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Craig Breedlove, daring land-speed recordholder, dies at 86

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:33 GMT

Craig Breedlove, who set land-speed records by topping 400, 500 and 600 mph in jet-powered cars nicknamed Spirit of America, has died. He was 86.Breedlove died at his home in Rio Vista, California, on April 4. His wife, Yadira Breedlove, said the cause of death was cancer.Breedlove battled Tom Green and Art Arfons on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to set and then break each other’s speed records during the freewheeling 1960s, a golden era of American motorsports. Breedlove’s final speed record was 600.6 mph (966.5 km/h) in 1965.The mark has been topped since, with the current record sitting at 760.3 mph (1,223.6 km/h) — faster than the speed of sound — but Breedlove helped make the land-speed mark a cultural phenomenon beginning in 1963.He was an American hero to some and was even immortalized in the Beach Boys’ song “Spirit of America,” which refers to him as a “daring young man” playing a “dangerous game.”Born March 23, 1937, Breedlove was a firefighter whose childhood love of ...

Phillies remain cautiously optimistic Harper hits May return

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:33 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper was in full Phillies uniform not long after a pregame workout where the two-time NL MVP hit pitching, dove head-first into first base and fielded grounders at first.His change into the home uni did not go unnoticed.“I got to do scoreboard stuff,” Harper said.Harper dashed off to film a series of vignettes to air on Philadelphia’s new scoreboard — and the Phillies slugger is getting closer to seeing his name up there in the starting lineup.But not quite yet.As Harper ramps up what he can do in his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery, optimism has swelled that he can return in May if he’s cleared in his next scheduled checkup early next month. While Harper seems briskly ahead of pace since his November surgery, no one really wants to rush his return since one false move could cause another rupture.“We’re very encouraged about Bryce’s advancement and his rehabilitation, It’s all been going very well but there’s still some very important final s...

Bijan Ghaisar’s family reaches $5M settlement in 2017 US Park Police shooting

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:33 GMT

The family of the unarmed Virginia man shot and killed by U.S. Park Police officers in 2017 after a traffic stop has reached a $5 million settlement with the federal government, according to a court filing in the case.The Washington Post first reported on the filing.Bijan Ghaisar’s mother and father filed the wrongful death lawsuit in 2018, seeking $25 million.The settlement still must be approved by the judge overseeing the case. A hearing has been scheduled for April 28 in the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia.The settlement calls for about $1.25 million to be paid in attorney’s fees, and $3.75 million to be paid to the family to be distributed to various charities, according to the filing.The settlement likely caps years of legal action related to Ghaisar’s killing.More on the Bijan Ghaisar caseIn 2019, the U.S. Justice Department declined to bring federal charges against the two officers who opened fire on the 25-year-old accountant, arguing there was...

ANÁLISIS | ¿Por qué es tan importante la decisión de la Corte Suprema sobre la píldora para abortar en EE.UU.?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:33 GMT

(CNN) — Este viernes a la medianoche termina el plazo para que la Corte Suprema de EE.UU. tome una decisión en el caso de aborto más importante que ha llegado al alto tribunal desde su decisión de anular el fallo del caso Roe vs. Wade el año pasado.El futuro de un medicamento utilizado ampliamente para interrumpir embarazos está en el centro de la batalla judicial que llegó a la Corte. Sin embargo, lo que está en juego es nada menos que las opciones de atención médica para las mujeres en Estados Unidos e incluso la viabilidad de autorizaciones reglamentarias para medicamentos de rutina.A principios de esta semana, el juez Samuel Alito concedió más tiempo a la Corte Suprema para evaluar la sentencia de un juez de Texas que ordenó bloquear la aprobación de la mifepristona. Y extendió la suspensión temporal a un fallo consecuente de un tribunal de apelaciones, que permitiría mantener la aprobación del medicamento por parte del Gobierno, aunque el acceso podría ser limitado.Depart...

Maine takes railroad to task over cleanup after derailment

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:33 GMT

SANDWICH ACADEMY GRANT TOWNSHIP, Maine (AP) — The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is taking Canadian Pacific Kansas City to task over the cleanup following a freight train derailment and fire.Commissioner Melanie Loyzim sent a letter Thursday telling the railroad that its good faith efforts have failed to meet the agency’s expectations with regards to response and timing “to effectively mitigate impacts to the environment and public health.” Two concerns are a failure to move a pair of rail cars containing hazardous material farther away from the site in a timely manner, and the failure to remove diesel fuel from the locomotives’ saddle tanks, causing a diesel fuel spill, the agency said. An estimated 500 gallons (1,895 liters) of fuel spilled.Three locomotive engines and six train cars carrying lumber and electrical wiring went off the tracks Saturday in Somerset County, sending three people to the hospital.Canadian Pacific Kansas City, created by a m...

Kansas governor nixes abortion, anti-diversity budget items

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:33 GMT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed anti-diversity and anti-abortion provisions in Kansas’ next state budget Friday, intensifying a conflict with the Republican-controlled Legislature over culture war issues that could see her scotch a dozen or more conservative initiatives. The governor has the power to excise individual budget items and used it to eliminate $2 million in state tax dollars for anti-abortion centers providing free counseling and pregnancy and parenting services. She’s previously vetoed two bills that would enact anti-abortion policies despite a decisive statewide vote in August 2022 affirming abortion rights.Kelly vetoed a budget provision that would have prevented state universities from using diversity equity and inclusion principles in their hiring. She nixed another provision barring the state board that licenses mental health professionals from requiring them or giving them incentives to undergo training involving diversity or ant...

Bystander officer found guilty in man's 2021 beating

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:33 GMT

AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — A former Aurora police officer was found guilty Friday of failing to intervene when another officer used excessive force.A jury found Francine Martinez guilty of the crime, a Class 1 misdemeanor, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office. The incident happened in 2021, when a responding officer on a call with Martinez strangled and pistol-whipped a man. Bandimere Speedway closing at end of drag racing season “Officers have a duty to intervene in situations like this," Chief Deputy District Attorney Brian Sugioka said. “Officer Martinez failed to do anything to de-escalate the situation and stop the assault.”Lawyers for Kyle Vinson, the man hurt in the case, said Friday that they're "heartened" by the verdict."In this case, Officer Martinez had a front-row seat to the brutal assault of Mr. Vinson at the hands of her fellow officer," the statement from the Rathod Mohamedbhai firm reads. "Her failure to protect Mr. Vinson was unconscionable and ...

2 remaining suspects in 2021 crime spree, homicide plead guilty

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:33 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The Denver District Attorney's Office said all five suspects in a 2021 crime spree and homicide have now pleaded guilty to the incident. Three of the five men charged in a deadly crime spree along Colfax Avenue pleaded guilty earlier this month, and the DA's office said Isaiah Freeman, 20, and Samuel Fussell, 20, did so Friday. Both Freeman and Fussell pled guilty to one count each of aggravated robbery and first-degree assault involving multiple victims. Deadly crime spree on Colfax The crime spree began on Aug. 15, 2021, with a carjacking in Aurora and ended on Aug. 18 after a burglary and auto theft in Lakewood. Former DougCo school bus driver facing 30 misdemeanor child abuse charges for hard brake Police said the crime spree started near Colfax Avenue and Grape Street at 10:50 p.m. with a carjacking with no injuries reported.Then a shooting and robbery took place in the 1500 block of Lafayette Street around 11 p.m. Police said one person was critically ...

Ray Romano says his character is ‘living vicariously through his son’ in directorial debut ‘Somewhere in Queens’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:33 GMT

Ray Romano is a comedian, actor and now writer and director.But it’s not much of a stretch, since he’s just going from King of Queens to Somewhere in Queens.Ray Romano is Mr. Leo russo in Somewhere in Queens. Leo is just a dad who wants his son to get a full-ride to college. But when the teen experiences his first heartbreak, the chance to play college ball goes out the window.That is until Leo starts to meddle with his kid’s love life.Ray Romano: “This character is living vicariously through his son and he feels very small in his real life.”Ray wasn’t just the main character in the film, it was also his first time writing and directing.Ray Romano: “For the main cast it was fun just to write and hear them say the words because you can put the words down there, but if somebody doesn’t bring them to life it’s not going to work.”The one thing he didn’t need to direct?His son Sticks’ basketball skills; since Jacob W...

Students at North Beach Elementary spend Earth Day outdoors

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:33 GMT

Students at one South Florida school had an early Earth Day celebration.Second graders at North Beach Elementary spent the day in the school’s garden.They did arts and crafts, learned about recycling and planted healthy foods like bananas and papayas.“The fun thing is they go ahead and they cook, as well, with these items and bring it to the cafeteria and in fact our teachers, as well, bring some of this stuff home from the garden and cook with it, so it’s a win-win for all,” said Melanie Fishman, principal at the school.The children also got to learn about endangered butterflies and insect species.Earth Day is on Saturday.