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Israel’s military campaign in Gaza seen as among the most destructive in history, experts say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:20 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military campaign in Gaza, experts say, now sits among the deadliest and most destructive in history.In just over two months, the offensive has wreaked more destruction than the razing of Syria’s Aleppo between 2012 and 2016, Ukraine’s Mariupol or, proportionally, the Allied bombing of Germany in World War II. It has killed more civilians than the U.S.-led coalition did in its three-year campaign against the Islamic State group.The Israeli military has said little about what kinds of bombs and artillery it is using in Gaza. But from blast fragments found on-site and analyses of strike footage, experts are confident that the vast majority of bombs dropped on the besieged enclave are U.S.-made. They say the weapons include 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) “bunker-busters” that have killed hundreds in densely populated areas.With the Palestinian death toll in Gaza approaching 20,000, the international community is calling for a cease-fire. Israel vows to press ah...

New York City’s teachers union sues Mayor Eric Adams over steep cuts to public schools

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:20 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City’s teachers union is suing to block planned cuts to the city’s public schools, warning that steep budget reductions proposed by Mayor Eric Adams would weaken key education initiatives and violate state law.For months, Adams has argued that slashing city spending – including a $550 million cut in education funding – is necessary to offset the rising costs of New York’s migrant crisis. But in a lawsuit filed in state court on Thursday, the United Federation of Teachers accused the mayor of exaggerating the city’s fiscal woes in order to push through a “blunt austerity measure” that is both illegal and unnecessary.The lawsuit rests on a state law that prevents New York City from reducing school spending unless overall revenues decline. Because the city outperformed revenue expectations this fiscal year, the mid-year education cuts – which will hurt universal prekindergarten and after-school programs, as well as special needs students – are illegal, the suit...

Matthew Boswell’s mandate as competition commissioner renewed for another two years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:20 GMT

OTTAWA — The federal government is reappointing Matthew Boswell as the commissioner of competition for a two-year term.Boswell, who was first appointed as commissioner in 2019, was slated to finish his term at the end of February.A news release published Wednesday says his reappointment comes as the federal government looks to fulfill its promise of a comprehensive modernization of the country’s competition law. The Liberals have made several amendments to the Competition Act over the last couple of years, but the changes still fall short of what the Competition Bureau has recommended to the government.Boswell, who has been at the bureau since 2011, has been a vocal advocate for reforming the law and has called for a “whole-of-government” approach to unlock more competition across the economy.During his tenure, the bureau notably tried to block the Rogers-Shaw merger from going ahead, but lost the case in court.This report by The Canadian Press was first published ...

Arriving police unknowingly directed shooter out of building during frantic search for UNLV gunman

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:20 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Police officers responding to a deadly shooting inside the business school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, mistook the gunman for a bystander and urged him to get out of the building amid the frantic search for the suspect and victims, according to body camera footage and police accounts.With their weapons drawn, the two Las Vegas police officers climbed stairs to a second-floor walkway overlooking the ground floor of the business school during the Dec. 6 shooting that left three professors dead and one wounded on the 30,000-student campus. The shooter, later identified as Anthony Polito, appears for only a few moments in more than five hours of footage made public Wednesday, but the video provides the first look at the gunman in the building after opening fire on the top floors of the business school.The video shows him wearing a long black trench coat over a white shirt and moving calmly through the first floor of the business school as officers swarmed th...

Vintage gun for teacher’s presentation triggers police lockdown at Vancouver school

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:20 GMT

VANCOUVER — A prop for a teacher’s presentation at a Vancouver secondary school set off a lockdown and an emergency response by police on Thursday. Police say a teacher at Lord Byng Secondary called 911 to report a man carrying a rifle into the school, and the emergency response team was dispatched and the school locked down while police searched for a suspect. During the search, officers found a staff member who confirmed they had a vintage rifle that was to be used in a class presentation. Police shared a photo of an officer in tactical gear in a classroom, holding up what appeared to be a musket about two metres long.Based on the initial investigation, police say they don’t believe the staff member had any criminal intent. Vancouver Const. Jason Doucette says the report allowed them to put their training into action quickly to resolve the issue. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 21, 2023. The Canadian Press

Polish state TV relaunches its main newscast as the new government shakes up the media

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:20 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Viewers in Poland watched a remolded main evening newscast on TVP state television Thursday, after the country’s new, pro-European Union government took control of state media to free it from the control and propaganda of the previous right-wing ruling team. Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose Cabinet took office last week, has promised to free the outlet and other state-owned media of the former ruling conservatives’ propaganda and divisive policies. The first broadcast under the new authorities began with experts and officials explaining why programs under the previous government violated standards of fairness and objectivity, and why the new government had to make changes quickly. Even the name of the program was changed, from “News” to “19.30,” the time when it is broadcast on the main channel, TVP1.The program then carried a report on the 2024 budget debate in parliament, followed by other news from Poland and around the world, trying to include various view...

Ed Burke found guilty on 13 of 14 counts in federal corruption trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:20 GMT

BREAKING UPDATE: Former Chicago Ald. Ed Burke has been found guilty on all counts except one in his federal corruption trial.Co-defendant Charles Cui was guilty on multiple counts. Co-defendant Peter Andrews was found not guilty on all counts.WGN News will update this story soon. Our Special Coverage is above.Original story:CHICAGO — After a quiet Wednesday in the Ed Burke trial, jurors are back at the Dirksen Federal Building to decide the fate of the former powerful alderman.The jury has been deliberating for roughly 21 hours now. They offered few hints to its progress Wednesday — sending no notes or questions to Judge Virginia Kendall.Legal experts said the case is a complex one and could take quite some time for jurors to decide.The most complicated aspect is count one of the indictment, which is the racketeering charge. It allows federal prosecutors to tie together seemingly unrelated acts as a pattern.There are also a number of criteria that must be met to to find someone guil...

Chicago Bears offensive inconsistency leads to questions about offensive coordinator Luke Getsy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:20 GMT

An inconsistent offense has left Chicago Bears coordinator Luke Getsy and quarterback Justin Fields open to criticism all season.Sunday’s 20-17 loss to Cleveland did nothing to fix the situation, and coach Matt Eberflus realizes the time will soon come to quit putting off big questions about the future direction of the offense.“Sure, oh yeah, no question, no question,” Eberflus said with his team at 5-9. “And we’re going to assess all those things at the end and, again, we’ve got to play these games right here, right now." Opinion: Bears need to at least call on Justin Herbert Eberflus for now is behind his offensive coordinator.“I love Luke,” Eberflus said. "He’s a great leader in the room. Like I said, I’ll evaluate everything at the end.”Eberflus said he sees improvement on all sides of the football from the team, but points come only sporadically.Last week’s 17 points included one offensive touchdown. It occurred on an eight-play, 1-yard drive after Eddie Jackson’s interceptio...

Transportation Department gives $110 million to projects to prevent wildlife car crashes 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:20 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - A new grant program is trying to tackle dangerous crashes with animals, which kill around 200 people in the U.S. annually. Now the Department of Transportation is giving millions of dollars to wildlife crossing projects. Each year in the U.S. there are more than a million crashes involving wildlife, with sometimes deadly outcomes for both animals and people. "We have an opportunity to do something about it," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. The Transportation Department recently announced it's giving $110 million in grants to 19 wildlife crossing projects across the country. The program is the first of its kind and Secretary Pete Buttigieg says it will save lives and boost conservation efforts. "It's the right thing to do for conservation and for habitats and wildlife, but it's also the right thing to do for drivers and their kids," Buttigieg said. Jeremy Romero with the National Wildlife Federation says as the amount of d...

Over 1 million visitors expected in Arkansas for 2024 total solar eclipse

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:23:20 GMT

DEQUEEN, Ark. (KTAL/KMSS) – The Arkansas Department of Transportation is preparing residents and visitors for the potential for high traffic during the total eclipse in 2024.According to a news release from ArDOT, the state is anticipating 1.5 million people will travel to Arkansas from outside the state, in addition to 500,000 Arkansans who will travel from their residences into the path of totality. Can you take a photo of an eclipse with your phone? That influx of visitors will bring an additional 700,000 vehicles to the area. Total Eclipse for ARDOT (Source: Arkansas Department of Transportation) ArDOT provided tips for locals in an effort to minimize the potential for excessive traffic. For those traveling to the area of the total eclipse, Arkansas officials encourage you to stay a while. Several school districts have announced that they will close to allow families to enjoy the eclipse and to minimize the logistical challenges that the influx of travel will cause with schoo...