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Protected Iran critic speaks at sentence in plot against her

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — An Iranian opposition activist who U.S. authorities said was the target of two thwarted kidnapping or murder plots urged a federal judge in New York on Friday to hand a tough prison to a woman who unwittingly funded one of the planned attacks.Masih Alinejad, a onetime Iranian journalist, said her sense of safety has been shattered since authorities notified her in 2020 that she was being watched and that photographs were taken of her Brooklyn residence of 10 years. Since then, she has received U.S. government protection and has moved frequently between safe houses.“This crime left its mark. Every day when I go out in the street, I have to look over my shoulders. … I miss my tree-lined street and my neighbors who treated me as one of their own,” Alinejad told Judge Ronnie Abrams as she asked her to set an example by sending 48-year-old Niloufar Bahadorifar, of Irvine, California, to prison for as long as possible.Abrams did just that, announcing a four-year pris...

Study seeks to understand police recruiting and retention

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A police force and university in northern Virginia are teaming up for what they say will be a first-of-its-kind study that will seek over the next 20 years the assess the challenges police agencies face in recruitment and retention.Police departments across the country are reporting that they cannot hire officers fast enough to replace those retiring or resigning. An annual survey of nearly 200 agencies by the Police Executive Research Forum shows that resignations increased by 47 percent from 2019 to 2022.The Fairfax County Police Department, which is participating in the study announced Friday, is emblematic of the trend. Police Chief Kevin Davis said the police force is more than 200 officers short of the 1,484 officers it is authorized to employ, though he said a larger-than-normal academy class of 58 will soon fill some of the gap.Davis said at a press conference Friday that the study will help agencies like his understand what police need to do to attract t...

US sanction officials plan missions to clamp down on Russia

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top sanctions officials from the U.S. Treasury Department plan special international trips this month to pressure firms and countries still doing business with Russia to cut off financial ties because of the war on Ukraine. The message is that those working with Russia’s government must decide:1. Continue to provide Moscow with material support or2. Keep doing business with countries that represent 50 percent of the global economy.Those are the choices to be laid out, senior Treasury officials told reporters on a call Friday. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the travel plans. Treasury officials Liz Rosenberg and Brian Nelson — specialists in sanctions and terrorist financing — will travel to Europe this month to meet with leaders of financial institutions in Switzerland, Italy and Germany. They plan to share intelligence on potential sanctions evaders and to warn of the potential penalties for failure to comply with international sanctions.Rosenb...

Best seasons in Chicago Fire history

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

Started in 1996, Major League Soccer is among the youngest professional sports leagues in North America. However, the league has expanded rapidly since kicking off with 10 teams nearly 27 years ago.The latest expansion enabled MLS to triple its initial size by its 28th season—St. Louis City became the 29th MLS club by opening its league account against Austin FC on February 25. By comparison, the NFL took 76 seasons to reach 29 teams. The NHL took 84 seasons and the NBA took 50. MLB, meanwhile, didn't reach 29 teams until 1998, 122 years after the formation of the National League and 97 after the American League. Those leagues grew at a snail's pace compared to MLS.With MLS reaching the 29-team mark, and because the league is solidly in the later years of its "young adult" phase, there's plenty of ways to dig into the data that chronicles the league's lore. One angle is to look into the best seasons in each franchise's history. Luckily, there's now just enough data to make...

Can I die from drinking too much water?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Water is necessary to stay alive, but too much of it can have the opposite effect.There are many names for water intoxication, according to Healthline. These include hyperhydration, water toxemia and water poisoning. No matter what name a person puts on it, it comes out to the same result.There is not a set amount of water that leads to this intoxication, as it depends on a person's age and health. For example, a healthy adult's kidneys can flush about 20-28 liters of water per day. However, their body can only get rid of about 1 liter per hour. Most popular searches about Illinois Doctors recommend to not drink more than 1 liter per hour, as the body will not have time to flush the access water. If a person drinks more than this, it can lead to a fluid buildup in the body. The blood's sodium concentration becomes very low when this happens.This causes all of the body's cells begin to swell, which includes brain cells. If these swell too much, it can lead t...

A Missouri barbecue spot shows up in 'Ted Lasso' episodes: This is why

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — A barbecue restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri, is getting a lot of love on "Ted Lasso" — thanks to one of the show's stars.Jason Sudeikis, who plays the titular Ted Lasso in the hit Apple TV+ series, grew up in Overland Park, Kansas, eating Kansas City-style barbecue.Now, he's subtlety letting the rest of the world know about one of his favorite Kansas City spots. 78-year-old woman accused of bank robbery in Missouri Sudeikis is dropping pictures of Arthur Bryant's Barbecue into certain episodes of the show. The last two episodes show pictures of the restaurant as the background on Lasso's laptop."Beyond honored to be Ted Lasso’s laptop background, as seen in the newest episode. Believe in BBQ," Arthur Bryant's Barbecue tweeted last week.The tweet was followed up with a request from the restaurant when the building showed up again."Second week in a row we make an appearance on @TedLasso. Please never change your laptop background, Ted. Believe in BBQ. @j...

Can I legally grow tobacco in Illinois?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The use of tobacco has become less popular in recent years, but many adults still partake in smoking the plant.With prices being as high as they are, many smokers in Illinois might be wondering if they can save some money and grow the plant at home.Growing tobacco is legal in Illinois, according to the Daily Journal, but only for personal consumption. Selling the plant without a license can lead to stiff penalties. There are also no federal laws on the amount of tobacco that a resident can grow, so they can grow as much as they choose. Can I bring weed purchased in Illinois to other states? Earwigs, also known as "pincher bugs," reportedly love to munch on tobacco leaves. If a resident is wanting to grow their own plants, it is important to have a plan to either keep the bugs from eating the leaves or deal with them once they do.While growing tobacco is legal at the state level, local laws can prevent residents from growing the plant. They might need to get...

What are my rights if I get arrested in Illinois?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Since 2007, the number of arrests in Illinois has been on a downward trend, with 155,266 arrests made in 2021, according to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.While the numbers are going down, arrests are still happening across the state, and do not seem like they will be stopping anytime soon. If a person does get arrested, they might be wondering what rights they have.Citizens' rights are outlined in the Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Amendments of the United States Constitution's "Bill of Rights," according to the Illinois State Bar Association. Being aware of these amendments can make a person sure that how they are being treated while in custody is constitutional or not. Is it legal to spit on someone in Illinois? If a person is arrested, they will be read the Miranda Rights. The person performing the arrest will tell the detainee that "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Y...

Maryland attorney general investigation finds hundreds abused by archdiocese

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) – This week, the Maryland attorney general released the findings of a four-year investigation into sexual abuse at the hands of catholic priests and others within the archdiocese of Baltimore.While the investigation found there were hundreds of victims, investigators believe many other survivors -- some of whom now live in other states -- have yet to come forward.Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown says the investigation documented abuse of at least 600 children by priests, deacons and other leaders within the Baltimore archdiocese from the 1940s through the early 2000s.“It was tormenting, painful, in some ways sadistic,” Brown said. “Typically there are many more who have not come out and spoken up and made a claim, then there are who have.”Through a grand jury subpoena, the Maryland attorney general’s office obtained hundreds of thousands of records from the archdiocese – revealing the church knew about the abuse and systematically covered it up. No rule...

MAP: AutoPed deaths endemic along I-35, US-183, Ben White Blvd.

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A vehicle colliding with a pedestrian (AutoPed) at any speed can injure or even kill. KXAN looked at such collisions over 2022 and into 2023 to determine where they occur.According to data from the Austin Police Department (APD), the majority of AutoPeds appear to occur near I-35, US-183 and Ben White Blvd. AutoPeds also were reported in outlier areas in east Austin. These locations roughly line up with where fatal car collisions also occur in the city. MAP: Where have Austin’s fatal crashes occurred in 2023? What makes an AutoPed fatal?Multiple factors are at play in any vehicle collision, but the primary ones are speed, size of a vehicle and the general health of a pedestrian. The heavier a vehicle, and the faster that vehicle travels, the more force it imparts in a collision.Research in 2011 by AAA's Foundation for Traffic Safety (FTS) found that the risk of death in an AutoPed reaches 10% if the impact speed is over 23 miles per hour. That risk jumps to 50% if...