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City Council formally passes homeless encampment ban

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:48 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego City council voted Tuesday for a second time to affirm the adoption of a controversial policy banning homeless encampments on public property when a shelter bed is available, with some exceptions.“The ordinance says encampments will be prohibited at all times in areas where there are particular concerns about public health and safety -- within a two-block radius of a school, homeless shelters, canyons where you have fires that threaten homes, and other sensitive areas.”District 4’s Councilmember Stephen Whitburn authored the measure. It’s "that absolute ban" – 24-7 in certain areas -- that had City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera and others taking issue.Elo-Rivera said he still has problems with part of the measure. SeaWorld closes ‘Electric Eel’ rollercoaster after reported injury “I remain particularly concerned about the ban on sleeping near shelters, as my conversations with service providers and some folks who have experienced homelessness in tha...

Hillcrest Starbucks seeking union, becoming second in San Diego County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:48 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A Starbucks location in Hillcrest has initiated the process of forming a union, becoming the second in San Diego County to join nationwide collective bargaining efforts with the coffee franchise.Workers at the University & Richmond Starbucks announced the step Tuesday in a letter addressed to Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan, stating that the store had filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to initiate unionization.“As Starbucks continually cuts labor to increase profits, baristas suffer. We must work twice as hard for the same compensation; we are in a financial crisis; and our quality of life is poor,” workers at the Hillcrest location said in their letter.This announcement comes about a month after an Encinitas Starbucks location, located right off Interstate 5 near Leucadia Boulevard, voted to unionize, becoming the first in the county and the 24th in California to take the step. This Hillcrest bar is one of the last of its kind Collective bar...

State of emergency declared over sewage contamination in Imperial Beach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:48 GMT

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. -- The County of San Diego Board of Supervisors has declared a state of emergency because of ongoing sewage pollution that has been flowing across the U.S.-Mexico Border into southern beaches, contaminating oceanwater and making some beaches not safe for swimming.Chairwoman Nora Vargas and Vice Chair Tera Lawson-Remer introduced the bill, which was passed unanimously during Tuesday's meeting.“Today marks a key moment in a long battle to protect our beaches and coastline, our coastal communities have suffered from this crisis for far too long," Lawson-Remer said during Tuesday's meeting prior to the vote. Major studios drop out of Comic-Con: report This declaration also requests Gov. Gavin Newsom and the federal government to declare an emergency, signaling a crisis, and aiming to cut the red tape to get action to the southern beaches fast. The declaration also requests the Biden administration to award federal assistance.Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre ...

Wagner chief walks free after armed revolt. Other Russians defying the Kremlin aren’t so lucky

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:48 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin led an armed rebellion against the Russian military — and walked free. Others who merely voiced criticism against the Kremlin weren’t so lucky.On Tuesday, Russia’s main domestic security agency, the FSB, said it had dropped the criminal investigation into last week’s revolt, with no charges against Prigozhin or any of the other participants, even though about a dozen Russian troops were killed in clashes.The Kremlin had promised not to prosecute Prigozhin after reaching an agreement with him that he would halt the uprising and retreat to neighboring Belarus. That came even though President Vladimir Putin vowed to punish those behind the rebellion.Asked about this U-turn by The Associated Press during a conference call with reports on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment. Prigozhin’s escape from prosecution — at least for now — was in stark contrast to how the Kremlin has deals with ant...

California man gets prison for nearly $9M phony cow manure-to-green energy investment scheme

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:48 GMT

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A California man is going to prison for running a cow dung-to-green energy scheme that authorities say was a load of manure.Ray Brewer, 66, of Porterville was sentenced Monday to six years and nine months in federal prison in a years-long scam that bilked investors out of $8.75 million, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office.Brewer ran a scheme from 2014 through 2019 in which he claimed to be building anaerobic digesters at dairies in California’s Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare counties and in Idaho, prosecutors said.Anaerobic digesters “use microorganisms to break down biodegradable material and turn it into methane” that can be sold and that also provide the producers with renewable energy credits for producing green energy, the statement said. Brewer told investors he would turn cow manure into methane while they would receive 66% of net profits and tax incentives, federal prosecutors said.Brewer took investors on tours of dairi...

Special air quality statement issued for Toronto as wildfire smoke returns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:48 GMT

Environment Canada has issued a special air quality statement for Toronto as wildfire smoke will blanket the city and the surrounding GTA.As part of the air quality statement, Canada’s weather agency mentioned that high levels of air pollution would develop on Tuesday night due to smoke from forest fires.Ontario’s air quality index currently has downtown Toronto at a 9 rating for Wednesday, considered “high risk.” A grade 9 and “high risk” rating is also in place for Wednesday in other parts of the GTA, including Mississauga, Brampton, Burlington and Oakville.“Smoke plumes from forest fires over northeastern Ontario and Quebec will move into the area overnight tonight, resulting in deteriorated air quality. Conditions may improve for some areas Friday,” Environment Canada said.“Wildfire smoke can be harmful to everyone’s health, even at low concentrations. Everyone can take action to reduce their exposure to wildfire smoke....

US arrests 4 Mexican nationals in 2022 deaths of 53 migrants trapped in hot tractor trailer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:48 GMT

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — U.S. authorities on Tuesday announced the arrests of four men they say were part of a human smuggling effort last year that ended in the deaths of 53 migrants, including eight children, who were left in a tractor trailer in the scorching Texas summer.Authorities said on the anniversary of the June 27, 2022, tragedy that the four Mexican nationals had a planning role in the smuggling operation, and were aware that the trailer’s air-conditioning unit was malfunctioning and would not blow cool air to migrants trapped inside during the sweltering three-hour ride from the border city of Laredo to San Antonio. When the trailer was opened in San Antonio, 48 migrants were already dead. Another 16 were taken to hospitals, where five more died.It was the deadliest tragedy to claim the lives of migrants smuggled across the border from Mexico. The dead included 27 people from Mexico, 14 from Honduras, seven from Guatemala and two from El Salvador.The driver and another ...

Montreal police issue Amber Alert for six-year-old twins

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:48 GMT

Montreal police have issued an Amber Alert for two six-year-old girls.Police have identified the girls as twins Frédérique Marier Goupil and Sacha Marier Goupil.Police are also looking for the girls’ mother, 49-year-old Geneviève Goupil, as well as a black 2016 Toyota Highlander, with Quebec licence plate X95 LNG.The girls are believed to have been abducted Tuesday afternoon.They are described as Caucasian, three feet two inches tall, with medium brown hair and blue eyes.Anyone with information is asked to call 911.This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2023.The Canadian Press

Western premiers disappointed by delay to federal bail reform on repeat offenders

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:48 GMT

WHISTLER, B.C. — Premiers from Western Canada say they are “extremely disappointed” in the federal government for not passing reforms to the bail system to target repeat offenders before Parliament rose last week for the summer.Speaking at the conclusion of the western premiers’ conference in Whistler, B.C., host Premier David Eby urged the federal government to prioritize passing the bill that would amend the Criminal Code as soon as possible. Leaders from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories were attending the daylong conference.Eby and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith also say the provinces and the territories want “equivalency” in federal funding for programs such as immigration and infrastructure, so that each jurisdiction can address their own challenges.Eby says B.C. has not received its fair share of funding, and he called for more per-capita federal support in critical areas including hou...

Labor group requests ethics probe of Kentucky GOP gubernatorial candidate over campaign solicitation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:48 GMT

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A prominent labor group on Tuesday requested an ethics investigation of Kentucky Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron for soliciting and accepting campaign donations from executives of a substance abuse treatment organization under scrutiny by his office since last year.The Kentucky State AFL-CIO, which has strong Democratic ties, asked the state Executive Branch Ethics Commission to investigate “circumstances surrounding” the donations to Cameron’s gubernatorial campaign. State AFL-CIO President Bill Londrigan said it raises “serious concerns” about Cameron’s compliance with campaign finance laws.It continued a back-and-forth over campaign finances in the Kentucky governor’s race. Cameron is challenging Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear in one of the nation’s most closely watched elections this year.Beshear’s campaign was put on the defensive recently by an influx of campaign donations — linked to a single credit card — that went to th...