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Biden administration pledges $6 billion to a pair of high-speed electric rail routes in the US West

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:54:31 GMT

By ADAM BEAM and KEN RITTER (Associated Press)SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Biden administration on Tuesday said it will give more than $6 billion to a pair of high-speed electric rail routes in the U.S. West, injecting new life into long-stalled projects hailed by supporters as the future of public transportation but bemoaned by critics for their high price tags and lengthy construction times.U.S. senators from California and Nevada said the federal government will give $3 billion for a planned privately-owned route between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area plus another $3.1 billion for an initial segment of California’s publicly-funded effort to eventually connect Los Angeles and San Francisco.The money is a fraction of the total cost to build the routes. But it signals the Biden administration’s commitment to high-speed rail, a mode of transportation commonplace in Europe and Asia but bypassed in the U.S. and its car-obsessed culture.“The federal governme...

Taliban’s abusive education policies harm boys as well as girls in Afghanistan, rights group says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:54:31 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban’s “abusive” educational policies are harming boys as well as girls in Afghanistan, according to a Human Rights Watch report published Wednesday.The Taliban have been globally condemned for banning girls and women from secondary school and university, but the rights group says there has been less attention to the deep harm inflicted on boys’ education.The departure of qualified teachers including women, regressive curriculum changes and the increase in corporal punishment have led to greater fear of going to school and falling attendance.Because the Taliban have dismissed all female teachers from boys’ schools, many boys are taught by unqualified people or sit in classrooms with no teachers at all.Boys and parents told the rights group about a spike in the use of corporal punishment, including officials beating boys before the whole school for haircut or clothing infractions or for having a mobile phone. The group interviewed 22 boys along with five paren...

Some advocates call for stronger protections under new Ontario puppy mills law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:54:31 GMT

As the Ford government proposes a new law to crack down on puppy mills across Ontario, there are calls to beef up the protections contained in the legislation.“I have been speaking with many members of the animal welfare community, of the rescue community, and everyone is very disappointed with this inadequate legislation. So I anticipate a very, very big push to amend this bill to better protect animals,” Camille Labchuk, a lawyer and the executive director of the advocacy group Animal Justice, told CityNews.“We’re encouraged that the government introduced it in the first place. It shows that they are sensitive to the fact that people are demanding change and an end to puppy mills, so I really hope that we’ll be able to have some collaborative discussions.”Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner introduced the Preventing Unethical Puppy Sales Act (PUPS) Act at Queen’s Park on Monday. Government officials said the PUPS Act aims to stop pup...

Maduro orders the ‘immediate’ exploitation of oil, gas and mines in Guyana’s Essequibo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:54:31 GMT

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Tuesday ordered the country’s state-owned companies to “immediately” begin to explore and exploit the oil, gas and mines in Guyana’s Essequibo region, a territory larger than Greece and rich in oil and minerals that Venezuela claims as its own.The announcement came a day a day after Maduro got the victory he sought in a weekend referendum on whether to claim sovereignty over the region.Maduro said he would “immediately” proceed “to grant operating licenses for the exploration and exploitation of oil, gas and mines in the entire area of our Essequibo.” He also ordered the creation of local subsidiaries of Venezuelan public companies, including oil giant PDVSA and mining conglomerate Corporación Venezolana de Guayana.Maduro’s announcement comes a day after Venezuela’s electoral authorities announced that the five questions with which the government wanted to claim sovereignty over Essequibo were approve...

New Mexico governor proposes $500M to treat fracking wastewater

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:54:31 GMT

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico would underwrite development of a strategic new source of water by buying treated water that originates from the used, salty byproducts of oil and natural gas drilling, and help preserve its freshwater aquifers in the process, under a proposal from the state’s Democratic governor.The initiative from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, announced Tuesday from the international climate conference at Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, would set water purification standards and purchase treated water that originates from oil fields as well as the state’s vast natural underground reservoirs of brine. It requires legislative approval.The idea is to create a government-guaranteed market for the commodity — treated water — and attract private enterprise to build desalinization and treatment facilities, securing new sources of water for industrial applications. The administration hopes to make the water available to businesses ranging from microchip manuf...

Rise in anti-Semitic incidents causes concern among Jewish families ahead of Hanukah

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:54:31 GMT

CHICAGO — The start of Hanukah is just days away and this year, for many in the Jewish community, the festival of lights is clouded by fear.  "It’s really just another layer of a lot of concern about showing one’s Jewishness," Addie Goodman said.  Police search for group spotted stealing $5K worth of trading cards from Chesterton game shop Goodman, who is the CEO of the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago (JCC), said the conversation families are having about whether to put a menorah in their windows for the holiday is unlike anything she’s witnessed ever before. "Is this something we should do because we’re proud to be Jewish, and we want to find solidarity and comfort in one another and see the menorahs in the window, or is there fear? And it’s making us uncomfortable, such that we don’t want to show this is a home where Jews live," Goodman said. The reason is the rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the United States since the war between Israel and Hamas escal...

These Illinois towns make America's Most 'Christmassy' list

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:54:31 GMT

CHICAGO — When it comes to Christmas, a pair of Illinois towns are making America's favorite list — no need to check it twice. Most may know Santa Claus, Indiana or North Police, Alaska, but Illinois is home to two of America's Favorite 'Christmassy' Towns in 2023, according to a new report by Mixbook.Galena (No. 49) and Naperville (No. 58) make the 'Top 75 list.' About 3,000 families were surveyed. 21st annual WGN Morning News drive-thru toy drive, presented by AARP Chicago, to be held Friday, December 8 Galena in northwest Illinois cracks the top 50 due, in part, to the town's preserved history, draped with holiday lights and decorations. The town's Main Street is also known for holiday shopping. The "Night of the Luminaria" is also one of the town's most Christmas-hyped events. Naperville's Christmas festivities include the Naper Lights display, a holiday-lit Riverwalk and the town's annual Christkindlmarket. Naperville's holiday concerts and family-friendly activities were als...

Sources: APD officer shot in southwest Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:54:31 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An Austin Police officer was shot in southwest Austin, and a person was taken into custody, three law enforcement sources told KXAN Tuesday evening.Details surrounding the shooting were not immediately available. A KXAN crew on the scene reported a heavy law enforcement presence in the area of Austral Loop in the Circle C community near La Crosse Avenue and MoPac Expressway.One law enforcement source told KXAN the officer suffered non-life threatening injuries.KXAN is working to learn more about the suspect and has a crew on the way.This is a developing story. We will update this as more details are available.

Twins hunting for pitching rotation reinforcements in slow-moving market

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:54:31 GMT

NASHVILLE — Sonny Gray has departed for St. Louis. Kenta Maeda will make his new home in Detroit for the next couple seasons. And now, the Twins’ front office must decide how to best reinforce a starting pitching rotation that was among the best in the major leagues last season.“Losing those guys is tough, but you don’t want to have the exact same club every single year,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “I also think some movement on the roster creates a little hunger and shakes things up in a good way for a lot of the players, too.”Twins starters finished the season with a 3.82 earned-run average — first in the American League — helping carry the team to a first-place finish in the Central division.While replacing Gray — he finished second in Cy Young Award voting last season — and Maeda won’t be an easy task, the Twins have one internal option they plan to turn to — Chris Paddack, who returned from Tommy John surgery late last season — and another potential option in Louie Varl...

Twins’ Alex Kirilloff, Jose Miranda progressing well after shoulder surgeries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:54:31 GMT

NASHVILLE — The Twins got better-than-expected news on a pair of players they’re relying on to play first base next season after both had surgery this fall.The Twins were expecting Alex Kirilloff to need a labrum repair in his right shoulder. Instead, when he went under the knife in late October, he had a less invasive surgery — a bursectomy — with a shorter recovery timetable. The same goes for Jose Miranda, who dealt with a shoulder issue that plagued him all of last season. Upon his visit to the surgeon, the Twins found out that Miranda wouldn’t need a repair or a major surgery but rather just a cleanup in his right shoulder.Both have been progressing well, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said.Kirilloff is primarily lifting, running and doing non-baseball activities that do not incorporate his upper body. Falvey said he was “in a good spot,” though he was not yet ready to put specifics on Kirilloff’s timeline for his return to baseball activities.Miranda start...