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One’s a tactician, the other’s a showman. Meet Trump’s defense team.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:04:52 GMT

When former President Donald Trump arrives in Manhattan Criminal Courthouse to be arraigned next week, it will be his first appearance there as a criminal defendant. But for his lawyers, it is familiar territory.The legal duo representing the former president, Susan Necheles and Joe Tacopina, are longtime fixtures of New York criminal proceedings, each of whom has accompanied both tabloid sensations and more serious political figures through the concrete halls of the Art Deco courthouse.Neither is new to Trump’s orbit. Both have been working for Trump during the criminal investigation that led to Thursday’s indictment of the former president in connection with a $130,000 hush money payment to a porn star. Necheles was also a member of the defense team in the criminal tax fraud trial that took place late last year and ended in the conviction of the Trump Organization. Tacopina represented Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr.’s fiancée, before the Jan. 6 select committe...

1 dead, at least 28 injured after roof collapses at the Apollo Theatre in Illinois

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:04:52 GMT

  (CNN) — One person was killed and 28 others were injured after a full roof collapse at the Apollo Theatre in Belvidere, Illinois, on Friday evening, officials said.Approximately 260 people, including guests, performers and staff, were inside the venue for a metal rock concert at the time of the collapse, according to the event coordinator.Belvidere is in northern Illinois, approximately 14 miles outside the city of Rockford. Despite severe weather in the region, there were no reports of an “actual tornado” hitting the area, Belvidere Fire Chief Shawn Schadle said.Twenty-eight people were transported by ambulance to nearby hospitals, Schadle said. Five had severe injuries; 18 had moderate injuries; and five had minor injuries. “Obviously there were probably other patients transported by personal vehicle,” he added.During their initial response, crews coming into the building assisted in getting people out from under the debris. Crews est...

Donovan Mitchell eager for playoff series against Knicks: ‘Wouldn’t want it any other way’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:04:52 GMT

CLEVELAND — It would, at this point, require the very unexpected to NOT see a Knicks-Cavaliers playoff matchup.It would take a Knicks collapse to fall behind the Nets in the standings, or, even less likely, the Cavaliers to surge above the Sixers with five games to play.So while that’s not mathematically impossible, the understanding from both sides is to prepare for the likelihood.On Friday, Donovan Mitchell not only obliged a question about the theoretical matchup, he launched into a long answer about the powerful emotions associated with playing postseason games in New York.“It’s full circle. You wouldn’t want it any other way. What kid wouldn’t want to play against his hometown team in the playoffs?” Mitchell said. “I think for me, I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s a storybook ending — it’s not ending, but it’s a storyline. Something that’s really special and near and dear to me, being able ...

Bill Madden: Mets get early reminder of old baseball adage ‘you never have enough pitching’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:04:52 GMT

That age-old baseball lament — “You never have enough pitching” — could not have rung more true for the Mets as they embark on their mission to end their 37-year championship drought.Even before Edwin Diaz went down for the season with a torn patella in the World Baseball Classic, and lefty Jose Quintana, who they signed to replace Chris Bassitt in the rotation, went down with a lesion on his ribs, there were legitimate concerns about their two old aces, Max Scherzer (38) and Justin Verlander (40), making it all the way through to the end of October. And then — bang — there it was: the announcement on Opening Day in Miami that Verlander was suffering from a low-grade strain of the teres major muscle in his armpit area and will have his Mets debut delayed indefinitely. After spending over a half billion this winter — $214 million alone on Diaz, Verlander and Quintana — in the effort to overtake the Braves in National League East and hop...

Heat icon Dwyane Wade named to Hall of Fame Class of 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:04:52 GMT

From the moment he walked off the court at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 10, 2019, with a career-ending triple-double, this moment Saturday in Houston at the NCAA Final Four was inevitable.Miami Heat icon Dwyane Wade has been selected as a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, with enshrinement to follow on Aug. 12 in Springfield, Mass.It will be one of the most star-studded inductions in years, rivaling the bittersweet 2020 inductions of Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and, posthumously, Kobe Bryant.Announced as part of the Hall’s Class of 2023 along with Wade were fellow former NBA players Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and Tony Parker, as well as San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and former WNBA star and current WNBA coach Becky Hammon.Wade’s ascension to the Hall seemingly was preordained from the moment he stepped on the court for the Heat in 2003 as a first-round pick out of Marquette. From there, he shared in Heat NBA championships in 2006, 201...

Man in wheelchair struck by vehicle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:04:52 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A man in a wheelchair was struck by a vehicle in the Sherman Heights neighborhood on Friday, authorities said. According to the San Diego Police Department, a 32-year-old man was driving a white 2015 Chevy Suburban eastbound in the left lane of 2400 Market St. around 7:30 p.m. at the time of the incident. San Diego jury awards $46M to paralyzed jiu-jitsu student As the driver was approaching 500 25th St., authorities say a man in a wheelchair was also in the eastbound left lane, just west of the intersection and not in the crosswalk, SDPD said. According to police, the man in the wheelchair was facing south but pushing himself north across the street. At that time, the driver of Suburban struck the man in wheelchair in the eastbound left lane, SDPD said.The man in the wheelchair, who authorities say was in his 60s, suffered a brain bleed that required surgery. According to SDPD, the man is expected to survive. Deadline to pay San Diego property taxes approaching Th...

SDSU golfer to sing national anthem at Final Four

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:04:52 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A fellow San Diego State University athlete will be singing the national anthem prior to the Aztecs' men's basketball crucial Final Four game against the Florida Atlantic University Owls.April Ranches, a fifth-year senior and golfer at SDSU, says student-athletes whose schools made it to the Sweet 16 were asked to submit video auditions for the Final Four national anthem.Last week, Ranches, also a San Diego native, was selected by the NCAA as the SDSU athlete to sing the anthem, should the Aztecs make it to the Final Four, and advance they did. Super Sports Saturday: Watch Aztecs, Padres at Petco Park From that point on, Ranches says she's been prepping for the moment."This will be my first performance in front of a real audience," she said. "I will say it does help a lot being an athlete and having crowds watching."The San Diego community will be ready to rally on Ranches and the Aztecs on Saturday at 3:09 p.m.

Michael Mantha removed from Ontario NDP caucus amid workplace investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:04:52 GMT

The leader of Ontario’s new democrats says she’s removed long-time party member Michael Mantha from caucus amid an independent investigation into alleged workplace misconduct.Marit Stiles announced the move in a release issued Saturday, but said she could not share further details in order to protect the privacy of the complainant.A high-ranking NDP source who was not able to discuss the matter publicly says that when Stiles took over as leader and was briefed on the situation, she asked Mantha to take a leave.The source says the investigation is ongoing, but based on the information gathered so far, Stiles informed Mantha on Friday that she was removing him from caucus.Mantha has served as an NDP MPP since first being elected in 2011 to represent the northern Ontario riding of Algoma-Manitoulin.He most recently served as the party’s mining and natural resources critic until March 29, when his critic portfolio was reduced to mining alone, a position he no longer ho...

Protestors across Canada demonstrate against RBC’s fossil-fuel funding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:04:52 GMT

Demonstrators will gather in 40 locations across Canada to protest against the Royal Bank of Canada on Saturday for funding fossil fuel projects. The protests, part of a nation-wide effort dubbed Fossil Fools Day, will take place in cities including Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Halifax and Vancouver.RBC has outlined plans to reduce its financed emissions by 2030 with an end goal of net zero by 2050.But critics say its targets fall far short of what’s needed, accusing the bank of “greenwashing” last fall when it announced its targets for this decade. The bank has also faced criticism from Indigenous leaders including from the Wet’suwet’en, who have criticized the bank’s climate record and its funding of the Coastal GasLink Pipeline. The bank, for its part, has long stressed the importance of an orderly transition to net-zero.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 1, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:RY)The Canadian Press

Pedestrian struck in Mossbank Drive and Lawrence Avenue East area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:04:52 GMT

A pedestrian has been struck by a vehicle in the Mossbank Drive and Lawrence Avenue East area on Saturday morning.COLLISION:Mossbank Dr + Lawrence Av East11:09 a.m.– Pedestrian struck by a vehicle– Unknown injuries– Police are on scene– E/B lanes on Lawrence are blocked @TTCnotices#GO715851^lb— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) April 1, 2023Police responded to a call just after 11 a.m. of an adult male that was struck by a vehicle.The male has been transported to hospital and his injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening.Eastbound lanes on Lawrence Avenue are blocked and delays are expected in the area.