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Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies play on at Wrigley Field in spite of ‘very unhealthy’ air alert

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:57 GMT

The Chicago Cubs have played in worse-looking conditions at Wrigley Field than Tuesday night’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies.Few can forget the Cubs game against the Atlanta Braves in April 2018 when the wild chill was 25 degrees and players were drenched from the howling rain and a hawk wind in their face the entire afternoon. The Braves blew an eight-run, eighth-inning lead, and cried about the conditions afterward. “If we all don’t come out of here with pneumonia I think we’ll be alright,” Braves reliever Luke Jackson said.But sometimes looks are deceiving. The air quality in Chicago on Tuesday was at a level deemed “very unhealthy” by the Illinois EPA due to smoke from the wildfires in Canada. Commissioner Rob Manfred’s office and the MLB Players Association convened during the day to determine whether to postpone the game, but opted to play on.The collective bargaining agreement dictated the decision on such a cancellatio...

13 live parrots seized at US-Mexico border

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:57 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A driver was detained at the San Ysidro Port of Entry after attempting to smuggle 13 live yellow-headed parrots, authorities said.The seizure occurred June 16 when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers searched a 2010 sedan driven by a 26-year-old man applying for entry into the U.S. from Mexico, border officials said.During the inspection, CBP agriculture specialists found 13 yellow-headed parrots hidden in two duffel bags in the trunk of the vehicle, according to CBP. SeaWorld closes ‘Electric Eel’ rollercoaster after reported injury “CBP enforces hundreds of laws at the border for more than 40 different government agencies, in order to help stop smuggling attempts like these which can lead to trafficking of possibly endangered species,” said Sidney Aki, CBP Director of Field Operations in San Diego. “Smugglers attempt to deceive CBP officers with no consideration for the health and safety of the animals; CBP aims to continuously enforce USDA and CD...

Man charged for fleeing scene of fatal crash that killed woman, 73, in Vaughan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:57 GMT

A man that walked away from a two-vehicle car crash in Vaughan that took the life of a 73-year-old woman was arrested and is facing charges nine months later.The collision occurred on September 30, 2022, on Highway 400 near Rutherford Road.Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said several witnesses reported seeing a red Volkswagen Jetta travelling at a high rate of speed at around 3 a.m. that morning when it rear-ended a minivan carrying four people.Those three people suffered only minor injuries, but a 73-year-old woman from North York was pronounced dead at the scene.Fatal collision #Hwy400/Rutherfoed Rd. 73 yr female from North York pronounced deceased at the scene, three others to hospital with minor injuries. #AuroraOPP asking for the driver of the red VW to call a lawyer and turn themself in. Investigators following up on tips now. pic.twitter.com/ysxzplACKU— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) September 30, 2022OPP said the driver of the red Volkswagen...

Zeneta Everhart, mother of Buffalo mass shooting survivor, wins City Council primary

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:57 GMT

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Zeneta Everhart, who became a voice against racism and gun violence last year after her son survived a mass shooting, won a Democratic primary on Tuesday to represent a Buffalo neighborhood near the supermarket where the massacre happened.Everhart defeated India Walton, another prominent activist who in 2021 upset Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown in a Democratic primary, only to lose to him in the general election.The two Black women had vied for a seat on Buffalo’s Common Council, representing an area of the Rust Belt city still healing from a white supremacist’s attack that killed 10 people at a neighborhood supermarket just over a year ago. That mass shooting was followed by a punishing December blizzard that killed 47 people in the city and its suburbs, with a disproportionate number of the victims coming from Buffalo’s Black neighborhoods.Everhart is no newcomer to politics. She had been on the staff of state Democratic Sen. Tim Kennedy for five years when she rec...

‘Alice in Wonderland’ wins big at Dora Mavor Moore Awards

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:57 GMT

The Dora Mavor Moore Awards followed the white rabbit, handing six statuettes to “Alice in Wonderland” at the Toronto theatre awards on Tuesday night.The production from Bad Hats Theatre, presented by Soulpepper Theatre, won big in the musical theatre division.It was awarded outstanding production and outstanding new musical, while Tess Benger won outstanding performance in a leading role for her portrayal of Alice. The contemporary reimagining of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale also took home outstanding direction, outstanding achievement in design and outstanding original choreography.Forty-six awards were handed out across seven categories at the ceremony in Toronto.“Red Velvet,” a dramatization of the real-life story of Ira Aldridge, a Black man who starred in “Othello” in 1833, led the general theatre division.The Crow’s Theatre production won two Doras: outstanding production and outstanding direction. In the independent theatre div...

Seven teens charged in attempted theft of fragrances at Shoppers Drug Mart

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:57 GMT

Seven teenagers, including a 14-year-old, were charged after the group of young men attempted to steal fragrances from a Shoppers Drug Mart in Durham Region.Officers responded to a Shoppers Drug Mart in Whitby, located at 910 Dundas Street West, just after 4 p.m. on Monday.Police said a group of males inside the Shoppers were trying to fragrances. Employees quickly notified authorities, and seven male teenagers were arrested.A 16-year-old from Ajax is charged with theft under, disguise with intent, failing to comply with a release order and failing to comply with a probation order.A 14-year-old male from Ajax is charged with theft under and disguise with intent. Two 16-year-old males from Ajax are charged with theft under and disguise with intent.A 17-year-old male from Clarington, Ont. is charged with theft under and disguise with intent, and another 17-year-old male from Ajax is charged with theft under and disguise with intent.Those six male teenagers were released on an undertak...

Vietjet plane with 214 people aboard lands safely in Philippines after technical problem

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:57 GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Vietjet plane carrying 214 people made an unscheduled but safe landing in the northern Philippines on Wednesday morning after encountering an unspecified technical problem. None of the passengers and crew was hurt. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the Airbus A321 was enroute to Vietnam from the South Korean city of Incheon when it encountered the problem and had to divert to Laoag international airport in Ilocos Norte province. “The pilot did not declare an emergency. He informed the tower of difficulty due to a technical problem. No engine failure was reported,” the civil aviation agency’s spokesman Eric Apolonio told The Associated Press.The passengers were brought to an airport lounge to wait for a replacement aircraft that was expected to arrive later Wednesday, Apolonio said.The Associated Press

Amber Alert cancelled after six-year-old twin sisters found safe

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:57 GMT

An Amber Alert issued by Montreal police for six-year-old twin sisters has been lifted after the girls were found safe.Police say the girls were found in the Saint-Alexis-des-Monts area, about 140 kilometres north of Montreal.Police also say they found the girls’ mother and that everyone was safe and sound.Police believe it may have been a kidnapping but say the investigation continues.The alert was issued after the girls were taken in the mid-afternoon.Police say investigators will speak with the mother and the girls to determine exactly what happened.This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2023.The Canadian Press

Regulators begin final safety inspection before treated Fukushima wastewater is released into sea

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:57 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese regulators began the final inspection Wednesday before treated radioactive wastewater is released from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. The inspection began a day after the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings had installed the last piece of equipment needed for the release — the outlet of the undersea tunnel dug to discharge the wastewater 1 kilometer (1,094 yards) offshore. TEPCO said the Nuclear Regulation Authority inspectors were to examine the equipment related to the treated water transfer and its safety systems as part of their three-day inspection through Friday. The permit for releasing the water could be issued about a week later, and TEPCO could start discharging the water soon after, though an exact date has not been decided. The plan has faced fierce protests from local fishing groups concerned about safety and reputational damage. The government and TEPCO in 2015 promised not to release the water without...

Experts address taxpayers concerns surrounding future concerts at Ryan Field

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:16:57 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. -- A plan to rebuild Ryan Field in Evanston will be up for discussion Tuesday night as tax payers will have their opportunity to speak on the issue.On Tuesday, community members from Evanston and Wilmette that attended Tuesday's meeting heard from experts on the proposed concerts for the venue like sound, parking, and operations. If and when approved, the rebuild would be complete by the summer of 2026. 7 award-winning Chicagoland breweries to check out this summer The plan is to rebuild Ryan Field in Evanston, which is a 97-year-old stadium.It’s a project estimated to cost $800 million which the school would fund without direct taxpayer subsidies.University officials say this would be an economic opportunity for local community vendors and tradesmen with high-wage jobs during and after constrction.The project would include reducing the stadium’s capacity and change zoning so it can host up to 10 concerts a year. Illinois set to create state run insurance marketpl...