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Impeachment investigators expanding probe into Ken Paxton's real-estate spree, WSJ reports

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Investigators helping to prosecute impeachment charges against suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are now expanding their probe to examine a property-buying spree that began after he was under federal investigation for alleged abuse of office, the Wall Street Journal reported in an exclusive article Thursday.Paxton, his wife and a family trust spent almost $3.5 million buying six properties across the U.S. in less than 10 months from July 2021 to April 2022, WSJ reported based off real-estate records it reviewed.Ken Paxton ImpeachmentBack in May, the Texas House voted 121-23 to impeach Paxton.The vote approved the 20 articles of impeachment that the House General Investigating Committee laid out earlier that week. These articles were the result of a two-month investigation that began after Paxton asked to use state funds to settle a $3.3 million whistleblower lawsuit filed by four former employees who accused him of wrongdoing.The impeachment results in Paxt...

Charley Walters: Artificial intelligence coming soon to a baseball team near you

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

Slide over analytics. Make room for artificial intelligence (AI). It’s for real. It’s coming.How could it work for the Minnesota Twins?“It’s funny you asked that — it’s a great question and it’s something I think the whole world is unpacking at the same time,” Twins baseball chief Derek Falvey said the other day.“The speeding up of the development of AI in the last six months of our lives is something we’re all trying to unpack,” he continued. “I don’t have an answer today for it. We’re thinking about it — how does it help us, where can we look at it.“There’s areas where it naturally fits, when you’re building systems or tools to help you assess player talent or look at stats. We’re already building models that project, ‘What’s this player going to do in the future?’ We’ve been building models forever, where do players play on the field, positioning.”That’s analytics.“You look at where guys have weaknesses in their zones, where the pitches go, where they swing and miss,”...

Wild sign Lou Nanne’s grandson Vinni Lettieri, lose Ryan Reaves to Maple Leafs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

With not a lot cap space to work with, the Wild knew they couldn’t go big in the opening day of NHL free agency. That played out on Saturday as general manager Bill Guerin was forced to sit on his hands while many other teams handed out big money for impact players.“I was bored,” Guerin said with a laugh. “I would’ve loved to have been more active.”In the end, the Wild were able to add some depth to the organization, signing center Vinni Lettieri to a two-year, two-way contract, and center Jake Lucchini to a one-year, two-way contract. Though both players have spent most of their professional careers in the minors, Guerin expects Lettieri and Lucchini to push for roster spots.“I’m not going to assign anybody anywhere today,” Guerin said. “Hopefully they’re going to have great summers getting in shape and come to camp prepared to try and take somebody’s job. That’s what I’d like to see; I want them to...

The top patent earner in Missouri last year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

Tech and engineering firms were the most inventive patent winners across the U.S. last year—a year marked by growing tension with foreign nations racing to bring world-changing tech like artificial intelligence and space satellites to market.Nearly 160,000 patents were assigned across the U.S. in 2022, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. When a patent is awarded through the USPTO, the individual or company that it's given to has the license to a temporary monopoly on business for that specific product or service. Companies have used patent law for decades to defend their intellectual property—including designs and devices against competitors that might attempt to profit off of stolen ideas.ClickUp used data from the Patent and Trademark Office to find the top patent earner in Missouri based on the number of patents assigned in USPTO's fiscal year 2022, which ran from Oct. 1, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2022. This analysis was part of a broader national report on the top p...

Damian Lillard asks the Trail Blazers for a trade, team confirms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

By TIM REYNOLDS (AP Basketball Writer)Damian Lillard has said repeatedly that he wants to contend for a championship. After 11 years in Portland, he has decided he needs to move elsewhere to make that happen.Lillard asked the Trail Blazers for a trade, a move that will end the seven-time All-Star’s tenure with that team, two people familiar with the matter said Saturday. The team later confirmed that Lillard had made the request.Lillard is generating interest from the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets, among others, according to the people who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no details were announced publicly. One of the people told the AP that Lillard’s preference is Miami — the reigning Eastern Conference champion — though that hardly guarantees the Trail Blazers will work to facilitate that specific move.“We have been clear that we want Dame here, but he notified us today he wants out and he’d prefer to play someplace...

Bo Byram extended two years by Avalanche as RFA, contract details

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

Bo Byram and the Avalanche agreed to a two-year contract extension Saturday, the team announced.The average annual value of the deal is $3.85 million, a source told The Denver Post. The extension brings an end to Colorado’s most challenging negotiation with a restricted free agent this offseason.Byram, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft, is considered one of the most talented young defensemen in the league. The 22-year-old has 43 career points in 91 games, including a 10-goal output in 2022-23 despite only playing half the season.Related ArticlesColorado Avalanche | Miles Wood agrees to 6-year contract with Avalanche in free agency Colorado Avalanche | Avalanche’s Denis Malgin, Ryan Merkley to become unrestricted free agents Colorado Avalanche | Avalanche Journal: My NHL Awards ballot and grades of Colorado trades, draft picks Colorado Avalanche | Avalanche NHL draft Day 2: Avs prioritize defense in lat...

Second bus carrying migrants from Texas arrives in Los Angeles 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

The second bus carrying migrants from the Texas-Mexico border to Los Angeles arrived in L.A. on Saturday afternoon. The bus arrived at Union Station from Brownsville, Texas around 12:40 p.m.The 41 migrants, who are from Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Belize and Nicaragua, were recently paroled by the Border Patrol and are voluntarily making the 1,600-mile journey, the LA Times said.According to a spokesperson for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, the Mayor's Office learned of the bus yesterday, but they quickly mobilized a welcome committee made up of city and county workers alongside a coalition of nonprofit organizations and faith partners.This is the second group of migrants that has been bussed from Texas to Los Angeles; on June 14, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that a group of 42 migrants was bussed to L.A. from the city of McAllen. “Texas’ small border towns remain overwhelmed and overrun by the thousands of people illegally crossing into Te...

SF Giants’ Camilo Doval takes ‘huge’ step forward to become ‘complete closer’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

NEW YORK — With his go-ahead homer in the eighth inning Friday night and picture-perfect throw to second base in the ninth, rookie catcher Patrick Bailey deservedly received the bulk of the attention from the Giants’ come-from-behind win over the Mets. But not to be overlooked: Camilo Doval’s transformation into a “complete” closer, to use the words of manager Gabe Kapler.Tied for the major-league lead in saves, the 25-year-old fireballer has been arguably the best closer in baseball for the first half of this season. He already has one reliever of the month award under his belt, and he is widely seen as the Giants’ top All-Star candidate (rosters announced Sunday at 2:30 p.m. PT).But, as coach Mark Hallberg pointed out Saturday, Doval’s three-pitch mix — a triple-digit heater, a sharp-breaking sinker and a wipeout slider — is so nasty, it left him a blindspot. In addition to his duties at third-base coach, Hallberg oversees Giants’ pitchers...

Antioch landlord pleads no contest in tenant’s killing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

MARTINEZ — An Antioch landlord has pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of his tenant/roommate, and is expected to receive a 13-year prison term in August, authorities said.Marc Siegel, 46, pleaded no contest in June to killing 43-year-old Michael Moreno. The shooting occurred in May 2020, inside the Antioch home where Siegel lived and had been renting a room to Moreno.According to police, Moreno was planning to move out of the residence on the day of the shooting.Moreno was shot and killed around 8:30 a.m. on May 18, 2020, at their residence on the 1900 block of Iron Peak Court. Police said at the time that the two argued and that Siegel produced a gun and shot Moreno at least once. He died before emergency responders got there.Moreno was a military veteran who ran a martial arts studio in Pittsburg, known as the California Combat Academy. He taught self-defense techniques to adults and children.Siegel was initially charged with murder and use of a fir...

Mexican anti-cartel vigilante leader buried and with him, an armed citizens’ movement

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:02 GMT

LA RUANA, Mexico (AP) — One of the last leaders of Mexico’s anti-gang citizens’ movement was buried Saturday alongside two of his faithful followers, and any hope of reviving armed civilian resistance to drug cartels probably died with them.“Self defense” vigilante leader Hipolito Mora had long since ceased to pose an armed threat to the cartel that dominates western Mexico’s Michoacan state, as was clear from the overwhelming, deadly, multipoint ambush in which he and three followers were slain Thursday.While some angry relatives talked of reviving the 2013-2014 armed farmers’ movement that kicked out one cartel — only to see it replaced by others — many doubted that heroic, tragic chapter could ever be repeated.“I think it’s not a question of reviving the past,” said the Rev. Gilberto Vergara, one of the priests who officiated the funeral Mass for Mora and his followers Calixto Alvarez and Roberto Naranjo. The third follower was buried elsewhere.“The circumstance...