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‘It’s unlivable’: Toronto tenants protest at Medallion office over poor living conditions

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Toronto tenants at odds with property owners and building managers over maintenance issues continue to be a critical issue in the city, which generally ends up with letters being exchanged. That is until renters start to organize and visit the landlords.City residents comprising of tenants in buildings owned by Medallion Corporation tried to deliver a message, starting with a petition demanding better living conditions. This eventually resulted in raised voices with signs and flags taped to the company’s lobby walls.“It’s gotten to the point where we can’t handle it. It’s unlivable for us,” said tenant Robin McDowell. “We can’t do it anymore. We’re here to demand in person because we have sent as many legal and appropriate ways to get a hold of them.”Michael Regan, a tenant at 670 Parliament Street in St. Jamestown, says deteriorating conditions prompted his participation in the protest.“I live on the main floor, and ...

Nevada lawmakers await details of A’s land buy in Las Vegas

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada legislative leaders said Thursday that they had little information about the Oakland Athletics’ plans to move to Las Vegas, beyond that a land purchase deal in place, a funding bill is coming and there is no timeline for action.The Major League Baseball team announced late Wednesday it signed a binding agreement to purchase vacant property just off the Las Vegas Strip owned by Red Rock Resorts for a new retractable roof ballpark, ending discussion about the team staying in the Bay Area. The purchase now sets up a patchwork of public-private funding mechanisms that needs approval from state lawmakers as well as local officials.The stadium and other developments are projected to cost about $1.5 billion, one-third of which will come from public funding, The Nevada Independent reported.The state Senate majority leader, Democrat Nicole Cannizzaro was “briefed on the outline of a proposal, and she appreciates the interest the A’s have shown in Las Vegas,...

Psychologist: Man on trial in road rage killing was sane

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Jeremy Webster got angry when a driver getting out of the way of an emergency vehicle almost hit his car, his outrage intensified by worry about getting into an accident since he wasn’t paying his car insurance bill. Webster followed the SUV, feeling like he was being directed by something outside of himself, a court-appointed psychologist testified Thursday at Webster’s murder trial.Webster has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to shooting the driver of the SUV and two of her sons, killing one of them, a 13-year-old, with a point-blank shot to the head after they pulled into the parking lot of a suburban Denver dental office in June 2018. But the psychologist, Christina Gliser, concluded after interviewing Webster twice that he was legally sane at the time of the shooting, in touch with reality and able to make decisions. Webster, now 27, is accused of shooting Meghan Bigelow and two of her sons, killing Vaughn Bigelow Jr. and wounding 8-year-old As...

‘Darkest day of our life’: Tibetans say Dalai Lama video was misinterpreted

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Toronto is home to the largest community of Tibetan diaspora in Canada and a controversial video of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has them speaking out about what they say are gross misinterpretations of their cultural practices.In a now viral video, a young boy asked to hug the Dalai Lama at a public gathering back in February.During the interaction, the Dalai Lama is seen kissing the child on the lips and heard saying “suck my tongue.” Online backlash was swift, with accusations of paedophilia and grooming. The Dalai Lama issued an apology thereafter.Last weekend, a peace and prayer march organized by the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of Toronto (RTYC) took to the streets in support of the Dalai Lama. Around 1,500 Tibetans participated in the march, urging people not to judge him based on a short video clip taken out of context and asking media to “tell the truth.”“For the past 60 years he’s been traveling around the world spreading ...

Montana man faces prison in threats against U.S. Sen. Tester

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A 46-year-old Montana man pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to threatening to murder U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.Kevin Patrick Smith of Kalispell faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine after admitting to threatening Tester’s life in voice messages left at the Democratic lawmaker’s office. Prosecutors said Smith made the threats because he was upset with Tester’s political decisions.In late January, Smith made numerous phone calls to Tester’s office, including one in which he challenged Tester to contact the FBI, according to court documents.The FBI contacted Smith on Feb. 1 and told him to stop threatening the senator. But 10 days later, the threatening calls resumed, and he was arrested on Feb. 22, the documents show. Smith’s public defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment.A second count of threatening the senator would be dropped under a plea deal.Associated Press, The Associated Press

Mexican man beaten, burned to death for stealing broccoli

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — An impoverished man who went into a field to steal a pair of broccoli stalks was beaten and burned to death by a mob in central Mexico, prosecutors said Thursday. Local police managed to take the man away from the village of San Miguel Tianguistenco, but he died later of his injuries. The area is just east of Mexico City.The chief prosecutor for the central state of Puebla vowed Thursday to find and punish those responsible for the killing. “A poor person, out of necessity, went into a field to take a pair of broccolis, and according to the preliminary information I have, that gave rise to them abducting him, beating him and burning him,” prosecutor Gilberto Higuera said.Julio Huerta, the state interior secretary, said an estimated 150 townspeople participated in the brutality. Initial reports suggest that some beat the man with a baseball bat and others doused him with gasoline. The man was identified only by his first name, Apolonio, in accordance with Mexico...

Police investigate theft of more than $20M of gold, goods at Toronto Pearson Airport

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Peel Regional Police say they are investigating the theft of more than $20 million worth of gold and other valuable items from Toronto Pearson Airport.Duty Insp. Stephen Duivesteyn says an aircraft arrived at the airport Monday evening, was subsequently unloaded and cargo was transported from the airport to a holding facility.Duivesteyn says the high-value shipment was stolen from the facility.The Peel police airport division has been leading the investigation.Police have not revealed any information about potential suspects or say which airline shipped the cargo or where the gold was headed.Duivesteyn says the “very rare” theft is isolated and there are no concerns for travel safety at the airport.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2023.The Canadian Press

Investigators: Gunmen fired into crowd at Sweet 16 party

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT

DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Investigators said five people charged in a deadly shooting at Sweet 16 birthday party had fired guns into the crowd at the celebration. Investigators wrote in court documents filed Thursday that they believe the five were present at the party and “discharged firearms into the crowd” resulting in the deaths of four people. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency announced two additional arrests on Thursday, for a total of five people facing facing reckless murder charges in connection with the fatal shooting. The shooting at the Sweet 16 birthday killed four young people, ranging in age from 17 to 23 and shocked the small east Alabama city of Dadeville. Besides the four slain, 32 others were injured, four of them critically. The party, at a dance studio just off the town square, was in full swing when gunfire erupted. Investigators have not discussed a motive or what they believe led to the shooting. Tyreese “Ty Reik”, 17, of Tuskegee and Travis McCullough, 1...

Restricting news links to Canadian users remains on table as Google opposes C-18

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT

OTTAWA — A senior executive says Google hasn’t made a final decision whether it will limit journalism links from Canadians if the federal government’s online news bill passes. Earlier this year, Google ran a five-week test that prevented 3.3 per cent of its Canadians users from seeing news links when searching for journalism on its search engine. It affected more than one million IP addresses, Google confirmed.While the test ended in March, it remains a longer-term option for Google in response to the bill, which it opposes.“We are continuing to raise concerns … we think there’s a better model,” said Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs and chief legal officer, while testifying Thursday at the Canadian Heritage committee. “We have not reached a final decision as to what business actions we might have to take.”The online news bill, also known as Bill C-18, would require tech giants to pay Canadian media companies for ...

Families fear more delays in Texas school shooting case

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT

GALVESTON, Texas (AP) — Family members of those killed and injured during a 2018 attack on a Texas high school in which 10 people were fatally shot expressed concern Thursday the case against the accused gunman — delayed for years over questions of his mental competency — could be further held up pending removal of the trial judge, facing allegations of bias and prior legal ties to the defendant.“We don’t even have any confidence we’re ever going to trial at this point,” said Scot Rice, whose wife Flo, was one of 23 people shot and injured during the attack at Santa Fe High School on May 18, 2018.Scot and Flo Rice, who was a substitute teacher, spoke after a court hearing over motions filed by lawyers for Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 22, the accused shooter who has been at a Texas state hospital since December 2019, when he was found incompetent to stand trial.Pagourtzis has been charged with capital murder. Eight students and two teachers were killed at the school, located about 35 miles ...