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North Carolina legislature gives final OK to election board changes, with governor’s veto to follow

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:49 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C (AP) — The North Carolina General Assembly gave final approval on Friday to Republican-backed legislation that would shift control of the State Board of Elections away from the governor and give it to lawmakers as the 2024 elections get underway.With the Senate recording a party-line vote to accept a consensus GOP measure after the House completed a similar vote late Thursday night, the bill now heads to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. Cooper already has promised to veto it, saying it’s a GOP power play that would result in stalemates on the proposed new board, potentially limiting access to early in-person voting and giving more opportunity to the General Assembly and courts to settle contested elections. Republicans say the new structure will result in more consensus building on election matters, building voter confidence. But it also could result in the current state elections executive director being ousted from her job weeks before key primary elections are held ...

West Fraser selling two pulp mills to Atlas Holdings for US$120 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:49 GMT

VANCOUVER — West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. has signed a deal to sell two pulp mills in Western Canada to Atlas Holdings for US$120 million.The sale includes West Fraser’s Quesnel River Pulp mill in Quesnel, B.C., and its Slave Lake Pulp mill in Slave Lake, Alta.The agreement also covers related woodlands operations and timber holdings in Alberta and a long-term fibre supply agreement for the Quesnel mill.The mills will be operated by Edmonton-based Millar Western Forest Products, which is part of the Atlas family of businesses.The transaction is subject to customary regulatory reviews and closing conditions. West Fraser chief executive Ray Ferris says the sale of the pulp mills will help the company focus on its wood building products business.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:WFG)The Canadian Press

Prime Video to introduce advertisements, increase cost for ad-free streaming

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:49 GMT

TORONTO — Prime Video will jump on the ad wagon next year, introducing commercial breaks to its platform and hiking fees for those who want to avoid them. The cost won’t change for those willing to sit through advertisements and the company has yet to announce how much the ad-free tier will cost, however in the United States it will cost an extra $2.99 per month to avoid ads.“Starting in 2024, Prime Video shows and movies will include limited advertisements in Canada. We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than traditional TV and other streaming TV providers,” the company said in a press release. Amazon launched Prime Video in Canada in 2016, included in the cost of Amazon Prime. The membership comes with free shipping options on the company’s web store, along with a slew of other services. It costs $9.99 per month or $99 per year. Amazon is following its competitors’ lead by introducing a new planfor its streaming service, though it takes a slightly dif...

Pakistani authorities arrest journalist for allegedly spreading false news about state institutions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:49 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani security agents have arrested a senior Islamabad-based TV anchor known for his criticism of the authorities on charges of spreading false content about state institutions on social media, his news channel and family said Friday.Khalid Jamil was taken into custody by the Federal Investigation Agency late on Thursday, his ABN television posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Jamil’s family confirmed the arrest, saying he was detained in a late-night raid at his home in the capital, Islamabad. A photograph of Jamil circulating on social media shows him holding up a sign with his case number, apparently in police custody. Later Friday, an Islamabad court gave the green light for the agency to hold Jamil for questioning for two days.The arrest has drawn condemnation from the country’s journalists community. Pakistan has long been an unsafe country for reporters. In 2020, it ranked ninth on the Committee to Protect Journalists’ annual Global Impunit...

Two teen girls charged in stabbing of 14-year-old at Whitby high school

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:49 GMT

Two teen girls are facing charges after another teen girl was stabbed at a Whitby high school earlier this week.Officers responded to reports of a person with a weapon at Father Leo Austin Catholic School, near Dryden Boulevard and Anderson Street, around noon on Monday.A 14-year-old girl was found at the school with stab wounds. She was rushed to hospital with serious injuries where she remains in stable condition.The school was placed into lockdown and it was lifted after police took a suspect into custody.In a release on Friday, Durham Regional Police say a 14-year-old girl from Whitby is facing four charges including assault with a weapon and aggravated assault. A 17-year-old girl from Whitby has also been charged with assault.Both girls were held for a bail hearing. The suspects cannot be identified through the province’s Youth Criminal Justice Act.Anyone with additional information is asked to contact police.

Statue of late German Cardinal Franz Hengsbach will be removed after allegations of sexual abuse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:49 GMT

ESSEN, Germany (AP) — A statue of late German Cardinal Franz Hengsbach will be removed from outside a cathedral in western Germany after allegations of sexual abuse against him surfaced, Catholic church officials said Friday.A memorial for victims of sexual abuse will be created to take the place of the statue, which was erected in 2011, German news agency dpa reported, citing Thomas Zander, the dean of the cathedral of the city of Essen.The move came after several hours of closed-door deliberations.The controversy around the statue, which is located just outside Essen Cathedral, was sparked on Tuesday when the German Dioceses of Essen and Paderborn announced that they had started investigations into at least three sexual abuse allegations brought against Hengsbach.Two allegations date back to the 1950s and 1960s. The first case alleges that Hengsbach abused a 16-year-old girl in 1954 while he was still an auxiliary bishop in the German city of Paderborn. The second case dates back ...

Trap door filled with drugs found at NYC day care where 1-year-old died

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:49 GMT

THE BRONX, N.Y. (WPIX) – The NYPD has released photos of a trap door filled with drugs, including fentanyl, inside the day care center where a 1-year-old died of a suspected drug overdose last week. ​The drugs were found in the floor under a play area at Divino Nino Day Care in the Bronx after authorities obtained a search warrant for the facility on Wednesday, according to the NYPD. Investigators said at least two kilos of drugs were under the floor. A large quantity of fentanyl and other narcotics were discovered under a trap door in the play area of a Bronx day care, according to the NYPD. (Credit: NYPD)Nicolas Feliz Dominici, 1, was pronounced dead at Montefiore Medical Center last Friday after he and three other children — two 2-year-old boys and an 8-month-old girl — had to be rushed to the hospital with suspected drug overdoses. They were revived by the opioid-reversing drug Narcan. 'Kilo press' found at day care facility where 1-year-old died Federal prosecutors ...

It's a rare visit for Ohio State to Notre Dame this weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:49 GMT

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — While they're both located in the midwest, the number of match-ups between two of the nation's preeminent college football programs have been scarce.It's even more rare that Ohio State has made the 258-mile trip to the northwest to face Notre Dame in South Bend. (Getty Images)On Saturday, the ninth-ranked Fighting Irish will host the sixth-ranked Buckeyes at Notre Dame Stadium at 6:30 p.m. central time, doing so for just the second time in program history.The only other time that they hosted the Big Ten power was September 28, 1996, when Ohio State beat Notre Dame 29-16 in what would be longtime coach Lou Holtz's last season in South Bend. Meetings between the schools overall are rare, with just five before Saturday, with the Buckeyes winning all five of the match-ups. That included a 21-10 win on Columbus last season, which was just the second time the schools played at Ohio Stadium, with the last coming in 1995 when the Buckeyes won 45-26.Notre Dame and Ohio Sta...

Harris County to rebrand itself as 'Bey County' for Beyoncé concerts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:49 GMT

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Businesses will buzz this weekend when Beyoncé fans flock to Houston for two nights of concerts, and local leaders are taking action to show their appreciation for the big economic boost the singer is expected to bring her hometown. Harris County commissioners approved a resolution this week to ceremoniously rename the area as "Bey County" on Saturday and Sunday, which are when the Renaissance World Tour shows will happen at NRG Stadium. The resolution reads this honor for Beyoncé and her tour is for "its positive economic impact on the local economy, in recognition of her unwavering service and commitment to the community, and in celebration of her many accomplishments as an artist." Actress goes into labor during Beyoncé concert When she belts the song "Who Run the World (Girls)," Beyoncé reminds listeners she's from "Houston, Texas, baby," and the commissioners court noted that history in their resolution. They pointed out Beyoncé was born in Houst...

Dane Mizutani: Yes, the Vikings reeked of desperation this week. No, that’s not a bad thing.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:49 GMT

Let’s just say the Vikings haven’t exactly been the epitome of excellence heading into their matchup with the Los Angles Chargers on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium. As much as they still believe they can compete at a high level despite sitting at 0-2, the Vikings seemed to slip into a state of panic this week, willing to try pretty much anything in the name of improvement.How else would they explain signing offensive lineman Dalton Risner six weeks after they should have been brought him in? How else would they explain trading for running back Cam Akers on a whim after he was exiled from his previous team? How else would they explain having head coach Kevin O’Connell literally buy new pieces of equipment to help teach the basics of ball security in practice?Those scenes from TCO Performance Center spoke for themselves.  Yes, the Vikings reeked of desperation this week. No, that’s not a bad thing.A desperate team can be a dangerous team.The fact that th...