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Alberta bill mandating referendum before CPP exit enters homestretch in legislature

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:00 GMT

EDMONTON — The bill relating to Alberta’s proposal to quit the Canada Pension Plan entered the homestretch Wednesday, with the Opposition NDP demanding changes and Premier Danielle Smith’s government putting a time limit on debate.The proposed Alberta Pension Protection Act mandates that a referendum be held before Alberta could split off from the CPP and run its own program.Opposition NDP Leader Rachel Notley told Finance Minister Nate Horner the bill needs to be amended to spell out that the government be bound by the results of such a vote to avoid the public saying one thing and government doing something else.“Having a referendum and being bound by the results of the referendum are two separate concepts, but (Horner) has been conflating the two,” Notley told the house during question period.“Will he accept our amendments that make the results of the referendum binding?”Horner declined to answer but instead accused Notley’s caucus of hypocrisy.“They have members on the record sa...

Toronto tenants calling for provincial moratorium on demovictions

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Tenants at risk of being ‘demovicted’ from their rent-controlled units in Toronto are calling for a provincial moratorium on the practice at a time when many are struggling to find an affordable place to live.Megan Kee, an organizer with the group No Demovictions, advocates for the renters of more than a dozen buildings across the city that have been approved for demolition and redevelopment. “A lot of the buildings are purpose-built affordable rental buildings so the tenants that live in them feel very safe and secure as they see rising rents and low vacancy rates,” Kee told CityNews. “And so to get a notice that the building you’ve lived in, for some people for 10 to 50 years, is being demolished is heartbreaking.”Kee herself faces demoviction from the midtown apartment she once considered herself lucky for having. “It wasn’t until I received my notice a year ago that that illusion of safety was shattered,” said Kee.More than 3,000 units c...

Chicago man pleads guilty in shooting of three undercover federal officers

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:00 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago man has pleaded guilty to charges in a 2021 drive-by shooting of three undercover law enforcement officers that he mistook for rival gang members, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.Eugene “Gen Gen” McLaurin, 31, entered the plea Tuesday to three counts of assaulting a federal officer and two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence, prosecutors said. Each firearm count is punishable by 10 years to life in prison and each assault count is punishable by up to 20 years, prosecutors said. U.S. District Judge Manish Shah scheduled sentencing for March 13, 2024.McLaurin has been detained in federal custody since his arrest in 2021. The shootings occurred on the morning of July 7, 2021, when two agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and an ATF Task Force officer were driving in an unmarked vehicle while conducting a covert federal investigation on the South Side. McLaurin admitted in a plea agreement that he had...

'Sibling Santas': South suburban teens spearhead annual toy drive for hospitalized children

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:00 GMT

MONEE, Ill. — It takes a lot of toys to fill a minivan. But for the seventh year in a row, two south suburban teens are filling several.Drawing on her own experience of receiving gifts during hospitalizations, Monee's Maddy Rodrigues, 16, and her older brother Zach, 17, are once again spearheading a toy drive for Comer Children's Hospital in Chicago.The inspiration for what the siblings call Zach and Maddy's Toy Drive comes from Maddy's own health challenges. She was born with brittle bone disease, requiring frequent hospitalizations."I've broken 80-something bones, and I'm only 16," Maddy said. More from Erin: A special ring, lost for decades, makes remarkable journey back to owner Donations from toy drives helped brighten some difficult days."I grew up going to hospitals and stuff, and I think about all the times I was given a toy and what helped me through difficult times," Maddy said.Maddy Rodrigues (Photo courtesy Rodrigues family)That left Maddy and her brother with a soft s...

Skilling: Cloudy weather continues, but break in sunshine Thursday

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Finally—some sun today for the first time in 6 days.  But it was COLD! Highs only made it to 37 today—making it the coldest of December's opening 6 days.MILD PACIFIC AIR IS ON THE MOVE!  Temps as close as Nebraska have reached the 60s and are even bumping up against 70-deg at some locations there. And that UNSEASONABLY MILD AIR is eastbound. Temps there have surged more than 20-deg higher than 24 hours agoTemps are cold as we move into Tuesday evening---but overnight temps won't drop much as this mild Pacific air begins to move in. Nighttime readings are likely to hold fairly steady out in low to mid 30s—then surge 15 to 20-deg higher, reaching the mid 50s Thursday afternoon and within striking distance of 60-deg Friday.Surges of mild Pacific air are part and parcel of the typical La Nina winter pattern.  The incoming mild air is to boost average temps Thursday and Friday to 12 and nearly 18-deg ABOVE NORMAL respectively—delivering by Friday what amounts to mid Octobe...

2 busloads of migrants arrive in Chicago, 5 more expected Wednesday

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:00 GMT

CHICAGO -- Two busloads of migrants arrived in Chicago from Texas Wednesday afternoon and the city expects five more to arrive later in the day.Dozens of migrants, including adults and several children, were greeted by officials with the Office of Emergency Management & Communications (OEMC) upon arrival in Chicago on Wednesday. A group of people with the New Life Centers also welcomed the migrants with coats and bags filled with basic necessities. 3 Chicago aldermen call for resignations over failed Brighton Park migrant site A migrant from Venezuela said she traveled with her husband, two children, and other relatives on an over 24 hour bus ride from Texas.But before arriving in Chicago, the Venezuelan family had a long and dangerous two month journey from their home country, including being robbed and kidnapped.She said her only worry will be the cold, but she's happy to be in a great city like Chicago and plans on staying with a relative who lives here. State will not pr...

Sean 'Diddy' Combs says 'enough is enough' after new sexual assault lawsuit

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:00 GMT

(The Hill) -- Hip-Hop legend and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs issued a defiant statement Wednesday, where he vehemently denied the slew of sexual assault allegations against him made in recent weeks. “Enough is enough,” Combs said in a statement posted on his various social media accounts Wednesday.“For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday,” the music mogul added in his statement. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs steps down as Revolt chair amid sexual assault allegations “Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.” Combs, 54, has been credited for his influence and pivotal role in shaping the hip-hop scene through his record label, Bad Boy Records — helping establish artists such as Mary J. Blige, the Notorious ...

Where GOP candidates stand on conflicts in Israel, Ukraine, China

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:00 GMT

NewsNation will host the fourth Republican primary debate on Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. E.T. The debate will be aired and streamed live on all NewsNation platforms. Not sure how to find us on your TV? Use our ChannelFinder app. If you have a question for the candidates, submit it here. (NewsNation) — International relations and foreign policy have become hot-button issues during this campaign season, and the 2024 Republican presidential candidates have made their stances known on conflicts between Israel and Hamas, Ukraine and Russia, and Taiwan and China. How to watch the fourth Republican presidential debate tonight The latest NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ poll released Monday found Americans across the political spectrum prefer U.S. foreign policies in these conflicts to not include sending troops to those regions, though respondents from both parties viewed the three conflicts differently. Inflation the top issue for more than half of Americans: Poll Ahead of the 2024 election,&n...

McDonald's may bring back Snack Wraps — sort of

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:00 GMT

(KTLA) — A new iteration of McDonald’s snack wraps could be coming to restaurants by the end of 2025, the company announced Wednesday.McDonald's said it will expand its chicken meals to meet consumers’ demands. This plan includes offering the McCrispy “to nearly all markets across the world by the end of 2025 and expand McCrispy into wraps and tenders,” a news release said. McDonald’s to phase out self-serve soft drink fountains The McCrispy sandwich is a “southern-style fried chicken sandwich,” according to the product’s description.While McDonald’s hasn’t announced plans to return the original snack wrap, this new iteration of the popular menu item could appease fans who have petitioned for its return for years.The Snack Wrap consisted of chicken, shredded lettuce and cheese wrapped in a warm tortilla. There was also a spicy option.The portable menu item debuted in 2006 and was discontinued in 2016 after many complained that the food item was too complicated to make and didn’t p...

Weight loss drugs may have more than just cosmetic benefits — and more

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:00:00 GMT

For Wednesday, Dec. 6, WGN’s Dina Bair has new medical information, including: More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch Weight loss medications and longevityThey've been growing in popularity: drugs to help people shed pounds. Now, as new research emerges, doctors are seeing multiple benefits. For people who are overweight or obese and may also be experiencing knee and hip osteoarthritis, a slow-to-moderate rate of weight loss triggered by anti-obesity medications lowers the risk of premature death. Patients experience less joint pain, engage in more activity and enhance overall health by shedding pounds.  The study was published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatology. Study finds link between early menstruation and diabetes riskA warning for women who had their first menstrual cycle at a young age: they may be at risk for disease younger. Starting menstrual cycles before the age of 13 is linked to a heightened threat of diabetes and stroke, according to a study in the British Medica...