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Activists prepare for yearlong battle over Nebraska private school funding law

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:38:04 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Activists declared a victory this week in their fight to repeal a new Republican-backed law allowing Nebraska taxpayer money to be used for private school tuition. But both sides acknowledge that the battle is just beginning.If the law is repealed, Nebraska would join North Dakota as the only states not offering some type of public payment for private school tuition. Opponents said Wednesday that they’d gathered nearly twice the roughly 60,000 signatures needed to ask voters for repeal. “If this initiative makes it onto the 2024 ballot, I can promise you the fight will not be over,” Gov. Jim Pillen said.Both Nebraska and North Dakota passed bills earlier this year to fund some private school tuition. North Dakota’s bill set aside $10 million in taxpayer dollars for private school tuition reimbursement. The legislation was later vetoed by the governor.The effort to protect Nebraska’s law has drawn conservative support nationally, including from th...

No se presentarán cargos por la muerte a tiros de un estudiante universitario de Carolina del Sur que intentó entrar a la casa equivocada, dicen las autoridades

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:38:04 GMT

(CNN) — La muerte de un estudiante de la Universidad de Carolina del Sur que intentaba entrar a una casa que no era la suya en su propia calle fue considerada un homicidio justificado y no se presentarán cargos, dijo la policía.“La determinación se basa en varios factores que incluyen evidencia reunida en el lugar, revisión del video de vigilancia que capta momentos antes del tiroteo, evidencia de audio y declaraciones de testigos”, dijo el Departamento de Policía de Columbia en un comunicado de prensa.La decisión se tomó tras consultar con la Oficina del Procurador del Quinto Circuito, según el comunicado.Nicholas Anthony Donofrio, un estudiante de segundo año de Connecticut de 20 años, murió en el tiroteo la madrugada de este sábado, de acuerdo a la policía.“La información preliminar indica que Donofrio, que residía en South Holly Street, intentó entrar a la casa equivocada cuando recibió un disparo mortal”, indicó la policía en el comunicado.“E...

Federal judge temporarily blocks Arkansas law requiring parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:38:04 GMT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Federal judge temporarily blocks Arkansas law requiring parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts.Source

Iowa teen on trial for killing of 2 fellow students says he feared for his life

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:38:04 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa teenager feared for his life when he fatally shot two fellow students at an alternative educational program for at-risk youth, his lawyer said Thursday, rebutting a claim by prosecutors that the shooting was a premeditated attack on rival gang members.Preston Walls, 19, is one of two students charged in the shooting at the Starts Right Here program on Jan. 23, which killed 18-year-old Gionni Dameron and 16-year-old Rashad Carr. The victims’ families have denied they were involved in gangs. The school’s founder Will Keeps, himself an ex-gang member, was wounded trying to intervene to stop the violence. He still has lingering injuries. As Walls’ trial began Thursday, attorney Glen Downey said his client admits he pulled the trigger but did so because “he didn’t want to die.” “Preston decided he didn’t want to go home to his family in a pine box,” Downey said.Prosecutor Stephanie Cox told jurors they would hear testimo...

Retired Denver officer has a cop car collection in the thousands

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:38:04 GMT

AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — A recently retired Denver Police officer now has time to pursue his passion full-time. That would be collecting diecast police cars. He has turned his home into a museum.These days, you will find Henry Jones continuing his ongoing investigation — into where he'll purchase his next diecast cruiser, that is. Jones retired from the Denver Police Department last year after 33 years of service. High-tech wheelchair allows police officer to pursue his passion Every single room, except the bathroom, in his 3,800-square-foot home is an homage to law enforcement and the military. Jones started collecting when he was 5 years old."So here’s my very first car. It is a Corgi. This is over 60-some some years old," Jones said.9,000 cop cars in the collectionJones has diecast police cars from just about every country on earth. If you were lucky enough to be an "FOH" — a friend of Henry — you will see model cop cars, motorcycles and helicopters, over 9,000 of them in his hom...

Hang gliding lets man fly like a bird

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:38:04 GMT

GOLDEN, Colo. (KDVR) — It's the closest thing to flying like a bird. No engine, no runway — just a pair of wings and a little bit of courage.The cooler temperature and cloudless sky were simply too much for Jim Yokom and Kevin Carter to ignore. The conditions were perfect for them to fly. Retired police officer has a cop car collection in the thousands High atop Lookout Mountain has been a popular spot to catch the wind for over 50 years."It’s very magical," Carter said. "We are so lucky to have this," Yokom said.Man has wanted to take flight since he gazed up into the sky with envy, watching other creatures soar the heavens. Thanks to Brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright, now he can.Jim Yokom hang glides from Lookout Mountain in Colorado. (KDVR)'Spreading my arms and flying'Yokom has been hang gliding since 1978."All my life, I've had dreams about flying. Since I was a little kid, I would have dreams about spreading my arms and flying," Yokom said. "The dissecting, the invisible en...

Fulton County judge gives green light for Trump Georgia 2020 election case to be televised

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:38:04 GMT

(CNN) — The Fulton County, Georgia, judge overseeing the sprawling 2020 election interference racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants says that all proceedings in his courtroom related to the case will be livestreamed and allowed to be televised.The ruling, however, would be subject to change and would not apply to any portions of the case moved to federal court.In a court hearing Thursday, Superior Court of Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee, who was assigned the case, said he would make all hearings and possible trials available to be broadcast on the Fulton County Court YouTube channel.McAfee also said that he will allow broadcast news media to have “pool” cameras, where groups of news organizations combine their resources and share camera access, in the courtroom.Neither defense attorneys nor prosecutors appeared in court Thursday to oppose the news media’s request for cameras.Thursday, McAfee also ruled to allow members of the media to us...

Chris Getz is promoted to Chicago White Sox general manager after 7 seasons heading minor-league operations: ‘There’s a lot of work to do’

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:38:04 GMT

Chris Getz was drafted and began his big-league career with the Chicago White Sox.Now he’s tasked with getting the team headed in the right direction after being named the franchise’s senior vice president and general manager.“This is an opportunity I do not take lightly, and there’s a lot of work to do,” Getz said during his introductory news conference Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field. “I am not naïve to the expectation that things need to change. To that I will say the fans deserve different, I am different, we will be different.”It’s a promotion for Getz, who was in his seventh season overseeing the team’s minor-league operations and player development system and his third as assistant general manager.“One of the things I owe the fans is to get better as fast as we can possibly get better,” Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in an interview with a group of reporters. “Speed is of the essence. I don’t ...

Mets’ directors Kevin Howard, Jeff Lebow included in front office firings: source

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:38:04 GMT

The Mets aren’t waiting until the end of the season to make front office moves. The club let go of director of development Kevin Howard on Thursday, according to a source. The club also parted ways with director of pro scouting Jeff Lebow, performance coordinator Jim Cavallini and development assistant Bryan Hayes, according to reports. More changes are expected as the club gears up to hire a president of baseball operations during the offseason.Howard was hired as the executive director of player development in 2021 to replace Jared Banner, who was let go when the sale of the franchise went through and new owner Steve Cohen cleaned house. He also worked as an assistant hitting coach in 2021 after hitting coaches Chili Davis and Tom Slater were fired a little over a month into the season. He returned to his position as the farm director when the season concluded and remained there until Thursday.Howard, who grew up in the Los Angeles area but is now based in Arizona, visited t...

‘I don’t see any way in the world’ gunfire came from inside White Sox park, Jerry Reinsdorf says

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:38:04 GMT

Nearly a week after two women were injured by gunfire while attending a White Sox game, team Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf dismissed the notion that someone could get a firearm into Guaranteed Rate Field.Addressing the media Thursday about team issues, Reinsdorf took up the shooting mystery that has perplexed Chicago for days. He said he has spoken to police leaders and they told him they have not ruled out that gunshots fired outside the stadium landed in the bleachers and injured the women.“They’re still investigating. I don’t want to get into specific facts while they’re investigating but have really done a deep dive into this and I don’t see any way in the world that the shots could have come from inside the ballpark,” Reinsdorf said. “Let’s let the police continue with their investigation. At this point all the superintendent is prepared to say is they have not ruled out that they came from outside the ballpark.”Police were expec...