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Ministers’ embrace of Rwanda’s Kagame undermines democratic values: governance prof

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:39 GMT

OTTAWA — A professor who studies how countries relate with authoritarian states says Canada has missed the mark in warmly embracing Rwandan President Paul Kagame.Rwanda is hosting a major development conference this week called Women Deliver in the capital of Kigali.Canadian cabinet ministers Harjit Sajjan and Marci Ien met with Kagame as part of their visit, saying they spoke about ways their two countries could co-operate more and posting photos of smiles and handshakes online.Freedom House says Kagame is an autocrat responsible for “surveillance, intimidation, torture and renditions or suspected assassinations of exiled dissidents,” while Human Rights Watch says Kagame’s regime arrests and threatens political opponents.University of Ottawa professor Marie-Eve Desrosiers says failing to raise such issues only emboldens leaders to continue repressing their populations, which undercuts democracy worldwide.She says Rwanda often touts having some of the world’s...

National Democrats file absentee ballot lawsuit in Wisconsin ahead of state Supreme Court flip

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:39 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A new lawsuit filed in Wisconsin by a national Democratic law firm seeks to once again allow voters to return absentee ballots in drop boxes, a practice that was barred by the state Supreme Court last year following criticism by former President Donald Trump.The lawsuit filed Thursday by the Elias Law Group comes less than two weeks before the Wisconsin Supreme Court flips from a conservative to liberal majority. Election law challenges like this one are among many issues the new liberal-controlled court is expected to rule on in the coming months.The rules for voting in Wisconsin are of heightened interest given its place as one of a handful of battleground presidential states. Four of the past six presidential elections in Wisconsin have been decided by less than a percentage point, including the past two.The 4-3 conservative majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court in July 2022, just months before the midterm election, banned the use of absentee ballot drop bo...

Ayo Dosunmu is returning to the Bulls, report says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:39 GMT

CHICAGO — A native of Chicago is returning to his hometown team for a few more seasons. Per a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, guard Ayo Dosunmu has come to an agreement on a new three-year, $21 million contract with the Bulls. The former Morgan Park High School and the University of Illinois standout played his first two NBA seasons in Chicago.The Bulls have yet to confirm the move. Dosunmu joins center Nikola Vucevic, center Andre Drummond, and guard Coby White as those who re-signed or opted in to return to the Bulls for the 2023-2024 season.A two-time IHSA state champion at Morgan Park, Dosunmu was a consensus first-team All-American and Bob Cousy Award winner at Illinois in the 2020-2021 season. For his efforts over three seasons, the Illini raised his number to the rafters at the State Farm Center in January 2022, an honor reserved for the program's elite players. Selected in the second round with the 38th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Dosunmu immediately cracked ...

Lion Electric Plant opens in Joliet, bringing 1,400 jobs to city

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:39 GMT

JOLIET, Ill. — A massive electric vehicle manufacturing plant is now open in Joliet.At full capacity, leaders say that Lion Electric Plant, located at 3835 Youngs Road, will produce up to 20,000 electric buses and trucks a year — bringing 1,400 jobs to the city of Joliet.This is the first new vehicle assembly plant opening in the Chicago area in more than 50 years. Gov. JB Pritzker, Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth attended the ribbon cutting Friday morning. A third hazing lawsuit has been filed against Northwestern The canadian company is celebrating 15 years in business. Leadership says they produce the most electric school buses in North America, and choosing this location in the heartland was no coincidence. "This is now home to the largest all-electric manufacturing plant of buses and commercial vehicles of this size in the entire United States. That really is something to celebrate," Pritzer said at the ribbon cutting.Lawmakers are calling this the culmina...

Report: Department of Justice warns of lawsuit over Texas border buoys along Rio Grande

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:39 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nexstar) — The Department of Justice is preparing to sue Gov. Greg Abbott for the state's latest border security initiative under Texas' Operation Lone Star.According to the Houston Chronicle, the DOJ sent Abbott a letter on Thursday warning that the buoy barrier the state deployed along the Rio Grande is unlawful. Texas announced the initiative in early June as a way to deter migrants from crossing the Mexican side of the river into Texas, near Eagle Pass. RELATED: Gov. Abbott's border buoys on Rio Grande face pushback “The State of Texas’ actions violate federal law, raise humanitarian concerns, present serious risks to public safety and the environment, and may interfere with the federal government’s ability to carry out its official duties,” the department wrote, according to a copy obtained by Hearst Newspapers.Abbott responded on Twitter Friday writing "Texas has the sovereign authority to defend our border, under the U.S. Constitution and the Texas Co...

City of Austin launches 'We All Belong' anti-hate campaign

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:39 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin leaders on Friday announced the launch of an anti-hate outreach and education campaign. The goal of the "We All Belong" campaign, powered by Austin Against Hate, is to encourage the community to keep Austin a safe and welcoming place. A website launched along with the initiative, where people can report suspected hate crimes to the Austin Police Department, explore APD data on bias-motivated crimes, look at community survey data on the threat of hate crimes, connect with community partners, and learn about "We All Belong" events coming up. City, county, and community partners held a press conference Friday morning to launch the campaign, which was a response to a city council resolution asking the city manager to work with local groups to provide improvements to the city's response to hate. Jackie Nirenberg, the regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, or ADL, of Austin was there. "We at ADL are super excited that the city is taking this ...

Low water pressure, boil notice for some Manor customers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:39 GMT

MANOR, Texas (KXAN) – A boil water notice was issued Friday morning for some residents in Manor, according to the Cottonwood Creek municipal utility district (MUD).Officials said a precautionary boil water notice was necessary due to low water pressures. They said the low water pressure is a result of extreme drought conditions and supply issues from the district’s wholesale water provider.“To ensure the destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice making should be boiled and cooled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes,” a Cottonwood Creek Spokesperson said.Customers also have the option to purchase bottled water instead of boiling their water.Extreme Drout ConditionsCottonwood Creek Customers are not the only ones dealing with water issues as a result of extreme drought conditions. A boil water notice went into effect Thurs...

Lakeville’s Regan Smith is happy again, and swimming faster as a result

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:39 GMT

Everything was coming up Regan Smith in 2019. The Lakeville star swimmer emerged onto the global scene in the biggest way, setting world records and claiming gold medals at the World Championships in South Korea.Smith was fast, and she was happy.“2019 was one of the best years of my life,” Smith said via phone this week. “I was going into my senior year of high school. I had such a great friend group at swimming. I liked going to practice every day because all my best friends were there just having fun. I had a great relationship with my family, loved my pets — I just loved everything about life.”Four years later, Smith believes she’s getting back to that point. Her swims suggest as much heading into the World Championships in Japan, where the swimming portion of the program begins on Saturday.At the U.S. nationals last month, Smith won the 200 butterfly, 200 backstroke and 100 backstroke, while taking second in the 50 back. Her 200 back time of 2 minutes, 3.8 seconds marked the fir...

Xcel Energy: Radioactive groundwater from November plant leak may have reached Mississippi’s edge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:39 GMT

Groundwater containing low levels of radioactive material may have reached the edge of the Mississippi River, the energy company responsible for the leak from its nuclear power plant in Monticello, Minn., announced on Thursday.Tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, has not been detected in the river water itself, Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy said in a statement.“The closest sample to detect tritium is about 30 feet from the river, and detected about 1,000 picocuries per liter, far below Safe Drinking Water Act standards, or below 20,000 picocuries per liter,” the statement said. “Any presence of tritium in the river would be well below the Safe Drinking Water standard and likely at levels indistinguishable from what occurs naturally in the environment.”The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the state Department of Health released a joint statement saying the latest development does not present a threat to public health, and there are no immediate impacts to the safet...

Guilty verdict reached in fatal 2022 Ephratah arson

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:17:39 GMT

EPHRATAH, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Yorkville man has been found guilty of murder and arson charges, according to the Fulton County District Attorney's Office. Anthony Dotson Jr., 25, was indicted back in November 2022 in connection to a fatal Ephratah house fire. Police investigating shot fired in Rotterdam apartment On May 13, 2022, a fire was reported at a residence on State Route 67, which resulted in the death of 74-year-old Sara Stinnett. An investigation determined that Stinnett had been murdered and that the house was intentionally set ablaze. Further investigation led to Dotson's arrest on August 3, 2022. On July 19, he was convicted by a jury of the following charges: ChargesSecond-degree murder First-degree arsonFirst-degree assault Second-degree strangulationFourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon Three arrested in Corinth on drug charges Dotson is scheduled to be sentenced at Fulton County Court on October 2.