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New Mexico OKs its 1st wildlife bridges to limit collisions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:44 GMT

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico will build its first wildlife highway overpasses for free-roaming cougars, black bears, bighorn sheep and other creatures large and small and will also set aside $100 million for conservation projects, under two bills signed Thursday by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.Advocates for the initiatives say the state stands to capture millions of dollars in federal matching funds for wildlife crossings and an array of established conservation programs. New Mexico hopes to expand efforts ranging from river stewardship to outdoor adventures for young people from low-income households.The state’s first wildlife bridge is likely to span a state highway that traverses remote desert oilfields and Native American lands of the Navajo Nation, Jicarilla Apache Nation and several pueblo communities, including a treacherous hotspot for wildlife-auto collisions north of Cuba, New Mexico.Several hundred large animals — primarily deer and elk — are killed in the state ...

Do Kwon, wanted in $40B crypto crash, arrested in Montenegro

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:44 GMT

PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Police in Montenegro have arrested Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon, who is wanted in South Korea in connection with a $40 billion crash of the firm’s cryptocurrency that devastated retail investors around the world, the European country’s interior minister said Thursday.“Montenegrin police arrested an individual who is believed to be one of the most wanted fugitives, South Korean citizen Do Kwon,” Interior Minister Filip Adzic said on Twitter. South Korea’s Justice Ministry on Friday confirmed the arrest of Kwon and another unidentified individual linked to the cryptocurrency crash and said it will proceed with steps to extradite them to South Korea. Both South Korea and Montenegro are signees to the European Convention on Extradition. South Korea asked Interpol in September to circulate a “red notice” for the 31-year-old Kwon across the agency’s 195 member nations to find and apprehend him.Kwon and the other man had been hiding in Serbia but moved to Mon...

After Denver school shooting, an outcry erupts over security

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:44 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Outraged Denver students and parents demanded better school security and pushed for tighter firearm controls Thursday, a day after a 17-year-old student shot and wounded two administrators at a city high school beset with violence.More than 1,000 students rallied at the Colorado Capitol to push gun reform legislation, while school board members endorsed the district superintendent’s abrupt reversal of a policy that had banned armed officers from Denver schools.The shooting at East High School near downtown occurred as administrators were searching for weapons on suspect Austin Lyle, who fled from the scene and was found dead Wednesday night in the mountains southwest of Denver. He died from a self-inlflicted gunshot wound, the Park County coroner said.Educators for decades have grappled with how to keep students safe as violence has intensified, and the Denver shooting stoked an immediate backlash among parents who said security was too lax.The uproar echoed comm...

Man, 59, wanted for allegedly attacking woman with knife in North York

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:44 GMT

Toronto police have identified a man wanted for allegedly attacking a woman with a knife in North York.Investigators say the incident happened on March 11 in the Finch Avenue West and Bathurst Street area.Police did not provide many details other than that the man allegedly attacked the woman with the knife and that the two knew each other.The male suspect was identified as 59-year-old Leonid Yuzefovich of Toronto.He’s wanted on several charges, including three counts of assault, assault/choking, assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm, among other offences.Yuzefovich is described as five-foot-ten, roughly 200 pounds, with a large build, bald, and clean-shaven.

Artwork that secretly honored Hong Kong dissidents removed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:44 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong department store took down a digital artwork that contained hidden references to jailed dissidents, in an incident the artist says is evidence of erosion of free speech in the semi-autonomous Chinese city.It was unclear whether the government played a role in the decision to remove the artwork, it came just days after a slasher film featuring Winnie the Pooh, a figure often used in playful taunts of China’s President Xi Jinping, was pulled from local cinemas. Patrick Amadon’s “No Rioters” was put on display on a billboard at the SOGO Causeway Bay Store for an exhibition that started last Friday, as the city was promoting its return as a vibrant cultural hub following years of pandemic travel restrictions. Art Basel Hong Kong, a prominent art fair in Asia, began this week, alongside other art events.Hong Kong is a former British colony that returned to China’s rule in 1997, promising to retain its Western-style freedoms. The city was rocked by a massive p...

Los Angeles school strike ends, but no deal announced

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:44 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A three-day strike by workers in the Los Angeles Unified School District ended Thursday, but it wasn’t immediately clear if any progress was made in negotiations for higher pay for teachers’ aides, bus drivers, custodians and other support staff in the nation’s second-largest school system. Teachers joined the picket lines in solidarity, shutting down instruction for the district’s half-million students during the walkout by members of Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents about 30,000 of the lowest-paid school workers. Support staffers earn, on average, about $25,000 a year in Los Angeles, barely enough to get by in one of the most expensive cities in America.Mayor Karen Bass stepped in as mediator Wednesday after district Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho accused the union of refusing to negotiate. Max Arias, executive director of SEIU Local 99, said the union was grateful that Bass was helping “find a path out of o...

Maple Leafs find form with decisive win in Florida

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:44 GMT

Auston Matthews scored two goals as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Florida Panthers 6-2 on Thursday night, gaining a much-needed two points on the road.Matthews, who opened the scoring with his 33rd goal of the season, would later find the back of the net for a second time en route to the win, while captain John Tavares added three assists. William Nylander had two points for Toronto, scoring his 36th goal of the season.TONE STRIKES FIRST ???? pic.twitter.com/XdiR3zW5ND— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 23, 2023Mark Giordano finished with two assists, while Michael Bunting and Mitch Marner scored the other goals for Toronto.Goalie Matt Murray stopped 34 of 36 shots to pick up the win. Matthew Tkachuk and Nick Cousins scored for the Panthers.The Maple Leafs entered Thursday coming off an uninspiring 7-2 loss to the New York Islanders and were outplayed by the Ottawa Senators last Saturday despite hanging on to a 5-4 shootout win.Toronto was without defenceman Morgan Ri...

Utah social media law means kids need approval from parents

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:44 GMT

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Children and teenagers in Utah would lose access to social media apps such as TikTok if they don’t have parental consent and would face other restrictions under a first-in-the-nation law designed to shield young people from the addictive apps.The two bills Cox signed into law also prohibit kids under 18 from using social media between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., require age verification for anyone who wants to use social media in the state and seek to prevent tech companies from luring kids to their apps using addictive features. The laws passed through Utah’s Republican-supermajority Legislature are the latest reflection of how politicians’ perceptions of technology companies are changing — and that includes pro-business Republicans. Tech giants like Facebook and Google have enjoyed unbridled growth for over a decade, but amid concerns over user privacy, hate speech, misinformation and harmful effects on teens’ mental health, lawmakers have be...

Raptors’ Nick Nurse hopes team experts can guide Canadians towards healthy, balanced lives

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:44 GMT

One of One. There is only one NBA head coaching job in the Great White North, and it belongs to Nick Nurse.Being employed as the lead man of the Toronto Raptors comes with gruelling pressure and responsibilities as an entire country is watching Nurse’s every move and emotion.Nurse and the Raptors are discussing their health journeys while helping to launch a new online platform with Sunlife called Sun Life Healthy You, which gives Canadians access to resources and content from Raptors’ health experts to help Canadians try a healthy and balanced life.“We try to cover every facet of healthy living for our Raptors players,” Nurse told CityNews, elaborating on why this platform will be an excellent resource for Canadians.“There are a lot of areas that we focus on, from nutrition, conditioning, strength training, flexibility, mental well-being — every facet of what makes someone as healthy as they can be. We’ve got experts, and we’ve got a ...

Led by Bozo, WGN's kids' shows were a Grand March of fun

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:44 GMT

CHICAGO — When the new medium of television was taking hold, kids in the Chicago area lucky enough to have a set got their first tastes of shows made "just for them" on WGN.The very first children's host was singer and radio personality Richard "Two Ton" Baker, whose "Wonder House" puppet show debuted on the second day of broadcasting.“The Blue Fairy" with Brigid BazlenIn the late 1950s, there was the Peabody Award-winning “The Blue Fairy" with Brigid Bazlen, who would fly around WGN’s Michigan Avenue studios on wires, connecting with the imaginations of kids who would flock to public appearances."Lunchtime Little Theater" introduced Ned Locke to WGN-TV's young audience in 1956 as “Uncle Ned,” with Ted Ziegler as Uncle Bucky, Dardanelle Hadley as Aunt Dody and, later, Bob Baron as “Uncle Bob.” Skipper NedIn 1960, Ned moved on to "Paddleboat" as Skipper Ned. He'd later take on a different role on WGN’s most famous kids' show.Other early shows included "Romper Room" with games and act...