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Italy planning 5-figure fines for monument and art vandalism

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:34 GMT

ROME (AP) — Italy will push for a law imposing stiff, five-figure fines on vandals who damage monuments or other cultural sites, to help pay for the repairs and clean-up. At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the government approved proposed legislation championed by the culture minister that would impose fines starting at 10,000 euros (nearly $11,000) and as high as 60,000 euros (about $65,000).Premier Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government has a comfortable majority in Parliament, so the proposal is expected to be easily approved and adopted into law.Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said that it recently cost the government 40,000 euros (almost $44,000) to clean the façade of the 15th-century Palazzo Madama, which is home to the Italian Senate, after it was vandalized. Just days ago, activists pressing for more action on climate change dumped black dye into the waters of a monumental fountain sculpted by Bernini at the foot of the Spanish Steps. “The attacks on monuments and ...

U.S. decries leaked classified docs over security, misinformation fears

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:34 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) – Biden administration and Pentagon officials say there is a serious concern for national security following a leak of dozens of classified documents with information on the war in Ukraine and U.S. involvement.Officials say they are taking the leak very seriously as the Pentagon has reached out to allies, and is now limiting the number of people with access to key documents. The agency is also holding daily meetings to asses the damage.U.S. officials are outraged about the leaked documents as National Security Council member John Kirby said, “There is no excuse for these kinds of documents to be in the public domain.”Dr. Joanna Spear, professor of international affairs at George Washington University says the leak is a serious national security concern that also exposes information about other U.S. allies.“One of the things that's notable is how current they are,” Spear said.The professor noted there are signs parts of the documents were changed to spread misinf...

MMA fighter charged with manslaughter after Florida bar fight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:34 GMT

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Florida (WMBB) — An amateur MMA fighter was arrested after he allegedly killed another man in the parking lot of a Panama City Beach, Florida bar. Ross Allen Johnson, 23, of Cartersville, Ill., was charged with manslaughter by the Panama City Beach Police Department. The incident happened Sunday night in the parking lot of a bar in the 10500 block of Front Beach Road. Police wrote that Johnson is an amateur mixed martial artist with a record of five wins and two losses and three years of "advanced fighter training."  Walmart removes T-shirt from sale after shoppers notice vulgar acronym Johnson was running toward a fight involving a friend when he struck another man behind the ear, police added. That man was 31-year-old Dayvon Larry, of Malone, Fla. Base officials told Nexstar's WMBB that Larry was Airman First Class and a member of the 325th Security Forces Squadron.Police noted that Johnson never attempted to get help for Larry after he all...

Racist graffiti, threats spray-painted on California elementary school

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:34 GMT

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KTLA) – Parents and teachers in Riverside County, California, are calling for action after an elementary school in Anza was defaced with death threats and racist graffiti.The racial slurs and swastikas, along with other graphic images, were spray-painted on and around the Hamilton Elementary School last week.  Student honored for helping thwart alleged school shooting plot While the incident happened during spring break, it’s unclear exactly when the vandal or vandals hit the school. A spokesperson with the Hemet Unified School District said the incident occurred last Tuesday. Officials at the school said they learned about the graffiti on Wednesday and notified law enforcement immediately before cleaning up the hateful messages on Wednesday and Thursday.  The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, however, paints a different picture, saying deputies were not notified about the racist graffiti until Monday.  While the timeline is unclear, o...

Missing woman found alive in Jeep submerged in Texas lake

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:34 GMT

MARION COUNTY, Texas (KETK) – Deputies responding to a call about a Jeep submerged in a Texas lake made a shocking discovery after pulling it out of the water: There was a woman inside.The rescued woman, who authorities haven't publicly identified, was taken to a hospital in Marion County, Texas, Friday morning. Officials say you shouldn’t eat from these East Texas lakes Marion County Sheriff's Office officials said a fisherman called the sheriff's office after he found the black Jeep submerged in the south side of Lake O' the Pines.Photo Courtesy of Marion County Sheriff's Office.Photo Courtesy of Marion County Sheriff's Office.The fisherman told dispatchers that the Jeep was about forty feet from the Woody's Camp boat ramp. Deputies and a local wrecker crew arrived, officials said, and when they started preparing to remove the Jeep from the lake they discovered a person was still inside and moving. East Texan catches one of the largest Largemouth Bass in state history With the...

What are the chances Biden extends the student loan pause again?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:34 GMT

President Biden faces a ticking timer on the resumption of student loan payments by the end of the summer — but will he allow it to go off?The payments, paused amid the coronavirus pandemic, are set to begin either 60 days after the Supreme Court makes a ruling on Biden’s student debt forgiveness program or 60 days after June 30, the White House has said. Biden had also previously said the payments would resume at the beginning of 2023, and that there would not be another extension of the pause, which began under then-President Trump in 2020. Although the White House won’t discuss the possibility of a Plan B if the high court strikes down Biden's relief proposal, experts believe yet another extension of the loan payment pause is a possibility. “I definitely think this is on the table,” said Rebecca Natow, assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at Hofstra University and a higher education policy expert. Policy-wise, the move would put the Democra...

Texas STAAR Test is being redesigned — what you need to know

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:34 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Say goodbye to scantrons and bubbling in your answers as this year's STAAR Test is moving online.The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test is being redesigned to better align with what students are learning in the classroom. STAAR testing returns with slight change to school rating system "Hopefully these items look more like kids see day-to-day in a grade classroom," Lily Laux, deputy commissioner of school programs at the Texas Education Agency, said. "So students are asked to write short answers all the time, so students asked to write short answers, students graphing in response to a math problem, those kinds of things which hopefully allow students to more show what they know and also will allow for partial credit."This year, students will be introduced to new online question formats, cross-curricular reading passages and an evidence-based writing assessment."It has no individual student-level consequences so we really want students and other f...

Fentanyl testing strip legalization overwhelmingly approved by Texas House

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:34 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted Tuesday to legalize fentanyl testing strips. The bill will now head to the Senate.The test strips cost roughly a dollar and can be used to test drugs, powders and pills for the presence of fentanyl, which is significantly more powerful than other drugs and can be fatal. But under the Texas Controlled Substances Act, drug testing equipment is classified as drug paraphernalia, which currently makes it illegal for people to recreationally test."The people who sell fake pills containing narcotics aren't attempting to sell a product that kills their consumers," said Rick Cofer, an Austin criminal defense lawyer who has represented Texans who have been charged with possession or distribution of fentanyl. "Those who are arrested should be prosecuted vigorously and defended vigorously so that the system is fair, but empowering all Texans to test any pills that they may happen to purchase for the presence of fentan...

Daniel Perry's attorney files motion for new trial, court documents say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:34 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for April 11, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Court documents reveal Daniel Perry's attorney filed a motion Tuesday for a new trial for Perry after a jury found him guilty of murder last week. Perry shot and killed protester Garrett Foster in July 2020 in downtown Austin. Perry's attorney said the shooting was in self-defense.Perry's attorney requested the new trial based upon grounds of excluded evidence, court documents said. The defense team stated in the documents it attempted to introduce evidence to show Foster's motive, states of mind and intent. Q&A: Daniel Perry was found guilty of murder. What happens now? The documents said there were other incidents in which Foster was the first aggressor and would "unlawfully" scare others who he believed might interfere with his objective to "take the streets."KXAN reached out the Travis County District Attorney's Office for comment. This story will be updated when we rec...

Rensselaer County to open new senior center in Troy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:34 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Touted by county officials as one of the best in the entire state, the new senior center in Troy will open its doors following a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday. The new center will replace the longtime senior center on Third Street and features state-of-the-art services and equipment. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! “The new Rensselaer County Senior Center in Troy will be a dramatic step forward in our service to our seniors. The new county senior center in Troy will be a comfortable, accessible, and inviting place our seniors will look forward to visiting and the county will be proud to operate,” said County Executive Steve McLaughlin. The new center features an expanded kitchen that can provide hundreds of meals daily for home delivery, grab-and-go, and in-person dining. Other features include a room for movie screenings, a golf simulator, a bar for coffee and tea, and more. 5 things to know...