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‘Freedom Convoy’ got more volatile as protest went on, police officer tells court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:22:24 GMT

OTTAWA — The longer “Freedom Convoy” demonstrators blockaded Ottawa streets in protest of COVID-19 public health restrictions last year, the more volatile the relationship between police and protesters became, an Ottawa police officer testified Wednesday. Insp. Russell Lucas was called as a Crown witness in the criminal trial of key protest organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber to testify about his role in co-ordinating the police response to the convoy.Lich and Barber are co-accused of mischief, counselling others to commit mischief, obstructing police and intimidation for their role in the three-week demonstration.Barber faces an additional charge of counselling others to disobey a court order.Thousands of people and big-rig trucks gridlocked Ottawa for three weeks to protest COVID-19 public health measures and the federal Liberal government, which eventually invoked the Emergencies Act.Lucas, who served as an incident commander during the protest, told the court tha...

Airlines face growing pressure from pilot unions, as threat of brain drain looms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:22:24 GMT

MONTREAL — Pilots are demanding better wages and benefits from their employers, raising financial pressure on airlines that are just starting to recover from the pandemic.The union representing some 320 aviators at WestJet Encore, the carrier’s regional service, announced Tuesday they plan to launch negotiations on their second collective agreement.The move by the Air Line Pilots Association comes after 1,800 pilots with WestJet’s main operation and its budget subsidiary Swoop ratified a new deal in June that brings them onto a level pay scale, giving flight crews a 24 per cent wage bump over four years and resulting in Swoop’s shutdown at the end of October.Days later, some 4,500 Air Canada pilots kick-started the bargaining process, as unions seek gains that will bring them closer to deals in the U.S. Between March and September, pilots at Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines secured agreements that included four-year pay hikes ranging from 34 p...

Flooding in southern Brazil leaves at least 31 dead and 1,600 homeless

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:22:24 GMT

MUCUM, Brazil (AP) — Flooding from a cyclone in southern Brazil washed away houses, trapped motorists in vehicles and swamped streets in several cities, killing at least 31 people and leaving 1,600 homeless, authorities said Wednesday. More than 60 cities have been battered by the storm since Monday night, and Rio Grande do Sul Gov. Eduardo Leite said the death toll was the state’s highest from a climate event.“The fly-over we just did, shows the dimension of an absolutely out of the ordinary event,” Leite said in a video posted on the state’s social media accounts. “It wasn’t just riverside communities that were hit, but entire cities that were completely compromised.”Videos shot by rescue teams Tuesday and published by the online news site G1 had shown some families on the top of their houses pleading for help as rivers overflowed their banks. Some areas were entirely cut off after wide avenues turned into fast-moving rivers.Leite said Wednesday that the death toll was at 31...

Highland Park hosting 'poverty simulation' event

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:22:24 GMT

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. — The City of Highland Park is hosting a "poverty simulation" event Saturday at a country club.The city partnered with the Alliance for Human Services, Family Focus, Moraine Township and the Highland Park Community Foundation with the goal of increasing "residents' understanding and awareness of what it is like to live in poverty in Lake County.""Participants in this immersive experience will begin to experience what a "month” in poverty feels like. Participants are put into situations in which they do not have enough resources and are forced to make difficult choices that can negatively impact them and their families. The outcome is increased awareness of the need for resources to support those living in poverty to create a more resilient health, human, and education sector in our local area," a description for the event reads.It will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Highland Park Country Club, located in the 1200 block of Park Avenue West.Sever...

Man missing after jumping off boat into Lake Michigan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:22:24 GMT

CHICAGO — A man is missing after jumping off a boat into Lake Michigan, according to the mother of his children.Bryan Jackson, a father of two, was last seen on a boat near 31st Street Harbor. Rev. Tanya Lozano Washington, who is the mother of Jackson's children, reported him missing Tuesday and said he jumped off the boat and has been missing since."Please help us find @itsbjack the father of my 2 kids went missing after jumping off a boat near 31st harbor, if you have any information please contact me," her post says.Anyone with information on Jackson's wherabouts is urged to call Chicago police.Lozano Washington is asking the public to help family and friends search for Jackson at 31st Street Harbor at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

'I'm ready': Why Justin Fields believes Bears' offense can take a step forward in 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:22:24 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — As it is almost every year, the focus for the Bears starts with the man under center - and it's a big year for him. After showing progress in his second year in the NFL, Justin Fields now faces a 2023 season where he'll have a collection of new players in his second season in coordinator Luke Getsy's offensive scheme.It's also a year with some pressure, as his contract moving forward with the Bears has a lot weighing on the upcoming 17 games.So it's safe to say all eyes will be on Fields as the Bears open the 2023 regular season against the Packers at Soldier Field on Sunday at 3:25 p.m."I'm ready, ready to go," said Fields at his news conference ahead of the Week 1 match-up with Green Bay and their new quarterback, Jordan Love. As he's prepared to start the season, Fields believes the offense is in a position to improve from 2022, where they were 23rd in points (19.2 per game) 28th in total yards (307.8 per game). "Just our mindset," said Fields when asked what...

NJ business owner arrested, accused of using drone to drop green dye in nearby pools

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:22:24 GMT

NEW JERSEY (WPIX) – A New Jersey man has been arrested for allegedly dropping chemical dye into residential and commercial pools via the use of a drone, police said.Patrick Spina IV, 45, of Absecon, was charged with multiple counts of criminal mischief Friday in connection with several of the annoying, costly incidents, police said. Pool have a ‘chlorine smell’? Don’t swim in it Police in the city of Absecon were first made aware of such incidents on Aug. 13, when a homeowner noticed a drone hovering over their yard, the Absecon Police Department said."To the homeowner's dismay, a substance was dropped from the drone, turning the pool water an alarming shade of green," the department wrote in a press release.Police said several other incidents were reported at nearby pools, one of which involved a Quality Inn in Galloway Township. That particular incident caused damage to the pool's concrete base, they said.Sandra Woolstion, the general manager of the Quality Inn, told The New Yo...

LIVE: Televised hearing begins in Trump's Georgia election case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:22:24 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Televised court proceedings in the trial over an alleged scheme to try to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia kick off in Atlanta this week. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee had scheduled arraignment hearings for Wednesday for Meadows, former President Donald Trump and the other 17 people charged last month in a sprawling indictment. By midday Tuesday, all of the defendants had filed paperwork pleading not guilty in filings with the court and waived their rights to an arraignment hearing.During an arraignment hearing, defendants have the right to have the charges against them read and to enter a formal plea. Trump pleaded not guilty in a court filing Thursday and Giuliani entered his plea Friday, with the rest of the pleas trickling in over several days.Meadows and four others are seeking to move the charges against them to federal court. But during a hearing last week on Meadows' reques...

Carl Nassib, first openly gay man to play in NFL games, retires after 7 seasons

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:22:24 GMT

(WTAJ) — The first openly gay player to appear in an NFL regular season game is calling it a career after seven seasons. Carl Nassib, 30, announced Wednesday on Instagram that he's walking away from the NFL. Nassib, who came out in 2021 while with the Las Vegas Raiders, said it's a "bittersweet moment." "It really feels like just yesterday starting out as a walk-on at Penn State. Football has given me more than I ever could have imagined. I can truly hang up my helmet for the last time knowing I gave it everything I had," Nasib said.In 2016, Nassib was drafted in the third round by the Cleveland Browns. He spent two seasons with the team before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2018-2019, 2022) and two with the Las Vegas Raiders (2020-2021). In June 2021, Nassib publicly announced he was gay on Instagram. In August 2021, he said the response he received was "incredible" according to ESPN.While there were other NFL players who were open about their sexuality to the public, Nassib was...

Blue Starlite Drive-In to host Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' film screenings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:22:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It's not a cruel summer anymore! While Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour didn't make a stop in Austin, Central Texas fans will have a chance to see the pop superstar on the silver screen. Missed Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour?’ Here’s your chance to catch it in theaters Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In announced Sunday it will be screening Swift's upcoming "The Eras Tour" movie, slated for release on Oct. 13. The Austin-operated drive-in theater joins other cinemas displaying the tour film, including AMC, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and Galaxy Theatres.Tickets are available online, with planned showtimes at Blue Starlite's downtown location on the rooftop of 300 San Antonio St. Blue Starlite said it'll operate as a "special 4-week engagement," with a limited number of tickets available each night.