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Democrat congressman calls for decriminalizing sex work after bombshell House report on Matt GaetzCOLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — Victims' families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences . Biden converted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people convicted in the slayings of police and military officers, as well as federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof , convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev , and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they'd long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump , a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move weeks before the president-elect takes office. Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner, Bryan Hurst, was killed by an inmate whose death sentence was commuted, said the killer's execution "would have brought me no peace.” “The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House. But Hurst’s widow, Marissa Gibson, called Biden's move distressing and a "complete dismissal and undermining of the federal justice system,” in a statement to The Columbus Dispatch . Tim Timmerman, whose daughter, Rachel, was thrown into a Michigan lake in 1997 to keep her from testifying in a rape trial, said Biden's decision to commute the killer's sentence offered families “only pain.” "Where’s the justice in just giving him a prison bed to die comfortably in?” Timmerman said on WOOD-TV. Heather Turner, whose mother, Donna Major, was killed in a 2017 South Carolina bank robbery, called the commutation of the killer's sentence a “clear gross abuse of power” in a Facebook post. “At no point did the president consider the victims,” Turner wrote. “He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” Corey Groves, whose mother, Kim Groves, was murdered in a 1994 plot by a New Orleans police officer after she filed a complaint against him, said the family has been living with the “nightmare” of her killer for three decades. “I have always wanted him to spend the rest of his life in prison and have to wake up every morning and think about what he did when he took our mother from us," Groves said in a statement through his attorney. Families of the nine people killed and the survivors of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church have long had a broad range of opinions on Roof's punishment. Many forgave him, but some say they can’t forget and their forgiveness doesn’t mean they don’t want to see him put to death for what he did. Felicia Sanders survived the shooting shielding her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson. Sanders brought her bullet-torn bloodstained Bible to his sentencing. In a text message to her lawyer, Andy Savage, Sanders called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift. Michael Graham, whose sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed, told The Associated Press that Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the country means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people," Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” But the Rev. Sharon Risher, who was Tywanza Sanders’ cousin and whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed, criticized Biden for not sparing Roof and clearing out federal death row. “I need the President to understand that when you put a killer on death row, you also put their victims' families in limbo with the false promise that we must wait until there is an execution before we can begin to heal,” Risher said in a statement. Risher, a board member of Death Penalty Action, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, said during a Zoom news conference that families “are left to be hostages for the years and years of appeals that are to come.” Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action’s executive director, said Biden was giving more attention to the three inmates he chose not to spare, something they all wanted as a part of their political motivations to kill. “When Donald Trump gets to execute them what will really be happening is they will be given a global platform for their agenda of hatred,” Bonowitz said. Biden had faced pressure from advocacy organizations to commute federal death sentences, and several praised him for taking action in his final month in office. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, said in a statement that Biden has shown "the brutal and inhumane policies of our past do not belong in our future.” Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, criticized the move — and argued its moral ground was shaky given the three exceptions. “Once again, Democrats side with depraved criminals over their victims, public order, and common decency,” Cotton wrote on X. “Democrats can’t even defend Biden’s outrageous decision as some kind of principled, across-the-board opposition to the death penalty since he didn’t commute the three most politically toxic cases.” Two men whose sentences were commuted were Norris Holder and Billie Jerome Allen, on death row for opening fire during a 1997 bank robbery in St. Louis, killing a guard, 46-year-old Richard Heflin. Holder’s attorney, Madeline Cohen, said in an email that Holder, who is Black, was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. “Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. “Norris has always been deeply remorseful for the pain his actions caused, and we hope this decision brings some measure of closure to Richard Heflin’s family.” But Ed Dowd Jr., the U.S. attorney in St. Louis at the time of the robbery and now a private attorney, criticized Biden's move. “This case was a message to people who wanted to go out and shoot people for the hell of it, that you’re going to get the death penalty,” Dowd said. Now, "Biden is sending a message that you can do whatever you want and you won’t get the death penalty.” This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Rev. Sharon Risher's name. Swenson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri; Stephen Smith in New Orleans, and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed.
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Lautaro Martinez ends goal drought as Inter keep pressure on Serie A leadersPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts remained in the NFL's concussion protocol on Monday, limiting his ability to practice this week for the Philadelphia Eagles and casting doubt on his availability for Sunday's game against Dallas. If Hurts can't play, the Eagles would turn to backup Kenny Pickett — who suffered a rib injury and couldn't protect a big lead in a 36-33 loss to Washington — with third-stringer Tanner McKee on deck. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts remained in the NFL's concussion protocol on Monday, limiting his ability to practice this week for the Philadelphia Eagles and casting doubt on his availability for Sunday's game against Dallas. If Hurts can't play, the Eagles would turn to backup Kenny Pickett — who suffered a rib injury and couldn't protect a big lead in a 36-33 loss to Washington — with third-stringer Tanner McKee on deck. The Eagles (12-3) need to win one more game over the final two to clinch an NFC East title and one of the conference's top two seeds. Coach Nick Sirianni gave no additional health update on Hurts but did say the QB who led the Eagles to 10 straight wins before he was forced out with the head injury wouldn't need much time this week to get ready against the Cowboys, if he was cleared. “Jalen knows how to prepare,” Sirianni said. “He knows how to get himself ready. He's a true pro." The Eagles are 9 1/2-point favorites over the division rival Cowboys (7-8), per BetMGM Sportsbook. Sirianni said the Eagles would lean on the medical staff on a daily basis to know where Hurts — who threw two touchdown passes and ran for a pair of scores in the first meeting against Dallas in November — was in his recovery from the head injury. Hurts was ruled out early at Washington after his head slammed against the ground on one run and he was hit in the helmet by Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu at the end of another. “He's always done a good job of protecting himself both as a passer and a runner,” Sirianni said. “Any time you lose one of your best players, you wish they'd do something else or not take that hit." Hurts shook off a sluggish start over the first four games and has thrown 18 touchdowns against just five interceptions to turn the Eagles into Super Bowl contenders. “Every time there's a player out,” Sirianni said, “there's an adjustment to be made.” Saquon Barkley and the running game. Barkley was held to 41 yards after the first quarter but 150 yards is 150 yards and he still has a shot at NFL history. Barkley leads the NFL with 1,838 yards rushing and is 268 yards away from passing Eric Dickerson and his 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984 for the season mark. Barkley is 162 yards shy of becoming the ninth player in NFL history with 2,000 yards rushing in a season. Backup QB. Pickett was 14 of 24 for 143 yards in relief, throwing a touchdown pass to A.J. Brown and an interception. Pickett played his first meaningful football in a year. The Eagles use McKee as the emergency QB, but the sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft could be in the mix if Hurts sat out against Dallas. Pickett is from New Jersey and said when he was acquired from Pittsburgh that he had “great memories” of going to games at Lincoln Financial Field with his dad and grandfather since he was 5. The chance to run out of the home team tunnel — which he could get Sunday if he's the starting QB — left him absolutely delighted. Pickett, a first-round pick out of Pitt in 2022, went 14-10 as a starter for the Steelers. “I was impressed by Pickett, honestly," Washington coach Dan Quinn said Monday. "I thought he threw the ball with good accuracy to the right spots. He’s a nice athlete (who can) move, so I can see why they would want him in that system. I thought he got outside and had good scramble ability. Wasn’t surprised they didn’t run the sneaks to go through that.” Zack Baun. The linebacker barely caused a ripple on the transactions wire in March but has been arguably the MVP of the defense. He forced a fumble in the third quarter that set up a score, one of five turnovers for the Eagles. He also had two tackles for losses. The No. 1 seed. The Eagles all but cost themselves a shot at the top spot in the NFC and a bye with the late-game collapse in Washington. The Eagles will clinch the division with a victory over the Cowboys or Giants and most likely will finish with the No. 2 seed. They are one game behind both the Detroit Lions (13-2) and the Minnesota Vikings (13-2) in the NFC standings. Eagles fans can still chant, “We're No. 1!” but it's a long shot. To clinch the No. 1 seed, the Eagles need to beat Dallas and the Giants. And the Lions need to lose their last two games against San Francisco (6-9) and Minnesota. And the Vikings needs to lose to Green Bay (10-4) and beat the Lions in Week 18. Should the status quo remain, the Eagles would host Washington in a playoff game. Beyond Hurts, edge rusher Josh Sweat left with an ankle injury and defensive tackle Jordan Davis limped off in the second quarter. ... Pickett said he had his ribs X-rayed and would undergo further testing. Sirianni had no update Monday on Pickett's condition. 1,000 — Brown became the first Eagles receiver to top 1,000 yards in three straight seasons since Mike Quick from 1983-85. The Eagles can clinch the division and a home playoff game with two lightweights left on the schedule, both at home. The Eagles play Dallas on Sunday in a game bumped to a 1 p.m. kickoff and end the season against the New York Giants. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflVanquishing Bears, Thanksgiving losing streak tops Lions' holiday listor signup to continue reading If you're in the market for a new , time is running out. The cheap and cheerful small car will be replaced very soon, ending a production run of four generations and over 20 years. It's still relatively affordable, still has a long warranty, and still packs power from a petrol four-cylinder. On paper, the Cerato isn't exactly going out with a bang. No changes have been made in its final year on sale, while prices rose $900 across the range early on in 2024 – despite the price rise, it's still a lot of metal for the money. You'll need to pay more for a , or , so it's instead aligned with high-end versions of the smaller . Is it still worth snapping up a Cerato before they're gone for good? Kia offers nationwide drive-away pricing for the Cerato lineup, with hatchback and sedan body styles costing the same. The test vehicle featured here is a Safety Pack equipped S sedan with no additional options. The interior of the Cerato is dull, but functional. Hard black plastics dominate the space, including the centre console, door cards, and dash. That's not unexpected for an economy car, and Kia has been very selective with how its limited budget is distributed across the Cerato S. Included in the Safety Pack is a leather-wrapped steering wheel, which sits satisfyingly in the hands. As does the gear lever, which is also trimmed in leather, and the plastics used in high-traffic areas such as the armrest have a soft touch. Small pieces of plastic aluminium-look trim break up the sea of black, but it's clear they aren't the real deal. Similar sentiments apply to the seats. Trimmed in cloth, they don't look especially premium, but it was easy to get comfortable thanks to supportive side bolstering and well-judged cushioning. The headrests are contoured, which is a pretty neat and uncommon feature that makes them gentler on your head. Behind the steering wheel you'll find a small screen flanked by an analogue tachometer on the left and a similarly old-school speedometer on the right. There's no digital instrument cluster here – despite a 10.25-inch unit being available in South Korea – and the Cerato feels older than it is as a result. The puny digital display can be customised to show vehicle settings, fuel economy, and speed information, and feedback for certain safety systems. It's easy enough to navigate, but the button controls are tacky and unpleasant to use. Moving from the gauges to the infotainment system, it's like stepping through a time portal from the mid-2000s to 2024. The 8.0-inch touchscreen is befitting of its modern status, complete with wireless smartphone connectivity. Some premium new cars still required a wired connection for smartphone mirroring, so I was pleasantly surprised to see wireless capability on the spec sheet for this little budget sedan. With that said, Apple CarPlay was prone to dropouts during my time with the car, and it's difficult to exit the mirroring screen without a physical home button. There's also a noticeable lag between pressing a button and something happening on the screen, which stands out given we spend so much time using lightning-quick phones and tablets in 2024. Although the infotainment system is wireless, there are two USB-A ports and a 12V outlet located under the climate controls, so both front occupants can charge their devices simultaneously. Speaking of climate control, the layout will be familiar to anyone who has driven a car in the last 30 years. All functions are adjusted through three rotary dials, one each for mode, temperature, and fan speed. Air is distributed through four vents up front. Simple and effective, a big plus for any rental-spec vehicle. Storage space benefits from such an uncluttered dash layout – you get two seperate iPhone-sized shelves under the climate dials, so both driver and passenger are looked after. However, elsewhere space is limited. The front door bins are small and poorly laid out, while the armrest cubby and glovebox are similarly tight. Dual centre cupholders are each big enough for a 1L drink bottle, and there's a drop down holder for sunglasses above the dash. Storage is also at a premium in the second row. Like many other compact cars, the rear door bins are only good for a small drink bottle, tops. Map pockets are absent from the seat backs, although you do get a centre armrest with two fixed cupholders. Connectivity is well covered in the front row and rear passengers aren't neglected in that domain either, with one USB-C connection point available. When it comes to space for people, the Cerato gets a pass mark. Adults of an average size will fit comfortably, although taller folk may find their hair grazes against the headliner when sitting upright. There's plenty of room for feet under the front seats. Thankfully, the light headliner and a pair of air vents also prevent the car from feeling claustrophobic in the back. Whether you're riding solo or travelling with a carload of passengers, the boot in the Cerato sedan provides plenty of cargo room. With of space, the Cerato has the most boot space in the small car segment, although the aperture is on the small side. If you need more room, the rear bench folds 60/40 to unlock extra capacity. Annoyingly, there's no way to open the boot manually without the key fob. That's unacceptable in my book, and a real knock on practicality. All Cerato variants except the flagship GT are powered by a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. Our fuel economy figure was measured over 170km of mostly peak-hour commuting, with some short stints on the open road – hence the fairly high indicated readout. The Cerato is an easy and enjoyable car to drive with a flat learning curve. All the controls are simple to operate, and the small stature of the car makes it easy to place in city traffic and tight suburban streets. That also applies to parking. The Cerato will fit in just about any parking space and a reversing camera is on hand to make the process even simpler. While the S doesn't claim to have any performance credentials, it feels sporty on quieter roads with smooth, naturally aspirated power and accurate steering. You get 112kW and 192Nm from the 2.0-litre engine, which is more than enough for urban driving. It's happiest when you're taking things easy, put your foot down and you get lots of revs, lots of noise, but not all that much performance. The steering in particular surprised me, as some other modern steering systems can be overly light and inconsistent. A forgiving suspension setup ensures that the Cerato manages to be both sporty and comfortable, even over potholes and speed bumps. It's by no means flawless, though. Some of the additional safety systems included with the Safety Pack are too intrusive in their default settings, namely blind-spot monitoring and forward collision-avoidance. The blind-spot monitoring system has the tendency to warn you if a car is driving alongside in a separate lane, while forward collision-avoidance tech at times brakes and abruptly shudders the Cerato if you pass narrowly between parked cars or try to navigate a tight city laneway. Some of these issues are remedied by adjusting safety settings through the infotainment screen, but not all. I wouldn't mess with the rear cross-traffic alert feature, however, as it functioned seamlessly and took the anxiety out of reversing into busy streets. Out on the highway the Cerato is comfortable cruising, retaining a cushiony ride at high speeds. The cabin is well insulated from outside noise, so longer road trips don't become a chore. If you are trying to accelerate uphill with a load on board, however, you get lots of noise from the petrol engine as it strains to get the job done. Adaptive cruise control comes with the Safety Pack, and the technology operates smoothly on those extended journeys. It was hard to get a fair gauge on the efficiency of the Cerato during our test, as most of the kilometres were chalked up in city traffic, but I was still surprised to see a fuel consumption figure of 12L/100km. The S is the entry point into the Cerato range, although our tester was fitted with the $1500 Safety Pack – here's what you get with each variant. The Kia Cerato was last tested by ANCAP in 2019, with two different ratings covering the range. All Kia Cerato variants are covered by the brand's seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia. The Kia Cerato S, Sport and Sport+ require services every 12 months or 15,000km, while the GT has a stricter schedule with 12-month, 10,000km intervals. The Kia Cerato S is a practical and competent economy car that's ready for a refresh. It has enough infotainment and safety technology to keep up with the pack, and is comfortable to drive both in the city and on the open road. You also get more room in the second row than most similarly priced hatchbacks, while Kia is the class leader when it comes to boot space. Having said that, none of this is new and prices have jumped $6800 since the current model hit the market six years ago. The interior is a relic of that time, as is the inefficient powertrain. Sedan rivals in this price range are hard to come by, but the Hyundai i30 Sedan rolls on a newer platform that offers the option of hybrid efficiency and superior interior polish... if you can stretch your budget. Content originally sourced from: Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . Advertisement
KyKy Tandy scored a season-high 21 points that included a key 3-pointer in a late second-half surge as Florida Atlantic roared back to beat Oklahoma State 86-78 on Thursday in the opening round of the Charleston Classic in Charleston, S.C. Florida Atlantic (4-2) advances to play Drake in the semifinal round on Friday while the Cowboys square off against Miami in the consolation semifinal contest, also Friday. Oklahoma State led by as many as 10 points in the first half before securing a five-point advantage at halftime. The Owls surged back and moved in front with four and a half minutes to play. It was part of an 11-1 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Tandy that made it 75-68 with 2:41 remaining. Ken Evans added 14 points for Florida Atlantic, with Leland Walker hitting for 13 and Tre Carroll scoring 11. The Owls went 35-of-49 from the free throw line as the teams combined for 56 fouls in the game, 33 by Oklahoma State. Khalil Brantley led Oklahoma State (3-1) with 16 points while Robert Jennings added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Cowboys, who hit one field goal over a 10-minute stretch of the second half while having three players foul out. The Owls were up by as many as seven points in the early minutes and by 13-10 after a layup by Carroll at the 11:32 mark of the first half. Oklahoma State leapfrogged to the front on Abou Ousmane's layup off a Brantley steal, fell behind again on a 3-pointer by Evans and then responded on a 3-pointer by Jennings to take a 17-16 lead. From there, the Cowboys stoked their advantage to double digits when Jamyron Keller canned a shot from beyond the arc with five minutes to play in the half. Florida Atlantic got a layup and a monster dunk from Matas Vokietaitis and a pair of free throws from Walker in a 6-2 run to end the half to pull within 39-34 at the break. Jennings and Ousmane tallied seven points apiece for Oklahoma State over the first 20 minutes, as the Cowboys led despite shooting just 33.3 percent from the floor in the half. Carroll and Vokietaitis scored seven points apiece to pace the Owls, who committed 11 turnovers that translated to seven points for Oklahoma State before halftime. --Field Level MediaTrump says he's going to impose new tariffs: When could it impact your wallet?
GDP, durable goods orders, and jobless claims top Wednesday's economic calendarMartinez had gone eight matches since last finding the back of the net against Venezia on November 3 but after Alessandro Bastoni opened the scoring in the 54th minute, the Argentina international struck in Sardinia. The Inter captain took his tally against Cagliari to 10 goals in as many games after 71 minutes before Hakan Calhanoglu capped an excellent night for the visitors from the penalty spot a few moments later. This moment >>> #ForzaInter #CagliariInter pic.twitter.com/aZwbAZvRVI — Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter_en) December 28, 2024 Inter’s fifth-successive league victory led to them temporarily leapfrogging Atalanta, who reclaimed top spot but saw their lead cut to a single point following a 1-1 draw at Lazio. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side were grateful for a point in the end after falling behind to Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s first-half strike, only drawing level with two minutes remaining thanks to Marco Brescianini. Lautaro Valenti’s last-gasp strike condemned rock-bottom Monza to a 10th defeat in 18 matches as Parma edged a 2-1 victory, while Genoa defeated Empoli by the same scoreline.
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Julia Bradbury said she has become more focused on her health than she has ever been after “death looked her in the eyes”. The 54-year-old TV presenter revealed in 2021 that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and later underwent a mastectomy during which her breast plus two lymph glands were removed before reconstruction took place. Bradbury has since stopped drinking alcohol and has changed the priorities in her life, but revealed she has received some pushback on social media from sharing her approach. She told The Times Weekend magazine: “I wasn’t close to death, but death looked me in the eyes. So I am more focused on my health than I ever have been. “I don’t drink, I eat a healthy diet and exercise every day. “When I came home from my mastectomy, I promised I would spend time outside every day, and that is my mantra, however poor it might be in this shitty winter.” Bradbury, who has since been given the all-clear, said a doctor recently helped her reframe how she utilises her energy. She recalled: “He said, ‘This drive that you have – you’re running on a credit card. You can push through all sorts of things. But is that the best thing for you?’. “I realised you don’t have to win every race. You don’t have to overcome everything. I don’t want to max out the credit card.” The presenter previously discussed her experience in an ITV documentary, Julia Bradbury: Breast Cancer And Me, which followed her as she came to terms with her diagnosis and prepared to undergo her single mastectomy. She also regularly shares her wellness and fitness tips with her more than 270,000 Instagram followers. However, she revealed she has had pushback from people saying, “I was healthy, I go to the gym, I got cancer, and now its metastasised and I’ve got secondary cancer. So are you blaming me for my illness?”. Responding to the accusations, she added: “No. All I’m saying is, this is what I went through. It was a wake-up call, and it made me look at life differently. “It made me prioritise my sleep, emotional health, and give more time to my loved ones. “If I drink more than four units of alcohol a week, my risk of reoccurrence goes up by 28%. But people find me giving up drinking infuriating.” Bradbury, who has a 13-year-old son Zephyr, and nine-year-old twins Xanthe and Zena, said having children later in life has caused her to not be as “patient” as she feels she should be at times after becoming more set in her own ways. “People think that after you’ve got a cancer diagnosis, you become this beautiful angel with a halo, and a super mum and do everything right”, she added. “But no, you make the same mistakes. I lose my temper, and I can hear myself saying things that I can’t believe I’m saying. “None of us know what we’re doing, really. We’re just doing our best. I know they do have lots of love. They are told that they’re loved every day.”