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Coronavirus subvariant JN.1 growing fast in US, already dominant in the Northeast

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:48 GMT

(CNN) — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the coronavirus subvariant JN.1 is now causing about 20% of new Covid-19 infections in this country, and it’s the fastest-growing strain of the virus. It’s already dominant in the Northeast, where it is estimated to cause about a third of new infections.JN.1 is descended from BA.2.86, or Pirola, a subvariant that came to the world’s attention over the summer because of the large number of changes to its spike proteins: more than 30. Scientists feared that it was so mutated that it would completely escape the protection of vaccines and antibodies against Covid-19, perhaps sparking another tidal wave of illness the way the original Omicron variant did in 2021.That never happened, but BA.2.86 hung around, growing very slowly in some countries, including the US. Some studies suggested that it never really took off because it may have lost some of its ability to infect our cells.Enter JN.1, which...

Florida man pleads guilty to threatening to kill a Supreme Court justice

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:48 GMT

(CNN) — A Florida man pleaded guilty last week to threatening to kill a Supreme Court justice.Neal Brij Sidhwaney, 43, of Fernandina Beach, Florida, called the Supreme Court on July 31 “and left an expletive-laden, threatening voicemail message” for a member of the high court, according to a Justice Department news release.Sidhwaney was arrested in August, court records show. He pleaded guilty on Friday to transmitting an interstate threat to kill.The Justice Department did not identify which justice was the target of the threatening phone call, but online court documents revealed the threat was made against Chief Justice John Roberts.“The identified official is Chief Justice John Roberts whom he allegedly contacted by phone call and threatened to kill,” according to a competency assessment of Sidhwaney filed online with a federal court in Florida.CNN has reached out to Sidhwaney’s attorney.The US Supreme Court Police Protective Intelligence Unit investigated the case...

Column: Chicago Cubs Convention reminder leaves White Sox fans wondering about SoxFest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:48 GMT

The announcement of Cubs Convention events Monday helped Cubs fans temporarily forget about the team’s lack of any offseason signings, while simultaneously reminding White Sox fans that SoxFest remains on hiatus.Fan fests have been an annual winter marketing tool for our two teams since the Cubs invented the genre in 1986 as a way to get people interested in the upcoming season and maybe sell a few tickets. The main difference between the two local fan fests is that Cubs fans generally want autographs and to be close to the players, while Sox fans want their pound of flesh from management for the team’s inadequacies.This would’ve been a nice chance for first-year general manager Chris Getz to get his first official grilling, though it’s hard to imagine the genial Getz barking back like his predecessors.Oh well. Maybe next year.Whether these fan fests are an outdated idea in 2024 is debatable, but traditions in Chicago are worth preserving, so for the Cubs, th...

4 takeaways from the Chicago Bulls’ victory over the 76ers, including Nikola Vučević’s scoring and Alex Caruso’s return

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:48 GMT

Over the course of three weeks, the Chicago Bulls seem to have found the resiliency they’ve been seeking for the past three seasons.Monday’s 108-104 win over the 76ers in Philadelphia captured the tectonic shift that has lifted the Bulls into a 6-3 streak over the last nine games.The Bulls scrabbled back from an early 16-4 deficit in the first quarter, regaining a one-point lead by the end of the frame on the back of Coby White’s decisive play at the rim. And when the 76ers regained the lead for the first time with 7:33 left in regulation, the Bulls stuck to what appears to be their new mantra — bend, but don’t break.Absorbing the fourth-quarter force of a championship-contending team — and the star power of Joel Embiid — required a balanced approach.Patrick Williams scored a pair of 3-pointers and swatted away a shot by Tyrese Maxey. DeMar DeRozan forced his way to the line twice in the final two minutes. Nikola Vučević sank anoth...

Statistics Canada reports record population growth in Q3, population grows by 430,000

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:48 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada’s population grew by more than 430,000 during the third quarter, marking the fastest pace of population growth in any quarter since 1957.Statistics Canada released its population estimates as of Oct. 1, which shows Canada’s population topped 40.5 million.It says country’s total population growth over the first nine months of the year has already surpassed the total growth in any other full year, including the record set in 2022.The record-high population growth has been fuelled by international migration, with an increase in non-permanent residents making up most of this increase.The report shows the number of non-permanent residents increased by about 313,000 over the three-month period.The federal agency says the increase in non-permanent residents was driven by work and study permit holders, and to a lesser extent, refugee claimants.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 19, 2023. The Canadian Press

Man charged, $1M in drugs seized after officers discover pill lab at Richmond Hill townhouse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:48 GMT

A man is facing several charges after police discovered a drug lab at a Richmond Hill townhouse last week.In a release, York Regional Police said officers were called to a home near 16th Avenue and Bayview Avenue around 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 11 for reports of unknown trouble.Officers arrived and found a man inside a townhouse unit. Police allege a further investigation revealed the residence was being used as a secret drug lab that “was actively pressing hundreds of pills suspected to be oxycodone.”Officers returned the next day with a search warrant and seized 23 kilograms of various powders, 781 litres of liquids, more than 34,000 and pill-making paraphernalia. Police also seized rounds of 9mm caliber ammunition.The total street value of the drugs seized is more than $1 million, according to the police release.Police say 35-year-old Richmond Hill resident Zoltan Mootoo is facing eight charges, including three counts of drug possession with the purpose of trafficking. Polic...

Publishers association struggled to find willing recipient of Freedom to Publish Award

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:48 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Book publishers are facing so much government pressure worldwide that one trade group was unable to find anyone willing to accept its annual International Freedom to Publish Award.Instead, the Association of American Publishers (AAP) is honoring “all publishing houses in multiple countries and regions of the world that continued to publish” in the face of opposition this year.“This year we heard from numerous publishers from various parts of the world who were grateful to be considered for recognition, but who also live in fear of the additional scrutiny, harassment, and danger that such an honor might bring,” Terry Adams, who chairs the AAP’s Freedom to Publish Committee, said in a statement Tuesday. “As a result, this year’s award is for the many houses who quietly fight the battle for free expression under impossibly difficult circumstances.”The publishers association established the award in 2002, recognizing houses from outside the U.S. “who have dem...

Good news: Plovers in a dangerous time

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:48 GMT

In today’s Big Story Podcast, before we break for the holidays, The Big Story team decided to try to end our year on a positive note with a week of good news stories. We hope this week brings you hope, light and laughter. It’s often our job to deliver bad news, but that doesn’t mean that’s all the world is.Today: Fatima Syed, the Ontario Reporter at The Narwhal, brings us a story about birds that might as well be a Netflix reality show.“This is going to be a story about a summer romance on the beach, but it starts with a suspected murder, and includes a cheating scandal,” says Syed.We don’t want to reveal too much, so just listen and enjoy.You can subscribe to The Big Story podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google and Spotify.You can also find it at thebigstorypodcast.ca.

Chris Christie’s next book, coming in February, asks ‘What Would Reagan Do?’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:48 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a candidate for the Republican nomination for president, has a book coming out next year on the legacy of a GOP hero — former President Ronald Reagan.Threshold Editions, a conservative imprint at Simon & Schuster, announced Tuesday that it will publish “What Would Reagan Do?: Life Lessons from the Last Great President” on Feb. 6.“It’s amazing what how much Reagan was able to achieve by sticking to his principles and connecting on a human level with those around him,” Christie writes in the introduction. “Each chapter of this book is not only great history, it also contains a blueprint for bringing our country back to achieving big things at home and around the world.”Christie’s previous books include “ Let Me Finish ” and “ Republican Rescue.”The Associated Press

Man charged with first-degree murder in strangulation of missing 15-year-old girl

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:48 GMT

CHICAGO — A 24-year-old man has been charged in the strangulation of a 15-year-old girl in the city's South Shore neighborhood.Joshua Williams, of Chicago, faces one felony count of first-degree murder and one count of being a fugitive from justice.According to the Chicago Police Department, the body of Amarise Parker was found inside a residence in the 7200 block of South Phillips Avenue on Dec. 12. She was pronounced dead on the scene.Amarise Parker, 15Williams was arrested Saturday after being identified as the offender who killed Parker. He was placed into custody and charged accordingly. Mother: Girl, 15, was dating someone who lived in South Shore building where her body was found Williams faces a detention hearing Tuesday.