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Column: Chicago Bears need more from rank-and-file free agents. Robert Tonyan, Andrew Billings and D’Onta Foreman believe they can deliver.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:17 GMT

The first wave of NFL free agency goes fast, and the majority of the big deals are wrapped up in the negotiating period, which leads to about two weeks of bargain shopping before teams reassess and turn focus to the draft.The Chicago Bears didn’t skip a beat moving from bigger acquisitions such as linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards and guard Nate Davis to more modest additions such as tight end Robert Tonyan, nose tackle Andrew Billings and running back D’Onta Foreman, all of whom signed contracts Friday.All figure to be in position to play meaningful roles. Tonyan offers a lot more as a receiver than last year’s No. 2 tight end Ryan Griffin did. Tonyan has the added benefit of knowing the offense as well as any outsider based on his time in Green Bay with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.Billings, who will earn $3.5 million on a one-year deal, projects as the starter in the base defense, a capable run stuffer that was necessary if the Bears hope Edmunds...

Canada to accept more Syrian, Turkish residents after earthquake

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:17 GMT

TORONTO — Canada will make it easier for temporary residents from Turkey and Syria to extend their stay in the country and will prioritize the visa applications of people from these two countries, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said Saturday. More than 50,000 people have been killed and millions displaced after the 7.8-magnitude quake and several powerful aftershocks hit southern Turkey and northern Syria on Feb. 6. Fraser said the government will allow people from Turkey and Syria who have a temporary status to visit family, study or work in Canada to apply for an extension and will wave the application fees for them. He said his department will also prioritize processing temporary visa applications for people affected by the earthquake. “For those who apply for a temporary residency visa, we will be able to treat their applications with priority processing,” Fraser said.“(There are) special measures that we’re implementing, internal to our system, to prov...

Israelis protest legal overhaul plans for 11th week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:17 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israelis on Saturday took to the streets in protests, now in their 11th week, against plans by Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-line government to overhaul the country’s legal system.The protesters say the proposed changes undermine the country’s democracy by restricting the power of the Supreme Court. Netanyahu and his allies say the plan is needed to curb what they claim are excessive powers of unelected judges.The main protest in the central city of Tel Aviv drew tens of thousands of people who waved Israeli flags and traffic sign banners that read “Dead End!” and “Risk Ahead!” Smaller protests were reported in other parts of the country.On Wednesday, Netanyahu swiftly rejected a compromise proposal by Israeli President Isaac Herzog to resolve the standoff, deepening the crisis over a program that has roiled the country and drawn international criticism.Israeli police deployed a water cannon to disperse protesters gathered at a main junction in Karkur, a to...

Some Trump rivals rally to his side as possible charges loom

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:17 GMT

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Top Republicans, including some of Donald Trump’s potential rivals for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination, rushed to his defense Saturday after Trump said he is bracing for possible arrest.The reaction underscores the political risks faced by would-be opponents who are eager to convince voters that it is time to move on from the former president. But they also recognize the multiple investigations — Trump’s post on social media about the Manhattan district attorney’s probe led to the public declarations of support — remain deeply unpopular with his supporters and they fear alienating his loyal base.Among those coming to Trump’s side were House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who said a possible indictment would be “an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA who lets violent criminals walk as he pursues political vengeance” against Trump.McCarthy, R-Calif., said he would direct relevant GOP-led House committees “to immed...

Florida may ban girls’ period talk in elementary grades

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:17 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Legislation moving in the Florida House would ban discussion of menstrual cycles and other human sexuality topics in elementary grades.The bill sponsored by Republican Rep. Stan McClain would restrict public school instruction on human sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases and related topics to grades 6 through 12. McClain confirmed at a recent committee meeting that discussions about menstrual cycles would also be restricted to those grades.“So if little girls experience their menstrual cycle in 5th grade or 4th grade, will that prohibit conversations from them since they are in the grade lower than sixth grade?” asked state Rep. Ashley Gantt, a Democrat who taught in public schools and noted that girls as young as 10 can begin having periods.“It would,” McClain responded.The GOP-backed legislation cleared the House Education Quality Subcommittee on Wednesday by a 13-5 vote mainly along party lines. It would also allow parents to object to books and othe...

Louisiana works out deal for family to keep pet nutria

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:17 GMT

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — After much public outcry, state officials now say they will let a Louisiana couple keep a 22-pound nutria — a beady-eyed, orange-toothed, rat-tailed rodent commonly considered a wetlands-damaging pest — as a pet that frolics with their dog, snuggles in their arms and swims in the family pool.The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, in a statement Friday, said Myra and Denny Lacoste are being allowed to apply for a permit so they can legally keep Neuty the Nutria in their New Orleans home, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported. Montoucet said details of the permit are being finalized.The announcement came after more than 17,000 people signed an online petition demanding that the state leave Neuty and his family alone.“I think this is a good conclusion for all sides,” Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Jack Montoucet said.The rodent has been living with the Lacostes for more than two years. The wildlif...

Military: rocket fired from Gaza lands on southern Israel

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:17 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military said Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket toward southern Israel Saturday evening.The rocket fell and exploded in an open area, triggering warning sirens in the Nahal Oz community to the east of Gaza City.There were no reports of casualties or damage. The Israeli military usually responds to such rocket fire with airstrikes in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, raising the possibility of further violence just ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.The rocket attack comes a day before Israeli and Palestinian officials are set to meet in Egypt in a U.S.-backed effort to defuse violence that has soared especially in the West Bank and east Jerusalem for nearly a year.The meeting in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh is a follow-up to last month’s meeting in Jordan for the same purpose. However, deadly Israeli raids in the West Bank and Palestinian attacks continued since the Feb. 26 meeting in Aqaba. Twenty-three Palestinians a...

What to know about Trump's hush-money case, possible indictment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:17 GMT

(NewsNation) — More than six years after Donald Trump's lawyer paid an adult actress to allegedly keep quiet about an affair she said she had with Trump, New York prosecutors are considering whether the former president should face charges in the case. Earlier this week, Trump was invited to testify before a Manhattan grand jury in connection with the hush money investigation, according to his lawyer. On Monday, the former president's longtime fixer and former attorney, Michael Cohen, who ultimately made the payments in question, testified before the grand jury. Both actions suggest an indictment may be coming. If that happens, Trump would become the first former president ever to face criminal charges. What is the case about?In the runup to the 2016 election, Trump's longtime attorney Cohen paid porn actress Stormy Daniels $130,000, allegedly to keep her quiet about an affair she claimed to have had with the former president.Trump has acknowledged that he paid Cohen a "monthly reta...

Do I drink too much coffee?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:17 GMT

(WOOD/NEXSTAR) — Maybe you're among the 90% of U.S. adults who drink caffeinated drinks daily or you like a little pick-me-up every now and then — either way, you know the world's most popular stimulant definitely can pack a punch. But are you getting too much of it?While doctors say caffeine usually doesn't directly lead to health problems, it's important to be mindful of side effects. ‘National Customer Rage Survey’ points to troubling trend among US consumers "The (U.S. Department of Agriculture), the (Food and Drug Administration), both of those organizations are going to recommend that 400 milligrams is typically what's deemed safe for most adults," said Shanthi Appelö, a registered dietitian with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.For reference, Appelö said there's about 100 mg of caffeine in an 8-ounce cup of coffee — a cup of tea has 50 mg and a 12-ounce cola has 50 mg. Herbal tea doesn't have caffeine.Appelö said the half-life of caffeine is four to six hours and some p...

Harm Reduction

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:31:17 GMT