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Biden chooses a longtime Hill aide respected by Republicans as his new legislative affairs director

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:19 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is tapping Shuwanza Goff — a veteran congressional aide who also served as his main point of contact to the House at the start of the administration — as his new director of legislative affairs, making her the first Black woman to be the White House’s chief emissary to Capitol Hill. Goff succeeds Louisa Terrell in the role, a position that is especially vital for a president who spent more than three decades in Congress and takes pride in his connections to lawmakers. Goff comes into the job with deep relationships not just with Democrats but with Republicans, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., that were honed over more than a decade on Capitol Hill. In a statement announcing the hire, Biden called Goff a “proven leader and trusted voice on both sides of the aisle” who played a key role in the biggest legislative accomplishments from the first two years of his presidency, including COVID-19 relief, a major climate, tax...

Miami’s police chief shot himself while with wife, Florida media report. He survived

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:19 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The director of the Miami-Dade Police Department was in stable condition after surgery in a Tampa area hospital, the Miami-Dade mayor said Monday, amid reports from local media that he had shot himself.Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez, 52, was in Tampa for a law enforcement conference, officials said.“Following a critical injury in Tampa yesterday, Chief Ramirez is hospitalized and in critical but stable condition,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, adding that “that “All that matters right now is Chief Ramirez’s wellbeing.”Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister told Tampa TV station WFLA that Ramirez shot himself Sunday night during a domestic dispute after stopping his car along Interstate 75 south of Tampa, where the sheriff’s conference was underway.The Miami Herald and WPLG reported that Ramirez’s wife, Jody, was traveling with him at the time.The Associated Press has not independently confirmed those accounts.Ramirez overs...

Films directed by Chris Pine, Anna Kendrick to premiere at Toronto festival

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:19 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The Toronto International Film Festival unveiled a starry lineup to its 48th edition on Monday, even if remains unclear if stars will be there to walk red carpets due to the ongoing actors and writers strikes.Among the films making their world premieres at TIFF this year are Craig Gillespie’s GameStop drama “Dumb Money,” with Paul Dano and Pete Davidson; Ellen Kuras’ “Lee,” starring Kate Winslet at war photographer Lee Miller and Tony Goldwyn’s Ezra,” with Robert De Niro and Rose Byrne. Also headed to Toronto are Michael Keaton’s “Knox Goes Away,” starring Al Pacino and James Marsden; Kristen Scott Thomas’ “North Star,” featuring Scarlett Johansson and Sienna Miller; David Yates’ Netflix drama “Pain Hustlers,” starring Emily Blunt and Chris Evans; and Maggie Betts’ “The Burial,” with Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones.Those films, and many more including directorial debuts by Anna Kendrick (“Woman of the Hour”) ...

US Supreme Court asked to set aside ruling that blocks construction on Mountain Valley Pipeline

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:19 GMT

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The fate of a controversial natural gas pipeline in West Virginia may rest with the U.S. Supreme Court, as the state appealed a lower court’s ruling that temporarily blocked construction despite a Congressional order clearing the way for the project.West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey argued that the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, lacked jurisdiction to block the Mountain Valley Pipeline. In a statement Monday, he said any challenges to Congress’ action must be heard by a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. Morrisey asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case.“The Mountain Valley Pipeline is vital to the survival of American energy independence and affects thousands of jobs in West Virginia — its completion is also critical to our national security, the urgent need is for it to be completed as soon as possible,” Morrisey said.Congress passed legislation last month ordering all necessary permits be issue...

Groups seek permission to appeal Quebec court ruling maintaining school prayer ban

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:19 GMT

MONTREAL — A Muslim organization and a civil liberties group asked for permission on Monday to appeal a Quebec Superior Court ruling that denied their request to suspend the province’s ban on visible prayer in public schools.The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the National Council of Canadian Muslims failed in June to have the province’s ban suspended until their court challenge to the decree could be heard in full.Laura Berger, a lawyer with the CCLA, said they sought permission to appeal because the full case won’t be heard before late August, when students return to school from the summer break.“Students are going to be impacted in a serious way,” she said. “That will happen before we’re able to get a full decision. So we’re hoping to suspend the decree and the decision to apply it to students before that happens.”Olga Redko, a lawyer representing the two groups, told a Quebec Court of Appeal judge in Montreal Monday that t...

US-bound jetliner battered by hailstorm over Milan and diverts to Rome. Delta says all are safe.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:19 GMT

ROME (AP) — Hail battered a Delta Air Lines passenger jet bound for New York shortly after taking off from Milan on Monday, forcing it to divert safely to Rome’s main airport, Italian media and the airline said.The aircraft sustained damage to its nose and on the fuselage near the wings, Italian media said.According to Delta, Flight DL185 “from Milan to New York JFK (was) diverted to Rome after encountering severe weather after take-off.” A Delta statement didn’t specify the kind of damage.The plane had taken off from Milan’s Malpensa airport. “The flight landed safely and passengers deplaned normally. The aircraft sustained some damage during the bad weather which is being reviewed by our local maintenance team,″ the airline’s statement said. Delta didn’t say how many passengers and crew were aboard the flight, nor whether they were booked on another flight Monday or might have to spend the night in Rome after landing at Leonardo da Vinci airport. Milan is i...

Edmonton man appears in U.K. court after terrorism investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:19 GMT

An Edmonton man arrested in a terrorism investigation in the United Kingdom appeared Monday in a London court. Khaled Hussein, who is 28, was charged under the Terrorism Act for allegedly being a member of a proscribed organization in the U.K.He was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport last week.Hussein is charged alongside a 56-year-old British preacher, Anjem Choudary, who was allegedly directing a terrorist organization and addressing meetings to encourage support for a radical group since June 2022. Prosecutors say the Edmontonian worked online with Choudary to provide a platform for the views of the radical group al-Muhajiroun.London Metropolitan Police say both men have been remanded in custody and their next scheduled court appearance on Aug. 4.This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2023.— With files from The Associated PressThe Canadian Press

Ben Crump discusses hazing lawsuit against Northwestern Monday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:19 GMT

CHICAGO — The first lawsuit from prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump and other Chicago-based attorneys against Northwestern University in the midst of a hazing scandal has been filed on Monday. He along with Chicago-based attorneys Steven M. Levin and Margaret Battersby Black of Levin and Perconti were joined by former Northwestern football player Lloyd Yates at a Monday afternoon news conference to discuss this litigation against the university.This is the latest lawsuit among a few that have been filed in the wake of major hazing allegations against the football program that have been revealed over the past few weeks. Attorneys Patrick Salvi II & Parker Stinar have four different lawsuits filed against Northwestern along with others in the university - three football players and one member of the volleyball program. WGN News Now will provide live coverage of the news conference in downtown Chicago at 12:30 p.m. central time.

Man charged after driving through children's triathlon in Wauconda

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:19 GMT

WAUCONDA, Ill. — A man is facing charges after driving through a crowded children's thriathlon in north suburban Wauconda, according to police.Jack Hazen is charged with aggravated assault and reckless driving — and has had his vehicle seized by the Wauconda Police Department.The incident happened around 8:35 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Garland and Bonner Roads. Police said officers were blocking the intersection for the village's annual children's triathlon, when Hazen accelerated through the barricades, a marked squad vehicle with emergency lights and an officer yelling for him to stop. First lawsuit filed on behalf of female Northwestern University athlete as hazing scandal widens Hazen continued driving southbound, winding between traffic cones at a high-rate of speed, police said. He sped past another officer and was eventually stopped by officers at Garland Road and Winding Lane.Police said Hazen was taken into custody and charged accordingly. No one was injure...

Vice President Kamala Harris returns to Chicago, will speak at UnidosUS conference

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:19 GMT

CHICAGO — For the second time in as many weeks, Vice President Kamala Harris is set to visit the city of Chicago.Harris' return to Chicago will see her deliver remarks on the final day of UnidosUS’ 2023 Annual Conference at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago. UnidosUS is the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at Rainbow PUSH Coalition convention The Vice President will return to Chicago on Aug. 11 to speak at the Everytown for Gun Safety’s Gun Sense University 2023.Last Sunday, Harris spoke at The Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s Annual Convention. There, she welcomed the organization's next leader, Dallas-based Rev. Frederick Haynes, who was set to replace Rev. Jesse Jackson following his announcement that he would be stepping down from the Chicago-based civil rights group he founded more than 50 years ago.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesThe White House said the vis...