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Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia says he won’t seek reelection in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:18 GMT

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced Thursday that he won’t seek reelection in 2024, giving Republicans a prime opportunity to pick up a seat in the heavily GOP state.Manchin, 75, said in a statement that he had made the decision “after months of deliberation and long conversations” with his family.“I believe in my heart of hearts that I have accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia,” he said. “I have made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that I will not be running for re-election to the United States Senate, but what I will be doing is traveling the country and speaking out to see if there is an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together.”His decision to retire severely hampers Democratic hopes of holding on to the coal-country seat. For the last few years, Manchin has been the only Democrat elected to statewide office in West Virginia, a longtime politician who ...

4 subjects taken into custody after police pursuit ends in NW Miami-Dade

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:18 GMT

Several subjects were taken into custody after a police pursuit ended in Northwest Miami-Dade. The subjects in the truck were accused of assaulting a police officer. Miami-Dade Police were following the truck that headed northbound on the Turnpike near 112th Avenue, Thursday afternoon. 7Skyforce hovered over the highway as several police cruisers were following the vehicle. According to officials, four subjects were inside the truck and the vehicle was traveling over 80 mph.During the pursuit, one driver in a silver vehicle was hit by the truck but appeared OK. A police cruiser then initiated a pit maneuver and the van was stopped. As officers were taking the subjects into custody, one subject attempted to jump over the edge of the Turnpike but was quickly apprehended. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Israel berates New York Times, CNN, Reuters, AP over Hamas attack photographers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:18 GMT

Israel on Thursday slammed four international media outlets — the New York Times, CNN, the Associated Press and Reuters — over the conduct of four photojournalists in Gaza, saying they had advance knowledge of the attack by Hamas militants on October 7 that killed more than 1,400 people. The news services strongly rejected the Israeli government’s accusation they had any forewarning of the impending murderous assault, with the New York Times saying the “outrageous” charges endangered journalists in both Israel and Gaza. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi accused the foreign media of employing people who were tipped off on the Hamas attacks. “It has come to our attention that certain individuals within your organization, including photographers and others, had prior knowledge of these horrific actions and may have maintained a troubling connection with the perpetrators,” he wrote on X. The Israeli government’s press office director, Nitzan Chen...

Systemwide subway shutdowns planned to fix MBTA

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:18 GMT

In another new development with big implications for riders, the MBTA’s push to trade near-term headaches for long-term improvements will soon be put to the test on an unprecedented scale.Reduced train speeds associated with safety concerns have plagued riders with sluggish travel for months, and MBTA officials on Thursday announced they now plan to shut down segments of all four subway lines in phases over the next 13 months, allowing for repairs they say will eliminate all “slow zones” by the end of 2024.Repair work will replace rails, fix or replace deteriorated ties, install new ballast, improve signals and switches, and more, MBTA General Manager Phil Eng said. Free shuttle buses will replace subway service during closures.The proposal will inflict widespread disruption on riders, with a portion of the core subway system scheduled to be closed on almost exactly half of the days between now and the end of next year.With their new plan, MBTA officials are provid...

Jury rejects insanity defense for man convicted of Pelham, NH wedding shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:18 GMT

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A jury on Thursday rejected an insanity defense for a man convicted of shooting and wounding a bishop and assaulting the bride and groom at a church wedding ceremony in New Hampshire.Dale Holloway, 41, who acted as his own attorney, had pleaded not guilty to the charges stemming from the October 2019 shootings. He said he was mentally unstable at the time.“I’ve been insane before this even happened,” Holloway told the jury.The shootings happened nearly two weeks after Holloway’s stepfather, a pastor at the church, was killed by the son of the groom. The son was later sentenced to prison. A separate celebration of life ceremony for the pastor had been planned at the church for later that day.The jury in Nashua had already found Holloway guilty on Tuesday of one of two attempted murder charges and several assault charges. After deliberating for about an hour Thursday, the foreperson answered “no” when asked if the panel had found clear and convincing evidence that...

Healey Will Stop Disclosing Out-Of-State Travel

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:18 GMT

Gov. Maura Healey traveled to North Carolina last month without disclosing her trip and, in confirming the travel, her office said Thursday that it will no longer tell the public in advance when Healey is traveling out of state because of unspecified “security concerns.”A disclosure that Healey filed last month with the State Ethics Commission, which was made available to the News Service on Thursday morning, revealed that Healey planned to travel to Asheville, N.C., for a Democratic Governors Association meeting on Oct. 2 and 3, and that the DGA would foot the estimated $1,341.30 bill for Healey’s travel. The trip was never mentioned on any of Healey’s public schedules and was not disclosed at the time.In response to questions about the governor’s apparent trip to North Carolina, a Healey spokesperson said the administration will no longer publicly announce when the governor travels. Until that trip, Healey’s office regularly informed t...

Exemptions for required vaccines for US kindergartners reach record high

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:18 GMT

(CNN) — The percentage of kindergartners who received their state-required vaccines for measles remained below the federal target last school year, and the rate of vaccine exemptions for children reached the highest level ever reported in the United States, according to new data published Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coverage for four key vaccines — the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine; diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine; poliovirus vaccine; and varicella vaccine for chickenpox — declined in a majority of states for the 2022-23 school year, the report said. Lower levels of vaccine coverage raise the risk of outbreaks, leaving the country vulnerable to diseases that can cause severe illness and death.Vaccine coverage rates fell below 95% from the 2019-20 to 2021-22 school years, declining to about 93%. Last school year, coverage remained at about 93% for reported vaccinations, including 93.1% ...

‘I felt so naughty’: New open carry alcohol laws boost downtowns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:18 GMT

Kevin Hardy | (TNS) Stateline.orgHolly Smith Mount wanted to be first.Smith Mount, chair of the city council in Huntington, West Virginia, was determined to see her community launch the state’s initial outdoor drinking zone — an idea made possible only after the legislature changed the state’s alcohol law earlier this year.“I will fully admit I’m very competitive,” she told Stateline. “And I told the mayor, ‘I want to be first on this one.’”So, when Huntington’s downtown drinking district launched this fall, Smith Mount aimed to be at the front of the line to grab a beer from a local taphouse. The new program sanctions open containers of alcohol within designated boundaries officially known as a Private Outdoor Designated Area, or PODA.“I walked down the street and I felt so naughty,” she said. “I went into one of my favorite shops and I was like, ‘Look, I’ve got a beer!’”Huntington leaders saw the district as a way to encourage economic growth by drawing more people to the heart of...

You make the call. Charlie Winterhalter weathers storm to become Geneva’s defensive leader. ‘He’s that smart.’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:18 GMT

As a junior, Geneva’s Charlie Winterhalter started to emerge as the season moved along.Now, the 6-foot, 195-pound senior linebacker is not only making things happen as the team’s leading tackler, he’s also directing the traffic on the field for the Vikings.“My first job is to make sure everyone is in the right spot,” Winterhalter said. “It’s some pressure, but I called a little bit of the plays last year. During the week in practice, we make sure everyone knows what they’re doing.“I just make sure everyone is on the same page.”The decision to put that responsibility in Winterhalter’s hands was an easy one for coach Boone Thorgesen.“He’s the smartest kid on the team,” Thorgesen said. “We knew he could be the guy that could make the calls for our defense. He’s taken that responsibility and ran with it.“I don’t think he makes a wrong call in a game. He’s that smart. It̵...

States reconsider religious exemptions for vaccinations in child care

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:18 GMT

Matt Volz | KFF Health News (TNS)More than half the children who attend Munchkin Land Daycare near Billings, Montana, have special needs or compromised immune systems. The kids, who range in age from 4 months to 9 years, have conditions that include fetal alcohol syndrome, cystic fibrosis, and Down syndrome, according to owner Sheryl Hutzenbiler.“These families came to me knowing we could offer them a safe and healthy environment,” Hutzenbiler said. Part of ensuring that healthy environment is having a strong vaccination policy, she said, especially for those who are immunocompromised or too young to receive the full slate of childhood vaccines.So, when officials at Montana’s health department revived a proposal that would allow people to claim religious exemptions from immunization requirements at child care facilities, Hutzenbiler was both dismayed and relieved. Dismayed, because allowing more children to claim exemptions could compromise the community immunity levels necessary to...