DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — A high-speed passenger train collided with a fire truck at a crossing Saturday morning in Florida, injuring three firefighters and at least a dozen train passengers, authorities said. The crash happened at 10:45 a.m. in crowded downtown Delray Beach, multiple news outlets reported. The Brightline train was stopped on the tracks, its front destroyed, about a block away from the Delray Beach Fire Rescue truck, its ladder ripped off and strewn in the grass several yards away, The Sun-Sentinel reported. The Delray Beach Fire Rescue said in a social media post that three Delray Beach firefighters were in stable condition at a hospital. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue took 12 people from the train to the hospital with minor injuries. Emmanuel Amaral rushed to the scene on his golf cart after hearing a loud crash and screeching train brakes from where he was having breakfast a couple of blocks away. He saw firefighters climbing out of the window of their damaged truck and pulling injured colleagues away from the tracks. One of their helmets came to rest several hundred feet away from the crash. “The front of that train is completely smashed, and there was even some of the parts to the fire truck stuck in the front of the train, but it split the car right in half. It split the fire truck right in half, and the debris was everywhere,” Amaral said. Brightline officials did not immediately comment on the crash. A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board said it was still gathering information about the crash and had not decided yet whether it will investigate. The NTSB is already investigating two crashes involving Brightline’s high-speed trains that killed three people early this year at the same crossing along the railroad’s route between Miami and Orlando. More than 100 people have died after being hit by trains since Brightline began operations in July 2017 — giving the railroad the worst death rate in the nation. But most of those deaths have been either suicides, pedestrians who tried to run across the tracks ahead of a train or drivers who went around crossing gates instead of waiting for a train to pass. Brightline has not been found to be at fault in those previous deaths. Railroad safety has been a concern since a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023, spilling toxic chemicals that caught fire. Regulators urged the industry to improve safety and members of Congress proposed a package of reforms, but railroads have not made many major changes to their operations and the bill has stalled. Earlier this month the two operators of a Union Pacific train were killed after it collided with a semitrailer truck that was blocking a crossing in the small West Texas town of Pecos. Three other people were injured, and the local Chamber of Commerce building was damaged.An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on
ELK RIVER — Political observers, reporters and curious onlookers filled the Maple Room of the Sherburne County Government Center in Elk River on Monday morning, Nov. 25. All eyes were on the front of the room, where the votes from three precincts of the Minnesota House 14B race between incumbent Rep. Dan Wolgamott, DFL-St. Cloud, and Republican challenger Sue Ek were recounted by hand. Each candidate could have observers watch the ballot counters and watch at a time. One woman, sitting in the second row of onlookers, brought a pair of binoculars so she could stand up and keep a better eye on the recount. Observers representing Ek — including the woman with the binoculars — kept track of the number of ballots in each precinct, writing the numbers down as they were reported by Loraine Rupp, the Sherburne County auditor-treasurer. They added up the numbers to make sure they all match the results from the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website. At the end, Sherburne County confirmed Wolgamott’s election night win over Ek during Monday’s nearly three-hour-long recount. "I’m satisfied that the results of this recount confirm what the voters decided on Nov. 5: once again, they’ve hired me to get things done for St. Cloud at the Capitol," Wolgamott said in a written statement. Wolgamott lost one vote during the recount, giving him a winning margin of 190 votes. The one-vote loss was a write-in vote where judges determined that the voter intent was not for Wolgamott, Rupp said. Following the recount, the incumbent gained one vote in St. Cloud Ward 2, Precinct 7, and lost two in St. Cloud Ward 2, Precinct 5, according to Rupp. Ek requested the recount. State statute for a publicly funded recount requires three precincts to be recounted. Ek chose to recount the votes from St. Cloud’s Ward 2, Precincts 5, 6 and 7, according to Rupp. Sherburne County has four 14B voting precincts. On election night, Nov. 5, results showed that Wolgamott won reelection by a slim 28-vote margin. Sherburne County staff later identified some absentee ballots that were not included in the unofficial totals posted to the Minnesota Secretary of State Office’s website that night, county officials said in a Nov. 7 news release. That updated count increased Wolgamott’s lead to 191 votes. “If we find a difference in the count, you need to be aware that this is not unusual, and that this is why we have the recount law,” Rupp told onlookers at 10 a.m. Monday, when the recount started. 14B was one of two House races that faced a recount, placing the party balance of the House in question. As of now, the 134-seat Minnesota House remains deadlocked at 67-67. Rep. Brad Tabke, DFL-Shakopee, won reelection in District 54A after Scott County election officials recounted votes by hand on Thursday, Nov. 21. His win increased by a one-vote margin, going from 14 to 15 votes. The results are unofficial because four ballots are still in dispute. Sherburne County results by precinct 14B has four voting precincts in Sherburne County — three in St. Cloud and one in Haven Township, which is about a 10-minute drive southeast of St. Cloud, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office. Ek chose to recount the votes from St. Cloud’s Ward 2, precincts 5, 6 and 7. The district has 20 precincts total spread across Stearns, Sherburne and Benton counties. Result challenges In addition to the 14B recount in Sherburne County, St. Cloud area election results have been under scrutiny by Minnesota Republicans. Senate District 14 Republicans — the St. Cloud-area GOP group — has filed data requests to initiate a vote audit, according to the group’s attorney, Matt Benda from Peterson, Kolker, Haedt & Benda Ltd. “There are too many questions about what happened in house race 14b between Dan Wolgamott and Sue Ek,” Helena Halverson, chair of the Senate District 14 Republicans, said in a media release from the law firm. “We felt that we needed to act to provide parallel support for the scrutiny of the election process in this district.” The Albert Lea-based law firm also filed complaints on Nov. 7 alleging that official election ballots were improperly posted for public use on the official website of the Minnesota Secretary of State. Voters were able to print real ballots, instead of sample ones, from home, the complaints said. “This is not a trust-but-verify-type scenario, but instead, we will be questioning the entire process until fully verified,” Benda told St. Cloud LIVE. The complaints were filed against Stearns County Auditor-Treasurer Randy Schreifels and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, Benda said. Additionally, Minnesota GOP members of Congress have sent Simon a letter calling for the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office to pay attention to the 54A and 14B recounts and to be transparent about election processes. Reps. Tom Emmer, Brad Finstad, Michelle Fischbach and Pete Stauber signed the Nov. 20 letter to Simon.NEW YORK, Nov. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that a lawsuit has been filed against PACS Group, Inc. (NYSE: PACS) and certain of the Company’s senior executives for potential violations of the federal securities laws. If you invested in PACS, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting : https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/pacs-group-inc . Investors have until January 13, 2025, to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors in PACS securities. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and is captioned Manchin v. PACS Group, Inc. , et al. , No. 24-cv-08636. What is the PACS Lawsuit About? The Complaint alleges that PACS is one of the largest operators of skilled nursing facilities in the United States. As alleged, PACS repeatedly represented to shareholders that it possesses a winning “turnaround” strategy to make its nursing facilities profitable. However, in truth, it is alleged that PACS’s turnaround was driven by illicitly accessing Medicare benefits for thousands of patients. On November 4, 2024, prominent investment research firm Hindenburg Research published a report titled: “PACS Group: How to Become A Billionaire In The Skilled Nursing Industry By Systematically Scamming Taxpayers.” After a 5-month investigation that included interviews with 18 former PACS employees, competitors, and an analysis of more than 900 PACS facility cost reports, Hindenburg alleged that “PACS abused a COVID-era waiver, inappropriately accessing skilled care Medicare benefits for thousands of patients across its national portfolio of facilities.” Hindenburg further estimated that “the scheme drove more than 100% of PACS’ operating and net income from 2020 – 2023, enabling PACS to IPO in early 2024 with the illusion of legitimate growth and profitability.” On November 6, 2024, PACS then announced that it was postponing its Q3 earnings and that it had “received civil investigative demands from the federal government regarding the Company’s reimbursement and referral practices that may or may not be related to this week’s third-party report.” The news caused a significant decline in the price of PACS stock. On November 4, 2024, the price of the company’s stock fell 27.8%, from a closing price of $42.94 per share on November 1, 2024, to $31.01 per share on November 4, 2024. On November 6, 2024, the price of the company’s stock fell 38.8%, from a closing price of $29.54 per share on November 5, 2024, to $18.09 per share on November 6, 2024. Click here if you Suffered Losses: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/pacs-group-inc . What Can You Do? If you invested in PACS you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm. All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/pacs-group-inc Or contact: Ross Shikowitz ross@bfalaw.com 212-789-3619 Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP? Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It was named among the Top 5 plaintiff law firms by ISS SCAS in 2023 and its attorneys have been named Titans of the Plaintiffs’ Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thompson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.’s Board of Directors (pending court approval), as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd. For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com . https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/pacs-group-inc Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
No. 7 Mercer stages 4th-quarter comeback to top No. 10 Rhode Island 17-10, advances to FCS semifinalFlorida St. 92, UMass 59
Real estate mogul KP Singh: Adani’s issues won’t derail India’s growth
Police searching for suspect who shot and killed a man near 7th Street and Indian School Road Friday night
These holiday gifts change the game when building fires, printing photos, watching birds and moreNo. 5 UCLA women stun No. 1 South Carolina 77-62, snap Gamecocks' 43-game win streak
Johnson has 25, FGCU downs CSU Bakersfield 74-54UNICEF has welcomed the passing of the Child Care and Protection Act and the Child Justice Act last night. UNICEF has commended the Government’s efforts to strengthen the child protection system. “We congratulate the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection for this significant milestone which reflects a clear commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international standards on child protection,” said UNICEF Pacific Representative, Jonathan Veitch. “UNICEF is proud to have supported the development of these Acts.” “’We will continue to work closely with the Government to ensure full and effective implementation of the new legislation.”
A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship scheduled for later this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players who are suing the Mountain West Conference to challenge the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Judge Crews referred to the athlete as an “alleged transgender” player in his ruling and noted that no defendant disputed that San Jose State rosters a transgender woman volleyball player. He said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting that the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a forfeit in league standings. He also said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 – making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season’s awareness of her identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a political campaign year. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. San Jose State is seeded second. The judge’s order maintains the seedings and pairings for the tournament. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada’s players stated they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details. Crews served as a magistrate judge in Colorado’s U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him to serve as a federal judge in January of this year. ____ Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Hanson from Helena, Montana. Advertisement Advertisement
Amanda Serrano is open to completing the trilogy with Katie Taylor after a controversial ending to their rematch but insists they must fight under men's rules. Taylor was ruled the winner by unanimous decision when facing Serrano on Nov. 15 , with all three judges scoring the contest 95-94. Many fans believed that Serrano won the fight as she landed 324 punches from the 734 thrown, while Taylor connected with just 217 out of her 529. Taylor was also criticized by Serrano for leaning forward during the fight, leading to several headbutts which forced the referee to issue a warning and later deduct a point. Both fights between Serrano and Taylor have been blockbusters, but Amanda has demanded that they fight 12 three-minute rounds if they agree to another bout. "I’m 100% interested (in a third fight)," Serrano said on CBS Mornings . Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano suspended from boxing after controversy Jon Jones clarifies retirement plan at UFC 309 with Tom Aspinall watching on "She said she is. The only way I feel like it will be fair is if we go under the men’s rules, which are three minutes and 12 rounds, and she agreed to it. So let’s see if she’ll take the fight." Serrano was devastated after losing to Taylor on the undercard of Mike Tyson vs, Jake Paul , with the majority of fans on social media claiming that the fight result was incorrect. Serrano was frustrated with Taylor's fighting style after missing out on the undisputed super lightweight title, and said: "She kept headbutting me. "It's what she does. It's not just my fight, it's all her fights." Taylor rejected any claims that she was playing dirty, and said following her win: "I definitely didn't agree with the point deduction. I certainly wasn't fighting dirty. "Sometimes it gets rough in there. This is an amazing moment for women's boxing. We put on another amazing show." After the defeat had sunk in for Serrano, she later apologized to Taylor for saying things in 'the heat of the moment' and congratulated her opponent. "Congratulations to @KatieTaylor in her decision win. Tempers are flared when you’re in the heat of battle and you say things you shouldn’t say," Serrano wrote on X. "I’m not one to ever disrespect an opponent and these were never my intentions to Katie. "She and I are cool outside the ring and the best dance partners in the ring. In no way should I ever had said she did it purposely, it’s her style that makes for them. I’m not perfect and though I try my hardest to be the nicest person I can be I’m human and being emotionally hurt can sometimes misguide you in what you say. "I’m ok, I’m heathy a bit bruised and cut but still blessed beyond belief. We both came out with our health intact & that’s what I prayed for. Whenever our teams can agree on a Trilogy I’ll be ready. I hope you guys all enjoyed women’s boxing at its highest level."
Pat King, one of the most prominent figures of the 2022 “Freedom Convoy” in Ottawa, has been found guilty on five counts including mischief and disobeying a court order. A judge in an Ottawa courtroom Friday said the Crown proved beyond a reasonable doubt that King was guilty on one count each of mischief, counselling others to commit mischief and counselling others to obstruct police. He was also found guilty of two counts of disobeying a court order. The Alberta resident was found not guilty on three counts of intimidation and one count of obstructing police himself. King could be facing up to 10 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin on Jan. 16. The Crown is seeking “significant” incarceration time in a penitentiary while the defence wants King to be sentenced to time served and a period of probation. King’s attorney Natasha Calvinho said right now she is focused on the sentencing hearing and will determine if any other action, such as an appeal, will be pursued at a later date. Calvinho said she and her client are disappointed with the ruling, but she said it was well reasoned. “I think what the more important takeaway here, and what we’ve been saying from the very beginning, Mr. King was acquitted of all charges related to inciting any form of violence, specifically intimidation of Ottawa residents,” Calvinho said outside the courthouse. “So yes, he was convicted, a couple counts of mischief for his social media posts, as the judge found, and will continue to fight another day.” The maximum sentence for mischief in this instance is 10 years. In January 2022 the convoy attracted thousands of demonstrators to Parliament Hill in protest against public-health restrictions, COVID-19 vaccine mandates and the federal government. The event gridlocked downtown streets around Parliament Hill, with area residents complaining about the fumes from diesel engines running non-stop, and unrelenting noise from constant honking of horns and music parties. The federal Liberal government ultimately invoked the Emergencies Act to try and bring an end to the protests, which had expanded to also block several border crossings into the United States. Ottawa Police brought in hundreds of officers from police forces across Canada to force the protest to an end. King’s defence argued that King was peacefully protesting during the three-week demonstration and was not a leader of it. But the Crown alleged he was a protest leader who was instrumental to the disruption the protest caused the city and people who lived and worked nearby. The Crown alleged King co-ordinated the honking, ordering protesters to lay on the horn every 30 minutes for 10 minutes at a time and told people to “hold the line” when he was aware police and the city had asked the protesters to leave. The Crown’s case relied mainly on King’s own videos, which he posted to social media throughout the protest to document the demonstration and communicate with protesters. The court proceedings paused for about 10 minutes when King requested a short “health break” after the first verdicts on the mischief charges were read. Superior Court Justice Charles Hackland described the honking as “malicious conduct” intended to disrupt residents, workers, businesses and others from lawfully enjoying downtown Ottawa. Hackland also said that the videos show King was seen as and accepted the leadership role. He pointed to a quote from King, finding it “hilarious” that residents could not sleep for 10 days as “gleefully” aiding and abetting mischief. This evidence also played a role in determining King’s guilt in disobeying a court order and counselling others to do the same. These charges relate to the original Feb. 7, 2022 injunction against using air and train horns in downtown Ottawa which was launched by residents. The city successfully filed a similar injunction days later. As for counselling others to obstruct police, Hackland found King’s call to “hold the line” was telling people not to move from the protest site despite police orders. The judge said that phrase can be seen as a greeting between supporters of the convoy protest, but said there was no other logical interpretation in the context of King’s videos. In the days before a multi-day police removal operation began, King called on people to link arms and sit down with their backs to police if officers tried to move them. On the intimidation charges, Hackland said that a consistent theme of King’s videos were calls to remain peaceful and non-violent. He said that the target was always the federal government and COVID-19 policies, and specific individuals were not targeted by or through King’s actions. As for an intimidation charge related to blocking highways, Hackland said that finding guilt in this instance would be an “overly broad” interpretation of the Criminal Code as the blockade was done as part of a political protest, which is protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. His trial was heard over several weeks between May and July. King still has charges of perjury and obstruction of justice that need to be dealt with which is a separate matter stemming from an April 2022 bail review hearing. Details of the testimony that led to the charges are protected under a publication ban, which exists for all information that arises during a bail hearing.AP Business SummaryBrief at 6:14 p.m. EST