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Stormy Daniels says she’s ‘absolutely’ willing to testify in Trump hush money trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:22 GMT

(CNN) — Stormy Daniels is “absolutely” willing to testify in Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial, she said in an interview with Piers Morgan, her first comments since the former president pleaded not guilty to charges related to a hush-money payment scheme intended to silence the adult film star.“Having them call me in and put me on the stand legitimizes my story and who I am. And if they don’t, it almost feels like they’re hiding me,” Daniels told TalkTV’s Morgan in an interview that aired Thursday. “And people automatically assume — I would — that, ‘Oh, she must not be a good witness, she’s not credible.'”“So there’s no doubt, if they ask you to testify, you will testify?” Morgan asked Daniels.“Oh, absolutely,” she replied.Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony criminal charges of falsifying business records in Manhattan criminal court on Tuesday. Pro...

ONE MORE DRY DAY

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:22 GMT

Happy Thursday, South Florida!Hopefully everyone has been enjoying the start of Spring so far! Steamy temperatures, dry days and breezy conditions pretty much sums up South Florida weather this entire work week. A distant high-pressure system, together with dry air have left South Florida enjoying beautiful blue skies and rain free days. Today was no different as we enjoyed a nice easterly breeze with only a few spotty showers pushing through our area. But the weather pattern will begin to change shortly leaving these quiet spring days a thing of the past. Conditions tonight across South Florida will remain quiet and warm just as they have been in previous days. High pressure over the Atlantic will continue to break down and will allow for a weak front to move closer to Florida in the days to come. But still with dry air in place, Friday across South Florida should remain just as quiet as in previous days.  This will leave South Florida enjoying one more dry day before changes take...

Tennessee House expels Democrat for gun-control protest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:22 GMT

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI and JONATHAN MATTISE (Associated Press)NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — In an extraordinary act of political retaliation, Tennessee Republicans on Thursday expelled a Democratic lawmaker from the state Legislature for his role in a protest that called for more gun control in the aftermath of a deadly school shooting in Nashville.The GOP supermajority in the House declined by a single vote to expel a second Democrat. A vote against a third Democratic lawmaker was upcoming.The 72-25 vote to banish Rep. Justin Jones was a move the chamber has used only a handful times since the Civil War. Most state legislatures possess the power to expel members, but it is normally reserved as a punishment for lawmakers accused of serious misconduct, not as a weapon against political opponents.Rep. Gloria Johnson narrowly avoided being removed. She, along with Rep. Justin Pearson chanted back and forth from the chamber floor last week with gun-control supporters who packed the gallery...

Massachusetts updates how COVID deaths are counted, state virus cases drop 9%

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:22 GMT

State health officials have updated how COVID-19 deaths are counted, limiting COVID-associated deaths to those with COVID listed on the death certificate.The previous COVID death definition in Massachusetts included anyone who had COVID listed as a cause of death on their death certificate, and any individual who had a COVID diagnosis within 30 days — even if they did not have COVID listed as a cause of death on their death certificate.The new definition relies almost exclusively on COVID being listed on a death certificate. The state Department of Public Health is aligning its reporting with the most recent national standard definition.“The updated definition keeps pace with the evolving nature of the impact of COVID-19,” DPH said in a statement. “While COVID can still cause severe disease and death, overall, people are now less likely to die from COVID-related causes than they were earlier in the pandemic.”Using the new definition for COVID deaths, th...

With No. 2 seed locked up, how will Celtics approach final two regular season games?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:22 GMT

Joe Mazzulla has stayed consistent with his desire for the Celtics to continue winning and build good habits as the playoffs inch closer. Even though their final two regular season games will be meaningless for them in the standings, that intention doesn’t appear to be changing.With their victory over the Raptors coupled with the Bucks’ win over the Bulls on Wednesday night, the Celtics are locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Logically, that would give the C’s plenty of reason to prioritize health for their starters and regulars over the final two games. While they still will, it doesn’t mean they’ll punt on the final two games.“I think most importantly, it’s about being healthy going into the playoffs, No. 1 for sure, especially with the foundation we’ve built,” Malcolm Brogdon said. “And then two, it’s about finishing the season strong with good habits. We don’t want to lose these two games. We want to go in with momentum. I think that’s one of the most important...

Should prisoners be allowed to vote? Two Massachusetts politicians say yes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:22 GMT

A pair of state lawmakers are pushing to allow prisoners with felony convictions to vote — undoing a constitutional amendment approved decades ago.If approved, it would set back the clock two decades to when voters backed the prisoner voting ban.“We know that the Legislature made great strides in voting rights last session, but as Black and brown people continue to be disenfranchised in state prisons and houses of correction across the commonwealth, our work is really far from over,” state Sen. Liz Miranda of Boston told the Joint Committee on Election Laws during a hearing Thursday.Miranda’s proposal, similar to another offered by state Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven of Somerville, would undo a constitutional change proposed by then Acting Gov. Paul Cellucci in 1997 and approved by the voters in 2000 which removed the right for incarcerated felons to vote in Massachusetts elections. Cellucci, in 2001, would expand the rule to prohibit voting by felons serving time in presidential and...

New bank urged to keep SVB housing funds intact

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:22 GMT

Following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and its purchase by First Citizens Bank and Trust Company, members of Massachusetts’ congressional delegation are urging the bank’s new owners to keep intact SVB’s commitments to affordable housing in the state.“It is clear that SVB had extensive investments and partnerships in the affordable housing sector that should be continued,” the reps and senators said in a letter sent Thursday. “In the middle of a worsening affordable housing crisis, it is critical that there is a continuation of these activities under new ownership to avoid the disruption of local affordable housing development pipelines and initiatives.”The letter is addressed to the CEO of First Citizens and is signed by Reps. Stephen Lynch, Ayanna Pressley, Bill Keating, Jim McGovern, Katherine Clark, Seth Moulton, Lori Trahan and Jake Auchincloss and Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey.It lays out SVB’s extensive reach in...

Jets sign ex-Seahawks DT Quinton Jefferson

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:22 GMT

After losing Sheldon Rankins and Nathan Shepherd this offseason, the Jets have finally filled their void at defensive tackle.On Thursday, Gang Green announced it signed veteran defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson. Terms of the contract weren’t disclosed.As a member of the Seahawks last year, Jefferson played in all 17 games as he registered 29 tackles, a career-high 5.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits. He was initially drafted by Seattle out of Maryland in 2016. However, Jefferson has also spent time with the Rams (2017), Bills (2020) and the Raiders (2021), along with his five seasons with the Seahawks.Seattle released Jefferson last month, before the start of the new league year, saving $4.485 million against the salary cap.The defensive tackle spot alongside Quinnen Williams has been a significant need for the Jets this offseason. Rankins, who played in 15 games for the team, signed a one-year, $9.7 million contract with the Texans. Shepherd, the former backup defensive tackle...

Utah avalanche leads to shelter-in-place order at ski resort

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:22 GMT

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — After an hourslong search, a Utah ski resort confirmed that nobody was hurt or killed from an avalanche that gushed from the backcountry into its boundaries on Thursday.Snowbird, a mountain resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon southeast of Salt Lake City, said on Thursday afternoon that it had completed a search of a part of an area caught in the path of an avalanche that began on Mount Superior and crossed the highway onto a beginner run near the resort’s base.“No guests or employees were caught in the debris caused by an avalanche,” the resort said in a statement.Earlier on Thursday, Snowbird said that it had dispatched patrollers and was using rescue dogs, radar technology, and probes to scan the area and ensure nobody was caught under the snow.The avalanche flooded onto Chickadee, a run under one of several chairlifts that had reopened after the entire mountain closed a day prior because of torrential snowfall.The avalanche was naturally occurring and n...

Tennessee House declines to expel 2nd Dem for gun protest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:22 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s GOP-dominated House declined to expel the second of three Democratic members for her role in a demonstration in favor of gun control following the Nashville school shooting.The 65-30 vote fell just one vote shy of the number needed to oust Rep. Gloria Johnson. It came after a previous vote to expel Rep. Justin Jones. A vote against the third lawmaker, Rep. Justin Pearson, was upcoming. The expulsions are extraordinary moves the chamber has used only a handful times since the Civil War. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — the In an extraordinary act of political retaliation, Tennessee Republicans on Thursday expelled a Democratic lawmaker from the state Legislature for his role in a protest that called for more gun control in the aftermath of a deadly school shooting in Nashville.Two more Democrats were at risk of being ousted by the GOP supermajority in the House.The 72-25 vote to banish Rep. Ju...