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Missouri Republican seeks exceptions to near-total abortion ban, including for rape and incest cases

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:37 GMT

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri Republican on Wednesday pitched exceptions to the state’s near-total abortion ban in cases of rape, incest and fatal abnormalities. It wasn’t immediately clear when a fetus would be considered viable under the plan. St. Louis resident Jamie Corley proposed the constitutional amendments to allow the exceptions. Another option would allow abortions until viability, though it’s unclear when a fetus would be considered viable under the proposal. Missouri bans almost all abortions. The only exception is for medical emergencies. Another group of activists have been campaigning to enshrine those rights in the Missouri Constitution. That effort has been tied up in court battles and fights with the Republican attorney general and secretary of state. Missouri is among many states turning to voters after the U.S. Supreme Court last year reversed Roe v. Wade and took away a nationwide right to abortion.Since then, the issue appeared on the ballot in s...

Journalist for top Polish paper allegedly denied medication in Belarusian prison

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:37 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A former correspondent for a top Polish newspaper has been denied life-saving heart medication in Belarusian prison, a representative of Belarus’ largest Polish community organization told reporters Tuesday.Andrzej Poczobut, 50, a former reporter with the Gazeta Wyborcza daily, has been put in solitary confinement with no access to lawyers or medical care, Marek Zaniewski from the Union of Poles in Belarus said at a press briefing. The country’s largest and most prominent rights group, Viasna, also reported on its website that Poczobut has been transferred to a one-man “punishment cell” at a prison in Navapolatsk, a city in northern Belarus, where he is serving an eight-year sentence. Poczobut, a prominent member of Belarus’ sizable Polish minority, was found guilty in February of “sowing discord” and harming the country’s national security. His closed trial in the Belarusian city of Grodno was widely seen as part of Minsk’s sweeping crackdown on opposi...

Critical fire weather in arrives Northern California’s interior; PG&E cuts power to 8,400 customers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:37 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Gusty winds and low humidity brought high risk of wildfires to the interior of Northern California on Wednesday and a utility proactively cut electricity to approximately 8,400 customers to prevent potential ignitions in the blustery conditions.Red flag warnings for critical fire danger were to remain in effect until 8 p.m. in much of the Sacramento Valley and adjacent areas to the west, the National Weather Service said.Pacific Gas & Electric said that shortly before 2 a.m., it began public safety power shutoffs in small portions of eight counties.Customers in the “targeted high-fire-threat areas” were notified in advance Tuesday, the utility said in a statement.The gusty northerly winds were generated in the wake of a trough of low pressure that moved through Northern California on Tuesday, the weather service said.Public safety power shutoffs are intended to prevent fires from starting when power lines are downed by winds or struck by falling trees or win...

B.C. posts $704 million budget surplus for 2022-2023, say audited public accounts

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:37 GMT

VICTORIA — An audited public accounting of British Columbia’s financial records shows the province posted a surplus of more than $700 million in the 2022-2023 budget year.Finance Minister Katrine Conroy outlined the province’s financial performance in the government’s public accounts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023.The government’s budget forecasts have been on an up-and-down ride for the past two years, with the 2022-2023 budget originally forecast in February last year to show a $5.5 billion deficit, before that was revised to a surplus of almost $6 billion, then downgraded to a $3.6 billion surplus.The final numbers now show a surplus of $704 million.Conroy forecast three years of consecutive budget deficits last March, with the current 2023-2024 budget projected to bring a deficit of $4.2 billion.She says the audited public accounts show B.C.’s economy grew by 3.6 per cent, tied for fourth highest among the provinces and equal to Canada...

Ontario housing minister violated Integrity Act in Greenbelt land swap: Integrity commissioner

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:37 GMT

Ontario’s housing minister violated ethics rules when the government removed land from the protected Greenbelt for development, the province’s integrity commissioner found in a report released Wednesday.Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake found Housing Minister Steve Clark violated two sections of the Members’ Integrity Act that governs politicians’ ethics, conflict of interest rules and insider information rules.Wake found Clark failed to oversee the land selection process, which led to the private interests of certain developers being furthered improperly.“I have recommended to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario that Minister Clark be reprimanded for his failure to comply with the Act,” Wake wrote.Clark did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Last year, the province took 7,400 acres of land out of the Greenbelt to build 50,000 homes and replaced it with about 9,400 acres elsewhere.That decision led to a public outcry as well as a ...

Dundee-Crown High School placed on lockdown due to 'swatting' call

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:37 GMT

CARPENTERSVILLE, Ill. — Dundee-Crown High School was placed on lockdown Wednesday morning due to a false "swatting" call, police said.In a message to parents and students, Supt. Susan Harkin said all students and staff are safe.Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain told WGN News they believe the incident was a false call, known as "swatting." The lockdown was implemented at around 9:10 a.m.The "swatting" call appeared to be originating out of California, according to investigators.Students and staff were outside of the building waiting for it to be cleared by police. Just after 12:05 p.m., the lockdown was lifted.Students and staff have been directed to return into the building."For the remainder of the day, Dundee-Crown will remain open in a shelter in place. Students will remain in the field house, cafeteria, or gym during this time. Support services will be provided to any student who may need them. Food services will be available for students. The school will dismiss at the normal time, ...

Man charged in death of 8-year-old boy who found gun in West Side home: police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:37 GMT

CHICAGO — A man has been charged in the death of an 8-year-old boy who found a firearm inside a West Side home.Ramon Sumerlin, 41, faces one felony count of child endangerment/death and one felony count of unlawful use of a weapon.The incident happened on August 15 on the 3100 block of West Flournoy in the Garfield Park neighborhood. Police said Sumerlin left the 8-year-old unattended inside a residence.The boy found a firearm and "subsequently sustained a gunshot wound to his chest causing his death," according to police. 2 teenage boys charged after NW Side armed robberies Sumerlin was arrested Monday and charged accordingly. He is due in bond court Thursday.

Wednesday Forecast: Temps in low 70s, breezy and cooler

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:37 GMT

CHICAGO — Temperatures in the low 70s Wednesday with mostly sunny conditions. Cooler lakeside. Winds: NNE 10-15 G20. High: 71/68. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Clear conditions tonight. Winds: NNE 5-10 G15. Low: 57.Thursday Forecast: Sunny conditions and cooler lakeside. Winds: E 5-10. High: 75/72.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Supermoon could team up with Idalia to raise tides even higher

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:37 GMT

A rare blue supermoon could raise tides above normal just as Hurricane Idalia lashes Florida’s west coast, exacerbating flooding from the storm.The moon was closest to the Earth on Wednesday, the same day Idalia made landfall as a high-end Category 3 hurricane near Keaton Beach in Florida's sparsely populated Big Bend region with maximum sustained winds near 125 mph.While a supermoon can make for a spectacular backdrop in photos of landmarks around the world, its intensified gravitational pull also makes tides higher.“I would say the timing is pretty bad for this one,” said Brian Haines, the meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service office in Charleston, South Carolina. IDALIA LIVE BLOG: ‘Catastrophic’ storm surge poses biggest threat to Tampa Bay area residents It’s expected to make tidal flooding worse not only in Florida, but in states such as Georgia and South Carolina, where Haines’ office has been warning residents that parts of Charleston c...

Photos: Angelfish gets CT scan at Denver Zoo

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:37 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Have you ever seen a fish receive medical care? Check this one off the list of strange things. A fish at the Denver Zoo received a CT scan when staff noticed a change in its behavior. You’ve been warned: Don’t drive over solid white lines After animal care specialists in the zoo's Tropical Discovery habitat noticed the French angelfish had trouble swimming and floating, it was taken to the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Animal Hospital for an exam, the zoo said on Instagram.The fish was sedated, tucked in between a sponge and had water intermittently run over its gills while veterinarians examined it and performed a CT scan.French angelfish gets a CT scan (Photo credits: Jimmy Johnson) Fish at the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Animal Hospital (Photo credits: Jimmy Johnson)After the scan, the fish received a treatment plan. "We’re happy to share that this little fish was on a treatment plan and is now back to happily swimming in its Tropical Discovery home," the zoo said...