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U.S. Lawmakers Seek to Preempt State-Level Bans on Foreigners Buying Property

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:36 GMT

In recent months, officials in a handful of states have proposed legislation aimed at preventing citizens from select foreign countries from owning property. In Texas, a bill to ban Iranian, Syrian, North Korean, Russian, and Chinese citizens from buying farmlands advanced to the state Senate. A bill in Florida banning citizens of most of the same countries from buying property near “critical infrastructure” was signed into law last month by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.With the bills moving forward, activist groups are mounting a challenge at the state level. Now, they are getting support from Washington, where a new bill in the U.S. Congress aims to stop states from discriminating on the basis of citizenship. Most Read The Press is Falling for Anti-Abortion “Fetal Heartbeat” Propaganda Judith Levine ...

Deal approved, Biden will address budget, debt agreement from Oval Office Friday evening

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:36 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden planned to discuss the contentious, just-passed budget deal in a speech to the nation Friday night, ready to sign the agreement averting the country’s first-ever government default, which would have sent shock waves through the U.S. and global economies.The measure was approved late Thursday night after passing the House in yet another late session the night before.After days of default threats, the debt limit-budget agreement was worked out by Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, giving Republicans some of their spending-cut demands but holding the line on major Democratic priorities.“No one gets everything they want in a negotiation, but make no mistake: This bipartisan agreement is a big win for our economy and the American people,” Biden said in a statement on Thursday.Biden’s speech on Friday, scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT, will be the most extended remarks from the Democratic president on the compromise. He largely remained quiet...

Amazon union organizer in Alabama who testified before Senate committee is terminated

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:36 GMT

A union organizer at Amazon who testified before a Senate committee has been terminated by the company, according to the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.The union says Jennifer Bates is dealing with injuries she received while working at Amazon and that her termination comes shortly after reaching three years of service with the company.RWDSU said Bates led the charge speaking out against workplace safety issues at Amazon, and what it calls failures by the company to treat workers with respect and their desire to unionize in Bessemer, Alabama, the first Amazon warehouse to file for a union election. The union said Bates, who has also testified in Washington at a hearing on income inequality, recently took workers compensation leave at Amazon’s recommendation in order to tend to her injuries. When she returned to work, Amazon refused to make adjustments to her work schedule and work type despite repeated doctors’ letters and review by Amazon’s “Wellness Center,R...

Online gambling and virtual cockfighting? That’s what 798,000 Maryland license plates are now promoting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:36 GMT

Almost 800,000 Maryland license plates, designed to commemorate the bicentennial of the War of 1812, now promote a Philippines gambling website that features online gambling and virtual cockfighting.When the plates were created in 2007, the website listed — www.starspangled200.org — pointed computer users to the state’s War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission.“Star-Spangled 200, Inc. is the nonprofit entity affiliated with the Commission that led the efforts to raise funds for bicentennial projects and events,” said Ashley Millner, deputy director of media relations for the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Administration, in an email.However, authorization for the commission ended in 2015, and ownership of the domain has changed. Now, that URL address redirects users to the gambling site.“The MVA does not endorse the views or content on the current website using that URL,” said Millner.The problem is widespread. “There are c...

How will Casa Bonita tackle its small parking lot?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:36 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Casa Bonita is just weeks away from opening to the general public. While we still don't have an official opening date yet, the restaurant continues to prepare for the grand reopening. However, one of its biggest challenges lies outside the pink venue.It's not the food, the staffing or the security that is the biggest challenge at Casa Bonita. Instead, it's the parking. According to a public records request obtained by FOX31, the Lakewood Police Department said that the landowner did an independent study and found the restaurant just doesn't have enough parking spaces for its anticipated amount of guests. Casa Bonita is located at 6715 W. Colfax Ave. inside a strip mall which is also home to a Dollar Tree, Planet Fitness, Arc Thrift store, a Dutch Bros Coffee, and others.This means the restaurant has to share the already busy parking lot with multiple other businesses.LPD said they are working with Casa Bonita to try and identify partners that could ease the parking s...

3.9 earthquake hits Wyoming, just north of Colorado

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:36 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- People living in parts of southern Wyoming and northern Colorado may have woken up to a small earthquake Friday morning.The quake happened around 1:14 a.m. near Saratoga, Wyoming. This is about 40 miles north of the Colorado border and 75 miles west of Laramie, Wyoming. How will Casa Bonita tackle its small parking lot? According to the United States Geological Survey, the magnitude 3.9 earthquake would be strong enough to be felt by people in the area but isn't generally considered strong enough to cause damage. The epicenter lies between the Medicine Bow Range and the Siera Madre Range.The USGS's website includes a "felt it" feature, which has 21 responses as of 9:45 a.m.

US judge sends Haitian businessman to imprisonment for life for Haiti’s President assassination

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:36 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — A federal judge in Miami sentenced a Haitian-Chilean businessman Friday to life in prison for his role in helping a group of Colombian mercenaries obtain weapons to assassinate Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.Rodolphe Jaar, who has dual Haitian and Chilean citizenship, had pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to commit murder or kidnapping outside the United States, and to providing material support resulting in death.Federal judge José E. Martínez handed down the sentence, the maximum faced by Jaar, at a hearing in federal court in downtown Miami.The businessman, who was an informant for the U.S. government and had been convicted of drug trafficking a decade ago, is one of 11 people arrested and charged in the United States for the murder of Moïse, and the only one to plead guilty. The other 10 are scheduled for a jury trial in July, though the date could be pushed back.Moïse was killed on July 7, 2021, when a group of unknown individuals broke into his privat...

Florida man drops off child at bodyshop after driving away with stolen vehicle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:36 GMT

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) – Surveillance cameras captured a suspected car thief who ditched a 2-year-old on the side of the street. Police said the man stole a red Volkswagen Tiguan from the driveway on Thursday when the mother went to grab something from the house while the child was still sleeping in the backseat.One simple decision led Volusia County’s mother into a panic. When she came back outside, her car and 2-year-old son were gone.Half an hour later, a good samaritan; Darrel Everman found the boy sitting outside a body shop by himself and decided to approach him.“You wanna come with me, buddy? come here, come here, it’s okay buddy,” said Everman. He was driving around the neighborhood at that time. “About 5-6 feet away from the road, and I didn’t see any parents around so I thought I better stop and check on him,” said Everman.Everman waited for a few minutes, but when he realized no one was coming for the child, he started ...

Wendy’s and T-Pain will ‘Buy U a Frosty’ to celebrate the comeback of a fan favorite

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:36 GMT

Singer T-Pain teams up with Wendy’s to buy you a frosty.The strawberry frosty flavor is back on the menu this summer after it had a limited run in 2022.The announcement was made with an iconic music video on the Wendy’s YouTube channel that re-tracked the chart-topping hit single ‘Buy U a Drank’.To celebrate customers can get a free small frosty from June 5 to June 21 with any purchase from the app or online.

Rhode Island beagle found safe after getting lost in woods

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:36 GMT

(CNN) — A therapy dog is now back with its owner after spending days lost in the woods.Kobe the beagle, 9, disappeared in a Rhode Island forest for nearly an entire week. Gabrielle Caracciolo said Kobe suffers from epilepsy so the search for the therapy canine was urgent.After days of searching on her own with no luck, Caracciolo sought help from experts.A company called Packleader PetTracker used their dogs to help find Kobe and after they narrowed down their search to one area, the team set up cameras to track Kobe.The search efforts paid off after the crew found Kobe hiding amongst the rocks in the trees.Kobe even got to meet the rescue dogs that helped look for him.