football film “Rudy” and a retired preacher in 1997’s “The Apostle,” co-starring and directed by Robert Duvall. On TV, Beasley was the father of Cedric the Entertainer in the TV Land comedy “The Soul Man” and later starred for four seasons alongside Treat Williams in The WB’s “Everwood.”Most recently, Beasley had small parts in the Showtime drama “Your Honor,” with Bryan Cranston, and “The Mandalorian,” a Star Wars offshoot on Disney+. For more than a dozen years, he ran the John Beasley Theate...

Former Connecticut lawmaker gets 27 months in prison for stealing $1.2M in COVID-19 relief money

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:30:19 GMT

Michael DiMassa, a former Democratic state representative and West Haven, Connecticut, political insider who stole about $1.2 million of the city’s pandemic relief money and blew much of it gambling, was sentenced to 27 months in prison Wednesday.He also was ordered to pay $866,000 in restitution.As the pandemic reached Connecticut in late 2020, DiMassa was empowered by West Haven’s mayor to approve spending for prevention measures and other unexpected costs and had signature authority over the money.He admitted conspiring with his wife and two others — including John Trasacco, a convicted felon who introduced him to a gambling ring — to embezzle the federal grant money by creating dummy invoices and directing payments to sham companies.In a short statement before U.S. District Judge Omar Williams imposed an admittedly “lenient” sentence, DiMassa acknowledged that his crimes have contributed to the erosion of faith in politics and government.“I gave them another reason not to trust ...