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New justice minister arrives amid bail debate, vows fresh look at judicial vacancies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:42 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada’s new justice minister says he plans to tell his staff and department to move “expeditiously” on addressing judicial vacancies, an issue that dogged his predecessors. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau picked Arif Virani to replace David Lametti when he unveiled his new cabinet this week, in a shuffle meant to renew the Liberal benches after nearly eight years in government. Trudeau says he assembled the team to respond to economic headwinds, but the changes come when more Canadians are worrying about crime and a lack of judges affects proceedings in courtrooms across the country. Virani was first elected in the Toronto riding of Parkdale-High Park when the Liberals swept to power in 2015, and went on to serve as parliamentary secretary to both Lametti and his predecessor, Jody Wilson-Raybould. The issue of judicial vacancies persisted under both, with Supreme Court of Canada Chief Justice Richard Wagner writing a personal warning to Trudeau earlier this...

Georgia nuclear plant can start loading fuel into second new reactor, feds say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:42 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Federal regulators have approved plans to load radioactive fuel into a second new nuclear reactor in Georgia.The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Friday that Georgia Power Co. and its co-owners can begin loading fuel into unit 4 at Plant Vogtle, southeast of Augusta.It’s a key step toward completing the two-reactor project, which is seven years late and $17 billion over budget.Georgia Power, a unit of Atlanta-based Southern Co. has said it anticipates loading fuel in the last three months of 2023.The milestone comes as a Monday deadline nears for unit 3 to reach commercial operation. The current deadline to reliably send electricity to the grid came after a leaking turbine seal forced another month’s wait. The reactor was producing power at 98% of capacity on Friday, according to Nuclear Regulatory Commission records.Two older reactors are also operating at Plant Vogtle.Georgia Power said Friday that it’s making final preparations to load the 157 fuel assembli...

2 people die in Berlin after jumping from a building to escape a fire, authorities say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:42 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Two people died on Friday after jumping from a building in Berlin to escape a fire on an upper floor, firefighters said.The blaze broke out on the 10th floor of a 12-story residential building in the German capital’s Kreuzberg district, the fire service told German news agency dpa. Several people were rescued from the fire, but the two people who jumped died at the scene despite efforts to resuscitate them. Further details were not immediately available.The fire was later extinguished; there was no immediate word on what had caused it.The Associated Press

Taliban use stun guns, fire hoses and gunfire to break up Afghan women protesting beauty salon ban

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:42 GMT

Dozens of Afghan women protested a beauty salon ban on Wednesday after the Taliban ordered their closure nationwide. Security forces used fire hoses, stun guns and shot their guns into the air to break up the protest.The Taliban said earlier this month they were giving all salons in Afghanistan one month to wind down their businesses and close shop, drawing concern from international officials worried about the impact on female entrepreneurs. The Taliban say they are outlawing salons allegedly because they offer services forbidden by Islam and cause economic hardship for grooms’ families during wedding festivities.The ruling came from the Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada — the latest curb on the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls, following edicts barring them from education, public spaces and most forms of employment.In a rare sign of public opposition to Taliban orders, dozens of beauticians and makeup artists gathered in the capital of Kabul to protest the ban.“We ...

Texas DNA testing lab that identified a Bastrop cold case victim aims to 'democratize' technology

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:42 GMT

THE WOODLANDS, Texas (KXAN) -- On Thursday, the Bastrop County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) held a press conference announcing they had identified the body of a 1979 Jane Doe, the victim in a 44-year-old cold homicide case."Wish we could stand up here and say that they all go that way, but they don't," said Bastrop County District Attorney Bryan Goertz at the press conference, "This is CSI: Bastrop!" Bastrop County identify woman killed in 1979 But it was Othram, a DNA testing lab in The Woodlands, Texas, that linked the exhumed remains to missing person Kathy Ann Smith. BCSO connected Smith's death to deceased serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, who they said had confessed to her murder in 1984.Othram's involvementOthram's Chief Development Officer Kristen Mittelman said that the lab became involved in the case in September 2022. This was after BCSO exhumed the remains a second time to collect DNA samples -- the first attempt in 2019 yielded insufficient samples.The samples that did arrive...

I-35 improvements could now impact area near Lady Bird Lake, TxDOT says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The improvement plan that the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has for Interstate 35 could also impact the Lady Bird Lake bridge, park space and the trail, according to officials.The plan is part of the I-35 Capital Express Central project designed to help with the congestion on the interstate.On Thursday, TxDOT shared how the construction work would impact the trail and bridge in that part of I-35.“There will be some limited park impacts along the trails. We'll have detours in most cases,” said Brad Wheelis, a TxDOT spokesman. “There will be few instances where the trail can be closed for a few days at a time throughout construction. that's to keep everybody safe, and that's our most important factor here we're considering."The 8-mile project runs along the I-35 corridor from U.S. 290 down south to State Highway 71 and Ben White Boulevard.TxDOT said it hoped to start construction in 2024 and finish within ten years.

Massive vision revealed for old Alcoa plant in Milam County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Dallas-based developer has finally revealed its massive plans for the roughly 31,000-acre former Alcoa aluminum plant in Milam County, northeast of Austin.Roughly a year and a half after an entity connected to Xebec Holdings LLC purchased the property in Rockdale for roughly $240 million, the company said July 26 that it plans to develop 3,300 of those acres into up to 50 million square feet of industrial space for what it's calling the Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics Campus.The site — once marketed as Sandow Lakes Ranch, and pitched as a long-shot bid for Amazon's HQ2 — was purchased in November 2021 by SLR Property 1 LP, which is tied to Xebec. The land stretches across Milam and Lee counties and is located about 15 miles east of Taylor, where Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is building a multibillion-dollar computer chip factory.

Houston Police release full report on Astroworld tragedy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:42 GMT

HOUSTON (KIAH) — The Houston Police Department released its final report on the 2021 Astroworld tragedy that killed 10 people while hometown rapper Travis Scott performed on stage.The over-1,200-page report goes into the details that led a grand jury to decide not to indict Scott for any criminal charges back in June. RELATED: Rapper Travis Scott won’t face criminal charges in deadly Astroworld crowd surge: lawyer “Following the conclusion of grand jury proceedings regarding the Travis Scott Astroworld concert, the Houston Police Department pledged to publicly release the investigative report detailing HPD’s investigation into the incident,” an HPD statement said. “HPD’s investigation is complete.”View the full report here.

Oil pipeline construction in Minnesota ruptured an aquifer. Officials say it’s the 4th time.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:42 GMT

A fourth aquifer breach has been confirmed in northern Minnesota stemming from a Canadian oil company’s construction of an oil pipeline replacement in the region, state officials said.Officials with Enbridge Energy and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources confirmed to the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the breach occurred near Moose Lake in Aitkin County. Officials said Enbridge is working to fix the rupture, in which the layer of earth above an aquifer is punctured, causing the water to leak to the surface and possibly introducing pollutants.It’s the fourth confirmed breach along the Line 3 pipeline route, which started operating in the fall of 2021 and generated fierce opposition from environmental activists and Native American tribes. Last October, state regulators announced that Enbridge would pay more than $11 million for water quality violations and the three previous aquifer breaches.An aquifer is a natural underground reserve of fresh water capable of being tapped by...

Berne ice cream stand closes, owner plans restaurant expansion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:42 GMT

BERNE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Silky's Ice Creamery in Berne has closed. The ice cream stand was an add-on for the owner's neighboring restaurant The Babbling Brook. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Both eateries opened in 2021 at 2320 Helderberg Trail. Owner Brad Stevens said he closed Silky's to focus on The Babbling Brook."For now, Silky's is closed for good," said Stevens. "We have future plans for the property to expand the booming business of The Babbling Brook." New owner revives RAW Juice Bar in Schenectady, opening date set However, he can't share the expansion plans until they are finalized. You can follow The Babbling Brook Facebook page to see the plans when they are announced.The Babbling Brook menu includes fries with several different toppings, salads, wings, burgers, sandwiches, and more. You can view the full menu on the restaurant's website.