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‘Constant’ fear in my house, U.S. woman testifies about impact of Quebec abduction

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:36 GMT

MONTREAL — A U.S. woman who was kidnapped along with her husband and smuggled into Quebec in October 2020 says she lives in constant fear she will fall victim to another crime.Sandra Helm delivered a victim impact statement Thursday at a sentencing hearing for Gary Arnold, 54.“What happened to us has changed our lives in every way imaginable,” Helm told Quebec Superior Court Justice Michel Pennou. “At the time of the events, I was afraid I was going to be killed. My husband and I thought we would never make it home to see our family again.”A jury found Arnold guilty in February of five charges, including kidnapping, extortion and conspiracy to kidnap, for being part of a plot to abduct Sandra Helm and her husband James of Moira, N.Y. James Helm died in 2021.The Crown has told the court previously it will seek a 17-year sentence for Arnold, while the defence has countered with a sentence recommendation in the 10-year range. Four other men arrested with Arnold received sentences of b...

Vatican unveils new ethnographic display of Rwanda screens

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:36 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican Museums officially reopened its African and American ethnographic collections Thursday by showcasing intricately restored Rwandan raffia screens that were sent by Catholic missionaries to the Vatican for a 1925 exhibit.The display at the Anima Mundi Ethnological Museum featured a scientific presentation of the restoration process as well as the research that preceded it, with consultations with Rwanda’s own ethnographic museum, a UCLA graduate student and Belgium’s Royal Museum for Central Africa. It came as ethnographic museums in Europe and North America are grappling with demands from Indigenous groups and former colonies to return artifacts dating from colonial times.The Rev. Nicola Mappelli, curator of the Anima Mundi museum, declined to comment on calls for restitution of the Vatican’s own ethnographic holdings, saying these were questions for the museum leadership. Speaking to The Associated Press during a visit to the new exhibit, he noted tha...

3 dead in rioting blamed on gangs in Brazil’s northeast

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:36 GMT

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — National guard troops patrolled northeastern Brazil on Thursday after three nights of rioting allegedly ordered by imprisoned gang members left windows smashed, buses ablaze and at least three people dead.Most of the violence was in Rio Grande do Norte state where a couple dozen cities have seen gun attacks on public buildings and arson attacks on buses and gas stations since Monday night. The owner of a supermarket was among those killed in the violence. Also, a rioter in Rio Grande do Norte and another one in neighboring Paraiba state were killed in shootouts with police, authorities said.Schools in both states canceled school classes Thursday for fear that school buses might be targeted, and some regular bus services were suspended.Rio Grande do Norte’s public security secretary, Francisco Araújo, said Wednesday that the attacks were being ordered from within the state’s biggest prison, after wardens declined to grant prisoners’ demands for televisions, co...

‘Unthinkable and horrific:’ two Edmonton police constables shot on job, suspect dead

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:36 GMT

EDMONTON — Officers embraced each other and wiped away tears Thursday as Edmonton’s police chief relayed details of how two constables were shot and killed at an apartment complex while responding to a domestic violence call.“Today, the Edmonton Police Service has been marked by an unthinkable and horrific tragedy as two of our members have died in the line of duty,” Chief Dale McFee told a packed and solemn news conference at police headquarters.He spoke in an atrium packed with more than 100 officers and police staff. Members held and patted each other. A young man considered a suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, McFee said.He identified the officers who died as Const. Travis Jordan, 35, an 8 1/2-year veteran with the Edmonton force, and Const. Brett Ryan, 30, who had been with the service for 5 1/2 years. McFee said the officers were called shortly before 1 a.m. to a family dispute at an apartment building in northwest Edmonton, part of a large red...

Experts, banks look for ideas to stop next bank failure

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:36 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The warning signs were all there. Silicon Valley Bank was expanding at a breakneck pace and pursuing wildly risky investments in the bond market. The vast majority of its deposits were uninsured by the federal government, leaving its customers exposed to a crisis. None of this was a secret. Yet bank supervisors at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and the state of California did nothing as the bank rolled over the cliff.“Their duty is to make sure that the bank is being run in a safe and sound manner and is not a threat,’’ said Dennis Kelleher, president of Better Markets, a nonprofit that advocates tougher financial regulations. “The great mystery here is why the supervision was AWOL at Silicon Valley Bank.’’The search for causes and culprits — and solutions — is refocusing attention on a 2018 federal law that rolled back tough bank regulations put in place after the 2008-2009 financial crisis and, perhaps even more, on the way regulators wrote the r...

Lonzo Ball will have a 3rd knee surgery, report says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:36 GMT

CHICAGO - Once again, the worst-case scenario has come to pass for the Bulls' starting point guard, and it could cost him a lot of next season.Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Lonzo Ball will undergo a third surgery on his left knee since January 2022, which was something that was floated earlier in March as he continues to experience pain.There is also a concern, according to the report, about Ball's ability to resume his playing career and this next surgery could cost him a majority of the 2023-2024 season. The hope is this surgery will be able to finally relieve the pain that has kept him off the floor for over a year.So far, the Bulls nor Ball have confirmed an upcoming procedure on the knee. Ball hasn't played in a game since January 14, 2022 and underwent surgery in his left knee later that month. When the pain wouldn't go away, he underwent another procedure on the knee in September in hopes of a return at some point in the 2022-2023 campaign.But that never happened as the Bul...

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois fined $600K, lawmakers say it's not enough

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:36 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Lawmakers are calling for more answers from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.This comes after the insurance company was fined $600,000 by the state, but both Republican and Democrats said that is far from enough.The company was fined last week for violating the "Network and Transparency Act." The state released a report on their investigation into Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois when they announced the fine.That report laid out all of the problems the state found with their network, but Senator Steve McClure said that the fine on its own is not enough.He is calling for public hearings so patients have the chance to voice their issues with the company. Illinois bill would make driving with pet in your lap illegal The state is figuring out what the best way to handle it is, but Democrats are on board with the idea."That's another reason why there should be public hearings, because members of the public need to come and bring all the problems that they...

'It's always there': Fruit Bats reflects on Chicago beginnings ahead of new album

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:36 GMT

After years living on the West Coast, Eric D. Johnson always has his home of Chicago in the back of his mind.The solo mastermind behind Fruit Bats, Johnson's family hails from the North Side and he went to high school in the Western suburbs.Now in his 40s, Johnson is preparing to release his tenth studio album "A River Running To Your Heart" next month. Ahead of that and his homecoming show at Thalia Hall, Johnson reminisced on finding his footing in Chicago with WGN News."Moved to the city when I was 19 in 1996," Johnson said. "I didn't have a music goal — it was mysterious. I wasn't going to go join Tortoise."Johnson referenced Tortoise's post-rock style, something prevalent in Chicago prior to the early 2000s indie explosion, which started in New York. Growing up as a musician, Johnson decided against college and ended up teaching at the Old Town School of Folk Music."At the time, most of the people were older there and in the folk world," Johnson said. "I wasn't playing hyper tr...

Can I call the police if my neighbors are smoking weed?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:36 GMT

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Many states have legalized recreational marijuana, but it is generally limited for use out of the general public's view.This means that people can really only do it in a private residence, such as their own home or someone else's. However, can the cops be called if a neighbor is seen smoking weed? Can I bring weed purchased in Illinois to other states? While it might be legal at the state level, homeowner's associations might have a different opinion, according to Harris Bricken Law. They cannot ban marijuana smoking in a person's home if it is legal, but they can get involved in certain states if it is becoming a nuisance for others.Most HOA rules address using marijuana in common areas. This includes when the smell of the smoke wafts from the neighbor's yard into these common areas, or into another person's space. Even if it is legal, the HOA might try to ban it these instances since it is affecting others. Can I share weed in Illinois? There are certai...

Record betting expected in Illinois for 'March Madness'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:36 GMT

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — "March Madness" will get underway on Thursday, and chances are that residents, or someone they know, will be betting on the games.Sportsbooks are expecting record numbers of bets in Illinois during the tournament. While residents cannot bet on Illinois or Northwestern, them being in the tournament should boost betting numbers.Sports gambling is already a big business in Illinois, with $1 billion in bets places in January alone. What to know as Illinois, Northwestern open 2023 NCAA Tournament "It's just the growing popularity of sports wagering," said Dave Briggs of PlayIllinois. "Some of those numbers are national. I know in Illinois they bet somewhere close to $290 million just on the March Madness tournament here, so we expect that to be a little bit higher this year just because it's become more prevalent…part of peoples' lives."Both Illinois and Northwestern begin playing on Thursday.