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New York will automatically seal old criminal records under law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:55:00 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New Yorkers who complete their sentences and stay out of trouble for a certain period of time will have their criminal records automatically sealed under a long awaited bill signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday.New York now joins a slew of other states including California, New Jersey, and Michigan, which have passed similar measures in recent years.The years-long endeavor to get the legislation over the finish line is seen as a major victory in criminal justice reform by various organizations including labor and advocacy groups.New York’s “clean slate” legislation, the latest criminal justice bill signed by the Democratic governor, will automatically seal most criminal records three years after serving time or parole for a misdemeanor and eight years for felony convictions. Sex crimes and most Class A felonies, such as kidnapping or terrorism, will not be eligible for sealing.“They’ve paid their debt to society,” Hochul said about t...

5 tennis players were suspended for match-fixing in a case tied to a Belgian syndicate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:55:00 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Five low-ranked tennis players — four from Mexico and one from Guatemala — were suspended for corruption linked to a match-fixing syndicate in Belgium, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said Thursday.The players are connected to the criminal case of Grigor Sargsyan, the leader of the syndicate, the ITIA said, and follow bans on seven Belgian players that were announced last week.The players whose punishments were revealed Thursday include Alberto Rojas Maldonado, a Mexican banned from tennis for life and fined $250,000, the maximum allowed. Maldonado, ranked a career-best 992nd in 2015, committed 92 breaches “and played a pivotal role in the corruption of other players,” according to the ITIA.The others, all of whose bans also took effect on Sept. 30, are Christopher Díaz Figueroa, José Antonio Rodríguez Rodríguez, Antonio Ruiz Rosales and Orlando Alcántara Rangel.Figueroa, a Guatemalan who was ranked 326th in 2011, was suspended for life and fined $75,000. He ...

Officials investigate cause of Atlantic City Boardwalk fire that damaged facade of Resorts casino

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:55:00 GMT

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Investigators were trying Thursday to determine what touched off a fire on the Atlantic City Boardwalk a day earlier that burned a section of the historic walkway and damaged part of the facade of Resorts casino.Although the fire damaged the casino’s main Boardwalk entrance, Resorts remains open through a secondary entrance on the Boardwalk as well as several entrances along its side across from the parking lots.The fire that broke out shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday burned parts of the Boardwalk-facing facade of the casino, including an awning and doors to the casino.Fire Chief Scott Evans said Thursday a cause of the fire had not yet been determined.Investigators were looking into several possibilities, including an electrical malfunction in one of the numerous utility lines running underneath the wooden walkway, or the possibility that homeless people taking shelter under the Boardwalk accidentally started the fire.That was believed to have been t...

US imposes new sanctions over Russian oil price cap violations, Kremlin influence in the Balkans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:55:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury on Thursday imposed a new round of sanctions on firms and ships that used American service providers to carry Russian crude oil in violation of the multinational price cap — and imposed another set of sanctions on a group of Balkan people and firms tied to Kremlin influence in the region. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on three United Arab Emirates-based firms and blocked three ships that used U.S. service providers to carry Russian crude oil above the $60 price cap. The sanctions block access to U.S. property and bank accounts and prevent the targeted people and companies from doing business with Americans. The actions on the ships blacklist them from transporting goods with U.S. service providers.The U.S., along with the EU, countries in the Group of Seven and Australia, imposed a $60 a barrel limit last year on what Russia could charge for its oil. The cap is designed to deprive the Kremlin of revenue to fund its ...

Quebec premier offers national funeral for Les Cowboys Fringants singer Karl Tremblay

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:55:00 GMT

MONTREAL — Quebec Premier François Legault is offering the family of Karl Tremblay a national funeral to pay tribute to the renowned singer, who died on Wednesday at the age of 47.Legault says a “wave of love and sadness” has washed across the province since news broke that the lead singer of folk-rock band Les Cowboys Fringants had died.Tremblay disclosed his diagnosis with prostate cancer in July 2022 and continued to perform with his band while undergoing chemotherapy this year.Unofficial gatherings to honour Tremblay are planned across Quebec today, including a 7 p.m. gathering on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, where Tremblay led a memorable performance by the group in July.Other tributes to Tremblay are pouring in on social media.Flags are at half-mast in several cities, including Montreal, Quebec City and Repentigny, Que., where the band’ was formed.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 16, 2023.The Canadian Press

FlightHub CEO sees early warnings signs of softening travel demand

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:55:00 GMT

MONTREAL — The CEO of online travel agency FlightHub says demand for air travel may be levelling off after soaring to pre-pandemic levels over the summer.Christopher Cave says airline ticket sales dropped from September to October, when they typically rise ahead of the holiday season.Cave says consumer anxiety over travel costs and the broader economy account for the softer sales, as higher interest rates and inflation weigh on Canadians’ budgets.Data from the Airlines Reporting Corp. shows sales at U.S. travel agencies last month fell below levels from September as well as a year earlier.However, Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau said last month that demand remains stable, with advance ticket sales in its third quarter up by 55 per cent year-over-year.TD Cowen analyst Helane Becker says bookings are up for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s but worse than expected for off-peak periods as travel plans adapt to strained purse strings.This report by The Canadian Press wa...

Montreal-area mayor receives death threats over plan to cull deer in local park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:55:00 GMT

LONGUEUIL, Que. — The mayor of a Montreal-area city has allegedly been targeted by death threats in connection with a plan to cull most of the white-tailed deer living in a local park. A spokesman for the City of Longueuil confirmed today that Mayor Catherine Fournier has been threatened in recent days and weeks by a single individual.Longueuil police Insp. Gino Iannone says the mayor was placed under intermittent police protection in September due to her high-profile position and to concerning events that occurred even before the recent threats.  Last month, Quebec’s highest court upheld a decision authorizing a controlled crossbow hunt to reduce the deer population at Michel-Chartrand Park to about 20 from more than 100.For years animal rights organizations and activists have tried to block the cull, arguing that the methods chosen to protect the park should favour keeping the animals alive.Fournier’s predecessor, mayor Sylvie Parent, received threats in 2020 over the ...

Building partially collapses in southern Russia, sparking search for any trapped survivors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:55:00 GMT

Part of a residential building collapsed Thursday in southern Russia, killing one woman and sparking a search for any residents who might be trapped in the rubble, Russian state news agency Tass said.Most residents in the southern city of Astrakhan already had evacuated because of what was described as a grinding sound in building, Tass said. The emergency ministry said it had received information about cracks appearing just before the structure collapsed.More than 200 people, including more than 35 children, were evacuated, the news agency said. The Astrakhan region deputy governor, Oleg Knyazev, said authorities had ruled out a gas explosion, and said the building’s structure was to blame. The residential block was built in 1962, Tass said. Photos and video shared online by Russian state news agencies showed the partially collapsed building and rescuers searching through rubble. In one video. rescuers called for silence as they tried to hear whether any trapped person was ma...

Indian manufacturer recalls eyedrops previously cited in FDA warning

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:55:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Indian manufacturer of more than two dozen varieties of eyedrops subject to a U.S. safety warning has officially recalled the products, which were sold by CVS Health, Target, Rite Aid and other national retailers.Kilitch Healthcare India issued the recall on Monday and the Food and Drug Administration published the notice Wednesday. The recall is something of a formality, since the FDA had already alerted U.S. stores last month to stop selling the over-the-counter drops. Consumers should not use the products due to the risk of vision loss or blindness, the FDA said. FDA officials don’t have the legal authority to force manufacturers to recall their products, and instead rely on companies to “voluntarily” do so. The FDA previously stated it recommended the manufacturer recall the eyedrops on Oct. 25. Mumbai-based Kilitch Healthcare said it has not received “any reports of adverse events” related to its products. The lubricating drops were distributed in th...

WWE collaborating with Big 12 Conference during championship game next month

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:55:00 GMT

The WWE is collaborating with the Big 12 Conference for their championship game next month as the sports entertainment company further strengthens ties with outside sports organizations.The Dr. Pepper Big 12 Football Championship will be held on Dec. 2 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.As part of the partnership, the game’s most outstanding player will receive a custom-made WWE championship title belt and a co-branded WWE X Big 12 logo will appear throughout the stadium and on the field. The Big 12 Conference and WWE will also collaborate on a Big 12 Championship merchandise line, which will be available online and at the stadium’s team stores.“WWE is a global brand that connects with a wide array of audiences,” Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said Thursday. “With this partnership, we will integrate WWE and its brand power into one of the Conference’s biggest moments, further strengthening the bridge between sports and entertainment throughout the Big 12.” WWE, w...