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Railroads propose safety reforms after fiery Ohio derailment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:24 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The major freight railroads announced a number of steps Wednesday that they are taking to improve safety in the wake of last month’s fiery Ohio derailment, but it’s not clear if their actions will be enough to satisfy regulators and members of Congress who are pushing for changes.Many of the proposals from the Association of American Railroads trade group focus on strengthening the network of trackside detectors that railroads use to spot problems before they can cause derailments. The railroads plan to do this by installing 1,000 more of the detectors nationwide and tweaking the way railroads use the data from them.Norfolk Southern, the railroad responsible for the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border, proposed similar changes earlier this week, but the Federal Railroad Administration responded saying the company wasn’t doing nearly enough.And several members of Congress — led by Ohio’s two senators — have proposed a...

Ex-Navajo President Zah guided by love for people, family

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:24 GMT

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Peterson Zah, a monumental Navajo Nation leader who guided the tribe through a politically tumultuous era and worked tirelessly to correct wrongdoings against Native Americans, has died. Zah died late Tuesday at a hospital in Fort Defiance, Arizona, after a lengthy illness, Navajo President Buu Nygren’s office said. He was 85. Zah was the first president elected on the Navajo Nation — the largest tribal reservation in the U.S. — in 1990 after the government was restructured into three branches to prevent power from being concentrated in the chairman’s office. At the time, the tribe was reeling from a deadly riot incited by Zah’s political rival, former Chairman Peter MacDonald, a year earlier.Zah vowed to rebuild the tribe, and to support family and education, speaking with people in ways that imparted mutual respect, said his longtime friend Eric Eberhard. Zah was as comfortable putting on dress clothes to represent Navajos in Washington, D...

Grocer CEOs need to be transparent about why grocery prices are so high: Freeland

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:24 GMT

OTTAWA — Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says the CEOs of Canada’s largest grocery store chains need to be transparent about the recent rise in grocery prices. The CEOs and presidents of Loblaw Cos. Ltd., Metro Inc. and Empire Co. Ltd. — which operates chains including Sobeys, Safeway and FreshCo — are set to testify before the House of Commons agriculture committee Wednesday evening as part of its study on food inflation.Food inflation has been especially crushing for lower-income Canadians, with grocery prices in January up 11.4 per cent compared to a year ago.That’s nearly double the overall rate of inflation, which was 5.9 per cent that month. In a news conference on Wednesday afternoon in Mississauga, Ont., Freeland said she’s happy to see that the committee will be hearing from the CEOs. The deputy prime minister said they need to explain why grocery prices have risen dramatically.“(The CEOs) absolutely do have a responsibility to all of us to be tra...

14-count indictment against two former Cook County assistant state's attorneys unsealed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:24 GMT

COOK COUNTY, Ill. — Two former Cook County prosecutors face a combined 14-count indictment following a year-and-a-half investigation by a special prosecutor.Lawrence Oliver II was appointed to the position in July 2021 after a county prosecutor admitted to having a relationship with a key witness in a case. That now former assistant state's attorney faces charges including perjury, obstruction of justice, violations of the local records act, and official misconduct, while another former assistant state's attorney faces charges of official misconduct.The judge who ordered the special prosecutor originally said in 2021 there’s sufficient evidence that attorney committed perjury and others in the state’s attorney’s office may have covered for him. Read more on what led to the special prosecutor appointment This was the second special prosecutor appointed to investigate Kim Foxx’s office in about two years. The last one found abuses of discretion in the Jussie Smollett case.This ...

2023 International Women of Courage award ceremony at the White House

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:24 GMT

WASHINGTON D.C. — First Lady Jill Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted the 17th annual International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award Ceremony. The ceremony took place at the White House for the first time in the award's history. Girl Scout cookie shortage sparks resale market The following is an excerpt from the U.S. Department of State's website:Now in its 17th year, the Secretary of State’s IWOC Award recognizes women from around the world who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equity and equality, and the empowerment of women and girls, in all their diversity, and more, often at great personal risk and sacrifice.In a typical year, the IWOC awardees are invited to Washington D.C. to receive their awards from the Secretary of State and the First Lady in a ceremony held on or in proximity to International Women’s Day (March 8th). The recipients then travel across the United St...

2023 Big Ten Tournament: What to look for this week in Chicago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:24 GMT

CHICAGO - It's been four years since the conference has held its popular men's basketball championship tourney in their home city, but the wait is over.Chicago is once again the host for the Big Ten Tournament as the United Center will play host to the conference's 14 teams for five days of basketball to determine their official representative for the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Here are a few things to know about this year's edition of the tournament. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)Welcome BackAs mentioned before, this is the tournament's first time back in Chicago since 2019 and will mark the 11th time it has been staged at the United Center.It served as the host for the first four years of the tournament from 1998 through 2001 and has since hosted in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2019, and this year.Michigan State has won the most Big Ten Tournaments in Chicago, capturing the title in 1999, 2000, and 2019. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)Five Days of ActionFor the third time as a host, the Big Te...

Republicans threaten to block Biden's budget proposal with Medicare on the line

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) – On Tuesday, President Joe Biden unveiled a preview of his budget proposal, which includes his plan to keep Medicare funded by raising taxes on Americans with high earnings.Biden unveiled a preliminary budget at the State of the Union address, at which Democrats and Republicans cheered for the idea of not cutting Social Security or Medicare.“The president's budget will address what Americans care most about, extending Medicare solvency by 25 years,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said.The White House says the plan will also lower some costs for older Americans who receive Medicare.To pay for it all, President Biden proposes raising Medicare taxes on Americans who earn more than $400,000 a year from 3.8% to 5%.The plan would also close loopholes to ensure capital gains and other income is subject to the Medicare tax.However, Republicans on Capitol Hill are not happy with the president's budget proposal and say they plan to block it.“The president's budget is replete ...

Former prisoners rally against solitary confinement at Texas Capitol

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:24 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Women from across Texas will meet with state representatives in a "Justice-impacted women and girls rally" on the South Steps of the Texas Capitol Wednesday to protest incarceration conditions on International Women's Day.Lioness, an organization for formerly-incarcerated women, and the Statewide Leadership Council are hosting the rally. Organizers say state representatives Senfronia Thompson, Alma Allen, Josey Garcia, and Toni Rose will be speaking.Among the speakers will be Marci Marie Simmons, who spent ten years in prison including in solitary confinement and now serves as the community outreach coordinator for Lioness. She is expected to call for changes to the state's solitary confinement policies.Protesters rally outside Texas capitol (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez)Protesters rally outside Texas capitol (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez)Protesters rally outside Texas capitol (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez)Protesters rally outside Texas capitol (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez)...

Project Connect funding challenged by Texas lawmakers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two new pieces of legislation filed in the Texas legislature Tuesday challenge funding for Project Connect, a mass transit program in the works in Austin approved by voters in November 2020.A group of Texas lawmakers jointly filed House Bill 3899 Tuesday, dubbed the "No Blank Checks Act." The legislation aims "to ensure local government corporations in Texas follow the same rules as cities and counties when issuing debt backed by property taxes," per a release. PROJECT CONNECT NEWS: ‘Generational decisions’ face Project Connect scope change, federal expert says In a statement, Rep. Ellen Troxclair cited Project Connect's heightened costs as motivation behind the bill filing. Under the proposed legislation, voters would have to approve the issuance of bonds, with the ballot language including "the total principal amount of the bonds to be authorized."Troxclair is one of five representatives to co-author the bill in the Texas House, while State Sen. Paul Bettencourt ...

Is Bijan Robinson a top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft? ESPN's Todd McShay thinks so

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — NFL executives knew former Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson was one of the most talented prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft, and after seeing him perform at the NFL Combine on March 6, they seem to love him even more.Robinson ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds, the sixth-fastest among running backs at the combine, and along with other measurables, he was rated as the combine's best prospect at his position. Texas RB Bijan Robinson runs the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds at NFL Combine It wasn't like he burst onto the scene with his performance — he has been on NFL radars for a couple of years now — but he certainly helped himself by performing all the drills and tests. Before the combine, ESPN's Todd McShay had Robinson as the No. 22 pick in his first mock draft of the first round. After seeing Robinson at the combine and speaking with NFL personnel employees, McShay thinks the Philadelphia Eagles could pick him at No. 10 overall."I know, I know. It's ...