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Illinois Supreme Court upholds state’s ban on semiautomatic weapons

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:38 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois Supreme Court has upheld the state’s ban on the sale or possession of the type of semiautomatic weapons used in hundreds of mass killings nationally.In a 4-3 decision Friday, the high court found that the Protect Our Communities Act does not violate the federal Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection of the law nor the state constitution’s bar on special legislation. The court also decreed that state Rep. Dan Caulkins, a Decatur Republican, and like-minded gun-owners who brought the lawsuit had earlier waived their claims that the law infringes on the Second Amendment to own firearms and could not raise it before the Supreme Court.The Second Amendment claim is alive, however, in several federal lawsuits filed in southern Illinois, later consolidated and awaiting appeals court action. The law bans dozens of specific brands or types of rifles and handguns, .50-caliber guns, attachments and rapid-firing devices. No rifle is a...

Floods triggered by monsoon rains in Myanmar have killed 5 people, displaced 60,000 since mid-July

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:38 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains in Myanmar have killed five people and displaced about 60,000 since mid-July, an official said Friday.The director of the ministry of social welfare, relief and resettlement, Lay Shwe Zin Oo, said four children are among the dead. Some parts of southern states of Kayin and Mon remain in critical condition due to heavy rains and rising river water levels, Lay said. The low-lying areas in some townships in the southern Bago and the central Magway regions, as well as the western state of Rakhine, have been inundated by water since Sunday. Initially, some 60,000 people were displaced but 20,000 have since returned to their home areas. About 40,000 are still sheltering in sturdy buildings such as monasteries, pagodas and schools, she said.She said included three children in the state of Mon and a mother and child in Rakhine drowned.“The flooding is getting worse this week. But, it is difficult to say whether the current flood situati...

Judge Chutkan is hearing arguments in protective order fight in Trump 2020 election conspiracy case

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:38 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal judge overseeing the 2020 election conspiracy case against Donald Trump is hearing arguments Friday over a request by prosecutors for a protective order seeking to bar the former president from publicly disclosing evidence shared by the government.The protective order sought by special counsel Jack Smith’s team has become an early flashpoint in the case accusing the Republican of illegally scheming to subvert the will of voters and cling to power after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.At the start of Friday’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said she is prepared to rule immediately on some of the defense’s proposed revisions and plans to issue a protective order “as quickly as possible” after the hearing.Protective orders aren’t unusual in criminal cases, and they’re different from “gag orders” that bar parties from talking publicly about an ongoing case outside the courtroom. But lawyers for Trump — who has railed against...

Russia is back on the lunar path. A rocket blasts off on its first moon mission in nearly 50 years

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:38 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A rocket carrying a lunar landing craft blasted off Friday on Russia’s first moon mission in nearly 50 years, racing to land on Earth’s satellite ahead of an Indian spacecraft. The launch from Russia’s Vostochny spaceport in the Far East of the Luna-25 craft to the moon is Russia’s first since 1976 when it was part of the Soviet Union.The Russian lunar lander is expected to reach the moon on Aug. 23, about the same day as an Indian craft which was launched on July 14. The Russian spacecraft will take about 5.5 days to travel to the moon’s vicinity, then spend three to seven days orbiting at about 100 kilometers (62 miles) before heading for the surface.Only three governments have managed successful moon landings: the Soviet Union, the United States and China. India and Russia are aiming to be the first to land at the moon’s south pole.Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, said it wants to show Russia “is a state capable of delivering a payload to the ...

UN says 5 staff members kidnapped in Yemen 18 months ago walk free

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:38 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — The United Nations said Friday that five staff members who were kidnapped in Yemen 18 months ago have walked free.In a brief statement, Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, said all “available information suggests that all five colleagues are in good health.” Haq named the freed men as Akm Sufiul Anam; Mazen Bawazir; Bakeel al-Mahdi; Mohammed al-Mulaiki; and Khaled Mokhtar Sheikh. All worked for the U.N. Department of Security and Safety, he said.“The secretary-general reiterates that kidnapping is an inhumane and unjustifiable crime, and calls for the perpetrators to be held accountable,” Haq said.The identity of the kidnappers was not revealed.In February 2022, suspected al-Qaida militants abducted five U.N. workers in southern Yemen’s Abyan province, Yemeni officials told the Associated Press at the time.When asked about the abduction then, Guterres’ lead spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said, “We are aware of this ca...

Taste of the Danforth returns to Greektown for first time since 2019

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:38 GMT

The Taste of the Danforth has returned for the first time since 2019, and hundreds of thousands are expected to attend the food street festival in Greektown.The festival, which runs Aug. 11-13, was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID restrictions. It wasn’t held last year due to the GreekTown on the Danforth Business Improvement Area (BIA) having issues finding space on Danforth Avenue caused by bike lanes and CaféTO installations. The festival will now share a “re-imagined” space for 2023.The owner of Soulas Modern Greek Cuisine (500 Danforth Ave.), Chris Christodoulou, says that his restaurant will only have a takeout stand, and will not be able to cook outside like in previous editions due to the space restrictions.But the festival’s director ensures that while the look may be a bit different, the quality of the product remains up to standard.“Many people will experience the same things that they’ve always loved about the festival, and then...

Effects of ransomware attack, softer demand weigh on Indigo’s first-quarter results

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:38 GMT

TORONTO — Indigo Books & Music Inc. CEO Peter Ruis says the aftereffects of a ransomware attack and challenging macroeconomic conditions weighed on the company’s first-quarter results. On a call with analysts, Ruis said Indigo’s search engine optimization was heavily impacted by the attack, which happened in February, resulting in lower online traffic. The company says its ability to replenish inventory was challenged, which impacted its retail and online assortment, while consumers were also more sensitive to prices. The remarks came the day after Indigo reported a loss of $28.5 million in its first quarter, compared with a loss of $25.4 million in the same quarter last year.The Toronto-based retailer says revenue for the quarter ended July 1 was $179.2 million, down from $204.6 million last year.Loss per diluted share amounted to $1.02, down from a loss of 91 cents a year ago.This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 11, 2023.Companies in this st...

Illinois Supreme Court upholds state's ban on semiautomatic weapons

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:38 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois Supreme Court has upheld the state's ban on the sale or possession of the type of semiautomatic weapons used in hundreds of mass killings nationally.In a 4-3 decision Friday, the high court found that the Protect Our Communities Act does not violate the federal Constitution's guarantee of equal protection of the law nor the state constitution's bar on special legislation.The court also decreed that state Rep. Dan Caulkins, a Decatur Republican, and like-minded gun-owners who brought the lawsuit had earlier waived their claims that the law infringes on the Second Amendment to own firearms and could not raise it before the Supreme Court.The Second Amendment claim is alive, however, in several federal lawsuits filed in southern Illinois, later consolidated and awaiting appeals court action.The law bans dozens of specific brands or types of rifles and handguns, .50-caliber guns, attachments and rapid-firing devices. No rifle is allowe...

Riot Fest releases 2023 aftershow lineup

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:38 GMT

CHICAGO — It'll be another explosive weekend of music at Riot Fest next month, but in case you aren't going there's plenty of great aftershows recently released.The annual festival takes place in Douglass Park from Sept 15-17 with Foo Fighters, The Postal Service, Death Cab for Cutie and The Cure headlining.Some highlights:Kim GordonRock and Roll royalty has always come through The Empty Bottle and Saturday, Sept. 16 will be no different when Kim Gordon, of Sonic Youth, graces the stage.Listen in: Sonic Youth's Teenage RiotNEW YORK, NY - MAY 01: Musician Kim Gordon performs live at 'A Night Of Improvised Round Robin Duets' during the 2013 Red Bull Music Academy at Brooklyn Masonic Temple on May 1, 2013 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Eisman/Getty Images)The Black AngelsFans of the first season of "True Detective" will recognize The Black Angels from their excellent "Young Men Dead" being selected for the end of the credits. They also play Saturday, Sept...

Dunkin' teases line of 'Spiked' iced coffees, teas

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:15:38 GMT

(WJW) – Tired of spiking your own morning coffee from Dunkin'? There may be hope on the horizon.The Massachusetts-based coffee chain is teasing plans to release its very own line of hard iced coffees and teas to be sold under the "Dunkin' Spiked" name. Experts warn about ‘bed rotting’ trend As first reported by VinePair, the company has re-teamed with Harpoon Brewery — with whom Dunkin' previously collaborated on a line of Dunkin' Harpoon beer — to produce the spiked beverages. Dunkin' had also previously received approval for its Dunkin' Spiked product labels from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, the outlet reported. A Dunkin' Spiked website touting the new beverages has since gone live, previewing a menu of canned iced coffees in "original," "caramel," "mocha" and "vanilla" flavors, each with an alcohol content of 6%. The spiked teas, at 5% ABV each, come in "slightly sweet," "half and half," "strawberry dragonfruit" and "mango pineapple" varieties.The products are ...