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Montreal Oratory says no fire or noise reported, believes social media video is fake

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:48 GMT

MONTREAL — A Montreal church says it believes a video appearing to show a fire on its front steps is completely fake.Danielle Decelles, a spokeswoman for Saint Joseph’s Oratory, says no one at the church — including nuns who live on the site — heard or saw any signs of a fire on Saturday evening.She says the Oratory’s security team looked for signs of a fire this morning after seeing images shared widely on social media and found no evidence that one had taken place. Decelles says the church believes the video was assembled by splicing footage from different sources.The video, which has circulated on social media, appears to show people playing drums and chanting north African soccer cheers around a fire on the church’s front steps.It appears to show a large crowd in front of the church, a major tourist site, including people entering and exiting through its main doors.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2023.The Canadian Press

Minnesota prison on emergency lockdown after about 100 inmates ‘refuse’ to return to cells

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:48 GMT

STILLWATER, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota prison has been placed on emergency lockdown and members of a crisis negotiation team has been activated after about 100 inmates in one housing unit would not return to their cells, the state Department of Corrections said Sunday.The Special Operations Response Team was also deployed “out of an abundance of caution,” a spokesperson said in a statement, adding the situation is “currently stable” and the reason inmates “are refusing to return to their cells remains unclear.”Two officers at the Stillwater correctional facility were reported to be safe in a secure control area and in contact with facility staff. No injuries had been reported.In total, about 1,200 inmates are at the facility just southeast of Stillwater, according to department records.The Associated Press

Biden and Trump are keeping relatively light campaign schedules as their rivals rack up the stops

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:48 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Their rivals are busy answering voters’ questions at town halls across South Carolina, glad-handing with business owners in New Hampshire and grinding to hit every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.But the front-runners for their party’s nomination, former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, are barely campaigning in crucial early-voting states as the primary season enters the fall rush.Biden is attending a union parade in Philadelphia on Monday. But he has held just one campaign rally in the four-plus months since he formally launched his 2024 reelection bid. Trump, who complained of his Biden’s “basement strategy” in 2020, has not campaigned for three weeks now, last appearing at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 12. The schedules underscore the reality that Democrat Biden and Republican Trump, despite underwater approval ratings nationally, are the dominant front-runners. Biden faces only token opposition in anti-vaccine activist Robert F. ...

Disney wants to narrow the scope of its lawsuit against DeSantis to free speech claim

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:48 GMT

Disney wants to narrow the scope of its federal lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis to just a free speech claim that the Florida governor retaliated against the company because of its public opposition to a state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades.Disney on Friday asked a federal judge for permission to file an amended complaint focusing just on the First Amendment claim and leaving to another, state-court lawsuit questions about the legality of agreements the company signed with Disney World’s governing district, then-made up of Disney supporters. The agreements were signed before DeSantis and the GOP-controlled Florida Legislature took over the governmental body in the spring.The agreements shifted control of design and construction at the theme park resort from the new DeSantis appointees on the board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) to Disney. The DeSantis appointees are now challenging the legalit...

Jimmy Buffett died after a four-year fight with a rare form of skin cancer, his website says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:48 GMT

SAG HARBOR, N.Y. (AP) — Jimmy Buffett, whose sun-drenched songs celebrated life by the shore, died of a rare, aggressive skin cancer, according to a statement on his website. Buffett, 76, had Merkel cell cancer, according to the statement, which was posted after initial news of his death emerged Saturday. The statement also disclosed where the “Margaritaville” singer died: at his home in Sag Harbor, New York, near the Hamptons. He had been fighting the cancer for four years while continuing to perform, the last time making a surprise appearance in Rhode Island in early July, the statement said.Merkel cell carcinoma, as it’s known in medical literature, is very rare and tends to spread quickly, including to parts of the body beyond the skin, according to the federal National Cancer Institute and the Mayo Clinic. Risk factors include a lot of sun exposure, a weakened immune system, a history of other cancers, and being light-skinned and over 50. Buffett conjured an easygoing, sa...

Metallica postpones Arizona concert after James Hetfield tests positive for COVID-19

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:48 GMT

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Metallica postponed Sunday’s concert in Arizona after the band said lead singer James Hetfield tested positive for COVID-19.The band has rescheduled the second night of its tour stop at Glendale’s State Farm Stadium for Sept. 9.“We’re extremely disappointed and regret any inconvenience this has caused you. We look forward to returning to complete the M72 No Repeat Weekend in Glendale next Saturday,” the band said in a statement, noting that “Covid has caught up with James Hetfield.”Metallica is currently on its M72 tour in the U.S. and plays two concerts in every city.The Arizona Republic reported that Metallica has been playing 16 songs every opening night since this tour hit the U.S., following “Seek & Destroy” with a set-closing “Master of Puppets.”The newspaper said fans at Friday night’s show in Glendale got a 14-song set with no “Master of Puppets” and then announced Hetfield’s illness on Saturday.The Associated Press

Las Vegas drying out after 2 days of heavy rainfall that prompted water rescues, possible drowning

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:48 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas residents on Sunday were drying out after two days of heavy rainfall that flooded streets, prompted various water rescues, shut down a portion of Interstate 15 south of the city and possibly resulted in at least one death.A marginal risk for excessive rainfall was expected on Sunday before conditions were likely to dry out for the rest of the week, according to the National Weather Service.The heavy rainfall over the past couple of days resulted in 24 water rescues, including more than 30 vehicles stranded in water and about a dozen people rescued from standing or moving water, according to Las Vegas Fire & Rescue.On Saturday morning Las Vegas Fire & Rescue found a body in northwest Las Vegas of an individual believed to have drowned after being reported by bystanders as having been swept away by moving water, KSNV reported. A cause of death and the name of person were not immediately released by authorities.Over the last two days, some areas in an...

Nation's largest Muslim convention kicks off in Chicagoland area

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:48 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The nation's largest convention for the American Muslim community takes off in Rosemont this weekend. The annual ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) Convention has served over 25,000 Muslims and is back in the Chicagoland area for its 60th year. Donald E. Stephens Center, Rosemont, ILThe theme for this year is "60 Years of Service: Navigating the Way Forward," reflecting on the past of the conventions contributions to American Muslims and looking to prepare for a brighter future. American Muslim Scholar Imam Zaid Shakir, led memorial service for Muhammad Ali The weekend is filled with education discussions from tackling climate change to addressing mental health challenges. Keynote speakers and scholars also talked about global issues ranging from the Rohingya crisis to the Palestinian conflict. The convention takes place at the Donald E. Stephens Center in Rosemont from Sept. 1 to Sept. 4. For more information, visit: Convention Information – Islamic Society o...

Company refutes claim that self-driving cars blocked California ambulance, led to victim's death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:48 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — On the night of Aug. 14, a pedestrian was struck by a human-driven vehicle in San Francisco. Authorities are blaming self-driving vehicles in part for the pedestrian's death.According to the San Francisco Fire Department, after the pedestrian — who was bleeding heavily from “significant left lower extremity injuries" was loaded into an ambulance, two autonomous Cruise cars stalled and blocked emergency crews from reaching the hospital. “When we arrived at scene, the only open lanes for egress from the call were blocked by two Cruise vehicles that had stopped and were not moving or leaving the scene. We were unable to leave the scene initially due to the Cruise vehicles not moving. This delay, no matter how minimal, contributed to a poor patient outcome,” the fire department wrote in records obtained and published by Forbes on Friday. SFFD: Pedestrian died after Cruise cars blocked ambulance The pedestrian later died after reaching the hospital. However, Crui...

Business People: Brian Hoefs named state veterinarian

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:48 GMT

OF NOTEBrian HoefsThe Minnesota Board of Animal Health announced Dr. Brian Hoefs as executive director and state veterinarian, succeeding Dr. Marion Garcia, who left the agency in April. Hoefs has been serving in an interim role since April.ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERINGUlteig, an Arden Hills-based engineering consultant, announced the appointment of Alison Barie as chief financial officer, succeeding Susan Aspelund, who is retiring. Barie has held financial leadership positions at CHS, Best Buy, 3M and Skywater Technology.FINANCIAL SERVICESU.S. Bank, Minneapolis, announced the following leadership changes effective Sept. 1: Terrance Robert Dolan, previously vice chair and chief financial officer, named vice chair and chief administration officer, and John Stern, previously senior executive vice president and head of Finance, becomes senior executive vice president and chief financial officer; additionally, Jeff von Gillern, vice chair of Technology and Operations Services, retired on Sep...