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Canadian pot companies cheer as Senate committee advances cannabis finance reforms

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:51 GMT

WASHINGTON — Canadian cannabis companies and their investors cheered a Senate committee’s decision Wednesday to push forward with measures designed to ease federal financing restrictions on their U.S. counterparts. Executive members of the Senate banking committee voted 14-9 to send the SAFER Banking Act for a full vote on the Senate floor, although it was not immediately clear when that vote would take place.The bill is just the latest iteration of multiple bipartisan efforts over the years to make it easier for cannabis companies that operate legally under state laws to access federally regulated financial services. Advocates say the bill would make the industry, much of which is forced to operate on a cash-only basis in the U.S., safer and less prone to money laundering, tax fraud and armed robbery. “A cash economy is great if you’re a criminal. It’s great if you want to rob stores,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), one of the bill’s co-sponsor...

Storms batter central Greece as government prioritizes adapting to the effects of climate change

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:51 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Torrential rain swept across central Greece on Wednesday damaging roads, flooding homes and causing power outages in the city of Volos and the island of Evia, as the government declared that adapting to climate change has become a national priority.Authorities banned road traffic in Volos and urged residents to stay indoors, warning that the rainfall was due to continue overnight. At least one village in the region was evacuated after a rain-swollen river broke its banks, but there were no reports of missing people. The new rainstorms came as Volos, the nearby Mount Pilion area and other parts of central Greece were still recovering from floods earlier this month that caused 16 deaths.In northern Evia, army and municipal crews cleared debris from the roads near the flood-hit towns of Limni and Mantoudi, where the Fire Service reported receiving dozens of calls from flooded households for assistance.Authorities had been placed on alert in central Greece and near...

Over 50 arrested after mobs ransacked Philadelphia stores. Dozens of liquor outlets are shut down

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:51 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Dozens of people faced criminal charges Wednesday after authorities said groups of young people, apparently working together, smashed their way into stores in several areas of Philadelphia, stuffing plastic bags with merchandise and fleeing.Police said they made at least 52 arrests. Burglary, theft and other counts have been filed so far against at least 30 people, three of whom are minors, according to Jane Roh, spokesperson for the Philadelphia district attorney’s office.The flash mob-style ransacking Tuesday night at stores including Foot Locker, Lululemon and Apple came after a peaceful protest over a judge’s decision to dismiss murder and other charges against a Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed a driver, Eddie Irizarry, through a rolled-up window. Those doing the ransacking were not affiliated with the protest, Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford said at a news conference, calling the group “a bunch of criminal opportunists.” At le...

Quincy Jones is State Department’s first Peace Through Music Award as part of new diplomacy push

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:51 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Quincy Jones, who once embarked on an international diplomatic tour with jazz great Dizzy Gillespie, will receive the U.S. Department of State’s inaugural Peace Through Music Award.A ceremony honoring the 28-time Grammy winning producer, musician and arranger will be held Wednesday night and as part of the launch of the State Department’s new Global Music Diplomacy Initiative.The award recognizes American musicians, producers, professionals and beyond who have “played an invaluable role in cross-cultural exchanges and whose music work advances peace and mutual understanding globally,” according to a press release.Jones will receive the award from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. at a ceremony boasting an eclectic lineup of American and international talent across generations and genres.Dave Grohl, Mickey Guyton, Herbie Hancock, Jamie Barton, GAYLE, Christopher Jackson, LADAMA, Aimee Mann, Rakim, Armani White,...

Minister urges U.S. to stand strong with Canada in regulating tech giants like Meta

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:51 GMT

WASHINGTON — Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge is urging the United States to stand strong with Canada over regulating tech giants in order to protect the news industry, which she said is vital to preserving Western democracies.St-Onge delivered a keynote address at the Open Markets Institute’s Center for Journalism and Liberty in Washington, D.C.“More than anything, we need to stand strong together. Facebook may be trying to intimidate Canada, but really they’re trying to talk to the world,” St-Onge said. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, recently removed local news from its platforms in response to Canada’s Online News Act. It has threatened to do the same in other countries, including the U.S., if they move forward with similar policies. The Online News Act, which is currently in its regulatory phase and will come in effect by December, will force tech companies to compensate news publishers for work that is shared or otherwise repurp...

Trudeau apologizes for presence, recognition of Nazi unit veteran in Parliament

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:51 GMT

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has issued an apology on behalf of Canada’s Parliament after it recognized a man who fought alongside the Nazis in the Second World War during last week’s address by Ukraine’s president.He made the brief statement Wednesday afternoon before entering the House of Commons, where he said he planned to offer Parliament’s “unreserved apologies” for what unfolded during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit. He did not take questions.“This was a mistake that has deeply embarrassed Parliament and Canada,” Trudeau said. “All of us who were in this House on Friday regret deeply having stood and clapped even though we did so unaware of the context.” The prime minister reiterated that Speaker Anthony Rota, who is stepping down over the issue, was solely responsible for inviting and asking parliamentarians and visiting dignitaries to recognize 98-year-old Ukrainian veteran Yaroslav Hunka, w...

Ohio wants to revive a strict abortion law. Justices are weighing the legal arguments

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:51 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio Supreme Court justices vigorously questioned the state’s lawyer Wednesday about a legal strategy that Ohio is attempting in hopes of reviving its law banning on abortions except in the earliest weeks of pregnancy.Before Ohio Solicitor General Benjamin Flowers even finished the first sentence of his argument, justices began peppering him with technical questions that suggested they may be reticent to step in and lift a county judge’s order that has been blocking the law since last October. The state is also challenging whether Preterm Cleveland and other Ohio clinics have the necessary legal standing to sue.Flowers argued that the state has the right to appeal Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Christian Jenkins’ order if it can show it’s suffering “irreparable harm” while the law is on hold. Flowers said each abortion that takes place that would have been prevented under Ohio’s 2019 ban constitutes such harm.The law, signed by Repub...

Larry Snelling confirmed as CPD superintendent

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:51 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Council voted unanimously to confirm Larry Snelling as the city's next police superintendent.Snelling was sworn in around 1 p.m. Wednesday.Snelling takes for interim Supt. Fred Waller.It took a nationwide search to narrow down the field to Chief Snelling. He's been with the department for 31 years and is from Chicago, which was one qualification Mayor Brandon Johnson wanted in his next superintendent.While shootings and homicides are trending in the right direction, crime overall is up year over year in Chicago. Council members, however, think Snelling is the right man for the job. Incoming CPD superintendent meets with Police and Fire Committee For the first time, a community commission picked three superintendent candidates from after its months-long nationwide search to replace David Brown.Out of the finalist, Johnson selected Snelling. Currently, he is serving as the department's head of counterterrorism. Before sailing through his confirmation hearing Fr...

Illinois lottery player turns $30 into $5 million from scratch-off

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:51 GMT

SAVOY, Ill. — One lucky Illinois scratch-off player turned a $30 play into a $5 million payday. ‘I can’t believe it’: Chicago gas station owner gets $230K bonus after selling jackpot lottery ticket The jackpot-scoring ticket was sold at Schnucks supermarket in Savoy just outside Champaign in Central Illinois.  Photo courtesy: Schnucks, 1301 Savoy Plaza Center in Savoy, ILThe winning ticket, Million $$ Match, is not only a big win for the player but for the store, which receives a bonus of 1% of the jackpot — 50,000 — for selling the ticket.   Powerball: What’s the largest jackpot ever won in Illinois? The winner has one year from the winning draw date to claim their prize. 

'Suspicious death': Flight attendant found dead at Philadelphia airport hotel with cloth in mouth, police say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:53:51 GMT

PHILADELPHIA, Pa (WPHL) – Homicide detectives with the Philadelphia Police Department are working to investigate a suspicious death at a hotel near the city's airport.The victim, a 66-year-old female, was found unresponsive "with a cloth in her mouth" in her room at the Marriott Airport Hotel on Monday night, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia police told Nexstar in an emailed statement. She was pronounced dead at the scene shortly afterward.The department has classified the case as a "suspicious death," according to the email. Her body has been transferred to the local medical examiner. What happens to cars, items left at airports? American Airlines has since confirmed the 66-year-old had been employed as a flight attendant for the carrier.“We are devastated by this news," a representative for American Airlines wrote in a statement shared with Nexstar. "Our thoughts are with the family and colleagues, and we're doing everything we can to ensure all affected have the support they...