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Broward County woman wins $1 million from scratch-off ticket

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:16 GMT

A Lauderhill woman hit the jackpot when she won $1 million from a scratch-off ticket. Angelic Cokely, 43, claimed her prize from the $1,000,000 A YEAR FOR LIFE SPECTACULAR Scratch-Off game at the Florida Lottery’s Miami District Office, the Florida Lottery said in a news release. Cokely opted to receive her prize as a lump-sum payment, amounting to $640,000.00.Cokely’s winning ticket was purchased at a Publix, located at 5855 West Oakland Park Boulevard in Lauderhill. The retailer is set to receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket.The $50 Scratch-Off game, $1,000,000 A YEAR FOR LIFE SPECTACULAR, was launched in February, featuring two top prizes of $1 million a year for life and 234 prizes each worth $1 million. The game boasts a staggering total of over $1.6 billion in cash prizes, with overall odds of winning at 1-in-4.50.According to the Florida Lottery, Scratch-Off games accounted for approximately 77 percent of ticket sales in 2021-2022. Since inc...

Fort Lauderdale woman arrested for allegedly running prostitution fronts in two counties

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:16 GMT

OAKLAND PARK/ STUART, Fla. (WSVN) – A Fort Lauderdale woman was arrested by the Broward Sheriff’s Office Strategic Investigations Division (SID) on charges of operating multiple massage parlors as prostitution fronts across two counties, authorities said.The investigation began in March 2023 following an anonymous tip received by BSO’s SID unit, revealing Wanxin Li’s alleged involvement in two active prostitution operations – one situated in Oakland Park, Broward County, and the other in Stuart, Martin County, BSO said in a news release.Through a range of investigative techniques, detectives traced Li to her residence in the 2800 block of NE 33rd Court in Fort Lauderdale. Investigators also determined that Li owned and managed Oriental Massage, registered as a massage spa, located at 1545 East Oakland Park Blvd. in Oakland Park, along with a storefront within a shopping plaza at 1690 N.W. Federal Highway in Stuart.As investigative efforts advanced, concrete e...

5 former officers charged with federal civil rights violations in Tyre Nichols beating death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:16 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Five former Memphis police officers were charged Tuesday with federal civil rights violations in the beating death of Tyre Nichols as they continue to fight second-degree murder charges in state courts arising from the killing.Tadarrius Bean, Desmond Mills, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin and Justin Smith were indicted in U.S. District Court in Memphis. The four-count indictment charges each of them with deprivation of rights under the color of law through excessive force and failure to intervene, and through deliberate indifference; conspiracy to witness tampering, and obstruction of justice through witness tampering.The new charges come nine months after the violent beating of Nichols by police officers during a Jan. 7 traffic stop near his Memphis home. Nichols died at a hospital three days later, and the five officers have pleaded not guilty to state charges of second-degree murder and other alleged offenses in the case. The five former officers charged are ...

Von der Leyen to soothe EPP concerns in annual address

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:16 GMT

STRASBOURG — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will use her Wednesday morning keynote speech to MEPs to reassure her center-right political party she hears the concerns about the EU’s direction when it comes to climate and migration policy. As next year’s EU election draws closer, von der Leyen will use the handbrake on fresh legislation and announce a focus on EU policies’ impact on business and people, according to a senior Commission official who was granted anonymity to speak freely. Her State of the European Union speech — which could run to over one hour in English, French and German — will usher in a new “implementation phase” of the Green Deal, while pointing vigorously to her main achievements during a crisis-ridden four years. She plans to emphasize the benefits of the Green Deal to industry, a key concern of some businesses across Europe dealing with soaring energy and input costs, “to make sure that the implementation phase is done i...

Russian minister denied entry to Denmark for European health conference

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:16 GMT

Russia’s Deputy Health Minister Oleg Salagay was turned away at Copenhagen airport en route to a World Health Organization conference in Denmark.“O. Salagay, State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Health, was supposed to attend this event. However, he was refused entry to Denmark at Kastrup airport,” the Russian embassy in Denmark wrote on Telegram. Condemning the incident, the embassy demanded an apology from Danish authorities.The Danish foreign ministry is investigating the matter, according to local media.The WHO conference is a regional meeting on “applying behavioral and cultural insights for health” and takes place in Copenhagen from September 12 to 14. The refusal comes on the back of a battle between Denmark and Russia over the number of officials working at each other’s embassies.During the visa negotiations for employees of Denmark’s embassy in Moscow, Russia repeatedly filed visa requests to Copenhagen to fill the Russian embass...

Schools closed again Tuesday after ‘catastrophic’ flooding in Leominster

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:16 GMT

Cleanup efforts continued in Leominster Tuesday after heavy rains on Monday triggered flash flooding that damaged roads, homes and businesses and prompted the closure of local schools.Several roads were closed Tuesday morning and more than 100 people were utilizing city emergency shelter space, according to Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella. In an update around 2 p.m. Leominster’s public schools superintendent announced local schools will be closed again on Tuesday. â€œPrecautions are being taken to ensure the safety of all our students and staff,” said Superintendent Paula Deacon.“Please stay safe and thank you for all your support!” Deacon said. — Hear Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella’s full remarks from a news conference Tuesday morning. —Mazzarella on Monday told 7NEWS heavy rain first started falling around 4:15 p.m. Floodwaters rose fast, ...

More than 5,000 presumed dead in Libya after ‘catastrophic’ flooding breaks dams and sweeps away homes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:16 GMT

(CNN) — More than 5,000 people are presumed dead and 10,000 missing after heavy rains in northeastern Libya caused two dams to collapse, surging more water into already inundated areas.Tamer Ramadan, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies delegation in Libya, gave the numbers of missing people during a briefing to reporters in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday. “The death toll is huge,” she said.At least 5,300 people are thought dead, said the interior ministry of Libya’s eastern government on Tuesday, state media LANA reported. CNN has not been able to independently verify the number of deaths or those missing.Of those who were killed, at least 145 were Egyptian, officials in the northeastern city of Tobruk, in Libya, said on Tuesday.In the eastern city of Derna, which has seen the worst of the devastation, as many as 6,000 people remain missing, Othman Abduljalil, health minister in Libya’s eastern administration, told Libya’s Almasar TV. H...

Experts weigh in on best steps to take after flooding damages your home or vehicle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:16 GMT

As catastrophic floodwaters overwhelm local neighborhoods, what should you do if your home or car is hit? Rob Way has the story.Rushing floodwaters gushing from buildings and damaging homes.    Cars suddenly submerged or wrecked by collapsing roads.What should you do if your property is hit?  Experts say: take pictures and videos ASAP. “It’s a good idea to document your losses. You can do that with a lot of people have cell phones with cameras on them,” said Loretta Worters with the Insurance Information Institute.  Dry out your house or car.  “It’s very important to start the recovery process. You want to make sure to dry everything out; mold can start very quickly,” Worters said. Contact your insurance company immediately.  The good news, if you have comprehensive auto coverage, your car should be covered.“You will have coverage for any kind of flooding that happens...

Looking for a refill? McDonald’s is saying goodbye to self-serve soda in the coming years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:16 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Say goodbye to refilling that Coke. McDonald’s is getting rid of self-served soda.The Chicago-based fast food chain plans to eliminate self-service soda machines at its U.S. restaurants by 2032, McDonald’s confirmed this week. It’s unclear if locations outside the U.S. will follow suit.In an email to The Associated Press Tuesday, McDonald’s USA said the goal of the change is to create consistency for customers and crew members across the chain’s offerings — from in-person dining to online delivery and drive-thru options.The company did not specify if any additional factors — such as finances or sanitation — impacted the decision to part ways with its self-serve machines. For years, McDonald’s customers have used the machines to fill and refill their beverages without additional trips to a cashier.Behind-the-counter soda machines already exist at some other fast food chains — and a handful of McDonald&#...

Apple’s new iPhones get faster chips, better cameras and new charging ports

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:16 GMT

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE (AP Technology Writer)CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple on Tuesday unveiled its next generation of iPhones — a line-up that will boast better cameras, faster processors, a new charging system and a price hike for the fanciest model.The showcase at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., comes as the company tries to reverse a mild slump that has seen its sales drop from last year in three consecutive quarters. The malaise is a key reason Apple’s stock price has dipped by nearly 10% since mid-July, dropping the company’s market value below the $3 trillion threshold it reached for the first time earlier this summer.Investors apparently were not impressed with what Apple rolled out Tuesday. The company’s shares were down by nearly 2% during afternoon trading.As has been case with Apple and other smartphone makers, the four types of iPhone 15 models aren’t making any major leaps in technology. But Apple added enough new bells ...