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Joe the Plumber, who questioned Obama’s tax policies during the 2008 campaign, has died at 49

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:47 GMT

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher, who was thrust into the political spotlight as “Joe the Plumber” after questioning Barack Obama about his economic policies during the 2008 presidential campaign, and who later forayed into politics himself, has died, his son said Monday. He was 49.His oldest son, Joey Wurzelbacher, said his father died Sunday in Wisconsin after a long illness. His family announced this year on an online fundraising site that he had pancreatic cancer.“The only thing I have to say is that he was a true patriot,” Joey Wurzelbacher — whose father had the middle name Joseph and went by Joe — said in a telephone interview. “His big thing is that everyone come to God. That’s what he taught me, and that’s a message I hope is heard by a lot of people.”He went from toiling as a plumber in suburban Toledo, Ohio, to life as a media sensation when he asked Obama about his tax plan during a campaign stop. Their exchange and Obama’s response that he wanted to “spread...

California sues district that requires parents be notified if their kids change pronouns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:47 GMT

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — California’s attorney general sued a Southern California school district Monday over its recently adopted policy that requires schools to notify parents if their children change their gender identification or pronouns.Attorney General Rob Bonta said he filed a lawsuit against the Chino Valley Unified School District over the policy that mandated this notification, calling it a “forced outing” of transgender students that violates their civil rights.“It tramples on students’ rights,” Bonta told reporters. He said he is seeking a court order to immediately halt the policy from taking effect.The move comes after Chino Valley Unified, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, adopted the policy following a shift in leadership on the school board. Other Southern California districts have adopted similar policies and Bonta said he believes they will also be affected by this litigation, though they are not named in the suit.The suit argues the...

New tool will allow college athletes to report gambling suspicions to a sports wagering monitor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:47 GMT

A digital platform where college athletes can alert their administrations anonymously to improper or illegal conduct by coaches, teammates or others is expanding to allow them to report suspected gambling activity.RealResponse’s partnership with U.S. Integrity, which monitors sports wagering trends in real time to detect irregularities, will come at no additional cost to some 150 athletic departments that are clients.The service builds on a tip hotline U.S. Integrity and RealResponse unveiled in May and will give college athletic administrators a direct line to investigators.A state investigation into illegal sports wagering at Iowa and Iowa State has led to criminal charges being filed against about a dozen athletes. The Alabama baseball coach, Brian Bohannon, was fired in May after being linked to suspicious gambling activity on a Crimson Tide game.Iowa State is a RealResponse client, spokesman Nick Joos said. Iowa is not a client but has a relationship with U.S. Integrity t...

N.W.T. to discuss delaying October election over wildfire safety concerns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:47 GMT

YELLOWKNIFE — The Northwest Territories legislature is to meet later today to discuss delaying a territorial election set for October because of wildfires.The territory is scheduled to go to the polls on Oct. 3.But because of massive evacuations in several communities and general safety concerns, the N.W.T.’s chief electoral officer has suggested that be pushed until November. Some members of the territory’s legislature say there’s clear support for delay.The territory operates by a consensus system without political parties, in which elected members choose the premier from among themselves. Over the weekend, fire officials said cooler nights, high humidity and favourable winds have helped quiet the fire burning near Yellowknife.But rising temperatures today were expected to increase fire behaviour both in the territorial capital and the community of Hay River, where flames were only a few kilometres from town. This report by The Canadian Press was first published ...

Convicted ex-Ohio House speaker moved to Oklahoma prison to begin his 20-year sentence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:47 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Convicted former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder has been transferred to Oklahoma to begin his time in federal prison.The 64-year-old Republican had been held in the Butler County Jail in southwestern Ohio since he was sentenced June 29 to 20 years for his role in the largest corruption scheme in Ohio history. He was recently moved to the federal transfer center in Oklahoma City, according to Bureau of Prisons records. His attorney, Steven Bradley, said Householder was not granted a request to be released during his appeal. Householder and lobbyist Matt Borges, a former chair of the Ohio Republican Party, were convicted in March of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise involving bribery and money laundering.A jury found Householder masterminded and Borges participated in a $60 million bribery scheme that was secretly funded by Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. to secure Householder’s power, elect his allies — and then to pass and defend ...

Biden and the first lady drop by a DC middle school math class and lunch to welcome back students

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:47 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden shook hands with middle schoolers heading to lunch and dropped by an eighth grade math class Monday to welcome students back for the new school year. The Bidens went to Eliot-Hine Middle School, located east of the U.S. Capitol, to mark the District of Columbia’s first day of school for the 2023-24 year. Seventh graders coming down the stairs for their lunch into the cafeteria were giggling as the president and first lady greeted them. Inside Heather Thomas’ eighth grade class, the students were bouncing out of their seats and yelling with glee as the two walked to the front of the room. “I’m shaking hands with the president!” one student exclaimed. Biden said he remembered how it felt to come back to school after a summer away.“You all look so excited to be in math class,” he said to the students. “What’s your hardest subject, by the way?”The students all yelled: “Math!”The Bidens we...

Mother of beleaguered Spanish soccer federation chief starts hunger strike in church to defend him

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:47 GMT

MADRID (AP) — The mother of Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales started a hunger strike Monday in a church in southern Spain in defense of her son, who is under fire for kissing a player during the Women’s World Cup awards ceremony.Ángeles Béjar told the state news agency EFE she would remain on hunger strike “night and day” until a solution is found to the “inhumane hounding” of her son.Speaking outside the church in the southern town of Motril, Rubiales’ cousin, Vanessa Ruiz, joined his mother in calling on the player, Jenni Hermoso, to “tell the truth.” Hermoso has denied Rubiales’ claim that she consented to what he called the “mutual” kiss during the Aug. 20 medal ceremony after the Spanish women’s team won the final in Sydney, Australia. In a statement Saturday Hermoso said she considered herself the victim of abuse of power and accused the Spanish soccer federation of trying to pressure her into supporting Rubiales. The federation hit back by saying ...

Biden to observe 9/11 anniversary in Alaska, missing NYC, Virginia and Pennsylvania observances

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:47 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will observe next month’s 22nd anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil at an Alaska military base with service members and their families, the White House announced. It will be the first time that a president has not attended any of the observances that have been held annually in New York City, Pennsylvania and Virginia, just outside Washington, according to an Associated Press review of media coverage of these events. Biden will stop in Alaska for the 9/11 observance at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage on his way back to Washington after he attends a summit in New Delhi with other world leaders and visits Vietnam on Sept. 10. Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, will participate in the annual commemoration at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in lower Manhattan.First lady Jill Biden will lay a wreath at the 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon. Terrorists hijacked commercial airplanes ...

Over 250 CPD officers sworn in graduation and promotion ceremony

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:47 GMT

CHICAGO -- Over 250 officers were sworn into the Chicago Police Department, slightly less than the last class graduate in June. Among 83 percent of the graduates are people of color and 32 percent are women. As the new officers begin their work in the city, a constant issue they face is tackling crime.Over the weekend, CPD reports that 24 people were shot and one person was killed. Among the shootings is the incident that took place at the Chicago White Sox game Friday night, where two women were injured by bullets. Illinois judge refuses to dismiss case against father of Highland Park parade shooting suspect Mayor Brandon Johnson and interim superintendent Fred Waller gave a very brief statement on the incident but did not say much.Waller also said the Chicago Police Department requested to have the game stopped initially when the injuries were reported, but the game kept going.They said they did that when they ruled out an active shooter, they allow the game to continue on.Mayo...

Several carjackings, armed robberies within 2-hour span on Chicago's North and West sides: police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:47 GMT

CHICAGO — Several people were robbed or carjacked within a two-hour span on the city's North and West sides.According to police, the robberies started around 9:45 p.m. Sunday on the 2200 block of West Hirsch. A man and women told authorities that two males approached them, punched the man multiple times and took their personal belongings.Just minutes later, police said a 67-year-old man and 29-year-old woman were approached by three suspects on the 2000 block of North Hoyne, one of them was armed with a gun. The two victims were robbed and the suspects punched the 67-year-old man multiple times.He was transported to St. Mary's Hospital where he is listed in good condition.Around 9:55 p.m., police said robbers attempted to steal a 35-year-old man's belongings on the 2100 block of North Hoyne. The victim refused to comply, resulting in the suspects' punching the man multiple times.Minutes after 10 p.m., police said suspects stole a woman's white SUV on the 1200 block of North Milwauke...