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Civil rights attorney pleads Biden to appoint Black woman to Southern District Court in Florida following Marcia Cooke’s death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:26 GMT

Following the death of Florida’s first Black female federal judge, a civil rights attorney is urging President Biden to nominate another Black woman to serve on the bench. The call for action is taking center stage in South Florida.According to reports, of the four open and soon-to-be vacant judge seats in South Florida, people are hoping the vacant seat will be filled by another Black woman. “Diversity in America is a fact,” attorney Ben Crump said.Members of the Black Bar Association in South Florida are pushing to continue the legacy of diversity on the Southern District Court in Florida.Only one Black woman has served as a federal judge in its 176-year history.The Honorable Marcia Cooke was confirmed by a 96-0 senate vote in 2004, nominated by former President George W. Bush.Earlier this year, Cooke passed away at 68-years old from cancer after an 18-year career on the bench.But her untimely death left a void and now, more than a half a dozen legal associations...

Illinois man extradicted to Broward County for selling fake Rolex watches at pawn shops across the U.S.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:26 GMT

An Illinois man was arrested and brought to South Florida, accused of pawning counterfeit Rolex watches at pawn shops across the country.Kyle Patrick Morris, 27, from Lyons, Illinois, is facing charges of grand theft and selling counterfeit goods, according to authorities.The arrest followed an extensive investigation by the Broward Sheriff’s Office, which uncovered Morris’ nationwide operation.Investigators discovered that the counterfeit Rolex watches were remarkably authentic, making them nearly indistinguishable from genuine timepieces. The deception only became noticeable upon close examination of the watches.During the investigation, detectives found evidence that Morris had successfully pawned counterfeit watches twice in November 2022, receiving $5,000 for each piece at pawn shops in Broward County. Additionally, he possessed counterfeit certificates of authenticity, further misleading the unsuspecting pawnbrokers.“The suspect did not ask to pawn the watch,...

Miami-Dade court employee hospitalized after being attacked by 2 dogs in Miami

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:26 GMT

A Miami-Dade court employee is in the hospital after she was attack by two dogs.The incident happened at a home near Southwest Ninth Avenue and Second Street in Miami, Tuesday. According to police, the victim said she was bitten on the ear and her backside by two dogs.The owner’s son said it likely happened after his mother made a mistake.“We always leave that gate closed because the dogs get excited as people walk past,” the owner’s son said. “But she opened it, and went back out, and I don’t think she closed this, the gate, and then that’s when it happened.Animal services took the dogs away.

Sinkhole in Ocala cause problems for residents

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:26 GMT

OCALA, Fla. (WSVN) – A sinking situation in central Florida has gotten bigger. The massive hole is inching closer to homes and it has a neighborhood on edge. A man in Ocala watched in disbelief as a sinkhole grew in his neighbor’s backyard“It went from 2 feet to about 15 feet, and then it turned into that,” the man said. “It actually is kind of scary.”Recent heavy rain has caused a couple of problems. “Unfortunately, this one, it just caught everybody by surprise,” said James Carsey, a city employee. First, the ground opened up so close to a home that the woman living there was forced to evacuate. Then, it created a flood of trouble.Inches of rainwater covered the parking lot of a drive-in movie theater.“I haven’t seen it this bad in a long time,” said a resident. And with more severe weather in the forecast, homeowners lined up to get sandbags and wished that they did not have to drive.“You really got to be careful d...

NTSB: Short circuit in train door led to passenger’s death at Broadway MBTA station last year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:26 GMT

A short circuit in a train door was most likely to blame for a deadly incident involving a Red Line MBTA train at Broadway station last year, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a new report. The NTSB released its accident report on Tuesday, just over a year after Robinson Lalin died in the accident on April 10. Lalin, the NTSB said, had been trying to get off a Red Line train when the door closed on his upper body. The train then pulled away from the station with Lalin pinched between the doors. “As the train accelerated to depart the station, the passenger ran alongside the train with his upper body pinched between the doors,” the NTSB said. “The train did not stop, and the passenger collided with a wall at the end of the platform and was killed.”Lalin was 39-years-old. The NTSB listed the short circuit in the train door as the probable cause for Lalin’s death, saying the issue allowed the train to accelerate even though Lalin was stuck in the door...

Woman accused of posing as a student at several Boston high schools now facing charges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:26 GMT

A 32-year-old woman accused of pretending to be a student at several high schools in Boston is now facing charges, according to court paperwork. Paperwork filed in West Roxbury District Court said the woman has been charged with charges including identity fraud and forgery of documents.In a letter to families earlier this month, Boston Public Schools officials said the woman attended Brighton, English, and Jeremiah Burke high schools under different names throughout the 2022-2023 school year. The Department of Children and Families also confirmed the woman periodically worked for them as a social worker between 2016 and this year but is not longer employed by the agency.A police report showed officers became concerned about the possibility of human trafficking but Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said there has been no evidence of that as of last week.The same police report showed that staff at English High School grew suspicious in recent weeks when a man who refused to give his name ...

Commuters note crumbling concrete at Downtown Crossing, cracked beam at Copley MBTA station

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:26 GMT

Commuters recently noted more trouble for the MBTA in the form of concrete falling from the ceiling at the Downtown Crossing station.Just the latest issue for the transit system, the issue prompted reactions from riders and the T. “I mean, I guess I’m not surprised to see that,” one rider said on Tuesday. A visitor to Boston from Baltimore tweeted at the T on Monday night saying he and other passengers were standing nearby when debris fell at Downtown Crossing. The visitor continued, urging inspectors to safeguard the public. “You don’t want it to be scary to ride the T,” said Cynthia Peters, a concerned MBTA passenger. “And when you see something like this where a ceiling just collapsed — somebody could have been standing there, somebody could have been looking at the map trying to figure out where to go and a big piece of debris could have fallen on them.”A day after Monday’s incident, on Tuesday, a 7NEWS camera captured more signs of decay inside the Downtown...

Ticker: Italian pasta strike averted; US consumer confidence jumps

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:26 GMT

Italians can celebrate lower pasta prices but must face higher prices across the board for fruit and vegetables.Italy’s industry ministry reported that prices of pasta had fallen by an average of 0.3% in May compared with a month earlier, saying that a monitoring system it set up had the intended effect of reducing prices.As a result, the Assoutenti consumer group called off a pasta strike planned for this week, intended to force down prices by reducing demand.President Furio Truzzi said, however, that despite the overall decreases, pasta prices are obstinately high in some cities and that the group was still considering targeted strikes later this summer.The price of a kilogram of pasta had dropped to 2.12 euros  or abouit $2.32 in the Adriatic port city of Ancona from a high of 2.44 euros in March, and to 2.02 euros in Genova from a peak of 2.38 euros. The price dipped below 2 euros in many cities.US consumer confidence jumpsThe American consumer’s confidence jumped in...

With roster in flux, expect Bruins to get younger

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:26 GMT

Get ready for the youth movement, Bruins fans.That was at least part of the message when B’s team president Cam Neely and GM Don Sweeney met with reporters in Nashville on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s draft and the opening of free agency on Saturday.The B’s have $10.9 million in cap space to fill at least six forward spots and sign goalie Jeremy Swayman.And while they haven’t closed the door on either captain Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci returning, they’re operating as if those two estimable players won’t be back. The door, however, will remain open.“We’ve really got to plan like they’re not coming back until we hear otherwise,” said Neely. “We would not be doing the organization a service if we planned they were coming back and then we’re told they’re not. For us, it’s going down two paths. Hopefully we hear something soon, but we want to give those guys the time that they need. I think as a player you may think ...

Supreme Court rejects GOP in North Carolina case that could have reshaped elections beyond the state

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:26 GMT

By MARK SHERMAN (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that state courts can curtail the actions of their legislatures when it comes to federal redistricting and elections, rejecting arguments by North Carolina Republicans that could have dramatically altered races for Congress and president in that state and beyond.The justices by a 6-3 vote upheld a decision by North Carolina’s top court that struck down a congressional districting plan as excessively partisan under state law. The high court did, though, indicate there could be limits on state court efforts to police elections for Congress and president, suggesting that more election-related court cases over the issue are likely.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 dut...