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DOJ, White House announces efforts to crack down on fentanyl trafficking

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:23 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a major operation to disrupt fentanyl trafficking from Mexico Friday."The United States government is using every tool at its disposal to combat the fentanyl epidemic," Garland said.The DOJ says the Sinaloa Cartel makes the drug using chemicals from China, and sells them in the U.S., mixed with other drugs or as counterfeit pain medications."Many Americans are unaware that they are purchasing and being poisoned by fentanyl," Garland said.The new effort is part of the Biden administration's broader fight against fentanyl traffickers."Cracking down on the supply is a multi-faceted endeavor," Deputy Homeland Security Advisor Josh Geltzer said.The administration wants to hurt the supply chain by working with banks here and abroad to go after the drug makers' financial accounts."Ultimately what people want to do off this is profit from it, and if we can disrupt that, we're getting at a key piece of that," Geltzer said.The ...

Can the Bulls keep a regular season trend going to make playoffs?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:23 GMT

MIAMI — It's a professional postseason that, at the moment, has a bit of a college feel.That's because the Bulls are about to play their second "Win or Go Home" game in three days, just like they do in the NCAA Tournament. With one successful elimination contest against the Raptors on Wednesday under their belt, the Bulls will try to keep their season alive for at least another week on Friday in Miami. That's when they'll face the Heat at 6 p.m. central time in the play-in tournament, with the winner earning the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. That gets them a date with the top-seeded Bucks in the first round, with Game 1 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee set for Sunday at 4:30 p.m.If Billy Donovan's team wants to keep their season going, all they'll have to do is keep up a trend from their regular season.(Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)The Bulls faced the Heat three times over the past six months and beat them each time, including twice on their own home floor. On Open...

Storm chance tonight ahead of near-record Saturday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:23 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Clearing skies bringing increasing sun should push highs in the low 80s today. This Friday afternoon's temperatures are expected to be the warmest we have seen in a week and a half. El Niño watch issued: Here’s what that means We've increased rain and storm chances slightly after 9 p.m. tonight as a cluster of storms may be able to overcome the cap in the atmosphere and head toward Central Texas. The highest storm risk appears to our south, but some of our southern counties may get clipped by some storms or rain later tonight. The Storm Prediction Center has placed portions of our area from Blanco to south Austin and Giddings and south, in the "marginal" risk area for a severe storm Friday night. Large hail and damaging wind would be the greatest threat. Storm Prediction Center OutlookSaturday starts with some areas of low clouds and fog before sunshine quickly develops. Ahead of a late Saturday cold front highs on Saturday should soar into the low 90s. The record...

Supreme Court grants temporary pause on abortion pill ruling

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:23 GMT

The Supreme Court briefly paused a ruling from a federal court that would severely restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone.The short order from Justice Samuel Alito on the court's emergency "shadow docket" will keep the status quo in place until at least midnight Wednesday while the administration's emergency request for a stay is considered by the full court.After the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals late Wednesday night essentially rolled the clock back to 2016 in imposing new limits on access to medication abortion, the Justice Department and the manufacturer of the brand name version of the pill separately asked the Court to temporarily allow full access to the drug, or to quickly schedule briefing and oral arguments to review the case before the court’s term ends this summer.The appeals court on Wednesday ruled 2-1 that mifepristone may remain on the market as the federal government’s appeal of a decision from Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the Northern District of Texas...

Record amount of fentanyl seized during traffic stop in Mission, Gov. Abbott says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:23 GMT

MISSION, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A Reynosa man was arrested in Mission after a traffic stop revealed one of the largest single fentanyl seizures during Operation Lone Star, Gov. Greg Abbott announced.On April 10, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper stopped a black Cadillac SUV at the intersection of 43rd Street and Gumwood Avenue in Mission. During the traffic stop, authorities found five tape-wrapped bundles containing a white powdery substance, a news release from Abbott stated. The substance tested positive for fentanyl, and weighed approximately 14 pounds. According to the release, this is the equivalent of 3.1 million doses. (Photo: Office of the Texas Governor Greg Abbott)"Fentanyl is the single greatest drug threat our state and country has ever known, and this record amount of fentanyl seized would have otherwise made its way into communities across Texas and the nation because of President Joe Biden's open border policies," said Governor Abbott. "Through Texas' hist...

Wolf expert to speak at St. Croix River event

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:23 GMT

Debra Mitts-Smith, the author of “Picturing the Wolf in Children’s Literature,” will be the featured speaker at the Wild Rivers Conservancy’s spring event.Mitts-Smith, a contributor to “International Wolf” magazine, will speak at “Open Water: A Conservancy Celebration” on April 21 at the Lake Elmo Inn Event Center in Lake Elmo. The title of her talk is: “What Big Eyes You Have: A Cultural History of the Wolf.”The Nelson-Mondale Award, created to recognize the impact Sen. Gaylord Nelson, D-Wis., and former vice president Walter Mondale had on the passage of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, will be presented at the event.This year’s winners are Dan Willius, Peter Gove and the late Bill Clapp, who were co-nominated for the award. It recognizes those who have made significant contributions to the St. Croix and Namekagon rivers.The Watershed Stewardship Award will be awarded to Greg Seitz, founder, editor and publisher of St. Croix 360, an indepen...

3-mile stretch in downtown St. Paul to close due to expected flooding

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:23 GMT

At 6 p.m. on Sunday, the city of St. Paul and Ramsey County will close a 3-miles stretch of Shepard Road and Warner Road in downtown St. Paul due to expected flooding caused by rising levels of the Mississippi River.Between Eagle Parkway and U.S. Highway 61, vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian access on these roads along the north side of the Mississippi is prohibited until water levels have receded and the roads can be cleared, according to a press release from the city of St. Paul.Sibley Street and Jackson Street between Kellogg Boulevard and Second Street also will be closed to traffic. The one-way street segments, which typically connect to Shepard Road, will be temporarily converted to two-way traffic only open to access local buildings. Closing Shepard Road is part of the city’s Flood Response Plan when water levels rise near the “moderate stage,” or 15 feet.“Closing Shepard Road due to flooding is a necessary step we do in partnership with the County to protect ...

Lynx top draft pick Diamond Miller is unassuming, just how her coach likes it

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:23 GMT

Lynx coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve noted prior to this week’s WNBA draft that there is no guarantee of immediate success for the majority of prospects. Most young players have a lot they must first endure before truly breaking through.“But I think if they’re coachable and they don’t think that they’re really special when they come into the WNBA, if they understand that this is not an easy league and if they’re humble, then they have a chance,” Reeve said.Enter Diamond Miller, the former Maryland guard Minnesota selected No. 2 overall in Monday’s WNBA draft. Miller was the consensus No. 2 overall prospect in the draft, behind only South Carolina forward Aliyah Boston. The guard had an excellent season for the Terrapins, capped by a strong NCAA tournament run.She has every reason to be highly confident in herself and her abilities as she enters the league. Yet that was not the aura she carried into Thursday’s introductory news conference in Minneapolis...

NY Budget now two weeks late

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:23 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) -- The budget extender is set to expire on Monday, a letter from the Comptroller’s Office says another extender must be passed by noon on Tuesday to keep state operations running and state workers paid. Governor Hochul has repeatedly said, "a good budget is more important than an on time budget." Housing and public safety disagreements are responsible for the now two-week late budget.  Fallen ATV driver rescued from Altamont embankment Assemblywoman Pat Fahy said in her 11 years at the state, it’s never been quite this late. "It is discouraging, but in the end, it’s more important that we try to get it right, try to listen to voters, try to address the housing crisis, try to address the theft crisis, and other criminal justice issues that voters care about," said Fahy. There have been discussions about judges having more discretion when it comes to setting bail and also some changes to discovery laws. The Legal Aid Society released a statement hinting at possib...

Fallen ATV driver rescued from Altamont embankment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:23 GMT

ALTAMONT, N.Y. (NEWS10) — On Thursday, Albany County emergency crews responded to the scene of a possible rope rescue in Altamont. There, about a mile into the woods near Altamont-Voorheesville Road, a man on an ATV was seriously injured and in trouble. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The ATV driver crashed and was down a steep, remote, wooded embankment. Responders were able to access the man and used another ATV to extract him from the crash. He was brought to an ambulance waiting nearby for treatment.The fire department did not release any identifying information about the victim, or how they extracted him from the embankment. Several crews were on-hand to assist, including from Slingerlands, Guilderland, Guilderland Center, Fort Hunter, and East Berne. Preserve Kenwood plans for a new future