Home

First group of Canadians leave West Bank for Jordan as those in Gaza brace for worst

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:59 GMT

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says a group of Canadians has crossed safely from the West Bank into neighbouring Jordan as violence continues in Israel’s escalating war against Hamas. Joly made the announcement this morning on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, thanking the Global Affairs staff who she says worked around the clock to make it happen.The federal government says 21 Canadians and foreign nationals took a bus out of the West Bank, a Palestinian territory that Israel has occupied since 1967, and where it has established settlements.Long-simmering tensions in the region exploded on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing hundreds of civilians and taking more than 150 people hostage.Israel responded by bombarding Hamas-controlled Gaza and cutting off food, water and electricity to 2.3 million Palestinians, and more than 4,000 people have been killed on both sides in the last 10 days.With Israel planning a m...

He’s a survivor: A mother fights for son kidnapped by Hamas militants

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:59 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Hersh Goldberg-Polin is like a lot of other young people.The 23-year-old from Jerusalem loves music, wants to see the world and, now that he’s finished his military service, plans to go to university. But first he has to come home.Goldberg-Polin was last seen on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants loaded him into the back of a pickup with other hostages abducted from a music festival where at least 260 people were killed.His mother, Rachel Goldberg, still expects to see him again.“He’s a survivor,” Goldberg said of her son, whose grin beams out from behind a sparse, youthful beard in family photos. “He’s not like this big, bulky guy. But I think that survival has a lot to do with where you are mentally,” she added.Born in Berkeley, California, Goldberg-Polin moved to Israel with his family when he was 7 years old.As a child, he wanted to learn about the world, pouring over maps and atlases to learn the names of capital cities and mountains. Later he became a fan of psychedeli...

City establishes 15 food scrap drop-off sites for new composting program

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:59 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago's first-ever citywide composting initiative was announced on Monday with 15 food scrap drop-off sites.To participate, residents must sign up for a nearby drop-off location, collect in sealed containers and bring the collected materials to the green carts at the sites.The 15 food scrap drop-off sites are:  Morgan Park – 11059 S. Homewood Ave. Englewood – 611 W. 69th St. West Englewood – 1756 W. 74th St. West Edelson – 3720 W. 55th St. Grand Boulevard – 4352 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Brighton Park – 3359 S. Maplewood Ave. Near South Side – 1758 S. Clark St. Lower West Side – 1944 W. Cullerton St. West Town – 2505 W. Grand Ave. Logan Square –2460 W Cortland.  Belmont Cragin – 5605 W. Grand Ave. Avondale – 3143 N. Rockwell St.  Bowmanville – 5333 N. Western Ave. Irving Park – 4605 W. Lawrence Ave. Norwood Park – 6453 W. Higgins Ave."Diverting food scraps for composting ...

LinkedIn laying off more than 660 workers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:59 GMT

(The Hill) -- LinkedIn is laying off more than 660 workers across its engineering, product, talent and finance teams, the employment-focused social media site announced Monday.“Talent changes are a difficult, but necessary and regular part of managing our business,” the company said in a news release. This marks LinkedIn’s second round of major layoffs this year after it announced its plans to cut more than 700 jobs in May amid efforts to make “changes to our Global Business Organization (GBO) and our China strategy.”In a Monday email to employees, which was obtained by Insider, LinkedIn executives said the latest round of layoffs reflected a need to “evolve how we work and what we prioritize so we can deliver of the key initiatives we’ve identified.” Rite Aid seeks Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it deals with lawsuits and losses “While we are adapting our organizational structures and streamlining our decision making, we are continuing to invest in strategic prioritie...

Indiana State Police reportedly investigating evidence leak in Delphi case

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:59 GMT

DELPHI, Ind. — An investigation by "The Murder Sheet" podcast, certain elements of which have been confirmed by WXIN, indicates an alleged leak of sensitive crime scene evidence by Richard Allen’s defense team that could derail the early 2024 trial of the man accused of killing two young girls in Delphi nearly seven years ago.This past Thursday, Special Judge Fran Gull of Allen County issued an order for a hearing on October 19 in her Fort Wayne courtroom, “to discuss the upcoming hearing on October 31, 2023, and other matters which have recently arisen.”Those “other matters” most likely include the revelation that a handful of Delphi crime scene evidence items have been circulated among the social media community that has focused on the murders of Abby Williams and Libby German near the Monon High Bridge on February 13, 2017.It was just a year ago that Richard Allen was arrested and charged with those killings.Allen’s attorneys, Andrew Baldwin of Franklin and Bradley Rozzi of ...

21 species across 16 states now considered extinct: US wildlife officials

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:59 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — Nearly two dozen species from 16 states that were listed as endangered have been delisted — but not because they've rebounded. Instead, the change in status is due to extinction. Two years ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed delisting 23 species. After a public comment period, they opted against delisting two: a perennial herb from Hawaii after new surveys found new habitats that could be suitable for the species, and the ivory-billed woodpecker, which FWS said it will continue to review. The remaining 21, however, are now being delisted from the Endangered Species Act (ESA), FWS said in a Monday press release. The ESA was established in 1973 to protect plants and animals considered threatened or endangered in the U.S. So far, the ESA is credited with saving 99% of the species that received its protection, FWS said. It was a popular national monument, until it was robbed to extinction Many of the newly delisted species first received protection under the ...

Secret 'Seinfeld' project? Julia Louis-Dreyfus responds to Jerry Seinfeld's comments at recent performance

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:59 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – If Julia Louis-Dreyfus knows anything about the mysterious “Seinfeld” project that Jerry Seinfeld alluded to earlier this month, she’s clearly keeping it in the vault.“Yeah, I just saw [that news] last night,” Louis-Dreyfus said in a recent interview with The Guardian. “And I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about.” Netflix plans to open permanent store locations in 2025 Louis-Dreyfus was specifically reacting to Seinfeld’s comments at an Oct. 7 performance in Boston after he was asked if he was happy with the finale of his sitcom.“Did I like what? The ending? Of the show?” Seinfeld said, repeating a question from an audience member. “Well, I have a little secret for you about the ending, but I can’t really tell it. Because it is a secret.”Perhaps egged on by some booing in the audience, Seinfeld continued.“Here’s what I’ll tell you, OK?” But you can’t tell anybody,” he said. “Something is going to happen, that has to do with that ending, but it hasn’t happened ye...

Medicare will remove limits on PET scans used with new Alzheimer's drugs

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:59 GMT

(The Hill) - Medicare will remove limits on covering PET scans used to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease, allowing broader access to new treatments on the U.S. market.The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said in a memo it was removing a previous once-in-a-lifetime limit. But instead of making a broad decision about how many scans Medicare will cover, CMS said it was leaving coverage up to its regional contractors.The non-invasive PET scans detect the presence of a brain plaque called amyloid and can be used as a way to determine whether a patient will be a good candidate for potentially promising drugs like Leqembi, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in July.Medicare will cover the pricey drug, but it requires patients to be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s disease with documented evidence of amyloid on the brain.Leqembi is part of a new class of so-called anti-amyloid drugs because they target amyloid brain plaque, whi...

Dolly Parton to perform in the Dallas Cowboys' Red Kettle Kickoff halftime show

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's Dolly Parton's world, we're all just living in it.The Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee will perform in the Dallas Cowboys' Red Kettle Kickoff halftime show this Thanksgiving, the team announced in a social media post.The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign is an annual fundraiser that collects public contributions to help support The Salvation Army's efforts, including providing toys for kids, coats and food for those in need as well as funding several social service programs.The Dallas Cowboys will take on the Washington Commanders at 3:30 p.m. CT on Nov. 23.The halftime show has become an annual tradition for the Thanksgiving game. It started in 1997 with country superstar Reba McEntire.The Jonas Brothers performed last year's show. The boy band also performed the Thanksgiving show in 2008.

2024 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix tickets launch this week

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:01:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Drivers, start your engines.Formula 1 revs ahead with the release of its 2024 Grand Prix grounds passes, slated to go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday.The three-day Formula 1 United States Grand Prix returns to Austin's Circuit of the Americas Oct. 18-20, 2024. Tickets cost $299 each and provide weekend-long access, with law seats, races and headlining acts. Those with Amex cards will have early presale access, running from 10 a.m. Monday through 11:59 p.m. Thursday.More details on next year's United States Grand Prix are available online.