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Mayor Chow calls for ceasefire, return of hostages in Israel-Hamas war

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:35 GMT

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has joined a growing call for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war that continues to see growing civilian causalities.In a statement released Friday, Chow also called for the return of all hostages.“I believe that peace can only come through the immediate and unconditional return of all hostages and a ceasefire, as has been called for by humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations,” Chow wrote.She also addressed a disturbing rise in hate crimes in the city, calling on residents to uphold Toronto’s reputation as a glowing model of diversity.“In hard times our common bond is often tested,” she wrote. “The fact remains that antisemitism and Islamophobia exist here. People are scared of being targeted for who they are or what they believe in.”“As your Mayor, let me be clear: any assault on the freedom of people practicing their faith or religion, is not welcome here. Threatening the safety of b...

Mitch McConnell, standing apart in a changing GOP, digs in on his decades-long push against Russia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:35 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitch McConnell often tells the story of a letter that his father, a foot soldier in World War II, wrote to his mother while he was stationed in Eastern Europe in 1945, as the United States was liberating the region from Nazi rule.“I think the Russians are going to be a big problem,” A.M. McConnell wrote, foreshadowing the communist takeover to come.Almost 80 years later, his son is still warning of Russia. From his perch as the long-time Republican leader in the U.S. Senate, McConnell has emerged as perhaps the strongest advocate in Congress for sending billions of dollars in American assistance to Ukraine as the country fights Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion, aligning himself with President Joe Biden and majority Democrats in the process. It’s hardly a change in outlook for the Kentucky senator, who was first elected to the Senate in 1984 and was shaped by the era when President Ronald Reagan was fighting the Cold War and U.S. foreign poli...

Mavericks to play tournament game on regular floor. Production issues delayed the new court

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:35 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks are playing a home game in the NBA’s In-Season Tournament for the first time on Friday night.But they will do so on their regular court — not the special-edition tournament court.The NBA said “a manufacturing issue” kept the Mavericks from having a ready-for-tournament-play court delivered in time for Friday’s home game against the Los Angeles Clippers, so Dallas’ regular home court was installed for the matchup instead.The Mavericks’ tournament court was supposed to be mostly silver, with a darker gray stripe down the center of the floor with three images of the NBA Cup — one at midcourt, the others in each of the foul lanes — displayed as well. All home courts for tournament games follow that design pattern, though the color schemes are wildly different in each city.Some players have voiced concerns about the courts and their footing on the painted surface. Indiana players Myles Turner and Tyrese Haliburton both said they ...

Even Picasso had to practice, practice. Artist’s sketchbooks show whimsy, humor, determination

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:35 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — He was a giant of 20th-century art, but that doesn’t mean Pablo Picasso needed a big canvas.Matchbook covers, postcards, restaurant napkins — they all served as makeshift sketchpads for the artist at moments of inspiration.And so it should perhaps not be surprising that some of Picasso’s actual sketchpads were well smaller than, say, a compact disc cover — like the tiny one now on display at Manhattan’s Pace Gallery as part of “Picasso: 14 Sketchbooks,” a new exhibit marking 50 years since the legendary artist’s death.A stunningly complete self-portrait in pencil peeks out of that little book, with deep and piercing eyes, all 3 ¾ by 5 1/2 inches of it. It was 1918 and Picasso, then in his mid-30s, had just married ballet dancer Olga Khokhlova. During a summer in balmy Biarritz, he painted on canvas but also kept this tiny notebook around, filling it with scenes of their villa, the beach and the town, and sketches of upcoming paintings. He also drafted a letter to his...

Friday Forecast: Highs in upper 40s with falling temps

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:35 GMT

CHICAGO — Temperatures in the upper 40s and increasing clouds. Winds: WNW 5-15 G25. Winds: 48. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here Partly cloudy tonight with calm conditions. Winds: NW 0-5. Low: 31.Saturday Forecast: Mostly sunny, late day clouds, SE 0-5. High: 50.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Lawmakers introduce bill to classify 9-1-1 operators as first responders

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:35 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) says she still vividly remembers speaking with a child during her days as a 9-1-1 operator."The only thing I could hear was thumping, really loud. Screams, horrific screams. Followed by five shots," Torres said.Torres says she only got the call because her department did not have enough bilingual dispatchers."I was still in training. I should not have been answering those calls," Torres said.This is one of the many reasons why Torres and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn) introduced their bill to classify 9-1-1 operators as first responders, instead of clerical workers."There's legal protections that are not available for them because of that classification. There's grants and funding that cannot flow to them because of that designation," Fitzpatrick said.Fitzpatrick and Torres hope those added protection and resources will help keep more of the 9-1-1 operators currently facing burnout on the job."The numbers are going down and as a ...

These states have the highest car theft rates: Where does yours rank?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:35 GMT

(KTLA) — Between 2021 and 2022, reported carjackings in the U.S. increased by 8.1%, recently released FBI data shows. The vast majority of those involved an assailant with a weapon, and someone was injured in more than a quarter of all carjackings. A new report shows some states have been hit harder by car thieves than others. The National Insurance Crime Bureau, a not-for-profit organization, reviewed data collected by the FBI's National Crime Information Center to find which states had the highest vehicle theft rates in 2022 per 100,000 residents.Overall, they found states primarily on the West Coast and in the Southwest had the worst vehicle theft rates. For the second year in a row, Colorado topped the list, reporting a theft rate of over 731 cars per 100,000 residents in 2022, up more than 10% compared to 2021, according to the NICB. Ranking second on the list wasn't a state at all: the District of Columbia saw roughly 700 cars per 100,000 residents stolen last year. For compar...

LIVE: Gov. Abbott to sign bill banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:35 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Governor Abbott will sign legislation banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private employers at the governor's mansion on Friday afternoon.Once signed into law, Senate Bill 7 will prohibit employers in the private sector from taking "adverse action" against an employee who does not want to get a COVID-19 shot. It would allow people to file a complaint at the Texas Workforce Commission to investigate alleged retaliation. Employers could face a fine up to $1,000 for each violation, according to this legislation.Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, who authored SB 7, emphasized the importance of medical autonomy when discussing his bill during the third special session.“This bill is about protecting individuals,” said Middleton during the third special session. “This protects individuals from losing their job if they don’t believe that COVID vaccine is right for them for whatever reason.” READ MORE: Texas Senate gives final approval to ban on COVID-19 vaccine m...

The relentless determination of new Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:35 GMT

Josh Dobbs never missed school growing up in Alpharetta, Ga. Not a single day in 13 years.It started off as a friendly competition with his mother Stephanie Dobbs during his adolescence. She only missed school once as a kid, and she reminded her son of that accomplishment often. If he wanted to beat her, there was literally no margin for error.That served as a compass for Dobbs throughout elementary school, middle school and high school. Nothing was going to stop him from having perfect attendance. Not even his own college decision.As a star quarterback for Alpharetta High School, he skillfully navigated the recruitment process in a way that ensured he never got marked absent. His father Robert Dobbs recalled that if his son had an official visit set up, he would go to school long enough to get credit, then the family would race to the airport to catch a flight. If they missed the plane, they missed the plane.The closest he got to missing school came during his senior year when he w...

The Loop NFL Picks: Week 10

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:35 GMT

Saints at Vikings (+2½)Former Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton was wowed by Joshua Dobbs’ performance last Sunday, saying what the replacement QB did was “impossible.” Tarkenton’s a bit of an expert on things “impossible” from his days trying in vain to win Super Bowls.Pick: Vikings by 3Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback Fran Tarkenton reaches out for the ball after he fumbled it during second quarter action against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl IX, Jan. 12, 1975, in New Orleans. Tarkenton recovered ball in the end zone for a Pittsburgh safety. (AP Photo/Jack Thornell)Jets at Raiders (+1½)Injured Aaron Rodgers was in full backtrack mode after saying on the field Monday night that he’d be back quarterbacking the Jets in “several weeks.: He quickly amended that to “several fortnights,” then admitted he’s going to spend the next several months playing only Fortnite.Pick: Raiders by 3New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers watches from the sidelines against the Los Angeles C...