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Court appointee proposes Alabama congressional districts to provide representation to Black voters

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:58:47 GMT

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A court-appointed special master on Monday submitted three proposals for new congressional districts in Alabama as federal judges oversee the drawing of new lines to provide greater representation for Black voters.The three proposals all create a second district where Black voters comprise a majority of the voting age population or close to it — something that state lawmakers refused to do when they drew lines this summer. Richard Allen, the court-appointed special master, wrote that all three proposals follow the court’s instruction to create a second district in the state where Black voters have an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice. A three-judge panel is overseeing the drawing of new lines after ruling that Alabama lawmakers ignored their finding that the state — which is 27% Black — should have more than one district with a substantial percentage of Black voters. Alabama has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put the redraw on hold as t...

Struggling Chargers cornerback J.C. Jackson has arrest warrant issued in Massachusetts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:58:47 GMT

An arrest warrant has been issued for Los Angeles Chargers cornerback J.C. Jackson after he failed to appear for a court hearing on traffic charges in Massachusetts.According to a court docket, Jackson was supposed to appear in Attleboro District Court last Friday related to reckless driving and speeding charges from 2021, when he played for the New England Patriots.Chargers coach Brandon Staley said Monday the team is aware of the matter, but said he didn’t know if the team would take any disciplinary action against Jackson.“It’s a private matter for J.C. and he is working through it,” Staley said.Last December, Jackson was arrested in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, due to a nonviolent family issue. He was released one day later.Staley said Jackson’s latest legal situation was not related to him being inactive for Sunday’s game against Minnesota.Jackson played in 85 of the 132 Chargers’ defensive snaps in the first two games. He was targeted 12 times and al...

7 candidates have qualified for the 2nd Republican presidential debate. Here’s who missed the cut

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:58:47 GMT

The field for the second Republican presidential debate will be smaller than the first.Seven candidates have qualified for Wednesday night’s debate at Ronald Reagan’s presidential library in California, the Republican National Committee said, confirming that former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson did not make the cut this time.Former President Donald Trump, the early Republican presidential front-runner who skipped the first debate, will also be missing from the stage and will instead hold events in the battleground state of Michigan.To qualify for the second debate, candidates needed at least 3% support in two national polls or 3% in one national poll as well as two polls from four of the early-voting states — Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.The White House hopefuls also needed at least 50,000 unique donors, with at least 200 of those coming from 20 states or territories. They also had to sign an RNC pledge promising to support the party’s eventual nom...

Cost of living: Pepsi and Coca-Cola absent in meeting with federal industry minister

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:58:47 GMT

Canada’s industry minister made a point of calling out Pepsi and Coca-Cola for not sending representatives to a meeting he convened on Monday with manufacturing companies to discuss stabilizing grocery prices.François-Philippe Champagne singled out the two companies when asked by a journalist what the consequences would be if major industry players did not succeed in stopping high inflation. “This morning, (their CEOs) did not attend the meeting,” Champagne said of beverage giants Pepsi and Coca-Cola. “I intend to call on them and I will continue to do so. … I don’t stop,” he told reporters.The Canadian leaders of seven international manufacturing companies, including Nestlé and Kraft Heinz, met with Champagne. He summoned them to answer to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s call earlier this month for Canadian grocers to come up with a plan to stabilize prices by Thanksgiving.If major grocers fail to deliver ideas, Champagne said, “the c...

Ontario proposes new way of funding GO Transit stations, spurring nearby development

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:58:47 GMT

Ontario’s minister of infrastructure is proposing a new way of funding GO Transit stations that she says will both increase transit service and housing nearby.Kinga Surma says legislation she introduced today would let municipalities fund the design and construction of new GO stations.Municipalities could then recover the costs over time by levying a Station Contribution Fee on development that gets built around the station.The fee would be a voluntary tool for municipalities and they would apply to the province to use it.The government says they would need to show a reduction in development costs to help offset the fee for developers, such as reduced parking requirements or faster approvals.The legislation would also allow the Toronto Transit Commission to enter into cross-boundary service agreements with neighbouring transit agencies.

7 people targeted in string of armed robberies on South, West sides

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:58:47 GMT

CHICAGO — Police are offering a warning after a string of armed robberies across parts of the city on Saturday morning.According to police, the seven early-morning robberies happened between 4:23 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Officers say during each robbery, five men, who are believed to be between 15 and 18 years of age, approached the victims while displaying guns and demanded their property. The offenders were then seen fleeing the scene in a 2016 silver Hyundai and a 2019 black Kia SUV. 2 DePaul students robbed on Lincoln Park campus Police believe the offenders stand between 5-foot-5 and 5-foot-8 and weigh between 130 and 145 lbs. and say one of them was seen wearing a red hooded sweatshirt at the time. Chicago police provided the following timeline of the robberies that took place on 9/23/23:2400 block of West 31st Street on the West Side at 4:23 a.m.1300 block of West 51st Street in New City at 4:38 a.m.2600 block of West 55th Street in Gage Park at 5:25 a.m. 1600 block of South...

Quiet, hot weather returns following significant hailstorm

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:58:47 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After Sunday night's damaging hail storm, much quieter weather returns through the work week with unusually hot late-September temperatures.Sunday night, an intense supercell thunderstorm produced nearly softball size hail in Round Rock, and damaging hail from Georgetown down to East Austin. The largest hailstone reported was 3.75" in diameter in Round Rock, where windshields were shattered. PHOTOS: Large, damaging hail pummels parts of Central Texas Following a few isolated storms Monday evening in our eastern counties, mainly dry and unseasonably hot weather return through the work week and into the first weekend of October. Austin is currently in the midst of its second-hottest September on record. BLOG: El Niño into 2024: What that means for winter and spring NEW BLOG: October forecast Austin Interactive Weather Stats (2023) FIRST WARNING WEATHER: Stay up to date with your Central Texas forecast, sign up for our weather newsletter at kxan.com/newslette...

Travis County Commissioners to revisit Central Health's budget Tuesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:58:47 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- The back and forth over what Central Health should be charging you, and what services should be provided with that money, continues this week. The board overseeing Travis County's health district took another pass at its budget Monday after Travis County Commissioners questioned their first proposal, but several Central Health Board of Managers members expressed frustration about why they had to return to the table. "When the commissioners court says you have the money to do this, it's an extremely myopic view of our whole equity plan," said Dr. Manuel Martin, a member of the board.The budget right now includes movement towards Central Health's 7-year plan, which includes major investments in staff, facilities and other projects aimed to provide more equitable health care to the people in Travis County struggling the most. Central Health staff say it's been increasing its reserves to build out that health care system with the goal of meeting the demand...

Man threatens to put 'bullet in face' of Texas congresswoman

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:58:47 GMT

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – A Las Cruces man is pleading guilty to a federal charge of making threats through interstate communications.The plea agreement brought before U.S. Magistrate Judge Damian L. Martinez of U.S. District Court in New Mexico on Thursday has to do with a telephone call Michel David Fox admits making last May to the Houston office of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.In the call, Fox allegedly stated he was “going to put a bullet” in the face of the unidentified congresswoman.“Hey, you’re a man. It’s official. You’re literally a tranny and a pedophile and I’m going to put a bullet in your (expletive deleted) face. You (expletive). You understand me, you (expletive),” an excerpt of the call quoted in federal court documents states. Third GOP debate scheduled for early November in Miami Law enforcement officers allegedly traced the May 18 call to a cell phone in Las Cruces, New Mexico. FBI agents knocked on Fox’s door on May 26 and questioned hi...

Twin Cities Marathon runners warned about heat, humidity this weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:58:47 GMT

Twenty-seven thousand trees will be planted in Minnesota to reflect the 27,000 runners signed up to compete in the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon weekend beginning on Saturday, organizers said in a news conference.More than 20,000 people registered for the marathon on Sunday and another 7,000 registered for races on Saturday, according to Dean Orton, president of Twin Cities In Motion, the nonprofit that organizes the event.Runners are coming from 23 countries and all 50 states, he said.As part of a partnership with the state Department of Natural Resources, one tree will be planted on Minnesota land for each runner registered for the weekend events.The seedling-planting program has been around for 30 years under the DNR, said Mike Reinikainen, silviculture program coordinator. “This project in particular is the largest in any given year we’ve had to date. … It will help our forests provide the many benefits they provide to folks in Minnesota and those that come to visit...