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Lawsuit filed against Twitter, Saudi Arabia; claims acts of transnational repression committed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:58 GMT

A humanitarian aid worker who used an anonymous Twitter account to mock Saudi Arabia about its economy has filed a federal racketeering lawsuit against the social media platform, the kingdom and a number of individuals alleging an attempt to silence critics overseas. Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, was working for the Red Crescent in Riyadh in 2018 when plain-clothed security forces entered the office of the Red Crescent offices in Riyadh. He was taken away without any explanation.How the Saudi government linked al-Sadhan to the Twitter account remains a mystery. In April 2021, the anti-terrorism court where he was tried handed down a prison sentence of 20 years for al-Sadhan, followed by a 20-year travel ban. Al-Sadhan has appealed the ruling.In 2019, Ahmad Abouammo, a U.S. citizen and former media partnership manager for Twitter’s Middle East region, was charged with acting as an agent of Saudi Arabia without registering with the U.S. government. The complaint also alleged that Saudi citiz...

Crews work to put out house fire in Miramar

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:58 GMT

Miramar Fire Rescue responded to a house fire, Tuesday afternoon.7Skyforce hovered over the scene, located at 2420 SW 80th Terrace in Miramar, where heavy smoke and flames coming from the home were visible. According to officials, the house was occupied when the fire broke out, but everyone made it out safely. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Community donations help high school seniors pick out free prom attire in Miami boutique

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:58 GMT

From sparkles and feathers to tailored suits and shoes, these high school seniors have a lot of options to choose from for prom and it’s all free of charge for them.A Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Jose Dotres held an event for these students to pick out their attire for prom.“You know that in our community how expensive it is becoming to live here and we have over 10,000 students that are experiencing unstable housing,” said Dotres. “In addition to that we have, thousands of students that are living under the poverty level and we have to do whatever we can to help them succeed.” Around 9 a.m., the prom-goers visited the Prom Boutique, located at Lindsey Hopkins Technical College, to pick out all their necessities to go to their homecoming in style.“At the beginning, I wasn’t going to go,” said Prince Petit. “They really help try to find stuff I want.”Ashley Alexander, a high school senior, was in the same predicament as...

DeSantis signs four bills tackling human trafficking

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:58 GMT

Florida Governor Ron Desantis was in town Tuesday morning as he signed four different bills that tackled human trafficking.Lawmakers, and even a survivor of trafficking, were in attendance at a church in Lighthouse Point as DeSantis spoke about the legislation and to raise awareness of the signs and impacts of human trafficking.“Off and on, between the ages of 11 and 26, I was trafficked, and I didn’t get help until I learned what human trafficking was,” said Savanah Parvu.The new laws would enhance penalties for traffickers and businesses, like strip clubs, that profit off victims. The bills also allow for civil action against traffickers and establish treatment programs and safe houses for child and adult survivors.“All in, human trafficking across this country is a $150 billion illegal enterprise and I’m here to say Florida wants to use every resource at our disposal to put human traffickers out of business and in jail,” said DeSantis.All this ...

Russian lawmaker calls for ban on Wagner Group mercenaries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:58 GMT

A veteran Russian politician and former army commander called for a crackdown on the country’s notorious private military company, Wagner Group, as tensions rise over its role in the invasion of Ukraine.Viktor Sobolev, a former lieutenant general in the armed forces who now sits as a Communist Party MP, branded the mercenary outfit “an illegal armed formation” in a statement on Tuesday. “It is not clear where [the Wagner Group] is registered and what it does,” Sobolev said. He warned regular soldiers defecting into its ranks could face up to 15 years in prison.Moscow outsourced much of the fighting around the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut to Wagner in recent weeks. The group’s founder, oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, accused top generals of failing to supply his troops in a series of furious attacks on the top brass.The Washington Post reported on Monday leaked documents revealed Prigozhin may have offered to give information on Russian army positions to ...

10 residents, 4 pets displaced after early morning fire in Mattapan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:58 GMT

No injuries were reported after a fire burned across a three-family home in Mattapan, leaving a number of residents without a home according to officials.In a post on Twitter at 4:43 a.m., the Boston Fire Department said its crews were called to 15 Capen St. and were able to put out flames that had spread throughout the structure.Significant damage to what appeared to be the back of the building could be seen in an image shared by the fire department.According to Boston FD, ten residents and four dogs were displaced as a result of the fire. Officials said the American Red Cross was providing assistance.https://twitter.com/BostonFire/status/1658392814365863936

Stop & Shop to eliminate single-use plastic bags from Northeast stores, apply 10-cent charge for paper bags

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:58 GMT

If you shop at Stop & Shop, you’ll soon have more reasons to remember to bring your reusable bags.The supermarket chain said it plans on eliminating all single-use bags from its stores in the northeast by July of this year, while also instituting a 10-cent charge for any paper bags provided to consumers.In a statement, a spokesperson for Stop & Shop said the changes are part of an effort to “minimize waste and encourage customers to shop with reusable bags.”“Reusable bags are available for purchase at all Stop & Shop stores at various price points, as low as 10-cents per reusable bag,” the statement read. “Stop & Shop also offers reusable bags for sale where $1 from every purchase goes to a local non-profit.”Earlier this year, Walmart instituted a similar ban in parts of the northeast that included not only plastic bags, but single-use paper bags as well in New York and Connecticut, an elsewhere in the country like Colorado, ...

WHO: Artificial sweeteners have no weight-loss benefit, may raise health risks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:58 GMT

Brian Niemietz | New York Daily NewsThe World Health Organization has come out against the use of non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) as a means to control weight or limit noncommunicable sickness.“The recommendation is based on the findings of a systematic review of the available evidence which suggests that use of NSS does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children,” WHO said in a statement Monday.That review also determined long-term use of NSS could contribute to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and serious illness in adults.“Replacing free sugars with NSS does not help with weight control in the long term,” WHO Director for Nutrition and Food Safety Francesco Branca said in a statement. “NSS are not essential dietary factors and have no nutritional value.”Branca suggests people reduce consuming sweets altogether, starting at an early age.Aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose and stevia are among the additives addressed i...

Arlington Heights considering Bears’ demolition request because town ‘does not have any authority’ not to, mayor says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:58 GMT

Arlington Heights Mayor Thomas Hayes said the village has received questions and concerns about the Chicago Bears’ recent application for a demolition permit at Arlington International Racecourse, prompting the mayor to explain at the Village Board meeting Monday night why the request is being considered.“The village does not have any authority to withhold approval of demolition for any reason if the application is complete and the property owners’ demolition plans comply with the village code,” Hayes said at the meeting.He and other Village Board members said the village is “100% committed” to transparency as the village and team navigate the early stages of what could be a behemoth project at the old racetrack.The Bears closed on the 326-acre racecourse site in February, then applied May 3 to tear down the iconic grandstand. The team has proposed building a multibillion dollar NFL stadium and adjoining mixed-use commercial, residential and enter...

Patriots OT Riley Reiff has one goal in debut season with New England

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:19:58 GMT

FOXBORO —  In free agency, the Patriots turned to Riley Reiff to address one of their most glaring roster holes at offensive tackle.Entering his 12th NFL season, Reiff turned to New England for a surprising reason: a ring.The 34-year-old veteran said Tuesday a championship is what keeps him motivated at this late stage of his career. Two years ago, Reiff came close to a title with the Bengals after an ankle injury sidelined him for the end of Cincinnati’s Super Bowl run. But instead of joining his teammates on the sideline for an eventual 23-20 loss to the Rams in Super Bowl LVI, he was stuck in the stands.“I was there – up in the press box,” he told reporters. “Not a nice press box, either.”That year, Reiff started 12 games at right tackle — a position he may soon play with the Patriots. Prior to playing in Cincinnati, he was the Vikings’ left tackle from 2017-2020. That stint followed a five-year run with the Lions, when he played both tac...