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Election 2024: What to know about state supreme court races

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:00:55 GMT

By Christine Fernando and Andrew DeMillo, Associated PressCHICAGO (AP) — The 2024 elections will be dominated by the presidential contest and the battle for control of Congress, but another series of races is shaping up to be just as consequential.Crucial battles over abortion, gerrymandering, voting rights and other issues will take center stage in next year’s elections for state supreme court seats — 80 of them in 33 states.The races have emerged as some of the most hotly contested and costliest contests on the ballot since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion. The decision shifted the abortion debate to states, creating a “new era” in state supreme court elections, said Douglas Keith, senior counsel in the judiciary program at the Brennan Center for Justice, which tracks spending in judicial races.“We have seen attention on state supreme court elections like never before and money in these races like never before,” Kei...

Lack of snow and cold puts damper on some Quebec winter activities

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:00:55 GMT

MONTREAL — A lack of snow is playing havoc with some of Quebec’s traditional winter activities, but there’s hope that Mother Nature will provide a much needed blast in the coming weeks to change that.Southern Quebec was hit with its first major snowstorm of the season in early December, only to watch rainy, warm weather wash away the more than 30 centimetres that fell. With it went plans to open ice rinks in Montreal and across a large number of Quebec municipalities. On Friday, there were about half a dozen outdoor rinks open in Montreal, all of them refrigerated. Montreal would normally have about 200 outdoor ice rinks open at this time of year.“We don’t have the criteria to open ice rinks,” said Philippe Sabourin, a spokesman for the City of Montreal.Outdoor rinks require at least 10 centimetres of snow on top of grass, and three consecutive days of temperatures not rising above -5 C; ice rinks on a concrete or an asphalt base also need three days of...

Federal agency orders recall of hazardous magnetic-ball kits sold at Walmart.com

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:00:55 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal agency on Friday recalled toys sold at Walmart.com containing powerful magnetic balls that could pose a hazard to children if swallowed. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said the balls, which are 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) in diameter, exceed federal standards for magnetic strength and could clump together to block parts of the digestive system when ingested.The commission said no injuries had been reported from use of this particular product, called the Relax 5mm Science Kit. It contained 216 small, multicolored magnetic balls with what the CPSC called a “strong magnetic flux.” The agency said that ingested magnets could attach to each other or other metal objects, potentially leading to perforations, twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning and death.The CPSC estimates that 2,400 magnet ingestions were treated in hospital emergency rooms between 2017 and 2021 and said the agency is aware of seven deaths related to ...

West Virginia starts distributing funds from the settlement of opioid lawsuits

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:00:55 GMT

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia is issuing the first checks from a fund established by the settlement of opioid lawsuits in the state, which has by far the nation’s highest drug overdose death rate.The Kanawha County Commission said Thursday it received a $2.9 million check and plans to discuss how it will be spent at its next meeting on Jan. 11. Last week the Mercer County Commission received $1.9 million.The distribution is part of a memorandum of understanding that was previously adopted by state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and counsel for West Virginia cities and counties. According to the agreement, the board in charge of around $1 billion in funds will distribute just under three-fourths of the settlement money, and a fourth will go directly to local communities and 3% will remain in trust.Morrisey told the Kanawha County Commission that his office and the state auditor’s office have formed a partnership to ensure that the settlement funds are used properly....

Massive expansion of GO Transit network underway with main focus on 5 rail corridors

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:00:55 GMT

When GO Transit launched in 1967, there was just one rail corridor (Hamilton to Pickering), the minimum fare was 42 cents, and the Toronto Maple Leafs last won the Stanley Cup.Fast-forward to today and there are now seven rail corridors plus the UP Express line, dozens of bus routes, and adults tapping their phones or fare cards pay a minimum fare of $3.70.The first year of GO train service saw roughly 2.5 million people but in recent years the network has handled up to approximately 70 million people. Keeping up with the demand has proven to be a growing challenge.“We already have $11-billion worth of work happening on the ground and around our network in 2023,” Stephanie Davies, the chief capital officer for GO Transit and UP Express at Metrolinx, said during an interview at Bloor GO station.In the years ahead, the goal is ambitious.“All-day service on five of our core existing lines (Lakeshore West, Lakeshore East, Kitchener, Barrie and Stouffville) in our netwo...

Nebraska governor stands firm on rejection of federal money to feed food-insecure children

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:00:55 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s Republican governor on Friday reiterated his rejection of $18 million in federal funding to help feed children who might otherwise go hungry while school is out.Nebraska will not participate in the 2024 Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children — or Summer EBT — program, Gov. Jim Pillen said in a written statement. That statement came as advocates for children and low-income families held a news conference outside the Governor’s Mansion in Lincoln to call on Pillen to change his mind before the Jan. 1 deadline to sign up for the program.The program — part of federal assistance made available during the COVID-19 pandemic — would provide pre-loaded EBT cards to families whose children are eligible for free and reduced-price lunches at school. Those families would receive $40 per eligible child per month over the summer. The cards can be used to buy groceries, similar to how SNAP benefits are used.“COVID-19 is over, and Nebraska taxpayers expe...

US citizen inspired by Hamas sought to wage jihad against ‘No. 1 enemy’ America, prosecutors say

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:00:55 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. citizen living in Egypt sought to join the al Shabaab terrorist organization and wage violent jihad against America and its allies in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, federal prosecutors said Friday.Karrem Nasr, 23, of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, was arrested Dec. 14 after flying from Egypt to Nairobi, Kenya, where prosecutors say he was planning to meet with al Shabaab members before traveling to train in Somalia, where the terror group is based.Nasr was returned to the U.S. on Thursday and was scheduled to appear Friday before a federal magistrate in Manhattan. He is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.Court records did not list a lawyer who could speak on Nasr’s behalf.Nasr, also known as Ghareeb Al-Muhajir, expressed his desire to join al Shabaab in online postings and communications with a paid FBI informant who was posing a...

Trump ballot decision leads Maine lawmaker to call for impeachment of top state election official

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:00:55 GMT

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s top election official could face an impeachment attempt in the state Legislature over her decision to keep former President Donald Trump off the Republican primary ballot.At least one Republican lawmaker has vowed to pursue impeachment against Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows despite long odds in the Democratic-controlled Legislature. Bellows said Friday that she had no comment on the impeachment effort, but said she was duty-bound by state law to make a determination on three challenges brought by registered Maine voters. She reiterated that she suspended her decision pending an anticipated appeal by Trump in Superior Court.“Under Maine law, I have not only the authority but the obligation to act,” she said. “I will follow the Constitution and the rule of law as directed by the courts,” she added.Bellows’ decision Thursday followed a ruling earlier this month by the Colorado Supreme Court that removed Trump from the ballot unde...

Medical marijuana dispensary licenses blocked in Alabama amid dispute over selection process

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:00:55 GMT

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A judge temporarily blocked Alabama from issuing licenses to medical marijuana dispensaries amid an ongoing legal battle over how the state selected the winning companies. Montgomery Circuit Judge James Anderson issued a temporary restraining order late Thursday to stop the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission from issuing licenses to the four dispensaries. The licenses will be on hold while he hears a challenge to the selection process. The court order is the latest development in an ongoing legal battle that has plagued the start of Alabama’s medical marijuana program. Alabama lawmakers voted to allow medical marijuana in the state in 2021. Commission officials are aiming to make the products available in 2024 after a series of delays. The ruling affects only the dispensaries. Brittany Peters, a spokeswoman for the commission, said Friday that the commission has issued licenses to other companies that were selected to cultivate, transport, and test mar...

Pair of former Detroit Tigers scouts sue team alleging age discrimination

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:00:55 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — A pair of former Detroit Tigers scouts sued the team, alleging age discrimination over their terminations after the 2020 season.Gary Pellant and Randall Johnson filed the suit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Detroit, claiming a shift toward analytics was accompanied by a “false stereotype” that older scouts lacked acumen for newer scouting tools.They claim wrongful termination and post-termination employment interference in violation of the Age Discrimination and Enforcement Act of 1967 and violations of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, a Michigan law that took effect in 1977. They also alleged disparate treatment age discrimination and/or disparate impact age discrimination in violation of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.They asked for back pay, front pay and compensatory and punitive damages.The Tigers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Seventeen former Major League Baseball scouts sued the league, its teams and Commissioner Rob Manfred ...