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Atlanta petition drive to stop ‘Cop City’ is ‘futile,’ city’s attorneys argue

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:46:12 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — An ongoing petition drive to halt the construction of a police and firefighter training center is “futile” and “invalid,” attorneys for the city of Atlanta argued in a court filing Monday, as they sought to prevent the proposed referendum from appearing on November’s ballot.For the past month, activists with the “Stop Cop City” movement have been trying to gather the signatures of more than 70,000 registered Atlanta voters by Aug. 15 to force a referendum. It would allow voters to decide the fate of the project that has seen significant pushback and become a flashpoint in the national debate over policing.Under the proposed referendum, voters would choose whether they want to repeal the ordinance that authorized the lease of the city-owned land upon which the project is set to be built.But lawyers for the city argued that the massive canvassing effort has come far too late. The authorization the city obtained in 2021 to sign the lease agreement “has already been...

First troops in B.C. for wildfire fight, as helicopters and Hercules plane readied

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:46:12 GMT

The Canadian Armed Forces says the first troops to help in British Columbia’s wildfire fight have arrived in the province, with more soldiers, helicopters and a Hercules plane poised for deployment.The forces said in a statement that a reconnaissance team is on the ground in Prince George in central B.C. and is working with local authorities including the BC Wildfire Service to strategize.The arrival of the personnel and equipment will be welcomed by firefighters and communities, said the province’s Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth.“We also know we can count on the Canadian Armed Forces to be able to assist in terms of a lot of the work that needs to be done,” he said. “While they don’t necessarily fight the fires on the front lines, they can provide important work to be able to allow the firefighters to do the work they need to be doing on the ground.”Farnworth said the federal and B.C. governments, including his ministry, the military...

Music Review: Greta Van Fleet soars on new album, “Starcatcher”

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:46:12 GMT

Greta Van Fleet, “Starcatcher” (Lava/Republic Records)“Starcatcher” is the third studio from Greta Van Fleet, and the latest confirmation that the band’s love affair with the bombast of ’70s-era rock has not grown stagnant.We’ve come to know Greta Van Fleet from their early and obvious Led Zeppelin comparisons to the Grammy-winning ground they now lay claim to. We now accept this is not merely a trick of mimicry. They’ve grown.“Starcatcher” offers lofty, searing songs right out of the gate. “Fate of the Faithful” is in immediate overdrive, and “Waited All Your Life” is full of powerful fits and starts, led by Josh Kiszka’s soaring vocals. “You’ve come from so far away! / And do you intend to stay? / Swim to shore / If this is what you’re looking for,” Kiszka belts out, his voice the additional instrument that moves the needle for the band’s sound. His brother, bassist Sam Kiszka, said in a press release that the album represents “going back to our roots while moving forw...

Turning Point Action’s student activists were torn between Trump and DeSantis last year. Not anymore

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:46:12 GMT

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — When student activists assembled in Florida last year for Turning Point Action’s annual summit, many were torn, wrestling with whether former President Donald Trump or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was the Republican Party’s best hope for 2024.One year later, there is no more doubt. Attendees at this year’s meeting booed at even the suggestion of a contested GOP primary. Trump, they overwhelmingly said, is their pick.“Trump, for sure. I don’t think anyone else really has a chance,” said Sky Sanchez, 21, a student from Durham, North Carolina, who was volunteering at the conference with the Tea Party Patriots.Soren Nielsen, 18, who lives near Ann Arbor, Michigan, said he had been seriously considering DeSantis earlier this year, worried that Trump had lost momentum, particularly after a weaker-than-expected Republican showing in last year’s midterm elections.But those views changed as he watched Trump reenergize his campaign and saw DeSantis falter.“I st...

Online News Act: Google withholds AI chatbot as Meta runs ads opposing new law

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:46:12 GMT

OTTAWA — Tech companies are continuing to push back on the Liberal government over its Online News Act, with Google withholding its new artificial-intelligence chatbot from Canada and Meta running ads opposing the law.A Google spokesman said the company is working through regulatory uncertainty in Canada related to Bard, an AI-driven online conversational tool seen as a competitor to the popular ChatGPT from OpenAI.Bard currently links to news, which will be subject to regulations in Canada now that the Online News Act, formerly known as Bill C-18, has become law. In order to comply with the law, both Google and Meta have stated they would remove news links in Canada before the law comes into effect by the end of the year.The law will force global tech players to enter into agreements with Canadian news outlets to compensate them for content shared or otherwise repurposed on their platforms.Last week Google expanded Bard to the European Union after resolving regulatory concerns ther...

S&P/TSX composite lower Monday on energy, telecoms; U.S. markets rise

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:46:12 GMT

TORONTO — Weakness in energy and telecoms helped Canada’s main stock index tick lower after a mixed day of trading Monday, while U.S. markets rose as earnings season rolled forward. The S&P/TSX composite index was down 35.28 points at 20,226.79.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 76.32 points at 34,585.35. The S&P 500 index was up 17.37 points at 4,522.79, while the Nasdaq composite was up 131.25 points at 14,244.95.South of the border, “Everybody’s warming up for earnings season,” said Pierre-Benoît Gauthier, assistant vice-president of investment strategy at IG Wealth Management.U.S. earnings for the second quarter were off to a positive start Friday as major banks stepped over the low expectations set by investors and analysts, said Gauthier. “I think that people are seeing that expectations have been so low for the Q2 numbers, that there’s going to be some easy beats in there because the U.S. economy is just not as bad as feared,” he said.That opti...

Lindsay Lohan gives birth to her first child, a boy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:46:12 GMT

Lindsay Lohan has given birth to her first child.The “Parent Trap” star and her husband, financier Bader Shammas, are the parents of a “beautiful, healthy son” named Luai, her rep told The Associated Press in a statement Monday.“The family is over the moon in love,” the statement said.Lohan, 37, gave birth in Dubai, where the couple lives, according to Page Six. Her son’s exact birth date was not released.Luai is an Arabic name that means “shield” or “protector.” Lohan announced her pregnancy in March in a photo posted to Instagram of a white onesie emblazoned with “Coming soon.” She has lived overseas for several years and has been married to Shammas since last year.The “Freaky Friday” actor was once a tabloid mainstay, but now keeps a lower public profile. She has returned to acting, starring in Netflix’s “Falling for Christmas” last year, and is starring in the streaming service’s upcoming romantic comedy “Irish Wish.”The Associated Press

Abortion in Iowa is legal again, for now, after a judge blocks new restrictions

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:46:12 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa judge on Monday temporarily blocked the state’s new ban on most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, just days after Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the measure into law. That means abortion is once again legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy while the courts assess the new law’s constitutionality.The new law prohibits almost all abortions once cardiac activity can be detected, which is usually around six weeks of pregnancy and before many women know they are pregnant. The Republican-controlled Legislature approved the measure in a rare, all-day special session last week, prompting a legal challenge by the ACLU of Iowa, Planned Parenthood North Central States and the Emma Goldman Clinic. Judge Joseph Seidlin held a hearing on the matter Friday, but said he would take the issue under advisement — just as Reynolds signed the bill into law about a mile away.Abortion providers said they scrambled last week to fit in as many appointments as possible ...

Biden still concerned about judicial overhaul as he extends invite to meet with Israel’s Netanyahu

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:46:12 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet with him in the U.S. this fall, the White House said, even as he expressed ongoing concern about Netanyahu’s controversial plans to overhaul his country’s judicial system.Monday’s phone conversation between the U.S. and Israeli leaders came one day before Israel’s figurehead president Isaac Herzog is set to visit to the White House and as Netanyahu’s government pushes forward with the judicial changes that have sparked widespread protest in Israel. The Biden administration declined to say whether Biden would host Netanyahu at the White House — as the Israeli leader has hoped — or in New York on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly. White House visits are typically standard protocol for Israeli prime ministers, and the delay in Netanyahu receiving one has become an issue in Israel, with opponents citing it as a reflection of deteriorating relatio...

Plane debris falls into backyard of Far Northwest Side home

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:46:12 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Police Department responded to a non-criminal case on the City's Far Northwest Side Monday afternoon where a plane part appeared to fall from the sky.According to police, officers responded to a home in the 4700 block of North Chester near Lawrence Avenue and Cumberland Avenue, where plane debris had fallen into the backyard, slightly damaging the home.After officers arrived, the debris was moved out in front of the home into the street, where it was claimed by O'Hare International Airport management, and taken from the scene.No injuries have been reported from the incident.It is unclear at this time what type of debris was found, and whether it came from an aircraft that was landing or departing from O'Hare International Airport. Suburban grandparents charged with murder in death of 5-year-old granddaughter No other information is available at this time.