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Federal judges review Alabama’s new congressional map, lack of 2nd majority-Black district

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:30 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A panel of federal judges on Monday began a review of Alabama’s redrawn congressional map which opponents argued defies the court’s mandate to create a second district where Black voters have an opportunity to influence the outcome of an election. The three-judge panel, which blocked the use of the state’s old map last year, will decide whether to let Alabama’s new districts go forward or step in and draw new congressional districts for the state. Alabama was forced to draw new district lines after the U.S. Supreme Court, in a surprise June decision, upheld the panel’s earlier finding that the state’s then-map — which had one Black-majority district out of seven in a state where more than one in four residents is Black — likely violated the federal Voting Rights Act. Lawyers for voters in the case argued Monday that the new plan, which maintains one majority-Black district, still discriminates against Black voters. They said it flouts the panel’s 2022 finding...

An accident at Germany’s biggest theme park injures 4 people, police say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:30 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Four people were injured in an accident on Monday at Germany’s biggest theme park, police said.The accident happened at the Europa-Park in the town of Rust, near the French and Swiss borders. Police said a structure from which people can jump into a pool appears to have collapsed, German news agency dpa reported.The park said that a mobile pool that was part of a “high-diving show” cracked during the show and the water flowed into an attraction called Atlantica SuperSplash. It said that one guest was slightly grazed but other visitors to the park were not affected. It was unclear who the other three injured people were. The attraction was set to reopen quickly.The park is a popular tourist attraction that drew more than 6 million visitors last year, mostly from Germany, France and Switzerland.It has areas with themes based on different European countries, and three based on fantasy settings. The park also hosts conferences and is a popular venue for events and te...

Survey shows employers, workers might be aligning on hybrid work

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:30 GMT

TORONTO — New data from recruiting company Robert Half shows just over half of hiring managers see a team’s ideal working location to be a combination of remote and in-office workers.The survey found 54 per cent of hiring managers asked said a hybrid arrangement was the ideal situation.The result compared with 49 per cent of professionals surveyed who said they believed the ideal situation was a combination of remote and in-office workers.The survey also found 38 per cent of hiring managers saw everyone working in office as the ideal situation, while 28 per cent of professionals saw it as ideal.Everyone working remotely was seen as ideal by eight per cent of hiring managers and 22 per cent of professional surveyed.The report was based on an online survey of 1,373 hiring managers between May 4 and May 13 and 1,148 workers between May 4 and May 30.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2023.The Canadian Press

Judge sides with young activists in first-of-its-kind climate change trial in Montana

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:30 GMT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A Montana judge on Monday sided with young environmental activists who said state agencies were violating their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by permitting fossil fuel development without considering its effect on the climate.The ruling in the first-of-its- kind trial in the U.S. adds to a small number of legal decisions around the world that have established a government duty to protect citizens from climate change.District Court Judge Kathy Seeley found the policy the state uses in evaluating requests for fossil fuel permits — which does not allow agencies to evaluate the effects of greenhouse gas emissions — is unconstitutional.Judge Seeley wrote in the ruling that “Montana’s emissions and climate change have been proven to be a substantial factor in causing climate impacts to Montana’s environment and harm and injury” to the youth.However, it’s up to the state Legislature to determine how to bring the policy into compliance....

Argentine peso plunges after rightist who admires Trump comes first in primary vote

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:30 GMT

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — The Argentine peso plunged Monday after a 52-year—old anti-establishment candidate who admires former President Donald Trump came first in primary elections that will help determine the country’s next president. Javier Milei rocked Argentina’s political establishment Sunday by receiving the biggest share of primary votes for presidential candidates in the October general election to determine who leads a nation battered by economic woes.Milei wants to replace the peso with the dollar, and says that Argentina’s Central Bank should be abolished, and that he thinks that climate change is a lie. He has characterized sex education as a ploy to destroy the family, and has said that he believes that the sale of human organs should be legal. He also has said that it should be easier for Argentines to own handguns.Argentina’s government decided to devalue the local currency by 20% early Monday morning after the surprising showing that turned Argentina int...

Smash hit musical ‘Chicago’ to return to Toronto for holiday run

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:30 GMT

TORONTO — The smash Broadway hit “Chicago” will return to Toronto at the end of the year.Mirvish Productions says the musical will play at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre from Dec. 27 to Jan. 6.The show is touring to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its 1996 Broadway revival, with other stops set for Boston and Denver.This will be the show’s eighth time in Toronto, having made its Canadian premiere in 1977. The show’s revival also stopped in Toronto in 1998 with a 10-week sold-out run, which brought the performance back several times over the following decades.Tickets for the production are on sale Thursday.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2023.The Canadian Press

Quebec government says it is open to studying whether to relaunch nuclear reactor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:30 GMT

MONTREAL — Quebec Energy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon says he agrees with Hydro-Québec’s decision to study a possible reopening of the province’s only nuclear power plant.Fitzgibbon reacted today to recent news that the power utility is looking into restarting the Gentilly-2 reactor in Bécancour, Que., as a response to growing energy demand.The minister told reporters in Montreal that as Quebec moves away from fossil fuels, all sources of renewable energy should be studied.But he warns that new energy projects should be both acceptable to the public and profitable.The provincial government closed Gentilly-2 in 2012, in part because of the high cost of refurbishing the plant, which opened in 1983.Hydro-Québec’s announcement last week was met with criticism from environmental group Greenpeace Canada and from opposition politicians, who called on the government to launch a national discussion on Quebec’s energy future.This report by The Canadian Press was first pu...

Iowa State’s Isaiah Lee, who is accused of betting against Cyclones in a 2021 game, leaves program

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:30 GMT

AMES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa State defensive lineman accused of wagering on his team’s games, including one where he bet against them Cyclones, has left the program, the school confirmed Monday.Isaiah Lee, who started all 12 games last season, was among the athletes charged last week in connection with the state’s investigation into illegal sports wagering at Iowa State and Iowa.Lee was charged with tampering with records for allegedly disguising his identity to place online sports wagers, according to court documents.Lee is alleged to have made 115 bets for $885 on the FanDuel mobile app. Among them were 12 on Iowa State football games, including one money-line bet against the Cyclones against Texas in 2021. ISU won 30-7, and Lee made one tackle.A total of five Iowa State football starters have been charged in the investigation. Athletes found to have wagered on games in which they played are subject to being permanently banned by the NCAA. The tampering charge is punishab...

Canadian TV series centred on race and identity among projects added to TIFF lineup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:30 GMT

TORONTO — A documentary series challenging problematic beliefs about Canada’s Black history and another centring the life experience of 11 First Nations in Quebec are among the latest additionsto the Toronto International Film Festival lineup.The projects are among the nine television series screening as part of TIFF’s Primetime program. CBC’s “Black Life: Untold Stories,” directed by Leslie Norville, is a reframing of Black history with Black Lives Matter Canada co-founder Sandy Hudson and former pro hockey player P.K. Subban among those attached as producers.Meanwhile, Abenaki writer and directorKim O’Bomsawin looks to decolonize old ideas with four-part CBC series “Telling Our Story,” with a primarily Indigenous production team.Other announced Canadian series include the Crave comedy “Bria Mack Gets A Life,” about a 25-year-old Black womannavigating a white world, directed by Sasha Leigh Henry.Among the notable international projects is Netflix’s “All the ...

Live Q&A with WGN meteorologist as rain, potential severe storms move into Chicago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:30 GMT

CHICAGO — It's raining across the Chicago area now with a risk of severe weather through the evening. Join WGN meteorologist Alyssa Donovan and WGN News Now host Chip Brewster for a weather-centric, interactive livestream.The livestream is scheduled to begin shortly after 1 p.m. within this storyCheck out the WGN Weather app or our wgntv.com Weather Center for the latest on the forecast and longer-range outlook.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog Have a question or comment? Submit it using this form and we'll try to answer it during the livestream.Submit a form.