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Ex-wife charged in ambush-style killing of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:57:34 GMT

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The ex-wife of a Microsoft executive who was gunned down by a triggerman in front of his young daughter has been charged with first-degree murder, and prosecutors in Florida plan to seek the death penalty.A grand jury indicted Shanna Lee Gardner in the ambush-style death of Jared Bridegan, State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced Thursday at a news conference in Jacksonville, Florida. Gardner, 36, was arrested in West Richland, Washington, and will be extradited to Florida to stand trial, Nelson said.“From very, very early on, everything in my body and soul told me she was behind it,” Kristen Bridegan, Jared Bridegan’s wife, said during the news conference.Hank Coxe, who represents Gardner, said via email that he he does not comment on pending cases.The state is also seeking the death penalty against Gardner’s husband, Mario Fernandez Saldana, who was arrested in March and charged in Bridegan’s death. His attorney, Jesse Dreicer, said in an...

Baltimore teen accused of firing into crowd during block party mass shooting

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:57:34 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — A second teenager has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting that left two people dead and 28 others injured during a Baltimore block party earlier this summer, authorities announced Thursday evening.The teen fired a handgun at a group of partygoers on July 2, according to charging documents, but the papers don’t specify whether anyone was injured by the bullets from his gun. Police said at least three people shot into the crowd, turning the annual neighborhood summer celebration into a scene of terror and bloodshed. Most of the victims were teens and young adults.Tristan Brian Jackson, 18, was wearing an ankle monitor from an unrelated case in juvenile court when he arrived at the Brooklyn Homes block party and joined the crowd, which grew to several hundred people in the hours leading up to the shooting, according to police. Detectives said GPS data from his ankle monitor corroborated his location at the party. They said he was also caught on surveillanc...

Ex-Rogers CEO Joe Natale suing company for wrongful dismissal, seeking $24 million

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:57:34 GMT

TORONTO — Former Rogers CEO Joe Natale is suing the company for wrongful dismissal and breach of contract, alleging Rogers chairman Edward Rogers carried out “malicious, high-handed, and oppressive conduct.”In a statement of claim filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Thursday, Natale accuses Edward Rogers and his wife Suzanne Rogers of attempting to “tarnish his reputation” following his ouster in 2021.That includes an accusation that they hired actor Brian Cox of HBO’s “Succession” to create a “demeaning” video about the ex-CEO, which included a message congratulating Edward Rogers on his “real-life Succession at Rogers Communications” that they allegedly distributed and that was eventually reported on by media.He says he and his firm Natale Industries Inc. are entitled to a combined $24 million, including $4 million from an unpaid bonus related to the closing of Rogers’ acquisition of Shaw Communication Inc...

‘They are my records’: Patients question why they have to pay to access certain medical files

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:57:34 GMT

In our Speakers Corner report, a man is asking about medical records and why there is sometimes a fee to access them.“Who owns these records? Is it me, OHIP, or the clinic?” asked Eric Hudson, who recently tried to get copies of an X-ray he had done.“I had X-rays done of my knee and I wanted to see the copies of it.”But in order to do so, he had to pay a fee, which he has paid for other records in the past.“I thought, why should I be doing this? I don’t understand, they are my records, which the government paid for and they should be shared for free.”While you can typically get doctor’s notes and test results for free, clinics are within their right to charge a fee for other records, such as copies of X-rays.“Because copying or transferring medical records is an uninsured service, physicians are entitled to charge patients or third parties a fee for obtaining a copy of their medical records,” according to The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO)But there are li...

Firefighters battle smoke and heat to control a major wildfire in Spain’s tourist island of Tenerife

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:57:34 GMT

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Canary Islands (AP) — Firefighters in Spain’s Canary Islands are battling dense smoke and high temperatures to try to control the worst wildfire in decades on the main tourist island of Tenerife, officials said Friday.The fire started late Tuesday in the north of the island and has forced authorities in eight municipalities to order the evacuation of more than 4,500 people and the confinement of thousands more. Confinement means residents are strongly advised to stay indoors with windows closed.No injuries have been reported so far. The fire is located in a steep and craggy mountain area with pine trees, with several municipalities on its flanks, including El Rosario, Arafo and Candelaria to the east, and La Orotava to the west. Access for firefighters is extremely difficult.Television images and videos posted on social media have showed the flames coming down a hill close to houses in small neighborhoods and a massive cloud of smoke rising from the are...

Top-secret briefing on foreign interference left out key documents: Green leader

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:57:34 GMT

OTTAWA — Green Party Leader Elizabeth May says a top-secret briefing on foreign interference did not allow her to access key intelligence documents.Former special rapporteur David Johnston had released an initial report on alleged meddling in Canadian elections in May, along with a confidential annex of evidence that he said opposition party leaders who obtained relevant clearance could review.May and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh have both received top-secret security clearance, and May was the first to attend a confidential briefing on Wednesday. She told reporters this morning that the briefing included just two documents and 25 pages in total, which cited intelligence reports that she was not allowed to read.May says she is asking the Privy Council Office for access to all such records, saying it’s otherwise impossible for any politician to assess the credibility of Johnson’s findings.The B.C. MP is critical of whoever has been leaking intelligence to media, as well as what she...

Biden administration sharply expands temporary status for Ukrainians already in US

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:57:34 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Biden administration on Friday announced a major expansion of temporary legal status for Ukrainians already living in the United States, granting a reprieve for those who fled Russia’s invasion.The move is expected to make 166,700 Ukrainians eligible for Temporary Protected Status, up from about 26,000 currently, the Homeland Security Department said. To qualify, Ukrainians must have been in the United States by Aug. 16, two days before the announcement. They are eligible for work authorization.The temporary status was originally scheduled to expire on Oct. 19, 2023 but is being extended 18 months to April 19, 2025. “Russia’s ongoing military invasion of Ukraine and the resulting humanitarian crisis requires that the United States continue to offer safety and protection to Ukrainians who may not be able to return to their country,” said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.The expansion comes as the administration extends Temporary Protected Stat...

1 week left to claim your piece of $725 million Facebook settlement: Here's how

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:57:34 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Don't procrastinate any longer, Facebook users (and ex-Facebook users). You have just one week left to file a claim in the class action lawsuit the social media company agreed to settle earlier this year.Facebook parent company Meta agreed to pay the sum to settle claims it allowed people’s personal data to be shared with third parties. The most famous third party to get access was Cambridge Analytica, a consulting firm that supported Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. While Meta agreed to the payout, it denies any wrongdoing.The deadline to file a claim is Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Facebook’s $725M settlement is huge, but how much will you actually get? If you file a claim by mail, it has to be postmarked by that date. If you file it online, it needs to be done by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time the night of Aug. 25.If you think you've made a mistake on the claim form, you can also edit it before the deadline.Millions of Americans qualify for a payment. The criteria is ...

WGN's Tom Skilling featured in 'The Lincoln Laureate' podcast series

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:57:34 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — WGN-TV chief meteorologist Tom Skilling is being featured in the debut episode of 'The Lincoln Laureates' podcast series.The episode, released Friday, kicks off Season 3 of the podcast and features Skilling as one of the Lincoln Academy’s newest Lincoln Laureates."The Lincoln Laureates podcast series serves as an audio textbook that deepens the honor the Laureates have brought to Illinois. During this episode of The Lincoln Laureates, listeners get a deeper understanding of a scientist with an unlikely destination," according to the release,In the podcast, hosted by broadcast journalist Bob Sirott, Skilling shares stories and explains the evolution of his career as a meterologist — which began at WGN 45-years ago."I've had the amazing opportunity to work in a profession that has advanced more in the last 50 years than in all the time since Aristotle wrote the first treatise on meteorology,” Skilling told Sirott in the podcast.Listen to the podcast below:

'Momfluencer' Culture

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:57:34 GMT

Sara Peterson talks about her new book, Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture It looks at how momfluencer culture impacts women psychologically as consumers, as performers of their stories, and as mothers.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.