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German far-right party wins its first county leadership post as it rises in polls

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:39:00 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — The far-right Alternative for Germany party saw its first head of a county administration elected Sunday in a rural eastern region, a win that comes as national polls show its support at record levels.A runoff election in Sonneberg county pitted Alternative for Germany’s candidate, Robert Sesselmann, against center-right rival Jürgen Köpper. Official figures showed Sesselmann, who had been well ahead in the first round two weeks ago, winning by 52.8% to 47.2%.Sonneberg has a relatively small population of 56,800, but the win is a symbolic milestone for Alternative for Germany, or AfD. The 10-year-old party has been polling between 18% and 20% in national surveys lately. It has been riding high as center-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s governing coalition with the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats faces strong headwind over high immigration, a plan to replace millions of home heating systems and a reputation for infighting, while infl...

Official projections in Greek election show landslide win for conservative New Democracy party

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:39:00 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s conservative New Democracy party won a landslide victory in the country’s second election in five weeks Sunday, official projections based on early returns showed, gaining enough parliamentary seats to form a government for a second four-year term. Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ party is projected to win 40.5% of the vote, with his main rival, the left-wing Syriza party, suffering a crushing defeat with just under 18% projected support, even worse than its 20% in the last elections in May. Sunday’s vote came just over a week after a migrant ship capsized and sank off the western coast of Greece, leaving hundreds of people dead and missing and calling into question the actions of Greek authorities and the country’s strict migration policy. But the disaster, one of the worst in the Mediterranean in recent years, did not affect the election, with domestic economic issues at the forefront of voters’ minds.The projections indicate ...

Montreal has world’s worst air quality as wildfire smoke blankets Quebec

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:39:00 GMT

Montreal had the world’s worst air quality Sunday, according to a website that tracks air quality and pollution in major cities across the globe.Montreal’s air quality index (AQI) was at 226 – labelled very unhealthy – on IQAir’s ranking of 95 cities.Kuwait City, Kuwait was second with an AQI of 187, followed by Tehran, Iran (169) and Jakarta, Indonesia (151).There were smog warnings in effect for many parts of Quebec Sunday as heavy smoke from wildfires blanketed much of the southern, northern and western parts of the province.Montreal, Quebec, Laval, Longueuil and Trois-Rivieres were among the cities under warning due to smoke from the more than 110 wildfires that continue to burn across the province.Smoggy, smoky air in Montreal due to wildfire smoke June 25, 2023. (Alan Sukonnik/CityNews)Environment Canada says the poor air quality will likely continue until Monday morning, adding the risk is highest for people with lung or heart disease, elderly people, childr...

3 dead, 5 injured after shooting in Kansas City

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:39:00 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) - Multiple people are dead after an early morning shooting Sunday in Kansas City, Missouri.The Kansas City Police Department was called to the intersection of 57th Street and Prospect around 4:30 a.m. When officers arrived, they say they located three people - two men and a woman - dead in a parking lot and a street, department spokesperson Jake Becchina told the Associated Press.The victims were found outside an unnamed business that is known for operating after hours, KCPD Chief Stacey Graves said."If the business knew persons would be present, without security, selling alcohol, and thwarting our laws, that business should be closed," Mayor Quinton Lucas tweeted Sunday morning.Since then, officers have located at least five other victims that took themselves to the hospital with injuries. As of now, there are eight victims in total.KCPD is still working to figure out what led to the shooting. They are currently collecting evidence and looking at cameras. Th...

Mother allegedly instructed 14-year-old son to shoot, kill man at hot dog stand: court docs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:39:00 GMT

CHICAGO (WGN) — A woman and her 14-year-old son have been charged after authorities allege she instructed the teenager to shoot a man at a hot dog stand in Chicago.Carlisha Hood, who has a valid Firearm Owner's ID and is a concealed carry holder, is facing a felony count of murder and another count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Her 14-year-old son is facing a felony count of murder. According to police, the pair were arrested Wednesday after being identified as the individuals who were involved in the fatal shooting of a 32-year-old man at Maxwell Street Express on South Halsted Street just after 11 p.m. on June 18.According to court documents, Hood entered Maxwell Street Express to get food while her son waited in the car outside. Man who gave up seats on Titan submersible says OceanGate CEO was ‘dismissive’ of concerns Shortly after, a 32-year-old man entered the restaurant an argument ensued between him and Hood, court documents state. Hood was allegedly texti...

Man receives 30-year sentence for 2020 murder

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:39:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A jury sentenced a man June 16 to serve 30 years in state prison in connection with an east Austin murder that occurred in May 2020.According to court documents, 24-year-old Jeffery Wayne Garner, Jr. pleaded not guilty before his trial began. PAST COVERAGE: Argument about man touching a woman inappropriately leads to east Austin homicide Past KXAN reports said Garner was accused of killing 38-year-old James Lewis Allen Jr. on May 28, 2020, after an altercation.According to court documents, Garner had a jail credit of 1,115 days, which totals a little over three years.As of Sunday, Garner remained booked into the Travis County jail.

Business People: Eric Meittunen goes from state Guardsman to health care role at Veterans Affairs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:39:00 GMT

OF NOTEEric MeittunenThe Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs announced the appointment of Eric Meittunen as deputy commissioner – veterans healthcare. Meittunen was a member of the Minnesota Army National Guard in Duluth and most recently provided health system transformation leadership to Hennepin Healthcare and Hennepin County.EDUCATIONBishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester has been named to Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota board of trustees.FOODOrganic Valley, a La Farge, Wis.-based farmer-owned cooperative and producer of retail food products sourced from its members, announced the hire of Abed Abdo as chief financial officer. Abdo previously served in a similar executive role at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.GOVERNMENTThe Minnesota Department of Education announced the following additions to its executive team: Stephanie Graff, deputy commissioner and chief operating officer; Dr. Macarre Traynham, assistant commissioner, and A...

Albany man charged with damaging statue on Lark Street

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:39:00 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An Albany man has been charged with knocking over and damaging a statue outside a Lark Street restaurant, according to police. Devin Brewington, 28, was charged with second-degree criminal mischief. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! On June 23 at 11:00 a.m., police responded to Villa di Como Ristorante, located at 286 Lark Street in Albany, for a report of criminal mischief. Upon arrival, officers say they were informed that someone had intentionally tipped over the statue at 1:30 a.m., causing it to break. Following an investigation, detectives identified Brewington as a suspect. He was then taken into custody at 1:30 p.m. in the area of Madison Avenue and Trinity Place. Albany residents hope a community center can help deter gun violence Brewington was additionally charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief in connection with a separate occurrence that took place on April 23. According to poli...

1 person dead, 6 injured after violent night in St. Louis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:39:00 GMT

ST. LOUIS - One person is dead, and six people were injured after multiple shootings and a stabbing unfolded overnight across the St. Louis metro area.The first incident happened at 4:30 p.m., where a man was shot in the abdomen on the 8700 block of North Broadway. At 9:00 p.m., a woman was shot and killed on the 4400 block of Kennerly Avenue.At midnight, a man was shot in the leg on Leduc Street, and a second victim was grazed by a bullet. Then at 12:10 a.m., police responded to a 22-year-old woman stabbed in the stomach on Manchester Avenue in The Grove after a fight.             Violent night in St. Louis leaves at least 7 people shot An hour later at 1:00 a.m., a woman was shot in the leg on Gravois Avenue. At 2:00 a.m., a man was shot on I-70 and Broadway and a woman finally a woman was shot at 2:30 p.m. in the heart of downtown at the Market and 9th Streets.This was just hours before the setup in that very spot for ...

Denver weather: High temperatures and dry conditions forecast for the first half of the week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:39:00 GMT

As the National Weather Service in Boulder puts it, it’ll be hard to beat the conditions forecast for Sunday in the Denver area.The forecast calls for sunny skies with a high near 84 degrees and some wind gusts — though they are not expected to be as high as Saturday’s — and a low of 56 degrees.It will be hard to beat the weather conditions on Sunday. Highs will be in the 70s to low 80s except for across the higher terrain. Winds will be lighter than Saturday and there will be mostly sunny skies. #COwx pic.twitter.com/FInvT0VMpM— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) June 25, 2023Although the lack of rain and storms forecast for the first half of the week may be a welcome reprieve, the downside is northeast and north central Colorado’s dry conditions through Sunday night are expected to be “near critical fire weather conditions across higher elevations,” according to the National Weather Service.Warm and dry weather is predicted to continue throug...