Matt Gaetz says he won't return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney general WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz is not coming back to Congress. The Florida Republican said Friday he has no intention of serving another term in the House now that he is no longer President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general. Gaetz withdrew as the nominee this week amid growing fallout from the allegations of sexual conduct against him. Gaetz denies the allegations. Gaetz didn't lay out his plans now that he's out of office, saying only, “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch." After Gaetz's withdrawal on Thursday, Trump named former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department. Vance takes on a more visible transition role, working to boost Trump's most contentious picks WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role. He's been helping Donald Trump’s most contentious Cabinet picks try to win confirmation in the Senate, where he has served for the last two years. Vance spent part of Wednesday at the Capitol with Rep. Matt Gaetz sitting in on meetings with Trump’s controversial choice for attorney general. On Thursday, Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings over the coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad Donald Trump’s lock on the white evangelical vote is legendary, but he didn't focus exclusively on large religious voter blocs. He and his allies also wooed smaller religious groups, away from the mainstream. He posted a tribute to Coptic church members on social media and met with members of Assyrians for Trump — two smaller Christian communities with Middle Eastern roots. He visited the grave of the revered late leader of an Orthodox Jewish movement. His allies sought votes from the separatist Amish community. While Trump won decisively, the outreaches reflected aggressive campaigning in what was expected to be a tight race. NATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russia's attack with new hypersonic missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with a hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. Ukraine's parliament canceled a session Friday over the security threat. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech Thursday that the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Putin said Russia is launching production of the Oreshnik, saying it's so powerful that several of them fitted with conventional warheads could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Texas education board approves optional Bible-infused curriculum for elementary schools AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ education board has voted to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools. The approval Friday follows other Republican-led states that have pushed this year to give religion a larger presence in public classrooms. The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education is optional for schools to adopt, but they’ll receive additional funding if they do so. Parents and teachers who opposed the curriculum say the lessons will alienate students of other faith backgrounds. Supporters argue the Bible is a core feature of American history and that teaching it will enrich learning. 2 convicted in human smuggling case after Indian family froze to death on US-Canada border FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A jury has convicted two men of charges related to human smuggling for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel and Steve Shand each faced four charges related to human smuggling before being convicted on Friday. Patel is an Indian national. Shand is an American from Florida. They were arrested after the family froze while trying to cross the desolate border during a 2022 blizzard. Storm inundates Northern California with rain, heavy snow. Thousands remain in the dark in Seattle HEALDSBURG, Calif. (AP) — Heavy rain from a major storm prompted evacuation warnings for communities near a Northern California river that forecasters say could break its banks Friday, as the system continued to dump heavy snow in mountainous areas where some ski resorts opened for the season. The storm reached the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands before moving through Northern California, where several roads were closed due to flooding and strong winds toppled some trees. Forecasters are warning about the risk of flash flooding and rockslides in areas north of San Francisco as the region was inundated by this season’s strongest atmospheric river. Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old canals used to fish by predecessors of ancient Maya WASHINGTON (AP) — Using drones and Google Earth imagery, archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old network of earthen canals in what’s now Belize. The research published Friday in Science Advances shows that long before the ancient Maya built temples, their predecessors were already altering the landscape of Central America’s Yucatan peninsula. The ancient fish canals were used to channel and catch freshwater species such as catfish. These structures were used for around 1,000 years — including during the “formative” period when the Maya began to settle in permanent farming villages and a distinctive culture started to emerge. California case is the first confirmed bird flu infection in a US child Health officials are confirming bird flu in a California child — the first reported case in a U.S. minor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced confirmatory test results on Friday. Officials say the child had mild symptoms, was treated with antiviral medication and is recovering. The child’s infection brings the reported number of U.S. bird flu cases this year to 55, including 29 in California. State officials have said the child lives in Alameda County, which includes Oakland, and attends day care, but released no other details. Brazilian police formally accuse former President Bolsonaro and aides of alleged 2022 coup attempt SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Federal Police have formally accused former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 other people of attempting a coup to keep him in office after his electoral defeat in the 2022 elections. The findings are to be delivered Thursday to Brazil’s Supreme Court, which will refer them to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet, who will either formally charge Bolsonaro and put the former president on trial or toss the investigation. The former right-wing president has denied all claims he tried to stay in office after his narrow electoral defeat in 2022 to his rival, leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has faced a series of legal threats since then.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A scruffy little fugitive is on the lam again in New Orleans, gaining fame as he outwits a tenacious band of citizens armed with night-vision binoculars, nets and a tranquilizer rifle. Scrim, a 17-pound mutt that's mostly terrier, has become a folk hero, inspiring tattoos, T-shirts and even a ballad as he eludes capture from the posse of volunteers. And like any antihero, Scrim has a backstory: Rescued from semi-feral life at a trailer park and adopted from a shelter, the dog broke loose in April and scurried around the city until he was cornered in October and brought to a new home. Weeks later, he'd had enough. Scrim leaped out of a second-story window, a desperate act recorded in a now-viral video. Since then, despite a stream of daily sightings, he's roamed free. The dog’s fans include Myra and Steve Foster, who wrote “Ode to Scrim” to the tune of Ricky Nelson’s 1961 hit, “I’m a Travelin’ Man.” Leading the recapture effort is Michelle Cheramie, a 55-year-old former information technology professional. She lost everything — home, car, possessions — in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in the aftermath, found her calling rescuing pets. “I was like, ‘This is what I should be doing,’” Cheramie said. “I was born to rescue.” She launched Zeus’ Rescues, a nonprofit shelter that now averages 600 cat and dog adoptions a year and offers free pet food to anyone who needs it. She helped Scrim find the home he first escaped from. It was Cheramie's window Scrim leaped from in November. She's resumed her relentless mission since then, posting flyers on telephone poles and logging social media updates on his reported whereabouts. She's invested thousands of dollars on wildlife cameras, thermal sensors and other gear. She took a course offered by the San Diego Zoo on the finer points of tranquilizing animals. And she's developed a network of volunteers — the kind of neighbors who are willing to grid-search a city at 3 a.m. People like writer David W. Brown, who manages a crowd-sourced Google Map of all known Scrim sightings. He says the search has galvanized residents from all walks of life to come together. As they search for Scrim, they hand out supplies to people in need. “Being a member of the community is seeing problems and doing what you can to make life a little better for the people around here and the animals around you,” Brown said. And neighbors like Tammy Murray, who had to close her furniture store and lost her father to Parkinson's disease. This search, she says, got her mojo back. “Literally, for months, I’ve done nothing but hunt this dog,” said Murray, 53. “I feel like Wile E. Coyote on a daily basis with him.” Murray drives the Zeus' Rescues' van towards reported Scrim sightings. She also handles a tactical net launcher, which looks like an oversized flashlight and once misfired, shattering the van's window as Scrim sped away. After realizing Scrim had come to recognize the sound of the van's diesel engine, Murray switched to a Vespa scooter, for stealth. Near-misses have been tantalizing. The search party spotted Scrim napping beneath an elevated house, and wrapped construction netting around the perimeter, but an over-eager volunteer broke ranks and dashed forward, leaving an opening Scrim slipped through. Scrim's repeated escapades have prompted near-daily local media coverage and a devoted online following. Cheramie can relate. “We’re all running from something or to something. He's doing that too,” she said. Cheramie's team dreams of placing the pooch in a safe and loving environment. But a social media chorus growing under the hashtag #FreeScrim has other ideas — they say the runaway should be allowed a life of self-determination. The animal rescue volunteers consider that misguided. “The streets of New Orleans are not the place for a dog to be free,” Cheramie said. “It’s too dangerous.” Scrim was a mess when Cheramie briefly recaptured him in October, with matted fur, missing teeth and a tattered ear. His trembling body was scraped and bruised, and punctured by multiple projectiles. A vet removed one, but decided against operating to take out a possible bullet. The dog initially appeared content indoors, sitting in Cheramie's lap or napping beside her bed. Then while she was out one day, Scrim chewed through a mesh screen, dropped 13 feet to the ground and squeezed through a gap in the fence, trotting away. Murray said Cheramie's four cats probably spooked him. “I wholeheartedly believe the gangster-ass cats were messing with him,” Murray said. Cheramie thinks they may have gotten territorial. Devastated but undeterred, the pair is reassessing where Scrim might fit best — maybe a secure animal sanctuary with big outdoor spaces where other dogs can keep him company. Somewhere, Murray says, “where he can just breathe and be.” Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96Former Houston Dynamo designated player Héctor Herrera said on Monday he regrets his behavior at the team's final match of the season earlier this month after he was sent off the field in the playoff game against the Seattle Sounders for spitting at referee Armando Villarreal. "The only mistake I regret is my last game," he said in an interview with Fox Sports Mexico. "My actions that I had is the only thing I regret in my career, because I have always been very correct, a good teammate, I have always controlled my impulses in moments when I have to keep my head cold. head and in this one no." The midfielder first received a yellow card in the second game of Game 2 of the best-of-three MLS playoff series against the Sounders for a foul, before visibly showing disagreement on the call. After arguing with the referee, Herrera turned around and spat in his direction to earn an automatic red card and expulsion. Editor's Picks Dynamo decline 2025 option for Héctor Herrera 17d Lizzy Becherano Houston Dynamo general manager Pat Onstad later revealed the incident played a part in declining Herrera's 2025 contract option . Herrera now enters the 2024 offseason as a free agent, but he said he remains calm as offers from Liga MX , MLS and other leagues come in. "Look, I think that, thank God, I have many offers from Mexico, MLS, Saudi Arabia, and other places. I think I'm at a point in my career where I can choose where to play and the truth is that I'm very calm," he said. "I think that perhaps these are the two years that I have taken the most care of myself off the field, working at home, having physios, having masseuses and well the results speak for themselves, Thanks to that I think I have had two very good years in Houston in which It gives me that peace of mind of being in the moment I am." Herrera concluded his career with the Houston Dynamo after 82 matches, in which he recorded eight goals and 22 assists. The midfielder also led the Texas team to the 2023 US Open Cup, when it defeated Inter Miami 2-1 at Chase Stadium.An Aroostook County winter festival will move its snowmobile races from Caribou to Presque Isle to take advantage of better conditions. The third annual SnowBowl, planned in February, will include events from Mars Hill to Van Buren. Racing activities will move from Spud Speedway about 18 miles south to the Aroostook Centre Mall. When Spud Speedway owners Jim Gamage and Troy Haney launched the first SnowBowl in Caribou in 2023, the response was bigger than they dreamed, drawing thousands to the area. But last winter’s lack of snow caused a dismal snowmobile season that devastated local businesses. Organizers hope the 2025 festival will bring a much-needed economic boost to a region that depends on winter recreation. “We’ve got to take what we have for assets and bring them to light. Two of those are the people and the trail system,” co-founder Jim Gamage said. “We want to attract snowmobilers to make The County their destination.” Mild temperatures and little snow last year made the Caribou speedway track too muddy to use. Organizers made a quick decision to move racing to the mall parking area, creating a track in 36 hours with 400 truckloads of snow. It proved to be the perfect spot, Gamage said. Spectators and racers liked the surroundings. There’s also more parking and vendors can set up inside where it’s warm. The 2025 event will offer a weeklong slate of snowmobile racing, a scenic ride, a snowman-building contest, a magic show and “restaurant rumble,” where participants can eat at central Aroostook restaurants and enter their names for drawings, he said. Gamage, Haney and crew are introducing something new this year they hope will inspire residents and entice visitors to northern Maine. The speedway will debut phase one of its Spud Speedway Northern Lights project, similar to Boothbay Harbor’s Gardens Aglow — but with a County twist. “We created a 70-foot tunnel of old quonset hut frames and made six snowmen out of old tractor and skidder tires,” Gamage said. “We’re going to light it all up with Christmas lights. It’s a tunnel you drive through.” Phase two of the project is in the works for the following year, and will transform the speedway grounds into a trail with 15 lit displays showcasing elements of Aroostook: potato harvest, forestry, outdoor recreation, veterans and more. While Caribou is disappointed that some portions of the SnowBowl will move to Presque Isle, the city supports Spud Speedway as it grows the audience for the annual winter event, Caribou City manager Penny Thompson said. “Safety is of paramount importance to this type of experience and, due to the unpredictable nature of our spring weather, the organizers need to consider venues that are easiest to control to keep participants and spectators safe,” she said. The entire region will benefit as people come to the event and spend money locally, Thompson said. The SnowBowl will kick off on Sunday, Feb. 23, with Brian’s Ride, a guided 80-mile ride to the arch hangar at the former Loring Air Force Base , then on to a scenic spot in Van Buren with a hot lunch on the trail. There will be a snowmobile hill climbing contest at BigRock Mountain in Mars Hill, the return of mindreader/magician Kent Axell and an evening at Spud Speedway with demonstration rides, a groomer rodeo, a bonfire and hot dog roast. Everything moves to Presque Isle for the weekend of March 1 and 2, with pro racing and several classes of local competition, Gamage said. Vendors, food trucks, and a vintage sled display are planned at the mall. X Racing owner Joe Duncan of Minnesota, creator of the Winter X Games, will bring his snocross racing team from across the country for a show on Saturday, March 1. Freestyle riders will present a stunt show with jumps and acrobatics. Sunday, March 2, will be a family fun day, Gamage said. More snocross and vintage racing are on tap, along with local competitions in numerous age divisions so anyone can try out the track. The business community has stepped up since day one to support the SnowBowl, he said. People are already booking accommodations for February, and one company has reserved 60 local rooms to bring its entire cohort. That’s exactly what Gamage and Haney hoped for when they started. “We want to get the kids out, we want to get the community involved, and we want people to have fun and make a memory and smile,” he said. “We want to give people a reason to celebrate winter.”22,735 Shares in Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) Acquired by Caprock Group LLC
Mahomes threw two touchdown passes to Noah Gray for the second straight week as the Kansas City Chiefs held off the Carolina Panthers 30-27 on Sunday. A week after losing at Buffalo, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (10-1) maintained their position atop the AFC. Mahomes completed a 35-yard touchdown strike to Gray on the game’s opening possession and found him again for an 11-yard TD in the second quarter. Gray has four touchdown catches in the last two weeks — twice as many as nine-time Pro Bowler Travis Kelce has all season — and has become a weapon in the passing game for the Chiefs, who lost top wide receiver Rashee Rice to a season-ending knee injury in Week 4. Kelce was still a factor Sunday with a team-high six catches for 62 yards, although the four-time All-Pro looked dejected after dropping one easy pass. Kelce has 62 receptions for 507 yards this season, while Gray has 26 catches for 249 yards. But Gray's development is a good sign for the Chiefs — and he's on the same page with Mahomes. On his second TD, Gray said Mahomes “gave me the answer to the test there” before the play. “He told me what coverage it was pre-snap," said Gray, who had four receptions for 66 yards. “That’s just the blessing you have of playing with a quarterback like that. Offensive line did a great job blocking that up and the receivers did a great job running their routes to pop me open. Really just a group effort right there on that touchdown.” Gray said that's nothing new. “Pat’s preparation, his leadership is just something that I’m fortunate enough to play alongside,” Gray said. "I love it. It gets me motivated every time we go out there for a long drive. Having a leader like that, that prepares every single week in-and out, knows defenses, knows the game plans. “I’m just fortunate enough to play alongside a guy like that.” Mahomes completed 27 of 37 passes for 269 yards and three TDs, and he knew what to do on the second TD to Gray. “It's not just me, it's the quarterback coaches and the players, we go through certain checks you get to versus certain coverages,” Mahomes said. “I was able to see by the way they lined up they were getting into their cover-zero look. I alerted the guys to make sure they saw what I saw and I gave the check at the line of scrimmage.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Over 18,000 people in Mexico have registered online to run for Supreme Court seats and federal judgeships in the country's contentious new selection process , but a random drawing in the end will determine who gets on the ballot, officials said Monday. The ruling party pushed through a constitutional reform in September to make all federal judges stand for election, replacing the system where court employees and lawyers mainly move up through the ranks. Current court employees and their supporters have staged dozens of demonstrations against the reforms, calling them part of a ruling-party campaign to weaken checks and balances and eliminate independent regulatory and oversight bodies. Now, candidates for Supreme Court seats and federal judgeships need only a law degree, a grade point average of 3.2, “five years of professional experience” and five letters of recommendation from neighbors or friends. That, and some luck in the final drawing. Officials rejected criticism that has called the process rushed or amateurish for the often highly technical posts that can hear cases including intellectual property, organized crime and Constitutional law. “The results have been spectacular,” said Arturo Zaldivar, a top advisor to President Claudia Sheinbaum. According to the plan, evaluation committees will have just over a month to review thousands of resumes and whittle the field to about 10 candidates or less for each for the 881 judgeships and nine seats on the Supreme Court. Then 1,793 names chosen at random from those selected will appear on the ballot on June 1. Critics warn that many who land on the ballot will be unknowns who perhaps have never argued a case in the courts they seek to run. “You don’t elect a doctor or a surgeon for an operation based on their popularity, you elect them based on their technical expertise, their ability, their knowledge,” said Sergio Méndez Silva, the legal coordinator for the civic group Foundation for Justice. “That also applies for a judge.” With candidates now having to run election campaigns, critics warn there's a chance drug cartels or political parties could finance them to get friendly judges onto the bench. There are also concerns that the evaluation committees deciding who makes the cut for the selection to appear on ballots may not be impartial. Most committee members were appointed by the legislative or executive branches, controlled by the ruling Morena party. Some critics argue that the current justice system, which is riddled with nepotism, corruption and a lack of accountability, needs to be changed. “We need a justice system that gives results,” said Martínez Garza, an academic and former head of the human rights commission in the northern border state of Nuevo Leon who has registered to run for a Supreme Court seat. Trials in Mexico can last for years, and the ruling party has added to the growing list of crimes for which bail is not allowed, meaning that a large percentage of the prison population is people awaiting trial.Ruben Amorim warns ‘overthinking’ Manchester United players ‘we are going to suffer’
Subscribe to Merca2.0 and access more than 3,500 exclusive articles for subscribers. Subscribe to Merca2.0. recently became a trending topic due to the news of a potential merger with Nissan. The union of both companies could create a massive Japanese automotive cluster. Both brands are among the most recognized worldwide in the vehicle sector. Below, we’ll tell you more about Honda’s history, its most notable achievements, and some key details that have cemented its prestige over the years: The term “Honda” comes from the surname of its founder, Soichiro Honda. In Japanese, this word can be interpreted as “rice field,” a common reference in Japanese culture tied to nature and agricultural productivity. However, in the context of the brand, rather than referring to a literal meaning, it has become a symbol of technological innovation, quality, and reliability in vehicle production. Honda’s motto reflects its philosophy centered on continuous improvement and a commitment to excellence. The brand’s current slogan is “The Power of Dreams.” This motto embodies Soichiro Honda’s vision, who believed in the power of dreams to drive progress. The company has used this slogan as a way to communicate its focus on creating innovative products that enhance people’s lives, leveraging the power of creativity and ambition. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is a public company, which means it does not have a single “owner” but is owned by numerous shareholders. Honda’s shares are traded on stock exchanges in Tokyo, New York, and other cities around the world. While there is no single majority owner, Honda’s main institutional shareholders include: As for the company’s leadership, the current CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is Toshihiro Mibe. Honda originates from Japan. It was founded in 1948 in Hamamatsu, a city known for its focus on engineering and innovation. Although it initially focused on manufacturing motorcycles, it quickly expanded into automobile production. Today, Honda has manufacturing plants in various parts of the world, including the United States, Mexico, China, and several European nations. However, Japan remains the heart and birthplace of its business philosophy. The brand boasts a long list of iconic models that have left a mark in the automotive industry. Some of the most notable include: Honda’s luxury brand is Acura, launched in 1986 as a strategy to compete in the premium car segment, primarily in the United States and Canada. Acura is known for offering vehicles with advanced technological features, sophisticated design, and a focus on performance. Determining Honda’s best model can depend on the perspective. However, the Civic is frequently recognized as one of the brand’s best cars due to its combination of efficiency, reliability, and value over time. The Accord is also highly regarded, especially for its durability and interior space. Although both brands belong to the same company, Honda and Acura target different market segments. Honda focuses on offering practical, reliable, and affordable vehicles for the general public, while Acura is positioned as a luxury brand, offering vehicles with higher levels of performance, technology, and refinement. The name “Acura” is derived from the Latin word “acu,” which means “precise” or “accurate.” This name reflects the brand’s commitment to precision in engineering and manufacturing. Cancela en cualquier momento Acceso exclusivo a rankings y radiografías. Análisis profundos y casos de estudio de éxito. Historial de la revista impresa en formato digital. ¡Disfruta de lo mejor del marketing sin costo alguno por unmes!NoneWho would accept ‘Yoon’s orderly retreat’? (KOR)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A scruffy little fugitive is on the lam again in New Orleans, gaining fame as he outwits a tenacious band of citizens armed with night-vision binoculars, nets and a tranquilizer rifle. Scrim, a 17-pound mutt that's mostly terrier, has become a folk hero, inspiring tattoos, t-shirts and even a ballad as he eludes capture from the posse of volunteers. And like any antihero, Scrim has a backstory: Rescued from semi-feral life at a trailer park and adopted from a shelter, the dog broke loose in April and scurried around the city until he was cornered in October and brought to a new home. Weeks later, he'd had enough. Scrim leaped out of a second-story window, a desperate act recorded in a now-viral video. Since then, despite a stream of daily sightings, he's roamed free. The dog’s fans include Myra and Steve Foster, who wrote “Ode to Scrim” to the tune of Ricky Nelson’s 1961 hit, “I’m a Travelin’ Man.” Leading the recapture effort is Michelle Cheramie, a 55-year-old former information technology professional. She lost everything — home, car, possessions — in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in the aftermath, found her calling rescuing pets. “I was like, ‘This is what I should be doing,’” Cheramie said. “I was born to rescue.” She launched Zeus’ Rescues, a nonprofit shelter that now averages 600 cat and dog adoptions a year and offers free pet food to anyone who needs it. She helped Scrim find the home he first escaped from. It was Cheramie's window Scrim leaped from in November. She's resumed her relentless mission since then, posting flyers on telephone poles and logging social media updates on his reported whereabouts. She's invested thousands of dollars on wildlife cameras, thermal sensors and other gear. She took a course offered by the San Diego Zoo on the finer points of tranquilizing animals. And she's developed a network of volunteers — the kind of neighbors who are willing to grid-search a city at 3 a.m. People like writer David W. Brown, who manages a crowd-sourced Google Map of all known Scrim sightings. He says the search has galvanized residents from all walks of life to come together. As they search for Scrim, they hand out supplies to people in need. "Being a member of the community is seeing problems and doing what you can to make life a little better for the people around here and the animals around you," Brown said. And neighbors like Tammy Murray, who had to close her furniture store and lost her father to Parkinson's Disease. This search, she says, got her mojo back. “Literally, for months, I’ve done nothing but hunt this dog,” said Murray, 53. “I feel like Wile E. Coyote on a daily basis with him.” Murray drives the Zeus' Rescues' van towards reported Scrim sightings. She also handles a tactical net launcher, which looks like an oversized flashlight and once misfired, shattering the van's window as Scrim sped away. After realizing Scrim had come to recognize the sound of the van's diesel engine, Murray switched to a Vespa scooter, for stealth. Near-misses have been tantalizing. The search party spotted Scrim napping beneath an elevated house, and wrapped construction netting around the perimeter, but an over-eager volunteer broke ranks and dashed forward, leaving an opening Scrim slipped through. Scrim's repeated escapades have prompted near-daily local media coverage and a devoted online following. Cheramie can relate. “We’re all running from something or to something. He's doing that too,” she said. Cheramie's team dreams of placing the pooch in a safe and loving environment. But a social media chorus growing under the hashtag #FreeScrim has other ideas — they say the runaway should be allowed a life of self-determination. The animal rescue volunteers consider that misguided. “The streets of New Orleans are not the place for a dog to be free,” Cheramie said. “It’s too dangerous.” Scrim was a mess when Cheramie briefly recaptured him in October, with matted fur, missing teeth and a tattered ear. His trembling body was scraped and bruised, and punctured by multiple projectiles. A vet removed one, but decided against operating to take out a possible bullet. The dog initially appeared content indoors, sitting in Cheramie's lap or napping beside her bed. Then while she was out one day, Scrim chewed through a mesh screen, dropped 13 feet to the ground and squeezed through a gap in the fence, trotting away. Murray said Cheramie's four cats probably spooked him. “I wholeheartedly believe the gangster-ass cats were messing with him,” Murray said. Cheramie thinks they may have gotten territorial. Devastated but undeterred, the pair is reassessing where Scrim might fit best — maybe a secure animal sanctuary with big outdoor spaces where other dogs can keep him company. Somewhere, Murray says, “where he can just breathe and be." Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96The Justice Department Is Dropping Its Criminal Cases Against Trump