GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The U.S. State Department barred former Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei from entering the United States, accusing him Wednesday of “significant corruption” three days after he left office.

The Biden administration had become increasingly critical of Giammattei’s administration as Guatemalan prosecutors sought to head off , who has vowed to crack down on corruption.

“The State Department has credible information indicating that Giammattei accepted bribes in exchange for the performance of his public functions during his tenure as president of Guatemala, actions that

A Florida man described by prosecutors as one of the most violent rioters who was sentenced on Wednesday to five years in prison, court records show.

, a member of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group’s Miami chapter, assaulted at least six police officers as he stormed the Capitol with a mob of Donald Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. He grabbed one of the officers in a chokehold and injured another so severely that the officer had to retire, according to federal prosecutors.

Bonawitz

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — A television news helicopter that crashed in a southern New Jersey forest last month, killing the pilot and a photographer, had no engine problems that would have prevented normal operation, federal investigators said Wednesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report on the crash of WPVI-TV’s “Chopper 6” helicopter on the evening of Dec. 19 in the Wharton State Forest in Washington Township, Burlington County.

Investigators said the helicopter was returning to the

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — With bipartisan support, a proposed Louisiana congressional map that would create a second majority-Black district sailed through the state Senate on Wednesday and will advance to the House chamber for debate.

The Senate’s approval is a win for Democrats who , arguing that the congressional map currently in place discriminates against Black voters, who make up one-third of Louisiana’s population. A second majority-Black district could also result in another Democratic seat in Congress.

Louisiana is on

Toronto police are on the hunt for three suspects after a brazen robbery at a store at Sherway Gardens on Wednesday night.

Officers were called to the Etobicoke mall at around 5:21 p.m. for reports of three males smashing display cases and stealing property. Police did not specify which store was targetted.

No injuries have been reported.

Suspect #1 is described as a Black male, around 18 years old, six foot tall with a thin build and wearing all black clothing and a black mask.

DENVER (AP) — Two Colorado funeral home owners apparently sought to cover up their financial difficulties by that they had agreed to cremate or bury, instead storing the remains in a neglected building in many cases for years, a Colorado judge said Wednesday as he ruled that the criminal case against one of the defendants can go to trial.

Judge William Moller cited evidence from prosecutors in deciding that Return to Nature Funeral Home co-owner Carie Hallford can face trial on 260 counts of corpse abuse, money laundering, forgery

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota House passed a bill Wednesday that would make an animal sedative that is being mixed with fentanyl and then used by some people, a controlled substance.

The measure, which passed unanimously in the Republican-held House and now goes to the Senate, would establish penalties of up to two years in prison and fines of up to $4,000 for possession and use of xylazine. There are exceptions for veterinary use, however.

Xylazine in humans

WINNIPEG — The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs says a second feasibility study assessing the scope of a landfill search for the remains of two First Nations women has been completed and is set to be forwarded to the federal government.

The organization says in a statement that the report is being reviewed by the families of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, as well as legal counsel, before it is sent to the department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.

The federal government provided $740,000 to further

HOUSTON (AP) — brings various hazards that people have to contend with to keep warm and safe.

These dangers can include carbon monoxide poisoning, hypothermia and frozen pipes that can burst and make homes unlivable.

Public safety officials and experts say there are multiple ways people can prepare themselves to avoid these winter weather hazards and keep themselves safe.

STAYING SAFE INSIDE YOUR HOME

Officials say that during a winter storm, people should stay indoors. But home heating systems running for hours can increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning as the