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Pot smell and safety concerns ignite disputes over public smoking

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:17 GMT

By Kevin Hardy, Stateline.orgCarl Sack is no fan of marijuana.He tried smoking once in high school and hasn’t touched it since. And he doesn’t just dislike the clouds of pot smoke he encounters around Duluth, Minnesota — he hates them.“I can’t stand to be around the stuff,” he said.But he’s still adamantly opposed to local efforts to ban the public consumption of marijuana, which became legal for recreational use on Aug. 1. Sack is among several residents asking the Duluth City Council to reject a proposed ban on marijuana consumption in city parks.“At a time when we’re finally getting rid of the racist war on drugs at the state level, the city of Duluth shouldn’t be the one to take up the mantle of this shameful and failed public policy,” he told the City Council last month.Many Minnesotans were surprised to learn the state’s legalization law didn’t outright ban public consumption. While existing tobacco rules already prohibit indoor smoking in most places, state law allows smoking...

Radar: Tracking Hilary

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:17 GMT

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SoCal in 'probable path' of Hurricane Hilary; When was the last time a tropical storm hit California?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:17 GMT

When conversations about tropical storms and hurricanes arise, California is rarely included. A tropical storm forming off the Pacific coast of Mexico, however, could impact the Golden State.Tropical Storm Hilary, which is expected to grow into a hurricane by Thursday, is slated to make its way toward the Baja California peninsula later this week, according to the National Hurricane Center. Tropical storm causes heat warnings and high surf in San Diego While the Hilary is expected to weaken as it approaches the peninsula, the remnants could still bring several inches of rain and potential flooding to the area, according to the Washington Post. Southern California is currently in the storm's "probable path."Tropical Storm Hilary's potential path. Aug. 16, 2023. (NOAA)“Confidence continues to increase on a heavy rainfall, potentially high impact, event unfolding across parts of the Southwest and California Saturday to Monday,” the National Weather Service said Wednesday.While it is ...

Worker dead after fall at construction site: TPS

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:17 GMT

A male worker has died after falling roughly 100 feet at a South Riverdale construction site.Toronto police tell CityNews 680 they were called to a site in the Leslie Street and Commissioner Street area around 11 a.m. on Thursday.A police spokesperson said a male construction worker fell and died a short time later. The Ministry of Labour will take over the investigation.No other details were immediately provided.

Minneapolis advances measure for minimum wage to Uber and Lyft drivers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:17 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minneapolis City Council members narrowly passed a measure on Thursday that would establish a minimum wage for drivers of Uber, Lyft and other ride-share companies in the city.Many of the drivers are African immigrants who have been pushing for higher wages at the state and city levels for several months. Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, can still veto the city’s measure. Seattle and New York City have passed similar policies in recent years.If the Minneapolis ordinance goes into effect, drivers would be paid at least $1.40 per mile and $0.51 per minute, or $5, whichever is greater. The rule would only apply for the portion of the ride within the city.Council members voted 7-5 to pass it. The council consists of 12 Democrats and one person who ran as an independent and identifies as a democratic socialist.Supporters of the measure said they want to increase drivers’ wages as soon as possible so the drivers can afford their lives. Members also said they ar...

The Gaza Strip gets its first cat cafe, a cozy refuge from life under blockade

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:17 GMT

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The global cat cafe trend, where people pay to have coffee and hang out with cats, has finally come to the besieged Gaza Strip.In the impoverished Palestinian enclave run by the Hamas militant group and crippled by a 17-year blockade, residents seeking to escape the territory’s troubles flocked on Thursday to the new Meow Cafe — Gaza City’s answer to the quirky concept tried successfully around the world.The cafe’s founder, 52-year-old Naema Mabed, said she envisioned the spot as a unique escape from the pressures of life in Gaza — with its lack of recreational options, a youth unemployment rate of over 60% and frequent rounds of conflict with Israel since Hamas violently seized control of the strip in 2007. At the cozy hang-out, Mabed offers a modest drink service and encourages guests to head straight to the cat corner to pet and play with furry friends. The rules of entry are simple: Visitors must cover their shoes with plastic and w...

Communities spring into action to help N.W.T. wildfire evacuees

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:17 GMT

CALGARY — Communities receiving those fleeing the Northwest Territories wildfires are springing into action to help.Calgary pet charity Parachutes for Pets says it’s gathering supplies for animals and has reached out to boarding kennels to see whether some can offer space.Melissa David, who runs the charity, says some evacuees may not have taken pet supplies. She says some shelters have also closed their doors and not all evacuation centres are pet friendly,  In Fort McMurray, a city that was ravaged by wildfire seven years ago, residents have also offered help.Michel Labine, who left the territory over the weekend for the Alberta city, says people there have given him and others new clothes at the evacuation centre. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 17, 2023.The Canadian Press

Britney Spears’ husband seeks financial support, says in divorce filing their split came weeks ago

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:17 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britney Spears and her husband Sam Asghari separated nearly three weeks ago, and he is seeking spousal support and attorneys’ fees in their divorce, according to his divorce filing. Asghari, 29, filed his petition to dissolve his 14-month-old marriage to the pop 41-year-old pop superstar in Los Angeles County court late Wednesday. Like the vast majority of those who file for divorce in California, he cites irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. The document lists the couple’s separation date as July 28, though reports of the split did not emerge until Wednesday. It says he will try to get financial support from her, while blocking her from getting any from him. And it seeks to have her pay for his divorce lawyers. The filing says the value of Spears’ and Asghari’s assets, and those they own jointly, has yet to be determined. Spears and Asghari had no children together. Email sent to a Spears’ representatives were not ...

Supreme Court to hear appeal from airlines on air passenger rights compensation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:17 GMT

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada agreed on Thursday to hear an appeal from a group of airlines looking to quash rules that boost compensation to passengers for delayed flights or damaged luggage.Air Canada, Porter Airlines Inc. and 16 other appellants argue that Canada’s four-year-old passenger rights charter violates global standards and should be rendered invalid for international flights.The legal action that started in 2019 states that by imposing heftier compensation requirements for flight cancellations or lost baggage, the regulations exceed the Canadian Transportation Agency’s authority and contravene internationally agreed upon rules known as the Montreal Convention.In December, the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed the airlines’ case, with the exception of one regulation that applies to the temporary loss of baggage.The Canadian Transportation Agency and attorney general argue there is no conflict between passenger protections and the Montreal Convention, a...

Red Lake Nation in northwestern Minnesota plans to roll out mobile cannabis dispensary

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:17 GMT

RED LAKE, Minn. (AP) — The Red Lake Nation in northwestern Minnesota, which opened the state’s first recreational marijuana store this month, now plans to roll out a mobile dispensary.Minnesota Public Radio reported that the dispensary, which will resemble a food truck, will allow the tribe to expand its cannabis business into other markets, but only on tribal lands. “Obviously, there’s some more security concerns that would be involved with a food truck, but very similar to that concept,” Tribal Secretary Samuel Strong said.Mobile dispensaries have also popped up in other states, including New York, where authorities have tried to shut them down because that state’s retail licensing system is not yet in place. The on-reservation NativeCare dispensary saw big crowds when it first opened on Aug. 1, but the long lines have shrunk drastically since then, Strong said. He estimates around 300 customers a day currently visit the dispensary.Business has been so good they’re now open ...