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In Montreal, a visual competition between pro-Israel, pro-Palestinian demonstrators

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

MONTREAL — In Montreal, symbols of the war between Israel and Hamas are everywhere. Jarring signs and graffiti demonstrating support for the Israeli or Palestinian causes have become part of the cityscape: on sidewalks, lamp posts and bus shelters.The rivalry between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian camps is unfolding as a visual competition not only in Montreal but across North America, raising questions about the role these images are playing in escalating local tensions tied to the distant conflict.And the intensity of that rivalry distinguishes it from other cultural and political disputes in recent history, says Aidan McGarry, an international politics professor at Loughborough University, in England, who studies visual elements in protest movements.Protests spur counter-protest movements, he explained in an interview. Often, he said, those counter-protests manifest in more subdued or latent messaging.“What’s different this time is that you have two groups that are ab...

Puerto Rico signs multimillion-dollar deal with Texas company to build a marina for mega yachts

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico’s government on Thursday signed a multimillion-dollar contract with a Texas-based company to build a marina for mega yachts in the capital of the U.S. territory.Currently, two docks in San Juan are available to yachts and mega yachts, but there is limited space and basic services are not offered, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said.The new marina to be built by Safe Harbor Marinas, LLC will cover more than 180,000 square feet (67,000 square meters) and will be located in the two docks that currently accept yachts. It will be able to accommodate roughly six yachts at a time and will offer shore power and water connections, sanitary pumping and high-speed internet, Pierluisi said.Safe Harbor Marinas will invest between $12 million and $15 million, the governor said.The 40-year concession lease agreement calls for Puerto Rico’s Port Authority to receive $200,000 a year in rental fees. Safe Harbor Marinas also will share 5% of its gross income with the aut...

Violent protests break out ahead of Bulgaria-Hungary soccer qualifier

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Thousands of Bulgarian football supporters on Thursday took to the streets of the capital, Sofia, in protest over the management of the national football union, a demonstration that eventually turned violent.The qualifying match between Bulgaria and Hungary for next year’s European soccer championship fell victim to a bitter dispute between the management of the Bulgarian Football Union and soccer fans from across the Balkan country.Minutes before the kickoff, fans began to throw makeshift bombs, stones and plastic bottles at the police. After trash cans were set on fire, police responded with water cannon. Media reported that several protesters were injured.The last straw that infuriated the fans, whose anger had been simmering for a long time, came with the union’s decision to play Thursday’s match in front of empty stands at the national stadium in the capital.Some 1,600 police in riot gear were dispatched to secure the area around the empty sta...

Judge hands down 27-month sentence in attack on congresswoman in Washington apartment building

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man who pleaded guilty to assaulting Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota in the elevator of her Washington apartment was sentenced to more than two years behind bars Thursday.Kendrid Khalil Hamlin, 27, apologized to Craig and said he wants to get mental health and substance abuse treatment. He was sentenced to 27 months for the February assault. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg acknowledged Hamlin’s difficult upbringing and “frequently unaddressed” mental illness was behind much of his behavior. Still, “some of this conduct has been extremely problematic,” he said. Craig said Hamlin trapped her in the elevator, then grabbed her neck, slammed her against a steel wall and punched her before she fought him off by throwing her coffee at him. Afterward, she was targeted with death threats and forced to move amid public commentary about her assault, she said in court papers. “While my physical recovery was days, my mental and emotional recovery has taken m...

Amazon will allow US customers to buy cars on its site from local car dealers starting next year

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Want to buy a car on Amazon? Well, now you might get your chance.The e-commerce giant will launch vehicle sales in the U.S. next year and allow local car dealers to sell directly to customers on its site. In a joint announcement with car manufacturer Hyundai on Thursday, the two companies said Amazon will begin by offering Hyundai vehicles. In turn, Hyundai will name Amazon’s cloud computing unit AWS as its preferred cloud provider and integrate its next-generation vehicles with Alexa, Amazon’s popular voice assistant. The idea, according to Amazon, is to have customers purchase a new car online and pick it up – or have it delivered – from their local dealer. Amazon did not say how many dealers would be participating in the program or if customers across the U.S. would be able to make purchases. An Amazon spokesperson said the company would release more details as it builds the program, which is expected to begin with Hyundai franchised dealers and launch during the ...

A cannabis worker died on the job from an asthma attack. It’s the first reported case in US

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

The U.S. cannabis production industry’s first reported occupational asthma death took the life of a worker in Massachusetts, federal health and safety officials said.The woman, 27, was working in a cannabis cultivation and processing facility when she experienced worsening work-related respiratory symptoms that ended in a fatal asthma attack in January 2022, officials said in a federal report published Thursday. The report states that allergic diseases such as asthma are a growing concern in the U.S. cannabis industry, which has grown rapidly in recent years thanks to a wave of state-level legalizations.The report said the worker’s death “illustrates missed opportunities for prevention, including workplace exposures, medical surveillance, and treatment according to the current asthma guidelines.” The report does not name the worker or the Massachusetts facility.However, the report does state that evaluation of workers with new-onset or worsening asthma is essential in cannabis...

Key GOP lawmaker calls for renewal of surveillance tool as he proposes changes to protect privacy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee called Thursday for the renewal of a key U.S. government surveillance tool as he proposed a series of changes aimed at safeguarding privacy.The proposals by Rep. Mike Turner are part of a late scramble inside Congress and the White House to guarantee the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows spy agencies to collect emails and other communications. They emerged from a congressional working group and are expected to form the basis of a legislative package that Turner hopes can be passed before Section 702 expires at the end of the year.“We believe that before the end of the year, we will have a significant package of reforms that will be unprecedented, and at the same time, we will have the renewal of 702,” Turner told reporters.The section of law at issue permits U.S. officials to collect without a warrant the communications of targeted foreigners who are ...

New Subaru Forester, Lucid SUV and Toyota Camry are among vehicles on display at L.A. Auto Show

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An all-new Subaru Forester, a Lucid electric SUV, and a revamped Toyota Camry are among the new automobiles that will be on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show starting this week.The public portion of the show runs from Nov. 17 to 26, and like many other auto shows worldwide, it will have far fewer debuts than it had in past years. That’s because many automakers are avoiding the expense of big shows to distance themselves from competitors with online model unveilings.The Forester and Lucid Gravity SUV will make their global debuts on Thursday’s media day. Toyota will show off the Camry and Crown Signia SUV after unveiling them in Los Angeles before the start of the show.SUBARU FORESTERThe 2025 version of Subaru’s small SUV gets a new exterior design that looks a little more upright and SUV-like than the current model. The company says the new Forester’s looks emphasize height and strength, yet it gets some aerodynamic improvements. The cur...

At least 23 injured after CTA train crash on North Side: CFD

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

CHICAGO -- At least 23 people are reported injured after a CTA train crash on the North Side, CFD said. The CTA says at around 10:39 a.m. in the 7500 block of North Paulina Street, a yellow line train crashed into rail equipment in the Howard Rail Yard on the North Side. CFD battles massive warehouse fire on South Side CFD reported at least 23 people transported to area hospitals and three others in critical condition. Fifteen others refused EMS. Yellow and purple lines have been temporarily suspended. WGN is following the incident and will update as more information is provided.

CFD battles massive warehouse fire on South Side

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:54 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Fire Department battled a massive warehouse fire on the South Side Thursday morningThe fire started just before 9 a.m. Thursday at Evans Food Group, located in the 4100 block of South Halsted near the border of Back of the Yards and Canaryville, and quickly escalated to a three-alarm blaze that tore through multiple structures.SkyCam9 over the scene showed massive flames and dark smoke billowing from the building.CFD said at around 9 a.m. that multiple buildings are involved and they have a positive water source. No injuries were reported and CFD said wind made the fire harder to be put out.