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Australia plans to ban swastikas and other Nazi symbols in legislation coming next week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:45:26 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s government plans legislation to ban swastikas and other Nazi symbols nationwide due to an increase in far-right activity, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said Thursday.While most Australian states already ban such Nazi symbols, the federal law would go further by also banning the trade in such material, Dreyfus said.“There’s been a rise in this kind of violent far right activity. We think it’s time for there to be a federal law which I’ll be bringing to the Parliament next week,” Dreyfus told Nine Network television.We’ve got responsibility for import and export. We want to see an end to trading in this kind of memorabilia or any items which bear those Nazi symbols,” Dreyfus said. “There’s no place in Australia for spreading of hatred and violence.” The Labor Party government controls the House of Representatives but not the Senate, and it’s unclear when a ban might pass or take effect. The law would include a penalty for people displaying Nazi s...

Motorcyclist critically injured in Mississauga crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:45:26 GMT

A motorcyclist is in life-threatening condition following a crash in Mississauga. Police say a motorcycle and an SUV collided in the intersection of Dundas Street East and Universal Drive just before 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The motorcyclist was taken to a nearby hospital with critical injuries. The driver of the SUV remained at the scene.

Carpentersville structure fire destroys 2 homes, 2 garages

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:45:26 GMT

CARPENTERSVILLE, Ill. -- Two homes and two garages are a total loss after a fire broke out in Carpentersville Wednesday afternoon.According to the Carpentersville Fire Department, crews were called to the 1700 block of Kingston Circle just before 4:15 p.m. Wednesday on reports of a fire.Upon arrival, crews discovered four structures engulfed by flames and were able to put out the fire within an hour.The cause of the fire remains unknown at this time. No further information has been made available.The Carpentersville Fire Department are working with the Red Cross to assist the displaced families. Structural concerns prompt evacuation at Northwest Indiana apartment complex One of the residents displaced, Dawn Fekete, who was celebrating her birthday Wednesday."Right now it’s mentally wearing on me a lot. I’ve never dealt with this before," Fekete said."I kept hearing all this popping and I kept thinking ‘why is my neighbor letting off fireworks?’ But then it sounded like it was righ...

Comedian Pat Cooper, known for 'Seinfeld' role and Howard Stern appearances, dies: reports

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:45:26 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — Pat Cooper, a stand-up comedian well known for his appearances on "Seinfeld," "Analyze This" and Howard Stern's radio show, has died, according to his friends and family. He was 93. Cooper's wife, Emily Conner, confirmed his death in a statement shared Wednesday, according to The New York Times. Steve Garrin, who produced and wrote with Cooper, also confirmed his death, writing on Facebook, "I'm heartbroken to hear the sad news of the passing of my great friend, Pat Cooper."The comic reportedly died at his Las Vegas home but a cause of death has not yet been released. Garrin told Entertainment Weekly Cooper was "telling jokes up until the end" and had "a lot of health problems." Shannen Doherty says breast cancer has spread to her brain Cooper's career began in the 1950s at small clubs on the East Coast, The Times reports. He later served as the opening act for the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Jerry Lewis, and appeared on multiple TV shows, including those...

How does the Blackhawks' outlook change with Connor Bedard?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:45:26 GMT

Phil Thompson, the Blackhawks' beat writer for the Chicago Tribune, joins "9 Good Minutes" on WGN News Now to discuss the team's draft and offseason.CHICAGO - Oh how a little luck can help change things when it comes to a team in professional sports. A few lucky ping-pong balls, and a generational talent can end up on your roster.That's how the Blackhawks and their fans are feeling after they got a lot of lottery luck on May 8, winning the No. 1 overall pick and the shot to select elite prospect Connor Bedard. It's highly, highly likely that the center will be selected by the team when they go on the clock at the NHL Draft on June 28 in Nashville.But even when the Blackhawks get Bedard, he'll be the first major player on a team that is still very much rebuidling. Even with the phenom, who had 71 goals and 72 assists with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League that season, it could be a while before the team returns to the playoffs. General manager Kyle Davidson has a number of...

“In a word, the future is smoky": Canadian wildfires linked to climate change

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:45:26 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- 100 million people are facing air quality alerts as thick Canadian wildfire smoke streams into the northeastern U.S., leading to apocalyptic scenes in New York City similar to the infamous images from San Francisco during California fires in 2020.The thick smoke traveling southward degraded air quality in five U.S. states to the "unhealthy" range. As Yale Climate Connections writers Bob Henson and Dr. Jeff Masters wrote on Thursday, "At 10 a.m. EDT Wednesday, June 7, the worst air in the U.S. was in Syracuse, New York, which had an hourly PM 2.5 AQI of 402 — well into the 'Hazardous' range. EPA warns that an AQI in this range will 'trigger health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is even more likely to be affected by serious health effects.'"Meteorologist Bob Henson, Yale Climate Connections writer and author of "A Thinking Person's Guide to Climate Change", joined the KXAN Chief Meteorologist live on KXAN News at 4 p.m. Thursday to discuss the...

Twins mount late comeback but fall on walk-off home run to Rays

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:45:26 GMT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Amid an offensive lull, Twins general manager Thad Levine gave his team a vote of confidence in the hours leading up to Wednesday’s game.“We’re going through an extremely aggressive part of our schedule and we believe in the guys,” Levine said. “We’ve got a great unit in players in there. At some point, we’re going to need to see them shine.”That point wasn’t Wednesday.Starting pitcher Pablo López threw seven strong innings in one of his best starts of the season and the Twins’ slumping offense mounted a ninth-inning comeback, but Randy Arozarena’s home run off Jhoan Duran sent the Twins to a 2-1 loss to the Rays on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.The Twins finished the game with just three hits — two in the first eight innings before Royce Lewis’ single brought home Michael A. Taylor to tie the game in the ninth. Taylor, who was in as a pinch runner, stole second and third base to help set up the run.But there was no other offense to speak of, ...

North St. Paul woman charged in South St. Paul crash that killed her ex-husband, injured 2 others

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:45:26 GMT

A North St. Paul woman is accused of drunkenly crashing her minivan into an oncoming pickup Monday afternoon in South St. Paul, killing her ex-husband and injuring two other people.Bobbie Jo Braun, 53, was charged Wednesday with one count of criminal vehicular homicide and two counts of criminal vehicular operation, according to a criminal complaint filed in Dakota County District Court. If convicted of all three charges, she faces up to 14 years in prison.Braun made her first appearance before a judge on Wednesday in Hastings, where her bail was set at $250,000. Her next court appearance is scheduled for June 21.No attorney was listed for Braun in court documents.South St. Paul police responded about 3:20 p.m. Monday to the intersection of Concord and Chestnut streets, where they found a white Dodge minivan and a white Chevrolet pickup facing each other with heavy front-end damage and deployed airbags, according to the criminal complaint.Officers determined Braun, who was sitting o...

Class A state boys tennis: Youth movement leads St. Paul Academy to another state title

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:45:26 GMT

After cruising to a second straight Class A state title, it’s reasonable to believe the best is yet to come for the St. Paul Academy boys tennis team.That’s because the Spartans don’t have a senior on their current roster.The youth movement has paced St. Paul Academy this year, and it did so again on Wednesday afternoon at Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center, fueling a dominant 7-0 win over Rochester Lourdes in the Class A state tournament final.“It’s hard to repeat,” coach Luke Elifson said. “There’s a lot of pressure involved with it.”St. Paul Academy’s Zahir Hassan returns a shot during his match in the Class A Boys Tennis Tournament at Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center in Minneapolis on Wednesday June 7, 2023. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)It was worth it in the end as the Spartans hoisted the hardware.“It was a lot tougher than last year because there was a lot more pressure after winning it all,” said junior Leo Benson, who s...

Flooding from dam break strands hundreds and leaves thousands with no drinking water in Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:45:26 GMT

By VASILISA STEPANENKO (Associated Press)KHERSON, Ukraine (AP) — Authorities rushed to rescue hundreds of people stranded on rooftops and supply drinking water to areas flooded by a collapsed dam in southern Ukraine on Wednesday, in a growing humanitarian and ecological disaster along a river that forms part of the front line in the 15-month war.The collapse of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam and emptying of its reservoir on the Dnieper River added to the misery the region has suffered for more than a year from artillery and missile attacks.With humanitarian and ecological disasters still unfolding, it’s already clear that tens of thousands of people have been deprived of drinking water, many are homeless, crops are ruined, land mines have been displaced, and the stage is set for long-term electricity shortages.Some residents of Russia-occupied areas hit by high water complained that help was slow in arriving, with some stranded on roofs and streets passable only by boat ...