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Supreme Court rejects Alabama’s attempt to avoid creating a second Black majority congressional district

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:57:00 GMT

(CNN) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an emergency bid from Alabama, setting the stage for a new congressional map likely to include a second Black majority district to account for the state’s 27% Black population.The one-line order reflects that the feelings on the court haven’t changed since June when a 5-4 Supreme Court affirmed a lower court that had ordered the state to redraw its seven-seat congressional map to include a second majority-Black district or “something quite close to it.”There were no noted dissents.The justices’ action will have immediate consequences in Alabama and perhaps nationwide in the 2024 elections. There are currently six Republicans and one Democratic member of Congress from Alabama, but the changing makeup of the districts is likely to mean the state will pick up a new Democratic member of Congress.Black voters lean Democratic in other states with redistricting battles underway as well.Attempt to go around June rulingThe case has...

JPMorgan to pay $75 million on claims that it enabled Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:57:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay $75 million to the U.S. Virgin Islands to settle claims that the bank enabled the sex trafficking acts committed by financier Jeffrey Epstein.JPMorgan said Tuesday that $55 million of the settlement will go toward local charities and assistance for victims. Another $20 million will go toward legal fees. The Virgin Islands, where Epstein had an estate, sued JPMorgan last year, saying its investigation has revealed that the financial services giant enabled Epstein’s recruiters to pay victims and was “indispensable to the operation and concealment of the Epstein trafficking enterprise.”Epstein died by suicide in a federal jail in 2019.

US consumer confidence tumbles in September as American anxiety about the future grows

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:57:00 GMT

By MATT OTT (AP Business Writer)WASHINGTON (AP) — The confidence of American consumers slipped this month, particularly about the future, as expectations persist that interest rates will remain elevated for an extended period.The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 103 in September from 108.7 in August. Analysts were expecting a smaller decrease, to a reading of 105.The index measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. Most troubling was the decline in the index measuring future expectations, which tumbled to 73.7 in September from 83.3 in August. Readings below 80 for future expectations historically signal a recession within a year.Relatedly, consumers’ perceived likelihood of a recession in the next year rose, after it declined over the summer.“Consumers may be hearing more bad news about corporate earnings, while job openings ...

Patriots pass rusher reportedly suffered torn biceps vs. Jets

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:57:00 GMT

Patriots defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale was initially diagnosed with a torn biceps after last weekend’s win over the Jets, according to a Tuesday report from ESPN.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots QB Mac Jones could be fined for alleged groin shot of Jets CB Sauce Gardner New England Patriots | Patriots-Jets film review: How Mac Jones and the offense made small progress in an ugly win New England Patriots | Sauce Gardner posts ‘proof’ of Mac Jones’ low blow in Patriots’ win over Jets New England Patriots | Bill Belichick compares Patriots rookie to elite NFL defender New England Patriots | Patriots RB Ezekiel Elliott opens up about facing Cowboys Ekuale, a rotational pass rusher, hurt his left arm while attempting to make an arm tackle in the second quarter. He left the game immediately and sat on the bench for the remainder of the first half. The team is await...

Hunter Biden sues Rudy Giuliani and another lawyer over accessing and sharing of his personal data

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:57:00 GMT

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden sued Rudy Giuliani and another attorney Tuesday, saying the two wrongly accessed and shared his personal data after obtaining it from the owner of a Delaware computer repair shop. The lawsuit was the latest in a new strategy by Hunter Biden to strike back against Republican allies of Donald Trump, who have traded and passed around his private data including purported emails and embarrassing images in their effort to discredit his father, President Joe Biden. The suit accuses Giuliani and attorney Robert Costello of spending years “hacking into, tampering with, manipulating, copying, disseminating, and generally obsessing over” the data that was “taken or stolen” from Biden’s devices or storage, leading to the “total annihilation” of Biden’s digital privacy.The suit also claims Biden’s data was “manipulated, altered and damaged” before it was ...

Newsom signs law barring schoolbook bans based on racial, gender teachings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:57:00 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday to ban school boards from rejecting textbooks based on their teachings about the contributions of people from different racial backgrounds, sexual orientations and gender identities.Newsom called the measure “long overdue.”“From Temecula to Tallahassee, fringe ideologues across the country are attempting to whitewash history and ban books from schools,” Newsom said in a statement. “With this new law, we’re cementing California’s role as the true freedom state: a place where families — not political fanatics — have the freedom to decide what’s right for them.”The bill takes effect immediately. Protesters check out all LGBTQ+ books at Rancho Penasquitos library The topic of banning and censoring books has become a U.S. political flashpoint, cropping up in statesaround the country. Many of the new restrictions enacted by conservative-dominated school boards have been over textbook representations of sexu...

Padres push back against reports there's a lack of leadership in a dysfunctional franchise

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:57:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Less than a year after a stirring run to the NL Championship Series, the high-priced, underperforming San Diego Padres are defending themselves against reports there is a lack of clubhouse leadership within a dysfunctional organization.While hinting that there have been issues in the clubhouse, right-hander Joe Musgrove said they have been addressed following a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune that questioned the clubhouse culture and a story in The Athletic that suggested cultural issues and dysfunction extend up to general manager A.J. Preller.Both publications said the reports were based on interviews with players and former club employees who had been granted anonymity.“You look at last year, we were one step away from being in the World Series competing for the ultimate prize. Not a whole lot’s changed this year,” said Musgrove, who has spent two stints on the injured list. “Obviously, there were things that went on in the clubhouse this year that we didn’t...

Leaf-peeping social media users are clogging a Vermont back road. The town is closing it

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:57:00 GMT

POMFRET, Vt. (AP) — Social media users take note: You won’t be able to snap that fall foliage selfie at a popular Vermont spot. The town has temporarily closed the road to nonresidents due to overcrowding and “poorly behaved tourists.”The normally quiet dirt road from Pomfret to Woodstock, home to the frequently photographed Sleepy Hollow Farm, will be open only to residents through mid-October. And local law enforcement plans to enforce it.In recent years, social media users and photographers have clogged the narrow road for selfies and fall foliage shots of the scenic private property, drawn by its colorful hillside trees, the barn and classic New England home.Locals say they understand the lure of the beautiful leaves and landscape, but say some visitors have gone too far: blocking traffic with their parked vehicles, obstructing access for residents and emergency vehicles, as well as picnicking and even relieving themselves on private land surrounding the home. One Instagra...

India, at UN, is mum about dispute with Canada over Sikh separatist leader’s killing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:57:00 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — India’s top diplomat steered clear of his country’s row with Canada over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader but made an oblique swipe at how other countries respond to “terrorism” as he addressed world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday.Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar mainly used his speech to champion India’s growing global stature and leadership ambitions, highlight its recent turn chairing the Group of 20 industrialized nations and steering a meaty summit meeting earlier this month.But he also said that the world must not “countenance that political convenience determines responses to terrorism, extremism and violence.”India has often lashed out at Pakistan over what New Delhi sees as sponsoring terrorism, accusing its neighbor of arming and training insurgents fighting for the independence of Indian-controlled Kashmir or for its integration into Pakistan — a charge that Islamabad denies. But this time, the commen...

Egyptian rights group says 73 supporters of a presidential challenger have been arrested

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:57:00 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian authorities have detained at least 73 campaign volunteers for a challenger to incumbent President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi in the December election, a rights group said Tuesday. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights said the detainees were volunteers working for presidential hopeful and critic Ahmed Altantawy. The dozens of supporters face a variety of charges including joining a terrorist group — government parlance for the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood — and spreading false news. Seven of them remained in detention as of Monday, the group said.Egypt’s chairman of the National Election Authority, Waleed Hamza, on Monday announced details of elections due by next year, saying the presidential polling would be held over three days in December. The outcome is widely anticipated to be a foregone conclusion in favor of the incumbent el-Sissi. The former defense minister has led the country since 2014 and has faced criticism from the West over his country’s h...