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Family of 5 displaced after fire destroys house in Fort Lauderdale; woman hospitalized

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

A family of five are displaced after their home went up in flames in Fort Lauderdale. Ring surveillance video captured e victims’ panicked voices as flames engulfing the house, early Wednesday morning.“It was chaos. It was literally, like, the kids were screaming,” said one neighbor.According to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, the blaze erupted around 5:30 a.m. in the area of Northwest 17th Street and 31st Avenue.Several fire crews were on the scene as they worked to control the flames. “Crews were met with heavy smoke and fire showing from the entire front of the building,” said Garrett Pingol with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue. According to fire officials, five people, including three children, were inside the house at the time of the fire. One woman was trapped and needed assistance being removed from the home, while the other four people exited the burning structure safely. The female victim was transported to the hospital with some injuries. Family mem...

Prosecutors won’t charge ex-UFC champ Conor McGregor with sexual assault after NBA Finals incident

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — Former UFC champion Conor McGregor will not face sexual assault charges following an investigation of allegations that surfaced during the NBA Finals last June in Miami, his lawyer, police and prosecutors said Wednesday.The probe examined claims by a woman that McGregor assaulted her in an arena bathroom after Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets.“After a thorough investigation, including a review of videos and interviews with eyewitnesses, the authorities have concluded that there is no case to pursue against my client, Conor McGregor,” attorney Barbara Llanes said in an email.“As anticipated, this decision by the authorities confirms Mr. McGregor’s account of the evening. On behalf of my client, his family and his fans we are pleased this is now over.”The decision was also confirmed by the State Attorney’s Office, which said the charges were dropped. It was not immediately clear if the case’s closeout memo had ...

Pulse nightclub property to be purchased by city of Orlando and turned into a memorial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The city of Orlando plans to purchase the Pulse nightclub property where 49 people were massacred seven years ago with the intention of building a memorial for the victims, Mayor Buddy Dyer said Wednesday.A proposal to purchase the property for $2 million will be presented before the city council next Monday. If it is approved, the sale will close by the end of the month, Dyer said in a news release.“In the interest of solving challenges in a way that brings our community together in love, acceptance and partnership, which is the enduring legacy of Pulse, we have decided to purchase the land from its current owners,” Dyer said. “We believe that this is the best and most appropriate way to expedite the creation of a proper memorial for the Pulse tragedy.”The efforts to build a memorial for Pulse victims had been moving ahead in fits and starts since the massacre at the gay nightclub in 2016. Barbara and Rosario Poma and businessman Michael Panaggio have owned the...

Car crashes into Walgreens in SW Miami-Dade; no injuries reported

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

A South Florida Walgreens was left damaged after a driver slammed into the front door.Broken glass and bent metal showed the messy aftermath along Bird Road and 107th Avenue in Southwest Miami-Dade, Wednesday afternoon.Cellphone video showed police at the scene and what appeared to be a dark SUV that was jammed against the storefront.According to police, no one was hurt.What caused the driver to lose control of their vehicle is not known.

Austria’s mini-Trump gets his day in court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

VIENNA — Villain or victim?Former Austrian leader Sebastian Kurz, his political and personal future hanging in the balance, appeared in a courtroom here on Wednesday for the opening of what could be the first of multiple trials that will determine whether he was a corrupt manipulator as chancellor, as prosecutors allege, or the victim of overzealous state attorneys and political rivals intent on undermining him.The Austrian’s fairytale rise from unknown youth leader into an international political star and chancellor at just 30 ended abruptly in October of 2021, when he was forced to resign amid accusations of corruption. Even so, Kurz’s success in leading the Austrian People’s Party to two commanding victories in 2017 and 2019 made the slick brand of right-wing populism he pioneered a model for stodgy centrist parties from Athens to Amsterdam and conservatives across Europe still try to follow his example. Kurz faces criminal charges for allegedly giving false testimony to a ...

Biden announces $100 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza and West Bank

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

The U.S. will send $100 million in aid for humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, President Joe Biden said on Wednesday.“This money will support more than 1 million displaced in conflict affected Palestinians, including emergency needs in Gaza,” Biden said Wednesday during a speech in Tel Aviv.The announcement comes after a massive blast rocked a Gaza City hospital Tuesday, killing hundreds of people. Hamas blamed the explosion on Israel, while the Israeli military said the hospital was hit by a rocket misfired by Palestinian militants. Biden has so far sided with Israeli officials, telling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the attack appeared to be carried out “by the other team.”Video shows blast and aftermath at al-Ahli hospital in GazaSharePlay VideoBiden cautioned Hamas against attempting to divert the aid, saying that if the group attempts to interfere assistance will end.“If Hamas diverts or steals the assistance, they will have demonstrated once...

Woman injured by lightning strike in Dorchester released from hospital after more than a month of treatment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

A woman who was struck by lightning while walking her dog in Dorchester last month has been released from Boston Medical Center.Thalita Teixeira Padilla was struck on Sept. 9 on Savin Hill Beach. Forty days later, the BMC team cheered Wednesday as Padilla left their facility and headed to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital to continue her recovery.“That fact that she is alive is wonderful and we all, I think, are surprised,” said Dr. Tracey Dechert, the chief of trauma and acute care surgery at Boston Medical Center. “Honestly, from those early days, we weren’t necessarily thinking I would be here one day talking to you all about her going to rehab. So, we are thrilled.” Dechert said Padilla came in as sick as a patient can be. Dechert said Padilla then remained in critical condition for about two weeks. Now, Padilla is expected to make a full recovery. Padilla’s recovery is largely credited to an off-duty nurse who performed CPR immediately after the lightning strike.“With...

37 tombs in Old North Church crypt restored after months-long project

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

The crypt below the North End’s Old North Church was restored after a 10-month project.Nikki Stewart, the executive director of Old North Illuminated, said visitors will see a renovated structure.“There was a lot of work that needed to be done,” Stewart said, “particularly the repointing of much of the brick structure that folks will see when they visit the tomb.” The crypt has 37 tombs which were used for burials back in the 1800s. More than a thousand people are buried in the church. Several tombs still had the original wooden doors, which had been covered with plaster. Workers were able to remove those to get the tombs restored.It also gave archaeologists an opportunity to study the contents of the tombs.“As we were taking the doors off, obviously some of the contents had shifted over time,” Project Manager Lauren Knollmeyer said. “We just did everything that we could to respectfully put things back in the tomb and not disturb them.”The last pieces were put into place o...

Crowd showing support for Palestinians gathers outside Boston City Hall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

Several dozen people gathered in City Hall Plaza to show support for Palestinians in Downtown Boston Wednesday afternoon. Many of the people were talking with one another and holding up signs asking for a ceasefire in the Middle East amid the escalating violence between Israel and Hamas.One sign says “Let Gaza Live! Stop Genocide!” SKY7-HD over the scene showed a growing crowd peacefully conversing. The Boston City Council also heard a resolution Wednesday in support of the state of Israel and the Israeli people, put forward by Michael Flaherty.The group is not marching yet, and there have been no speakers.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

IRS plans to launch free tax filing pilot program in 13 states next year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:25 GMT

Washington (CNN) — The Internal Revenue Service is moving ahead with a plan to build its own free tax filing program, known as Direct File, announcing Tuesday that a pilot version will be available to some taxpayers in 13 states next year.Armed with an influx of new money approved by Democrats last year, the IRS is conducting a major overhaul of its operations – despite continued threats from Republicans to cut future funding and even abolish the agency altogether.Eventually, the IRS tax filing system could serve as an alternative to private tax preparation companies like H&R Block and Intuit’s TurboTax.But for now, the online pilot program will be very limited in scope. Only taxpayers in those 13 states with specific, eligible tax situations will be able to participate.The IRS anticipates that at least several hundred thousand taxpayers will decide to participate in the pilot.Critics of Direct File, including H&R Block and Intuit, argue th...