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Prominent Miami real estate broker pleads not guilty in deadly 2022 boating accident

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:25 GMT

George Pino, a prominent figure in Miami’s real estate industry, was not physically present in court, but his defense attorney entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf during a recent Zoom call. The charges stem from a fatal boating accident that occurred on Labor Day in 2022.Pino was at the helm of his 29-foot Robalo boat when it collided with a channel marker off Boca Chita. The impact threw Pino, his wife, and twelve teenage girls into the water. The accident resulted in the unfortunate death of 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez and left 18-year-old Katy Puig permanently disabled. Both girls were seniors at Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Southwest Miami-Dade.In August, the State Attorney’s Office filed three misdemeanor charges against Pino. Fish and Wildlife officials discovered over 60 empty cans and bottles of alcohol on the boat, along with an empty champagne bottle and a partially empty bottle of alcohol. Pino refused to provide a blood sample, and responding officers...

Rescued lab Beagles begin new lives beyond laboratory walls

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:25 GMT

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (WSVN) — A group of beagles that spent their entire lives within the confines of a laboratory are now taking their first steps toward forever homes. Canadian-based rescue organization ‘The Beagle Alliance’ stepped in to give these dogs a chance at a new life after they were rescued from a laboratory near Minneapolis, Minnesota. “Most animals are euthanized after study and they don’t have to be, as we know they can go on to live longer lives outside of the cage than inside of the cage,” said Lori Cohen, Executive Director of The Beagle Alliance.These beagles, unfamiliar with the outside world, are now on the verge of experiencing the simple joys of a grassy yard for the very first time.Life inside the laboratory walls was all they ever knew until The Beagle Alliance intervened.“I can’t tell you what laboratory they are from; that’s confidential,” said Cohen. “The nature of experiments conducted on th...

Man accused in deaths of 18 elderly women in Texas killed in prison by his cellmate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:25 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — A man accused of killing nearly two dozen older women and who was convicted last year in the slayings of two was killed Tuesday morning by his cellmate at a Texas prison, an official said.Billy Chemirmir, 50, was found dead in his cell, said Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokeswoman Hannah Haney. She said that Chemirmir’s cellmate, who is serving a sentence for murder, was identified as the assailant, but said she couldn’t release the cellmate’s identity or how Chemirmir was killed.The first capital murder trial of Chemirmir for the slaying of Lu Thi Harris, 81, ended in mistrial in Dallas County. He was later convicted in a second trial for Harris’ death and convicted of a second killing in the death of Mary Brooks, 87.Authorities said Chemirmir preyed on older women, killing them and stealing their valuables. Chemirmir, who maintained his innocence, was serving two sentences of life without the possibility of parole.He was caught after a 91-y...

Family finds strength in recovering mementos from devastating helicopter crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:25 GMT

Terran Vandiver and his siblings are sifting through the remnants of their lives, recovering cherished belongings that once belonged to their late mother. These trinkets, although charred and damaged, serve as reminders of their family’s resilience.A family is grateful to be alive after a Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue (BSFR) helicopter crashed into their apartment complex. On Aug. 28, a BSFR helicopter caught fire, lost control and plummeted into an apartment building in Pompano Beach, which killed a BSFR Battalion Chief and a woman who lived next door to the Vandivers. On Tuesday morning, a restoration crew was at the apartment complex one day after the brothers described the moments after the helicopter crashed. The Vandiver brothers returned to the crash site, hoping to retrieve any salvageable items from their home. “We got it for her for Mother’s Day,” said Vandiver as he showed off an elephant sculpture. Another sculpture he showed off symbolizes his moth...

Brightline partners with Hard Rock Stadium for Dolphins’ dedicated game-day transportation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:25 GMT

Brightline has unveiled its partnership with Hard Rock Stadium, offering dedicated transportation solutions for all Miami Dolphins home games throughout the 2023 football season.The Brightline Miami Dolphins End Zone Express service is set to debut during the home opener on Sept. 24, when the Miami Dolphins face off against the Denver Broncos at Hard Rock Stadium.“Brightline has quickly built a tradition of connecting South Florida fans to their favorite sporting events, and we are proud to now partner with the Miami Dolphins, one of the most storied franchises in professional sports,” said Johanna Rojas, Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Sales at Brightline in a news release. “Expansion of our game-day shuttle service from the new Aventura Station to the Hard Rock Stadium entrance delivers a convenient connection to cheer on the team throughout the season.”Brightline will provide dedicated pre-game and post-game train services from the Brightline Ave...

Qatargate: Corruption probe unravels as defense kicks case to May

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:25 GMT

BRUSSELS — Lawyers for the main suspects in the Qatargate corruption scandal entered the Palace of Justice on Tuesday seeking revenge — and they got it. More than a dozen defense lawyers successfully knocked the criminal investigation off course until at least next spring, massively delaying the probe into influence-buying by Qatar and Morocco at the European Parliament, and dealing it what they hope will be a mortal blow.Lawyers for former European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili were the masterminds behind the surprise legal coup, compiling sufficient accusations that Belgian prosecutors mishandled the case to warrant an internal investigation, the court decided. This inquiry will focus on how evidence was collected and whether this breached the parliamentary immunity of the three EU lawmakers charged.“It is no longer Qatargate but Belgium-gate!” declared Sven Mary, one of Kaili’s lawyers. “Secret services infiltrated the European Parliament, it’s going way too ...

Le Pen’s National Rally pays off Russian loan ahead of EU elections

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:25 GMT

French far-right party National Rally has fully paid back its controversial Russian loan, the party said Tuesday.The party has paid back over €6 million to Russian company Aviazapchast S.A., including “capital and interest,” National Rally lawmaker and party treasurer Kévin Pfeffer said in a press release.“It’s a relief given the political argument that this simple loan had become,” he told French newspaper Le Figaro.Former party leader Marine Le Pen took out the loan from First Czech Russian Bank in 2014. The bank has since gone bankrupt, passing on the loan to Russian company Aviazapchast.But the shadow of the loan has long loomed over the far-right party, with Le Pen heavily criticized over her ties to Russia. Since the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, Le Pen has struggled to shake off her reputation as a pro-Putin politician, despite her attempts to backtrack on previous statements and to condemn the war.Le Pen’s successor as National Rally president, Jordan Bard...

Belgium’s eternal asylum crisis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:25 GMT

Belgium is again facing heat for its attitude to migrants — as it moves to leave some asylum seekers out in the cold. The country’s top administrative court last week halted a controversial policy by the federal government, which aimed to deny shelter to single male asylum seekers. The government, however, plans to forge ahead regardless, according to State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor, who spearheaded the policy last month to tackle the growing number of asylum seekers overwhelming the network and prevent families and children from ending up on the streets.“Just because the Council of State says so, it doesn’t mean that it would suddenly be possible to give these people spots. There are no extra spots,” De Moor said in a statement sent to POLITICO. “This is and remains a temporary measure I have taken to ensure that there are enough spots for families and children.”Both De Moor and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo are under pressure from the o...

Germany draws up partial ban on Huawei

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:25 GMT

The German government is drafting a new plan to impose further restrictions on using Chinese equipment for the country’s telecoms networks, according to a strategy paper seen by POLITICO.“It is obvious that there are considerable structural dependencies on Huawei and ZTE,” the document reads.Berlin officials are considering requiring telecom operators to stop using equipment by the Chinese telecom vendors for the core part (or backbone) of telecom networks by January 1, 2026, and to phase out reliance on Chinese kit in the radio access network (RAN), which is the wider network of masts and base stations, within three years.Two industry officials and one government official told POLITICO earlier that the federal government was weighing a limit on Chinese equipment to a maximum of 25 percent in the RAN, as well as a full ban in sensitive geographical areas like the capital. The plans — which are still under discussion between ministries — a...

State guidelines on physical and sex education to be updated for first time since 1999

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:25 GMT

Massachusetts physical and sex education guidelines are getting an upgrade for the first time in decades after a vote by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Tuesday, Gov. Maura Healey announced. The board voted unanimously Tuesday morning to approve what Healey’s office in a statement described as “an updated comprehensive health and physical education framework.” The updated guidelines address LGBTQ+ health, mental health, dating safety and substance use disorders, marking the first change to the state’s guidelines since 1999.Healey’s office said Tuesday’s vote came after a more than 60-day public comment period in which the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education received well over 5,000 responses through several means. The public comment period, in turn, came years after Healey’s office said the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education began revising the state’s framework alongside educators and health experts back in 2018. “Massachuset...