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Dozens indicted on Georgia racketeering charges related to ‘Stop Cop City’ movement appear in court

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:28 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Nearly five dozen people indicted on racketeering charges related to protests against a planned police and firefighter training facility near Atlanta appeared in court on Monday as their supporters rallied outside the courthouse.Protests against the proposed training center — dubbed “Cop City by opponents — have been going on for more than two years. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr obtained a sweeping indictment in August, using the state’s anti-racketeering law to target the protesters and characterizing them as ”militant anarchists.”Demonstrators and civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have condemned the indictment and accused Carr, a Republican, of levying heavy-handed charges to try to silence a movement that has galvanized environmentalists and anti-police protesters across the country.All 61 people indicted were scheduled to be arraigned Monday, that is to have the charges against them formally read in court....

Woman arrested after driving car into Indianapolis building she thought was `Israel school’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:28 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A woman who allegedly drove her car into a building in Indianapolis after watching coverage of the Israel-Hamas war told officers she believed the building was an “Israel school,” according to police and court records.One adult as well as four children — ages 7 months, 1, 2 and 3 years — were inside the Israelite School of Universal and Practical Knowledge at the time of late Friday’s crash, but no one was injured, police said.The 34-year-old woman was arrested at the scene and was being held Monday at the Marion County Jail on a preliminary charge of criminal recklessness in Friday’s crash. She had not been formally charged as of Monday afternoon, said Michael Leffler, a spokesperson for the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.The woman “told one officer she has been watching the news and couldn’t breathe anymore. She referenced her people back in Palestine,” according to a news release from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, which ...

Hamilton transit workers give strike notice for early Thursday

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:28 GMT

The union representing more than 900 Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) drivers, mechanics and other workers has given a Thursday strike deadline after rejecting the City of Hamilton’s latest contract offer.“Our members were infuriated with the latest proposal as it falls short of inflationary pressures and the cost of living,” a news release issued by Amalgamated Transit Union Local 107 president Eric Tuck late Sunday.The statement said members voted 94 per cent against the City’s offer, which was described as a “final” one by municipal officials. If a strike occurs, it would begin at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday.The union’s statement said a proposed 3.2-per-cent wage increase doesn’t “address the shortfalls” facing members, arguing non-union staff saw double-digit boosts. It also pointed to higher wages being paid at nearby transit agencies such as MiWay in Mississauga and Brampton Transit.“Our expertise and skills are in dema...

Stamp of Mona Parsons, jailed by Nazis for aiding aircrews, unveiled in Nova Scotia

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:28 GMT

WOLFVILLE, N.S. — A Canadian woman who was jailed in Nazi Germany for helping Allied aircrews escape the occupied Netherlands is being honoured on a postage stamp.The Remembrance Day stamp showing a photo of Mona Parsons was unveiled Monday during a ceremony in Wolfville, N.S., where Parsons grew up.The stamp also shows an image of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, whose troops Parsons met after she had escaped from a German prison in 1945 and walked 125 kilometres to the Dutch border.Born in 1901 in the Annapolis Valley, Parsons had been living in the Netherlands with her Dutch husband before the war. When the Nazi occupation began in May 1940, the couple assisted the Dutch resistance by hiding Allied airmen whose planes had been shot down, and their home served as a stopping point in the resistance network. However, in 1941, an informer betrayed the couple to the Nazis, who arrested them. A news release from Canada Post says Parsons was sentenced to death by firing squad. She app...

Canadian man whose family remains in Gaza pleads government to help 

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:28 GMT

It’s been a rollercoaster for the Canadians stuck in Gaza as they continue to waiting for that window to exit the war zone, and families are overwhelmed with fear, telling CityNews every minute that passes is a matter of life and death for their loved ones. Nael Alhalees calls it a living hell, knowing his wife, two children and their extended family are trapped under a rain of air strikes, struggling for food and water. Their only chance at reaching safety is the hands of the Canadian government“I don’t know if words can describe the atrocity the disastrous that the Palestinian people are facing,” Alhalees said. “My daughter, she said, ‘We are in total starvation.’ My daughter, Layan, tells me, … [They] only eat one meal a day.”Alhalees’ family lives in the Gaza strip while he splits his time between Ontario and the Middle East for business reasons. He was at their home here in Burlington when the war began.&n...

Starbucks increases US hourly wages and adds other benefits for non-union workers

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:28 GMT

Starbucks is increasing pay and benefits for most of its U.S. hourly workers after ending its fiscal year with record sales.But the company said Monday that unionized workers won’t be eligible for some of those perks, a sign of the continuing tension between the Seattle coffee giant and the union trying to organize its U.S. stores.At least 366 U.S. Starbucks stores have voted to unionize since 2021, according to the National Labor Relations Board. But Starbucks and the Workers United union have yet to reach a labor agreement at any of those stores. Starbucks has 9,600 company-operated stores in the U.S.Starbucks said Monday it will increase wages — which currently average $17.50 per hour — starting Jan. 1. Employees at both union and non-union stores who have worked four years or less will get raises of 3% or 4% depending on years of service. Employees who have worked five years or more will be eligible for a 5% increase, but since that’s a new benefit, it must be negoti...

Trump testimony wraps in New York civil fraud case: Recap

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:28 GMT

Former President Trump clashed frequently with the judge overseeing his New York fraud trial as the former president spent hours on the witness stand in Manhattan on Monday.Trump's highly anticipated testimony grew chaotic, with the judge asking Trump's attorney to take control of his client. The former president also ticked off his political grievances from the witness stand, to which the judge responded that the court hearing was "not a political rally."The trial puts Trump's long storied career as a real estate mogul and business executive in major jeopardy. At stake are Trump's business licenses and the potential for him to lose control of some of his most famed properties. Follow below for live updates from The Hill's Ella Lee in New York.

Iron Maiden heading back to Chicago next fall

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:28 GMT

CHICAGO -- One of the biggest bands in heavy metal for the past four decades will return to the Windy City for yet another legendary performance.Iron Maiden will bring their "The Future Past World Tour 2024" to Allstate Arena in Rosemont on Thursday, Oct. 24. Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins to play at Wrigley Field next summer The Grammy Award winning rock band from East London broke into the main stream with their 1982 hit song "The Number of the Beast." With nearly 8 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Iron Maiden's "The Trooper" and "Run to the Hills" have over 330 million streams individually.Iron Maiden last performed in Chicago at the United Center during their "Legacy of the Beast Tour" in 2022.The event begins at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24.Tickets on sale now. For ticket information, click here.

Purple Heart returned to Illinois veteran's family

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:28 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WMBD) -- Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced that a Purple Heart awarded to a late Will County Marine has been returned to his only daughter.A State Treasurer news release states that this is the 10th medal returned as part of a mission to return Purple Hearts to rightful owners.Marine Corps Private First-Class Charles John Alexander was an infantryman with the Marines in the Pacific Theater during WWII. A bullet tore through his knee in combat while advancing during Operation Forager. School bus driver on leave after Halloween candy cannabis scare Alexander had a limp for the rest of his life.“Private First Class Alexander served his country nearly 70 years ago, but it is never too late to honor his sacrifice,” Frerichs said.Debbie Ernest is Alexander's oldest living daughter, and she and her husband accepted the medal at a private ceremony.“Having my Dad’s Purple Heart in my hands means more than words can say,” Ernest said. “I am very proud of my Fa...

Chicago City Council committee holds hearing on Peoples Gas rate hike request

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:01:28 GMT

CHICAGO — A hearing was held on Monday morning by a Chicago City Council committee to discuss a recently requested rate hike by Peoples Gas.Representatives from the Peoples Gas and consumer advocates appeared before the Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy as it sought an explanation on why the utility provider has requested the rate hike after six years of record profits.  Cubs hiring Craig Counsell to replace David Ross as manager According to Ald. Bill Conway (34th Ward), who introduced the resolution, Peoples Gas requested that the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approve a $402 million rate hike, which would result in residential gas bills climbing by about $11.83 per month. Conway said the natural gas utility's parent company, WEC Energy Group, credited late fee revenue as the primary driver of yearly profit increases in a 2023 report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).According to the alderman, Peoples Gas provides gas to 884,000 customers in Chic...