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Edmonton zoo says 47-year-old Asian elephant Lucy is too sick to be moved

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:27 GMT

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Valley Zoo is releasing medical information about an elephant in its care named Lucy after animal rights groups protested for years that she should be moved to a sanctuary.The zoo says it has been working closely with the animal advocacy group Free the Wild since October 2022.It says most visiting experts agreed that the 47-year-old Asian elephant is unfit to travel.In a news release, it says Lucy is to remain at the zoo, where she has been living for more than 45 years.The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals turned to the legal system in Canada to move Lucy to a sanctuary in the United States.In 2012, PETA took the case to the Supreme Court, where the application was dismissed.The Edmonton Valley Zoo says Lucy has severe condition of low oxygen and high carbon dioxide levels in her blood and tissues, which makes her breathe solely from her mouth.The experts also discovered a uterine tumour that is common in female elephants that have never given birt...

Def Leppard drummer recovering from attack outside hotel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:27 GMT

Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen says he recovering from an attack earlier this month outside a Florida hotel.Allen, who was in South Florida to perform a show at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, was attacked while taking a smoke break outside the the Four Seasons hotel on Fort Lauderdale Beach.Police arrested a 19-year-old man, but said they don’t have a motive for the attack. They did not identify either the suspect, or Allen, in the police report.But in a social media post, Allen, 59, said he’s thankful for all the support he has received from this fans. He said he’s also relieved that his wife, Lauren, wasn’t with him when the incident occurred, and that they are now “working on recovering in a safe space.”Police said the assailant was hiding behind a pillar outside the hotel while Allen was smoking a cigarette. The man ran at Allen, knocking him to the ground.According to the police report, a woman saw Allen fall and ran to help him. The man then a...

Supreme Court rules for deaf student in education case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:27 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Tuesday for a deaf student who sued his public school system for providing an inadequate education. The case is significant for other disabled students who allege they were failed by school officials. The case the justices ruled in involves Miguel Luna Perez, who attended public school in Sturgis, Michigan. Perez’s lawyers told the court that for 12 years the school system neglected the boy and lied to his parents about the progress he was making, permanently stunting his ability to communicate.The justices ruled that after Perez and his family settled a complaint against the school system — with officials agreeing to pay for additional schooling and sign language instruction — they could pursue money damages under a different federal law. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in a eight-page opinion for the court that the case “holds consequences not just for Mr. Perez but for a great many children with disabilities and their parents.” It ...

Virginia teacher shot by 6-year-old: ‘I thought I had died’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:27 GMT

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — A Virginia teacher who was shot and wounded by her 6-year-old student said it has changed her life and she has vivid memories and nightmares about that day.“I just will never forget the look on his face that he gave me while he pointed the gun directly at me,” first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner said during an exclusive interview with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie about the student. “It’s changed me. It’s changed my life.” She said she’s still in shock and can’t make sense of it, in a portion of the interview that was aired Tuesday morning on “Today.”“I’m not sure when the shock will ever go away because of just how surreal it was and the vivid memories I have of that day. I think about it daily. Sometimes I have nightmares,” she said.Speaking publicly for the first time since the Jan. 6 shooting, Zwerner said in a portion of the interview that was aired Monday on “NBC Nightly News” that she’s had a challenging recovery....

UK police: Suspect arrested after man set alight near mosque

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:27 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Detectives in England are investigating an attack in which a man was set on fire as he walked home from a mosque, police said Tuesday. A suspect has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.The West Midlands Police force said the victim was walking home in the central city of Birmingham on Monday when he was approached by a man who sprayed him with an unknown substance, “and then his jacket was set alight, causing burns to his face.”The victim is hospitalized with serious but not life-threatening injuries, police said.Chief Superintendent Richard North said police were “keeping an open mind to the motive of the attacker” and that a counterterrorism police unit with “specialist capabilities” was supporting the investigation.“This is a really serious incident, as I have said, and we are using all the resources that are available to us at this time, and that does include the Counter-Terrorism Unit,” North said.North said police were working to establish whethe...

Ontario’s COVID-19 paid sick days program could expire end of March

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:27 GMT

With the Ontario budget set to be unveiled later this week, it appears the days could be numbered for the province’s COVID-19 paid sick program.The program, which allows Ontarians who miss work due to COVID-19 to have up to three days off, is set to expire on March 31, 2023.Under the current guidelines, eligible workers are offered up to $200 a day for up to three days if they need to get tested, vaccinated, receive booster shots, self-isolate, or care for a family member who is ill from COVID.When asked about the future of the program during a press conference, Premier Doug Ford was non-committal on the program’s future.“That was specifically designed for the pandemic to help people out, that’s the reason,” answered Ford. “We have one of the highest vaccination rates in the entire world because we put these programs in and we’ll just have to see over the next few days.”The Ford government originally announced the program back in April of 2021. The province p...

Firefighters battle blaze at home owned by Sen. Warren’s son

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:27 GMT

MEDFORD, Mass. (AP) — Firefighters battled an early morning blaze at a Massachusetts home owned by the son of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren.Just after 1 a.m. Tuesday, firefighters received reports of a structure fire in Medford, located about five miles north of Boston.Upon arrival firefighters found the structure fully involved in flames, according to a Facebook post by Medford Firefighters Local 1032.The house sits on top of a hill, which contributed to the challenge of getting enough water to the site to fight the fire, the union added.No injuries were reported, and the home was unoccupied at the time. The house is owned by Alex Warren, a son of the Democratic senator.“I deeply appreciate the efforts of the firefighters who worked through the night to put out a fire at our son’s house,” the senator said in a written statement.“I am grateful that everyone is safe and request privacy for our family,” she said.The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Associated Press

Ottawa needs ‘made-in-Canada’ response to U.S. Inflation Reduction Act: climate group

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:27 GMT

OTTAWA — As the federal government readies its spring budget, a climate group is urging Ottawa to pursue a “made-in-Canada” response to U.S. clean energy incentives. The Canadian Climate Institute published a report today with recommendations for the federal government on how to respond to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act passed last summer.The institute says the federal government shouldn’t try to match the incentives and subsidies offered by the U.S. and instead tailor its measures for Canada.Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has signalled the March 28 budget will include ways to keep Canada competitive as countries transition their economies to cleaner energy and technologies.The institute says Canada should pursue targeted policies that don’t over-subsidize industry but instead support projects to benefit society that the private sector wouldn’t pursue on its own.It also says the Canada Growth Fund, which will invest in clean energy projects using ...

Judge denies CPD officer's request to move Jan. 6 trial out of Washington, D.C.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:27 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has denied a request by a Chicago police officer to move his upcoming criminal trial — one that stems from the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection — out of the nation’s capital.Karol Chwiesiuk, a CPD officer who was charged with five misdemeanors after he and thousands of other supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the United State Capitol building two years ago, is scheduled to go to trial on May 1. Last December, federal prosecutors brought charges against Chwiesiuk’s sister, who allegedly joined Chwiesiuk when he entered the Capitol.Last week, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly denied a motion submitted by the Chwiesiuk siblings that sought to have the trial moved from Washington, D.C. to any other federal court district in the country — except for the Northern District of Illinois. Previous Coverage: Chicago police officer charged with storming US Capitol on Jan. 6 In bringing the motion, the Chwiesiuks’ a...

Tuesday Forecast: Temps in low 50s, showers move in later

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:27 GMT

CHICAGO — Starting partly sunny Tuesday with breezy southwesterly winds. We'll see clouds increase throughout the afternoon and highs climbing into the low 50s. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Rain showers return to the forecast this evening with more widespread showers likely overnight. The wet weather lingers early Wednesday. Another system moves in late Wednesday night and into Thursday which will bring us the potential for showers and thunderstorms.Full forecast details at the WGN Weather Center