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Fairfax Co. woman to be sentenced for shooting, killing her two daughters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:51:20 GMT

A Fairfax County, Virginia, jury — that convicted Veronica Youngblood of shooting and killing her two daughters in 2018 in their McLean home — will suggest her sentence Thursday.The jury rejected the defense’s argument Wednesday that Youngblood was not guilty by reason of insanity, and convicted Youngblood of two counts of first degree murder, and two counts of felony firearm use.More Fairfax County NewsMore Crime NewsMore Local NewsDuring nearly two weeks of trial, Youngblood’s public defenders said she was hearing voices telling her to kill her daughters — Sharon Castro, 15, and Brooklynn, 5, — as a result of years of Youngblood enduring physical and sexual abuse.The defense said Youngblood had never denied killing her daughters. Jurors had seen a videotaped interview with investigators, hours after the killings, when she acknowledged she was guilty and deserved the death penalty.However, prosecutors portrayed Youngblood as a selfish, calculating woman who was angry at...

Colorado's violent, motor vehicle crimes are concentrated in these counties

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:51:20 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado's crime is an everywhere problem, but certain areas, in particular, have the biggest shares.Colorado recorded record numbers of both violent crimes and motor vehicle thefts in 2022. Other property crimes, including larceny and burglary, were down in 2022, though by small margins for every crime except fraud. Drug crimes dropped in 2020 and have been rising since. Student wanted after 2 faculty members shot at Denver East High School The crimes which continue at record levels are heavily concentrated in Adams and Denver counties. Adams and Denver counties host a disproportionate amount of violent crime. The two counties are highly populated. Together, they hold about 21% of Colorado's population. However, anywhere between 46% and 58% of the state's violent crime happens in them.About one-fourth (24%) of the state's murders occurred in Denver in 2022. Adams County contained 22% of the state's murders. Denver holds 27% of the aggravated assaults and 30% of th...

Driver crashes into house yard causing significant damage, sends 1 to hospital

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:51:20 GMT

A driver lost control and crashed into the yard of a house near Northwest 11th Avenue and Northwest 48th Street on Wednesday night. The incident caused significant damage to the property and resulted in one person being taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital.Video footage showed that the vehicle had taken down a fence before colliding with another car and breaking a portion of a carport. One person was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital for treatment, but their current condition is unknown.It is still unclear what caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle, but investigations are currently underway to determine the cause of the crash.The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of road safety and the need for drivers to exercise caution and adhere to traffic rules to prevent such accidents from happening.

France sets EU precedent with 2024 Olympics surveillance arsenal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:51:20 GMT

PARIS — France’s AI-powered array of surveillance cameras for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics cleared a final legislative hurdle on Thursday. The French government wants to experiment with large-scale, real-time camera systems supported by an algorithm to spot suspicious behavior, including unsupervised luggage and triggering alarms to warn of crowd movements like stampedes, for the mega-sports event next year. In a sparsely-attended chamber, French members of parliament approved the controversial bill after more than seven hours of heated debate. The text can still be challenged before the country’s top constitutional court. Last week, a group of about 40 European lawmakers — mainly left-wing — asked their French counterparts to vote against the text. They warned in a letter that “France would set a surveillance precedent of the kind never before seen in Europe, using the pretext of the [2024 Paris Summer] Olympic games.”In the past few months, the plan was also...

BoE lifts rates after inflation comeback

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:51:20 GMT

The Bank of England raised interest rates by a quarter point to 4.25 percent, as policymakers remained focused on battling inflation even as concerns over the health of the global financial system linger. The Bank’s monetary policy committee voted 7-2 to increase the key interest rate. Two members preferred to maintain the Bank Rate at 4 percent, the BoE said in a statement today. Analysts had expected another rise in interest rates before the recent turmoil in financial markets sparked speculation that policymakers may put increases on hold. Latest inflation data, which defied expectations that the U.K. had left double-digit inflation levels behind, tipped the balance on the Committee in favor of tightening.On Wednesday, data released by the Office for National Statistics showed inflation quickened to 10.4 percent in February, from 10.1 percent the previous month. At its previous policy meeting, the Old Lady of Threadneedle street signaled that it may too soon to pause its hiking c...

Woman accused of attacking Lynn police before rough arrest facing charges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:51:20 GMT

A woman who Lynn police say attacked and bit officers at a rooming house before being repeatedly punched in the face and pepper-sprayed is set to face a judge on Friday after officials released body camera video showing her violent arrest. A use-of-force investigation is underway into the arrest of Jessica Wagle, 39, who will be arraigned in Lynn District Court on charges including assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct, according to police.The release of the 8-minute body camera video, which was posted to the department’s Facebook account, came after witness video was posted online that showed an officer repeatedly punching Wagle in the face while she struggled and resisted arrest.WARNING THIS VIDEO IS GRAPHICOne of the officers also said she reached for his weapon during the arrest.The longer video shows two officers repeatedly asking Wagle to leave the room she was standing in before attempting to physically remove her. She can al...

Animal Rescue League marks National Puppy Day with reminder about rescue pups

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:51:20 GMT

The Animal Rescue League of Boston is reminding prospective adopters this National Puppy Day that now is the perfect time to add a new puppy, or adult dog, to your family!Twice a month, ARL welcomes in puppies and dogs from other regions of the country through the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Animal Relocation Program, which transports dogs from overcrowded shelters to regions like New England where the demand for adoptable animals is high.Due to overcrowding and a lack of resources, these animals are often at risk of needless euthanasia and ARL is privileged to be able to give these puppies and dogs the homes and lives they deserve.When these animals arrive at ARL, they receive comprehensive veterinary exams, vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, and are microchipped.ARL is currently caring for more than a dozen puppies, but also has numerous adult dogs looking for their perfect homes, and to see who is available at&nb...

Wall Street points higher on modest Fed hike and sentiment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:51:20 GMT

U.S. futures rose modestly Thursday, a day after the Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate while hinting that the end may be near for its economy-chilling policies.Futures for the benchmark S&P 500 rose 0.5% before the bell, while the Dow Jones industrials edged up 0.2%.The Fed raised its key overnight rate by a quarter of a percentage point Wednesday, the same size as its last increase, in its campaign to drive down inflation. That effort has been complicated by turmoil in the banking sector, with investors worried that more banks might fail after Silicon Valley Bank’s recent collapse.The Fed’s move was exactly what Wall Street was expecting. The bigger question was where the Fed is heading next. There, the Fed gave a hint it may not hike rates much more as it assesses the fallout from the banking industry crisis.Instead of repeating its statement that “ongoing increases will be appropriate,” the Fed said Wednesday that it now only sees “some additio...

Cactus League report: Why Lucas Giolito likes the cooler weather in Arizona — and the back-end backbone of the Cubs bullpen

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:51:20 GMT

The long ball carried the Cubs offense Wednesday.Cody Bellinger, Edwin Ríos and Christopher Morel all homered in a 4-2 win against the Oakland Athletics. Ríos’ two-run homer and Morel’s solo homer were each their fourth of the spring, leading the Cubs. In a bullpen game, nine pitchers combined to strike out eight A’s and walk three.Meanwhile, left-hander Drew Smyly pitched in a minor-league game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Sloan Park. He threw 80 pitches in five scoreless innings, limiting them to two hits with seven strikeouts and three walks.The Sox went 0-for-2 in split-squad action, falling 2-0 to the Texas Rangers in Peoria, Ariz., and 4-3 to the Kansas City Royals at Camelback Ranch.Mike Clevinger allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts and one walk in five innings against the Rangers.“It was good to finally get out there and extended a little bit and get to roll the lineup over again and being able to work with (catcher) S...

Rahul Gandhi gets 2 years for Modi defamation in India

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:51:20 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — An Indian court found opposition leader Rahul Gandhi guilty of defamation Thursday over his remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surname and sentenced him to two years in prison.The case against Gandhi dates back to an election rally in 2019 where he said, “Why do all thieves have Modi as their surname?” In his speech, he then went on to name fugitive Indian diamond tycoon Nirav Modi, banned Indian Premier League boss Lalit Modi, and Narendra Modi. Narendra Modi is not related to either of the other two.The defamation case against Gandhi was filed by a leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in western Gujarat state. The complainant, Purnesh Modi, said Gandhi’s comments had “defamed the entire Modi community.”Modi is a common last name in western Gujarat state.Gandhi, who was present in the court when the verdict was announced, said his remarks were meant to highlight corruption and were not directed against any community. He won’t go to jail immediately...