fb 777 slots

fb 777 slots UVALDE, Texas (AP) — A Texas judge on Thursday refused to throw out criminal charges accusing the former Uvalde schools police chief of putting children at risk during the slow response to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, while a lawyer for his co-defendant said they want to move the upcoming trial out of the small town where the massacre occurred. At a court hearing in Uvalde, Judge Sid Harle rejected Pete Arredondo's claim that was he improperly charged and that only the shooter was responsible for putting the victims in danger. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the shooting on May 24, 2022. Harle also set an Oct. 20, 2025, trial date. An attorney for Arredondo's co-defendant, former Uvalde schools police officer Adrian Gonzales, said he will ask for the trial to be moved out of Uvalde because his client cannot get a fair trial there. Uvalde County is mostly rural with fewer than 25,000 residents about 85 miles (140 kilometers) west of San Antonio. “Everybody knows everybody,” in Uvalde, Gonzales attorney Nico LaHood said. Both former officers attended the hearing. Nearly 400 law enforcement agents rushed to the school but waited more than 70 minutes to confront and kill the gunman in a fourth-grade classroom. Arredondo and Gonzales are the only two officers facing charges — a fact that has raised complaints from some victims' families. Both men have pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of abandoning or endangering a child, each of which carry punishment of up to two years in jail. Gonzales has not asked the judge to dismiss his charges. A federal investigation of the shooting identified Arredondo as the incident commander in charge, although he has argued that state police should have set up a command post outside the school and taken control. Gonzales was among the first officers to arrive on the scene. He was accused of abandoning his training and not confronting the shooter, even after hearing gunshots as he stood in a hallway. Arredondo has said he was scapegoated for the halting police response. The indictment alleges he did not follow his active shooter training and made critical decisions that slowed the police response while the gunman was “hunting” his victims. It alleges that instead of confronting the gunman immediately, Arredondo caused delays by telling officers to evacuate a hallway to wait for a SWAT team, evacuating students from other areas of the building first, and trying to negotiate with the shooter while victims inside the classroom were wounded and dying. Arredondo’s attorneys say the danger that day was not caused by him, but by the shooter. They argued Arredondo was blamed for trying to save the lives of the other children in the building, and have warned that prosecuting him would open many future law enforcement actions to similar charges. “Arredondo did nothing to put those children in the path of a gunman,” said Arredondo attorney Matthew Hefti. Uvalde County prosecutors told the judge Arredondo acted recklessly. Story continues below video “The state has alleged he is absolutely aware of the danger of the children,” said assistant district attorney Bill Turner. Jesse Rizo, the uncle of 9-year-old Jacklyn Cazares who was killed in the shooting, was one of several family members of victims at the hearing. “To me, it’s hurtful and painful to hear Arredondo’s attorneys try to persuade the judge to get the charges dismissed,” Rizo said. He called the wait for a trial exhausting and questioned whether moving the trial would help the defense. “The longer it takes, the longer the agony,” Rizo said. “I think what’s happened in Uvalde ... you’ll probably get a better chance at conviction if it’s moved. To hold their own accountable is going to be very difficult.” The massacre at Robb Elementary was one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, and the law enforcement response has been widely condemned as a massive failure. Nearly 150 U.S. Border Patrol agents, 91 state police officers, as well and school and city police rushed to the campus. While terrified students and teachers called 911 from inside classrooms, dozens of officers stood in the hallway trying to figure out what to do. More than an hour later, a team of officers breached the classroom and killed the gunman. Within days of the shooting, the focus of the slow response turned on Arredondo, who was described by other responding agencies as the incident commander in charge. Multiple federal and state investigations have laid bare cascading problems in law enforcement training, communication, leadership and technology, and questioned whether officers prioritized their own lives over those of children and teachers. Several victims or their families have filed multiple state and federal lawsuits. Associated Press reporter Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, contributed. Lathan 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.As the dust settles on these airstrikes, the focus now turns to the aftermath and the next steps in the fight against the IS forces. The US military, in collaboration with its allies, is closely monitoring the situation on the ground and stands ready to provide further support as needed.

In addition to its focus on innovation, NCI is also dedicated to providing top-notch customer service. The company has a team of highly trained and experienced insurance professionals who are always ready to assist clients with their insurance needs. Whether it's filing a claim, renewing a policy, or simply answering questions, NCI's customer service team goes above and beyond to ensure that every customer is satisfied.

‘Real reason’ Dean McCullough got record stars in Bushtucker Trial – and it’s NOT because he faked fear, says Radio1 palLand is life. From the water we drink and food we eat to the air we breathe. The land also supports forests, rangelands, wetlands and other terrestrial habitats supporting millions of species; healthy land is at the heart of it all. And yet, we continue to hurt, damage and ultimately erase its very existence. This is the stark reality of land degradation, a silent crisis threatening the foundation of our planet. Around 40% of land globally is already degraded, impacting 3.2 billion people, according to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). That, however, is just today’s reality. This is a problem engulfing more land every day; in fact, every second the equivalent of four football fields of land becomes degraded. Every year, this amounts to 100 million hectares of land being degraded. In Türkiye, the threat of land degradation and desertification is an urgent and growing crisis, with nearly 60% of the country’s land classified as at-risk, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This vulnerability is driven by climate change and unsustainable land practices, including deforestation, overgrazing and inefficient irrigation. According to research by Ankara University, the worst-hit regions include Central Anatolia, which has seen significant degradation, and also the Lake Tuz basin, which has experienced severe water depletion and salinity issues due to unsustainable agricultural expansion. In regions already susceptible to drought, these changes are making the soil less fertile and groundwater increasingly scarce, impacting an estimated 5 million people. UNCCD data shows the economic repercussions of this degradation are far-reaching. Türkiye’s agriculture sector is losing about $1 billion annually in productivity as degraded soil yields smaller harvests and more water is required for crop maintenance. As a result, more and more people are migrating from rural to urban areas. Globally, recent human history has taken a drastic toll on land. The simple truth is that the longer we take to act on land degradation, the harder it will be to reverse its devastating impact on our land, water and climate. I don’t say this to sound alarmist. I say it because for far too long it has been an unspoken truth on the international stage, one blighted by inaction. Land is intrinsically linked to our well-being as a planet and people. The UNCCD estimates that 75% of freshwater originates from vegetated land, and vegetation protects 80% of global soil. Losing vegetation leads to the loss of both soil and water resources. Healthy land ecosystems play a vital role in regulating the climate by sequestering carbon and maintaining water cycles. However, when land is degraded, these functions are compromised, leading to increased carbon emissions and exacerbating global warming. A key study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found agriculture, forestry and other land-use activities accounted for 23% of total human-caused emissions. The same report highlights the critical nature of land to act as a carbon sink, helping to sequester the equivalent of 29% of total CO2 emissions. In short, degrading land not only increases emissions, it erases an invaluable source for removing them from our atmosphere. As an example, land ecosystems and biodiversity are vulnerable to ongoing climate change, and weather and climate extremes; meanwhile sustainable land management is a proven means to reduce the impact of climate change. Land degradation, drought and desertification have a seismic impact on societies around the world, with the ramifications felt by almost everybody. From depleted agricultural productivity impacting parts of Europe to the extremities of food scarcity and famine, land degradation has left barely a corner of the planet untouched. Land degradation is also the enabler of drought. When the land is degraded, it loses its ability to retain moisture, further limiting crop yields and increasing vulnerability to drought. Analysis by the World Resources Institute estimates a quarter of the world’s population faces extreme water stress every year, regularly using up almost their entire water supply. That figure is set to rise by 1 billion by 2050 if we do not act. Alarmingly, as the impact of drought is felt with increasing regularity and severity around the world, so too are the demands placed on water supplies by growing populations. The same study forecasts global water demand will increase by between 20%-25% by 2050. It is why we must not just prevent further land degradation, but urgently restore it. The issue extends far beyond water and food scarcity. In regions like the Sahel, prolonged droughts and desertification have already led to mass migrations and increased competition for resources, resulting in social and political tensions. Indeed, a UNCCD report on desertification estimates that 40% of intrastate conflicts over 60 years were associated with land and natural resources. The situation may seem dire, but there is hope. The UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in December presents a unique and timely opportunity to deliver lasting impact, not just for land but also climate and biodiversity. If we are to meet the UNCCD target of restoring 1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030 then we simply can’t afford to wait another two years. Importantly, we understand the issues, and what’s at stake. The fight against land degradation is not just for scientists and policymakers; it's a collective responsibility. That is why for the first time at a UNCCD COP there will be a Green Zone, to enable the public, private sector, NGOs, scientific community, and financial institutions, to find and fund lasting solutions. Ultimately, we are doing this to amplify the voices of the 3.2 billion people impacted by land degradation, drought and desertification around the world. What, then, can we aim to achieve? Securing stronger, tangible and binding commitments from countries on land restoration will help mark a turning point in the fight against it. Land Degradation Neutrality targets are already a critical tool in ensuring action, but the reality is more nations must sign up to them with time-bound commitments to make them truly effective on a global scale. Land restoration can, and should, also be prioritized as an urgent funding need within existing multilateral mechanisms, such as those available through development banks. Furthermore, the private sector has a critical role to play. For too long land has been a resource to be used and exploited for profit. We must reverse this equation. Land should be protected not just for our well-being, but because countless businesses, supply chains and economies are built on its health. Restoring land is the most effective means to safeguard long-term business and economic security. Indeed, according to the UNCCD, every dollar invested in restoring degraded lands is estimated to bring between $7-$30 in economic returns. We must see this as an opportunity. Restoring ecosystems and soil biodiversity is among the most effective weapons against weather extremes and climate change. Restoring land will create employment and drive economic growth. In many senses, land restoration pays for itself. We need to stop thinking about the cost and focus on how much more economic productivity, and food and water security could be leveraged globally by increasing investment. Quite simply, not investing in sustainable land management costs trillions of dollars every year. In fact, the UNCCD estimates land degradation puts $44 trillion every year at moderate to high risk, roughly half of global GDP. In short, there is a tangible cost to inaction, a devastating impact on both global environments and economies that only now are we truly starting to comprehend. I hope this is the beginning of the end of land degradation. COP16 in Riyadh can be the opportunity when we finally mobilize as an international community to arrest land degradation and accelerate restoration. It is the moment to turn this silent crisis haunting so many, into a symbol of global action that reverberates around the world for decades to come.