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Brazil to militarize key airports, ports and international borders in crackdown on organized crime

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Wednesday he is sending the armed forces to boost security at some of the country’s most important airports, ports and international borders as part of a renewed effort to tackle organized crime in Latin America’s largest nation.The decision comes days after members of a criminal gang set fire to dozens of buses in Rio de Janeiro, apparently in retaliation for the police slaying their leader’s nephew.“We have reached a very serious situation,” Lula said at a press conference in Brasilia after signing the decree. “So we have made the decision to have the federal government participate actively, with all its potential, to help state governments, and Brazil itself, to get rid of organized crime.”Brazil will mobilize 3,600 members of the army, navy and air force to increase patrols and monitor the international airports in Rio and Sao Paulo, as well as two maritime ports in Rio an...

Parkland Corp.’s third-quarter earnings double on strong refinery performance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

CALGARY — Fuel retailer Parkland Corp. says its third-quarter earnings more than doubled in 2023 thanks to favourable market conditions and the company’s ongoing efforts to optimize its Burnaby refinery. The Calgary-based company reported net earnings of $230 million, or $1.31 per share, for the three months ended Sept. 30, up from $105 million in the same period of 2022.On an adjusted basis, Parkland earned $231 million, nearly five times its third-quarter 2022 adjusted earnings.The company reported sales and operating revenue of $8.9 billion, down from $9.4 billion in the third quarter of last year.Parkland’s Burnaby refinery delivered adjusted earnings of $188 million, up more than 39 per cent from the prior year’s quarter in part due to record refinery utilization and record co-processing volumes. Parkland says it now expects to exceed its previously announced 2023 adjusted earnings guidance range of $1.8 to $1.85 billion, thanks to favourable refinery margins ...

Toyota recalls nearly 1.9M RAV4s to fix batteries that can move during hard turns and cause a fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Toyota said Wednesday it is recalling nearly 1.9 million RAV4 small SUVs in the U.S. to fix a problem with batteries that can move during forceful turns and potentially cause a fire.The recall covers certain RAV4s from the 2013 through 2018 model years. Toyota said in a statement that some replacement 12-volt batteries used in the SUVs have smaller top dimensions than others. If the hold-down clamp is not tightened properly, the battery could move, allowing the positive terminal to contact the clamp and short circuit, the company said.Toyota said it is still preparing a fix. When the remedy is ready, dealers will replace the hold-down clamp, battery tray and positive terminal cover with improved ones. The company said it will notify owners by late December.Toyota not say in its statement whether the problem has caused any fires or injuries. A message was left seeking comment from a company spokesman.Owners can check to see if their RAV4s are involved by going to www.n...

Connecticut man gets 90 years in prison for stray-bullet killing of Olympian’s mom

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut man was sentenced Wednesday to 90 years in prison for his role in the stray-bullet killing of the mother of a two-time Olympian rifle shooter from Puerto Rico.Judge Brian Preleski handed down the sentence to Franklin Robinson, 40, one of three men charged in the death of Mabel Martinez Antongiorgi, 56. The woman was sewing in her home in Waterbury, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest of Hartford, when a bullet flew through a wall and hit her in the head on April 9, 2022.Martinez Antongiorgi’s daughter, Yarimar Mercado Martinez, competed for the family’s native Puerto Rico at the 2016 and pandemic-delayed 2020 Games. The athlete was in Brazil for another competition when her mother was killed.A jury convicted Robinson of murder and other charges in July. The two other men are awaiting trial.Donald Meehan, Robinson’s public defender, decried the sentence as a “severe trial tax,” levied on his client because he did not accept a plea offe...

Britney Spears’ memoir a million seller after just one week since its release

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Britney Spears’ memoir “The Woman in Me” has sold 1.1 million copies in the U.S. alone through its first week.“I poured my heart and soul into my memoir, and I am grateful to my fans and readers around the world for their unwavering support,” Spears said in a statement released Wednesday by Gallery Books, a division of Simon & Schuster.The sales figures include pre-orders, print sales, e-books and audiobooks. “The Woman in Me,” released Oct. 24, has been praised by critics as a compelling account of her rise to global fame and her ongoing struggles, notably the conservatorship that for years granted her father control of much of her life. The singer’s highly-anticipated book, for which she did little publicity beyond posts on her Instagram page, was the top seller of last week. But it’s not the year’s fastest seller. Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare,” which came out in January, sold 1.6 million U.S. copies in its first week. The au...

US Marshals releases its first report on shootings by officers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Marshals have for the first time released data on how many people were shot by their officers or other police working with them.A total of 147 people were shot over the course of three years, from 2019 to 2021, according to the report released by the agency this week. Almost all of those happened as the federal agency tasked with fugitive searches arrested people on warrants, including for crimes like assault and homicide. The total includes shootings that killed people and those that left people injured. It’s a step toward transparency for federal law enforcement, and comes at a time when data about police shootings remains scarce, years into a national reckoning over police brutality and racial injustice. Experts say detailed data is essential to tackling the issue, but comprehensive information for the U.S. is still lacking. U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald Davis ordered the review last year, saying it reflects the seriousness of shots fired ...

New Jersey governor spent $12K on stadium events, including a Taylor Swift concert

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy tapped into a taxpayer-financed expense account for nearly $12,000 at MetLife Stadium, including almost $1,000 for a Taylor Swift concert in 2018.Murphy has asked the Democratic State Committee to reimburse the state for the purchases, the Politico first reported. The news agency cited records showing the Democratic governor spent the money on snacks and beverages at several events in 2018 and 2019 including the Swift concert, sporting events and a music festival presented by a New York City radio station.A Murphy spokesperson said the Democratic State Committee was expected to cover the stadium costs. When it did not, the bill was paid through the governor’s $95,000 annual expense account.“Once it was clear that there were outstanding bills that had not been paid, the state stepped up to meet this responsibility,” Jennifer Sciortino said, adding that the committee had a different leadership team in place at the time and the charges i...

Skilling: November starts off cold, but high 50s may come around this weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

November 2023, historically Chicago fastest cooling month and a month in which days continue to shorten---we'll see another 59 minutes of daylight disappear by month's end---OPENED ON A COLD NOTE Wednesday morning.The low temps of 29 at O'Hare and 28 at Midway were the coldest of the Fall 2023 season and the chilliest morning lows in the more than 7 months since a 27-deg low back on March 30th last spring.Final Halloween and Tuesday night snowfall cames to 0.9" O'Hare, 0.7" at the NWS Forecast Office in Romeoville and 0.3" at Midway.  As much as 4.5" fell near Valparaiso, IN.  The 0.9" tally at O'Hare marked only the third time measurable snow has fallen on a Halloween in the city and was the 2nd heaviest Halloween snow in Chicago (the heaviest being the 3.4" which fell on Halloween 2019---4 years ago. Tom Skilling announces retirement 1-2" amounts were common across the Chicago metro area outside the city including 2" at McHenry and 1.9" at Algonquin and Hoffman Estates in Illino...

Bob Knight, legendary college b-ball coach, dead at 83

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Former Indiana Hoosiers Men's Basketball head coach Bob Knight passed away at the age of 83 Wednesday, according to the Knight Legacy.A press release from the family organization said Knight passed away in his Bloomington home surrounded by family."It is with heavy hearts that we share that Coach Bob Knight passed away at his home in Bloomington surrounded by his family.  We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers, and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as Coach requested a private family gathering, which is being honored.  We will continue to celebrate his life and remember him, today and forever as a beloved Husband, Father, Coach, and Friend."Knight LegacyKnight was a three time national champion as head coach at Indiana, where he collected 659 of his career 902 wins, which currently stands sixth all-time across the history of DI college basketball, behind former protégé Mike Krzyzewski (1,202), Jim Boeheim (1,015), Bob Huggins (935), and J...

City Council vote on migrant shelter in Morgan Park temporarily shelved

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:59 GMT

CHICAGO — Shelter for migrants and people without homes was again a hotly-contested topic at Wednesday’s City Council meeting.Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and his City Hall allies suffered a setback as members remain divided over the purchase of an abandoned South Side property. A vacant Jewel Osco store and parking lot, located at 115th and Halstead, is likely the relocation destination for a migrant tent camp in the West Pullman neighborhood. While the housing committee agreed Monday to accept the property, an expected vote by the full City Council derailed Wednesday. Now, some council members are calling for a special vote on Thursday regarding a possible referendum on Chicago's status as a Sanctuary City.    Mayor Johnson, 4 big city mayors seek a meeting with Biden about how to better manage arriving migrants "We are still a city without a plan," said Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th Ward).Southside 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale led the charge amid pushback on a Morgan Park shelt...