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Aurora passes first reading of proposal to reinstate reserve police officers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:42:37 GMT

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the multi-reading procedure for approving a bill.AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Monday night, Aurora City Council members passed the first reading of a bill to reinstate its reserve police force, which was dissolved in 2005.The vote was 9-1, with Councilmember Crystal Murillo casting the sole vote in opposition.In a study session earlier this month, Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky said the Aurora Police Department had requested the program. 17-year-old national cycling team athlete killed in Boulder crash City officials said some paramedics who work with SWAT already carry concealed weapons, and the proposal could protect the city from liability.The volunteer program would accept other applicants as well, city council members said. These could potentially include other city employees, retirees in good standing and former police officers from other jurisdictions in good standing. Under the plan, medics tied to SWAT could apply to t...

Scooter rider hospitalized after hit-and-run in Miami Beach; police searching for driver

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:42:37 GMT

A scooter went up in flames after a hit-and-run on the streets of Miami Beach, sending the rider to the hospital. The search is on for the person who slammed into him. Just feet from Miami Beach’s famous Lincoln Road, a fiery crash has police trying to track down the driver who left a scooter rider to die.A witness reacted to the incident moments after the wreck happened around 7 p.m. on Monday night.“I tell you, in today’s accident, people don’t stop,” said one witness.A couple of witnesses told 7News that a red BMW hit the scooter on 16th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, sending the rider straight to the ground. “He was going to turn to the right, and the red car t-boned him and he flew,” said witness Carlos Farreyo. Minutes later, first responders arrived, quickly loading the victim into the back of an ambulance. He was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital, wheeled in wearing a neck brace.Firefighters doused the scooter with water, becoming...

Everyone wins: Krispy Kreme offers free doughnut if you present Mega Millions ticket

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:42:37 GMT

As millions of hopefuls eagerly anticipate tonight’s Mega Millions drawing, Krispy Kreme is stirring up excitement by offering a delectable incentive for lottery participants. The renowned doughnut chain announced that anyone who shows up with a Mega Millions ticket from Tuesday’s drawing will be rewarded with a free doughnut of their choice.The mouthwatering deal allows both winners and non-winners to enjoy a glazed goodie of their preference. Whether you hit the jackpot or not, you can still treat yourself to a treat from Krispy Kreme by simply presenting your Mega Millions ticket at any of their participating stores.The offer stands all day Tuesday and Wednesday, giving lottery participants ample time to claim their well-deserved reward.

Miami fights to block new voting map ahead of November elections

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:42:37 GMT

The City of Miami is in the middle of a legal battle as officials seek to block a new voting map that could have significant implications for upcoming elections. According to reports from The Miami Herald, a federal appeals court has granted a temporary injunction, preventing the proposed boundary changes from being implemented in the November elections, at least for now.The contested voting map, which has been subject to scrutiny, is being challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The organization has requested alterations to the districts, and the court has granted them until Wednesday morning to submit their response to the temporary stay.The outcome of this legal dispute over the final voting map carries substantial weight, as it will dictate who can run for office and what races residents can cast their ballots for in the upcoming city elections. The city’s electoral landscape could be significantly shaped by the decision, making it a matter of crucial impo...

Former head of New Mission School in Hyde Park charged with wire fraud, misusing funds for Caribbean vacations with friends

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:42:37 GMT

The former head of Boston’s New Mission School is facing a charge of wire fraud after authorities say she engaged in a scheme to defraud the city’s school system and used funds to finance trips to Barbados.Naia Wilson, 60, is accused of defrauding Boston Public Schools of approximately $38,806 by misusing the funds for her own personal use, according to the Office for acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Joshua S. Levy. The Boston resident acted as headmaster of the pilot school between 2006 and 2019Authorities said that between September 2016 and at least May 2019, Wilson would allegedly request checks from a school account that would be issued in the name of others.She would then fraudulently endorse those checks to herself before depositing them into her own bank account “without the nominee ever knowing or authorizing her to do so,” according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s office.“Additionally, Wilson allegedly re...

More than 20 people displaced after fire in Chelsea

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:42:37 GMT

More than 20 people were forced out of their homes Monday after a fire broke out in an apartment building in Chelsea, the city’s fire chief said. Emergency crews responded to the area on Clinton Street Monday night. Later speaking on scene, Chelsea Fire Chief Leonard Albanese said crews responded around 9:30 p.m. to find heavy smoke on the building’s first and second floors. Albanese said firefighters were able to later knock down the fire, which left part of the building visibly charred.Albanese said everyone, including a bunny, was able to get out of the structure safely. 

Chatbots sometimes make things up. Is AI’s hallucination problem fixable?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:42:37 GMT

By MATT O’BRIEN (AP Technology Writer)Spend enough time with ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence chatbots and it doesn’t take long for them to spout falsehoods.Described as hallucination, confabulation or just plain making things up, it’s now a problem for every business, organization and high school student trying to get a generative AI system to compose documents and get work done. Some are using it on tasks with the potential for high-stakes consequences, from psychotherapy to researching and writing legal briefs.“I don’t think that there’s any model today that doesn’t suffer from some hallucination,” said Daniela Amodei, co-founder and president of Anthropic, maker of the chatbot Claude 2.“They’re really just sort of designed to predict the next word,” Amodei said. “And so there will be some rate at which the model does that inaccurately.”Anthropic, ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and other major developers...

Floods around Chinese capital kill at least 20, leave 27 missing as thousands evacuated

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:42:37 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Torrential rain in areas around China’s capital, Beijing, killed at least 20 people and left 27 missing, the government reported Tuesday, as flooding destroyed roads, uprooted trees and knocked out power.Thousands of people were evacuated to shelters in schools and other public buildings in suburban Beijing and in the nearby cities of Tianjin and Zhuozhou. The severity of the flooding took the Chinese capital by surprise. Beijing usually has dry summers but had a stretch of record-breaking heat this year. Other areas, especially China’s south, have suffered unusually severe summer flooding that caused scores of deaths. Other parts of the country are struggling with drought.Muddy water surging down streets washed away cars in the Mentougou district on Beijing’s western edge.“The cars parked on the street floated and got washed away,” said a resident, Liu Shuanbao. “A couple of cars parked behind my apartment building disappeared in just on...

Niger crisis deepens as European nations evacuate and coup leaders get support from other juntas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:42:37 GMT

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — France, Italy and Spain announced evacuations from Niger for their citizens and other European nationals Tuesday, concerned that they risked becoming trapped by a military coup that won backing from three other West African nations also ruled by mutinous soldiers.France’s Foreign Ministry cited recent violence that targeted its embassy in Niamey, the capital, as one of the reasons for its decision to offer evacuation flights to several hundred of its citizens and other Europeans. It said the closure of Niger’s airspace “leaves our compatriots unable to leave the country by their own means.”Spain’s Defense Ministry announced preparations to evacuate more than 70 nationals and Italy also said it was arranging a flight. The foreign office in Germany recommended that its citizens accept France’s offer to fly them out. The evacuations come during a deepening crisis sparked by the coup last week against Niger’s democratically elected president,...

Truckers told not to report for work after Yellow Corp. bankruptcy: Unifor

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:42:37 GMT

TORONTO — Unifor says nearly 130 Canadian truck drivers were told not to report for work after the Teamsters Union said U.S. trucking giant Yellow Corp. was shutting down operations and filing for bankruptcy.The head of Unifor’s local chapter representing the truckers says 70 employees and 58 owner-operators for subsidiary YRC Freight Canada have been devastated by the news but left with little information.Yesterday, the Teamsters said the union received legal notice confirming Yellow was ceasing operations and filing for bankruptcy protection after years of financial struggles.The apparent shutdown has renewed attention around Yellow’s ongoing negotiations with unionized workers, a $700-million pandemic-era loan from the government and other bills the Tennessee-based outfit has racked up over time.Formerly known as YRC Worldwide Inc., Yellow is one of America’s largest less-than-truckload carriers and its closure would put 30,000 jobs at risk.Unifor president Lana Payne...