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A travel guide’s warning to avoid Lake Tahoe may jolt the region into managing huge tourist crowds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:54 GMT

SAND HARBOR, Nev. (AP) — Lake Tahoe tourism officials were surprised, and a bit miffed, when a respected international travel guide put the iconic alpine lake straddling the California-Nevada line on its list of places to stay away from this year because of the harmful ecological effects of overtourism. But with an influx of visitors and new full-time residents due to the COVID-19 pandemic already forcing local leaders to revisit the decades-old conversation about overcrowding, “Fodor’s No List 2023” may have served as a wake-up call that some sort of change is necessary. “I can’t go to my own beaches anymore,” said Susan Daniels, 70, a lifelong resident of Kings Beach, California, whose parents met at a Tahoe-area ski resort in 1952. That includes her favorite, Sand Harbor, which lies just across the Nevada border and is known for its turquoise water and rock formations. “I cannot go to Sand Harbor, where I grew up, unless I get in line at 7 in the morning.” Since Fodor’...

Police seek suspect after Porsche torched at Newmarket hospital

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:54 GMT

York Regional Police have released images of a suspect after a Porsche was lit on fire at a hospital parking garage in Newmarket.Emergency crews were called to Southlake Regional Health Centre on Thursday, July 20, at around 9:45 p.m. for reports of a fire in the garage of the hospital on the south side of Davis Drive, east of Prospect Drive.Upon arrival, officers found a Porsche engulfed in flames on the fourth floor of the garage.“There was extensive damage to the unoccupied vehicle, as well as to the property,” police explained.No injuries were reported, and hospital operations were unaffected.Police are seeking this man in connection to an arson at a Newmarket hospital. HANDOUT/York Regional PolicePolice say video surveillance showed a male suspect loitering in the area before approaching the vehicle.“He appeared to place an accelerant on the vehicle, and it caught fire,” police added.The suspect was last seen fleeing on foot southbound on Prospect.HeR...

Man, 19, charged in fatal Vaughan crash that killed 72-year-old woman

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:54 GMT

A 19-year-old man has been charged in a fatal collision in Vaughan last month that took the life of a 72-year-old woman.York Regional Police were called to Pine Valley Drive north of Major Mackenzie Drive West just before 7:30 p.m. on June 1, 2023, for reports of a collision involving three vehicles.Police say the driver of a blue Mazda CX-3 travelling southbound stopped to help a dog cross the road when a grey Ford Escape stopped from behind. A white Mercedes then crashed into the rear of the Ford, causing a chain-reaction collision.Police say a 72-year-old woman who was in the Ford was rushed to a local hospital without vital signs and later pronounced dead.The occupants of the Mazda and Mercedes were treated for minor injuries.Officers have since arrested and charged the driver of the white Mercedes. He was identified as 19-year-old Frank Pirritano of Gilford, Ont. in Innisfil.He’s been charged with dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing bodily harm. ...

Environmental activists briefly disrupt British Open by dumping orange powder beside 17th green

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:54 GMT

HOYLAKE, England (AP) — Environmental activists briefly interrupted play at the British Open on Friday by throwing orange powder beside the 17th green at Royal Liverpool, prompting American player Billy Horschel to intervene.Police and security guards quickly took action to keep the Just Stop Oil protesters from causing a bigger disruption during the second round. Play resumed not long after the protesters were removed.Horschel was playing the hole at the time and helped a greenside marshal lead one of the protesters away. The other players at the 17th were Corey Conners and Alex Noren. They were marking their balls and getting ready to hit their second shots when the disruption started. All three players made par on the hole.The affected area was cleaned up before the next group hit their tee shots.“They mentioned it to us when we were on 15, 16-ish,” said Zach Johnson, who was playing two groups behind. “They said there might be a slight delay. I couldn’t quite understand what the...

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

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:54 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 10:57:54 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 10:57:54 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 10:57:54 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 10:57:54 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 10:57:54 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 ...