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Supreme Court rules state courts can play role in policing federal elections

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:58:47 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that North Carolina’s top court did not overstep its bounds in striking down a congressional districting plan as excessively partisan under state law.The justices by a 6-3 vote rejected the broadest view of a case that could have transformed elections for Congress and president.North Carolina Republicans had asked the court to leave state legislatures virtually unchecked by their state courts when dealing with federal elections.But Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court that “state courts retain the authority to apply state constitutional restraints when legislatures act under the power conferred upon them by the Elections Clause. But federal courts must not abandon their own duty to exercise judicial review.”The high court did, though, suggest there could be limits on state court efforts to police elections for Congress and president.The practical effect of the decision is minimal in that the North Carolina Supreme Court,...

International Criminal Court authorizes reopening probe into Venezuela security forces

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:58:47 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — International prosecutors should resume investigating alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela by security forces under President Nicolás Maduro because the country’s own probe has fallen short, the International Criminal Court ruled Tuesday.The court had suspended an investigation into alleged wrongdoing including use of excessive force and torture — its first in Latin Americ a — after Venezuela asked to take over the case in April last year.Seven months later, Prosecutor Karim Khan sought to reopen his investigation, saying that Venezuelan efforts toward delivering justice “remain either insufficient in scope or have not yet had any concrete impact on potentially relevant proceedings.”Judges agreed, and the court said in a statement Tuesday that Venezuela’s actions do “not sufficiently mirror the scope” of the intended investigation, including by failing to focus on more than just low-level perpetrators.Human Rights Watch welcomed the ruling.“With...

A Wagner ex-convict returned from war and a Russian village lived in fear. Then he killed again

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:58:47 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — When Ivan Rossomakhin returned home from the war in Ukraine three months ago, his neighbors in the village east of Moscow were terrified.Three years ago, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to a long prison term but was freed after volunteering to fight with the Wagner private military contractor.Back in Novy Burets, Rossomakhin drunkenly wandered the streets of the hamlet 800 kilometers (about 500 miles) east of Moscow, carrying a pitchfork and threatening to kill everyone, residents said.Despite police promises to keep an eye on the 28-year-old former inmate, he was arrested in a nearby town on charges of stabbing to death an elderly woman from whom he once rented a room. He reportedly confessed to committing the crime, less than 10 days after his return.Rossomakhin’s case is not isolated. The Associated Press found at least seven other instances in recent months in which Wagner-recruited convicts were identified as being involved in violent crimes, ei...

Stock market today: Wall Street rises as economy holds up better than feared

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:58:47 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is drifting higher Tuesday after a round of reports suggested the economy is in better shape than feared. The S&P 500 was 0.4% higher in morning trading. It’s been generally edging lower since a five-week rally carried it to its highest level in more than a year in mid-June. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 94 points, or 0.3%, at 33,808, as of 10:30 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% higher.Airlines were helping to lead the way after Delta Air Lines said it still sees pent-up demand in the pipeline as passengers make up for lost opportunities to travel during the pandemic. It highlighted high-income customers in particular, who account for three-quarters of spending on air travel and still look to be in good financial shape despite high inflation. Delta’s stock rose 2.9% after it said earnings this year should come in at the top end of the range it had earlier forecast. American Airlines climbed 3.2%, and United Ai...

Brookfield makes takeover offer for American Equity Investment Life Holding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:58:47 GMT

TORONTO — Brookfield Reinsurance Ltd. has made a stock-and-cash offer to buy American Equity Investment Life Holding Co. (AEL) that values the company at US$4.3 billion.Under the non-binding expression of interest, the reinsurance arm of Brookfield Corp. is offering US$55 for each AEL share it does not already own. The offer includes US$38.85 in cash and US$16.15 worth of Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. class A limited voting shares.Brookfield Reinsurance would acquire the Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) shares required to pay the non-cash portion of the offer from Brookfield Corp. The transaction would reduce Brookfield Corp.’s stake in BAM to about 73 per cent from 75 per cent.Brookfield already holds about a 20 per cent stake in AEL.AEL confirmed it has received the offer and said it would not comment further until its board has completed its review of the proposal.Both companies said there was no guarantee that an agreement will be reached.This report by The Canadian Pr...

Supreme Court makes it more difficult to convict someone of making a threat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:58:47 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday to make it more difficult to convict a person of making a violent threat. The case could make it harder for prosecutors to convict certain people who threaten elected officials, including the president.The high court ruled in a case that involves a man who was sentenced to more than four years in prison in Colorado for sending threatening Facebook messages. The man’s lawyers had argued that he suffers from mental illness and never intended his messages to be threatening.Officials said that violent threats against public officials have increased in recent years. The internet and social media generally have expanded the number and kind of threats including online harassment, intimidation and stalking.The question for the court was whether prosecutors must show that a person being prosecuted for making a threat knew their behavior was threatening or whether prosecutors just have to prove that a reasonable person would see it as threaten...

Killing of 3 relatives, including couple marking 50th wedding anniversary, rattles Boston suburb

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:58:47 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — A suspect will be arraigned Tuesday in connection with a crime that has rattled a Boston suburb and a church community: the apparently random weekend killings of a couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, along with the woman’s 97-year-old mother.Jill D’Amore, 73, Bruno D’Amore, 74, were found dead in their home in Newton, along with Lucia Arpino, after the couple failed to show up for Sunday services at Our Lady Help of Christians Church.Christopher Ferguson was arrested Monday; he also lives in Newton, but it appears he had no other connection to the victims, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said.It wasn’t immediately clear whether Ferguson had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.The Rev. Dan Riley, of Our Lady Help of Christians, said they were “wonderful people, church-going, kind, hospitable, salt of the earth.” A message to parishioners said the three “lost their lives in a senseless act of violence.”“Bruno was known for his big voice and...

Belarus’ president says Prigozhin, who led a weekend rebellion in Russia, is in his country

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:58:47 GMT

Yevgeny Prigozhin, owner of the private army of inmate recruits and other mercenaries that has fought some of the deadliest battles in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is in Belarus after his abortive armed rebellion against the Kremlin, Belarus’s president said Tuesday.The exile in Belarus of the 62-year-old owner of the Wagner Group had earlier been announced by the Kremlin as part of the deal that ended the short-lived armed mutiny in Russia.Prigozhin and some of his troops would be welcome to stay in Belarus “for some time” at their own expense, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.The Russian Defense Ministry said preparations are under way for Wagner to hand over its heavy weapons to the Russian military. There was no confirmation of that move by Prigozhin.Russian authorities said earlier Tuesday they have closed a criminal investigation into the uprising and are pressing no charges against Prigozhin or his troops after the negotiated deal.The Federal Security Service, ...

Largest grocers making more on food sales: competition watchdog

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:58:47 GMT

Canada’s grocery sector needs more competition to help keep food prices down and encourage new entrants, the country’s competition watchdog has found.In a highly anticipated study released Tuesday, the Competition Bureau said concentration in the grocery industry has increased in recent years and the largest grocers have grown the amount they make on food sales. Most Canadians buy groceries in stores owned by a handful of grocery giants, with Canada’s three largest grocers — Loblaws, Sobeys, and Metro — collectively reporting more than $100 billion in sales and $3.6 billion in profits last year, the study found. “We saw Canada’s largest grocers’ food gross margins generally increase by a modest yet meaningful amount over the last five years,” it said. “This longer-term trend pre-dates the supply chain disruptions faced during the pandemic and the current inflationary period.”The Competition Bureau said this signals the need for more competition in...

APD: SWAT called out to southwest Austin apartment, neighbors evacuated

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:58:47 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Police said Tuesday morning the SWAT team was called to the 8600 block of West Gate Boulevard. The block is on West Gate just north of Davis Lane. Austin Police officer Alexandra Parker said multiple people called 911 at 4 a.m.When officers arrived to the location approximately 10 minutes later, officer Parker said officers were able to make contact with the victim of a domestic dispute and "get her to safety."Officers said a man refused to surrender and was making violent threats."For the safety of everyone, neighboring apartments were evacuated," according to Officer Parker.SWAT and negotiators were called to the scene."With the expertise of all patrol officers and specialized units on scene, I am confident they will do everything possible to a peaceful resolution," officer Parker said.This is a breaking story. Please stay with KXAN and KXAN.com for further updates.