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Tensions running high at East Coast campuses over protests around Israel-Hamas war

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:53 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Administrators of MIT suspended a number of students Thursday from the prestigious technology school after Israel-Hamas war protesters took over a prominent building for much of the day and then some refused to leave by a set deadline. It was far from the only disruption at college campuses in recent days over the war. Brandeis University banned a pro-Palestinian student group this week, while nearly two dozen students were arrested over a protest at Brown University. On Friday, Columbia University announced it was suspending Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace as official student groups through the end of the term. It accused both of repeatedly violating campus policies including an unauthorized event Thursday.The range of responses to these protests show that college administrators are struggling to address protests that have gotten heated and turned once-quiet spaces on campus into places where some students say they don’t feel safe.At...

Sexual misconduct survivors push for change in military as high-profile cases end

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:53 GMT

OTTAWA — Remembrance Day often brings mixed emotions for Donna Riguidel, a Canadian Armed Forces veteran whose career was cut short by a sexual assault. “You sign up believing very much that you’re coming in to serve your country and it’s a cause you believe in … and then it sort of ends with this feeling of shame and a little bit of disgrace.” Riguidel, the founder of a consulting group called Survivor Perspectives, said this year has come with particular challenges. A number of high-profile sexual misconduct cases that sparked a major reckoning in the Armed Forces have ended in recent months.“You’re watching these cases fall apart and there’s a very, very real human cost to all of that,” she said.Survivors of sexual misconduct have been at the forefront of public pressure for the military to make changes.Many of the cases that prompted heightened scrutiny on the military came to light in early 2021.That February, former chief o...

York Region school board dealing with a cyber attack

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:53 GMT

The York Region District School Board says it is dealing with a cyber security incident.In a statement released late Friday afternoon, the board says it became aware of the cyber attack on Wednesday night and its technology team took immediate action to “preserve and contain data” while protecting critical systems.There was no indication that any personal or sensitive data had been compromised in the attack or what systems are currently offline. However, the board said in a post on X that electronic delivery of elementary progress reports would be delayed and would be distributed “as soon as the network is restored.”Currently, the organization’s website is offline.“The board is working with third-party experts, including legal and technical, to analyze the extent of the incident and begin work to restore services,” said the board.“We know the public rely and trust the board to securely maintain its data; all our actions have been taken...

Body of South Dakota native who’s been missing for 30 years identified in Colorado

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:53 GMT

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The body of a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man who has been missing 30 years was identified in Colorado, where deputies have long been trying to put a name the suspected homicide victim. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office used genetic testing and a titanium rod in his leg to identify Jerry A. Mikkelson’s body this week, KELO-TV reported.Law enforcement believe Mikkelson was killed in Wyoming before his body was dumped off a forest service road in Colorado in October 1987. Mikkelson left Sioux Falls after graduating from high school in 1981. A relative eventually reported him missing, but police did not investigate because he was around 24 years old at the time and authorities did not suspect foul play. “The officer informed (the relative) since Jerry was an adult there was nothing police could do,” Sioux Falls police spokesperson Sam Clemens told the station. “No police report was made, just the info that (relative) left. At that...

Oklahoma trooper tickets Native American citizen, sparking outrage from tribal leaders

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:53 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper ticketed a tribal citizen with a current Otoe-Missouria Tribe license plate for failing to pay state taxes, prompting an outcry from tribal leaders who blamed Gov. Kevin Stitt’s increasing hostility toward Native Americans.Crystal Deroin, an Otoe-Missouria Tribe citizen, was ticketed for speeding near Enid on Tuesday and received a second $249 citation for failure to pay state motor vehicle taxes because she did not live on tribal land. “After over 20 years of cooperation between the State and Tribes regarding vehicle tag registration, it appears the State has altered its position of understanding concerning tribal tags,” Otoe-Missouria Chairman John Shotton said in a statement. “This change was made without notice or consultation with all Tribes that operate vehicle tag registration.”Most Oklahoma drivers pay motor vehicle taxes each year through the renewal of state license plates. But many of the 39 Native American tri...

Republican faction seeks to keep courts from interpreting Ohio’s new abortion rights amendment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:53 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Four Ohio Republican state lawmakers are seeking to strip judges of their power to interpret an abortion rights amendment after voters opted to enshrine those rights in the state’s constitution this week.Republican state Reps. Jennifer Gross, Bill Dean, Melanie Miller and Beth Lear said in a news release Thursday that they’ll push to have the Legislature, not the courts, make any decisions about the amendment passed Tuesday.“To prevent mischief by pro-abortion courts with Issue 1, Ohio legislators will consider removing jurisdiction from the judiciary over this ambiguous ballot initiative,” said the mix of fairly new and veteran lawmakers who are all vice-chairs of various House committees. “The Ohio legislature alone will consider what, if any, modifications to make to existing laws based on public hearings and input from legal experts on both sides.”It’s the latest development in the struggle over abortion rights between the Republican-domin...

Daytime Emmys set for Dec. 15 in the first major awards show since Hollywood strikes ended

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:53 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Daytime Emmys are back on after being postponed by the Hollywood writers’ strike.The 50th annual ceremony honoring talk shows and soap operas will air Dec. 15 live on CBS and be livestreamed on Paramount + and will be hosted by Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner of “Entertainment Tonight.”It will be the first major awards show since the writers and actors went on strike. The Daytime Emmys, originally set for June 16, were postponed in May because of the strike by the Writers Guild of America. That walkout ended Sept. 26. The actors union joined the writers’ strike on July 14 and ended their labor action late Wednesday.Soap actor Susan Lucci will receive her lifetime achievement award at the ceremony at the Westin Bonaventure hotel in downtown Los Angeles.“We know the loyal fans of daytime television have waited patiently to properly honor and recognize all of the deserving nominees and we look forward to the celebration we have all been waiti...

The carbon price is now off home heating oil — but the cost of oil is still high

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:53 GMT

OTTAWA — Draft regulations removing the carbon price from home heating oil are now in effect, Finance Canada confirmed Friday, but the change will do little to ease affordability woes for Canadians who rely on oil furnaces to stay warm.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the change in October, saying a three-year pause on applying the carbon price to heating oil will allow people with oil furnaces more time and money to replace them with electric heat pumps. The government also increased the amount of money available from a federal-provincial grant program to help people pay for heat pumps.The policy has been roundly criticized from people on both sides of the carbon-price debate. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who had already been campaigning to eliminate the carbon price entirely, called the heating oil pause divisive because it affected only one kind of heating. On the other hand, environmental activists called it short-sighted and possibly harmful to carbon pricing, w...

Man charged with animal abuse for actions at rodeo in Lockport Township

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:53 GMT

LOCKPORT TOWNSHIP, Ill. -- A Lockport Township man faces animal abuse charges after drone footage shows him abusing male bulls with an electric cattle prod.Ezequiel Herrera, 26, of Lockport Township, has been charged with two counts of animal cruelty, According to the Will County Sheriff's Office.On Oct. 2, law enforcement received information regarding animal abuse occurring at an unlicensed rodeo on the 400 block of Oak Avenue in Lockport Township. For more WGN Investigates original pieces, click here A representative from the animal rights organization of Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK), provided detectives with drone footage of animal abuse that occurred at the rodeo. It allegedly shows Herrera at an unlicensed rodeo in Lockport using an electric cattle prod to shock the steers (male bulls) in the face and head.Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow has been looking into cases of animal abuse at rodeos for the last few months.Herrera is expected to make his fi...

Old Town restaurant latest victim of smash-and-grab robbery

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:53 GMT

CHICAGO -- A restaurant in the Old Town neighborhood was broken into and robbed Friday morning as people headed to work. According to the Chicago Police Department, an unknown number of offenders robbed the Aloha Poke Co. restaurant on the 100 block of West North Ave around 7 a.m. on Friday. Arrests made in burglaries of Lincoln Ave businesses The offenders reportedly broke the window to the restaurant and took an unknown amount of property from inside before fleeing the scene.No one has been taken into custody at this time.The investigation is ongoing.