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Ex-Maine governor hopeful to plead guilty in child porn case

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:49:24 GMT

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A wealthy attorney who came close to being elected governor of Maine in 2010 is expected to plead guilty to possessing videos and images of child sexual abuse and to serve nine months in prison, according to a court document.Eliot Cutler, 76, is due in an Ellsworth courtroom on Thursday, where he’s expected to plead guilty to four counts of possession of sexually explicit material of a child under 12, according to terms of the agreement hammered out with prosecutors. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, but the sentencing memorandum filed Monday by Cutler’s attorney calls for him to get a four-year term with all but nine months suspended.The judge would still need to approve of the deal.The sentencing memorandum describes Cutler’s rise to prominence and subsequent fall because of his addiction to pornography, with Cutler acknowledging that he downloaded hundreds of images and videos at a time — so many that he didn...

Job openings tumble to lowest point in nearly two years

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:49:24 GMT

(CNN) — The number of open jobs in the United States has dropped to the lowest level since May 2021, a reflection of a labor market that is slowly settling back into balance after the Federal Reserve’s yearlong campaign to cool off the economy.Job openings totaled 9.59 million in March, according to monthly data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s down from an upwardly revised 9.974 million reported in February and represents the third consecutive month that available jobs have fallen.Economists were expecting 9.775 million openings, according to consensus estimates on Refinitiv.As of March, the ratio of open jobs to the number of unemployed Americans fell to 1.65, BLS data shows.“Demand for labor is cooling, and the dynamics of the labor market are normalizing,” said Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter. “After two years of incredibly rapid churn and highly elevated demand, things are now all going back t...

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with stuffed taco cups

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:49:24 GMT

With Cinco de Mayo just a few days away, start chilling those margarita glasses and get ready to create and eat delicious Mexican-inspired dishes.I grew up in Southern California, so I had amazing opportunities to taste authentic Mexican food on both sides of the southern border from cities like San Diego, Los Angeles, Tijuana and Ensenada, just to name a few. Mexican food is my favorite type of cuisine, and through the years, I’ve tried numerous dishes and have put my spin on many.In my opinion, it’s all about the balance of spices, chilis, salsas, meats, cremas and tortillas that make the perfect, delicious bite.For a fun, easy and delicious spin on one of my favorite dishes, I created taco bites. The best part of the recipe is it’s open to interpretation and everyone can make each cup their own. Create everything from fajita, seven-layer, carne asada, vegetarian and taco-style cups that are baked to make the perfect two-to-three-bite appetizer.Another option is to file a cup with...

Chicago White Sox make 11 roster moves — including reinstating Tim Anderson from IL and optioning Oscar Colás

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:49:24 GMT

The Chicago White Sox made 11 roster moves Tuesday, including reinstating shortstop Tim Anderson from the injured list and optioning outfielder Oscar Colás to Triple-A Charlotte.The Sox also reinstated infielder Hanser Alberto from the 10-day injured list, selected the contracts of pitchers Alexander Colomé and Sammy Peralta, and outfielder Billy Hamilton from Charlotte, placed reliever Joe Kelly on the paternity list, placed infielder/outfielder Romy Gonzalez on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Monday) with right shoulder inflammation, optioned infielder Lenyn Sosa to Charlotte and designated pitchers Jake Diekman and Frank German for assignment.Anderson, placed on the injured list on April 11 with a sprained left knee, is slashing .298/.327/.404 with five doubles, four RBIs, five stolen bases and nine runs in 11 games.Alberto, placed on the injured list on April 16 (retro to April 15) with a strained left quad, is hitting .211 (4-for-19) with one homer and four RB...

Toronto police arrest man, 18, in roofing scam

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:49:24 GMT

An 18-year-old man is facing charges after police allege he was involved in an elaborate roofing scam that involved hiring unsuspecting sub-contractors who were never compensated.Police say on Tuesday, April 25, three men were in the Coxwell and Danforth avenues area where they approached a homeowner, saying they were working as roofers on a nearby home and noticed damage on their roof.When they offered to inspect the roof, the homeowner agreed.After conducting the phony inspection, police say the homeowner was provided a quote for $18,500. The homeowner gave the men a deposit of $9000 to begin work the next day.“The following day, an unsuspecting sub-contracted crew arrived and began working on the roof,” police explained in a release. “The man who provided the quote returned asking for $3000 to purchase supplies. When the homeowner returned from the bank with the withdrawal, the man was gone. By phone, the man told the home owner to hand the money to the new crew...

300 nabbed in global crackdown on dark web drug marketplace

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:49:24 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Authorities in the U.S. and Europe arrested nearly 300 people, confiscated over $53 million, and seized a dark web marketplace as part of an international crack down on drug trafficking that officials say was the largest operation of its kind. The worldwide operation targeting the “Monopoly Market” is the latest major takedown of sales platforms for drugs and other illicit goods on the so-called dark web, a part of the internet hosted within an encrypted network and accessible only through specialized anonymity-providing tools.The largest number of arrests were made in the U.S., which is in the grips of an overdose crisis. Synthetic opioids, mostly fentanyl, kill more Americans every year than died in the Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined. “Our message to criminals on the dark web is this: You can try to hide in the furthest reaches of the internet, but the Justice Department will find you and hold you accountable for your crimes,” said ...

Not every airline can succeed in Canada’s crowded market: Flair CEO

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:49:24 GMT

CALGARY — The CEO of Flair Airlines says there isn’t room in the Canadian market for all of the carriers jockeying for position in a crowded field right now.Stephen Jones made the comments at an event in Calgary marking the establishment of a new base at Calgary International Airport.The last few years have seen a surge of new Canadian airlines, including Flair, Lynx and Canada Jetlines, while established carriers such as Porter Airlines are expanding aggressively.Jones says not all of these airlines can succeed and grow.He says he thinks going forward Air Canada will dominate the higher end of the market, and he believes Flair is poised to capture the low-budget, discount space.He says he thinks airlines aiming for the middle of the market, such as WestJet, will face a challenge defining their value proposition.This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 2, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:TKTK)The Canadian Press

Debt deadline: White House meeting set, but no solution yet

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:49:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing the risk of a an unprecedented U.S. government default by month’s end, President Joe Biden has invited the top four congressional leaders to face-to-face talks at the White House next week.It’s the first concrete step toward negotiations on averting a potential economic catastrophe, but there’s a long way to go: Biden and Republicans can’t even agree on what’s up for negotiation.WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?If the government’s legal borrowing limit of $31.4 trillion is not raised or suspended in the next few weeks, the result could be financial havoc. If the government can’t borrow money to keep paying its bills for an extended period, there could be millions of job losses, businesses left bankrupt, crashes piling up across financial markets and lasting economic pain. The damage would be financial, but the cause would be political, a breakdown between Republicans and Democrats, rather than a problem with the underlying health of the U.S. econom...

Overhaul of Supreme Court ethics runs into GOP opposition

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:49:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats promised Tuesday to pursue stronger ethics rules for the Supreme Court in the wake of reports that Justice Clarence Thomas participated in luxury vacations and a real estate deal with a top GOP donor. Republicans made clear they strongly oppose the effort. Sen. Dick Durbin, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said lax ethical standards have created a lack of public confidence in the nation’s highest court.“The Supreme Court could step up and fix this themselves,” Durbin said as he opened the hearing. “For years, they have refused, and because the court will not act, Congress must.”Republicans, however, criticized the hearing as an effort to destroy the reputation of Thomas, one of the staunchest conservative voices on the court. Their comments showed how unlikely it is that Congress will pass legislation on the matter, with the parties worlds apart when it comes to the credibility of the Supreme Court, particularly afte...

‘A big part of my life’: Orillia mourns hometown legend Gordon Lightfoot

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:49:24 GMT

ORILLIA, Ont. — It didn’t take long for the flowers to appear at the statue of Gordon Lightfoot in his Ontario hometown. The legendary folk musician, claimed by the City of Orillia as its “favourite son,” died of natural causes at a Toronto hospital on Monday at the age of 84. Barely 24 hours later, Orillia residents stopped by the bronze sculpture of Lightfoot that stands in a city park to pay their respects. Cam Gardy, who brought yellow flowers to lay at the base of the statue, said his mother went to school with the musician and would tell tales of how he’d perform for students. “He has been a part of my life as I have grown up,” Gardy said, adding that while he never met Lightfoot personally, he had been to one of his concerts. “Mr. Lightfoot is iconic, not only to the residents and the city but obviously to the people across Canada.” Lightfoot put Orillia on the map, Gardy said, and was an “incredible ambassador” for ...