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Hanukkah Shooting: Gunman Admits Firing Outside Capital Region Synagogue With Kids Present Hanukkah Shooting: Gunman Admits Firing Outside Capital Region Synagogue With Kids Present
Hanukkah Shooting: Gunman Admits Firing Outside Capital Region Synagogue With Kids Present A New York man who fired a shotgun outside an Albany synagogue on the first night of Hanukkah pleaded guilty to federal civil rights and firearm charges. Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 29, of Schenectady, pleaded guilty to obstructing religious freedom by threat of force, unlawfully acquiring a firearm, and brandishing it during the crime in Albany federal court on Tuesday, Feb. 4. The formal confession came more than a year after Alkhader took an Uber from Schenectady to Temple Israel in Albany, where he walked up the synagogue’s steps and pulled a shotgun from a duffel bag on Dec. 7, 2023. He the…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Man Rammed Estranged Wife With Car After Years Of Stalking, Threats: Capital Region Jury Man Rammed Estranged Wife With Car After Years Of Stalking, Threats: Capital Region Jury
Man Rammed Estranged Wife With Car After Years Of Stalking, Threats: Capital Region Jury A Schenectady man was convicted of attempted murder after intentionally striking his estranged wife with his vehicle in what prosecutors called a deliberate act of violence. Sherifullah Hashimi, 62, was found guilty on seven counts in all, mostly felonies, by a Schenectady County jury on Monday, Feb. 3, according to the district attorney’s office. The case stemmed from a violent incident at the Southgate Housing Complex on Frank Street in Schenectady on July 23, 2023. Multiple people called 911 reporting that a woman had been struck by a car. Surveillance video obtained by Schenectady Poli…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Pickup Driver Ejected, Killed In Collision With Tractor-Trailer On Charlton Highway Pickup Driver Ejected, Killed In Collision With Tractor-Trailer On Charlton Highway
Pickup Driver Ejected, Killed In Collision With Tractor-Trailer On Charlton Highway One person was killed following a crash involving a tractor-trailer on a Capital Region highway. The wreck happened in Saratoga County, on State Route 67 (Amsterdam Road) in Charlton, at around 12:45 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3. A tractor-trailer collided with a pickup truck at the intersection of West Line Road, ejecting the pickup driver, New York State Police said. The pickup driver suffered severe injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured. State Route 67 was closed for nearly four hours between Jolly and Morrow roads while emergency crew…

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by Michael Mashburn
Business
Supermarkets Running Out Of Eggs As Anger, Frustration Among Americans Mounts Supermarkets Running Out Of Eggs As Anger, Frustration Among Americans Mounts
Supermarkets Running Out Of Eggs As Anger, Frustration Among Americans Mounts Egg shortages driven by a devastating outbreak of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, have now resulted in some supermarkets running out of this beloved staple. In various grocery stores across the country, customers have encountered shelves with limited or no egg cartons available.  Customers who do find cartons available are getting sticker shock, with a dozen eggs priced as high as $15 at some stores. Some supermarkets have started setting limits on the number of cartons that may be purchased. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price of a d…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
McDonald's Shamrock Shake Returns—Along With Grimace's Irish Uncle McDonald's Shamrock Shake Returns—Along With Grimace's Irish Uncle
McDonald's Shamrock Shake Returns—Along With Grimace's Irish Uncle McDonald's is bringing back its iconic Shamrock Shake — with the help of a beloved mascot's relative! McDonald's said Shamrock Shakes will return to participating restaurants on Monday, Feb. 10, the company said in a news release on Tuesday. Feb. 4. The chain will donate 25 cents per shake to local chapters for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). To help the St. Patrick's Day treat return, Grimace is reuniting with his long-lost uncle, Uncle O'Grimacey. The green version of the purple mascot primarily appeared in McDonald's commercials in the 70s and 80s. tcmedianow McDonald's …

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by Chris Spiker
Schools
New Study Reveals Shocking Amount Of Phone Use By Teens While At School New Study Reveals Shocking Amount Of Phone Use By Teens While At School
New Study Reveals Shocking Amount Of Phone Use By Teens While At School A brand-new study has uncovered surprising trends in teen phone use during school hours, raising fresh concerns about digital distractions in the classroom. The study, published by JAMA Pediatrics on Monday, Feb. 3, found that students spent a significant portion of the school day on their phones, with messaging, Instagram, and video streaming among the most-used apps. Researchers also noted that a quarter of students logged more than two hours of screen time during class. In addition, students whose parents held bachelor’s degrees or higher spent about a half-hour less on their phones dur…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
Winning Numbers For Monday, Feb. 3 Powerball Drawing With Estimated $100M Jackpot Winning Numbers For Monday, Feb. 3 Powerball Drawing With Estimated $100M Jackpot
Winning Numbers For Monday, Feb. 3 Powerball Drawing With Estimated $100M Jackpot The winning numbers have been announced for the Monday, Feb. 3 Powerball drawing. The estimated jackpot is $100 million with a $45.3 million cash option after a recent winner reset the prize pool. If no winner claims the top prize, the jackpot will continue to roll until the next drawing at 10:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5. The winning numbers for Monday's drawing were 12-37-47-54-60 with a Powerball of 17 and the Power Play was 3X. Lottery players have a 1 in 292,201,338 chance of winning a Powerball jackpot by matching all five balls plus the Powerball, according to o…

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by Zak Failla
News
'Persistent Violent Felon' Shot Father Of 2 To Death In Capital Region, Jury Finds 'Persistent Violent Felon' Shot Father Of 2 To Death In Capital Region, Jury Finds
'Persistent Violent Felon' Shot Father Of 2 To Death In Capital Region, Jury Finds A Schenectady man was convicted of multiple felonies for the broad-daylight shooting of a 26-year-old father in what prosecutors say was a revenge killing. David “Blokk” Ayala, 39, of Schenectady, was acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter and related charges by a Schenectady County jury on Thursday, Jan. 30, in the November 2022 killing of Matteo Henderson. Ayala had repeatedly vowed to harm or kill the 26-year-old father of two following an altercation between the two in the summer of 2022, prosecutors said. Witnesses testified that he followed through on those threats, firin…

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by Michael Mashburn
Lifestyle
Richard Gere 'Happier Than Ever' After Ditching NY, CT Mansions For Spain: Report Richard Gere 'Happier Than Ever' After Ditching NY, CT Mansions For Spain: Report
Richard Gere 'Happier Than Ever' After Ditching NY, CT Mansions For Spain: Report Richard Gere said he doesn't regret leaving the US for his wife's homeland of Spain. In fact, he said in a recent interview that his family has never been happier. The "Pretty Woman" star and his wife, Alejandra Silva, sold their New Canaan mansion in October for $10.75 million before moving abroad. Gere found a buyer for his $28 million Pound Ridge, NY mansion in 2022, MansionGlobal reports. "The truth is that you are seeing us in our momentum," the 75-year-old told Elle España. "We are happier than ever. She is, because she is home, and I am because, if she is happy, I am happy." Gere's&…

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by Josh Lanier
Business
Proposed 25% US Tariff On Canadian Goods Will Be Paused After Earlier Deal With Mexico Proposed 25% US Tariff On Canadian Goods Will Be Paused After Earlier Deal With Mexico
Proposed 25% US Tariff On Canadian Goods Will Be Paused After Earlier Deal With Mexico Just hours after a similar agreement was reached with Mexico, the United States has agreed to paused planned tariffs on Canadian goods for 30 days. The deal was reached late Monday afternoon, Feb. 3 after President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau concluded their second conversation of the day. "I just had a good call with President Trump," Trudeau said in a statement announcing that Canada is implementing a $1.3 billion border plan  "reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increase…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Hochul Won't Extradite NY Doctor Charged With Prescribing Abortion Pill: 'We Will Not Comply' Hochul Won't Extradite NY Doctor Charged With Prescribing Abortion Pill: 'We Will Not Comply'
Hochul Won't Extradite NY Doctor Charged With Prescribing Abortion Pill: 'We Will Not Comply' New York will not extradite a Hudson Valley doctor who was criminally charged with violating Louisiana’s abortion laws, Gov. Kathy Hochul said. It comes after a jury indicted Ulster County-based Dr. Margaret Carpenter, of New Paltz, along with her company, Nightingale Medical, and the mother of a minor girl on Friday, Jan. 31, alleging that Carpenter shipped the girl an abortion pill. The pill, Mifeprestone, caused the girl to have a medical emergency which terminated the pregnancy, Baton Rouge CBS affiliate WAFB reports. All three were charged with criminal abortion by means of abortion-in…

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by Michael Mashburn
Business
Valentine's Day Spending To Hit Record High—And Not Just On Romantic Partners: Survey Valentine's Day Spending To Hit Record High—And Not Just On Romantic Partners: Survey
Valentine's Day Spending To Hit Record High—And Not Just On Romantic Partners: Survey Gift buying and date expenses for Valentine’s Day may reach new heights as Americans plan to spend more than ever on loved ones, a new survey said. US consumers will spend an estimated $27.5 billion in 2025, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. That would surpass the previous record of $27.4 billion in 2020 and 2024's total of $25.8 billion. Valentine's Day shoppers will spend an average of $188.81, slightly up from $185.81 in 2024. More than 56 percent plan to celebrate the holiday, an increase from 53 percent in 2024. M…

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by Chris Spiker