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Tuesday marks 10 years since Toronto’s devastating ice storm

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

Today marks a decade since the winter ice storm that left Toronto in the dark over the holidays.The devastating storm began on Dec. 19, 2013, and dispersed on Dec. 23, 2013, but the impacts didn’t end there. The storm reached Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada, Maine, New England, New York, Michigan and Arkansas.Locally, the ice was so heavy it resulted in damaged hydro lines and trees weighing down onto roads and vehicles. The 2013 ice storm comprised 40-plus hours of freezing rain and more than 30 millimetres of ice, leaving 416,000 customers without power, 500 wires down and two million trees damaged.73,000 metres of service wire replaced during the 2013 ice stormToronto Hydro is looking back while also looking ahead. It says it’s made significant improvements to harden its electrical infrastructure, modernize its grid capabilities and ensure staff have the necessary training and tools to handle emergencies effectively.“By factoring in climate projections for temp...

A pro-Trump super PAC airs an anti-Haley ad in New Hampshire. She says that’s a sign of her strength

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The super PAC supporting Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign has launched a television ad targeting Nikki Haley, a move her campaign called a signal that Trump’s allies are worried about her.The ad, debuting Tuesday, marks the first such effort by either Trump, who has dominated the Republican primary, or the groups supporting him to take Haley on directly. The spot from Make America Great Again, Inc. argues that, as South Carolina governor, Haley flip-flopped over her support for a gas tax, showing clips of State of the State addresses in which she opposed, then called for, such a measure. “New Hampshire can’t afford Nikki ‘High Tax’ Haley, a narrator says in the ad. Ahead of the ad’s release, Haley was already disputing its premise on social media, saying Tuesday night in a post on X that the ad signified that “someone’s getting nervous.”Haley’s super PAC responded with a New Hampshire ad of its own, arguing that the front-runner is spreading misle...

Philly’s progressive prosecutor, facing impeachment trial, has authority on transit crimes diverted

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A new law taking aim at Philadelphia’s progressive prosecutor creates a new position that diverts authority from the twice-elected district attorney, with Republican lawmakers arguing the legislation is necessary to prosecute crimes they say aren’t pursued. It’s the latest example of progressive prosecutors across the country facing political crosswinds.The measure, which was signed into law by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro last week as part of a flurry of bills wrapping up a months-overdue budget, creates a new special prosecutor role that has the authority to investigate and prosecute crimes that occur on the city’s public transit system, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, known as SEPTA.There were a tidal wave of progressive prosecutor victories several years ago, campaigning on policies that typically seek diversion to mental health treatment or drug abuse treatment for low-level crimes, efforts to hold police more accountable, an...

Politicians, workers seek accountability after sudden closure of St. Louis nursing home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The operator of a St. Louis nursing home needs to be held accountable after the facility was abruptly closed, sending 170 residents to other care centers with little more than the clothes on their backs, political leaders and workers said at a rally Tuesday.Northview Village Nursing Home shut down on Friday, with shuttle buses brought in to take residents to more than a dozen other St. Louis-area care centers. Days later, some relatives still haven’t found where their loved ones were sent, and at least one manager said the Northview Village residents arrived at her nursing home without records or medication lists.Some of those who spoke at the rally outside the shuttered nursing home said criminal investigations should be considered. St. Louis Alderwoman Sharon Tyus called for aldermanic hearings and said she has spoken to the circuit attorney about the possibility of an investigation.Mayor Tishaura Jones said she was appalled by the way residents and workers ...

Guess Who co-founders seek to dismiss lawsuit from Cummings and Bachman

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

A lawsuit filed by Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman against two of their former bandmates in the Guess Who is being called “a complete farce” by the musicians who are seeking to see it dismissed.Drummer Garry Peterson and bassist Jim Kale filed a motion earlier this month asking a Los Angeles court to throw out allegations they’ve infringed on the trademarks for the Winnipeg band.Both musicians, who are founding members of the original act, were sued in October by Cummings and Bachman who allege they have assembled a “cover band” to perform and release albums under the Guess Who name.But Peterson and Kale say they’ve been using the name for decades and claim their former bandmates have waited too long to file the trademark suit. They argue the statute of limitations has expired.None of the allegations have been tested in court.Cummings and Bachman say in their original suit that the Guess Who today is not the band people knew for the hits “...

Germany protests after a court ruling implicates Iran in plan to attack a synagogue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Germany protested to Iran on Tuesday after a court ruling implicated the Islamic republic in a plan to attack a synagogue last year.The Duesseldorf state court convicted a German-Iranian man of attempted arson and agreeing to commit arson and sentenced him to two years and nine months in prison, German news agency dpa reported.Judges found that the man threw an incendiary device at a school in the western city of Bochum in November 2022 because the neighboring synagogue appeared too well secured. The defendant denied planning to attack the synagogue. The school received minor damage.The court found the defendant had been tasked with the attack by a former Hells Angels member who had gone to Iran, and that Iranian authorities were behind the latter man.Germany’s Foreign Ministry wrote Tuesday on social platform X that “according to the Duesseldorf state court, the planned attack on a synagogue in Bochum in November 2022 stems from an Iranian state institution.”The...

Prince Edward Island second province to sign health-care funding deal with Ottawa

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

OTTAWA — Prince Edward Island signed a $94-million deal with the federal government to fund improvements to the province’s health-care system.This makes P.E.I the second province to come to an agreement with Ottawa after British Columbia signed a similar one in October.The bilateral deals are part of a $196-billion, 10-year national health accord Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered to premiers in February.On their end, provinces and territories are expected to commit to massive upgrades to digital medical records and the collection of health-care data, as well as being held to account for meeting targets and timelines.In exchange for its share of the funding, P.E.I has agreed to build 16 new patient medical homes, invest in mental health and make improvements to the health workforce over the next three years.Quebec remains the only province that hasn’t agreed in principle to the accord, with Premier François Legault pushing back against conditions the federal governmen...

Minnesota panel chooses new state flag featuring North Star to replace old flag seen as racist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota’s new state flag should feature an eight-pointed North Star against a dark blue background shaped like the state, with a solid light blue field at the right, a special commission decided Tuesday as it picked a replacement for an older design that many Native Americans considered offensive.The State Emblems Redesign Commission chose the final version on an 11-1 vote after finalizing a new state seal that depicts a loon, the state bird. Unless the Legislature rejects them, the new flag and seal will automatically become official April 1, 2024, when Minnesota observes Statehood Day.The star echoes Minnesota’s state motto of “Star of the North.” The commission’s chairman, Luis Fitch, said that to him, the light blue represents the Mississippi River, “the most important river in the United States,” pointing to the North Star. But he acknowledged it could mean other things to other people. Symmetry and simplicity won out over other versions, ...

Do more to address hate, Jewish groups say, as Ottawa youth faces explosives charges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

OTTAWA — Jewish groups are calling for more to be done to address hate after the arrest of an Ottawa youth in an alleged plot against the Jewish community.The RCMP confirms the youth arrested last week on terrorism charges has been charged with three additional offences after police executed a search warrant, including possession of explosives with intent to endanger life.Police say they found materials used for creating explosive substances, and a source close to the case says court information indicates the explosives were acetone and an oxidizer.Jewish Federation of Ottawa interim CEO Sarah Beutel says in a statement that the charges are a staggering development of unchecked antisemitism, and school leaders and governments must address hate speech.The federal public safety minister announced an additional $5 million in funding today for a temporary program to help communities at risk of hate-motivated crimes, citing a rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia.The Centre for Israel an...

Cook County homeowners to receive $30.5M in property tax refunds: Here's how to check if you're getting one

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:47 GMT

COOK COUNTY — Thousands of property owners in Cook County will soon receive a financial boost this holiday season.Beginning this week, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas is sending more than $30.5 million in automatic refunds to about 9,000 property owners who overpaid their first installment taxes last year.“This service is a huge convenience for homeowners who have overpaid their property taxes,” Pappas said. “Most will not have to file an application, fill out any forms or deal with any paperwork. They will get their money automatically.”About half of the refunds will be deposited directly into property owners’ accounts over the next three months. Most of the refunds will go to those who get tax exemptions, which include: Homeowner, Senior Citizen, Senior Freeze and Disabled Persons. According to the Cook County treasurer's office, the breakdown of automatic refunds shows:About 1,900 homeowners who paid their property taxes online will see a total of $13.1 million elect...