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Blue Jays return to Rogers Centre good for Toronto’s tourism and hospitality sectors

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:28 GMT

TORONTO — It’s not just baseball fans that are excited to see the Toronto Blue Jays return to Rogers Centre — local businesses are happy too.After a 10-game road trip to start the season, Toronto hosts the Detroit Tigers in their home opener on Tuesday. Significant off-season renovations to Rogers Centre forced the Blue Jays to start the year south of the border but team president Mark Shapiro believes the changes will improve the fan experience at the ballpark and be a boon to the local economy.“Toronto is an incredibly dynamic city and strong entertainment market,” said Shapiro in a statement to The Canadian Press. “The recent Rogers Centre renovations created differentiated experiences that appeal to a broader audience, driving greater economic impact in Toronto through job creation and increased activity in the downtown core. “More than 1,000 Canadian workers were involved in the ballpark renovations over the last six months, and we anticipate increased e...

Montana abortion proposal met with preemptive lawsuit

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:28 GMT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Planned Parenthood of Montana filed a preemptive lawsuit Monday seeking to stop legislation that would ban the abortion method most commonly used in the second trimester, arguing the proposed law is unconstitutional.The nonprofit organization filed the complaint over the proposal to ban dilation and evacuation abortions before the bill has been forwarded to Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte. The organization asked for the court to at least temporarily block the legislation because it would take effect immediately upon being signed, causing irreparable harm to its patients.The lawsuit came on the same day that the U.S. Justice Department appealed a Texas court ruling that would halt approval of the most commonly used method of abortion in the U.S., calling the decision “extraordinary and unprecedented.”The request to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was filed just days after conflicting court rulings over the legality of the abortion medication mifepristone put...

Man charged after downtown Montreal mosque break-in, alleged assault caught on video

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:28 GMT

MONTREAL — Muslim leaders are criticizing the police response to an early Sunday morning break-in at a downtown Montreal mosque, saying the alleged attack should be investigated as a hate crime.A national Muslim group posted surveillance videos to social media that appear to show someone at around 5 a.m. using a rock to break into the Al-Omah Al-Islamiah mosque and into the prayer room. The videos, published by the Canadian Muslim Forum, also appear to show the perpetrator attempting to hit and narrowly missing a young worshipper before smashing into the building. A 32-year-old man is facing a mischief charge in connection with the alleged attack, but Montreal police Const. Véronique Dubuc said Monday that investigators didn’t believe the incident was a hate crime, adding that the suspect would appear in court at a later date.Later in the day, Const. Caroline Chèvrefils said the force’s hate crimes unit would investigate because the incident occurred at a place of worshi...

‘A board-level topic’: Energy sector routinely target of cyberattackers, experts say

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:28 GMT

CALGARY — Cybersecurity experts aren’t surprised by the revelation contained within a package of leaked U.S. intelligence documents suggesting Russian-backed hackers successfully gained access to Canada’s natural gas distribution network.But they say there’s a huge difference between gaining access to a company’s network or servers, and actually disrupting Canada’s energy supply or causing injury or property damage.“There’s a big disconnect between gaining access to a computer, in the industrial world, and knowing how to make it do physical things,” said Lesley Carhart, director of incident response for North America at the industrial cybersecurity company Dragos Inc.“Criminal groups gain access to industrial facilities all the time. But just hitting buttons isn’t necessarily going to cause anything meaningful to happen.” An apparent release of Pentagon documents onto social media sites recently appeared not only to detail U.S. a...

Indiana Senate backs bill on student names, pronoun changes

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:28 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana schools may soon be required to notify parents if their children request a name or pronoun change at school, after the state Senate on Monday advanced a House bill that some worry could out transgender kids to their families.The Republican-dominated state Senate’s 37-12 vote came after intense committee hearings where residents derided the measure as an attack on the state’s LGBTQ+ students, especially trans youth. Like Indiana, Republican-led legislatures around the country have been seeking to curb LGBTQ+ rights, especially in targeting transgender individuals’ everyday life — including sports, health care, workplaces and schools.Under the Indiana bill, which the House first sent to the Senate in February, a school would have to provide written notification to a child’s parent or guardian within five business days of the child asking to be called a different “pronoun, title, or word.” Supporters say this approach would empower pa...

White Sox lose Anderson but hold on to beat Twins 4-3

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:28 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Hanser Alberto hit a three-run homer, Dylan Cease had another strong outing against the Twins and the Chicago White Sox held on to beat Minnesota 4-3 on Monday.Yasmani Grandal had two hits and drove in the other run for Chicago, which had to remove shortstop Tim Anderson in the sixth inning with left knee soreness after he collided with a baserunner.Cease, the American League Cy Young runner-up last season, gave up three runs but only one was earned after three errors by the White Sox. Cease (2-0) allowed three hits with six strikeouts in five innings.The Twins hit just 2 for 48 and were scoreless in 16 innings in two games against Cease last season.Alberto committed one of the errors by the White Sox, allowing the Twins to score their first run in the third inning. But he answered in the next inning with his first homer of the season.Reynaldo López entered with the tying run on third base with two outs in the eighth and struck out Michael Taylor before pitching a...

Hair suddenly falling out in the shower? This might be why

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:28 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The majority of the world’s population will experience some form of gradual hair loss or thinning over the courses of their lives. But when it doesn’t seem so gradual — and suddenly starts falling out excessively — it usually indicates something other than hereditary hair loss.Some dermatologists say they’ve been hearing these exact concerns more frequently in recent years, and it’s no surprise why: Of the many causes of sudden hair loss, a high fever and stress are among some of the most common.“There is no doubt that COVID presented this double-whammy to the system,” Dr. Mary Lupo, a board-certified dermatologist and an adjunct faculty member at Tulane University, told Nexstar. Have the odds of getting long COVID changed? COVID, Lupo said, resulted in patients experiencing not only physiological stresses on the body but also psychological stressors. Just one of these, however, could be enough to trigger delayed hair loss several months later.At any given time, the ha...

Does your state allow teachers to carry a gun?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:28 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - Following a shooting that left six dead, including three children, at The Covenant School in Nashville, there have been renewed calls to have armed teachers in schools. Some states have already enacted laws allowing this while others are hoping to do so. In 2013, just a few months after the deadly Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, South Dakota became the first state to enact a law allowing school employees to carry guns, The New York Times reports. Since then, roughly 30 states have enacted similar legislation, according to data collected by the Giffords Law Center. ‘Good guys with guns’ – do they help stop shooters? Here’s what data says Only 16 states currently prohibit teachers from carrying a firearm: Alabama, California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, as well as the District of Columbia. Tennessee allows teachers at pri...

Pleasant temperatures with just a few isolated showers

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Comfortable spring temperatures and a few isolated rain showers continue on the backside of a stalled storm system over east Texas.A northerly component to the breeze keeps high temperatures in the 70s Tuesday and Wednesday, with cool mornings in the 50s. Temperatures Tuesday afternoon will again be in the 70sAs the east Texas storm system pulls slightly farther away each day, rain chances drop to 10% on Tuesday, then dry sunshine returns Wednesday and Thursday.Following a quiet weather week, we are tracking a western storm set to move into Texas on Saturday. Heat and humidity increase ahead of the system, causing high temperatures rise above 80 degrees (Austin's average high during early April) beginning Thursday. We expect a 30% chance of storms -- some potentially strong -- on Saturday as the storm passes through. Stay tuned for updates.Best chance of showers/thunderstorms will be Saturday afternoonHumidity and temperatures drop Sunday morning behind this system,...

Complaint alleges Rep. Bryan Slaton had “inappropriate relationship” with an intern

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 17:30:28 GMT

(Texas Tribune) — An internal complaint filed against state Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, alleges that he was engaging in a potentially “inappropriate relationship” with an intern. The complaint came after an incident where Slaton and the staffer met up at his Austin apartment last weekend.The complaint, obtained by The Texas Tribune, was reported to the House General Investigating Committee by a legislative staffer. The account in the complaint was also corroborated by another source who works in the Capitol who had direct knowledge of the incident.Slaton allegedly called the intern after 10 p.m. on March 31 inviting her to his Austin condo, the complaint said.A source with direct knowledge of the incident told the Tribune that Slaton drank alcohol with the intern who was under 21 years old.Slaton, who was in the Capitol on Monday, declined to answer questions and referred to a statement put out earlier in the day by a criminal defense attorney he has retained.A representative f...