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Ex-Fugees rapper Pras Michel found guilty in scheme to help China influence US government

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:51 GMT

(CNN) — The rapper Pras Michel was found guilty in federal court in Washington on Wednesday of 10 criminal counts related to an international conspiracy reaching the highest levels of the US government.The Grammy-winning artist and former member of the Fugees faced multiple counts over the failed conspiracy to help Malaysian businessman Jho Low and the Chinese government gain access to US officials, including former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.Michel was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the US, witness tampering and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. He faces up to 20 years in prison. No sentencing date was set.Michel sat stoically as each count came down on Wednesday and did not comment to reporters outside the courthouse.His attorney, David Kenner, expressed disappointment about the verdicts, but said he was confident that his mistrial motions will work out in their favor.“We are extremely disappointed in that result but are very...

Driver dies after Commuter Rail train collides with car in Abington

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:51 GMT

A driver died Wednesday after his car was hit by an Commuter Rail train in Abington, MBTA Transit Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan said.Sullivan said crews were called to the area of Railroad Street and Birch Street around 4:50 p.m. following a report of the crash. SKY7-HD was over the scene later on Wednesday, where the car could be seen with serious damage. Citing a preliminary investigation, Sullivan said a vehicle was stopped at a roadway crossing gate near the train tracks when another vehicle drove around both the first vehicle and the gate. Sullivan said the car was then hit by an inbound train. There were no other reported injuries among the passengers on the train, according to Sullivan. There were also no other passengers in the car that was hit. “On behalf of the MBTA organization we express our most sincere condolences to the decedent’s family, friends and loved ones,” Sullivan said in a statement.The MBTA announced multiple service changes...

NBA star Anthony Edwards cited for assault following post-game outburst

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:51 GMT

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was cited for assault after allegedly striking two women with a folding chair after his team was eliminated from the playoffs Tuesday.The 21-year-old guard, whose stellar series went to waste against the Denver Nuggets, is accused of misdemeanor third-degree assault, according to TMZ. That charge carries an 18-month maximum sentence and $1,000 fine.“We are aware of the alleged incident regarding Anthony Edwards following Game 5 in Denver and are in the process of gathering more information,” the Timberwolves said in a statement. “We have no further comment at this moment.”Edwards is an explosive 6′4 scorer drafted with the first pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He was previously a star baller at the amateur level in Atlanta.“Ant-Man,” as he’s known by basketball fans, scored 158 points in his team’s five game series against Denver, where he was cited. ()

Massachusetts misconduct, faulty breathalyzer equipment puts 27,000 OUI convictions at risk

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:51 GMT

Tens of thousands of Massachusetts residents convicted of driving under the influence will get a second chance following a ruling from the state’s highest court citing “egregious government misconduct” and poorly calibrated breathalyzer equipment.The roughly 27,000 defendants who pleaded guilty or were convicted in operating under the influence cases that included breath test results from the Alcotest 9510 device from June 1, 2011, through April 18, 2019, “are entitled to a conclusive presumption of egregious government misconduct,” Justice Frank M. Gaziano wrote in the Supreme Judicial Court opinion in Commonwealth v. Hallinan issued Wednesday.The history behind this ruling can be traced at least as far back as 2015, with consolidated litigation challenging the reliability of breath test machines.That litigation led to an investigation by the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, which released a report in October 2017 that found the state Office of Alcohol Testing ...

House passes $56.2B budget, $700M over Healey’s plan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:51 GMT

The House passed its version of the state’s fiscal 2024 spending plan late Wednesday afternoon, a slightly ballooned version of Gov. Maura Healey’s late winter budget offering which will now head to the Senate for further revision.Coming in at $56.2 billion, the budget makes free school meals for all of the Commonwealth’s students permanent, carries through on Healey’s plan to provide free community college to adults without degrees and moves the state lottery online, among other initiatives.“From critical investments in healthcare and workforce development, to funding for new initiatives that are designed to increase educational opportunities, better support working families, and provide for a safer and more reliable public transportation system, the House’s FY24 budget will help to make Massachusetts more affordable for residents, while allocating support for the Commonwealth’s most consequential institutions,” House Speaker Ron Mariano said in a written statement.A mass of the bu...

Ed Davis at Boston Marathon bombings hearing calls out government for getting in way of police doing their jobs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:51 GMT

Police departments across the country are afraid to use tools that could help prevent crime from getting out of hand due to possible backlash from the government and public.Former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis shared that message in Washington on Wednesday during a hearing on the lessons learned 10 years after the Boston Marathon bombings.Davis, the city’s police leader at the time of the tragedy, called for a “clear direction” from the feds on how departments should be using technology in policing. He pointed to how some cities and towns in Massachusetts, including Boston, have banned the use of facial recognition.“I understand the concerns about privacy in those situations,” Davis said, “But we must remember, as a government, that the police are the security team for the poor people in our cities. It’s scary to think that a political body has eliminated the use of an effective tool to solve crime at the local level.”Wednesday’s Senate hearing focused on the 2013 bombings and...

San Diego-area spots nominated for 'Best Beaches on the West Coast'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:51 GMT

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Several beaches in San Diego have been nominated for USA Today's 2023 Readers' Choice for "Best Beach on the West Coast."With over 30 beaches spread across the region's coastline, San Diego is a perfect location for sunbathing, surfing, kayaking and more. This San Diego beach is considered ‘the most beautiful’ in the US: study But there are four specific beaches that some have considered top-notch while comparing them to all areas where sand meets the Pacific Ocean in the U.S. This is quite a compliment as the West Coast stretches over 1,000 miles. The first beach that's in the running is North County's Oceanside Harbor Beach. USA Today says this sandy spot "offers a relaxed and family-friendly atmosphere, with gentle waves suitable for swimming, boogie boarding and surfing."Some qualities that may set Oceanside Harbor Beach aside from others include its fire pits, volleyball courts, picnic table areas and the fact that it's in walking distance to a variety o...

What’s in the GOP bill to lift debt limit, cut spending

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:51 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are trying to exact a price from Democrats for agreeing to increase the nation’s borrowing authority and prevent the government from defaulting on the obligations it has accrued over decades. They’re arguing for their priorities and going after President Joe Biden’s in a separate bill that passed the chamber on Wednesday.The legislation in question has virtually no chance of becoming law. But Republicans hope the bill’s passage will force Biden to the negotiating table, where they could seek concessions in return for lifting the nation’s borrowing authority and ensuring that the U.S. Treasury can fully pay its bills.“He either has to negotiate now or we’re the only ones that have raised the debt limit,” McCarthy said after the vote.A look at key aspects of the legislation that the House approved by a vote of 217-215.LIMIT FEDERAL SPENDINGThe bill would set federal discretionary spending at $1.47 trillion during the ne...

Louisiana ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill advances out of committee

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:51 GMT

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — As several conservative states adopt legislation that prohibits school employees from teaching or discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom, Louisiana advanced its own “Don’t Say Gay” bill Wednesday.The anti-LGBTQ+ measure was narrowly approved by a Republican-controlled House committee and heads to the full House, where an emotionally charged debate over the culture war measure is all but guaranteed. It comes as hundreds of bills have been filed in statehouses taking aim at nearly every facet of transgender existence — from health care to athletics to bathroom access — and the LGBTQ+ community.“This bill would erase someone like me,” Maxwell Cohen, 27, who identified as transgender, told Louisiana lawmakers Wednesday. “This piece of legislation tells queer kids that they must hide, that they don’t matter and that they are wrong. But we know that’s far from the truth. We must protect queer kids and acknowledge them for who they are, b...

Jolie, Salonga, Chloe Kim glam up state dinner for SKorea

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:50:51 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Actor Angelina Jolie, home improvement duo Chip and Joanna Gaines and Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim headlined the list of big names from politics, business, sports and entertainment glamming up a fancy black-tie dinner that President Joe Biden hosted Wednesday night for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.Broadway’s Lea Salonga, one of the night’s entertainers, confessed as she arrived that she was “freaking out” over the whole experience, allowing, “It feels like being in the middle of a fairy tale.” Kim, for her part, served up a classic understatement as she strolled in, telling reporters, ”I heard the food’s going to be very good.” Jolie wasn’t inclined to chat as she arrived but her date for the night, 21-year-old son Maddox, did at least offer that his favorite thing about Seoul was “the people.”A smattering of politicians made the guest list, too, and most of them were determinedly on message, talking a lot of shop. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D...