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California water tunnel hangs over budget talks as legislators challenge Gov. Newsom’s plan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing the state Legislature to tackle what has long been one of the biggest gripes about government: Taking far too long to build things like roads and bridges.But Newsom’s plan to cut through red tape has slowed in the state Legislature, where some lawmakers fear his true motive is to favor a single project — the long-delayed and long-disputed plan to build a giant tunnel to re-route how the state moves water from north to south. The tunnel reflects the tension between arid Southern California, where most of the people live, and Northern California, the source of most of the state’s water.Newsom is seeking major changes to the state’s building and permitting process. He wants to make it easier and faster to build a slew of projects, from solar, wind and battery power storage to road maintenance and bridge repairs. His administration denies that the changes are aimed at expediting the tunnel. But as budget negot...

Japan emperor says ties with developing nations key to tackling global challenges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Cooperation with developing countries is key to dealing with climate change and other global challenges, Japanese Emperor Naruhito said Thursday ahead of a visit to Indonesia, his first official friendship trip abroad since ascending the Chrysanthemum Throne four years ago.Naruhito begins the weeklong trip on Saturday with his wife, Empress Masako, a former diplomat.“Cooperation with emerging and developing countries is becoming increasingly important in order to tackle global issues such as climate change, energy and food,” Naruhito said at a news conference at the Imperial Palace. “I hope our friendship and mutual understanding will further deepen through exchanges and cooperation between the peoples of the two countries.”The trip comes as Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations mark 50 years of friendship this year, when Indonesia is serving as ASEAN’s chair. Japan is increasingly seeking to deepen its ties with developing nations in tackling regio...

S&P/TSX composite creeps higher in late-morning trading, U.S. stock markets up

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index crept higher in late-morning trading, boosted by strength in the energy and base metal stocks, while U.S. stock markets also climbed higher.The S&P/TSX composite index was up 4.90 points at 20,019.99.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 350.58 points at 34,329.91. The S&P 500 index was up 31.36 points at 4,403.95, while the Nasdaq composite was up 72.27 points at 13,698.75.The Canadian dollar traded for 75.51 cents US compared with 75.20 cents US on Wednesday.The August crude contract was up US$1.59 at US$70.05 per barrel and the July natural gas contract was up 20 cents at US$2.54 per mmBTU.The August gold contract was down US$4.20 at US$1,964.70 an ounce and the July copper contract was up two cents at US$3.89 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD=X)The Canadian Press

Weekend need-to-know: Taste of Little Italy, another full weekend of Pride events

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

Another weekend full of festivals, charity walks and Pride events are set to take over the City of Toronto with lots of places to celebrate your dad this Father’s Day.Taste of Little ItalyTaste of Little Italy will be taking over College Street to celebrate all things Italian this weekend. College will be shut down from Bathurst to Shaw Streets from Friday evening to Monday morning.It’s the first time the annual festival will happen since the COVID-19 pandemic, with live music on multiple street corners and on the main stage, extended patios, multicultural vendors, amazing food, and carnival rides. and new this year, a learn-to-skate park.Under Armour 10KThe annual Under Armour 10K will be happening this Saturday as runners take to the streets to support KidSport. The national not-for-profit charitable organization helps remove financial barriers that prevent kids from playing sport.For more on road closure details, scroll to the bottom of this page.Pride Weekend #3 even...

Doug Ford shoots down Scarpitti plan to consolidate York Region into one

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has roundly rebuffed calls from the mayor of Markham to consolidate the 10 municipal governments of York Region into one city.Mayor Frank Scarpitti has argued that the move would bring significant savings and streamline governance.Scarpitti notes that the province recently passed a law to break up the upper-tier municipality of Peel Region, so he says there is no rationale to maintain the status quo in York Region.Ford shot down those suggestions, saying Scarpitti is the only one of the York Region mayors who wants that to happen.“It’s not about one mayor to go out there and want to build your empire, this is about all the seven different cities,” Ford said during an unrelated announcement in Whitby on Thursday. “We listen to the people, we listen to all the mayors so we aren’t doing it.”The province is appointing facilitators to assess several regional governments, including York Region, and look at the best mix of roles...

Thursday's Illinois Lotto jackpot the biggest so far this year at $17.5M

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

Feeling lucky? You could kick off the summer with a cool, several million in your pocket if you win the next Illinois Lotto jackpot.Thursday night's drawing is now at a record $17.4 million, the biggest jackpot so far this year.Lotto is an Illinois-only game that is played three times a week on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. More: Recent news and headlines about the Illinois Lottery Lotto can be played for $2 per line, and tickets can be purchased in-store, online, or on the Illinois Lottery’s app.Good luck!

Jury awards $25.6 million to Starbucks manager fired after the arrests of 2 men

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — Jurors in federal court have awarded $25.6 million to a former Starbucks regional manager who alleged that she and other white employees were unfairly punished after the high-profile arrests of two Black men at a Philadelphia location in 2018.Shannon Phillips won $600,000 in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages on Monday after a jury in New Jersey found that race was a determinative factor in Phillips' firing, in violation of federal and state anti-discrimination.In April 2018, a Philadelphia store manager called police on two Black men who were sitting in the coffee shop without ordering anything. Phillips, then regional manager of operations in Philadelphia, southern New Jersey, and elsewhere, was not involved with arrests. However, she said she was ordered to put a white manager who also wasn't involved on administrative leave for reasons she knew were false, according to her lawsuit.Phillips said she was fired less than a month later after...

'Gone and done it': Mom 'superglues' eye shut after mixing up eye drops

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

**Related Video Above: Eye doctors share important lesson for students learning online -- give your eyes a break.**SANTA ROSA, Calif. (WJW) — A California mother has gone viral for accidentally putting nail glue in her eye, leading to a stop in the emergency room earlier this month. 2 ways recreational marijuana could soon be legal in Ohio In a TikTok video, which has about 4.8 million views (and does include adult language), Jennifer Eversole explained she confused her bottle of eye drops for a similar-looking bottle of nail glue, which she referred to as superglue."Well, I've gone and done it. I have won the most idiot person award," Eversole said in the video from the hospital on June 3. “My eye drops sit directly next to superglue and they’re the same size bottle and I wasn’t paying attention and now my eye’s glued shut.”Getty Images photoShe told viewers the pain was overwhelming and that she had to be taken to the emergency room via ambulance to get the doctors to pry it ope...

Atlanta songwriter, music entrepreneur who killed his girlfriend gets life in prison

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A songwriter and music industry entrepreneur from Atlanta has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing his girlfriend in Iowa.Justin Wright was found guilty of first-degree murder in April in the death of 20-year-old Wilanna Bibbs, and was sentenced Wednesday, the Quad-City Times reported.Wright, 34, also known as J Wright, founded Camp Entertainment Worldwide in 2011. His company worked with artists that included Bow Wow, Timbaland, Kash Doll and DJ Khalid, and he became a multi-platinum songwriter working with those acts. Kevin Spacey: I’ll get job offers ‘the moment I am cleared’ of sexual assault charges Bibbs, an aspiring singer from Durham, North Carolina, was shot to death on May 9, 2021, at a home in Davenport, Iowa. At the sentencing hearing, Bibbs' father, Thomas Bibbs, said Wright killed his daughter over $70. The two had been dating for a few months.Scott County Attorney Kelly Cunningham said Wright and Bibbs were i...

Trump extremely 'scared' by federal charges, ex-chief of staff says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:20:28 GMT

(The Hill) – John Kelly, the former White House chief of staff, said he believes former President Trump is panicking after being arraigned on federal charges related to his handling of classified materials on Tuesday.“He’s scared s---less,” Kelly told The Washington Post. “This is the way he compensates for that. He gives people the appearance he doesn’t care by doing this.” Trump pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Miami on Tuesday. After leaving the courthouse, Trump greeted supporters at a local restaurant and then returned to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, to deliver remarks to a cheering crowd.  Trump unloads on special counsel Jack Smith in speech hours after arraignment In his speech Tuesday evening, Trump unloaded on Special Counsel Jack Smith, who brought the 37-count indictment against the former president, calling Smith a “deranged lunatic,” a “thug” and a “raging and uncontrolled Trump hater." “For the first time in his life, it looks like he’...