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War veteran speaks out after service dog denied entry to American Legion in Fort Myers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:50 GMT

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WSVN) — A Gulf War veteran has been denied access to the American Legion in Fort Myers due to her service dog. The veteran received her service dog over the summer and now she’s fighting to make sure no other veterans are turned away. Dorthea “Dee” Pilkons served her country during the Gulf War in the Army and is now living with PTSD and hearing loss. “My psychiatrist at the Bedford VA, she noticed a really big change in me without my dog. And so, she suggested a service dog, and she helped me find America’s Vet Dogs,” sai Pilkons. Her journey led her to her service dog, Beth, who has made a profound impact on her life. Beth, a certified service dog from America’s Vet Dogs, has been instrumental in helping Pilkons manage her condition.“She really calms me down,” Pilkons shared. “She keeps me very, very level. She helps me with my hearing. Yeah, I’m a completely different person now.” Howe...

Marlins hire Peter Bendix to lead their front office. He leaves his job as Rays GM for Miami

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:50 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Marlins have hired Peter Bendix as their new president of baseball operations, a job that convinced him to leave the Tampa Bay Rays after 15 seasons.Bendix had most recently been the Rays’ senior vice president of baseball operations and general manager. He and the Marlins struck the deal over the weekend, and Miami formally announced it Monday.“Peter has a great reputation within baseball and is committed to achieving sustained excellence in all areas of Baseball Operations,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said in remarks distributed by the club. “I am looking forward to working alongside Peter to bring the Marlins back to the playoffs.”The Marlins announced Bendix’s hiring one day before the start of baseball’s annual general managers’ meetings in Scottsdale, Arizona.Bendix will take over the department previously overseen by Kim Ng, who had been general manager of the Marlins for the last three seasons. Ng elected to leave the team l...

Trump takes the stand in New York civil case alleging financial fraud

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:50 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump began testifying Monday morning in his civil fraud trial, producing a spectacle of a former president and the leading Republican presidential candidate defending himself against allegations that he dramatically inflated his net worth.His turn on the witness stand, in a case that cuts to the heart of the business brand he spent decades crafting, amounts to a remarkable convergence of his legal troubles and his political ventures.The testimony gives him the opportunity to try to use the witness stand as a campaign platform as he eyes a return to the White House while facing multiple criminal indictments, but its under-oath format, before a judge who has already fined him for incendiary comments outside of court, creates clear peril for a businessman and candidate famous for a freewheeling rhetorical display.“It’s going to be a stunning moment. This is dramatic enough if he was simply an ex-president facing these charges. But the fact that he is the overwhe...

Suspect wanted in connection with shooting inside of a Brockton Ocean State Job Lot turns himself in

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:50 GMT

Police in Brockton say the alleged suspect wanted in connection with a shooting inside of an Ocean State Job Lot store turned himself in early Monday morning.The Brockton Police Department said the “gunman/employee” turned himself in without incident a day after the shooting off Campanelli Industrial Drive.Authorities said at the time that the shooting occurred after an argument between an employee and a shopper escalated on Sunday.Police said the employee shot the customer when the shopper allegedly pulled a knife on them. After the shooting, the worker allegedly fled the scene.As of Sunday night, authorities said the shooting victim was expected to survive.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Two more companies recall cinnamon applesauce pouches due to potential lead contamination

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:50 GMT

(CNN) — Two more companies are recalling fruit puree pouches due to potential contamination with lead, the US Food and Drug Administration said.Schnucks-branded pouches sold at Schnucks and Eatwell Markets grocery stores and Weis-branded pouches sold at Weis grocery stores are being recalled, in addition to WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree sold by multiple retailers, including Sam’s Club, Amazon and Dollar Tree, that were recalled last month.In an update on Friday, the FDA said seven cases of adverse events have been found in five states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri and North Carolina.Last month, the FDA warned about lead in WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches after North Carolina health officials began investigating four children with elevated blood lead levels and found that the pouches could be the common source of exposure. Testing showed the pouches had “extremely high concentrations of lead.”The FDA says consumers should not...

Marijuana use raises risk of heart attack, heart failure and stroke, studies say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:50 GMT

(CNN) — Older adults who don’t smoke tobacco but do use marijuana were at higher risk of both heart attack and stroke when hospitalized, while people who use marijuana daily were 34% more likely to develop heart failure, according to two new non-published studies presented Monday at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia.“Observational data are strongly pointing to the fact that … cannabis use at any point in time, be it recreational or medicinal, may lead to the development of cardiovascular disease,” Robert Page II, chair of the volunteer writing group for the 2020 American Heart Association Scientific Statement: Medical Marijuana, Recreational Cannabis, and Cardiovascular Health, said in a statement. He was not involved in either of the new studies.The AHA recommendations advise people refrain from smoking or vaping any substance, including cannabis products, because of the potential harm to the heart, ...

Researchers find sensitive personal data of US military personnel is for sale online

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:50 GMT

(CNN) — Sensitive personal information like the apparent home addresses and health conditions of thousands of active-duty US military personnel can be bought cheaply online from so-called data brokers, according to a study published Monday by Duke University researchers.The researchers could shop for data on servicemembers based on geolocation, including whether they lived or work near Fort Bragg, Quantico or other sensitive military locations. In some cases, they were able to buy the data for as cheap as $0.12 per record.The study points to longstanding national security concerns from US officials and outside experts that a foreign intelligence service, for example, could build a picture of the whereabouts and vulnerabilities of US military members simply by shopping for the information online. Scammers could also use the data to stalk or blackmail military families, the researchers concluded.The researchers were taking advantage of a vast data-broker ecosystem ...

BAT increasing its stake in Organigram with $124.6M investment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:50 GMT

TORONTO — Shares of Organigram Holdings Inc. rose 30 per cent after it says BAT signed a deal to increase its stake in the cannabis company by investing $124.6 million.The company says it plans to use $83.1 million of to create a strategic investment pool to help grow its geographic footprint and invest in emerging growth opportunities. The rest of the money will be will be used for general corporate purposes.Organigram says the investment will help it extend its footprint beyond Canada and strengthen its financial position for long-term, sustainable growth. Under the proposal, which is subject to regulatory and Organigram shareholder approvals and other conditions, BAT has agreed to buy 38,679,525 common shares and non-voting class-A convertible preferred shares over three tranches. The first tranche is expected to close on or around Jan. 16, 2024, followed by two more on or around Aug. 30, 2024 and Feb. 28, 2025.BAT already holds an 18.8 per cent stake in Organigram. Organigram sa...

’80s icon Boy George is returning to Broadway in ‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:50 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Boy George — the Culture Club icon of the 1980s — is returning to Broadway in “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.”The singer-songwriter whose hits include “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” will play Moulin Rouge club owner Harold Zidler in the jukebox adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s hyperactive 2001 movie. He starts Feb. 6 and ends May 12 at Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre, taking over the role from Tituss Burgess. The show about the goings-on in a turn-of-the-century Parisian nightclub has been updated with tunes like “Single Ladies” and “Firework” alongside the big hit “Lady Marmalade.” It won 10 Tony Awards in 2021, including best new musical.Boy George was last represented on Broadway in 2003 with “Taboo,” for which he wrote music and lyrics. Critics largely disliked the show, which told some of his life story. He also performed in that show, but did not play himself.Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press

An 11-year-old killed in Cincinnati has been identified and police are seeking the shooter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:34:50 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An 11-year-old boy killed in a weekend shooting in Cincinnati was identified Monday by the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office as Dominic Davis.Police Chief Terri Theetge told reporters Sunday that a shooter in a sedan fired 22 rounds “in quick succession” into a crowd of children just before 9:30 p.m. Friday on the city’s West End. No suspect has been arrested. A 53-year-old woman was hit along with the boy who died; three other boys aged 12, 13 and 15; and a 15-year-old girl. One victim was hospitalized in stable condition.Theetge said it was too early to say whether the shooting was random or targeted and declined to discuss other aspects of the investigation. The shots were fired in a “vibrant neighborhood” next to a park and near a historic elementary school, said Mayor Aftab Pureval at the news conference.Dominic Davis’ father, Isaac Davis, came forward at the Sunday news conference along with Dominic’s mother and grandmother and also urged...