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Michigan school shooting victims speak as teen described as ‘monster’ faces possible life sentence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:17 GMT

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — A judge on Friday heard hours of gripping anguish from parents, students and wounded survivors of a mass shooting at a Michigan school before he decides whether a teenager who killed four people should go to prison for life. Crime victims in Michigan have a right to speak in court, and Judge Kwame Rowe repeatedly acknowledged the emotions and despair during the final hearing in suburban Detroit.“Your statements,” Rowe said, “do not fall on deaf ears.”Ethan Crumbley, 17, could be locked up with no chance for parole for killing four fellow students at Oxford High School in 2021, a punishment sought by the Oakland County prosecutor. But because of the shooter’s age, the judge also could order a shorter sentence — anywhere from 25 years to 40 years at a minimum — that would eventually make him eligible for release by the state parole board.“We are miserable. We miss Tate,” said Buck Myre, the father of Tate Myre. “Our family has a permanent hole in it t...

La FDA aprueba dos terapias génicas contra la anemia falciforme, llevando esperanza a miles de enfermos

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:17 GMT

(CNN) —  La Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos de EE.UU. (FDA, por sus siglas en inglés) aprobó este viernes dos tratamientos genéticos contra la anemia falciforme, incluido el primero que emplea la técnica de edición genética CRISPR, inaugurando así una nueva era en el tratamiento de enfermedades genéticas.Los medicamentos, llamados Casgevy y Lyfgenia, son curas potenciales para personas con anemia falciforme, un trastorno hereditario de los glóbulos rojos que debilita y acorta la vida y afecta de forma desproporcionada a los estadounidenses negros.Casgevy es el tratamiento basado en CRISPR, fabricado por Vertex Pharmaceuticals y Crispr Therapeutics, mientras que Lyfgenia, fabricado por Bluebird Bio, utiliza un enfoque de terapia génica más antiguo. Ambos han sido autorizados para personas mayores de 12 años con antecedentes de crisis vasooclusivas, episodios dolorosos causados por la enfermedad.Byron está cambiando su vida, marcada por la anemia falciforme“La a...

US and Mexico submit joint bid to host 2027 Women’s World Cup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:17 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. Soccer Federation and Mexico Football Federation submitted a joint bid Friday to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, competing against an expected proposal from Brazil and a joint Germany-Netherlands-Belgium plan.No proposed stadiums were announced by the USSF and Mexico’s governing body. The USSF said the bid envisioned taking advantage of efficiencies from the 2026 men’s World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.“The U.S. and Mexico are in a unique position to host a World Cup that will leverage the same venues, infrastructure, and protocols used for the Men’s World Cup just a year prior,” U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone said in the statement announcing the bid. “As a result, we believe the time is right to host a FIFA Women’s World Cup that features a truly world-class experience for players and fans, alike. This will not only unlock the economic potential of women’s soccer, it will send a message to young players around ...

Extremely rare white alligator is born at a Florida reptile park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:17 GMT

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — An extremely rare white leucistic alligator has been born at a Florida reptile park.The 19.2-inch (49 cm) female slithered out of its shell and into the history books as one of a few known leucistic alligators, Gatorland Orlando said Thursday. “This is beyond rare. It is absolutely extraordinary,” Mark McHugh, president and CEO of Gatorland, said in a statement.The park is asking for the public’s help in the naming the alligator, which is descended from a nest of leucistic alligators discovered in the swamps of Louisiana in 1987. The blue-eyed newborn is the first solid white alligator ever recorded to have descended from those original alligators. Of the seven remaining alligators from the nest, three are at Gatorland, McHugh said.Leucistic alligators are the rarest genetic variation in the American alligator. They differ from albino alligators, which have pink eyes and a complete loss of pigment, according to Gatorland.Park visitors will be able to see...

Baltimore’s light rail service suspended temporarily for emergency inspections

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:17 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — Transportation officials in Maryland temporarily suspended light rail service in the Baltimore area Friday to perform emergency inspections of the whole fleet.The Maryland Transit Administration announced Thursday afternoon that the suspension was due to a potential problem uncovered during a recent inspection, and the agency will initiate an accelerated inspection and correction plan. Shuttle buses will be provided at all stations. Inspections and repairs for the agency’s 53 railcars, which are 24 to 31 years old, will begin immediately, MTA administrator Holly Arnold said at a news conference Thursday. Once at least eight railcars are available, limited service will be restored, and full service will resume once all repairs are complete.Inspections performed after a Oct. 21 fire revealed that high-voltage conduits on the vehicles have been punctured, Arnold said. The agency also found problems with the cables that connect cars, which have caused six smoke ev...

Can you answer these US immigration test questions?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:17 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- When applying for U.S. citizenship, applicants are required to take a naturalization test. The answers are harder than you think.The test is composed of an English and civics test.During the test, applicants must demonstrate an understanding of the English language including the ability to read, write and speak basic English as well as questions about the American government and history. US citizenship test changes are coming, raising concerns for those with low English skills There are 100 possible civics (history and government) questions, which are split up into 10 different categories. Applicants are only asked 10 questions and must answer six correctly.Here are 10 questions chosen from the naturalization test. One question was chosen from each category.Can you answer these 10 questions on the naturalization test?When you highlight the black area with your mouse, the answer will appear.What is the “rule of law”?Everyone must follow the law.Leaders must ob...

Cutting your own Christmas tree: Do’s and don’ts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:17 GMT

CONIFER, Colo. (KDVR) -- There is nothing like going out into the woods and cutting down your own Christmas tree. That’s exactly what FOX31's Dan Daru did with a friend.Back in the 1800’s there was not a fancy tree store where you could buy a pre-cut, pre-shaped and prepared Christmas tree. You had to go get it yourself.That’s why I invited my pal Jay Judd to join me. Coincidentally, Judd is a certified arborist for Davey Tree in Denver.Immediately upon arrival to “Danland,” my property, Jay took a look around and declared that all trees are not created equal. “Right here we have a pretty classic tree for the mountains," Judd said. "It’s the ponderosa pine, and what’s unique about this tree is its butter-scotchy smell.” Take a whiff and you’ll see, or actually, smell, that Judd was right. It smelled like the sweet, yellow, buttery candy. It didn’t taste like it, however.Many species of evergreen trees would make for a fine Christmas tree. Fraser fir, blue spruce, balsam fir and do...

Hot air balloon makes hard landing in Phoenix neighborhood

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:17 GMT

PHOENIX (KPHO, KTVK) — No one was hurt after a hot air balloon made a hard landing in a north Phoenix neighborhood Thursday morning.The incident was reported just before 9 a.m. Thursday near 22nd Avenue and Dove Valley Road, just east of Interstate 17. Aerial video shows the balloon caught on a street light in the neighborhood and draped over a backyard wall. Capt. Todd Keller with the Phoenix Fire Dept. says nine people were onboard and that no one was hurt.Michael England, a pilot with Hot Air Expeditions, told Arizona’s Family that the balloon was getting low on fuel and attempting to land in a nearby open field when the wind shifted. Even with the slightly changed trajectory, he says the basket was already on the ground when the balloon snagged the street light.“Everyone had fun, and everyone stayed safe,” England said, in spite of the unexpected circumstances.APS also responded to shut off power to the street light, and the FAA has been notified.

BSO seeks help from public in locating 43-year-old woman reported missing from Tamarac

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:17 GMT

The Broward Sheriff’s Office Missing Persons Unit is seeking help from the public in locating 43-year-old Cassandra Simone Metzger, who was missing from Tamarac.Detectives said that Metzger was last seen on Wednesday, Sept. 20, in the 2900 block of Northwest 53rd Terrace.She stands at 5 feet 5 inches, weighs approximately 120 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. According to BSO, family members said that Metzger suffers from mental illness and requires medication.Anyone with information on Metzger’s whereabouts should contact BSO Detective Leonard Charla at 954-321-4274 or the BSO non-emergency number at 954-764-HELP (4357).

Republican National Committee officially allows candidates to participate in unsanctioned debates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:17 GMT

(CNN) — The Republican National Committee said Friday that it has no party-sponsored presidential debates scheduled for January and that GOP candidates are free to participate in any forum or debate of their choosing.“We have held four successful debates across the country with the most conservative partners in the history of a Republican primary. We have no RNC debates scheduled in January and any debates currently scheduled are not affiliated with the RNC,” the RNC’s Committee on Presidential Debates said in a statement. “It is now time for Republican primary voters to decide who will be our next President and candidates are free to use any forum or format to communicate to voters as they see fit.”CNN announced Thursday it will host two Republican presidential primary debates next month in Iowa and New Hampshire – the states that hold the first contests in the race for the 2024 GOP nomination. ABC News and WMUR-TV will also hold a Republican presidential primary debate in Manchest...