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West after Wagner rebellion: Talk softly and help Ukraine carry a bigger stick

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

As the United States and its European allies work to make sense of last weekend’s chaos in the Kremlin, they’re urging Kyiv to seize a “window” of opportunity that could help its counteroffensive push through Russian positions.The forming response: Transatlantic allies are hoping, largely by keeping silent, to de-escalate the immediate political crisis while quietly pushing Ukraine to strike a devastating blow against Russia on the battlefield. It’s best to hit an enemy while it’s down, and Kyiv would be hard-pressed to find a more wounded Russia, militarily and politically, than it is right now. In public, American and European leaders stressed that they are preparing for any outcome, as it still remained unclear where the mercenary rebellion would ultimately lead. Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led the revolt, resurfaced on Monday, claiming he had merely wanted to protest, not topple the Russian government — while simultaneously insisting his paramilitary forc...

Taco John’s responds to Taco Bell’s Taco Tuesday lawsuit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

New York (CNN) — The fight for the “Taco Tuesday” trademark is getting spicy.Taco John’s, a regional chain, has responded to Taco Bell’s effort to liberate the phrase so that anyone can use it.In a filing Friday, responding to Taco Bell’s petition to “cancel” the trademark, Taco John’s parent company Spicy Seasonings denied there is “anything ‘not cool’ about” obtaining a trademark for the phrase. The Wyoming-based company said Taco Bell’s lawsuit is filled with “statements of opinion to which no response is required, including that Tuesday is a mediocre day of the week.”Last month, Taco Bell filed a petition with the US Patent and Trademark office to cancel the trademark owned by rival Taco John’s for 34 years because Taco Bell claims the commonly used phrase “should be freely available to all who make, sell, eat and celebrate tacos.” Since Taco John’s holds the trademark, other restaurants and companies must seek permission to use “Taco Tuesday” ...

High-speed internet is a necessity, President Biden says, pledging all US will have access by 2030

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

By KAVISH HARJAI and SEUNG MIN KIM (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday said that high-speed internet is no longer a luxury but an “absolute necessity,” as he pledged that every household in the nation would have access by 2030 using cables made in the U.S. “These investments will help all Americans,” he said. “We’re not going to leave anyone behind.”Biden announced that more than $40 billion would be distributed across the country to deliver high-speed internet in places where there’s either no service, or service is too slow.“But it’s not enough to have access — you need affordability and access,” the president said, adding that his administration is working with service providers to bring down costs on what is now a household utility — like water or gas — but often remains priced at a premium. With Monday’s announcement, the administration is launching the ...

Shopping on social media the smart way

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

When Ziwei Cong bought some sweatpants that caught her eye during a livestream shopping event on social media, she was disappointed when they arrived and didn’t fit well.“It’s very easy for me to become irrational during these kinds of shopping events,” says the assistant professor of marketing at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. She adds that the hosts can be very persuasive and hook you with limited- time offers to trigger impulse purchases.Social shopping, or purchases made through social media sites that sometimes incorporate livestreaming events with influencers, is booming. Almost half of U.S. consumers (47%) say they’ve made a purchase on social media, and 39% say they have bought that way and would do so again, according to 2022 data in a report released in April by the market intelligence agency Mintel.“Shopping on social media has really taken off more with younger consumers. They’re on their phones more and on social media more often, so it’s easier t...

Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ club mass killer gets life in prison, victim says ‘devil awaits’ defendant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A suspect who killed five people at a Colorado Springs nightclub in 2022 was sentenced to life in prison for murder on Monday, after victims called the defendant a “monster” who hunted down LGBTQ+ patrons in a calculated attack.Anderson Lee Aldrich pleaded guilty to five counts of murder and 46 counts of attempted murder – one for each person inside Club Q on the night of the shooting. Aldrich also pleaded no contest to two hate crimes, one a felony and the other a misdemeanor.“This thing sitting in this court room is not a human, it is a monster,” said Jessica Fierro, who’s daughter’s boyfriend was killed that night. “The devil awaits with open arms.”The guilty plea comes just seven months after the shooting and spares victim’s families and survivors a long and potentially painful trial. People in the courtroom wiped away tears as the judge explained the charges and read out the names of the victims.“You are targeting a group of people for their simpl...

Trudeau warns against ‘too much speculation’ on how Russia’s revolt affects Ukraine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

VESTMANNAEYJAR, ICELAND — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined the leaders of Nordic countries on Monday in a statement to increase co-operation as like-minded partners, and to affirm their support for Ukraine. The leaders also expressed concern over the potential effects of this weekend’s short-lived uprising in Russia, though Trudeau said it is too early to tell what it could mean for the war.“I think everyone has a lot of questions about what this actually means, but we don’t yet have a lot of answers. And too much speculation right now I think could probably be extremely counterproductive,” Trudeau said in a joint news conference with Nordic prime ministers in Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland, where he was a special guest at their annual meeting.“What we are doing, as we always will, is discussing possible challenges and possible consequences for our own security, for our people’s security, for global stability. That is our highest preoccupation.”...

Canada Soccer, in ‘real struggle,’ may need to explore bankruptcy protection

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

Canada Soccer may have to consider bankruptcy protection if its finances do not improve, interim general secretary Jason deVos said in a story reported by TSN’s Rick Westhead.“We are in a real struggle. It’s not imminent, but we need to explore what bankruptcy entails and how it might affect our organization,” deVos, who once captained the Canadian men’s national team and took over in his executive position in April, said in the story. “We don’t have enough revenue coming in for the programs that need to be run, and that includes everything from grassroots coach education and referee development to youth national teams and our senior men’s and women’s teams.”DeVos was clear on where the organization stood when it came to exploring bankruptcy.“(bankruptcy) has been discussed, but not in the sense of this is a strategy or this is something that we’re looking at,” he told Westhead. “It’s been discussed more from my own perspective to learn about it. ...

Maine House votes to ensure teens can receive gender-affirming health care

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Maine House voted Monday in favor of a bill to ensure 16- and 17-year-olds can receive gender-affirming hormone therapy without parental consent if certain conditions are met.The bill, approved 73-60, allows those teens to undergo treatment without parental consent if they are diagnosed with gender dysphoria, are experiencing harm and have received counseling. It now goes to the Senate for further debate.Both chambers already voted to enshrine in law a requirement for the state’s Medicaid program to cover gender-affirming care. Maine’s actions come as a growing number of states seek to ban gender-affirming care.At least 20 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, and most of those states face lawsuits.A federal judge struck down Arkansas’ ban as unconstitutional last week, and federal judges have temporarily blocked bans in Alabama and Indiana. Oklahoma has agreed to not enforce its ban while ...

Elderly woman in critical condition after violent assault in Oshawa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

Durham Regional Police have arrested a 37-year-old man after an elderly woman was critically injured in a violent assault in Oshawa on Saturday. Officers were called to a residence on Bermuda Court at around 11:20 p.m. Saturday after reports of an argument. Once on scene police located a 72-year-old woman with significant injuries. She was rushed to a Toronto-area trauma centre where she remains in life-threatening condition.“A male was on scene when officers arrived and was taken into custody,” Durham police stated in a release. “During the arrest two officers received minor injuries and were treated at a local area hospital. The accused also suffered non-disclosed injuries, which are being investigated by the Special Investigations Unit. Sean Carter, 37, of Oshawa is facing charges of aggravated assault and assault a peace officer.

NYC will add Diwali as a public school holiday, but there’s a catch this year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City will add the festival of Diwali to the list of public school holidays in recognition of the growth of the city’s South Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities, Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday.Diwali, known as the festival of lights, happens October or November depending on the lunar calendar.However, this year it falls on Sunday Nov. 12 — so the 2023-2024 school calendar will not be affected by the change.City officials say more that 200,000 New York City residents celebrate Diwali, which is observed by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists.“This is a city that’s continuously changing, continuously welcoming communities from all over the world,” Adams said in announcing that Diwali will join celebrations including Rosh Hashana and Lunar New Year as a day off for students. “Our school calendar must reflect the new reality on the ground.”The new holiday will become official if Gov. Kathy Hochul, also a Democrat, signs a bill passed by the New York ...