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RCMP officers’ group says Mounties shouldn’t be ‘scapegoats’ in police shortage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:30 GMT

VANCOUVER — The voice for almost 20,000 RCMP says its members should not be used as “political pawns” in the dispute between the British Columbia government and the City of Surrey over its policing situation. Brian Sauvé, the president of the National Police Federation, says in an open letter to Premier David Eby that the government’s lack of funding has led to staff shortages and it’s unfair to blame the Mounties for not filling their vacancies.The staffing vacancies were a key reason the B.C. government had recommended the City of Surrey continue its transition to an independent police force, despite the newly elected mayor’s promise that the city would go back to the RCMP for its policing. The provincial government is expected to announce its decision Wednesday on whether Surrey will be allowed to abandon its transition to a municipal police force and revert to RCMP. Sauvé says in the letter that Eby’s recent attention toward RCMP recruiting is...

Police haul more items from home of man charged in Gilgo Beach killings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:30 GMT

MASSAPEQUA PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Police carted more boxes of potential evidence Tuesday out of the Long Island home of Rex Heuermann, who has been charged with killing at least three women and leaving their remains alongside a remote stretch of beach highway.Items pulled out of Heuermann’s home in Massapequa Park in recent days have included more than 200 firearms, a large doll in a glass case, a large portrait of a woman with a bruised face and a filing cabinet.Investigators, some dressed in “crime lab” T-shirts and protective suits, were seen Tuesday carting away a desktop computer, a large picture frame, a mirror and many other household items.It remains to be seen whether any of those items will help authorities build their case against Heuermann, an architect who was charged Friday with murdering three women and was said by a prosecutor to be a suspect in a fourth slaying.Heuermann has denied killing the women, according to his attorney, Michael Brown. Since his arrest, Heuer...

Galchenyuk apologizes, says he is checking into player assistance program

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:30 GMT

Alex Galchenyuk will enter the NHL and NHLPA’s player assistance program and has apologized to fans and local police for the actions that led to his contract being terminated by the Arizona Coyotes earlier this month.Galchenyuk issued the apology and announcement in letters addressed to Coyotes leadership, his teammates and hockey fans on his Twitter account. ESPN’s Emily Kaplan was the first to report the news.“My behavior last week was deeply offensive, uncalled for, horrendous, embarrassing, disrespectful and just plain awful,” Galchenyuk wrote. “By checking myself into the NHL/NHLPA Assistance Program, I hope to get the help I need to ensure I never make a mistake like this again.”The Coyotes terminated Galchenyuk’s contract on July 14, less than two weeks after adding the forward to the organization in free agency. ESPN also reported that NHLPA president Marty Walsh is considering filing a grievance over the Coyotes’ terminating o...

S&P/TSX composite gains 150 points led by energy stocks, U.S. stock markets also rise

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:30 GMT

TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index gained almost 150 points, led by strength in the energy sector, while U.S. stock markets also rose.The S&P/TSX composite index was up 149.78 points at 20,376.57.Markets in Canada breathed a “sigh of relief” Tuesday after the latest inflation report, said Craig Fehr, investment strategist at Edward Jones. Inflation in June slowed to 2.8 per cent, down from 3.4 per cent in May, said Statistics Canada. “It’s generally consistent with what we saw last week in the U.S., and I would say broadly consistent with the trends that we’ve been seeing in consumer prices for some time now,” said Fehr. However, the fall in headline inflation was helped by the fact that energy costs are a lot lower than they were a year ago and core inflation measures aren’t quite as rosy as the headline suggests, said Fehr.“Core inflation is still sufficiently elevated to keep the Bank of Canada on guard,” he said, but it isn’t so high as to warrant a “new, more aggress...

Toddler dead after falling from high rise balcony on South Side

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:30 GMT

CHICAGO — A toddler has died after falling from a high rise balcony on the South Side Tuesday.According to the Chicago Fire Department, crews were dispatched to the 500 block of East 33rd Place on the report of a person who fell around 12 p.m. on Tuesday. Postal worker attacked in attempted armed robbery in River Grove The Chicago Fire Department found a small toddler, believed to be a girl, who fell from a balcony. Authorities did not say what floor she fell from.The toddler was transported to Comer Children's Hospital in critical condition, but were later pronounced dead.No further information has been provided at this time.WGN News will update this story once more information becomes available.

Northwestern University president announces new measures amidst hazing scandal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:30 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. — For the first time in over a week, the leader of Northwestern University is speaking out as a football hazing scandal continues to make national headlines.President Michael Schill released a letter to the faculty and staff of the university on Tuesday afternoon in which he said he intends "to do whatever is necessary to address this situation" in the athletic department.In doing so, he announced a pair of external reviews that will take place, with the first concerning the school's "accountability mechanism" along with its ability to detect threats to student-athletes. Northwestern will also have an outside firm look at the culture of athletics at the school and "its relationship to the academic mission." First lawsuit filed in Northwestern hazing scandal Schill said that both will be conducted with feedback from faculty, staff, and students at the school and will be made publicly available.This comes as the hazing scandal with the football program has led to the ...

VIDEO: Security camera footage shows slide falling from plane on NW Side

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:30 GMT

CHICAGO — A day after an emergency slide fell off of an United Airlines flight into a Northwest Side backyard, new video has surfaced showing the moment the debris came flying out of the sky."We heard this loud boom,” said local resident Sam Deane Monday, recalling the moment the slide hit the ground in his backyard.According to the Chicago Police Department, officers were called to a home in the 4700 block of North Chester near the intersection of Lawrence Avenue and Cumberland Avenue around 12:15 p.m. Monday, where plane debris had fallen from the sky, causing slight damage to the home.After officers arrived on scene, the derbis was removed from the backyard and loaded into a pickup truck before being taken away. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: “We heard this loud boom:” Plane debris falls into backyard of Far Northwest Side home According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), maintenance workers at O’Hare discovered an emergency evacuation slide was missing from a United Airlines Bo...

Taco John's abandons Taco Tuesday trademark, issues challenge to Taco Bell

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:30 GMT

(NewsNation) — Fast food chain Taco John's has been home to Taco Tuesday for 40 years, but now the company is abandoning its claim to the famous phrase. The company is also using the move to draw attention to a nonprofit organization that supports restaurant workers.Since May, Taco John's has been involved in a legal battle with rival chain Taco Bell, who challenged the company's registration of the "Taco Tuesday" saying, which Taco John's has held since 1989 (in every state except New Jersey). Taco Bell also enlisted the help of basketball star LeBron James, who previously tried to trademark "Taco Tuesday" himself."We've always prided ourselves on being the home of Taco Tuesday, but paying millions of dollars to lawyers to defend our mark just doesn't feel like the right thing to do," Jim Creel, the CEO of Taco John's, said. Bride feeds 99 wedding guests for $1,950 by ordering from fast-casual chain The company has also pledged to donate $40,000 to Children of Restaurant Employee...

DeSantis on Trump Jan. 6 probe: 'I hope he doesn't get charged'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:30 GMT

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Tuesday said he hopes former President Trump doesn't get charged in the Justice Department's investigation into Trump's efforts to stay in office after losing the 2020 presidential election. “I don’t think it serves us good to have a presidential election focused on what happened four years ago in January," DeSantis told CNN's Jake Tapper in his first sitdown interview with a major non-conservative news network this campaign cycle. "I don’t wanna look back,” he continued. “I do not wanna see him — I hope he doesn’t get charged. I don’t think it’ll be good for the country. But at the same time I’ve gotta focus on looking forward, and that’s what we’re gonna do.”DeSantis's comments come hours after Trump said he received a "target letter" on Sunday evening from special counsel Jack Smith, who's leading the federal probe into the events of Jan. 6, 2021. “Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Biden’s DOJ, sent a letter (again it was...

Officials responding to wildfire near Buda subdivision

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:15:30 GMT

HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Multiple first responders were called to assist with a wildfire in the Ruby Ranch subdivision in west Buda near Montgomery Court on Tuesday, the Hays County Office of Emergency Management (HCOEM) said on social media.At this time, officials said the fire is limited to a roughly 30-acre area.Shortly before 3 p.m., HCOEM said the Texas Wildland Task Force responded, as well as Travis County Starflight for water drops. All Hays County ESDs are also assisting Buda Fire Dept./ESD #8, EMS and Hays County Office of Emergency Services (CERT) for firefighter rehab, HCOEM said. At approximately 3:31 p.m., officials closed FM 967 from Ruby Ranch Road to 6025 FM 967 to allow emergency vehicles easier access to battle the wildfire in the neighborhood, HCOEM said.Although no structures are currently in danger, officials said four home were evacuated out of an abundance of caution.If more people are asked to leave their homes, information ...