WCVB.com: Massachusetts governor files federal disaster declaration request 3 months after Leominster flood
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has filed a request for President Joe Biden to declare a major disaster happened in the city of Leominster when it was hit by flooding more than 90 days ago.
The Leominster Mayor’s Office said Healey filed the disaster declaration request to the federal government Monday, which marked the three-month anniversary of the devastating Sept. 11 flood in Leominster.
Bloomberg: Biden Says Netanyahu Must ‘Change’ or Lose Global Support
The UN General Assembly approved a measure calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The U.S. was one of ten nations to vote against the non-binding resolution. Before the vote, President Biden said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs to change his hard line government, adding that Israel is losing global support due to its “indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza.
Tampabay.com: Sarasota school board calls on Bridget Ziegler to resign. She does not.
The Moms for Liberty co-founder caught in a sex scandal with her husband said the action “does not have any teeth.”
SARASOTA — The Sarasota County School Board on Tuesday called on fellow board member Bridget Ziegler to resign, citing her role in a sex scandal with statewide implications and calling her continued presence a distraction to the school district’s business.
Ziegler’s husband, who leads the Florida Republican Party, has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman with whom the couple was previously involved in a three-way encounter.
Ziegler has not been accused of committing any crime, but has faced criticism for being involved in a sexual relationship with another woman while using her post on the board to push policies unfriendly to the LGBTQ+ community. A co-founder of the high-profile Moms for Liberty group, she also has been credited with helping to draft the state’s Parental Rights in Education law, often referred to as Don’t Say Gay.
UPI: Leopard tries to hunt wild dogs
A pack of wild dogs was sleeping in the heat of the day when a leopard moving in the area caught sight of them. The leopard slowly creeps up to them, almost attempting to hunt them. But… surely it won’t be that easy?
Upon arriving at the location around 7:30 a.m., Folks found the dogs asleep. Wild dogs are endangered, making each sighting precious. John took the moment to take some pictures of the dogs lazing around. Other visitors came and went, but John stayed, intent on capturing the beauty of these wild dogs.
The atmosphere shifted when a couple in a nearby car used their binoculars to look further into the bush, signaling something unusual. They spotted a leopard behind a bush, its gaze fixated on the sleeping dogs. Despite several cars at the scene, a hush fell over the area, and the tension could be felt. The leopard, using the wind and bushes to its advantage, began a stealthy approach towards the dogs. It used the direction of the wind to blow its scent away from the dogs so they could not be alerted. The thick bushes were perfect camouflage for the leopard. Moving closer to the unsuspecting dogs with each step. The leopard was careful not to make a sound, placing each paw precisely where the 1st was. Its eyes, sharp and focused, never left the dogs as it moved. The dogs were completely unaware. The leopard’s movements were so silent and calculated that it was able to get within a few meters of the sleeping dogs.
Just then, one wild dog lifted its head and saw the leopard a few meters from it, instantly shifting the dynamics. The leopard turned in shock and began running, and a chase ensued as the dogs all took off behind the leopard. The confrontation ended as quickly as it began, with the dogs triumphantly returning to their resting spot. For the dogs they were extremely lucky that one of them picked up the leopard’s presence, had they not things might have not ended so well for one of them!
UPI: 2 men convicted of stealing $2,095 of stuff from Kohl’s argued for lesser charges because there was a sale and they had coupons
Two men convicted of retail theft at a Kohl’s in Colorado tried to get a lesser punishment because they stole stuff that was on sale.
The men’s attorneys made an argument for reduced charges after admitting stealing from the store in Parker, Colorado.
Michael Green, 50, and Byron Bolden, 37, were nicknamed the “KitchenAid Mixer Crew” by the DA in reference to the kitchen appliances they stole.
They also took designer shoes and clothing.
They were both ultimately convicted of felony theft. However, the DA’s office said the men’s attorneys argued for softer misdemeanor charges, citing discounts on the items.
According to The Denver Gazette, the men cited discounts on the sticker prices, and Kohl’s coupons they had, to bring the items down below the threshold for felony theft in Colorado, which is $2,000.
The documented value of the items stolen was $2,094.98, the district attorney’s office said. The argument failed to sway the judge, as both men received felony convictions. Green was sentenced to 15 months in prison and Bolden to 90 days in jail with credit for time served as a condition of 18 months probation.
According to KMGH-TV, a local Denver TV station, prosecutors argued that sales and discounts only count if you actually pay.
John Kellner, the district attorney, said in the press release: “Just because an item is ‘on sale’ doesn’t mean it’s free to steal, and these defendants now get to think about this lesson in jail and prison.”
