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Shoes, backpacks, wedding dresses: Here’s what you can get tax-free in Maryland this month

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:04:56 GMT

If you are looking to save some cash on back-to-school clothes shopping, you’re in luck in Maryland.“Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week” returns on Aug. 13 and runs through Aug. 19.During that week, shoppers won’t have to pay the 6% sales tax on most clothing and pairs of shoes $100 or less.A full list of items that are included in the sales tax exemption are available through the Comptroller’s website.Most are what you would expect: underwear, jeans and polos. But you can also avoid taxes on wedding dresses, diapers, PJs, tuxedos and fishing vests. Winter coats are also included if you want to plan a few months ahead.Backpacks and book bags $40 or less are also tax exempt — but if you want to splurge and get a little pricier bag, you won’t be charged tax on the first $40.“Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week is an important opportunity for Marylanders, particularly families, to save some money while doing their back-to-school shopping,” Comptroller Brooke Lierman said in a statement. “...

US man alleged to be white supremacist leader extradited from Romania on riot, conspiracy charges

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:04:56 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A U.S. man accused of being the leader of a white supremacist group has been extradited from Romania to face charges of inciting violence at California political rallies in 2017.Robert Paul Rundo of Huntington Beach was flown back to the country Tuesday and expected to appear in federal court Wednesday on charges of conspiracy and rioting, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles said in a news release.Rundo, 33, is allegedly a founding member of the Rise Above Movement, according to the Attorney’s Office. The organization is described in the indictment as “a combat-ready, militant group of a new nationalist white supremacy and identity movement.”Rundo and two other men planned and engaged in violence at gatherings in Huntington Beach, Berkeley and San Bernardino in 2017, according to the indictment, which added that they later trained for future events and celebrated their assaults.Rundo’s attorney, Julia Deixler, declined to comment on the all...

Brazil coach Pia Sundhage facing criticism over team’s lack of flair after Women’s World Cup exit

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:04:56 GMT

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil coach Pia Sundhage was facing widespread criticism in the South American nation after the team was eliminated in the group stage at the Women’s World Cup on Wednesday. Pundits and fans both complained about the team’s lack of flair and Sundhage’s tactics following a 0-0 draw against Jamaica, a team Brazil beat 3-0 in the previous Women’s World Cup four years ago. The 63-year-old Sundhage, who is Swedish, previously led the United States to two Olympic titles and has been in charge of Brazil since 2019. But her team lost in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and finished third in their World Cup group behind France and Jamaica. It is the first time since 1995 that Brazil didn’t reach the knockout stage of the Women’s World Cup.The hashtag #ParabensPia (CongratulationsPia in Portuguese) flooded social media channels in Brazil after the game, with many fans complaining that the team lacked creativity and that Sundhage w...

Colorado prison escapee caught living 'flashy' assumed identity in Florida

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:04:56 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (KDVR) — A man who escaped from a federal prison in Littleton in 2018 has been apprehended in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Allen Todd May, 58, had been on the run since Dec. 21, 2018, when he escaped from the Englewood Federal Correctional Institution near South Kipling Street and Quincy Avenue. Man arrested in Polis death threat faces new charge in threat against prosecutor "This was huge. This was a very long, extensive investigation. This gentleman, because of his fraud background, was very good at eluding capture," said Katrina Crouse, chief deputy U.S. Marshal for Colorado.May originally stole a Bureau of Prisons work truck and drove off the prison grounds without anyone noticing.Hours later, he used a credit card to rent a U-Haul truck from a Denver facility and then abandoned it behind a Waffle House in Fort Worth, Texas. May was seen at his mother’s house in Houston the day after his escape, but a U.S. Marshals Service spokesman told FOX31 the ...

Here's why Denver has the best skyline

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:04:56 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The Mile High City is constantly under renovation, but the mountains aren't going anywhere, and it's not a coincidence. There's a reason you can still see the Rockies in some parts of the city.Denver doesn't have height limits for buildings, which is why there are buildings as tall as 56 stories. But there are rules against blocking the view of the mountains in some places. The almost unobstructed view of the mountains can be chalked up to plane ordinances, which mainly protect the view of the mountains and east-facing views of downtown. $100 million renovations underway at Empower Field at Mile High When it comes to the size of the building, it all depends on the plane ordinances in a specific area. "View plane ordinances specify a reference point and formulas that calculate allowable building height for buildings in a specific area adjacent to the reference point," said Amanda Weston, marketing and communications specialist  for Denver's Community Planning ...

Need a new license plate? There are more choices than you think

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:04:56 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- There are around 150 license plates available in Colorado, and some of them are only available for a specific group. Here are some of the most unique license plates available on Colorado's DMV website that you should check out before you order normal plates.Colorado 150th Anniversary license plate entry in the over-13 category by Evan Griesheimer of Denver. (Credit: Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles)Regular license platesThe regular license plates are available to any Coloradan based on your vehicle, but there are still some interesting plates to choose from. As of Tuesday, the 150th-anniversary plates are available on the DMV website. There are also historical license plates, which come in all black, red and navy with white lettering. License plates expired? Crackdown is underway Group special license platesAnyone can purchase a group license plate in Colorado. The plates represent a foundation, and some of the money from the plates goes to the organization....

Teacher arrested again after allegations he inappropriately touched two 6-year-old girls

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:04:56 GMT

A Lauderhill teacher, previously arrested last year for allegedly inappropriately touching a student, has been arrested again after another victim came forward. Damian Francis, a former teacher at Endeavour Primary Learning Center, appeared before a judge Wednesday. The 44-year-old faces a second count of lewd and lascivious behavior on a minor. In October, he was arrested for allegedly inappropriately touching one of his first-grade students, and now he has been arrested a second time in relation to another inappropriate touching case.“Conditions of no victim contact, and that’s a victim with the initials H.G. and no contact wit minors,” said Assistant State Attorney Eric Linder during the bond hearing.The family had come forward before, but no charges were filed because the victim and her mother moved to New Jersey. After his October arrest, the family decided to contact the police. Detectives in New Jersey were able to question the girl and record her statement,...

Iconic Joshua trees burned by massive wildfire spreading across Mojave Desert

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:04:56 GMT

(CNN) — A massive fire burning through the desert in California and southern Nevada has scorched tens of thousands of acres in a biodiverse national preserve and torched its iconic Joshua trees.The York Fire – already California’s largest fire of the year – has burned more than 82,000 acres as of Wednesday morning, fire officials said. It began Friday in the New York Mountains of California’s Mojave National Preserve and crossed state lines into Nevada on Sunday.The fire is burning through and threatening groves of Joshua trees – the branching, spiky plants of the Mojave Desert that can live more than 150 years.Some of the trees have already fallen victim to the flames and burned, Marc Peebles, a spokesperson for California’s incident management team for the fire, confirmed to CNN on Wednesday.The Mojave National Preserve is a significant hotspot for biodiversity, with one conservationist calling it the “crown jewel” of the deserts of Southern California. Joshua trees only...

Taylor Swift gives ‘life-changing’ $100,000 bonuses to Eras Tour truck drivers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:04:56 GMT

New York (CNN) — Taylor Swift is going out in “Style.”On the eve of wrapping up the US leg of her wildly successful Eras Tour, Swift on Monday thanked a slew of crew members who have done serious heavy lifting on the road with her — among them, the tour’s truck drivers — with a hefty bonus.Swift stunned the tour’s trucking staff by giving each trucker a check in the amount of $100,000, Michael Scherkenbach, founder and CEO of Denver, Colorado-based Shomotion trucking company, told CNN.Shomotion is one of two transportation companies used by the tour, he said. “My company handles transportation of the stage and structure, pretty much the skeleton that everything hangs on at the concert venue.”While Scherkenbach declined to disclose how many of his staff received the six-figure bonus, he said it was a total of nearly 50 members of the combined trucking crews.The “generous” amount, he said, far exceeds the standard expected bonus. “The typical amount is $5,000 to $10,000 each. So ...

Preparations underway ahead of Former President Donald Trump’s expected arraignment in Washington DC

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:04:56 GMT

Preparations were underway Wednesday ahead of an expected court appearance for Former President Donald Trump to face charges linked to his allegedly trying to block the transfer of power from the election he lost in 2020. Trump was indicted on Tuesday. His arraignment in federal court in Washington DC is currently scheduled for Thursday.Prosecutors say Trump conspired with his lawyers and others to overturn the 2020 election. The former president has denied the claims and said he is ready to fight the accusations.“Our defense is going to be focusing on the fact that, what we have now is an administration that has criminalized the free speech and advocacy of a prior administration during the time that there’s a political election going on,” said Trump attorney John Lauro. “That’s unprecedented.” Special Council Jack Smith previously spoke on Tuesday. He said this case includes Trump’s role in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.  “As described in the indict...