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Malta says it didn’t find migrant boat in distress alerted by NGOs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:16 GMT

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Authorities on the European island nation of Malta have contested accusations made by a group of nongovernmental organizations a day earlier regarding a migrant boat in distress.“Following multiple verifications of reported position through multiple searches, no boat was sighted in the reported position,” the Armed Forces of Malta said in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday.On Monday, four rescue groups operating in the central Mediterranean accused Maltese authorities of coordinating the return of around 500 people to eastern Libya where they were subsequently imprisoned, in violation of international maritime law.The group of migrants, including 55 children and pregnant women, had been trying to reach Europe on May 23 aboard a rusty iron fishing vessel when they reported to Alarm Phone — a hotline for migrants in distress — that they were adrift and taking in water, according to the NGO.Communicating by satellite phone, the migrants shared their GPS...

Minnesota governor readies to sign bill legalizing recreational cannabis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:16 GMT

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (AP) — Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is scheduled to sign a bill Tuesday that legalizes recreational marijuana for people over the age of 21, making Minnesota the 23rd state to legalize the substance for adults.Former Gov. Jesse Ventura, who supported legalization when he served from 1999-2003, is expected to attend the signing ceremony. Walz said in November that Ventura would be invited because Ventura was one of the first governors in the country to support legalization.Under the new measure, it would become legal by Aug. 1 to possess, use and grow marijuana at home. Possession of cannabis flower would be limited to 2 pounds (0.9 kilos) at home and 2 ounces (56 grams) in public. Stricter caps would be placed on cannabis products with concentrated THC. Retail sales at dispensaries would probably be at least a year away. Once licensed, stores would charge sales tax plus a 10% cannabis tax.Minnesotans who have been convicted of misdemeanor or petty misdemean...

Pembina Pipeline partnering with Marubeni Corp. on ammonia export project

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:16 GMT

CALGARY — Pembina Pipeline Corp. says it has reached an agreement with Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corp. to create an ammonia supply chain for exports to Asian markets.Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline says the project includes joint development of low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia production facilities near Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.The company says the project will make use of existing infrastructure and regional natural gas supplies to produce the hydrogen, along with the ammonia which is used as a hydrogen carrier.The project is expected to have a design capacity of up to 185 kilotonnes per year of hydrogen production, which would be converted into about a million tonnes a year of ammonia that would be carried to the west coast via rail. Pembina Pipeline says it plans to use carbon capture and storage to capture a “significant” amount of the carbon emissions. The company says the project would potentially serve as an anchor to develop a wider low-carbon complex that it c...

Suburban driving instructor allegedly sexually abused student

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:16 GMT

ST. CHARLES, Ill. — A driving teacher is facing 13 counts of sex abuse after allegedly abusing one of his students in 2021.Paul Bocska, 56, of St. Charles, was taken into custody last week. He's facing eight counts of criminal sexual assault and five counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.Prosecutors allege Boscka had sexual contact with one of his students, who was a minor, at Drive Now Driving School, located in the 100 block of North Second Street. Suburban man accused of DUI after passenger dies in crash His bond was set at $50,000. Boscka posted $5,000 and he was released.Anyone with information should call police at 630-377-4435.

Blackhawks' anthem singer keeps his Memorial Day weekend tradition going

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:16 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS — One of the biggest moments at one of the world's biggest sports events once again featured someone who is well-known among Chicago sports fans. In fact, the Blackhawks' national anthem singer is making it a tradition of his own. For the 7th consecutive year, @NHLBlackhawks @Anthem_Singer Jim Cornelison performs “Back Home Again in Indiana” at the #Indy500 at @IMS just ahead of the command to start the engines..@WGNNews pic.twitter.com/xYXIS8fKhj— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) May 28, 2023As part of the pre-race festivities for the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500, Jim Cornelison sang "Back Home Again in Indiana" on Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.The song is traditionally performed just ahead of the command for the 33 drivers in the race to start their engines. This marks the seventh-straight year that Cornelison, who is the main performer of "The Star Spangled Banner" ahead of Blackhawks games at the United Center, has performed the song. He first...

Chick-fil-A DEI hire sparks calls for boycott

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:16 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — Chick-fil-A's newest big hire — a vice president of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) — has some conservative groups calling for a boycott. The fast food giant has been a favorite among many over the years, due in large part to its religious roots and sporadic financial support of anti-LGBTQ organizations, but the hire of Erick McReynolds, VP, DEI, has some claiming the company has "gone woke."Loosely defined, DEI is a variable set of principles that organizations and companies are increasingly incorporating in their work environments. As explained by job resource outlet Indeed, DEI "is often used to describe the programs and initiatives a company has in place to improve those areas." DEI actions can include actions like hiring more diverse employees, making pay more equal, and including training for non-minority employees on how to support their minority colleagues, for instance. The principles have been criticized by many conservatives in recent years. Hungove...

These states have had the most drownings in recent years

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:16 GMT

(The Hill) -- Following the Memorial Day holiday, more Americans will soon be confronting a years-long summertime problem: fewer lifeguards on duty, particularly raising significant safety issues.A shortage in lifeguards has been ongoing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with a third of the more than 300,000 public U.S. pools being affected, according to the American Lifeguard Association. Bernard Fisher, the director of health and safety for the group, told Axios that the pandemic “wiped the slate of certified lifeguards completely clean.” Lifeguards need to be recertified every two years, which also could be contributing to the shortage.  9 injured in Memorial Day shooting at Florida beach The shortages might cause thousands of pools to be closed or operate on reduced hours throughout the summer. Adam Katchmarchi, the executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, said that drownings had been dropping since 2020, but they starte...

Missing Tennessee woman spotted at California Walmart, deputy says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:16 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) -- A Tennessee woman whose family says she disappeared while on a road trip with her boyfriend was seen at a Walmart in California over Memorial Day weekend, law enforcement said. A deputy in Cheatham County, Tennessee, said Nikki Alcaraz was spotted at a Walmart in Redding, California, on Saturday. A photo was taken when she reportedly sold her phone at an ecoATM, a kiosk that offers payment in exchange for used phones, the county's District Attorney General Ray Crouch said.Nikki Alcaraz (Source: DA General Ray Crouch)Despite the sighting, authorities are still asking for the public's help in finding her. Alcaraz had set out in her black Jeep with her boyfriend, Tyler Stratton, and a dog to visit family in Orange County, California. During their cross-country trip, the couple had a run-in with law enforcement in Torrance County, New Mexico. According to a Torrance County Sheriff’s Office report from May 4, a witness saw Stratton punch Alcaraz in the face. Th...

Supreme Court declines request seeking to hold Reddit liable for child porn

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:16 GMT

The Supreme Court declined to take up an appeal seeking to hold Reddit responsible for child pornography on its site.In a brief, unsigned order, the justices on Monday rejected a request from a group of unnamed victims and their parents to reverse a lower ruling that favored the forum website.Internet companies enjoy wide legal protections for third-party content under a controversial shield known as Section 230, which has remained largely unchanged since it was passed in 1996.The Supreme Court earlier this month resolved a challenge to the scope of Section 230 on narrow grounds, leaving the question of how far its protections stretch unresolved. The Reddit case involved a carveout to those protections that lawmakers passed in 2018, and the court's order allows the justices to again steer clear of Section 230.The parents and victims sued Reddit by citing the carveout, which made it easier to take legal action against websites for enabling sex trafficking. It allows plaintiffs to bri...

As temperatures go up, here's where you can get treats to cool down in Central Texas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:16 GMT

CENTRAL TEXAS (KXAN) -- As summer approaches and temperatures rise higher and higher, you may be wondering where to get ice cream and other cold treats to help you cool down. We asked viewers on social media where to get the best cold treats this summer, and answers ranged from snowball stands to ice cream parlors to frozen custard shops. To receive news updates on social media, follow KXAN on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.Here's where to get a cool, tasty treat to beat the heat: Amy's Ice Cream has several Austin and Central Texas locations Andy's Frozen Custard, with locations in several states, including in Central Texas in Cedar Park, Round Rock, Pflugerville, and AustinCasey's New Orleans Snowballs at 808 E. 51st St., AustinD'Lites said it serves low-calorie, low-sugar, low-carb, gluten-free ice cream. It's located at 4404 William Cannon Dr., Suite G, AustinFlight Ice Creams at 391 Sportsplex Dr., Suite C, Dripping SpringsFrozen Flamingo at 1208 Williams Dr.,...