TTL News

If you wondered why we have a Leap Year ( like today ) and what would happen if we didn't do it, read here.

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Rite Aid’s bankruptcy was not a surprise, according to reporting by CNN Business in October. The company had $3.3 billion in long-term debt, exceeding the value of the company’s assets by nearly $1 billion, CNN reported.

Selling off stores has been a part of the company’s strategy to stay afloat, CNN reported, in addition to securing $3.5 billion in financing and debt reduction agreements from lenders.

Court filings show seven separate statements with additional store closures in 2024, filed on Jan. 4, Jan. 9, Jan. 16, Jan. 23, Jan. 30, Feb. 6 and Feb. 27.

The announced closures includes several locations across New York State, including the Rite Aid located at 119 West 2nd Street in Elmira. 

 

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CNN — Comedian and actor Richard Lewis, whose self-deprecating humor and acerbic wit in shows like “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Anything but Love” entertained audiences for decades, has died, according to his publicist Jeff Abraham. He was 76.

Abraham said in an email to CNN that the entertainer passed away “peacefully” at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday night after having a heart attack.

In April of 2023, Richard revealed that he had been living with Parkinson’s disease.

 

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Washington — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced he's stepping down as the upper chamber's GOP leader after November's elections, ending a 17-year run that made him the longest-serving party leader in Senate history and often the most powerful Republican in Washington.

McConnell, who turned 82 last week, announced his decision on the Senate floor on Wednesday.

"I always imagined a moment when I have total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work. A moment when I'm certain I have helped preserve the ideals I so strongly believe," he said. "That day arrived today."

In emotional remarks, McConnell reflected on his 40 years in the Senate, saying that when he was first elected to the chamber in 1984 he "never could have imagined" becoming the longest-serving senator to represent Kentucky in the state's history. 

 

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ELMIRA HEIGHTS, N.Y. (WENY) -- Tensions ran high at the Elmira Heights Central School District school board meeting on Wednesday night.  The school district did not comment on the matter, but according to social media posts, a transgender elementary student was reportedly denied access to a girl's bathroom by a teacher.  The teacher is no longer with the district.  Some people on social media agreed that the teacher was in the right by not allowing the student access to bathroom, while others came to the defense of the student, saying they're just a child and it's not their fault.

When asked if the school board could confirm or deny if such an incident occurred, Superintendent Michael F. Gill said, "We do not make comments about any students or staff circumstances."

 

Read the rest here. 

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NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden said Monday that he hopes a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas that would pause hostilities and allow for remaining hostages to be released can take effect by early next week. 

Asked when he thought a cease-fire could begin, Biden said: “Well I hope by the beginning of the weekend. The end of the weekend. My national security adviser tells me that we’re close. We’re close. We’re not done yet. My hope is by next Monday we’ll have a ceasefire.”

 

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 A team of scientists has uncovered a complete fossil of an aquatic reptile that resembles a "Chinese dragon" because of its snake-like appearance and elongated neck.

The fossil of the Dinocephalosaurus orientalis dates back 240 million years to the Triassic period and was found in the Guizhou Province of southern China.

While the reptile was first identified in 2003, this latest discovery is more complete — about 16 feet long — and allowed the scientists to depict the strange, prehistoric creature in full for the first time.

 

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Jacob Rothschild, a wealthy financier, patron of the arts and philanthropist with close ties to Israel, who broke with his family’s fabled banking dynasty at a time of radical change in the world of high finance, has died. He was 87.

His death was announced on Monday by the Rothschild Foundation, a British charity of which he was the chairman. It did not specify when or where he died or give the cause of death.

Mr. Rothschild — more formally the fourth Baron Rothschild — was descended from Mayer Amschel Rothschild, a coin trader in the Jewish ghetto in Frankfurt, who sent four of his five sons to Vienna, London, Naples and Paris to seek their fortune in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

For most of the 19th century, the House of Rothschild was the biggest bank in the world “by a wide margin,” Jonathan Steinberg, an American scholar, wrote in The London Review of Books in 1999. The fortune of Nathan Mayer Rothschild, the son who founded the bank’s London branch, “can be compared to that of Bill Gates today,” Mr. Steinberg added.

Most accounts of the Rothschilds’ wealth trace its origins to a decision to finance the British military in the Napoleonic Wars. But the broader dynasty flourished on cementing its family bonds and cultivating what Mr. Steinberg called “everybody who was anybody at the top of European society during this period.”

 

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CNN — An active-duty member of the US Air Force who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, on Sunday, has died, authorities said.

Aaron Bushnell, 25, of San Antonio, Texas, said in a video of the incident obtained by CNN that he would “no longer be complicit in genocide” and that his suffering was minimal compared to that of Palestinians as the humanitarian crisis persists in Gaza.

He then sets the recording device on the ground before pouring an unknown liquid over himself and igniting it while yelling “Free Palestine” repeatedly. He eventually collapses as police officers rush to douse the flames with fire extinguishers.

He was subsequently transported by DC Fire and emergency services to a local hospital where he died, the Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement. Local police are working with the US Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate the incident, which took place around 1 p.m. in northwest Washington.

Bushnell’s identity was confirmed by MPD, and Rose Riley, a spokesperson for the US Air Force, said he was an active-duty airman.

 

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Friday evening at about 9:10 p.m., deputies were dispatched to the New York Pennsylvania State line on State Route 328, in the Town of Southport, to assist the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) who were engaged in an active high-speed vehicle pursuit heading toward New York State. While responding to the state-line, deputies received updated information from dispatch, that the vehicle had turned onto a side road (in PA) and was believed to be heading in the direction of Sagetown Rd. in the Town of Southport.

Deputies re-routed to that area to assist should the vehicle come into NY. A short time later, dispatch advised that the PSP were on Kelly Hill Rd., in Steuben County, and were terminating the pursuit. Shortly after that information was received, deputies located the suspect vehicle on Kinner Hill Rd. in the Town of Southport. At that time, Deputy Sheriff Crystal Kennison, picked up the pursuit which continued to Widger Hill Rd. until such time the suspect vehicle tumed on to Sagetown Rd. and then lost control sliding off the roadway into a ditch rendering the suspect vehicle inoperable.

Additional Deputies, and PSP Troopers, arrived and assisted with taking the driver, identified as 43 year old Jessica M. Neally of Lindley and her passenger, 22 year old Nicholas A. Lowry of from Liberty Pennsylvania, into custody. Located within the vehicle was a quantity of methamphetamine. Both Neally and Lowry were charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th degree. Additionally, Neally was charged with Unlawfully Fleeing a Police Officer, Obstructing Governmental Administration in the 2nd Degree, Resisting Arrest, and numerous Vehicle and Traffic violations.

It was also determined that there were active warrants for Neally out of Steuben County for Bail Jumping in the 1st Degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 2nd Degree (both felonies).

Both subjects were processed at the Chemung County Sheriffs Office and then tuned over to the Steuben County Sheriffs Office on the felony warrants out of their county. Additional criminal charges are pending out of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

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KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The future looks bleak for war-weary Ukraine: It is beset by shortages in soldiers and ammunition, as well as doubts about the supply of Western aid. Ukrainian forces also face a Russian enemy that has recently seized the initiative on the battlefield.

Two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion captured nearly a quarter of the country, the stakes could not be higher for Kyiv. After a string of victories in the first year of the war, fortunes have turned for the Ukrainian military, which is dug in, outgunned and outnumbered against a more powerful opponent.

As the war enters its third year, here is a look at the situation on the ground, the challenges ahead and some of the potential consequences if Ukraine does not acquire the people, ammunition and assistance it needs to sustain the fight.

 

Read more here.

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private U.S. lunar lander tipped over at touchdownand ended up on its side near the moon’s south pole, hampering communications, company officials said Friday.

Intuitive Machines initially believed its six-footed lander, Odysseus, was upright after Thursday’s touchdown. But CEO Steve Altemus said Friday the craft “caught a foot in the surface,” falling onto its side and, quite possibly, leaning against a rock. He said it was coming in too fast and may have snapped a leg.

 

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Former Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza agreed to a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, ending his two-year NFL hiatus after he was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in 2021.

The Bills drafted Araiza in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft and released him four months later after details emerged from the alleged rape involving San Diego State football players. Araiza was dropped from the lawsuit in December of last year, improving his chances of landing another NFL opportunity.

Araiza worked out for the New York Jets in May of 2023 but the team elected to go in another direction. The 23-year-old released a statement through his agency JL Sports.

“I am proud and honored to sign a contract with the Chiefs. I am thrilled to be able to continue my NFL career,” Araiza wrote. “I want to thank my family, who have been my rock, and my many friends who have been unwavering in their support. I am excited to begin the next phase of my career with the Super Bowl Champs!”

 

Read the rest here.

A spot for items of conversational interest that don't require a whole thread of their own. Though if it looks like they do, we'll split it off as needed. 

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An ex-FBI informant accused of lying about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter has high-level ties with Russian intelligence, US prosecutors say.

The allegations against Alexander Smirnov, 43, were outlined in new Department of Justice filings in the case on Tuesday.

Mr Smirnov is accused of lying when he claimed bribes were paid to the Bidens via a Ukrainian energy firm, Burisma.

He was charged last week with giving false statements to the FBI.

 

Read more here.

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Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas accused Missouri Gov. Mike Parson of using a racial “dog whistle” when referring to the suspected shooters at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl paradeas “thugs.”

Lucas made the comment during an appearance on local radio show “Up to Date” on Friday. He told KCUR host Steve Kraske that he has seen similar incidents of alleged racism “time and again.”

Following the shooting, Parson had said, “We can’t let some thugs just take over and ruin what happened.”

“I have respect for the governor. We get along well,” Lucas told Kraske. “I disagree strongly with how he would describe that situation. I certainly do think this was criminal activity. It was lawlessness, and I think that that’s troubling. But ‘thugs’ is a dog whistle in the most classic sense.”

 

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On February 16, 2024, the New York State Police assisted the Elmira Police Department and arrested Chase Hartke, age 24, of Southport, NY, for nine counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd (D Felony). Hartke possessed several illegal firearms and high-capacity magazines in his residence.  During the execution of a search warrant, Hartke was found to possess illegal rifles, a tactical shotgun, 3D-printed ghost gun parts, numerous high-capacity ammunition magazines, and ammunition in an assortment of calibers.  

Hartke was arraigned in the Town of Southport Court and remanded to the Chemung County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond.  

The New York State Police - Troop E Violent Gangs and Narcotics Enforcement Team (VGNET) was assisted by members of Troop E Uniform Force, the Elmira Police Department Drug Enforcement Unit, and the Elmira Police Department Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) detail.

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Move aside, Barbie. The newest Mattel toy to get the big screen treatment is the massively successful Masters of the Universe franchise, a toy line that launched multiple animated television series in the past decades, a cult classic live-action film, and now two different Netflix series. But there’s always been one missing piece to this cultural mainstay: a new live-action film to bring He-Man and friends to the same level as the MCU and the DC Universe.

After 20 years of trying, it looks like the winning strategy may be to go back to basics. 

Deadline reports Bumblebee director and Laika Animation CEO Travis Knight is in final negotiations to direct a Masters of the Universe live-action movie. He’s a perfect fit for the film: not only does he have experience in both animation and live-action, but Bumblebee came in under budget for a Transformers movie. This is a huge plus for this movie in particular, as it’s been in development hell for decades.

 

Read more here. 

On February 15th 2024 at approximately 7:15 PM Elmira Police Department Officers were dispatched to a residence in the 500 block of Pennsylvania Ave for a reported structure fire.

Elmira Fire Department Investigators on scene indicated that the fire appeared to be suspicious. A suspect was developed and the matter was further investigated by the Elmira Police Department. The results of the investigation determined that an occupant of the residence set the house on fire while the residence was occupied by three other persons related to the suspect.

As a result of this investigation the Elmira Police Department has charged 18 year old  Edwin A Bennett of Elmira with Arson in the Second Degree, a Class B Felony. Bennett is being held at the Elmira Police Department pending arraignment in Elmira City Court.

Big Flats - State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C-Big Flats), Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C-Corning), Assemblyman Chris Friend (R,C-Big Flats), Elmira Mayor Dan Mandell and other local leaders today rejected Governor Hochul’s cuts in critical state funding for local roads and bridges in her proposed 2024-25 state budget.

At a news conference in Big Flats, the group also called on the governor and the Democrat leaders of the state Legislature to restore the proposed cuts and keep strengthening New York’s commitment to local transportation infrastructure. 

O’Mara, Palmesano, and Friend are once again being joined this year by their Republican colleagues in the Senate and Assembly to highlight their opposition to Hochul’s slashing of local transportation aid, particularly a proposed $60-million cut for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), the state’s primary source of funding for local roads, bridges, and culverts.

In a February 14, 2024 letter to Hochul and legislative leaders, O’Mara, Palmesano, Friend and their colleagues wrote, in part, “We once again stress that New York State's direct investment in local roads and bridges through CHIPS remains fundamental. It deserves priority consideration in the final allocation of state infrastructure investment in the budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year. CHIPS is the key difference for local communities, economies, governments, motorists, and taxpayers throughout the Empire State, including New York City and surrounding metro areas, and we cannot ignore this fact, especially this year. It is warranted. Local governments, for the foreseeable future, will continue to struggle to address budgetary demands in the face of the state-imposed property tax cap, rising pension, health care and highway construction costs, and unfunded state mandates, among other burdens.”

Legislators and local roads advocates statewide have been critical of Hochul’s proposal for failing to recognize the enormous impact inflation is having on the costs of construction and, consequently, on the budgets of local highway departments. Nationally, according to the Federal Highway Administration’s Highway Construction Cost Index, highway construction costs since 2022 have increased by nearly 60 percent. These unprecedented cost increases alone make the Governor’s proposal is unacceptable.

They also criticize the Hochul plan for failing to achieve the goals of equitability, fairness, and parity in transportation funding for the upstate and downstate regions of New York, noting that the Governor’s proposed budget includes a $100-million reduction (including the $60-million cut in CHIPS funding) to local road, bridge, and culvert funding for the third year of the five-year, Department of Transportation (DOT) Capital Plan.

As Hochul and the Democrat leaders of the Senate and Assembly approach negotiations over a final 2024-25 state budget scheduled to be in place by April 1, O’Mara, Palmesano, Friend and their legislative colleagues are calling for this year’s final budget to restore Hochul’s proposed $60-million cut to CHIPS base aid and then increase the CHIPS base funding level by $200 million to a total of $798.1 million.

“The cut in Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) funding in the Governor’s current 2025 budget proposal comes at a time where costs are rising to pave and maintain local roads," said Elmira Mayor Dan Mandell. "I urge the Governor not to cut funding as this would create a hardship on the City of Elmira in our efforts to maintain and repair our roads.”

ob Eastwood, Town of Van Etten Highway Superintendent and President of the Chemung County and Town Highway Superintendents Association, said, “Stronger state investments in recent years to our local highway departments through CHIPS and other programs have made an enormous difference. If this critical source of support gets pulled out from under us now, at a time when construction costs have never been higher, it would be a real crisis for many local departments with budgets that are already stretched thin.”

Since 2013, O’Mara, Palmesano and Friend have built a coalition of support within the state Legislature and worked closely with local transportation advocates from throughout New York on the “Local Roads Are Essential” advocacy campaign annually sponsored by the New York State Association of County Highway Superintendents (NYSCHSA) and the New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways, Inc. (NYSAOTSOH). The campaign brings hundreds of local transportation advocates to Albany in early March to rally support. 

The latest analysis by the New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways has found that the local highway system outside of New York City faces an annual funding gap of over $2 billion.

Seems as though at one point we had a topic for folks to share new music they've heard and enjoyed. We'll try that again here. 

found something new and want to share it? Here's the place!

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation recently announced the following Nominees for 2024 Induction: 

• Mary J. Blige
• Mariah Carey
• Cher
• Dave Matthews Band
• Eric B. & Rakim
• Foreigner
• Peter Frampton
• Jane's Addiction
• Kool & the Gang
• Lenny Kravitz
• Oasis
• Sinéad O'Connor
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Sade
• A Tribe Called Quest

The 2024 ceremony will once again stream live on Disney+ with a special airing on ABC at a later date and available on Hulu the next day. 

Graphic courtesy of Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation and Allison Brod Marketing + Communications

To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. Ten out of 15 of the Nominees are on the ballot for the first time, including Mariah Carey, Cher, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang, Lenny Kravitz, Oasis, Sinéad O’Connor, Ozzy Osbourne and Sade.  

Nominee ballots will be sent to an international voting body of more than 1,000 artists, historians, and members of the music industry. An artist’s musical impact and influence on other artists, length and depth of career and body of work as well as innovation and superiority in style and technique are taken into consideration.  

 Inductees will be announced in late April. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2024 Induction Ceremony will take place in Cleveland this fall with date and on-sale information to be announced.  

Who do you think should be inducted? Who is perhaps not on this list but long overdue in your opinion?

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Pedro Pascal is jumping from Star Wars to Marvel. The “Last of Us” and “Mandalorian” actor is set to play Reed Richards (also known as Mister Fantastic) in the newest incarnation of “The Fantastic Four,” the studio announced Wednesday.

The rest of his squad was revealed, too, with Vanessa Kirby stepping up as Susan Storm (The Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn of “Stranger Things” as Johnny Storm (The Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach of “The Bear” as Ben Grimm (The Thing). In the announcement, the gang was depicted in a retro illustrated Valentine’s Day card that had fans guessing this version takes place in the 1960s.

“The Fantastic Four” is among Marvel’s longest-running comics series and the titular crew is one of its most beloved groups. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the scientists-turned-superheroes are relatable and wry in their interactions as a team — even when they aren’t fighting supervillains. When it debuted in November 1961, it was a refreshing revelation that helped inform the Marvel voice and set a path for Iron Man and Spider-Man.

But the so-called first family of Marvel has not had the most distinguished transition to the big screen, with false starts and bad reviews often trailing.

 

Read more here.

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RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces stormed the main hospital in southern Gaza on Thursday, hours after Israeli fire killed a patient and wounded six others inside the complex. The Israeli army said it was a limited operation seeking the remains of hostages taken by Hamas. 

The raid came a day after the army sought to evacuate thousands of displaced people who had taken shelter at Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis, the focus of Israel’s offensive against Hamas in recent weeks. The war shows no sign of ending, and the risk of a broader conflict is growing as Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah step up attacks after a particularly deadly exchange on Wednesday.

The military said it had “credible intelligence” that Hamas had held hostages at the hospital and that the remains of hostages might still be inside. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesperson, said forces were conducting a “precise and limited” operation there and would not forcibly evacuate medics or patients. Israel accuses Hamas of using hospitals and other civilian structures to shield its fighters.

 

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