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B.C. expected to request Ottawa’s help with worsening wildfires: minister

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:32 GMT

VANCOUVER — Canada’s Emergency Preparedness Minister says he is expecting a “fairly substantive” request for help from British Columbia as wildfires worsen.Bill Blair tells The Canadian Press the government operations centre has been in discussions with the province for the last several days, and Ottawa is ready to deploy needed resources as the formal request for help is expected Thursday.“The fire season now is obviously sparking up pretty seriously out there and they have sent us an indication of some additional resources that they will require, he said in an interview Thursday.“For the last 48 hours we’ve been working with Canadian Armed Forces, Parks Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and people from the Canadian Coast Guard,” said Blair. “There’s a lot of different federal departments all mobilizing their response to the requirements of British Columbia.”He said the federal help could include military assistance for ai...

Aid groups seek an EU commission review of migration law in Italy as it impounds rescue ships

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:32 GMT

ROME (AP) — A coalition of humanitarian groups formally asked the European Commission to review Italy’s legislation governing migration on Thursday, following the Italian government’s latest detention of a ship used to rescue migrants at sea.Emergency, Doctors Without Borders, SOS Humanity and ASGI, a legal association that studies migration, filed the request alleging that the Italian legislation raises questions about its compatibility with European Union norms and international law.The European Commission is the guardian of the EU’s treaty, rules and regulations but on several political issues it has little or no power or willingness to intervene in domestic legislation, unless that legislation thwarts fundamental rules that the member states have pledged to uphold. The appeal marked a new development in Italy’s crackdown on migrants under the right-wing government of Premier Giorgia Meloni. Earlier this week, Italian authorities impounded the Ocean Viking ship ...

Hungary slams hefty fine on bookstore chain over LGBTQ+ graphic novel, says it violated law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:32 GMT

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A government office in Hungary on Thursday levied a hefty fine against a national bookseller over a LGBTQ+ graphic novel, saying it violated a contentious law that prohibits the depiction of homosexuality to minors. The bookseller, Lira Konyv, is Hungary’s second-largest bookstore chain. It was fined 12 million forints ($35,930) for placing the popular “Heartstopper” by British author Alice Oseman in its youth literature section, and for failing to place it in closed packaging as required by a 2021 law. The Budapest Metropolitan Government Office, which issued the consumer protection fine, told state news agency MTI that it had conducted an investigation into the store’s selling of the title. “The investigation found that the books in question depicted homosexuality, but they were nevertheless placed in the category of children’s books and youth literature, and were not distributed in closed packaging,” the office said.The fine is based on Hungar...

3 confirmed tornadoes after Wednesday night's storms: National Weather Service

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:32 GMT

CHICAGO — The National Weather Service confirmed Thursday a total of three tornadoes after Wednesday night's storms, with three touchdowns occurring in Elgin.The first Elgin tornado had a maximum intensity EF-1 and maximum wind speed of 100 mph. The track roughly started east of Rt. 47 and ended near the railroad tracks west of Villa Olivia Golf Course. The NWS says the second tornado in Elgin had a max intensity of EF-0 with max wind speed of 85 mph. The tornado began close to McDonald Road and ended along Hopps Road.A NWS team confirmed a third tornado after grounds were surveyed from Burr Ridge to Stickney. A EF-1 with max winds near 110 mph was identified. Elgin was just one of the several communities hit by severe weather Wednesday night. NWS teams are expected to survey the damage across the Chicago area, where fierce winds from suspected tornadoes ripped roofs from buildings, downed trees and sent residents scrambling for safety as sirens sounded.The weather service warned We...

Man, 22, charged with killing, torturing cats: CPD

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:32 GMT

CHICAGO -- A 22-year-old man is charged for killing and torturing animals, police said. According to police, Thomas William Martel is facing four counts of animal torture and two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. The Sun-Times reported that Martel is accused of killing two cats by drowning and squeezing them and mutilating a third cat, police said. Police: 21-year-old Mariano’s employee shot, killed inside Evergreen Park store Another cat was found in a plastic bag in Martel’s apartment, where a witness said the cat had been microwaved, according to the report.After a court hearing held Tuesday, his bail was set at $75,000 with no contact with any animals and all cats must be removed from his home. His next court date is set for July 17.

See the Cubs & White Sox 2024 schedules

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:32 GMT

CHICAGO — Even though the teams have yet to start the second half of their seasons, Major League Baseball is already looking ahead to next year. On Thursday, they released the tentative schedules for all 30 teams, including the Cubs and the White Sox, a day before each team begins play after the All-Star Break. For a second-straight year, teams will play all 29 opponents across both leagues. Here's the Cubs' tentative 2024 schedule. . Season Opener - Thur, Mar. 28 - at RangersHome Opener - Mon, Apr. 1 - vs Rockies Wrigley Games vs White Sox - June 4-5 GRF Games vs White Sox - Aug. 9-10 Wrigley Series vs Yankees - (Rizzo Return) Sep 6-8.. @WGNNews pic.twitter.com/5ZBytripYe— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) July 13, 2023The Cubs will open their season on the road for the first time since 2019, doing so against the same opponent as that year. They'll take on the Rangers at Globe Life Field on Thursday, March 28 to begin an opening three-game series. They'll return to Chicag...

18-year-old charged after 2 women found shot to death inside vehicle in Waukegan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:32 GMT

WAUKEGAN, Ill. — An 18-year-old is charged with multiple felonies after police say two women were shot to death in Waukegan.Jonathan Stinnette, of Winthrop Harbor, faces four counts of first-degree murder following the July 12 double shooting in the 400 block of Washington Street. According to police, arriving officers found both women dead inside a vehicle in the parking lot. Suburban Uber driver found guilty after woman sexually assaulted in car Both victims were 18. Several shell casings and a handgun were recovered at the scene. Stinnette was quickly identified as a suspect, as Stinnette allegedly had a relationship with one of the victims, police said. According to police, Stinnette and a 21-year-old Waukegan man fled the scene in a black Nissan, eventually heading northbound to Winthrop Harbor. The suspect vehicle was later found at a home in Kenosha and Stinnette was taken into custody. No bond for man charged in fatal shooting of 9-year-old boy in Franklin Park Stinnet...

How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:32 GMT

One of the biggest reasons to buy an electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is the cost advantage of electricity versus gasoline. No matter where you live, electricity will be less expensive to use than gasoline. But calculating these costs requires learning a few new terms and rethinking the concept of a "full tank." Edmunds looks at the factors that determine the cost of charging an electric car, and we'll also share tips on how to save money in the long run.KWh is the new MPGFor starters, you'll need to think in terms of kilowatt-hours per hundred miles (kWh), which is the EV equivalent of miles per gallon. Specifically, an electric car's energy consumption is measured in kilowatt-hours per 100 miles (kWh/100 miles). That's the EPA number you'll see on an electric car's window sticker and in the owner's manual.To figure out your cost of charging at home, multiply your vehicle's kWh/100 miles figure by the electricity rate — the cost per kWh — for the time...

Homeless World Cup makes US debut in California

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:32 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Lisa Wrightsman was a former college soccer player whose life was derailed by drug addiction before she eventually made her way back to the sport through a tournament for players from around the globe who have experienced homelessness.Wrightsman qualified for the Homeless World Cup in Brazil. It was a competition that would forever change her life. When she returned to Sacramento, friends at the sober living facility where Wrightsman lived told her they wanted “to feel the way you look right now.” Sacramento is hosting the Homeless World Cup. Here’s what you need to know about the global tournament “I actually started to feel value,” she said. “The whole tournament kind of instills you with that.”Wrightsman is now a coach for the U.S. women's team in the Homeless World Cup. The tournament made its U.S. debut July 8 in the capital of California, a state home to the largest homeless population in the country. It runs through Saturday.The tournament is being...

Nate Paul’s attorneys seek trial postponement, cite millions of documents to process

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:53:32 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Attorneys for Nate Paul, a federally indicted real estate developer with unique ties to impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton, have asked the court to suspend currently scheduled deadlines, which could move a potential trial to 2024. They say millions of documents still need to be analyzed in the complex financial crimes case, according to an unopposed motion filed Tuesday.Paul, 36, was indicted in early June on eight counts of making false statements and reports to mortgage lenders and credit unions in 2017 and 2018 to secure multiple loans valued over $172 million for his businesses. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.Paul pleaded not guilty to all counts in June, and a federal judge scheduled the case for trial on August 14. Paul’s defense says there’s far too much discovery material to absorb, and they need more time to review records, write motions, speak with witnesses and other preparations. One of Paul’s attorneys...