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LGBTQ group, local leaders speak out against proposed state legislation targeting flag displays at government buildings and schools

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:15:40 GMT

Harsh criticism of a proposed law filed Monday in Tallahassee coming from local leaders and the LGBTQ community. “This administration keeps boasting about how free and welcoming the state of Florida is. Yet, they keep focusing on things like this,” said Pride Center of Florida’s Robert Boo.The LGBTQ community is speaking out against a proposed legislation in the Florida legislature targeting flag displays at government buildings and schools. It would prohibit flying flags related to political topics, including sexuality, gender orientation and race.“I currently do not support HB901,” said Compass LGBTQ Community Center CEO Julia Seaver.The bill, sponsored by state Rep. David Borreo who represents Sweetwater, would limit where certain flags can be flown at government buildings and schools including pride or progressive flags.“As a gay Jew, I find I’m in double jeopardy…to me it’s fascist,” said one person who opposed the bil...

Quiet Week Ahead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:15:40 GMT

After a rough Monday, we have a nice quiet week of weather ahead. That’s great news for anyone trying to clean up from the storm and for river water levels to come back down. Northern New England took the brunt of the storm but there was obviously plenty of damage and flooding in southern New England as well. Every green box below is a river that is currently overflowing its banks.All the rain for northern New England was devastating for ski resorts, wiping out a lot of snow. Of course heading into a holiday week is bad news for not only ski resorts, but also for anyone who may have had ski trip plans this weekend or next week. Thankfully with the quiet week ahead, we’ll have cold air moving in which will make for better snow making conditions. The next few mornings will have temperatures down in the 20s (locally) meaning northern New England and the ski resorts will drop into the teens. Those are prime temperatures for making snow.With quiet weather prevailing, that mea...

Ex-gang leader seeking release from Las Vegas jail ahead of trial in 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:15:40 GMT

By KEN RITTER (Associated Press)LAS VEGAS (AP) — A former Los Angeles-area gang leader charged with murder in the killing of hip-hop music icon Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas is deriding the case against him as the product of speculation and second-hand testimony as he asks a judge to put him on house arrest ahead of his trial.A Jan. 2 hearing date was set Tuesday on Duane “Keffe D” Davis’ bid to be released on no more than $100,000 bail. His court-appointed attorneys wrote that the health of their 60-year-old client has deteriorated in jail and that he is not getting proper medical attention following a bout with colon cancer that they said is in remission.“His diet and lack of exercise in the jail, given his age and medical history, is negatively impacting his health,” deputy special public defenders Robert Arroyo and Charles Cano said in the bail motion filed Thursday before Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny.Davis, originally from Compt...

Massachusetts to receive more than $1 million from Google app store settlement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:15:40 GMT

Google is in trouble, again, and Massachusetts will be receiving more than $1 million for the tech giant’s wrongdoings.Attorneys general from all 50 states as well as those from Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have reached a whopping $700 million settlement with Google over allegations that the company stifled competition against its Android app store.The settlement with the states includes $630 million to compensate U.S. consumers funneled into a payment processing system that the AGs allege drove up the prices for digital transactions within apps downloaded from the Play Store. That store caters to the Android software that powers most of the world’s smartphones.The remaining $70 million in penalties will be going to the states, with more than $1.4 million earmarked for Massachusetts, according to Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office.“For years, Google has harmed consumers and app developers alike by restricting consumer’s choices for app stores, do...

Revolution hire MLS veteran Caleb Porter new head coach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:15:40 GMT

The longer the New England Revolution delayed hiring a new head coach, the greater the speculation that their person of interest was overseas.Newly-minted sporting director Curt Onalfo ended up choosing a man with an extended and successful MLS portfolio.The club announced on Tuesday morning, the same day of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, that Caleb Porter has been hired as the Revolution’s ninth head coach. Porter was the 2013 MLS Coach of the Year who compiled a record of 113-93-89 in nine MLS regular seasons and a 9-3-4 mark in the playoffs.“Caleb is a gifted and respected coach with more than two decades of coaching experience who has delivered MLS Cup championships to both of his previous clubs,” said Onalfo.“Caleb has consistently demonstrated leadership and tactical acumen needed to build a winning team in our league. We know he is the right person to lead our team, which we believe is already well positioned to compete for trophies.”Porter, 48, is a two-time MLS Cup winner with th...

Tesla’s recall of 2 million vehicles to fix its Autopilot system uses technology that may not work

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:15:40 GMT

By TOM KRISHER (AP Auto Writer)DETROIT (AP) — Tesla’s recall of more than 2 million of its electric vehicles — an effort to have drivers who use its Autopilot system pay closer attention to the road — relies on technology that research shows may not work as intended.Tesla, the leading manufacturer of EVs, reluctantly agreed to the recall last week after a two-year investigation by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that Tesla’s system to monitor drivers was defective and required a fix.The system sends alerts to drivers if it fails to detect torque from hands on the steering wheel, a system that experts describe as ineffective.Government documents filed by Tesla say the online software change will increase warnings and alerts to drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel. It also may limit the areas where the most commonly used versions of Autopilot can be used, though that isn’t entirely clear in Tesla’s do...

A Palestinian baby girl, born 17 days ago during Gaza war, is killed with brother in Israeli strike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:15:40 GMT

RAFAH, Gaza (AP) — She was born amid war, in a hospital with no electricity in a southern Gaza city that has been bombarded daily. Her family named her al-Amira Aisha — “Princess Aisha.” She didn’t complete her third week before she died, killed in an Israeli airstrike that crushed her family home Tuesday. Her extended family was asleep when the strike leveled their apartment building in Rafah before dawn, said Suzan Zoarab, the infant’s grandmother and survivor of the blast. Hospital officials said 27 people were killed, among them Amira and her 2-year old brother, Ahmed.“Just 2 weeks old. Her name hadn’t even been registered,” Suzan said, her voice quivering as she spoke from the side of her son’s hospital bed, who was also injured in the blast.The family tragedy comes as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza nears 20,000, according to the Health Ministry. The vast majority have been killed in Israeli airstrikes which have relentlessly pounded the besieged Gaza encl...

Gildan shareholder Jarislowsky Fraser Ltd. renews call for CEO’s reinstatement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:15:40 GMT

MONTREAL — Gildan Activewear Inc.’s largest shareholder is renewing its recent call to reinstate the company’s former chief executive.Jarislowsky Fraser Ltd.’s head of research and Canadian equities portfolio manager says the shareholder stands “firmly” against the recent decision by Gildan’s board to terminate Glenn Chamandy.Charles Nadim says his firm believes Chamandy remains best positioned to lead the Montreal apparel company into a major expansion while mentoring internal candidates as part of a thorough succession plan.Nadim is asking Gildan’s board to acknowledge the recent opposition to Chamandy being removed from his CEO post and replaced by outsider Vince Tyra.Shareholders Browning West LP and Turtle Creek Asset Management Inc. have made similar requests of Gildan since Chamandy revealed earlier this month that he had been terminated without cause.Gildan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An autoreply from Chama...

Detroit officer accused of punching 71-year-old man is charged with manslaughter following his death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:15:40 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit police officer has been charged with manslaughter in the death of a 71-year-old man who fell to the ground after he was punched in the face, authorities said Tuesday.Daryl Vance of Detroit died in September after three weeks in a hospital.Vance was punched during a “verbal confrontation” with a 29-year-old officer outside a bowling alley on Sept. 1, the prosecutor’s office said. He fell to the ground and hit his head. The on-duty officer was responding to a call that Vance was being disorderly.“Police officers frequently deal with citizens who are disorderly and verbally unpleasant. But the evidence in this case shows that the officer allegedly was the aggressor, and his actions went criminally beyond what was necessary in this situation,” prosecutor Kym Worthy said.The officer is scheduled to make his first court appearance Wednesday.The Associated Press

Athabasca Oil, Cenovus to create joint venture in Kaybob Duvernay

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:15:40 GMT

CALGARY — Athabasca Oil Corp. and Cenovus Energy Inc. say they will create a new joint venture stand-alone company called Duvernay Energy Corp.The two companies say Athabasca will own a 70 per cent equity interest in Duvernay Energy with Cenovus owning the remaining 30 per cent. The companies will jointly fund the creation of Duvernay, with Athabasca contributing $22 million in seed capital and Cenovus contributing $18 million.The creation of the joint venture will consolidate the two companies’ assets in the prolific Kaybob Duvernay resource play in northwest Alberta.The companies say current production from the Duvernay Energy assets is 2,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, and they plan to grow that to 25,000 boe/d by the end of the decade.Athabasca will manage Duvernay Energy through a management and operating services agreement. Duvernay’s board of directors will include three members nominated by Athabasca and one member nominated by Cenovus.This report by The C...