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Constitutional challenge to Georgia voting machines set for trial early next year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:26 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — The question of whether Georgia’s electronic voting system has major cybersecurity flaws that amount to a violation of voters’ constitutional rights to cast their votes and have those votes accurately counted is set to be decided at trial early next year.U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg issued a 135-page ruling late Friday in a long-running lawsuit filed by activists who want the state to ditch its electronic voting machines in favor of hand-marked paper ballots. The state had asked the judge to rule in its favor based on the arguments and facts in the case without going to trial, but Totenberg found there are “material facts in dispute” that must be decided at trial. She set a Jan. 9 bench trial, which means there will be no jury. But she also suggested that the two sides work together to reach a resolution.“The Court cannot wave a magic wand in this case to address the varied challenges to our democracy and election system in recent years, including tho...

Toronto library placed in hold and secure due to bomb threat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:26 GMT

The Toronto Reference Library at Bloor and Yonge Streets has been placed in hold and secure due to a bomb threat.At approximately 8:44am the library received a bomb threat. The library is not open yet, employees are being let into the library but the library is under a hold and secure. Police are responding to clear the building and advise to stay out of the area.BOMB THREAT: (UPDATE)Bloor St & Yonge St8:44am– the library is currently in hold and secure– police are o/s– the building is currently being cleared #GO2612159^se— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) November 11, 2023

Danica Roem breaks through in Virginia Senate by focusing on road rage and not only anti-trans hate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:26 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lonely, poor and quite lost, Danica Roem thought she had nothing going for her back in 2016 except toned calves from toting kabobs up the stairs of apartments in Arlington, Virginia, in her dead-end food delivery job.“Picture it,” Roem, now a groundbreaking politician who also was a journalist back then, wrote later about that time: “a five-foot- eleven, long-haired brunette metal-head trans lady reporter wearing a rainbow bandana, an A-line skirt, and a black hoodie … screaming obscenities behind the wheel of her four-door ’92 Dodge Shadow America.”Not the usual gauzy pitch to voters. But in Tuesday’s election, the onetime scribe and heavy metal singer scored her fourth election victory, breaking through to the state Senate and overcoming a pitched effort from Republicans and their allies to use her transgender identity as a cudgel. In one of the latest battles in America’s culture wars, Republicans across the country tried in t...

‘Support students’: Some teachers say they won’t follow Saskatchewan’s pronoun law

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:26 GMT

REGINA — Alex Schmidt says she knows she may face consequences for not following the province’s pronoun law, but it’s a risk she’s willing to take. The Regina public school teacher says she’d rather ensure gender-diverse children who could be put at risk by the law are safe.“Part of the process has always been: ‘No. 1, thank you for sharing this with me, and No. 2, how can I support you?'” Schmidt told The Canadian Press in an interview.“I think that respects the rights of parents. And if children say, ‘I need you to support me and not share this information until I understand how,’ then that is the way that I would support students.”Schmidt and dozens of other teachers have signed an online petition calling on school divisions not to follow the law. It says the legislation harms gender-diverse students, as it could force them to come out or have teachers misgender them.“We will continue to use the practice of l...

Mental health app for Canadian veterans named after Saskatchewan mass stabbing victim

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:26 GMT

Earl Burns was a veteran of the Canadian military who tried to protect his family and Saskatchewan community of James Smith Cree Nation until his very last breath.A non-profit app in the works has been named in his honour. The Burns Way chat app would allow veterans to instantly connect with trained military peer supports, while filling service gaps for those who live in rural areas or are isolated.“Everything atThe Burns Way is about human beings supporting other human beings and to facilitate all of that to the idea of connection,” said John MacBeth, founder and CEO of developer TryCycle Data Systems.He said that when he and his team learned Burns was a veteran, it was obvious that Burns encapsulated “the valour, the courage, the duty” that the app should be named for.Burns was one of 11 people killed in September 2022 when his former son-in-law went from house to house stabbing people on the James Smith Cree Nation and in the nearby village of Weldon. Seve...

Person in custody after stabbing in North York

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:26 GMT

One person is in police custody following a stabbing in North York on Saturday morning.Police were called to the scene at approximately 2:00 a.m. after a male victim was stabbed in the Yonge Street and Holmes Avenue area.The victim was transported to the hospital via emergency run with life-threatening injuries.Police have one person in custody and anyone with information is asked to call police.

Saturday Forecast: Sunny, low 50s

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:26 GMT

Saturday: Sunny start to Veterans Day with late afternoon clouds. NW 5-10 mph. Air quality in the Good to Moderate range for Chicagoland. High: 51Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy. Upper 20s outlying areas. S 5-10 mph. Low: 34Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Sunday: Mostly sunny, breezy & milder. S 10-20, G30 mph. High: 58Extended outlook calls more sunshine on Monday with temps in the mid to low 60s. Lots of sunshine for most of this week with temp unseasonably warm for November with highs in the mid to upper 60s possible on Wed/Thu. A bit cooler into the mid 50s on Friday with more clouds and our next chance of showers. 

5 moves to prevent more debt this holiday season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:26 GMT

(NerdWallet) - Entering the holiday season with high-interest debt or financial struggles can put you at risk for a debt hangover that could linger for years.It’s a crossroads that many will unfortunately encounter this holiday season. Credit card balances rose to over $1 trillion in the second quarter of 2023, according to a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The average rate for credit cards assessed interest as of August 2023 was 22.77%, according to data by the Federal Reserve. Compared with previous years, that rate is alarmingly high.With interest rates sky-high, this is one of the worst times to charge expenses to credit cards that you can’t pay off quickly. Before you shop for the holidays, consider these ways to help you get clear on your goals and protect your finances.1. Find a way to lower high-interest debtIf you’re already carrying debt, consider ways to save money on interest. Depending on your credit, some options may include:A 0% introductory APR balanc...

LIVE: 1 officer dead, 1 officer injured after SWAT situation in south Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:26 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — One Austin police officer was killed and another officer was injured in south Austin Saturday morning, according to Austin officials. The Austin Police Department said it responded to a call for a stabbing in the 9300 block of Bernoulli Drive at 2:49 a.m. Support pours in for APD officer killed, another injured in line of duty Sources said that officers entered a house to free hostages and that was when the suspect shot at the officers. One officer was killed, while another was shot in the shoulder.Sources said multiple shots were fired by other SWAT members, and those officers were now being processed at a police substation.According to a city council message board, the officer-involved shooting happened at about 4:10 a.m. Mayor Kirk Watson said the injured officer was in surgery as of around 8:30 a.m.APD held a procession for the fallen officer from Dell Seton Medical Center to the medical examiner's office.According to a message se...

Support pours in for APD officer killed, another injured in line of duty

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:26 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Support is pouring in Saturday morning for the Austin Police Department after one officer was killed and another was injured in the line of duty. The incident began just before 3 a.m. Saturday morning and turned into a SWAT situation, APD confirmed to KXAN, which resulted in an officer-involved shooting. Mayor Kirk Watson said the injured officer was in surgery as of around 8:30 a.m., and a procession was held starting from Dell Seton Medical Center for the fallen officer. READ MORE: 1 officer dead, 1 officer injured after SWAT situation in south Austin Details are limited at this time as to what exactly happened, but city and state officials quickly took to social media to show support for the department and its officers. Below is a compilation of statements gathered honoring the officers involved. Mayor Kirk Watson“My heart and the hearts of Austinites are broken this morning. This is a horrible moment for our city and those who protect us. I’m praying for t...