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Funding killed for Wisconsin’s largest conservation project

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:10 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republicans on the Legislature’s budget committee voted Tuesday to kill funding for the largest land conservation project in Wisconsin history, a move that came following concerns about the $15 million purchase of 56,000 acres of forest land that would have been open to both logging and recreational use.Republican lawmakers objected in November to using $4 million from the state’s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to help finance the purchase of the property east of Rhinelander in northern Wisconsin known as the Pelican River Forest. The rest of the funding for the conservation easement would come from a federal grant.Efforts to address lawmakers’ concerns since objections were raised were unsuccessful, Sen. Mary Felzkowski, one of the Republicans who objected to the project, said Tuesday. She was among the 12 Republicans on the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee who voted to kill the project, while all four Democrats voted to fund it...

Judge rules University of Michigan grad strike unfair

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:10 GMT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A judge has ruled that a graduate student instructor strike at the University of Michigan amounts to an unfair labor practice. David Peltz, an administrative law judge for the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules, issued the decision Friday, the Detroit News reported Monday. Peltz ruled that the graduate students’ union breached its duty to bargain in good faith by violating the no-strike provision in its current contract and recommended all union representatives end the strike. Their current contract ends May 1. His decision is a recommendation to the Michigan Employment Relations Commission, which is expected to issue a final ruling. The union plans to appeal Peltz’s ruling to the commission, said Amir Fleischmann, a political science doctoral candidate and a union officer. More than 2,000 graduate students who teach at the school walked out March 29, seeking better pay and other benefits. The university filed unfair labor practice cha...

Canadian Screen Awards viewership numbers down from last year and pre-pandemic times

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:10 GMT

TORONTO — Preliminary ratings suggest fewer people watched the pre-taped Canadian Screen Awards on CBC than last year, with numbers plunging by more than half of those in pre-pandemic times.The public broadcaster shared overnight data from Numeris that reports an average audience of 136,000 for Sunday’s hour-long telecast compared to 2022’s show, which averaged 146,000 viewers.The overnight numbers refer to viewers over the age of 2, but among the coveted advertising age group of 25-to-54 year-olds, the show averaged 31,000 viewers compared to 14,000 the year before.The public broadcaster would not release live viewership numbers for its streaming service CBC Gem.This year’s Screen Awards show offered comedy bits and highlights of seven non-televised galas where practically all of the awards were handed out in the days prior.The awards show that aired April 10, 2022 was also a pre-recorded one-hour special but it included live announcements of the marquee categories and accept...

Tribeca sets lineup with docs on Stan Lee, Dan Rather

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:10 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Films directed by Chelsea Peretti, David Duchovny and Michael Shannon will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, organizers of the New York film festival announced Tuesday, as will documentaries about Dan Rather, Stan Lee and Gloria Gaynor. Some 109 feature films, including 93 world premieres, will be screened at the 22nd Tribeca Film Festival. The festival runs June 7-18. Many of those include movies directed by notable actors. Peretti, the “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” star, will premiere “First Time Female Director,” in which she stars alongside Amy Poehler. Duchovny will debut his “Bucky F—-ing Dent.” Shannon will screen his “Eric LaRue,” starring Judy Greer and Alexander Skarsgård. Also playing at Tribeca are John Slattery’s “Maggie Moore(s)” and co-directors Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater’s “Downtown Owl,” a Chuck Klosterman adaptation.Several more actors-turned-directors will also make a stop at Tribeca after debuting their films ea...

Police: Man helping get goose out of road struck, killed in suburbs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:10 GMT

KANE COUNTY, Ill. — A man was struck and killed after helping get a goose out of traffic early Tuesday morning in unincorporated Elgin Township.At around 6 a.m., authorities were dispatched to the 1200 block of St. Charles Street on the report of a pedestrian struck.Police believe Rateb Arqan, 59, of West Chicago, pulled over on the side of the road to help remove a goose from southbound lanes of traffic. At some point, he was struck by a 2012 Chevy Express van, driven by Juan Padilla-Regalado, 29, of Elgin. Arqan was pronounced dead at the scene. Motorcyclist dead following police pursuit in Gary No citations have been issued at this time.

California teen missing for months found alive

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:10 GMT

(KTLA) – A California teenager missing since Jan. 1, and who may have been held captive, has been found safe, authorities with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department announced Monday.  Alinka Castaneda, 16, left her family’s home in Carson, California, and was seen “entering an unknown vehicle” at 5 a.m. that day, officials with the sheriff’s department said.  Footage from a Ring doorbell camera captured an unidentified man walking toward Castaneda moments before she disappeared.  Family of teens shot, killed by L.A. County deputies demand justice While the teen’s family initially believed her disappearance may have been an attempt to run away, they later received several distressing calls from the 16-year-old.  “In this phone call, she actually shared with her sister and her mom that she didn’t know where she was then and wouldn’t be allowed to leave. She sounded like she was under duress and stressing out,” Moses Castillo, a retired LAPD detective and a private in...

Sloth steals the show during Jupiter mission launch broadcast

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:10 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – As viewers tuned in to watch the European Space Agency's mission launch to Jupiter on Saturday, they were surprised and delighted to see a sloth's brief onscreen appearance. The sloth was spotted in a two-second clip during a video report that detailed the preparations for the launch of the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) at the ESA's space center in French Guiana. New York woman, 20, shot, killed by homeowner after accidentally turning into wrong driveway After seeing the animal, viewers like Dr. Nadia Drake, of Quanta Magazine, took to social media to share their delight with the cameo. "Aside from the actual launch, this guy is definitely the star of ESA's JUICE telecast," Drake said.The ESA posted a screenshot of the sloth and replied to Dr. Drake's message on Facebook, saying, "Although we were focusing on a certain rocket and spacecraft, we tend to agree."The space agency also shared photo credits on Facebook, indicating they named the sloth Gérard.

Judge tentatively OKs $725M Facebook settlement: How to apply for a payout

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:10 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – A massive $725 million settlement involving Facebook's parent company Meta was tentatively approved by a judge on Wednesday, paving the way for users of the social media platform to apply for a chunk of the payout. Meta has agreed to the payment to settle a lawsuit claiming Facebook allowed users' personal data to be shared with third parties, the most famous being Cambridge Analytica, a consulting firm that supported Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. The firm harvested the data of as many as 87 million Facebook users, the Associated Press reported. IRS warns of deadline to claim $1.5B in 2019 tax refunds: These states are owed the most Final approval of the settlement isn't expected until September, but Facebook users don't need to wait to file their claim. Who qualifies for a payment?You don't need to know if your data was accessed by a third-party app to get a piece of the settlement. Anyone who was a Facebook user between May 24, 2007, and Dec. 22, 2022, ...

Bills' Damar Hamlin 'fully cleared' to return to football

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:10 GMT

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) -- Bills safety Damar Hamlin has been fully cleared to return to football and "is in a great headspace to come back," Bills General Manager Brandon Beane said Tuesday.Monday Night Football came to a halt on Jan. 2 when Hamlin went into cardiac arrest while tackling a Cincinnati Bengals receiver. The 25-year-old saw three different specialists in the aftermath, including most recently on Friday, and all of them gave the OK for Hamlin to return to the field, according to Beane."They're all in agreement," Beane said. "They're all in lock step of what this was and that he is cleared to resume full activities just like anyone else who was coming back from an injury or whatever. He's fully cleared, he's here."Beane also confirmed that Hamlin is taking part in Buffalo's voluntary offseason workout program, which started on Monday. Damar Hamlin’s athletic trainers honored "He's in a great headspace to come back and make his return," Beane said.Since his collapse ...

Dean Richards chats with Picard star Jonathan Frakes & gets details on the upcoming PanCAN’s PurpleStride event

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:35:10 GMT

Jonathan Frakes - Actor and Spokesperson for PanCAN’s PurpleStrideEvent:PanCAN’s PurpleStrideThe PanCAN event in Chicago is taking place at Soldier Field on April 29.  Details are HERE.8:30am Opening CeremonySoldier Fieldhttp://PanCan.org/Chicagohttps://purplestride.org/teamtrek