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11 charged in hate-motivated investigation after vandalism at Toronto Indigo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:21 GMT

Toronto police have charged 11 people in a hate-motivated mischief investigation after the Indigo store at Bay Street and Bloor Street West was vandalized with red paint and posters two weeks ago.It’s alleged that a group of suspects approached the bookstore at the corner of Bay Street and Bloor Street West and proceeded to glue posters to the doors and windows of the business.Police said the suspects then poured red paint on the windows and sidewalk. No injuries were reported.On the day of the incident, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) said the Indigo was found “vandalized with red paint and posters plastered on its front windows wrongfully accusing its Jewish founder and CEO, Heather Reisman, of ‘Funding Genocide.'”On Nov. 14, police charged 41-year-old Nisha Toomey of Toronto with mischief over $5,000. She’s expected to appear in court on Jan. 8, 2024. Various search warrants were executed by members of Toronto’s hate crime unit at res...

‘I haven’t said I would be resigning’ over carbon pricing, Guilbeault tells Senate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:21 GMT

OTTAWA — Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says he has not promised to resign if there are any further carve-outs from the carbon price.Guilbeault made the comment in the Senate on Wednesday, responding to a question from Conservative Sen. Don Plett asking if the minister would resign should a bill exempting some farm fuels from carbon pricing become law.Earlier this month, Guilbeault had said there would be no further carbon price exemptions as long as he was the environment minister.But the Senate is on the verge of passing a Conservative private member’s bill that would extend exemptions for at least eight years to propane and natural gas farmers use to heat buildings and dry grain.Conservatives argue that if the bill passes, Guilbeault should resign, but he says he never promised to do that and he notes that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also pledged there will be no more carve-outs.The Tories are also accusing the federal government of a conspiracy with some sena...

5 killed, including 2 police officers, in an ambush in Mexico’s southern state of Oaxaca

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:21 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — At least two police officers and three civilians were shot dead in an ambush in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, authorities said Thursday.The ambush took place Wednesday afternoon near a bird sanctuary in the Mixteca region, the latest in an escalating dispute between two local towns.Investigative police officers and local officials were visiting the township of San Miguel El Grande to resolve the latest territorial conflict when they were attacked by an armed group.Two police officers were killed, along with two local officials and a civilian. Two more police officers were also injured.In response to the attack more than 100 members of the military, National Guard and state security office were sent to reinforce the area Thursday. The office of Oaxaca’s attorney general has opened an investigation.Locals from the town of Llano de Guadalupe, have been feuding with San Miguel El Grande, 14 miles (22 kilometers) south for months now. In September, four people ...

Prosecutors ask to effectively close case against top Italian, WHO officials over COVID-19 response

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:21 GMT

ROME (AP) — Rome prosecutors asked a judge Thursday to effectively close an investigation into Italian and U.N. health officials over Italy’s 2020 Covid-19 response without charges, on the grounds that no crimes were committed, a lawyer said.Rome prosecutors Claudia Terracina and Paolo Ielo asked to archive the investigation that had grabbed headlines given Italy’s huge toll as t he first epicenter of the pandemic in Europe. While the judge can override the request, such a decision is highly unlikely.Already prosecutors had closed their case without filing charges against three of Italy’s past health ministers. On Thursday, they asked a judge to archive the case against nine other officials, including a former top official at the World Health Organization, Dr. Ranieri Guerra, said his lawyer Roberto De Vita.The investigation initially focused on whether delayed lockdowns in the hard-hit northern city of Bergamo contributed to the toll, but expanded to include whether Italy’s overall...

Blackhawks' Taylor Hall is expected to miss rest of the season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:21 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Blackhawks forward Taylor Hall will have right knee surgery, likely sidelining the 2018 NHL MVP for the rest of the season.The team placed Hall and forward Andreas Athanasiou on injured reserve on Thursday. The move with Athanasiou, who has a groin injury, was made retroactive to Nov. 9. Forwards Joey Anderson and Cole Guttman were recalled from Rockford of the American Hockey League.Last-place Chicago has dropped five in a row heading into Friday's matchup against visiting Toronto.The 32-year-old Hall, who was selected by Edmonton with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft, was acquired in a trade with Boston right before Chicago took Connor Bedard with top pick in this year's draft.Hall was brought in to help provide some leadership and scoring alongside Bedard, but he was hampered by a left shoulder injury at the start of the season.Hall's knee injury occurred when he was hit by Tampa Bay's Michael Eyssimont on Nov. 9. He returned last we...

Retailers ready to kick off Black Friday just as shoppers pull back on spending

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:21 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Retailers are kicking off the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season on Friday with a bevy of discounts and other enticements. But executives are growing concerned with a spending slowdown that could temper sales on the day after Thanksgiving as well as throughout the holidays.Shoppers, powered by a solid job market and steady wage growth, had demonstrated a resilience that confounded economists and ran counter to sour sentiments expressed in opinion polls. Such spending, while cautious, came despite higher prices in the grocery aisle and higher borrowing costs.But consumers are now coming under more pressure from dwindling savings, increased credit card debt and still stubborn inflation. In fact, shoppers cut their buying in October, ending six straight months of gains. Shoppers have gotten some relief from easing inflation, but many goods and services like meat and rent are still far higher than they were just three years ago.The latest quarterly results f...

Pro-Palestinian protesters briefly interrupt Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:21 GMT

(The Hill) -- More than two dozen pro-Palestinian protesters briefly disrupted the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. The New York Daily News reported that the protest happened at Sixth Avenue at West 45th Street at about 10 a.m. Thursday morning. Democratic divide over Israel-Hamas war looms over Biden’s reelection The demonstrators, about 30 of them, jumped over the barricades, ran into the streets and glued themselves to the parade route, according to ABC News. Protesters were also pictured wearing white jumpsuits sprayed with fake blood and labeled with words like “colonialism," "militarism" and "capitalism."Pro-Palestinians protestors get arrested by the police during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023, in New York (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)A pro-Palestinians protestor get arrested by the police during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023, in New York...

Wanna get paid to watch Hallmark Christmas movies? One company is offering $2K

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:21 GMT

NEW YORK (WPIX) – A company called BloomsyBox is looking to hire a "Hallmark Christmas Movie Reviewer" to watch 12 of the festive Hallmark films in just as many days.The company, an online flower subscription service, is also promising to pay the selected candidate $2,000 to rate the films, along with over $500 worth of additional prizes. What is Festivus, the holiday for the rest of us? "The countdown to Christmas is fast approaching, so we at BloomsyBox want to settle the debate: what’s the greatest piece of Hallmark holiday cinema ever created?" reads a portion of the application page. "To find out, we’re looking for one special Christmas movie maven to watch and rate 12 different Hallmark Christmas favorites in 12 days."Job responsibilities include watching the 12 movies (listed below) and ranking them by five different criteria: "Festivity Factor," "Predictability Quotient," "Chemistry Check," "Tear-Jerker Test" and "Replay Value."The movies are:"The Most Wonderful Time of th...

It’s been a slow start for Wild forward Matt Boldy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:21 GMT

Matt Boldy was a first-round pick for the Wild in the 2019 entry draft, 12th overall, and he didn’t long to prove he was worth the collateral.After putting up 39 points in his first 47 games, the big winger from Boston College hit the big time last season, hitting the 30-goal mark in his first full season, going 31-32–63 to help the Wild rack up 103 points.By January, general manager Bill Guerin had seen enough to sign Boldy to a seven-year, $49 million extension, officially making him a cornerstone of this team’s future. The pressure to perform is on, and the 22-year-old is feeling it.“Not really any words for it, just not playing great,” he said after practice Wednesday at TRIA Rink. “I’ll be the first one to tell you that.”While Boldy wasn’t much help in the playoffs last spring, three assists in a six-game, first-round loss to Dallas, he was playing conspicuously well early, scoring a goal before being injured in the third period of the Wild’s second game, a 7-3 loss at Toronto....

Thanksgiving foods your dog can eat and which ones to avoid

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:21 GMT

While your furry friend maybe begging for food at the Thanksgiving table, that doesn't mean they should eat it.Certain Thanksgiving staples, like stuffing, mashed potatoes and ham, shouldn’t be consumed by dogs due to potentially unsafe or unhealthy ingredients, experts said. Here’s where to get a Thanksgiving meal if you don’t feel like cooking Consumption of ingredients like xylitol, avocado, onion, garlic and dairy products can lead to liver failure, vomiting, breathing problems and, at times, even death, according to the American Kennel Club.To avoid a trip to the vet, experts with the organization compiled a list of foods dogs can and can’t eat on Thanksgiving.Here is what dogs can eat on ThanksgivingSweet potatoesPotatoesApplesTurkey meat with no bones or skinGreen beansPlain peasPumpkin or pure pumpkin pureeFrozen plain yogurt blended with pumpkin pureePumpkin dog cookies How to watch Thanksgiving football games on cable and streaming services Here is what dogs can’t eat ...