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Connecticut’s governor orders an independent investigation into falsified traffic tickets

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:52 GMT

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont on Monday ordered an independent investigation into the state police after an audit last month that showed troopers falsified information on at least 26,000 traffic stops from 2014 to 2021.Data analysts with the University of Connecticut said t he reports resulted in too many drivers being identified as white. They cautioned, however, that they did not try to determine whether the records were intentionally falsified or were wrong due to carelessness or human error. Lamont originally asked Connecticut’s chief state’s attorney’s office to look into the discrepancies and said there was no evidence of intentional wrongdoing.But on Monday, the governor said an independent investigation is needed to “get to the bottom of this and learn how it happened, why it happened, and how to prevent it from ever happening again.”The governor’s office said it has appointed Deirdre Daly, a former United States attorney for Conn...

GTA families struggling amid implementation of $10-a-day child care

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:52 GMT

With the introduction of the $10-a-day childcare nationwide, families are struggling to find spaces now more than ever.One woman from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) tells CityNews she’s on 15 to 20 waitlists for her six-month-old son and fears she will have to choose between extending her maternity leave or spending $25,000 per year on daycare.“It’s not something I’m looking forward to doing. It’s something that I want to do. I like to go back to work and have that work-life balance, but that might not be possible,” said first-time mom Samantha Rodrigues.Rodrigues has been looking for child care since finding out she was pregnant with her son Oliver, even going far outside her local area in hopes of finding a spot.“It’s becoming more and more stressful because I don’t know what type of care facilities my child was going to have. And it’s becoming real. As each day passes, I try to check-in. I try to see… the availabil...

B.C. government announces new programs, police standards for sexual assault

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:52 GMT

VANCOUVER — The British Columbia government is updating policing standards in response to sexual assaults to ensure more effective investigations and improved outcomes for survivors. The province also says it’s committing to providing stable annual funding to 68 sexual assault programs across B.C., while it sets new standards for police to collaborate with victims services workers during investigations. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says survivors deserve to be treated fairly after going through trauma and shielded from further harm, and the new standards and programs will “empower” those people. The province says the funding for the new programs kicks in this month, while new policing standards coupling investigators with victims services workers will begin next year, applying to all B.C. police officers. The RCMP began a review of its sexual assault complaints after a Globe and Mail investigation in 2017 reported police classify an average one in five sex...

Biden administration sues Texas governor over Rio Grande buoy barrier that’s meant to stop migrants

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:52 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Justice Department on Monday sued Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott over a floating barrier that the state placed on the Rio Grande to stop migrants from crossing into the U.S. from Mexico. The lawsuit asks a court to force Texas to remove a roughly 1,000-foot (305-meter) line of bright orange, wrecking ball-sized buoys that the Biden administration says raises humanitarian and environmental concerns. The suit also claims that Texas unlawfully installed the barrier along without permission near the border city of Eagle Pass. The buoys are the latest escalation of Texas’ border security operation that also includes razor-wire fencing, arresting migrants on trespassing charges and sending busloads of asylum-seekers to Democratic-led cities in other states. In anticipation of the lawsuit, Abbott sent President Joe Biden a letter Monday that defended Texas’ right to install the barrier. He accused Biden of putting migrants at risk by not doing more to deter them...

Six Ukrainian children who played at Quebec hockey tournament to return for school

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:52 GMT

MONTREAL — Six Ukrainian children who took part in Quebec City’s famed peewee hockey tournament earlier this year are returning to the provincial capital next month to live in the province and attend school.The players were part of a team of 11- and 12-year-old Ukrainian refugees who were showered with attention at the annual Quebec International Peewee Hockey Tournament in February.One of the organizers who helped bring the team to Quebec City last winter said the six had expressed a desire to stay in the province at the time but had to return home due to visa requirements.“Pretty much on the last day they were in Quebec … there were some kids that asked their host families if it would be possible for them to stay and play hockey in Quebec and go to school,” said Sean Bérubé, a Quebec City-area businessman.“We spoke with those boys, and I said that it was better for them to go back, to comply with the immigration rules, but I would try our very best to find ...

S&P/TSX composite up on energy gains Monday, U.S. markets also rise

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:52 GMT

TORONTO — Strength in energy stocks helped buoy Canada’s main stock index Monday, while U.S. stock markets also posted gains.The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 34.61 points at 20,582.12.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average ended up 183.55 points at 35,411.24. The S&P 500 index was up 18.30 points at 4,554.64, while the Nasdaq composite was up 26.06 points at 14,058.87.The Canadian dollar traded for 75.92 cents US compared with 75.69 cents US on Friday.The September crude oil contract was up $1.67 at US$78.74 per barrel and the September natural gas contract was down two cents at US$2.69 per mmBTU.The August gold contract was down US$4.40 at US$1,962.20 an ounce and the September copper contract was up four cents at US$3.86 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD=X)The Canadian PressNote to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version had the incorrect CAD/USD exch...

Elon Musk reveals new 'X' logo to replace Twitter's blue bird

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:52 GMT

Goodbye, Twitter. Hello, X.Elon Musk has unveiled a new “X” logo to replace Twitter's famous blue bird as he follows through with a major rebranding of the social media platform he bought for $44 billion last year.The X started appearing at the top of the desktop version of Twitter on Monday, but the bird was still dominant across the smartphone app. At Twitter's headquarters in San Francisco, meanwhile, workers were seen removing the iconic bird and logo Monday until police showed up and stopped them because they didn’t have the proper permits and didn’t tape off the sidewalk to keep pedestrians safe if anything fell.As of early afternoon, the “er” at the end of Twitter remained visible.The haphazard erasure of both the physical and virtual remnants of Twitter's past were in many ways typical of the chaotic way Musk has run the company since his reluctant purchase. “It’s the end of an era, and a clear signal that the Twitter of the past 17 years is gone and not coming back," said J...

Northwestern president sends out another letter as hazing scandal continues

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:52 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. — The only correspondence from the leader of Northwestern University since a hazing scandal erupted in July has been through letters to the community, with another one coming on Monday. This time, president Michael Schill was offering some defense and encouragement for student-athletes at the school as lawsuits over allegations of mistreatment in a few sports have been filed. "The picture painted by some of these commentators of our program, our student-athletes and the University itself is entirely inconsistent with the Northwestern we all know and love," said Schill in his letter. "While there is no doubt in my mind that shameful events did take place in the football program, I also know that the vast majority of our student-athletes — in football and in our other 18 D1 teams — are people of character who do amazing things both on the field and in the classroom. I am proud of them." WGN's coverage of Northwestern hazing allegations Schill's letter came on the same...

Red Cross gives tips for safety ahead of extreme heat in Illinois

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:52 GMT

High temperatures are expected throughout much of the Illinois region this week. It is important to take precautions to avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke. In a news release, the Red Cross offers steps you can take to help stay safe when the temperatures soar.Hot cars can be deadly. Never leave children or pets in your vehicle. The inside temperature of the car can quickly reach 120 degrees.Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol.Check on family, friends and neighbors who do not have air conditioning, who spend much of their time alone or who are more likely to be affected by the heat.If you don’t have air conditioning, seek relief from the heat during the warmest part of the day in places like schools, libraries, theaters, malls, etc.Avoid extreme temperature changes.Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Avoid dark colors because they absorb the sun’s rays.Slow down, stay indoors and avoid strenuous exercise during the ...

WATCH LIVE: Hoover police to hold second press conference on Carlee Russell case

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:52 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Police will hold another press conference to discuss the ongoing investigation into the mysterious disappearance and reappearance of Carlee Russell earlier this month.At 4 p.m. Monday, the Hoover Police Department will hold a second press conference regarding Russell, who went missing July 13 shortly after she had called police to report allegedly seeing a toddler walking along I-459 near Hoover. On July 15, Russell was found after safely walking home.After being found, Russell's family claimed that she had been abducted. In her statement to police, Russell alleged that she had been taken by an unidentified man while trying to find the alleged toddler along the side of the interstate. According to police, Russell claimed to have escaped while being taken in a car the next day. Timeline of Carlee Russell’s disappearance, return and the ongoing investigation into what happened to her In the days since being found, there has been speculation as to the circum...