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Prosecutors drop all charges against Chicago man wrongfully convicted of 2011 murder; Darien Harris will be a free man

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:02 GMT

CHICAGO — A Chicago man whose murder conviction was recently vacated will be a free man after spending more than 12 years behind bars for a crime he didn't commit.In 2011, Darien Harris was an 18-year-old high school senior with no criminal record when Rondell Moore was murdered and another man wounded at a South Side gas station.Harris was convicted in 2014 for the murder of Moore and sentenced to 76 years in prison. But Harris' family always maintained his innocence, saying he was at home watching the NBA playoffs when Moore was murdered.On Tuesday morning, more than 12 years after he was arrested, Cook County prosecutors dropped all charges against Harris, now 30 years old and married.Harris' wife, mom and other family members and supporters are waiting for his release from Cook County Jail, which will happen Tuesday afternoon."I feel like I’m dreaming, it doesn’t feel real," said an overjoyed Nakesha Harris, Darien's mom, in a news conference Tuesday. "Once I hold him in my arms...

Powerball jackpot reaches $572M: How much would a winner get?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:02 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — Another large Powerball jackpot is brewing, just in time for the holidays. But as large as it is, a winner would, at best, take home only about two-thirds of the advertised prize. For the fourth time this year, the Powerball jackpot has surpassed $500 million, reaching $543 million ahead of Monday night's drawing. There were no grand prize winners in that drawing, but two tickets — one each in North Carolina and New York — matched five numbers to win $1 million prizes. The winning numbers drawn Monday were 5, 8, 19, 34, 39, and red Powerball 26. The Power Play was 3X.Powerball officials now estimate the jackpot to be $572 million with a cash value of $286.7 million ahead of Wednesday night's drawing. As frequent lottery players already know, a winner would take home far less than the above totals: The game's structure and taxes will shrink your payout by as much as $273 million. How did two tickets sold at the same gas station win the Mega Millions jackpot? There are t...

'Violated our feeling of safety': Bucktown's Red June ransacked, vandalized

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:02 GMT

CHICAGO — Beloved Bucktown coffee shop Red June was ransacked and vandalized early Tuesday morning.Owner Kim Blackburn woke up to a call at around 4:30 a.m. from the neighbor who lives above the mainstay, located in the 2000 block of North Leavitt, with some bad news.He told her he heard loud noises and thought the shop was burglarized.Blackburn, who has dealt with a similar incident in the past, was met with the following scene."Twelve years ago, four young guys grabbed my phone, they grabbed the tablets," Blackburn said.Despite a rise in crime in Bucktown over the last few years, Blackburn has not had an issue since until Tuesday. Bucktown residents voice concerns after man beaten, robbed in broad daylight "They validated our feeling of safety, but unfortunately that’s the way Chicago is right now. We are always watching our back," Blackburn said. "Honestly, I was waiting for it to happen. But we are off the beaten path so I thought we were under the radar. But it’s Christmas ti...

Police: Man hits pedestrian, drives 38 miles after body crashes through windshield and into passenger seat

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:02 GMT

TARRANT COUNTY, Texas (KWKT) – A Texas man is facing criminal charges after police say he killed a pedestrian with his car and then drove around with the body in his passenger seat.Police in the town of White Settlement, located just west of Fort Worth, received a report late on Saturday night of a car with severe damage stopped in a fast food restaurant's parking lot, and the driver slumped over the steering wheel. When officers arrived, they discovered a body "with no signs of life" in the Kia Forte's front passenger seat, the department wrote on Facebook. Pedestrian fatalities are rising across the US: Where and why are they spiking? The driver, identified by police as 31-year-old Nestor Joel Lujan Flores, told officers he thought he had hit an animal while driving earlier in Dallas. Detectives believe the impact of the collision drove the pedestrian's body through the windshield and into the car's passenger seat.They also think the damaged car — and the body — had been sittin...

Nearly 35.9 million affected by Xfinity data breach: filings

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:02 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Hackers accessed Xfinity customers' personal information by exploiting a vulnerability in software used by the company, the Comcast-owned telecommunications business announced this week.In a Monday notice to customers, Xfinity said there was unauthorized access to internal systems as a result of this vulnerability — which was previously announced by software provider Citrix — between Oct. 16 and 19.Xfinity discovered the “suspicious activity” on Oct. 25, and in the following months determined that information was “likely acquired.” On Dec. 6, the company concluded that information included usernames and hashed passwords — and, for some customers, the last four digits of Social Security numbers, account security questions, birthdates and contact information.Analysis of the breach is still continuing but to date, Xfinity is “not aware of any customer data being leaked anywhere, nor of any attacks on our customers,” the company said in a statement sent to The Associated...

WATCH: Eulogies for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, first woman on the Supreme Court

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:02 GMT

Video: President Biden, Chief Justice John Roberts, and O'Connor's youngest son, Jay O'Connor, give eulogies at her funeralWASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, an Arizona native and consistent voice of moderate conservatism as the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, was honored with funeral services Tuesday.President Joe Biden and Chief Justice John Roberts were among those to speak at the funeral held at Washington National Cathedral. O’Connor retired from the high court in 2006 after more than two decades, and died Dec. 1 at age 93.O’Connor was nominated in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan. A rancher’s daughter who was largely unknown on the national scene until her appointment, she would come to be referred to by commentators as the nation’s most powerful woman.O’Connor wielded considerable influence on the nine-member court, generally favoring states in disputes with the federal government and often siding with police when they faced claims of violating peop...

First lawsuit filed against new Texas illegal border crossing law

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:02 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A day after Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law, a bill that would make illegal border crossings a state crime in Texas is now facing its first legal challenge. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas along with the ACLU and the Texas Civil Rights Project announced they filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging Senate Ball 4 from taking effect. The three plaintiffs bringing the lawsuit include El Paso County, the Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center and American Gateway. New Texas law could reshape state authority over the US border In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Adriana Piñon, the legal director of the ACLU of Texas, said, "We’re suing to block one of the most extreme anti-immigrant bills in the country. The bill overrides bedrock constitutional principles and flouts federal immigration law while harming Texans, in particular Brown and Black communities." The law — which is set to take effect next year on March 5 — makes it a state crime to enter Texa...

Local demand for CDL drivers continue after pandemic shortages

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:02 GMT

Austin (KXAN) — Graduates of the Changing Lanes CDL School received their official certifications Saturday, ushering in a new class of drivers that could go on to fill vacancies in an industry hit hard during and after the pandemic era.Delbert Crawford, director and owner of Changing Lanes CDL School, said he receives calls from businesses every day trying to recruit his graduates. He said a majority of graduates are often able to get hired upon receiving their certifications.He chalks that success up the school's quality of training and high demand for qualified drivers."Trucking is always going to be here. People are going to need their stuff transported. Since the pandemic, we've had a lot more truck driver interest," Crawford said.Commercial Driver Licenses (CDL) afford holders to drive commercial vehicles like box trucks, buses, and semi-trailer trucks.Struggles to fill CDL driver positions have been well-documented in recent years. Last year, Austin area school districts repor...

County partners with nonprofit to build climate resilience for vulnerable populations

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:02 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – Travis County is taking steps to develop a county-wide climate resilience plan to prepare for extreme weather connected to our changing climate. The county has partnered with FUSE, a national nonprofit dedicated to advancing racial equity in local municipalities, to address the increasing number of climate emergencies and weather hazards. Austin 100-degree days may triple if global emissions go unchecked “Climate resilience is crucial for our communities,” said Maria Yuan, a Fellow for FUSE, at the Travis County Commissioners Court. “For us, a climate resilience strategy is a vision and integrated set of choices to increase community climate resilience,” she continued. The summer of 2023 was Austin’s second hottest summer on record. Camp Mabry counted 80 of 100°+ temperatures and 42 days exceeding 105°, an all-time record. A recent climate assessment found that by 2050, the number of triple-digit days will double and, if greenhouse gas emiss...

St. Paul advocate, co-founder of Minnesota Deaf Queers, named Unsung Hero by McKnight Foundation

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:05:02 GMT

A St. Paul woman is one of four recipients of this year’s Virginia McKnight Binger Unsung Hero Award.Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, of St. Paul.  (Molly Miles / McKnight Foundation)Every year since 1985, the McKnight Foundation, partnered with Minnesota Nonprofits, gives out the award to four Minnesotans who have contributed to the state’s communities and who have not been previously widely recognized for their efforts.One of this year’s winners was Jessalyn Akerman-Frank: a deaf woman, from St. Paul. The award includes a $10,000 cash prize and a special reception at the McKnight Foundation’s offices.“I was incredibly humbled, surprised, so grateful,” Akerman-Frank said. She used sign language while Tarra Grammenos, her friend of 18 years, interpreted for her, over video conference for an interview.Akerman-Frank is the co-founder of Deaf Equity as well as the Annual Deaf LGBTQ+ Awards Program, which has evolved into Minnesota Deaf Queers. Deaf Equity is ...