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Congressional Effort to End Assange Prosecution Underway

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:41:24 GMT

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., is circulating a letter among her House colleagues that calls on the Department of Justice to drop charges against Julian Assange and end its effort to extradite him from his detention in Belmarsh prison in the United Kingdom.The letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Intercept, is still in the signature-gathering phase and has yet to be sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland.The Justice Department has charged Assange, the publisher of WikiLeaks, for publishing classified information. The Obama administration had previously decided not to prosecute Assange, concerned with what was dubbed internally as the “New York Times problem.” The Times had partnered with Assange when it came to publishing classified information and itself routinely publishes classified information. Publishing classified information is a violation of the Espionage Act, though it has never been challenged in the Supreme Court, and constitutional experts broadly consider that el...

Ousted Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz takes Oklahoma church job

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:41:24 GMT

(RNS) — Carl Lentz, the ousted pastor of Hillsong New York City, has landed on staff at Transformation Church, a predominantly Black, nondenominational megachurch in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that is led by pastor, author and popular YouTuber Michael Todd.Transformation, a juggernaut in a town replete with megachurches, has confirmed that Lentz, who was fired from Hillsong in 2020 when an extramarital affair came to light, has joined its staff.“We gladly welcome Carl Lentz to our Transformation Church staff, helping TC with strategy as we continue to move forward in our vast vision,” Tammy McQuarters, the church’s executive pastor of operations, told Religion News Service in an email Monday (March 27).___This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story.___Lentz, 44, once labeled a “hypepriest” by GQ Magazine for his fashionable attire and ministry t...

Washington man charged in 20-plus ‘swatting’ calls around US

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:41:24 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — U.S. authorities on Thursday said they arrested a Washington state man who made more than 20 “swatting” calls around the country and in Canada, prompting real emergency responses to his fake reports of bombs, shootings or other threats.Ashton Connor Garcia, 20, of Bremerton, used voice-over-internet technology to conceal his identity as he placed the calls last year — and he treated them as entertainment, broadcasting them on the social media platform Discord, federal prosecutors said.He faces 10 felony counts filed in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, Washington, that could bring up to a decade in prison. Court records did not immediately indicate if Garcia had an attorney who might speak on his behalf.“Every time Mr. Garcia is alleged to have made one of his false reports to law enforcement, he triggered a potentially deadly event — sending heavily armed police officers to an address where they mistakenly believed they would confront someone who was armed and dangerous...

El papa Francisco recibe antibióticos para tratar una bronquitis infecciosa y podría salir del hospital en “los próximos días

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:41:24 GMT

(CNN) — El papa Francisco recibió antibióticos para tratar una bronquitis infecciosa y podría recibir el alta hospitalaria “en los próximos días”, informó este jueves el portavoz del Vaticano, Matteo Bruni, en un comunicado.“En el contexto de los controles clínicos programados para el obispo de Roma, se constató una bronquitis infecciosa que requirió la administración de una terapia antibiótica por vía intravenosa que produjo los efectos esperados con una clara mejoría del estado de salud”, dijo Bruni.“Con base en el resultado previsto, el papa podría ser dado de alta en los próximos días”.“El papa Francisco pasó la tarde en Gemelli para dedicarse al descanso, a la oración y a algunas tareas de trabajo”, añadió Bruni.¿Qué problemas de salud ha tenido el papa Francisco?Este miércoles, el portavoz del Vaticano dio a conocer que el papa, de 86 años, tenía una infección respiratoria y debía pasar “unos días” hospitalizado...

Nico Hoerner looking forward to long-term future with Cubs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:41:24 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Nico Hoerner thinks the best is yet to come — for him and the Chicago Cubs.Hoerner is looking forward to his future with the Cubs after finalizing a $35 million, three-year contract with Chicago. The deal begins with the 2024 season, covering his last two years of arbitration and the first year that he would have been eligible for free agency.“I hope that it’s not the last deal with this team,” Hoerner said Thursday in his first public comments since the contract was completed. “This is where I want to be.”Hoerner, who turns 26 in May, was selected by the Cubs in the first round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Stanford. He made his big league debut the following year, batting .282 with three homers and 17 RBIs in 20 games.He is coming off a breakout season, batting .281 with a career-best 10 homers, 55 RBIs and 20 steals in 135 games. He played in a total of 112 games over his first three years in the majors.“Nico is such a great kid. Such great makeup. Works h...

FBI documents show gunman who killed 60 people in 2017 Las Vegas shooting was angry about how casinos were treating him

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:41:24 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — FBI documents show gunman who killed 60 people in 2017 Las Vegas shooting was angry about how casinos were treating him.Source

Pope showing ‘marked improvement,’ could leave hospital soon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:41:24 GMT

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis showed a “marked improvement” Thursday after being given intravenous antibiotics for a bronchitis infection and could be released from the hospital in the coming days, the Vatican and his doctors reported.The 86-year-old pontiff, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, ate breakfast, read the newspapers, rested and worked from his hospital room at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, according to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni.An additional update provided late Thursday by doctors revealed Francis had been diagnosed with bronchitis. The infection “required the administration of antibiotic therapy on an infusion basis which produced the expected effects with a marked improvement in his state of health,” the doctors’ statement said.“Based on the expected course, the Holy Father could be discharged in the coming days,” it concluded.The timeframe brought into question Francis’ participation in Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square this weekend, as well as his pres...

Agreement in place to return Lolita the orca to the Pacific

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:41:24 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — An unlikely coalition of a theme park owner, animal rights group and NFL owner-philanthropist announced Thursday that a plan is in place to return Lolita — an orca that has lived in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium for more than 50 years — to her home waters in the Pacific Northwest.“I’m excited to be a part of Lolita’s journey to freedom,” Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said during a news conference announcing the agreement. “I know Lolita wants to get to free waters.”The time frame for moving the 57-year-old, 5,000-pound (2,267-kilogram) orca could be six to nine months or even longer, Irsay said. He added that he became part of the mission because “the story of Lolita is near and dear” to his heart.Irsay is partnering with Eduardo Albor, who heads The Dolphin Company which owns the Seaquarium, and the nonprofit Friends of Lolita, co-founded by environmentalist Pritam Singh, to move Lolita from her marine park tank that measures 80 feet by 35 feet (24...

Former Presidente supermarkets owner found guilty of hiring hitmen to kill ex-wife’s lover

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:41:24 GMT

A jury has ruled the former owner of several Presidente Supermarkets guilty of orchestrating the murder of his ex-wife’s lover.The verdict was reached Thursday afternoon, around 3:30, when Manuel Marin was found guilty of second-degree murder, conspiracy of kidnapping and kidnapping.Jury deliberations began Wednesday evening. Marin was accused of hiring hitmen to kill 43-year-old Camilo Salazar back in June 2011.When Salazar’s body was found in the Everglades, police said, officers discovered that his throat was slit and his head was beaten.According to police, Marin commissioned Roberto Isaac and former MMA fighter Alex Vila Perdomo to carry out the murder.Isaac and Perdomo were found guilty of conspiracy of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon. Isaac was also found guilty of second-degree murder and kidnapping.Marin did not take the stand in his trial. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Taking Work Home with You: Former New Bedford Whaling Museum worker indicted for alleged theft of artifacts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:41:24 GMT

A former employee of the New Bedford Whaling Museum has been indicted by a grand jury after being accused of stealing artifacts from his previous place of work, according to authorities.The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office announced the indictment of Robert M. Burchell on Thursday. According to a news release from the DA’s office, the 42-year-old New Bedford man allegedly stole dozens of “pocket-sized items” from the museum he worked at for two years, and would sell the items to local antique and pawn shops.He was eventually caught after authorities said a shop owner in West Bridgewater tipped off police, believing items that he purchased from Burchell were likely stolen.The 42 year old was later arrested by New Bedford police on Jan. 5 and was charged with Larceny from a Building. Following his initial arraignment, the court imposed a $5,000 cash bail on Burchell while ordering him to stay away from both the museum and museum employees.Months later,...