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High-speed trains begin making trip between Orlando and Miami

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:47:50 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A privately owned high-speed passenger train service launched Friday between Florida’s two biggest tourist hubs.The Brightline train is a $5 billion bet by owner Fortress Investment Group that eventually 8 million people annually will take the 3.5-hour, 235-mile (378-kilometer) trip between Miami and Orlando — about 30 minutes less than the average drive.The company is charging single riders $158 round-trip for business class and $298 for first-class, with families and groups able to buy four round-trip tickets for $398. Thirty-two trains will run daily. Brightline, which began running its neon-yellow trains the 70 miles (112 kilometers) between Miami and West Palm Beach in 2018, is the first private intercity passenger service to begin U.S. operations in a century. Friday’s launch of the Miami-Orlando line was marred by the death of a pedestrian who was hit in South Florida on a section of track served by the new route. The unidentified passenger wa...

Federal judge rules Texas university that canceled drag show didn’t violate free speech rights

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:47:50 GMT

A federal judge has ruled that a university in the Texas Panhandle did not violate the constitutional right to free speech when the school’s president canceled a drag show earlier this year.The ruling, handed down by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk on Thursday, stands out among a string of high-profile legal battles over drag shows across the United States. Notably, federal courts have blocked drag show bans in Florida, Montana, Tennessee and a separate federal judge in Texas from being implemented.Yet in his decision, Kacsmaryk argued that drag shows are “sexualized content” and therefore can be more regulated than other forms of free speech.“The First Amendment does not prevent school officials from restricting ‘vulgar and lewd’ conduct that would ‘undermine the school’s basic educational mission’ — particularly in settings where children are physically present,” Kacsmaryk wrote.Earlier this year, Walter Wendrell, the president of West Texas A&M University in Canyo...

‘Ajuinnata Ukraine’: Gov. Gen. Mary Simon inspires Zelenskyy with Inuktitut word

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:47:50 GMT

OTTAWA — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ended his historic wartime address to Canada’s House of Commons with an Inuktitut message of inspiration and reliance that came from the Governor General herself. Zelenskyy met with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon earlier in the day, when she taught him an Inuktitut word she has shared with world leaders, Indigenous communities and Canadian children alike: ajuinnata.He says she told him the word means don’t give up, and stay strong against all odds. Simon is Canada’s first Indigenous person to hold her position, and she has referred to the Inuit concept of ajuinnata countless times since she took on the job in 2021. The Governor General’s office says the word is meaningful to Simon, who heard it from her elders while growing up, and adds that the Ukrainians have demonstrated the word through their steadfast fight for freedom. Zelenskyy ended his address in the House by wishing Canada and Ukraine ajuinnata, before the cham...

Doug Ford shuffles cabinet again as latest minister resigns

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:47:50 GMT

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced a sweeping round of changes to his cabinet following multiple recent departures.Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton announced on Friday he would be leaving provincial politics to take a job in the private sector. McNaughton is the third minister to leave the Ford cabinet in recent weeks.McNaughton, who has represented the riding of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex since 2011, has served as minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development since 2019.The changes include the following:David Piccini becomes Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills DevelopmentAndrea Khanjin becomes Minister of the Environment, Conservation and ParksTodd McCarthy becomes Minister of Public and Business Service DeliveryVijay Thanigasalam becomes Associate Minister of TransportationFord’s office added that Andrea Khanjin will retain additional responsibilities as Deputy Government House Leader. All other ministers maintain their existing p...

Who’s Bob Menendez? New Jersey’s senator charged with corruption has survived politically for years

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:47:50 GMT

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Sen. Bob Menendez’s defense against new federal corruption charges against him, his wife and business associates Friday, revealed he’s adopting the same defiant stance he took when he faced federal accusations nearly a decade ago. A three-term senator who has held office at every level across New Jersey’s rough-and-tumble political landscape, Menendez vowed to fight the latest set of charges and questioned the veracity of the indictment. In almost the same language he used in 2017 after a mistrial on federal corruption charges, he cast the indictment Friday in political terms and vowed to continue his work in the Senate. “For years, forces behind the scenes have repeatedly attempted to silence my voice and dig my political grave,” Menendez said in a statement. It was an echo from six years earlier, when he addressed “those who were digging my political grave” and told them he would not forget who they were.It’s a sign, those who know Mene...

Pope decries indifference toward migrants, as he prays for the dead in the French port of Marseille

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:47:50 GMT

MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Pope Francis blasted the “fanaticism of indifference” that greets migrants seeking a better life in Europe, as he arrived Friday in the Mediterranean port of Marseille amid a new influx of would-be refugees from Africa that has sparked a backlash from some of Europe’s increasingly anti-migrant leaders.Opening a brief, overnight visit to the French port, Francis presided over a silent moment of prayer at a memorial dedicated to sailors and migrants lost at sea. He was surrounded by leaders of Marseille’s varied faith groups and representatives of migrant rescue organizations that have increasingly come under fire from Europe’s populist politicians.The visit, scheduled months ago, came as Europe’s migrant dilemma is again in headlines. Last week, the Italian island of Lampedusa was overwhelmed by nearly 7,000 migrants who arrived in a day after paying smugglers in Tunisia for passage, more than the island’s resident population.“Cruelty, a lack of h...

Revamped 3 Floyds taproom coming back to Munster

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:47:50 GMT

MUNSTER, Ind. — The beloved Northwest Indiana brewery 3 Floyds, which has gained worldwide acclaim, is bringing back its shuttered taproom in a major expansion project.According to documents from their attorney, they want to nearly double the size of its brewpub to around 5,200 square feet. The brewpub, located at the brewery in the block of 9700 Indiana Parkway, closed in May 2020 due to the pandemic.The Munster staple did not reopen as the company focused more on distributing its award-winning beers across the country.In addition to expanding the brewpub, 3 Floyds plans a beer garden, covered patio area, a game room and an outdoor bar.Attorney Scott Yahne wrote that the prior setup was a challenge to 3 Floyds as the brewery got more attention."As patrons of the prior iteration of the Taproom are aware, the prior configuration was extremely cramped and could not meet the demand that followed 3 Floyds world renowned beer and distilled spirits, not to mention the extraordinary food c...

Police: 2 teens killed in Palatine shooting were victims of targeted, gang-related incident

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:47:50 GMT

PALATINE, Ill. — Police are offering new details on a shooting that left two teen boys dead in Palatine last week.Palatine police say the two teen boys appear to have both been targeted as a result of a gang-related incident. The apparent suspect vehicle has also been recovered, but police say no one is currently in custody in connection to the deadly shooting. Woman killed in hit-and-run on South Side Officers say the investigation began after police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1800 block of Green Lane North in Palatine on Friday, Sept. 15. Officers arrived on the scene just after 10 p.m. and found two boys who had both suffered life-threatening gunshot wounds.According to police, one of the boys was pronounced dead on the scene and the other was transported to a local hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries. UAW strike expands to GM, Stellantis plants in suburbs The two teens were later identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office as 16-year-...

Substantial amount of lawn equipment stolen from Soldier Field

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:47:50 GMT

CHICAGO — A substantial amount of lawn equipment to help maintain the Soldier Field campus was stolen this week. According to a spokesperson for the venue, a few riding mowers along with John Deere "Gators" were taken from an enclosed space inside the Waldron Parking Deck in the early hours of Thursday morning. Fences that were around it were torn off their foundation and taken down to the ground by an unknown group of offenders and taken from the site. Courtesy: Soldier FieldCourtesy: Soldier FieldThe estimated value of the equipment is $100,000 and belonged to a landscaping contractor, not the Chicago Bears, the City of Chicago or the Chicago Park District, according to the spokesperson.So far there is no one in custody and Chicago Police Area 3 detectives are investigating the theft. At the moment, Soldier Field is in the midst of hosting the seasons of both primary tenants: The Chicago Bears and Chicago Fire FC. The MLS team is scheduled to play at home on Saturday against the N...

'That's in the past:' Matt Nagy talks about facing the Bears this week with Chiefs

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:47:50 GMT

KANSAS CITY — Just over 21 months after he was fired by the Bears, Matt Nagy will be facing his former team for the first time in the regular season. Is that a big deal for the current offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs?"For me, it's not about that. It really isn't," said Nagy when asked about the significance of facing the Bears on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium at 3:25 p.m.He's in his second year back with the Chiefs and head coach Andy Reid after a very eventful four seasons as the head coach of the Bears. Nagy was the NFL's Coach of the Year in 2018 after they went 12-4 to win the NFC North division. But offensive inconsistency plagued his teams the next three years, as the Bears went 8-8 the next two seasons, squeezing into the playoffs in the seventh Wild Card spot in 2020. After a 6-11 season in 2021, Nagy along with general manager Ryan Pace were fired in January 2022.Returning as offensive coordinator in Kansas City soon after, which was the role he held before t...