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CRTC to maintain approach for setting wholesale internet rates, with some adjustments

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:30 GMT

OTTAWA — The federal telecommunications regulator is sticking with the way it sets prices for Canada’s large carriers that provide smaller competitors with access to the internet.The CRTC says its review of its process for wholesale rates found the best method of promoting competition is the current approach in which it sets rates for wholesalers such as TekSavvy based on the service and infrastructure costs to the major players, plus a markup.Most of Canada’s larger carriers had argued for reforms, saying the traditional rate-setting method has resulted in competitors paying them less than break-even cost.They instead wanted to bring in commercial negotiations as the method for setting the majority of wholesale service rates, saying that model would provide greater opportunity to meet competitor-specific needs while minimizing unnecessary regulation.The CRTC says it will improve its current approach with adjustments such as considering market rates and other relevant in...

Trump blasts DeSantis in Iowa, says GOP rival ‘despises’ the state’s ethanol

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:30 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Friday headlined his largest Iowa campaign event in nearly four months with a speech to thousands at an arena in the western part of the state. Trump used his appearance in Council Bluffs to attack his top GOP rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, for opposing the federal mandate for ethanol, a renewable fuel additive that Iowa leads the nation in producing.“I’m proud to be the most pro-farmer president that you’ve ever had,” Trump said at the outset of the event aimed at promoting his administration’s agricultural record and touting his oversight of clawbacks of regulations on farmers. “I fought for Iowa ethanol like no president in history.”He planned to stop by a local Dairy Queen afterward to mingle with workers and customers.The large Republican presidential field has spent a lot of time over the last few months in Iowa, the leadoff GOP caucus state. In June, more than a half dozen candidates, including DeSantis, former Vice ...

Rudy Giuliani should be disbarred for false election fraud claims, a Washington review panel says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:30 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A review panel says former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani should be disbarred in Washington for how he handled litigation challenging the 2020 election on behalf of then-President Donald Trump.Giuliani “claimed massive election fraud but had no evidence,” wrote the three-lawyer panel in a report released Friday that goes through the errors and unsupported claims in a Pennsylvania lawsuit he argued seeking to overturn the Republican president’s loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Between Election Day and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, Giuliani and other Trump lawyers repeatedly pressed claims of election fraud that were almost uniformly rejected by federal and state courts. He’s the third lawyer who could lose his ability to practice law over what he did for Trump: John Eastman faces disbarment in California, and Lin Wood this week surrendered his license in Georgia.“Mr. Giuliani’s effort to undermine the integrity of the 2020 presidential el...

Pritzker announces $40B in state transportation investments

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:30 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Commuter trains, roads, and other forms of transportation will see tens of billions of dollars in investments across Illinois over the next several years.Over the next six years, Governor JB Pritzker says more than $40 billion dollars will be invested in improving all modes of transportation calling it the largest construction project in state history.The announcement, made Friday morning in Springfield by Pritzker, Illinois’ Secretary of Transportation and members of the general assembly.Officials say the program is a “blueprint to improve roads, bridges, transit, rail, airports, waters, bike and pedestrian accommodations over the next six years.” What qualifies for an AMBER Alert in Illinois? According to information released by the state, the fiscal year 2023 “annual highway improvement program” totals nearly four billion dollars…and will be significantly larger than years past.  In the 2023 fiscal year, officials expect improvements to 900 highway mile...

Chicago Ridge woman charged in DUI crash that killed brother, sister

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:30 GMT

DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. — A Chicago Ridge woman is facing multiple felony charges after an alleged drunken crash claimed the lives of a brother and sister. Christine Brocious, 36, of Chicago Ridge is charged with one count of aggravated DUI causing death and two counts of aggravated DUI causing great bodily harm stemming from the June 29 crash in unincorporated Winfield. Police: Woman tailgating causes deadly crash in Northwest Indiana Around 11:30 p.m., DuPage County deputies responded to Mack and Winfield roads after reports of a serious crash and found 25-five-year-old Jorgo Cukali and his 30-year-old sister, Nastika, suffering from severe injuries. Prosecutors say Brocious was driving her silver 2005 Mazda 6 sedan northbound on Winfield Road when she sped past a red light at Mack Road. Brocious maneuvered her vehicle between two other stopped cars and t-boned Cukali’s vehicle.Brocious’ blood alcohol content was allegedly .206. Jorgo Cukali died from injuries he sustained in the cr...

Chicago will host a professional sports title game this weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:30 GMT

CHICAGO — If you are interested in seeing a professional sports championship in Chicagoland this weekend, you'll have the opportunity to do so.You can thank one of the newest teams in Chicago for that chance to not only see that title contest but also two high-profile music acts.Major League Rugby will host their championship match between the San Diego Legion and the New England Free Jacks at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview on Saturday at 2 p.m. central time. It's the conclusion of the 12-team league's season that began in January and culminates in early July. It's here thanks to Chicago Hounds, who just finished their inaugural season in the MLR after being established last November. "At the beginning of the season the Chicago Hounds organization kinda stepped up and raised their hand to host this event," said MLR chief commercial officer Harry Hardy to WGN News Now this week. "What it enables us to do is kinda build a weekend of programming around the event that we can plan every ...

New global effort aims to fight back against synthetic drugs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:30 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) – The State Department is launching a global initiative to fight against synthetic drugs, which officials say are a big problem because of how deadly and addictive the drugs are -- on top of being easily and cheaply made.“Nearly 110,000 Americans died last year of a drug overdose, two-thirds of those deaths involved synthetic opioids,” said United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “We believe the United States is a canary in a coal mine when it comes to fentanyl, an exceptionally addictive and deadly synthetic drug.”Secretary Blinken says the saturation of synthetic opioids in the U.S. is pushing the drugs into other parts of the world.“Synthetic drugs are easy, all too easy to produce and to smuggle,” European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylga Johansson said.“According to the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime, the global count of people struggling with drug use disorders has escalated to 39.5 million people,” Park Jin, the minister of foreign affairs for ...

British Airways rage: Broken bottle reportedly used to attack passenger

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:30 GMT

(NewsNation) — In what's being described as a shocking display of unruly behavior, a British Airways flight from London to St. Lucia turned into a terrifying scene when an argument between passengers escalated into a violent altercation.The incident, caught on camera, involved one passenger wielding a broken wine bottle as a weapon, leaving the cabin splattered with blood.According to reports, the argument initially started as a verbal exchange before escalating to physical pushing and shoving.Then, one of the passengers grabbed a wine bottle and smashed it, using the broken glass to stab the other passenger involved. Blood was reportedly splattered all over the cabin. Subway sign referencing Titan implosion sparks controversy Disturbing photos were posted on social media that captured the aftermath of the brutal encounter.The chaos came to an end when a flight attendant intervened to put an end to the brawl. Passengers on board expressed their shock and horror as they were trappe...

Pflugerville's Book Burrow closes in on a store after social media support

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:30 GMT

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) -- A sizable social media response may allow local bookstore The Book Burrow to reach its goal of selling 1,000 books by July 12, which would let the business find a new home.Courtesy Kelsey BlackThe Book Burrow currently occupies a space in the Three Legged Goat, a wine and craft beer bar located at 200 E Pecan St. in Pflugerville. It moved into that space in Spring 2023, but the business has been in operation since 2021. During 2021-2023, the business sold books from pop-up locations.Kelsey Black, the store's owner, said that they still need to sell 100-200 more books to meet the goal. But options and time are limited for the queer-owned indie bookstore; a renovation at the Three Legged Goat will require them to move."There is no new location at the moment as there is no available commercial space in Pflugerville. So we are improvising and hopefully getting a skoolie," said Black, using a slang term for a renovated school bus.Wrapped ...

DFLers say they can fix tax bill error before it costs Minnesotans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:30 GMT

An error in the tax bill approved by the Legislature in May will have lawmakers scrambling next year to avoid Minnesotans having to pay higher income taxes.Minnesota Revenue Commissioner Paul Marquart and House and Senate tax committee chairs Sen. Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, and Rep. Aisha Gomez, DFL-Minneapolis, acknowledged the error in a statement Friday. The statement also said they had an agreement to fix it when the Legislature reconvenes in February 2024.If lawmakers fix the error next year it shouldn’t impact what taxpayers owe, the statement said. Each session, lawmakers fix errors they find in laws they’ve passed, but typically those mistakes don’t potentially cost Minnesotans money.The latest tax bill uses the wrong amounts for the standard deduction married- and single-filers can claim.In 2019, the Legislature doubled the standard deduction to $24,400 for couples and $12,200 for singles and tied it to inflation. The 2023 standard deduction for couples is $2...