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Sen. Scott joins DeSantis in calling for resignation of state GOP chair amid rape investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:21 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Republican Party of Florida chairman is facing mounting pressure to resign as police investigate a rape allegation, with Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott joining Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday in saying Christian Ziegler should step down rather than be a distraction during an important election year.Beyond the possibility of criminal charges, Ziegler and his wife Bridget, a co-founder of Moms for Liberty, are being called out for the hypocrisy of admitting a sexual relationship with another woman even though they very publicly fight against LGBTQ+ rights.“The allegations are very disturbing,” Scott said in a statement released by his re-election campaign. “I don’t see how Christian can continue to successfully act as chairman while this cloud hovers over him.”The allegation comes as Scott is being challenged by former Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell as he seeks a second term, DeSantis is running for president and the state is expected to play a...

Child care cost less in 2023, but more parents say spots are hard to find: StatCan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:21 GMT

A new report from Statistics Canada says child care was more affordable across the country in 2023, but parents are having a harder time finding it.The report released today says expenses for children attending full-time centre-based child care decreased from an average of $663 per month in 2022 to $508 in 2023. It says the decrease occurred as many provinces and territories began implementing lower child-care fees.Meanwhile, the proportion of parents who reported having difficulty finding available child care increased from 53 per cent in 2019 to 62 per cent in 2023. Twenty-six per cent of parents with children aged five and under who were not using child care reported that their child was on a wait list — up from 19 per cent in 2022. The federal government signed separate agreements with provinces and territories to establish $10-a-day child care by 2026, although the pace of the rollout has varied in different parts of the country. This report by The Canadian Press was first publ...

Shohei Ohtani met Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts at Dodger Stadium

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:21 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani met with the Los Angeles Dodgers a few days ago at Dodger Stadium, manager Dave Roberts revealed Tuesday at the winter meetings.Ohtani, a unique two-way star, is expected to command a record contract of $500 million-plus on the free agent market coming off his second AL MVP award in three seasons.“He has a very good poker face,” Roberts said.The meeting lasted two-to-three hours.“We want to respect Shohei’s wishes as far as being private,” Roberts said, “but obviously people talk. I don’t think I need to share what we talked about.”Roberts at first hesitated before giving a few details.“It’s a good possibility,” he said. “Yeah, we met with him. I don’t want to — I’d like to be honest and so we met with Shohei and we talked and I think it went well. I think it went well. But at the end of the day, he’s his own man and he’s going to do what’s best for himself, where he feels most comfortable.”Ohtani led the AL with 44 homers and hit .304 wit...

European soccer body UEFA pledges at UN to do more to promote human rights and fight discrimination

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:21 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — European soccer body UEFA went to the United Nations on Tuesday pledging to do more to promote human rights and protect women from abuse in the sport.At Champions League games next week, messages will be broadcast on television and social media for the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis said at a sports conference in the UN’s European headquarters.Theodoridis committed UEFA to “strengthen our fight against discriminations in all their forms” and “admitting your mistakes when you make them.”“This shows leading by example,” he said, citing UEFA ordering a security review of the chaotic and poorly policed 2022 Champions League final it organized in Paris that put Liverpool and Real Madrid fans at risk.“It was a near-miss, I have to say,” Theodoridis acknowledged. UEFA now consults more closely with the fan group Football Supporters Europe ahead of major games.The event Tuesday was hosted by the Geneva...

Trump’s defense at civil fraud trial zooms in on Mar-a-Lago, with broker calling it ‘breathtaking’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:21 GMT

Former President Donald Trump’s civil business fraud trial turned Tuesday to one of the topics that has vexed him most — the value of his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. Testifying for Trump’s defense, a Florida real estate attorney said the club could be sold as a home, notwithstanding decades-old legal documents in which Trump said he intended to forswear its use as anything but a club. That’s a restriction that is key to New York state lawyers’ claims that the former president fraudulently overhyped the property’s value.A Palm Beach luxury real estate broker played a glimmering video of the historic estate and testified that he’d value it at over $1 billion as of 2021.“It’s something breathtaking. It’s something amazing to see,” broker Lawrence Moens said during testimony that took a rare turn when he briefly answered a personal phone call while on the witness stand. Spanning 17 acres (7 hectares) with waterfront on two sides, the...

Ford owners, check to see if your vehicle is included in multi-state recall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:21 GMT

DETROIT, Mich. (KNWA/KFTA) — Ford was expected to notify owners Monday about a recall of over 45,000 vehicles due to issues with door latches, according to Kelley Blue Book.The recall was announced on Nov. 17 for the 2015 Ford Fiesta, 2016 Ford Fusion and 2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles.The 45,173 affected vehicles were sold or registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 6.9 million users of 23andMe had personal information stolen by hackers KBB said the recall was issued because a component inside the door latch might break, possibly causing the doors to open while driving. "Vehicle doors opening unexpectedly while driving can increase the risk of a crash or injury," KBB said in the recall.Owners were to be notified on Dec. 4 about whether their ve...

Blackhawks put F Lukas Reichel back in lineup after healthy scratch

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:21 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks think Lukas Reichel could become one of their top forwards, so they are working on turning his potential into reality.It remains an ongoing project.Reichel was back in the lineup Tuesday night against Nashville after he was a healthy scratch for Sunday's 4-1 loss at Minnesota. After spending the first part of the season on Chicago's top two lines, Reichel was on the team's fourth line for the matchup with the Predators.“He just needs to re-evaluate his game,” coach Luke Richardson said. “I think he needed to take a step back and look at it. We had a good chat this morning about him just coming to work tonight and not worrying about where he is in the lineup and working his way up.”The 21-year-old Reichel was selected by the Blackhawks with the 17th overall pick in the 2020 draft. He made his NHL debut in January 2022, but he really seemed to turn a corner at the end of last season. He finished with seven goals and eight assists in 23 g...

16-year-old from Hammond shot and killed in Sauk Village, police say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:21 GMT

SAUK VILLAGE, Ill. — A homicide investigation is underway after police say an out-of-state teen was shot and killed in south suburban Sauk Village.According to police, just before 7 p.m. Saturday, officers were called to the 200 block of Park Ave. following reports of a shooting. Responding officers discovered 16-year-old Amanit Dismukes of Hammond, Indiana with multiple gunshot wounds in the yard of a residence.He was pronounced dead at the scene. While details remain limited, police said the shooting victim was targeted.An investigation is ongoing. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sauk Village Police Department’s crime tip line at 708-475-3679.

Man suspected of robbing bank in Lincolnwood at large, FBI warns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:21 GMT

LINCOLNWOOD, Ill. — The FBI says field agents are looking for a man suspected of robbing a bank in Lincolnwood.Just before 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, officials responded to the US Bank in the 6600 block of N. Lincoln Ave. Moments earlier, surveillance photos captured the male robber approaching a teller. The male suspect then displayed a note demanding money. Naperville woman charged after fatal shooting at Hilton Hotel in Oakbrook Terrace Authorities did not say if a weapon was used or how much money was taken in the robbery. No injuries were reported. Authorities described the suspect as 5-foot-8-inches in height with a medium build. He is also believed to be somewhere between the ages of 30 and 39. The suspected robber was last seen wearing a black beanie-style hat with dark-framed sunglasses, two surgical masks, a dark-colored beard, black sweatpants, blue loafers or slippers and a loose-fitting, long-sleeved, dark-colored jacket with full zipper. The jacket covered a gray sweatshirt...

Displaced I-35 property owners navigate relocations ahead of construction kickoff

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:21 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Department of Transportation met Monday with members of the business community who would be impacted by the overhaul and expansion planned for Interstate 35 in Austin. The community meeting was with commercial tenants, property owners and those who own land along the I-35 Capital Express Central project corridor. RELATED: Austin’s I-35 expansion clears final hurdle before construction start Project detailsThe I-35 Central project is an eight-mile project track running from U.S. Hwy. 290 East to SH 71 and Ben White Boulevard.Project components include the addition of two non-tolled high-occupancy vehicle managed lanes in each direction along I-35, the removal of the upper decks and lowering of the I-35 main lanes between Airport Boulevard and Lady Bird Lake, as well as between Riverside Drive and Oltorf Street.Project designs also call for “boulevard-style segments” running through downtown, in addition to pedestrian and cyclist path improvements.The firs...