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The crash happened at 10.45am in crowded downtown Delray Beach, multiple news outlets reported. The Brightline train was stopped on the tracks, its front destroyed, about a block away from the Delray Beach fire rescue truck, its ladder ripped off and strewn in the grass several yards away, The Sun-Sentinel newspaper reported. The Delray Beach Fire Rescue said in a social media post that three Delray Beach firefighters were in stable condition at a hospital. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue took 12 people from the train to the hospital with minor injuries. Emmanuel Amaral rushed to the scene on his golf cart after hearing a loud crash and screeching train brakes from where he was having breakfast a couple of blocks away. He saw firefighters climbing out of the window of their damaged truck and pulling injured colleagues away from the tracks. One of their helmets came to rest several hundred feet away from the crash. “The front of that train is completely smashed, and there was even some of the parts to the fire truck stuck in the front of the train, but it split the car right in half. It split the fire truck right in half, and the debris was everywhere,” Mr Amaral said. Brightline officials did not immediately comment on the crash. A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board said it was still gathering information about the crash and had not decided yet whether it will investigate. The NTSB is already investigating two crashes involving Brightline’s high-speed trains that killed three people early this year at the same crossing along the railroad’s route between Miami and Orlando. More than 100 people have died after being hit by trains since Brightline began operations in July 2017 – giving the railroad the worst death rate in the United States. But most of those deaths have been either suicides, pedestrians who tried to run across the tracks ahead of a train or drivers who went around crossing gates instead of waiting for a train to pass. Brightline has not been found to be at fault in those previous deaths.Biden pushes new Russia, Iran, Korea, China effort before Trump term
Sister, Sister's Jackée Harry Reveals Advice to Tia and Tamera MowryMETAIRIE, La. (AP) — If Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi has any definite ideas about who'll play quarterback for New Orleans against Washington on Sunday, he's not ready to share that information. Rizzi maintained on Wednesday that there's still a chance that Derek Carr could clear the concussion protocol and function well enough with his injured, non-throwing left hand to return against the Commanders. Meanwhile, reserve QBs Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler split first-team snaps during Wednesday's practice, which Carr missed, Rizzi said. “We're not going to name a starter right now,” said Rizzi, who also made a point of noting that Carr would not be placed on the club's injured reserve list and would not need surgery. “We're going to see how that progression plays out, first with Derek and then obviously with Jake and Spencer.” Carr, whose latest injury occurred when he tried to dive for a first down during Sunday's 14-11 victory over the New York Giants , has already missed three starts this season because of a separate, oblique injury. New Orleans lost all three of those games, with Rattler, a rookie, starting and Haener, a second-year pro, serving as the backup. In his three starts, Rattler completed 59 of 99 passes (59.6%) for 571 yards, one TD and two interceptions. Haener has gotten sporadic work this season in relief of both Carr and Rattler, completing 14 of 29 passes (48.3%) for 177 yards and one TD without an interception. Rizzi said he finds the 6-foot-1 Haener and 6-foot Rattler “very similar in a lot of ways," adding that whichever of those two might play “doesn't change a whole bunch" in terms of game-planning. “They're both similar-size guys. Their athletic ability is very similar,” Rizzi said. “They're similar-style quarterbacks. We're not dealing with opposites on the spectrum.” The Saints also signed another QB this week — Ben DiNucci — to help take scout team snaps at practice, now that Rattler and Haener are not as available to do that while competing to possibly start if Carr is indeed unable to play. The Saints (5-8) have won three of four games since Rizzi took over following the firing of coach Dennis Allen. That allowed New Orleans to remain alive in the NFC South Division, currently led by Tampa Bay (7-6). Rizzi said Carr has not had any setbacks this week in terms of progressing through the NFL's concussion protocol. “By the end of the week, if's he's not able to get any reps in any form or fashion, then obviously we'll go with one of the other guys,” Rizzi said. NOTES: RB Alvin Kamara did not practice on Wednesday because of an illness. ... WR Chris Olave, who is out indefinitely because of concussions this season, has returned to meetings at Saints headquarters. He as not, however, made plans to return to practice yet because he still plans to meet first with neurological specialists to try to assess the risks of returning to action during what's left of this season. Rizzi said the possibility of Olave playing again this season remains “on the table” for now. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
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SPRINGFIELD — Visitors coming to the Illinois Statehouse to see their lawmakers in action, or just to tour the historic building, may see longer lines to get through security screening during the upcoming legislative sessions. Responding to a significant increase in potential threats to lawmakers and the public in recent years, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’s office recently implemented new emergency rules requiring nearly anyone to pass through security screening upon entering the Statehouse or any building in the Illinois Capitol Complex. “Unfortunately, the world is not getting safer,” Amy Williams, senior legal adviser in the secretary of state’s office, told a legislative oversight committee Tuesday. One of the more serious threats, Williams said, occurred in March when security officials were notified of an active shooter threat, prompting a lockdown of the complex. The lockdown was lifted after investigators determined there was no credible threat, according to reports at the time. In April, police locked down the Capitol for about an hour as the building was cleared following a bomb threat. Illinois State Police arrested a suspect accused of making the threat the following month. So far in 2024, Williams told the committee, the Secretary of State Police Department has responded to 17 threats to the Capitol, nearly twice as many as any other year since 2018. There have also been threats directed at individual lawmakers. In September, a man was arrested for threatening to assassinate Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore. And on Monday, Dec. 9, Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, reported an employee in her district office became ill after opening office mail, according to a social media post. The employee was transported to a local hospital, prompting police to evacuate the building and cordon off a portion of the street while emergency crews responded. In October, Williams said, the secretary of state’s office was advised by a security consultant to increase the number of people required to go through security screening to include everyone other than lawmakers, state government employees and other elected officials. That meant many people who had previously been given unrestricted access to the building — including lobbyists, vendors and members of the news media — now have to go through security screening as well. “Primarily that decision came about because members of the General Assembly, elected officials, are sensibly background checked by their constituents who choose them to go to the Capitol to do the people's work on their behalf,” she said. “And state government employees are background checked by their respective agencies. Lobbyists, vendors and members of the press are not subject to any background check.” To avoid congestion, Williams said the office has set up a “TSA Express-style” screening point at the east entrance of the building for those individuals who previously had unfettered access. The security changes near the tail end of a three-year, $224 million renovation project that will make permanent changes to the way the public enters and exits the Capitol. That project involves restoration and remodeling of the entire north wing of the Capitol. When it’s completed, sometime in 2025, all public access will be through a new entryway on the north side of the building where people will pass through security screening before entering the building itself. Until then, visitors will continue entering through either the east or west doors of the building where metal detectors and baggage x-ray machines are located just inside the building. Lawmakers are tentatively scheduled to return to the Statehouse Jan. 2 for the start of a brief lame duck session. The regular 2025 session begins Wednesday, Jan. 8. The Illinois Flag Commission selected its Top 10 finalists for the state flag redesign contest with public voting slated to begin in January. Members of the commission could select up to 10 of their favorite designs – from the nearly 5,000 submissions – prior to their December 9 meeting where they narrowed their choices to 10 overall. “Having received nearly 5,000 entries, I appreciate the creativity and passion reflected in all the submissions,” said Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, whose office convened the Flag Commission meetings. Starting in January, the public will have the opportunity to vote online at www.ilsos.gov/stateflag for one of the new designs, or one of three former flag designs, including the current state flag, the 1918 Centennial Flag and the 1968 Sesquicentennial Flag. After the public voting period, the commission will report its findings and recommendations to the Illinois General Assembly by April 1, 2025, whose members will vote on whether to adopt a new flag, return to a previous iteration of the flag or retain the current flag. Senate Bill 1818, sponsored by State Senator Doris Turner (48th District—Springfield) and State Representative Kam Buckner (26th District—Chicago), was signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker in 2023, creating the commission to gauge public desire for a new flag. The flag designs eligible for public voting in January can be viewed at www.ilsos.gov/stateflag . Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Fujitsu Develops World's First Multi-AI Agent Security Technology To Protect Against Vulnerabilities And New ThreatsSouth Korean protesters hold a banner that read “we condemn Yoon Suk Yeol’s illegal martial law” during a rally against President Yoon Suk Yeol at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on December 4, 2024, after martial law was lifted. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol abandoned a short-lived attempt at martial law on December 4 after lawmakers defied security forces to vote against his declaration and thousands of protesters took to the streets. —Photo by Jung Yeon-Je/Agence France-Presse MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos planning to travel to South Korea, which emerged from a six-hour imposition of martial law on Wednesday, need not cancel their trips, according to an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs. But they are advised to take extra precaution once in South Korea amid the political tensions in their host country. “We wouldn’t advise them to cancel their trips, but we will tell them to be very circumspect and careful and take precautions, especially when they are abroad,” said Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega in a dzBB interview on Wednesday. READ: South Korea lifts martial law decree after lawmakers vote against it “There’s no war, that’s what’s important so we will just advise those traveling to take precaution if they want to push through with their trips,” De Vega added. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared “emergency martial law” on Tuesday, accusing the opposition of controlling the parliament, sympathizing with North Korea, and paralyzing the government with antistate activities. The martial law order was lifted hours after it was imposed after drawing strong opposition from parliament. The estimated 68,000 Filipinos currently in South Korea were advised by the Philippine Embassy in Seoul to remain calm and “remember to follow the instructions that local authorities will issue.” The Philippine Ambassador to Seoul, Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega, described the overall situation as normal. “(It’s) business as usual, schools are open, all forms of public transport are also open and airports operating. Embassies are open,” she said in a text message reported by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). Other foreign missions in South Korea had advised their citizens to remain cautious and avoid participating in political rallies. The US Embassy issued an alert on Wednesday, saying the “situation remains fluid” despite Yoon’s withdrawal of his martial law order. It also announced the cancellation of routine consular appointments for US citizens and visa applicants. “US citizens should anticipate potential disruptions. When in public, you should pay attention to your surroundings and exercise routine safety precautions,” the US Embassy said. “You should avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place and exercise caution in the vicinity of any large crowds, gatherings, protests, or rallies. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence.” British nationals in South Korea were advised to follow Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office travel advice and remain alert. The Japanese Embassy in Seoul sent out multiple emails to its citizens urging them to “continue to monitor the news and ensure their safety.” Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday said Tokyo was monitoring the situation with “exceptional and serious concerns,” while pledging to “take all possible measures” to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals. The Australian Embassy described the situation in South Korea as “evolving due to developments in domestic politics” and urged its citizens to avoid protests and demonstrations. “Transport and other essential services may be disrupted. Monitor the media for updates and follow the advice of local authorities,” it added. The Russian Embassy told its citizens to “remain calm, follow the authorities’ recommendations, and refrain from participating in mass events, especially those of a political nature.” Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy assessed that “at present, social order in South Korea is normal.” Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . “Chinese citizens in South Korea may return to their daily lives but are advised to remain vigilant, stay informed about the local situation, and enhance personal safety precautions,” it said. —with reports from INQUIRER.net, PNA