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Suspect in Natalee Holloway disappearance is in court for trying to extort victim’s mother

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:41:02 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Joran van der Sloot, the chief suspect in Natalee Holloway’s 2005 disappearance on the island of Aruba, walked shackled into an Alabama courtroom on Friday as her parents looked on.He pleaded not guilty to charges that he tried to extort money from the missing teen’s mother in exchange for revealing where to find her daughter’s remains.Although he’s not on trial for harming Holloway, the extortion and wire fraud charges are the only alleged crimes that link the Dutch citizen to her disappearance on the final night of high school graduation trip with classmates. The 18-year-old was last seen leaving a bar with van der Sloot, who was a student at an international school on the island where he grew up.Van der Sloot, now 35, was extradited Thursday from Peru where he’s serving a 28-year sentence after confessing to killing a Peruvian woman in 2010 — five years to the day after Holloway went missing.Natalee’s mother, father and ...

Miami Beach “Party House” owner and tenant settle short-term rental dispute

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:41:02 GMT

The owner and tenant of a fancy “party house” in Miami Beach have reached an agreement with the City of Miami Beach to stop offering short-term rentals and pay outstanding fines, according to court documents.According to a press release, the City of Miami Beach took legal action on Thursday, filing a lawsuit in Miami-Dade County Court to put a stop to what they considered a disruptive “public nuisance” at the property on 1776 Bay Drive.The defendants, who were accused of running an illegal short-term rental business with prices going as high as $7,650 per night, will also be responsible for covering the costs of the court case.Stephen Krause, the property owner who bought the luxurious residence for $6.5 million in 2020, was named as a defendant, along with The Nightfall Group LLC and Scott Weissman.The Nightfall Group LLC was identified as the property’s representative, while Weissman was the tenant.To ensure compliance with the city’s rules, Kra...

Dermody cut by Red Sox after making debut, regretting tweet

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:41:02 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Pitcher Matt Dermody was cut by the Boston Red Sox on Friday, a day after he made his first major league start and said he regretted making a homophobic tweet two years ago.The 32-year-old left-hander was designated for assignment as part of a flurry of roster moves. Boston has seven days to trade him or place him on waivers.Toronto Blue cut pitcher Anthony Bass earlier Friday, one day after the right-handed reliever said he didn’t think an anti-LGBTQ+ social media post he shared last month was hateful.Boston also activated outfielder Adam Duvall from the 60-day injured list after he recovered from a broken left wrist, transferred left-hander Chris Sale (left shoulder inflammation) to the 60-day IL and selected the contract of left-hander Joe Jacques Triple-A Worcester. The Red Sox said infielder Enmanuel Valdez was optioned to Worcester after Thursday night’s game against Cleveland.Dermody allowed three runs over four innings against the Guardians, giving up t...

‘Unruly’ MBTA passenger throws hand sanitizer stand, damages credit card machine

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:41:02 GMT

A MBTA passenger who missed his bus and demanded a refund allegedly threw a hand sanitizer stand and damaged a credit card machine Thursday, according to Transit Police.Officers responded to South Station Bus Terminal when an adult male was “not satisfied” with the MBTA’s response and threw the hand sanitizer stand over the counter around 1 p.m. While a person was not hit by it, the stand damaged a $400 credit card machine. https://twitter.com/MBTATransitPD/status/1667168438127665157?s=20TPD said they will be pressing charges.

Former VP Mike Pence says he’s troubled by Trump indictment during campaign stops in NH

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:41:02 GMT

Former Vice President Mike Pence was in New Hampshire Friday where he spoke in the immediate aftermath of a federal indictment against former President Donald Trump. Less than 24 hours after Trump said he had been indicted and on the same day that the indictment was unsealed, Pence expressed deep skepticism of the Special Prosecutor Jack Smith’s move to bring the federal charges against a former president for the first time. He called the day a “sad day in America.” “Well, look, no one knows the facts,” he separately responded when asked if he believes the indictment is political.“It’s not just a sad day, it’s a troubling day for millions of Americans,” Pence said. “And it invites a divisiveness in this country that can only be answered with facts.” Pence made multiple campaign stops in New Hampshire on Friday in his first visit to the state since he launched his own presidential campaign on Wednesday. In comments, he went on to say no one is above the law, addin...

Here’s where Donald Trump allegedly kept classified documents at Mar-a-Lago

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:41:02 GMT

(CNN) — Former President Donald Trump allegedly kept classified documents at various places in his Mar-a-Lago resort, including a public ballroom, bathroom and a bedroom.According to the special counsel’s indictment of Trump released Friday, the Florida resort hosted more than 150 social events including weddings, movie premiers and fundraisers between January 2021 and August 2022, when the FBI executed a court-approved search of the premises for the documents.Boxes of classified documents are stored inside the Mar-a-Lago Club’s White and Gold Ballroom in this photo included in Donald Trump’s federal indictment. Credit: US District Court/Southern District of FloridaWhile the Secret Service protected Trump and family members after he left office, the agency wasn’t responsible for the boxes or contents, nor did Trump say classified documents were at Mar-a-Lago, the indictment states.Some classified documents contained information on US defense and nuclear ca...

Jets QB Zach Wilson on Aaron Rodgers: ‘I can’t be bitter about the situation’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:41:02 GMT

Imagine being proclaimed the next big thing by a franchise only to be demoted after two seasons.That’s precisely what Jets quarterback Zach Wilson is going through this season with the arrival of Aaron Rodgers.“Of course, I would like to be the guy,” Wilson said on Friday. “You’re not always happy about that. But I’m extremely psyched that out of any quarterback we could have brought in, it was him.“I had been talking to him this offseason. I was with him earlier this offseason before any of this was being talked about. We got to spend some time together. It was really cool to see how it all went together.“I have to look at kind of where I’m at as a quarterback and look to be the best that I can be and I do think this can be a big part of it. What he brings to the table, what Coach Hack [Nathaniel Hackett] and [Todd] Downing bring to the table, can be really good for me in my development and this offense.”Just two years ago...

21-GUN HONOR

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:41:02 GMT

That booming you may have heard wasn’t just thunderclaps.The USS Constitution left Charlestown Navy Yard and turned back near Castle Island firing a 21-salute in honor of Women Veterans Day Friday.Women Veterans Day, held on June 12, marks the anniversary of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, signed in 1948, legally allowing women to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.USS Constitution, is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat, and played a crucial role in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812, actively defending sea lanes from 1797 to 1855.USS Constitution was undefeated in battle and destroyed or captured 33 opponents. The ship earned the nickname of Old Ironsides during the War of 1812 when British cannonballs were seen bouncing off the ship’s wooden hull.Maddie Wong, 6, covers her ears as the USS Constitution fires its guns. (Reba Saldanha/Boston Herald)Boston MA – Crowds gather at Castle Island as the USS Constitution prepares to fire a 21 gun salute in ...

Where do the Mets go from here after getting swept by the rival Braves in Atlanta?

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:41:02 GMT

PITTSBURGH — The Mets have suffered a lot of comically bad losses throughout franchise history. They’ve been handed ugly losses and heartbreaking losses. They’ve also fielded blatantly bad teams that played blatantly bad baseball.But even those teams never did what the 2023 Mets did this week in Atlanta when they had leads of at least three or more runs three nights in a row, only to blow them and lose each night.This was the first time in franchise history the Mets have accomplished that feat, and to make matters worse, it resulted in a sweep by the Braves, who are spending much less.The Mets are heading into a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday at PNC Park at 30-33, which leaves them 8 1/2 games out of first place in the NL East. Even worse, the team is likely to lose Pete Alonso to the injured list. Buck Showalter’s decision to defer to Billy Eppler when asked about the results of Alonso’s MRI on Thursday was some ominous fore...

Giants special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey sees ‘uncharted territory’ with new kickoff rule

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:41:02 GMT

Giants special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey didn’t have to blast the NFL’s new kickoff rule on Thursday to make it clear where he stands.He said it all with his shoulder shrugging, his grim acceptance of a change that heavily impacts his livelihood, and his response to whether special teams coaches feel like an endangered species these days.“That’s a really good question,” McGaughey said with a sad smile. “That’s a really good question.”McGaughey knows all he can control is his response to a rule that allows a fair catch anywhere behind the 25-yard line to bring the ball out to the 25 for 1st and 10.“We might not agree with it, but that’s just what it is, and we’ll govern ourselves accordingly,” he said, speaking for all coaches on his marginalized side of the ball.But the Giants’ coordinator did echo one of the common complaints of this rule’s critics: NFL owners are ignoring the possible unin...