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2SLGBTQ+ advocates sound alarm over federal Conservative proposals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:49 GMT

The Conservative Party of Canada is set to debate a variety of resolutions at its policy convention in Quebec next month, but two of the proposals, which relate to gender identity, have 2SLGBTQ+ advocates sounding the alarm.The proposed policies aim to prohibit gender-affirming care for anyone under 18 and to protect what they call “single-sex spaces” like washrooms. Transgender advocates are concerned, saying this would take away their rights, and that the anti-trans movement is based on fear-mongering and conspiracy theories.Fae Johnstone, president of the Society of Queer Momentum, says debates like this are hurting the community.“We’re seeing more hate messages on social media,” Johnstone said. “We’re seeing more demonization of our communities and is a genuine fear, and it’s a reasonable fear, that we’re going to regress in Canada.”Helen Kennedy with Egale Canada also expressed concern over the resolutions.“It...

TSB report warns that unnoticed locomotive fires pose wildfire risk

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:49 GMT

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is warning about the risks of fires going unnoticed on locomotives and setting wildfires, citing dozens of on-board blazes in a report into an incident two years ago in southeast British Columbia.The board says there have been at least 21 more on-board fires involving “remote” locomotives in the middle or at the end of a train since the incident, with 34 occurring in the 10 years before.The board says a mechanical failure on a locomotive in the middle of a Canadian Pacific freight train caused fire and embers to shoot out of its exhaust, setting a wildfire near the tiny community of Caithness in July 2021.It says the on-board fire wasn’t detected until it was seen by the crew of a passing train, while the trackside fire grew to 1.2 hectares before it was put out by local volunteers and the BC Wildfire Service.The board says freight locomotives aren’t equipped with real-time sensors to detect fires, and it’s conc...

Prevent illegal mass data extraction, privacy authorities tell social media firms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:49 GMT

OTTAWA — The federal privacy watchdog and some of his global counterparts are urging the largest social media companies to prevent bulk extraction of personal details from their websites.In a joint statement, privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne and data protection authorities from Australia, Britain and other countries say the practice, known as data scraping, poses a serious risk.They warn that personal information has been used for targeted cyberattacks, identity fraud, creating facial recognition databases, unauthorized police intelligence gathering, and unwanted direct marketing and spam. A 2021 investigation by Canada’s privacy commissioner and three provincial watchdogs found that Clearview AI’s scraping of billions of images of people from across the internet represented mass surveillance of Canadians.The new joint statement, an initiative of the Global Privacy Assembly’s International Enforcement Cooperation Working Group, is signed by Dufresne and representat...

How Wrigley Field plans to keep concert-goers cool for blazing Guns N' Roses show

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:49 GMT

CHICAGO — Guns N' Roses is ready to rock out at 'The Friendly Confines' in Wrigleyville despite the area remaining under an Excessive Heat Warning. The rock and roll Hall of Fame group, set to perform at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at a sold-out Wrigley Field, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to let Chicagoans know "tonight is going to be special!"Hours before start time, around 3 p.m., temperatures in Chicago hit 100 degrees, a first for the city since July 6, 2022, according to WGN weather producer Bill Synder. With temperatures soaring, Wrigley Field officials ask concert-goers to "stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, us(ing) sunscreen and tak(ing) breaks from the sun when necessary."A spokesperson adds that misters will be available for attendees in the upper deck on the right and left field patios. Cooling stations will be throughout Wrigley Field at the Marquee Gate, the terrace above the Gallagher Way Gate, and the right field concourse. A "cooling bus" on Waveland Avenue w...

COVID-19 cases rise, CDC recommends updated vaccine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:49 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting an uptick in COVID-19 cases across the country and health officials are recommending families be proactive to protect themselves going into the fall.The CDC reports a more than 20% increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations since the previous week."Still not at the same level that we saw, for example, even a year ago. But it is an increase and it is a reminder that COVID-19 will be with us,” said Dr. Nirav Shah, CDC Principal deputy director.To avoid an infection, Shah is recommending families get the updated vaccine when it's released in mid-September."Not only does the help keep you and your families safe, it also reduces the potential strain on hospitals,” Shah said.Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, a pulmonary and critical care medicine physician at John Hopkins University, said he's seeing the uptick in cases firsthand, specifically among patients with weakened immune systems."It's mutated where it's lot more ...

Bagged corn, mixed vegetables sold at Kroger, Food Lion recalled due to potential listeria contamination

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:49 GMT

(WOWK) – Bags of sweet corn and mixed vegetables sold at Food Lion and Kroger are being recalled due to the possibility of listeria contamination.Twin City Foods, Inc., of Stanwood, Washington, on Tuesday announced the recall of frozen Super Sweet Cut Corn and Mixed Vegetables bags distributed to the retailers nationwide, according to a company announcement posted on the U.S. Food and Drug Administrator (FDA) website. Stop using these two types of eye drops, FDA warns The recall involved over a dozen products, which can be identified by their UPC code, lot number and best-if-used-by dates:!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;rAs noted in the company announcement, Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in at-risk groups.Listeriosis, the infection caused by foo...

Trump co-defendant being detained was arrested earlier this year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:49 GMT

(The Hill) - Harrison Floyd, a leader of Black Voices for Trump who was indicted in the Georgia election case, was arrested earlier this year for allegedly assaulting an FBI agent, court filings show.Floyd surrendered at the Fulton County jail Thursday, joining a number of former President Trump's co-defendants, but he is the only one to do so without negotiating bail in advance.The Fulton County Sheriff’s office confirmed Floyd is being detained since he has no bond agreement.Defense attorneys for the other 18 co-defendants have all reached agreements with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s (D) office, allowing them to be released ahead of trial as long as they post bail and follow certain conditions.Interrupting Newsmax's live broadcast outside the jail on his way in, Floyd said, "My name is Harrison Floyd and the district attorney wants me to talk to her, but she doesn’t want to call me." He later surrendered after being ushered away from the media by law enforcement.I...

US Postal Service to unveil stamp honoring Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:49 GMT

(The Hill) – The U.S. Postal Service is set to unveil its new stamp honoring late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg this October.The Postal Service announced Thursday it will hold a first-day-of-issue ceremony in October for the new Forever stamp commemorating Ginsburg’s legacy. Ginsburg passed away at the age of 87 in 2020 due to complications from pancreatic cancer. She served on the Supreme Court for 27 years. The stamp features an oil painting of Ginsburg wearing her black judicial robe and white collar. Postal Service art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp with art by Michael J. Deas, which was based on a photograph by Philip Bermingham. “After beginning her career as an activist lawyer fighting gender discrimination, Justice Ginsburg became a respected jurist whose important majority opinions advancing equality and strong dissents on socially controversial rulings made her a passionate proponent of equal justice and an icon of American c...

CPD seeks SUV in connection to South Deering death investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:49 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago police on Thursday released video footage of an SUV linked to a July homicide in the city's South Deering neighborhood. The video shows a dark-colored SUV with a missing front plate and distinct rims in the 9700 block of S. Merrion Ave., around 7:10 p.m. on July 19.The Chicago Police Department seeks help identifying the vehicle and the individual (s) involved.Anyone with information is asked to contact police at (312) 747-8271 or [email protected]. Anonymous tips may also be submitted at www.cpdtip.com.

Samsung gives $40K to Austin nonprofit for trade skills and manufacturing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:28:49 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — At a fundraising luncheon Thursday, Samsung executives presented a $40,000 donation to Skillpoint Alliance, a nonprofit that gives students free training in skilled professions and manufacturing.The check was presented by Kwee Lan Teo, head of workforce development for Samsung Austin Semiconductor. Moments before the presentation, Teo gave several remarks about the company's businesses in Austin and Central Texas.She said the company wants to continue its investment and partnerships it has with agencies like Skillpoint Alliance.Kevin Brackmeyer, CEO of Skillpoint Alliance, said employers like Samsung and others at the luncheon have expressed a desire for a strong local workforce."The manufacturing industry has really high demand. All of our classes are full, electrical and HVAC as well have been really significant. Our HVAC class has about 90 students on a waiting list. There's a real need for that," Brackmeyer said.This donation comes a little more than a year out f...