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Pritzker, Illinois bar associations condemn anti-Arab hate and antisemitic violence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker, state officials and lawyers took a stand on Monday against the rise in anti-Arab and antisemitic feelings sparked by the conflict in the Middle East. Pritzker joined the Arab American Bar Association to share concerns about the rise in hate crimes and discrimination within Illinois communities, workplaces and educational institutions."In the last two weeks since the Israel-Hamas war began, here in Illinois, we’ve seen an alarming increase in anti-Arabism, in Islamophobia, in antisemitism; but not just here but throughout the nation and across the globe." 2 Israeli women held hostage in Gaza released by Hamas Among the incidents mentioned were the killing of a 6-year-old Palestinian boy in Plainfield and the injuring of his mother. Prosecutors allege that the stabbing was a hate crime.William Haddad, the founder of the Arab American Bar Association of Illinois, is among the many still lamenting the events unfolding in the Middle East and locally."Nin...

Lubbock Co. abortion ordinance passes, commissioners 'reaffirm' sanctuary county

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

LUBBOCK, Texas -- During a regular meeting on Monday, commissioners voted to "reaffirm" Lubbock County as "sanctuary county for the unborn." The ordinance outlawed abortion, abortion pills and traveling for the purpose of abortion in Lubbock County. The item was approved 3-0 with Judge Curtis Parrish and Commissioner for Precinct 3 Gilbert Flores abstaining. Early voting locations, Lubbock and Lubbock County, November 7, 2023, election The ordinance stated, in part, "It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly transport any individual for the purpose of providing or obtaining an elective abortion, regardless of where the elective abortion will occur."According to the ordinance, the policy would be enforced with private lawsuits. See below to read the full ordinance. Lubbock sanctuary county ordinanceDownloadMany citizens addressed commissioners ahead of the vote. Some called abortion bans "unconstitutional" while others were in favor of the item. The Lubbock County District ...

Ex-Minneapolis cop sentenced to workhouse, probation for beating St. Paul man during 2020 civil unrest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

As part of a plea deal, former Minneapolis police officer Justin Stetson agreed to write an apology letter to the St. Paul man he beat amid the civil unrest after George Floyd’s murder.However, that man, Jaleel Stallings, said Monday that he does not accept it.Jaleel Stallings speaks with reporters inside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis moments after Justin Stetson, a former Minneapolis police officer, was sentenced for assaulting Stallings during the unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd in 2020. (AP Photo/Trisha Ahmed)“I feel if you are truly sorry for something, it would come at a much earlier time, not when your back is against the wall and you are forced to do so,” said Stallings, who spent five days in jail and was charged with attempted murder in connection with the May 2020 confrontation with police. A jury later acquitted Stallings, who then also won a $1.5 million settlement from the city.Stetson was given a sentence of 15 days in the H...

Maple Grove ‘Airbnb becomes machine gunBNB,’ sheriff’s office says after 11 guns found at 17-year-old’s birthday party

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

Stolen credit cards from Shoreview led Ramsey County sheriff’s deputies to a suspect who was celebrating his 17th birthday at a house party in Maple Grove, where deputies said they found 11 handguns hidden in the home.Seven of the guns had a “switch,” which is put on a handgun to make it fully automatic, said Undersheriff Mike Martin on Monday. “… When you pull the trigger, it basically dumps out all the rounds that are in the gun and many of the guns had extended magazines, so for example, one of those guns could shoot 33 rounds in two seconds.”Deputies tracked the teen on Saturday night to a party at a house that had been rented through Airbnb.The sheriff’s office on its Live on Patrol Facebook page dubbed the situation: “AIRBNB becomes dangerous MACHINEGUNBNB.”The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office said it found 11 guns in a house being rented for a teen’s birthday party in Maple Grove on Oct. 21, 2023. (Courtesy of th...

Biden says ‘we can talk’ about Israel-Hamas cease-fire after hostages are released

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

President Biden said Monday that he would be willing to engage in talks about a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas if the hostages taken by the militant group were released. In response to a question by a reporter about whether the U.S. would support a potential cease-fire for a hostages deal, Biden replied: “We should have those hostages released, and then we can talk.”Among the more than 200 hostages taken during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas are a contingent of Americans that the U.S. has been attempting to free. Two of those Americans were released last week by Hamas in a deal brokered by Qatar. On Monday, right around the time Biden made his remark, two more hostages were released, The Associated Press reported, citing the International Committee of the Red Cross.  National security spokesperson John Kirby said Monday that a handful of Americans are still being detained as hostages, while more than 10 Americans remain unaccounted for.The White House has been sidest...

Commission holds interviews to fill another vacancy on Missouri Supreme Court

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – For the second time in two months, interviews are underway in Missouri's capital city to fill the vacant seat on the state's highest court.More than 20 people have applied to be Missouri's next Supreme Court judge. Under the state's nonpartisan court plan, members of the Appellate Judicial Commission will interview all applicants and then send the names of the three finalists to the governor, who will make the appointment. All but one of the applicants interviewed in August for the previous vacancy, which is why the commission is abbreviating interviews."We have allotted seven minutes for each applicant to tell us whatever they want us to hear," Chief Justice Mary Russell said as the applicants came into the interview room Monday.The vacancy comes after Judge Patricia Breckenridge retired earlier this month following a constitutional requirement that judges must step down when they turn 70. Breckenridge was appointed to the bench in 2007 by Republican Gov. Matt...

Upon Further Review: Broncos struggle in red zone vs. Packers, continuing recent trend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

Denver’s 19-17 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon wasn’t pretty. Neither was its red zone offense, which head coach Sean Payton said earlier in the week needs improvement.The Broncos converted one touchdown on four red zone attempts in their first home victory of the season. And even though quarterback Russell Wilson’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton in the third quarter was a sweet play design, two drives in particular showed some of the problems that have plagued Denver in the red area in 2023.First let’s examine the Broncos’ red zone opportunity to start the second quarter. Denver was pinned at Green Bay’s 24-yard line when Wilson hit Sutton for an 11-yard completion to advance the ball on third down. The following plays were unsuccessful. Running back Javonte Williams was stopped for a 3-yard gain before Green Bay’s pass rush forced Wilson to throw two straight incomplete passes. Denver had to settle for a 29-yard field goal to take a 6-0 with 13:14 le...

Kiszla vs. Durando: Will the Nuggets win it all again in 2023-24?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

Kiz: When you’re the NBA champ, it’s not the champagne hangover that gets you, but the daily grind that makes it so hard to repeat. Here. We. Go. Starting Tuesday night, when the Nuggets raise their championship banner at Ball Arena, if it’s not LeBron James hellbent on trying to take down Denver a notch, it will be Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum or Giannis Antetokounmpo itching for a fight. Are the Nuggets built for this challenge? Or is their quest to repeat doomed to defeat?Durando: When your roster’s depth gets worse, at least on paper, and other teams make ambitious improvements (welcome to being a champion in a salary cap league, Nuggets), the onus is on returning players to find ways to turn it up a notch. Otherwise, the game catches up with you eventually. The good news? I think there’s still clearly space for Denver’s second-, third- and fourth-best players to reach new individual heights. And when you share the floor with a surgeon like Niko...

Michael Porter Jr. on Lakers-Nuggets offseason trash talk: “I haven’t heard anything”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

Michael Porter Jr. didn’t even play in either game against Milwaukee in 2021-22, yet he still remembers the extra motivation he felt to beat the Bucks from the seat of his chair.“When we would play them, it’s a different feeling when you’re playing the NBA champs,” Porter recalled Monday, on the eve of Denver’s first official game as a defending champion. “You just know if you can beat them, you’re up there with the best teams. So guys are gonna come in here and want to beat us just to prove that they’re one of the best teams as well. … I think we’ve gotta embrace that and realize, ‘Man, even the teams that we don’t feel like are threats to us, they’re gonna come out and try to beat us.'”Then there’s the opening-night opponent — very much a threat to Denver — that has half organically, half artificially generated extra bulletin board material this offseason, as if spoiling a team’s ...

Monterey Park releases video of hit-and-run involving box truck driver

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:47:14 GMT

Authorities in Monterey Park have released surveillance video of a violent hit-and-run crash involving a box truck with the aim of catching the driver who caused it.The collision happened at the intersection of New Avenue and Garvey Avenue at about 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 18.Surveillance video from two angles shows the driver of a white box truck fail to stop at a red light, plow into a white sedan, and then drive away.Surveillance cameras captured the driver of a box truck run a red light and collided with a sedan in Monterey Park, Calif. on Oct. 18, 2023. (City of Monterey Park)Surveillance cameras captured the driver of a box truck run a red light and collided with a sedan in Monterey Park, Calif. on Oct. 18, 2023. (City of Monterey Park)Surveillance cameras captured the driver of a box truck run a red light and collided with a sedan in Monterey Park, Calif. on Oct. 18, 2023. (City of Monterey Park)The occupants of the sedan had to be rescued using the “jaws of life,” Monterey Park Pol...