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Alberta premier says she is limiting media questions in order to provide more answers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says there’s no question she welcomes media questions, but says she is imposing limits on those questions in order to provide more answers.Smith made the comments on her Corus radio call-in show a day after she announced the new policy for media as her United Conservative party ramps up for the May election campaign.Smith says she will still allow reporters to ask one question, but will not allow the traditional follow-up query.Such follow-up questions are considered vital to allow reporters to clarify the first answer if necessary and to hold politicians to account if they don’t answer the first question but instead deliver tangentially related talking points.But Smith says there will be heightened media interest in the election, set to begin May 1, and she wants to ensure as many reporters as possible get to ask questionsOpposition Leader Rachel Notley’s NDP has promised to take as many questions as possible, including follow-ups, adding i...

Hospital sues Missouri’s top prosecutor over trans care data

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City hospital is suing Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey over what it calls his “burdensome” requests for records on gender-affirming care.In a lawsuit filed Friday in Jackson County, attorneys for Children’s Mercy Hospital asked a judge to deny Bailey’s 54 investigative demands for records and testimony despite the hospital facing no allegations of wrongdoing, The Kansas City Star reported. Bailey has demanded that the hospital provide records on any prescriptions for hormone blockers as well as surgeries for transgender patients, the lawsuit said. He’s also asking for information on when the hospital has reported child abuse. Bailey’s spokeswoman, Madeline Sieren, did not immediately return a request for comment Saturday. In February, Bailey, a Republican who was appointed attorney general in November, announced he was investigating the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital after an ...

Corach Rambler wins Grand National after race delayed

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Corach Rambler, the 8-1 favorite, produced a strong finish to win the Grand National after the world-famous horse race was delayed for 15 minutes Saturday because animal rights activists scaled fences around the perimeter of the course and got onto the track.It gave trainer Lucinda Russell a second victory in the Grand National in its 175th edition.Corach Rambler and jockey Derek Fox jumped the last in front and came home in front of Vanillier. Gaillard Du Mesnil was third.The race took place after three people were arrested in connection with a plan by the activists to disrupt the race, which they succeeded in doing. All three were arrested on “suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance,” Merseyside Police said.With about 30 minutes to go until the scheduled start of 5:15 p.m. local time (1615 GMT), some of the activists from an estimated group of 300 climbed the high fences around Aintree racecourse and got onto the track. Some apparently attempted ...

Sportsnet releases schedule for first round of NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

The NHL’s playoff picture did not get locked in until the final game of the last night of the regular season.As the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Nashville Predators 4-3 on Friday night, they clinched the top spot in the Central Division to set a best-of-seven matchup against the Seattle Kraken, thus solidifying all of the Stanley Cup Playoff’s first-round series.The playoffs start Monday with all games on Sportsnet and Sportsnet NOW.The Edmonton Oilers are the first Canadian team to play as they host the Los Angeles Kings in a first-round rematch on Monday. The Toronto Maple Leafs open their series at home in a first-round rematch against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning, while the Winnipeg Jets are in Vegas to battle the Golden Knights on Tuesday.Here is the first-round schedule.Editor’s note: All times are Eastern. Times and television listings for the final three games of each series will be determined as they are finalized.Eastern ConferenceToronto Maple Lea...

Report finds democracy for Black Americans is under attack

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Extreme views adopted by some local, state and federal political leaders who try to limit what history can be taught in schools and seek to undermine how Black officials perform their jobs are among the top threats to democracy for Black Americans, the National Urban League says.Marc Morial, the former New Orleans mayor who leads the civil rights and urban advocacy organization, cited the most recent example: the vote this month by the Republican-controlled Tennessee House to oust two Black representatives for violating a legislative rule. The pair had participated in a gun control protest inside the chamber after the shooting that killed three students and three staff members at a Nashville school.“We have censorship and Black history suppression, and now this,” Morial said in an interview. “It’s another piece of fruit of the same poisonous tree, the effort to suppress and contain.”Both Tennessee lawmakers were quickly reinstated by leaders in their district...

West Virginia man accused of arson, murder in wildfire death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia man has been charged with murder after a forestry worker was killed trying to extinguish a fire the man is accused of setting.The fire was reported on Tuesday night in the Tucker Hollow area of Fayette County. Overnight, the fire grew to consume several hundred acres. On Thursday, forester Cody Mullens was fatally injured by a falling tree while fighting the fire. The Division of Forestry was able to determine that the fire was intentionally set, Fayette County Sheriff Mike Fridley said Friday in a news release. The arson investigation led to the arrest of David A. Bass, of Kimberly. In addition to the murder charge, Bass is charged with four counts of felony wildland arson. On Saturday, Bass was being held at the Southern Regional Jail. Jail records do not list an attorney for Bass. Gov. Jim Justice on Thursday issued a statement about Mullens’ death.“Our state foresters are some of the most dedicated workers in our state, putting th...

Anheuser-Busch CEO releases statement amid Bud Light controversy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

ST. LOUIS (KTVI) - The CEO of Anheuser-Busch has responded to backlash and calls to boycott Bud Light over the brand's partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. CEO Brendan Whitworth said the company "never meant to be part of a discussion that divides people" in a lengthy statement published to Anheuser-Busch's social media accounts on Friday."As the CEO of a company founded in America’s heartland more than 165 years ago, I am responsible for ensuring every consumer feels proud of the beer we brew," Whitworth wrote, adding that Anheuser-Busch has "a proud history supporting our communities, military, first responders, sports fans and hard-working Americans everywhere.""We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people," the statement continued. "We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer. Beer drinkers, these are the best cities for you, study finds Whitworth did not specifically make mention of Dylan Mulvaney, the trans activist a...

Why is Tax Day on April 18 this year? And how did early spring become tax season, anyhow?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

(THE CONVERSATION) – Mid-April has arrived. And along with the spring sunshine, that means the often dreaded civic duty of finishing off one’s taxes.It’s an arduous time for many, characterized by navigating increasingly confusing rules to arrive at the best refund possible. For some, it means writing a check to the federal government. Not fun.On a brighter note, the tax deadline has been pushed back to April 18 this year, giving those leaving it to the last minute a few extra days. Usually, the day falls on April 15.But why is Tax Day in April anyway? Well, it hasn’t always been. IRS warns of deadline for $1.5 billion in unclaimed refunds The federal individual income tax was permanently enacted by the 16th Amendment in 1913. Before that, the only federal individual income tax that existed was in place for about a decade beginning in 1861 to ease the financial burden of the Civil War on the government.Extending the deadlineThe tradition of filing tax retu...

‘Farmer Wants a Wife’ echoes western Minnesota town’s ‘90s ‘bachelormania’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

HERMAN, Minn. — FOX TV’s “Farmer Wants a Wife” is a reality show that features rural bachelors looking for a romantic connection.The plot line was similar 30 years ago, when single men living near the rural community of Herman in western Minnesota let the world know they were looking for women interested in forging a life together.Soon, national media from “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to ABC’s “20/20” began fanning the flames of what came to be called bachelormania.The 1994 Grant County Fair served as a focal point for the excitement, when women from around the country showed up to find, if not a Prince Charming, at least “a whole lot of nice guys,” according to one woman who was quoted in a Forum story from July 1994.At least seven of Herman’s approximately 78 bachelors found wives, according to published reports. “Herman USA,” a movie inspired by the town’s experience, was released in 2001.Many of the ...

Your Money: Why financial literacy matters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

Bruce Helmer and Peg WebbFinancial literacy is knowing how to make smart decisions with your money. And sadly, too few Americans understand how to create a budget, manage a credit card, or save and invest for a major goals such as a first home or retirement. For example, a recent survey of adults showed that they could answer only 50% of 28 basic money questions in the 2022 TIAA Institute-GFLEC Personal Finance index.The U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission has issued five building blocks of financial literacy (“My Money Five”) that everyone should master when making day-to-day decisions about their finances.• Earn. Your ability to earn a living over many decades is probably your biggest financial asset. Take the time to understand how your pay and benefits can become the backbone of your long-term financial plan. You should understand how various deductions and withholdings reduce your take-home pay in the form of federal, state and local income taxes, Social Security a...