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Illinois halts construction of Chicago winter migrant camp while it reviews soil testing at site

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:46:01 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration halted construction Monday of a temporary winter camp for migrants in Chicago while the state reviews the removal of soil contaminants at the former industrial site.The review, which a spokesperson for the governor said wouldn’t take long, comes with hundreds of migrants bused to the state from Texas over the past year still living inside of or in front of city police stations or at Chicago’s busiest airport.The city released a study Friday from Chicago consultant Terracon that detailed the discovery and removal of sections of soil from the site in the Brighton Park neighborhood that contained higher-than-expected levels of mercury.“Soil with mercury levels was identified at one location and was removed and properly disposed offsite at a landfill,” Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office said in a statement. “With the limited soil removal and placement and maintenance of the barrier, the site is safe for temporary...

MP Han Dong, federal Conservatives, NDP to take part in foreign interference inquiry

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:46:01 GMT

OTTAWA — Politicians Han Dong and Michael Chan, the federal government and the commissioner of Canada elections are among those granted standing in the factual phase of a public inquiry into foreign interference.The federal Conservative and New Democratic parties, former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, Sen. Yuen Pau Woo and several others, meanwhile, will be interveners in the factual phase.Groups including the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights and the Centre for International Governance Innovation will be among the participants in the policy phase of the inquiry.Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue announced the decisions today after sifting through dozens of applications from citizens, associations, organizations, academics, politicians and political parties who want to be heard at the inquiry.The Liberal government announced in September that Hogue would lead a public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference and the federal capacity to address the issue.Hogue, a ...

Argentina’s outgoing government rejects EU-Mercosur trade deal, but incoming administration backs it

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:46:01 GMT

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s outgoing government said Monday it won’t support the signing of a long-delayed trade deal between the European Union and the South American bloc Mercosur during a summit this week in Brazil even thought the incoming Argentine government has expressed support for the deal.Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero said the agreement as currently written would restrict Argentinian exports. “It is a bad agreement that has a negative impact on manufacturing and agricultural exports,” Cafiero said in an interview with a local radio station, excerpts of which were later released by the Argentine Foreign Ministry.Argentina’s position goes against that of neighbor Brazil, which holds the presidency of Mercosur, and Spain, which holds the presidency of the EU. Both have expressed a desire to move forward with the trade treaty during the summit Thursday in Rio de Janeiro.The Argentine opposition may be short-lived, though. The incoming administrat...

Governor rebukes Philadelphia protesters for chanting outside Israeli restaurant

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:46:01 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Protesters marching in Philadelphia against the bombardment of Gaza chanted about genocide Sunday outside an Israeli-style restaurant, leading Gov. Josh Shapiro to call the demonstration “antisemitic.” In Philadelphia’s Center City and University City neighborhoods, hundreds of people marched to criticize Israel’s military actions in Gaza, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. However, it was unclear why some specifically protested the restaurant. A video of demonstrators outside of Goldie Falafel depicted people chanting, “Goldie, Goldie, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” which garnered backlash from the Democratic governor.Shapiro first addressed the protest on X, formerly known as Twitter. Later Monday, appearing at an unrelated event in suburban Philadelphia, the governor said he was in touch with Michael Solomonov, one of the restaurant’s owners, to make sure he and his staff know that the governor will support them. Solomonov is a prom...

American tourist killed in shark attack in Bahamas, police say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:46:01 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A female tourist from Boston was killed Monday by a shark while paddleboarding in the Bahamas, police told reporters.The victim, who was not identified, was attacked less than a mile off the western end of New Providence island, where the capital, Nassau, is located. She was paddleboarding with a man who was not injured, according to Police Sgt. Desiree Ferguson.“We extend our heartfelt condolences…for this most unfortunate situation,” she said.Police said a lifeguard rescued both people with a boat upon seeing what was happening, but the woman suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body and was declared dead at the scene despite CPR efforts.It was not immediately clear what type of shark attacked the woman. A police superintendent did not immediately respond to a message requesting comment.Gavin Naylor, director of the International Shark Attack File in Florida, said in an interview that there have been a couple of shark-related fatalities r...

Former Liberal fisheries minister Bernadette Jordan named consul general in Boston

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:46:01 GMT

OTTAWA — Bernadette Jordan, a former Liberal member of Parliament and a minister in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet, has been named Canada’s new consul general in Boston. Jordan, who was first elected in 2015 to represent South Shore-St. Margarets, is replacing Rodger Cuzner, another former Nova Scotia Liberal MP who was appointed to the Senate in October. Jordan became minister of rural economic development in early 2019, and Trudeau named her minister of fisheries, oceans and the Coast Guard after she was re-elected that fall.Her tenure was marked by controversy, as violent clashes broke out on Nova Scotia’s south shore in the summer and fall of 2020 between commercial fishers and Indigenous fishers who were trying to exercise their treaty rights to harvest lobster. The federal government was criticized by people on both sides of the conflict for failing to ensure Indigenous access to the fishery and, meanwhile, failing to enforce government rules around ...

Niger’s junta revokes key security agreements with EU and turns to Russia for defense partnership

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:46:01 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Niger’s junta on Monday scrapped two key military agreements that the West African nation signed with the European Union to help fight the violence in Africa’s Sahel region as the country’s army leaders and a senior Russian defense official discussed military cooperation.Before the coup that deposed the country’s president, Mohamed Bazoum, Niger had been the West and Europe’s last major security partner in the Sahel, the vast region south of the Sahara Desert that Islamic extremist groups have turned into the global terror hot spot.In a memo, Niger’s foreign affairs ministry said the government has decided to “withdraw the privileges and immunities granted” under the EU Military Partnership Mission in Niger that was launched in February and consequently “has no legal obligation” related to that partnership. It also dismissed the EU Civilian Capacity-Building Mission established in 2012 to strengthen Niger’s internal security sector, effectivel...

US, allies in talks on naval task force to protect shipping in Red Sea after Houthi attacks

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:46:01 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Monday that the U.S. may establish a naval task force to escort commercial ships in the Red Sea, a day after three vessels were struck by missiles fired by Iranian-back Houthis in Yemen.National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. has been in active conversations with allies about setting up the escorts though nothing is finalized, describing it as a “natural” response to that sort of incident.On Sunday, ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck three commercial ships, while a U.S. warship shot down three drones in self-defense during an hourslong assault, the U.S. military said. It marked an escalation in a series of maritime attacks in the Mideast linked to the Israel-Hamas war.“We are in talks with other countries about a maritime task force of sorts involving the ships from partner nations alongside the United States in ensuring safe passage,” Sullivan told reporters. He noted similar task forces are used to protect ...

Minnesota, Wisconsin wildlife officials capture 100s of invasive carp in Mississippi River

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:46:01 GMT

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Wildlife officials have captured hundreds of invasive carp from the Mississippi River near Trempealeau, Wisconsin.The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced Friday that officials caught 296 silver carp, 23 grass carp and four bighead carp Nov. 30 in what the agency called the largest single capture of invasive carp in Minnesota to date. Agency officials said the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources tracked six tagged invasive carp in that area of the river the week that led officials to larger schools moving upstream. Observations from commercial anglers also helped officials pinpoint the fish.The carp were imported to the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s to help rid southern aquaculture farms of algae, weeds and parasites. They escaped through flooding and accidental releases, found their way into the Mississippi River and have used it as a superhighway to spread north into rivers and streams in the nation’s midsection. Carp are voracious eaters ...

Heavy police presence outside store in Gary

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:46:01 GMT

GARY, Ind. — There is a heavy police presence outside of a store in Gary, Indiana, on Monday afternoon.Several police vehicles could be seen outside of a Family Dollar in the 1400 block of West 25th Avenue when WGN SkyCam9 was over the scene around 3:30 p.m.  2 SIU students from Park Ridge, Des Plaines killed in head-on crash Authorities have not provided details on what led to the heavy police response and it is currently unclear if anyone was injured or if any arrests have been made.This is a developing story, stay with WGN News for the latest updates.