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Paris angers critics with plans to restrict Olympic Games traffic but says residents shouldn’t flee

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:32:20 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Stay, enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime show.That was the message from organizers of the Paris Olympics on Wednesday as they sought to reassure the French capital’s residents that security measures and traffic restrictions won’t make their lives nightmarish during the July 26-Aug. 11 event and the Paralympic Games that follow.But critics, including some in the Senate, were displeased by plans to require motorists to apply online for a QR code to access traffic-restricted zones of Paris during the Games. Senators complained that lawmakers had not been consulted. Nathalie Goulet, a senator from Normandy, likened the proposal to ID papers that France’s Nazi occupiers imposed in World War II.The Senate announced that Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez would appear before senators on Thursday and be asked to explain the security measures around the event.Nuñez, speaking to journalists, defended the planned QR code as legal and justified. He insisted that traffic r...

Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway says Haslams offered bribes to inflate Pilot truck stops earnings

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:32:20 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway says the billionaire Haslam family tried to bribe at least 15 executives at the Pilot truck stop chain with millions of dollars to get them to inflate the company’s profits this year because that would force Berkshire to pay more for the Haslams’ remaining 20% stake in the company. The Berkshire claim in a counter lawsuit filed this week comes after the Haslam family — which includes Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and former Tennessee governor Bill Haslam — accused Berkshire of trying to understate Pilot’s earnings this year by changing its accounting practices.A hearing on Berkshire’s counter lawsuit is planned for Thursday. The Haslams’ lawyers and a representative for the family didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.Berkshire said in a court filing that it only became aware this month of the Haslams’ attempts to bribe executives who used to work for the family at the company Jim Hasla...

Businesses where George Floyd was killed sue Minneapolis, saying police are not protecting the area

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:32:20 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Several stores at the location where George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police in 2020 have sued the city, accusing it of neglecting the area and hurting business.The lawsuit, filed in mid-November in state court, also names Mayor Jacob Frey and other officials and accuses the city of not properly policing the area since Floyd’s death. It also accuses the city of blocking the intersection that is now known as George Floyd Square with concrete barriers for more than a year after Floyd’s death, keeping customers from entering.The combination has turned the area into a hub for violent crime, the lawsuit says.“The mayor, the city, the city council, and the Minneapolis Police Department collectively agreed to severely limit police response in the barricaded area surrounding plaintiffs’ businesses,” with police responding to only the most serious calls and otherwise actively avoiding the area, according to the lawsuit.“Criminals know the area lacks police prot...

Labour shortages cost small businesses $38 billion in lost sales last year: CFIB

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:32:20 GMT

Small businesses lost more than $38 billion in revenue opportunities last year because of labour shortages, according to estimates from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.CFIB economist Laure-Anne Bomal says staffing shortages led to some employers working more hours, reducing their hours of operation and refusing services or contracts.Bomal says while the number doesn’t indicate the Canadian economy lost billions of dollars, it is still a significant amount of revenue that small businesses could have benefitted from.The report says small businesses in the construction sector saw the biggest loss in potential business opportunities, estimated to top $9.6 billion last year, followed by the retail sector losing out on an estimated $3.8 billion and social services with a $3.3 billion loss.Regionally, small businesses in Ontario posted the highest potential revenue opportunity losses in 2022, estimated at $16 billion, followed by Quebec and Alberta.CFIB offered soluti...

Charges dismissed against 3 emergency management supervisors in 2020 death

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:32:20 GMT

WAYNESBURG, Pa. (AP) — A judge has dismissed all charges against three western Pennsylvania emergency management supervisors who had been accused of obstructing an investigation into an emergency dispatcher accused of failing to send an ambulance to the rural home of a woman who died of internal bleeding about a day later.Senior Judge Katherine Emery wrote in dismissing the cases last week that there was “not a scintilla of evidence” that Gregory Leathers, Robert “Jeff” Rhodes and Richard Policz acted maliciously or blocked investigators from accessing information within the Greene County 911 call center, The (Washington) Observer-Reporter reported.The three were charged last year with tampering with public records, tampering with or fabricating evidence and obstruction. Prosecutors accused them of providing incomplete records in response to a search warrant in the July 2020 death of 54-year-old Diania Kronk.Emergency dispatcher Leon “Lee” Price, 50, of Waynesburg, was earlier charg...

Scientists have identified a new way to treat lung cancer — and more

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:32:20 GMT

For Wednesday, Nov. 29, WGN’s Dana Rebik has new medical information, including: More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch Protein combination inhibits cancer growthResearchers at Tulane University School of Medicine combined a protein known to inhibit tumor growth with two other proteins. When they are bound together, they inhibit a third protein from causing cancer cell growth. Researchers hope to use the findings to develop drugs to treat lung cancer by targeting the proteins. Vaccines help premature births caused by COVID-19A new study shows that the surge in premature births caused by COVID-19 was halted by vaccines.  The virus that causes covid endangers pregnancies by causing immune and inflamation responses and deteriorates the placenta.  As the virus spread in 2020, the likliehood that a mother would give birth prematurely was over five points higher than anticipated.  As more mothers got vaccinated, the preterm birth rate began to drop.  By su...

Construction underway on migrant camp in Brighton Park as residents speak out against it

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:32:20 GMT

CHICAGO — Demonstrators are speaking out against a migrant shelter plan in Brighton Park as construction continues on the tent camp.Skycam9 captured crews putting up framing for one structure on the site at 38th Street and California Avenue, and they plan to erect another one by Wednesday's end.Work crews will also continue to lay out materials for additonal structures. Once complete, this winterized tent complex will be used to house upwards of 1,500 migrants.Community members have been opposed to this plan primarily for two reasons:It's influx of new arrivals into the neighborhood.They believe the soil is contaminated. Johnson unveils plan to move migrants into churches as tent camp construction to begin A city spokesperson said an environmental impact study and mitigation efforts on site should be wrapped up by the end of this week.Residents say they want to see the study because they have had concerns for several months and have expressed them to the city, but are not getting ...

Austin's Trail of Lights makes national list of 25 best Christmas light displays

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:32:20 GMT

Editor's Note: The above video is KXAN's previous coverage of the Trail of Lights.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- U.S. News & World Report listed Austin's Trail of Lights in its rankings of the best Christmas light displays in the nation for 2023. The list features 25 displays and tours across the country, and while Austin's trail was the only Texas display listed, the state's neighbors to the east and west were mentioned in the rankings as well. Austin's famous display was also listed in U.S. News & World Report's 2022 list of the top displays in the country. U.S. News & World Report featured a statewide holiday display tour in Louisiana and Albuquerque, New Mexico's River of Lights. Interesting things to know about Austin’s Trail of Lights The Trail of Lights at Zilker Park is a beloved annual tradition, and it features more than 2 million bulbs and over 70 displays. The Trail of Lights is gearing up for its 59th year, which runs Dec. 8-23. Tickets went on sale in September. Those...

St. Paul police ask for help finding man missing since Thanksgiving, last seen leaving work in Newport

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:32:20 GMT

St. Paul police are asking for the public’s help in finding a 48-year-old man last seen on Thanksgiving.Norberto Aguirre. (Courtesy of the St. Paul Police Department)Noberto Aguirre, of St. Paul, was last seen leaving his workplace at Tinucci’s restaurant in Newport. He left last Thursday at 3 p.m. driving a silver Toyota Highlander with Minnesota license plate JTS298. He was wearing a Tinucci’s work shirt and black pants.“Family and authorities are concerned for his wellbeing,” according to a bulletin distributed Tuesday by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.Law enforcement is asking anyone who has seen Aguirre or knows where he is to call 911 or St. Paul police at 651-291-1111.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | MSP Customs seize syringes of unapproved ‘vaginal tightening gel’ Crime & Public Safety | Father of two identified as South St. Paul shooting victim; two suspects arrested Crim...

Father of Gophers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis speaks out on transfer decision

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:32:20 GMT

The father of Athan Kaliakmanis declined to comment to the Pioneer Press on Tuesday about the Gophers quarterback’s decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal.On Wednesday morning, Athan’s father, Alex Kaliakmanis, spoke out — sort of.“Trying very hard not to comment on a program that our family decided to cut ties with,” Alex wrote on X. “But want to set the record straight and will start with this. Competition with a mythical inbound QB was absolutely not a factor in entering the transfer portal.”A source told the Pioneer Press on Monday that Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck met with the quarterbacks since the regular-season finale loss to Wisconsin and would not commit to a starting quarterback for the 2024 season and shared the program would look for competition via the transfer portal.The Gophers started that pursuit with a scholarship offer to New Hampshire graduate transfer QB Max Brosmer on Monday.Alex Kaliakmanis did not immediately respond to a request for further comment on ...