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Judge denies Trump’s request for a mistrial in his New York civil fraud case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:58 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The judge in Donald Trump ‘s civil fraud case denied his bid for a mistrial Friday, rejecting claims from the former president’s lawyers that the proceedings are infected with political bias.Trump’s lawyers had urged Judge Arthur Engoron on Thursday to stop the case immediately, arguing he had irreparably harmed Trump’s right to a fair trial through “astonishing departures from ordinary standards of impartiality.” They cited his rulings against their client, the prominent role of the judge’s chief law clerk, the clerk’s political donations and the judge’s sharing of articles about the case with fellow alumni of his high school. “My principal law clerk does not make rulings or issue orders — I do,” Engoron wrote, adding that “my rulings are mine, and mine alone.”As for publishing a high school newsletter in which he has included links to articles about himself and the case, “none of this has anything to do with, much less does it interfere with...

Moms for Liberty reports more than $2 million in revenue in 2022

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:58 GMT

Moms for Liberty reported $2.1 million in total revenue in 2022, more than five times what the conservative “parental rights” nonprofit made in its inaugural year in 2021, according to a tax filing provided to The Associated Press on Friday.The dramatic increase, up from $370,000 in revenue the previous year, reveals the financial footprint of the polarizing group’s massive nationwide growth, including high-profile events over the past year with prominent conservative groups and Republican political candidates.Since its founding in 2021, Moms for Liberty has amassed vigorous support from some conservatives who support its efforts to target references to race and LGBTQ+ identity in schools across the country. At the same time, the group has generated forceful backlash from grassroots groups and anti-hate organizations who argue its activism stirs extremist ideas and harms minority and LGBTQ+ students.Moms for Liberty spokesperson Marleigh Kerr said the group’s leap in rev...

ChatGPT-maker Open AI pushes out co-founder and CEO Sam Altman, says he wasn’t ‘consistently candid’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:58 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — The board of ChatGPT-maker Open AI said Friday it has pushed out its co-founder and CEO Sam Altman after a review found he was “not consistently candid in his communications” with the board.“The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI,” the company said in a statement.Mira Murati, OpenAI’s chief technology officer, will take over as interim CEO effective immediately, the company said, while it searches for a permanent replacement. An OpenAI spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on what Altman’s alleged lack of candor was about. The statement said his behavior was hindering the board’s ability to exercise its responsibilities. Altman helped start OpenAI as a nonprofit research laboratory in 2015. In the past year, he was thrust into the global spotlight as the face of OpenAI after ChatGPT exploded into public consciousness. On a world tour earlier this year, he was mobbed by a crowd of adoring fa...

White House denounces ‘irresponsible’ subpoenas from House GOP and says they should be withdrawn

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:58 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is firing back on a recent slate of subpoenas issued by House Republicans targeting members of President Joe Biden’s family and his inner circle of aides, describing the GOP’s impeachment push as an illegitimate endeavor that has repeatedly failed to produce proof of wrongdoing.The four-page letter from a top White House attorney to Republican committee leaders portrays an overzealous House GOP majority that, according to the letter, has “misrepresented the facts, ignored the overwhelming evidence disproving your claims, and repeatedly shifted the rationale for your ‘inquiry.’”It calls on Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan to withdraw what the White House described as an “irresponsible set of subpoenas and requests for interviews.”The White House argued that House Republicans were “improperly weaponizing the oversight powers of Congress” for political gain, and have “consist...

$2M winning scratch-off ticket sold at gas station Chicago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:58 GMT

CHICAGO — A lucky Illinois Lottery player is headed to the bank after winning the top prize on a scratch-off ticket picked up at a gas station in Chicago.The recently minted millionaire is now figuring out how to spend their $2 million in winnings after they struck it big on a Stacks of Cash lottery ticket purchased for $20, according to the Illinois Lottery. Illinois Lottery: Stories of millionaires made overnight The big winner claimed one of only three $2 million top prizes available to Stacks of Cash players and the odds of hitting the top prize were one in 1,438,180.The life-changing ticket was sold at a BP gas station located in the 2300 block of West Fullerton Avenue in Bucktown and it isn't the first time they have sold a lucky ticket with a massive payout, the Illinois Lottery said.Back in 2017, a 25X Payout scratch-off ticket was sold to a lucky player who took home a $250,000 prize. Illinois Lottery player in Rochelle wins $1M during Monday drawing The winner of the t...

Driver stays in truck 33 hours to avoid being towed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:58 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. --- A truck driver who came to Memphis to recover a tractor-trailer stolen from the Chicago area stayed inside the big rig for nearly 34 hours to prevent A1's Towing and Hauling from taking it.The owner of MHT Group Inc. said his driver gassed up at the Shelby Express on East Shelby Drive, pulled into a spot, and was in the process of paying for parking through his dispatch when A1's booted and blocked in the vehicle.18-wheeler booted at Shelby Express on East Shelby Drive. (WREG photo) "We got a receipt. We called the gas station. We showed the receipt. We called the towing company, and they said 'Oh, we booted you ten minutes before you had this receipt,'" said the owner of MHT who did not want to be identified.He said his company offered to pay A1's $7,500 to drop the truck, but they were told it wasn't even close to what it would cost to get the truck back. He said police were called to the lot at least six times but told them they c...

9/11 families call out TikTok over Osama bin Laden trend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:58 GMT

(The Hill) — A 9/11 families group called out TikTok on Friday over a letter by Osama bin Laden that has recently gone viral.“No American should ever not know Osama bin Laden was a terrorist who helped mastermind the murder of nearly 3,000 innocent Americans on September 11, 2001,” Terry Strada, National Chair of 9/11 Families United, said in a statement.“These Americans were our husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters,” the statement continued. “It is appalling to witness younger Americans voicing sympathy for bin Laden’s dangerous and antisemitic worldview 22 years after our nation was horrifically attacked and our loved ones were callously murdered by Islamists who were financially supported by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and at Osama bin Laden’s direction.”The group, 9/11 Families United, says it is “a coalition of families and survivors of the worst-ever terrorist attacks on American soil” on its website. TikTok ‘aggressively’ removing conten...

Inmate would not testify in Richard Allen case after claims of retaliation, abuse by prison employees

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:58 GMT

CARROLL COUNTY, Ind. -- In court documents unsealed on Thursday in Carroll County, an inmate at the Westville Correctional Facility wrote a letter to the Carroll County Court explaining why he would not testify in the Richard Allen case.Robert Baston said he feared for his life and of retaliation by prison employees if he testified about the abuse he claims Allen suffered at the hands of guards.This comes after Baston wrote a letter to the Carroll County Clerk in April, claiming that Allen was being abused and mistreated by inmates and guards. At the time, Baston said that prison guards would call Allen a "kid killer" and inmates threatened Allen's life, telling him to kill himself. Judge in Delphi murder case faces deadline to produce transcript of closed-door meeting According to previous reports, Allen is accused of killing Libby German and Abby Williams in February 2017 in Delphi. He was moved to Westville in November 2022, where he remains. Indiana State Police announced his...

Former Fairfield Lake State Park property valued at more than $418 million. What happens next?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:58 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A special commission in Freestone County has determined the property containing the former Fairfield Lake State Park is worth more than $418 million.The three-person commission had been appointed by a district court judge to assess the current fair market value of the 5,000-acre property as part of eminent domain proceedings.The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is attempting to acquire the land, which includes the former state park, through eminent domain. TPWD had leased 1,460 acres of the entire property from an energy company for 50 years, but it was sold to a Dallas-based developer, Todd Interests, earlier this year.Shawn Todd, CEO of Todd Interests, previously walked KXAN through his plans to turn the site into a luxury private development. In addition to the 400 lakefront homes, the development will feature "amenities a family should expect from a world-class resort," including a clubhouse, restaurant, resort pool and a "championship-level" golf course. Cons...

Liberty Hill beats Colleyville Heritage for berth in 5A volleyball title match

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:58 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Liberty Hill will play for a volleyball state championship on Saturday.Liberty Hill (46-8) dropped defending state champ Colleyville Heritage 3-1 in the Class 5A semifinals Friday at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland. Set scores were 25-20, 23-25, 25-23, 25-21. Texas high school football area playoff round pairings, locations Liberty Hill will play Lucas Lovejoy for the 5A title at 3 p.m. Saturday. Lovejoy beat Lamar Fulshear 3-0 in the other 5A semifinal.Annie Witt led Liberty Hill with 12 kills and 17 digs while Kealy Dirner and Gigi Mason each notched 10 kills. Ana Kostroun had five kills with a .364 hitting percentage and 11 blocks.Neither team hit that well, Liberty Hill ended the match with a .158 hitting percentage and Heritage hit .101, and Heritage had six service errors to Liberty Hill's one.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersLiberty Hill we...