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Rishi Sunak is promising to change Britain. He starts with railway cuts and a crackdown on smoking

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:19 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Battling gloomy opinion polls and mounting doubts, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday promised skeptical voters, and his own Conservative Party, that he would make tough choices to “fundamentally change our country.”Two of his boldest plans in a speech to the party’s annual conference — canceling a railway project that has already cost billions and proposing to ban smoking for the next generation — definitely caused ripples. Whether they translate into success for the right-of-center party in an election next year is another question. Opinion polls in recent weeks have put the left-of-center opposition Labour Party 15 to 20 points ahead.Sunak told hundreds of party members packed into a Manchester conference hall that he’s not afraid to make big decisions that will deliver “long-term success” rather than “short-term advantage.”He said proof was his decision to curtail the embattled High Speed 2 project — an overdue, overbudget h...

BRP denies findings from labour board that it underpaid workers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:19 GMT

VALCOURT, Que. — BRP Inc. says it disagrees with findings from Quebec’s workplace health and safety board that the snowmobile maker broke the law in underpaying workers it brought in to work at its plant in Quebec from a facility in Mexico.The company acknowledges the board found what it deemed 76 serious offences that breach the province’s labour standards act following an investigation.The manufacturer behind Sea-Doos and Ski-Doos notes the incidents in question pertain to alleged payment shortfalls around overtime and minimum wage for 25 employees between December 2021 and November of last year.BRP spokeswoman Mélanie Montplaisir says the company paid the Mexican workers at its headquarters in Valcourt, Que., fairly and treated them with respect.She says the company made certain administrative mistakes linked to payroll processing, particularly around overtime, for the employees, who she says will be paid the amounts due.The health and safety board, which declined to comment on t...

Before a North Dakota lawmaker was killed in Utah plane crash, he told his sister: ‘Stay safe’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:19 GMT

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota lawmaker who had flown to Arizona to be part of his sister’s sendoff before she deployed overseas gave the woman a hug and told her to “stay safe.”Hours later, state Sen. Doug Larsen, his wife, and their two young sons were killed on their way home when the single-engine Piper Cherokee he was flying crashed in Utah on Sunday after a refueling stop.Peggy Steimel said it was the first time Larsen, of Mandan, and his family had flown the plane to visit her in Scottsdale, Arizona. She said her brother made the trip so he could be part of her sendoff before she deployed for about a year overseas with the Arizona National Guard.Larsen had been a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in the North Dakota National Guard, and Steimel tearfully recalled their final conversation and the advice her older brother gave her.“He gave me a hug and we said we loved each other — and said, ‘Stay safe.’”Larsen, his wife, Amy, and the two boys died later Sunday when his plane cr...

Greek police arrest 2 in connection with gangland car ambush that left 6 Turks dead

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:19 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Two Turkish men have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the fatal gangland shooting of six other Turks in Greece last month, Greek authorities said Wednesday.Police said the six men killed in a Sept. 11 car ambush outside Athens were believed to have been members of an international crime group and had made a brief stop in Greece en route to Turkey.Mass shootings of that kind are practically unheard of in Greece, and authorities had from the outset suspected a connection with foreign-based criminal organizations.A police statement said one of the two detained suspects had made arrangements for the victims’ stay in Greece and travel plans to Turkey but allegedly led them into the fatal ambush in the seaside town of Artemida. The six were attacked in their car as they drove to the Athens airport, and police said the killers finished them off with shots to the head fired at closed range.Artemida is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Athens and ...

Larry's list of No. 1 songs from 1988

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:19 GMT

CHICAGO — We decided to take a trip back in time for "The List" on Wednesday morning - 35 years to be exact. Larry Potash took a look back at some of the big hits back in 1988 and compiled some of his favorites. That event included a look back at a more recent WGN Morning News moment that featured the artists of one of these tunes. So which of these hits did Larry choose for the "The List" on Wednesday?You can watch the entire segment from the October 4 show in the video above.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

Win the Powerball jackpot? Think twice before taking the cash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:19 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — The Powerball jackpot has grown again, reaching an estimated $1.2 billion ahead of the next drawing. That makes it the third-largest Powerball jackpot on record, and the seventh-largest lottery prize in U.S. history. If you’re lucky enough to beat the overwhelmingly challenging odds of winning the jackpot — 1 in 292.2 million — there are a number of steps experts suggest following. That includes building your team — a financial advisor, a tax advisor, and a lawyer are highly recommended — and keeping the ticket secure. Once you’re ultimately ready to come forward and claim your prize, you’ll have a big decision to make: take the annuity option or a lump sum payment. The first is represented by the estimated $1.2 billion while the second is the cash value, currently listed as $551.7 million. These are the best, worst states to win the lottery in The cash option serves as the amount of money Powerball officials have determined is necessary to fund the annu...

Feinstein to lie in state at San Francisco City Hall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:19 GMT

(The Hill) -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) will lie in state at San Francisco City Hall on Wednesday, giving city leaders and residents a chance to pay their respects to the trailblazer ahead of her funeral later this week.Feinstein's body will lie in state in the rotunda of the San Francisco City Hall, where the California Democrat got her start in her political career.Feinstein died last week at her home in Washington, D.C., at the age of 90. She served three decades as a senator, making her the longest-serving female senator in American history.Prior to her time in Washington, Feinstein served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and was board president in November 1978, when a supervisor assassinated Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk at City Hall.She became acting mayor as a result and went on to serve two full-year terms, making her the city’s first female mayor. Her legacy as mayor included combating the HIV and AIDs crisis in the city while also securin...

McDonald's bringing back the McRib after 2022's 'Farewell Tour'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:19 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – What fools we were to believe McDonald’s was retiring the McRib!Despite throwing a “farewell tour” for its seasonal McRib sandwich in 2022, McDonald’s has confirmed the item’s return to select restaurants next month.“It turns out not everyone was ready to say goodbye to the McRib after last year’s Farewell Tour,” reads a statement from McDonald’s. “While it won’t be available nationwide, some lucky fans may find their favorite elusive saucy sandwich at their local McDonald’s restaurants this November.”(McDonald's)The sandwich, which debuted on menus in Kansas City, Kansas, in 1981, has enjoyed a cult following for decades, thanks in no small part to its fleeting, sporadic appearances at restaurants. Speaking to its elusiveness, Mike Bullington, the senior archives manager for McDonald’s, said in a 2021 press release that the sandwich was designed to be “enjoyed during the colder seasons.”McDonald’s had also previously revealed that the sandwich infrequently appears on it...

Inside the Investigations: Family calls for change after nursing home 'error'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:19 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Each week the in-depth reporting from the KXAN Investigates team will get a spotlight on KXAN Live.A conversation happened Wednesday morning about this week’s top stories with investigative reporter Kelly Wiley and KXAN Live anchor Will DuPree. Inside the Investigations: Texas patient safety law concerns The story they discussed this week included:A family experienced heartbreak after learning their mother passed away in a nursing home. However, the situation became worse after they learned the facility accidentally mistook their mother for her roommate and called to report the death to the wrong family. KXAN investigative reporter Avery Travis reveals why the nursing home is not in trouble and why the family feels this is an example of an industry in crisis. Join Kelly Wiley and Will DuPree every Wednesday morning for a live recap of the latest headlines and in-depth reporting from the KXAN Investigates team.

City of Austin schools participate in National Walk to School Day

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:19 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin held an event Wednesday in honor of National Walk and Bike to School Day. Parents and students were invited to participate by walking or biking from the Twin Oaks Branch Library to Becker Elementary starting at 7 a.m. 2022 Walk to School Day event to mark pedestrian improvements in Austin neighborhood The city has in place a program, called Safe Routes to School, dedicated to helping kids make it to school safely on foot, by bikes, or other modes of micro-transit. City of Austin participates in National Walk and Roll to School Day 2023 City of Austin participates in National Walk and Roll to School Day 2023 City of Austin participates in National Walk and Roll to School Day 2023 KXAN's Blake DeVine spoke to the program's education manager, Rhonda Bolick, about Wednesday's event. Bolick said the event encourages exercise and helps cut back on pollution and traffic for a day. Bolick said it also provides an opportunity to teach children and parent...