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LGBTQ+ Pride revelers flash feathers and flags in the streets from New York to San Francisco

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:31 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Celebrations mingled with displays of resistance Sunday as LGBTQ+ pride parades filled streets in some of the country’s largest cities in annual events that have become part party, part protest.In New York, thousands marched down Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue to Greenwich Village, cheering and waving rainbow flags to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall uprising, where a police raid on a gay bar triggered days of protests and launched a movement for LGBTQ+ rights. While some people whooped it up in celebration, many were mindful of the growing conservative countermovement to limit rights, including by banning gender-affirming care for transgender children.“I’m not trying not to be very heavily political, but when it does target my community, I get very, very annoyed and very hurt,” said Ve Cinder, a 22-year-old transgender woman who traveled from Pennsylvania to take part in the country’s largest pride event.“I’m just, like, scared for my future and for my tra...

Previous passenger on doomed submersible says Titanic adventure tourism at an end

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:31 GMT

HALIFAX — A German man who was among the first customers to successfully descend to the Titanic wreck aboard a submersible destroyed in an implosion one week ago believes the tragedy will put an end to adventure tourism at the site for the foreseeable future.Arthur Loibl made the journey on Titan in 2021 with the submersible company’s CEO Stockton Rush and French Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Both men were among the five people who perished in the catastrophic incident that prompted a frantic international search in a remote area of the North Atlantic for most of last week.British billionaire Hamish Harding and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman, were also killed.“I think this kind of public tourism died last week,” Loibl said in a phone interview Sunday. “I think it will take a very long time before somebody will try it again. They will need to make a sub that is much more safe and it will take a lot of money.”The 60-year-old retired busin...

German far-right party wins its first county leadership post as it rises in polls

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:31 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — The far-right Alternative for Germany party saw its first head of a county administration elected Sunday in a rural eastern region, a win that comes as national polls show its support at record levels.A runoff election in Sonneberg county pitted Alternative for Germany’s candidate, Robert Sesselmann, against center-right rival Jürgen Köpper. Official figures showed Sesselmann, who had been well ahead in the first round two weeks ago, winning by 52.8% to 47.2%.Sonneberg has a relatively small population of 56,800, but the win is a symbolic milestone for Alternative for Germany, or AfD. The 10-year-old party has been polling between 18% and 20% in national surveys lately. It has been riding high as center-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s governing coalition with the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats faces strong headwind over high immigration, a plan to replace millions of home heating systems and a reputation for infighting, while infl...

Official projections in Greek election show landslide win for conservative New Democracy party

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:31 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s conservative New Democracy party won a landslide victory in the country’s second election in five weeks Sunday, official projections based on early returns showed, gaining enough parliamentary seats to form a government for a second four-year term. Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ party is projected to win 40.5% of the vote, with his main rival, the left-wing Syriza party, suffering a crushing defeat with just under 18% projected support, even worse than its 20% in the last elections in May. Sunday’s vote came just over a week after a migrant ship capsized and sank off the western coast of Greece, leaving hundreds of people dead and missing and calling into question the actions of Greek authorities and the country’s strict migration policy. But the disaster, one of the worst in the Mediterranean in recent years, did not affect the election, with domestic economic issues at the forefront of voters’ minds.The projections indicate ...

Montreal has world’s worst air quality as wildfire smoke blankets Quebec

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:31 GMT

Montreal had the world’s worst air quality Sunday, according to a website that tracks air quality and pollution in major cities across the globe.Montreal’s air quality index (AQI) was at 226 – labelled very unhealthy – on IQAir’s ranking of 95 cities.Kuwait City, Kuwait was second with an AQI of 187, followed by Tehran, Iran (169) and Jakarta, Indonesia (151).There were smog warnings in effect for many parts of Quebec Sunday as heavy smoke from wildfires blanketed much of the southern, northern and western parts of the province.Montreal, Quebec, Laval, Longueuil and Trois-Rivieres were among the cities under warning due to smoke from the more than 110 wildfires that continue to burn across the province.Smoggy, smoky air in Montreal due to wildfire smoke June 25, 2023. (Alan Sukonnik/CityNews)Environment Canada says the poor air quality will likely continue until Monday morning, adding the risk is highest for people with lung or heart disease, elderly people, childr...

3 dead, 5 injured after shooting in Kansas City

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:31 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) - Multiple people are dead after an early morning shooting Sunday in Kansas City, Missouri.The Kansas City Police Department was called to the intersection of 57th Street and Prospect around 4:30 a.m. When officers arrived, they say they located three people - two men and a woman - dead in a parking lot and a street, department spokesperson Jake Becchina told the Associated Press.The victims were found outside an unnamed business that is known for operating after hours, KCPD Chief Stacey Graves said."If the business knew persons would be present, without security, selling alcohol, and thwarting our laws, that business should be closed," Mayor Quinton Lucas tweeted Sunday morning.Since then, officers have located at least five other victims that took themselves to the hospital with injuries. As of now, there are eight victims in total.KCPD is still working to figure out what led to the shooting. They are currently collecting evidence and looking at cameras. Th...

Mother allegedly instructed 14-year-old son to shoot, kill man at hot dog stand: court docs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:31 GMT

CHICAGO (WGN) — A woman and her 14-year-old son have been charged after authorities allege she instructed the teenager to shoot a man at a hot dog stand in Chicago.Carlisha Hood, who has a valid Firearm Owner's ID and is a concealed carry holder, is facing a felony count of murder and another count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Her 14-year-old son is facing a felony count of murder. According to police, the pair were arrested Wednesday after being identified as the individuals who were involved in the fatal shooting of a 32-year-old man at Maxwell Street Express on South Halsted Street just after 11 p.m. on June 18.According to court documents, Hood entered Maxwell Street Express to get food while her son waited in the car outside. Man who gave up seats on Titan submersible says OceanGate CEO was ‘dismissive’ of concerns Shortly after, a 32-year-old man entered the restaurant an argument ensued between him and Hood, court documents state. Hood was allegedly texti...

Man receives 30-year sentence for 2020 murder

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:31 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A jury sentenced a man June 16 to serve 30 years in state prison in connection with an east Austin murder that occurred in May 2020.According to court documents, 24-year-old Jeffery Wayne Garner, Jr. pleaded not guilty before his trial began. PAST COVERAGE: Argument about man touching a woman inappropriately leads to east Austin homicide Past KXAN reports said Garner was accused of killing 38-year-old James Lewis Allen Jr. on May 28, 2020, after an altercation.According to court documents, Garner had a jail credit of 1,115 days, which totals a little over three years.As of Sunday, Garner remained booked into the Travis County jail.

Business People: Eric Meittunen goes from state Guardsman to health care role at Veterans Affairs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:31 GMT

OF NOTEEric MeittunenThe Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs announced the appointment of Eric Meittunen as deputy commissioner – veterans healthcare. Meittunen was a member of the Minnesota Army National Guard in Duluth and most recently provided health system transformation leadership to Hennepin Healthcare and Hennepin County.EDUCATIONBishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester has been named to Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota board of trustees.FOODOrganic Valley, a La Farge, Wis.-based farmer-owned cooperative and producer of retail food products sourced from its members, announced the hire of Abed Abdo as chief financial officer. Abdo previously served in a similar executive role at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.GOVERNMENTThe Minnesota Department of Education announced the following additions to its executive team: Stephanie Graff, deputy commissioner and chief operating officer; Dr. Macarre Traynham, assistant commissioner, and A...

Albany man charged with damaging statue on Lark Street

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:31 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An Albany man has been charged with knocking over and damaging a statue outside a Lark Street restaurant, according to police. Devin Brewington, 28, was charged with second-degree criminal mischief. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! On June 23 at 11:00 a.m., police responded to Villa di Como Ristorante, located at 286 Lark Street in Albany, for a report of criminal mischief. Upon arrival, officers say they were informed that someone had intentionally tipped over the statue at 1:30 a.m., causing it to break. Following an investigation, detectives identified Brewington as a suspect. He was then taken into custody at 1:30 p.m. in the area of Madison Avenue and Trinity Place. Albany residents hope a community center can help deter gun violence Brewington was additionally charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief in connection with a separate occurrence that took place on April 23. According to poli...