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DeSantis needles Trump as he breaks silence on hush money case

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:25:42 GMT

(CNN) — Breaking his silence on Donald Trump’s legal troubles, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday criticized the Manhattan district attorney who is pursuing charges against the former president and vowed his office would not be involved if the matter trickles into Trump’s adopted home state.But DeSantis, a rising rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, stopped well short of offering support for the former president and instead seemed to poke fun at the situation Trump has found himself in as he attempts a political comeback and a third campaign for the White House. A grand jury is in the final stages of determining whether Trump should face charges over an alleged payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels related to a supposed affair.“I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair,” DeSantis said as laughter broke out at a news conference in Panama City, Florida. R...

Street in SW Miami-Dade named in honor of fallen MDPD officer

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:25:42 GMT

A sign of respect now stands in honor of a South Florida officer killed in the line of duty. The street where he grew up will now bear his name.The location, 162nd Avenue, near 56th Street, holds big meaning for Cesar Echaverry‘s family. It is where the Miami-Dade Police officer lived his life. “Today’s dedication will never ease the pain of his passing,” said Stephanie Vargas, his fiance. “We’ll remember him every single day, and we’ll do everything we can to honor his memory.”Echaverry was killed in August while chasing an armed robbery suspect. On Monday, 162nd Avenue, by his high school, Ferguson High, and also near the neighborhood where he grew up, was named after him. “The street itself is extremely meaningful as it was the main way to his daily routines; gym, church, my house,” Vargas said. MDPD Director Alfredo Ramirez was also at the street unveiling.“Southwest 167th Avenue is where Echy’s dreams came ...

Idaho OKs veto-proof bill to allow execution by firing squad

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:25:42 GMT

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A bill that would allow Idaho to execute condemned inmates by firing squad is headed to the governor’s desk after passing the Legislature on Monday with a veto-proof majority.Firing squads will be used only if the state cannot obtain the drugs needed for lethal injections — but one death row inmate has already had his scheduled execution postponed multiple times because of drug scarcity.Idaho previously had a firing squad option on the books but has never used it. The option was removed it from state law in 2009 after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a method of lethal injection that was commonly used at the time.Only Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma and South Carolina currently have laws allowing firing squads if other execution methods are unavailable, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. A judge has put South Carolina’s law on hold until a lawsuit challenging the method is resolved.

Biden issues his first veto on retirement investment resolution

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:25:42 GMT

 (CNN) — President Joe Biden issued the first veto of his presidency Monday on a resolution to overturn a retirement investment rule that allows managers of retirement funds to consider the impact of climate change and other environmental, social and governance factors when picking investments.Republican lawmakers led the push to pass the resolution through Congress, arguing the rule is “woke” policy that pushes a liberal agenda on Americans and will hurt retirees’ bottom lines, while Democrats say it’s not about ideology and will help investors.The resolution, which would rescind a Department of Labor rule, passed both chambers of Congress with Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana voting with Republicans in the Senate.“I just signed this veto because legislation passed by the Congress would put at risk the retirement savings of individuals across the country. They couldn’t take int...

Six Oath Keepers convicted in connection with January 6 US Capitol riot

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:25:42 GMT

(CNN) — Six people affiliated with the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia, were convicted Monday of various charges related to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol insurrection.Four of the defendants were found guilty on all of the charges they faced. Defendants Sandra Parker, Laura Steele, Connie Meggs and William Isaacs were accused of entering the Capitol during the riot and attempting to make their way to the Senate chamber before being deterred by pepper spray and police officers in the building.Two defendants were convicted of a lesser charge of entering and remaining on restricted grounds but acquitted of the most serious charges alleging the group conspired to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s electoral victory.The jury remains deadlocked on two counts for those two defendants and will continue to deliberate.Prosecutors said those two defendants — Michael Greene, a military veteran accused of being the Oath Keepers “operation leader” on Januar...

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon talk ‘Air’ and working together in their 50s

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:25:42 GMT

(CNN) — Ben Affleck and Matt Damon truly love working together.The Boston-born buddies, who have known each other for over forty years, have a new movie, “Air,” coming to theatres on April 5. It details the origin story of Michael Jordan’s partnership with Nike.Part of the appeal of the project, they said, was the chance to work together again.“That was one of the things that we kind of wanted to do,” Affleck told CBS News, “The idea of, like, why aren’t we hanging out and spending more time together, since we managed to stay friends this whole time?”“Plus, we hit our 50s,” Damon added. “I mean, you can see the end of the tunnel!”The two rose to fame together in “Good Will Hunting,” winning the Oscar for best original screenplay for the film in 1997.The two friends recently launched a production company together, Artists Equity, and continue to enjoy their collaborating.“It...

Next goal for Heat is to get Tyler Herro playing every quarter like it’s the fourth

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:25:42 GMT

The mistake, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, was his.Through three quarters of Sunday night’s victory over the Detroit Pistons, Tyler Herro was playing like it was only the first three quarters.“I’m just going to write fourth quarter on every notepad to Tyler in every other quarter, because he has that clutch gene, he really does,” Spoelstra said of his fourth-year guard. “It doesn’t matter what’s happening during the course of the game. He’s a killer down the stretch. He loves those moments. He lives for those moments. He’ll knock some really tough shots down in those moments "Over Sunday’s first three quarters at Little Caesars Arena, Herro was 3 of 12 from the field, including 1 of 7 on 3-pointers, with the Heat outscored by six when he was on the court, down by seven entering the fourth.And then the clutch gene kicked in, with Herro 4 of 5 from the field, including 2 of 2 on 3-pointers, for 12 points in the f...

Dolphins receiver Trent Sherfield bolts for division-rival Bills in free agency

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:25:42 GMT

Wide receiver Trent Sherfield is bound for the division-rival Buffalo Bills after one season with the Miami Dolphins, the Bills announced Monday.Sherfield was likely to be on the move after the Dolphins signed former New York Jets slot receiver Braxton Berrios, a University of Miami alum, and decided to hold on to River Cracraft in the receiving corps.The Bills add Sherfield after releasing former Broward County high school football standout Isaiah McKenzie, a product of American Heritage in Plantation who notably had success against his hometown Dolphins over the years.Sherfield had his best season of his five-year NFL career in 2022 with the Dolphins. He established career highs with 30 receptions for 417 yards and two touchdowns as he elevated himself to be Miami’s No. 3 wideout over fellow free-agent acquisition Cedrick Wilson Jr.Sherfield’s most notable highlight with Miami was his 75-yard touchdown on a pass from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on the first offensive pl...

This is how much a six-figure income is worth in California

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:25:42 GMT

Earning a six-figure income has long been a sign of success and financial comfort for American workers. Still, with high inflation and cost of living expenses, the yearly income may not be enough to support a life in California.A new study from Smart Asset analyzed the after-tax income for $100,000 in 76 of the largest U.S. cities and adjusted those figures to represent the cost of living in each place. California cities ranked low for the places where $100,000 had the most purchasing power. Amid high cost of living expenses, Jack in the Box launches ‘free rent’ sweepstakes California cities where a six-figure income had low purchasing power:CityTake Home Pay adjusted for inflation and cost of living expensesBakersfield$63,539Sacramento$57,669Stockton$55,962Oakland$46,198San Diego$46,167Los Angeles$44,623Long Beach$44,623San Francisco$36,445Researchers used the Smart Asset paycheck calculator to determine the after-tax income for multiple cities. They used data from the Council fo...

San Diego City Attorney sues 2 large automakers over vehicle theft concerns

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:25:42 GMT

SAN DIEGO — San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliot is suing two large automakers, alleging the companies failed to install standard anti-theft technology.In a lawsuit filed Friday on behalf of the People of the State of California, the City Attorney's office said that Hyundai and Kia failed to meet industry norms, making their vehicles highly susceptible to being stolen.According to the lawsuit, Hyundai and Kia failed to adopt immobilizer technology to ensure that their vehicles could not be started without keys, which led to viral videos circulating to show how easily their vehicles could be stolen.The lawsuit covers the period from 2011 through 2021. VIDEO: Dog abandoned outside animal shelter; reward offered for information “Making sure cars are not easy to steal keeps dangerous drivers in stolen vehicles off the road,”  Elliott said. “Hyundai’s and Kia’s decisions to put cost savings and profits over public safety has had significant consequences for San Diego and its r...