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Grizzly Bear Poachers Flout the Endangered Species Act — and Get Away With It

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:53 GMT

Co-published in partnership with High Country News and Montana Free Press.It was hunting season in Wyoming’s Shoshone National Forest, and the Marine sniper was alone on a backcountry trail more than an hour’s hike from his vehicle. He carried a camouflage Remington rifle and was in sight of an elk herd when a grizzly bear emerged from the brush. In a series of audio and video recordings from that autumn day in 2015, he narrated what happened next:“I just got attacked by a grizzly.”“I fucking laid into him.”“I don’t want a big bear like that where I hunt.”“I’m smoking him.”“This is destiny. That bear attacked the wrong man.”Finally, after tracking down the federally protected grizzly he had shot, seeing blood along the way, he said, “Looks like I found a dead bear.”Kneeling over the dead grizzly with his rifle in hand, the man took selfies and recorded a narration of his wilderness adventure. The bear’s coat was splattered in blood. The Marine cut off one of its claws then continued...

Player of the the year Jalyn Gramstad from Northwestern (Iowa) leads AP NAIA All-America team

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:53 GMT

Quarterback Jalyn Gramstad, who led Northwestern (Iowa) to the NAIA championship game, and St. Thomas running back Rontavious Farmer, who led the nation with 26 touchdowns, highlight The Associated Press NAIA All-America Team announced Wednesday.Gramstad was named the NAIA player of the year last week. He finished the season with 35 touchdown passes and led the nation in completion percentage (67.8%). Northwestern (14-1) lost the NAIA title game 31-21 to Keiser (Florida) on Monday. Gramstad was joined on the first team by three teammates: offensive lineman Jawan Grant, receiver Michael Storey and defensive back Cody Moser.Keiser was represented on the first team by offensive lineman Roderick Carter.Farmer finished second in the NAIA in rushing at 136.4 yards per game.FIRST TEAM (Offense) Quarterback — Jalyn Gramstad, fourth-year, Northwestern (Iowa).Running backs — Rontavious Farmer, third-year, St. Thomas (Fla.); Darius Neal, third-year, Georgetown (Ky.).Linemen — Riley Lindberg, f...

Former Argentine soccer player Ezequiel Lavezzi hospitalized in Uruguay with shoulder fracture

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:53 GMT

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Former Argentine soccer player Ezequiel Lavezzi was hospitalized Wednesday in the beachfront Uruguayan city of Punta del Este with a shoulder blade fracture.A police report obtained by The Associated Press says the 38-year-old Lavezzi was found with the injury at 5 a.m. after he attended a party in his mansion.Lavezzi, who played for Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli, San Lorenzo and the Argentine national team, was taken to the Sanatorio Cantegril hospital with his girlfriend, Natalia Borges.“It is unknown how the injury came about,” the police report said.Police said Lavezzi was at a party in his mansion in the region of José Ignacio, where he has lived since 2019. Police investigator Paola Hernández said witnesses will be interviewed throughout the day.“We don’t know what the root of this is,” Hernández told Argentine TV channel TN.Lavezzi retired in 2019 after a spell at Chinese club Hebei Fortune. Since then, he has done charity work with the help of his br...

French parliament approves a divisive immigration bill, prompting an uproar for Macron’s government

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:53 GMT

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist government faced an uproar on Wednesday after parliament approved a divisive immigration bill backed by the far right.The bill, meant to strengthen France’s ability to deport foreigners considered undesirable, passed the lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, with a 349-186 vote late Tuesday. It had been adopted by the Senate.Macron’s health minister resigned to show his opposition to the draft legislation, and some left-leaning lawmakers in the centrist alliance decided to abstain or vote against it.Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, who championed the bill, said the government wants “greater firmness against foreign offenders.”“Who here can say that we must allow criminals, people on our land, who attack us, attack our professors, and who attack our police forces and who attack the youth on the cafe terraces, without reacting?” he said in a speech at the National Assembly.He singled out the recent scho...

5-month skid in home sales snapped in November as easing mortgage rates give buyers breathing room

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:53 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in November, ending a five-month skid, as easing mortgage rates provided some breathing room for homebuyers.Existing home sales rose 0.8% last month from October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.82 million, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. That tops the 3.78 million sales pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.Sales were still down 7.3% compared with November last year, and are down 19.3% through the first 11 months of 2023 compared with the same period last year. The pickup in sales helped push up home prices compared with a year earlier for the fifth month in a row. The national median sales price rose 4% from November last year to $387,600.The modest increase in sales arrives with mortgage rates in decline after a sharp runup that sent borrowing costs on home loans higher. The rising cost of borrowing money compounded hurdles for buyers because there are so few homes on the ...

Acusan a un hombre de robar a bordo de un avión US$ 23.000 en efectivo a otros pasajeros

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:53 GMT

(CNN) — Un hombre fue acusado de robo después de supuestamente robarle más de US$ 23.000 en efectivo a tres compañeros de viaje durante un vuelo económico de Vietnam a Singapur.El hombre fue nombrado en los pliegos de cargos judiciales como Zhang Xiuqiang, un ciudadano chino de 52 años que había estado a bordo de un vuelo operado por Scoot, la aerolínea económica de Singapore Airlines. Un portavoz de la aerolínea dijo a CNN que “estaba al tanto de un incidente” ocurrido a bordo de un vuelo de la ciudad de Ho Chi Minh a Singapur el 16 de diciembre.“Nuestra tripulación de cabina fue alertada por parte un pasajero sobre un presunto robo en la cabina y activó la División de Policía del Aeropuerto”, dijo el portavoz. “Los pasajeros involucrados fueron escoltados fuera del avión por las autoridades del aeropuerto para una mayor investigación, y el desembarco se desarrolló como de costumbre para el resto de nuestros pasajeros”.Estos desconocidos se...

Montgomery Co. police arrest California man for 31-year-old rape case

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:53 GMT

Montgomery County, Maryland, police arrested a California man Tuesday in connection to a 31-year-old cold case.Xavier Battice, 62, was arrested and charged for a 1992 rape in Chevy Chase, Maryland.DNA evidence from the crime scene was submitted to the Combined DNA Index System by cold case detectives, which came back as a match to Battice, according to a news release from police.After detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Battice, they contacted the Morgan Hill Police Department in California, where he was residing. Battice was arrested by Morgan Hill police and later extradited to Montgomery County Central Processing in Maryland on Friday, Dec. 15.Battice was charged with two counts of second-degree rape and one count of second-degree sex assault and is being held without bond.According to police, on Sept. 24, 1992, a female exited a bus near the 5400 block of Wisconsin Avenue in Chevy Chase when a suspect, who police have identified as Battice, followed her before he forced he...

Downtown Kingston arena to officially become Slush Puppie Place

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:53 GMT

After 5 years of being known as the Leon’s Centre, the naming rights for Kingston’s downtown arena have been made official. The arena will for at least the next ten years be known as “Slush Puppie Place”, taking the namesake of the frozen beverage company after their fifteen year bid. McKercher Kingston Ltd. who owned the previous “Leon’s Centre” naming rights declined to extend their agreement past its June 25 expiration, but agreed to keep the name in place until a new sponsor was determined.Slush Puppie Canada Inc. will pay $135,000 per year for a total of $2,025,000 over the course of 15 years.Slush Puppie will acquire signage rights, family events, advertising, and social media presence as part of the deal, but certain elements from the previous deal are not involved including the use of suites and the option to use the facility up to 12 times per year.On Tuesday night councillors voted unanimously for the name change to be approved, an...

Denver man recognized after rescuing unconscious 80-year-old in creek

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:53 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver resident John Chase was recognized nationally after saving the life of an 80-year-old man who was swept over 200 feet down Gore Creek.According to the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, on July 17, Joseph Radtke had gone fishing with his dog in Vail. When he began to cross a shallow part of Gore Creek, his dog pulled away, causing Radtke to fall into the 56-degree creek. Colorado rancher asks state to remove wolves after latest attack on his livestock He was swept into the rapids headfirst. After hitting multiple rocks, he was knocked unconscious in the creek with his head face down in the water.At the same time, Chase, 53, was biking with his wife when he saw Radtke in the water.Chase caught up to Radtke and jumped into the icy water and grabbed him.The two men were swept downstream another 225 feet before Chase was able to pull Radtke into shallow water and perform CPR until first responders arrived.Radtke was hospitalized for six days but made a full recovery...

Caught on camera: Armed robbers' getaway car stolen by another thief

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:53 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Three armed suspects who allegedly robbed a check cashing business in Commerce City got an ironic surprise when their getaway vehicle was stolen by a separate thief.The unexpected twist was caught on camera and released by the Commerce City Police Department.The initial robbery began around 11 a.m. on Dec. 16. Commerce City police said officers arrested two of three masked and armed suspects who were allegedly robbing the HiLo Check Cashing in the 7200 block of Monaco Street.During the robbery, the suspects themselves were robbed. ‘Grinch’ caught on camera slashing holiday inflatables in Wheat Ridge Commerce City police said a fourth criminal stole the armed robbers' getaway vehicle. Police are not sure if the getaway vehicle belonged to the alleged robbers or if it was previously stolen. Police decided to release a video of the ironic moment due to what they said was "popular demand." In the clip, you can see a person who was standing on the sidewalk notice the ve...