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Survivors, victims’ families and local leaders mark 2-year anniversary of Surfside condo collapse in somber ceremony

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:18:59 GMT

At 1:22 a.m. on Thursday, June 24, 2021, 98 lives were abruptly taken when the Champlain Towers South condominium collapsed. Two years later, a community still in mourning gathered in Surfside to mark the two-year anniversary.Families who lost loved ones came together with local officials at the site of the collapse on Saturday afternoon to remember and honor those lives lost and hold up those impacted by the tragedy.The event was preceded by a late-night vigil held on the sand near the site. As lanterns were lit, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Raied Jadallah spoke about the lives lost.“We’re here to commemorate, to remember the 98 souls that were lost,” said Jadallah. “May their souls find peace, and may their families continue to find peace.”Hours later, local leaders addressed the large crowd at the afternoon ceremony.For those who were there that night, and for loved ones whose lives were forever changed, the pain remains two years later.We&...

For Nets’ rookie Dariq Whitehead, it’s all about patience: ‘I’m a big believer in things happen for a reason’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:18:59 GMT

For Newark native Dariq Whitehead, patience is the name of the game.Whitehead had to be patient during Thursday night’s NBA Draft, when commissioner Adam Silver called 21 names before the Nets selected the three-and-D wing out of Duke with the No. 22 overall pick.He was not invited to The Green Room — where the top draft prospects gather to await their big moment on draft night.“I’m a big believer in things happen for a reason, and God has everything set in the right path, so it’s definitely gonna fuel the extra motivation, but I’m just here to think about what’s here now,” he said. “I’m here to focus on the future, so I’ve gotta put that behind me and help try to contribute to this team and winning basketball as much as possible. So I’ve pretty much gotta put that behind me.”Even more patience will be required — both from Whitehead and the Nets — as he navigates a right foot injury that h...

Ticker: ‘Rage giving’ prompted by the end of Roe has dropped off, abortion access groups say

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:18:59 GMT

The windfall of donations that abortion access groups received following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade one year ago hasn’t lasted.Reproductive health organizations and advocacy groups say one-time emergency grants have ended and individual and foundation giving has dropped off this year.Naa Amissah-Hammond of Groundswell Fund, which funds grassroots groups organizing for reproductive justice, says some major abortion access funders have shifted from organizations working in states now banning abortion to those where it remains legal.“I think (that) really speaks to kind of a fundamental issue with philanthropy and responding to an emergent crisis,” said Holly Calvasina, director of development at the reproductive health clinic CHOICES in Memphis, Tenn. “Philanthropy moves really slowly and human rights crises unfold quickly.”Wall Street falls to close out its first losing week in the last sixAnother drop for stocks helped drag Wall Street to ...

Surge of cheap Chinese goods into US prompts reconsideration of $800 duty-free limit

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:18:59 GMT

Conservatives anxious to counter America’s leading economic adversary have set their sights on a top trade priority for labor unions and progressives: cracking down on the deluge of duty-free packages coming in from China.The changing political dynamic could have major ramifications for e-commerce businesses and consumers importing products from China valued at less than $800. It also could add to the growing tensions between the countries.Under current U.S. law, most imports valued at less than $800 enter duty-free into the United States if packaged and addressed to individual buyers. It’s referred to as the de minimis rule. Efforts to lower the threshold amount or exclude certain countries altogether from duty-free treatment are set to become a major trade fight in this Congress.“De minimis has become a proxy for all sorts of anxieties as it relates to China and other trade-related challenges,” said John Drake, a vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who argues that the ...

Freight train carrying hot asphalt, molten sulfur plunges into the Yellowstone River as bridge fails

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:18:59 GMT

COLUMBUS, Mont. (AP) — A bridge that crosses the Yellowstone River in Montana collapsed early Saturday, plunging portions of a freight train carrying hazardous materials into the rushing water below.The train cars were carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur, Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services said. Officials shut down drinking water intakes downstream while they evaluated the danger after the 6 a.m. accident. An Associated Press reporter witnessed a yellow substance coming out of some of the tank cars. David Stamey, the county’s chief of emergency services, said there was no immediate danger for the crews working at the site, and the hazardous material was being diluted by the swollen river. There were three asphalt cars and four sulfur cars in the river. The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported, Montana Rail Link spokesman Andy Garland said in a statement. The asphalt and sulfur both solidify quickly when exposed to cooler temperatures, he said.Rai...

Ford Explorer recall prompts Transportation Department investigation

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:18:59 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating a Ford Motor Co. recall of more than a quarter-million Explorer SUVs in the U.S. after receiving complaints about repairs intended to prevent the vehicles from unexpectedly rolling away even while placed in park. The problem, ascribed to fractures of a rear axle mounting bolt that could lead the drive shaft to disconnect, was addressed by a Ford software update designed to apply the electronic parking brake if the drive shaft failed, the agency said. But according to two complaints from vehicle owners, their SUVs behaved erratically following the repair.In one of those cases, the Explorer would reportedly slam to a complete stop at speeds of up to 30 or 40 miles per hour. In the other, it would reportedly lurch into motion while the driver was attempting to disengage the electronic brake. No injuries were reported in these cases, although the first driver reported striking a utility pole when th...

Hajj pilgrims perform final rituals in Mecca before heading to Mina

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:18:59 GMT

MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Pilgrims streamed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque on Saturday to perform their final rituals before heading to Mina in preparation for the Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam and one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.They moved through the white marble courtyards of Islam’s holiest site to perform the tawaf, the walking circuit around the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure covered in a black, gold-embroidered cloth, their fervent recitations ringing through the air. People on the ground floor closest to the Kaaba shuffled due to the sheer number of participants. Those on the upper floors were able to walk more briskly, even run. Pilgrims raised their hands in supplication, took selfies or video, and phoned their relatives as they performed the tawaf. They then walked or ran between two hills in a re-enactment of Hagar’s search for water for her son, Ismail, a story that occurs in different forms in Muslim, Christian and Jewish traditions.Pilgrims must e...

Mexico imposes 50% tariff on white corn imports amid trade dispute with U.S. and Canada

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:18:59 GMT

Mexico on Saturday began imposing a 50% tariff on white corn imports, a move the president says looks to boost national production and prevent imports of genetically modified corn.The measure, published late Friday in the Mexican government’s official gazette, will be in force until the end of the year and occurs amid a trade dispute between Mexico and its North American trade partners, Canada and the United States, over genetically modified corn.White corn was among the basic foods that were exempted from tariffs earlier this year in an attempt by the Mexican government to control inflation. But according to the decree, the decision “has not generated a significant impact on the decrease in prices in the national market, so it’s considered appropriate to eliminate it.”At 5.84% in May, the Mexican government considers inflation more or less under control.Mexico imports some white corn – the kind used for human consumption – mainly from the United ...

Sikh protesters in Vancouver decry Nijjar shooting death as foreign interference

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:18:59 GMT

Protesters in Vancouver say many Sikh community members firmly believe the shooting death of a British Columbia temple president was linked to foreign interference.About 200 protesters from the Canadian Sikh community gathered outside Vancouver’s Indian consulate this morning, accusing the South Asian nation’s government of being involved in the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.Police have not linked the shooting to foreign interference, saying that investigators have no reasons to believe that the Sikh community in Canada is at risk.Most of the protesters are advocates for an independent Sikh state in India and came from cities ranging from Metro Vancouver to Toronto, Montreal and Edmonton for today’s protest.Protesters who knew Nijjar, who was organizing an unofficial referendum in India prior to his death, described him as a “peaceful” man who was “loved in the community.”Nijjar was gunned down in his vehicle last week while leaving the Guru...

SWAT team responds to domestic disturbance in Schiller Park

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:18:59 GMT

SCHILLER PARK, Ill. — Schiller Park police are asking some residents to stay indoors and avoid the area as they handle a SWAT situation.According to police, officers were called Saturday afternoon to a domestic disturbance at an apartment building on Ruby Street between Waveland Avenue and Ivanhoe Avenue. Park Ridge warning community of man impersonating police officer, assaulting teen girls Police haven't released specific details about what led to the SWAT situation, but said one person is barricaded inside and no one is injured.While they are on scene, police have asked people to avoid the area and those who are in the area to stay indoors.