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Vermont police search for killer of a retired college dean shot on trail near university

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:09 GMT

CASTLETON, Vt. (AP) — Students at a Vermont university returned to classes Tuesday, some on edge, as police continued to search for the killer of a retired dean who was shot last week while walking on a recreational trail near campus in the small town.Honoree Fleming, a retired dean and professor, was found shot to death on Thursday afternoon on the Delaware & Hudson Rail Trail about a mile (1.61 kilometers) south of the Castleton campus of Vermont State University. The shooting happened during the school’s week-long fall break. The university reopened Monday but students were excused from classes. “I recommend to the public to be vigilant, have some awareness,” Maj. Dan Trudeau, commander of the Vermont State Police’s criminal division, said Monday. “If you’re out be with a friend because we don’t really know yet if the community is in any further danger. We don’t know if this is isolated or not isolated and we’re still trying to develop lead...

Russian teams won’t play in U17 Euros qualifying after UEFA fails to make new policy work

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:09 GMT

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Russia will not be allowed to take part in qualifying for the Under-17 European Championship this month after all, European soccer body UEFA said Tuesday after being unable to make its preferred new policy work.Widespread opposition from member federations to playing Russia at any level of international games led to UEFA going back to its blanket ban on Russian teams, which it had controversially tried to change two weeks ago.UEFA had surprisingly eased its policy that all Russian national and club teams be excluded from international competitions, which has been in place since Russia invaded Ukraine last year. UEFA had cited the importance of not punishing children for the decisions of a national government in suggesting that Russian U17 teams could play in international competitions but without their national colors, flag or anthem.The move provoked a split in UEFA’s executive committee — its vice presidents from England, Poland and Wales refused to back t...

B.C. first province to sign individual health deal with feds, worth $1.2 billion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:09 GMT

VANCOUVER — British Columbia is the first province to sign a tailored funding agreement with the federal government as part of the $196-billion health accord the prime minister offered provinces earlier this year.The deal will see Ottawa shift $1.2 billion to B.C. over three years.Health Minister Mark Holland told a news conference at Vancouver General Hospital on Tuesday that the funding also comes with a commitment for federal support for B.C.’s health-care system for the next 10 years.Holland said the support aims to take the Canadian health-care system “from one of the best” in the world to “the best.”In exchange, the province has developed a plan to increase patient access to team-based family health care and mental health and addictions services.The B.C. government has also agreed to work with the First Nations Health Authority to improve access to culturally appropriate and trauma-informed treatment and care. The province will increase access to mental...

Burnout, despair facing workers on front lines of poverty and homelessness in Canada

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:09 GMT

Those who work with people facing homelessness and food shortages say employees are carrying a massive emotional burden as demand for services soars beyond what their organizations can provide.Warren Maddox, executive director at Fredericton Homeless Shelters, in New Brunswick, says staff are witnessing more desperation, more violence and more people in extreme states of crisis.He says demand from staff on the organization’s in-house mental health counsellor has increased and that it’s harder to help employees see past what he described as “an unending chain of misery.”Tasha Lackman, executive director at the Depot Community Food Centre, in Montreal, says her group is being forced to make gut-wrenching decisions, including to reduce the amount of food clients get in their baskets. She says demand at the food bank is on track to nearly double this year compared to last year, and that staff are working harder but seeing their efforts have less of an impact.Lack...

The US declares the ousting of Niger’s president a coup and suspends military aid and training

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:09 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Tuesday formally declared the ousting of Niger’s democratically-elected president a coup d’etat, more than two months after mutinous soldiers seized power.Senior administration officials told reporters that the U.S. was taking action after exhausting all avenues to preserve constitutional order in the West African nation, including urging the military leaders to restore civilian rule within four months in compliance with the constitution. The coup designation comes with the suspension of counterterrorism assistance and military training as well as the pausing of certain foreign assistance programs worth hundreds of millions of dollars.“As time has passed it’s become clear that the (junta) officials that we’ve been dealing with did not want to abide by these constitutional guidelines and in fact they’ve told us that they’ve chosen to repeal that constitution and are in the process of creating a new draft with an uncertain timel...

Independent grocers call for milk price pause amid pressure to keep food costs down

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:09 GMT

The Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers is calling on the Crown corporation that manages dairy supply and pricing to hit pause on any further increases to milk prices amid political pressure to keep food prices down. The Canadian Dairy Commission reviews the price dairy farmers are paid for their milk every fall and announces whether that price will increase or decrease the following February. The federation’s senior vice-president Gary Sands wrote in a letter to the commission Friday that the grocery industry is in an exceptional situation this year.The food industry is currently under pressure to keep prices stable, with Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne calling on the major grocers to come up with plans to stabilize prices.Last Thursday, Champagne announced the major grocers have promised to offer discounts, price freezes and price matching. Sands argues that any increase in milk prices at the beginning of the supply chain would go against the government’...

Food industry leaders launch alliance to champion net zero in agri-food sector

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:09 GMT

TORONTO — A group of leaders in the agriculture and food industries is launching a national alliance to work toward achieving net zero in Canada’s agri-food sector by 2050.The Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agri-food includes companies such as RBC, Loblaw and Maple Leaf Foods, as well as organizations like the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute.In a press release, the alliance says if the agri-food sector continues along its current trajectory, its emissions could reach 196 million tonnes by 2050, representing 19 per cent of Canada’s total emissions. The alliance’s first two initiatives are focused on advancing climate-smart agriculture and growing a national network to produce biogas. David Hughes, CEO of non-profit The Natural Step Canada, says in the press release that Canada is primed to become a ‘global beacon of sustainable agriculture.’ The alliance says it’s aiming to advance technology, policy, infrastructure and funding n...

WATCH LIVE: President Biden addresses the conflict between Israel and Hamas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:09 GMT

President Biden's planned remarks today will be livestreamed within this story beginning at approximately 1 p.m. ET.WASHINGTON (AP) — Less than three weeks ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat beside President Joe Biden and marveled that a "historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia" seemed within reach — a diplomatic advance that he predicted could lead to lasting peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.Biden was equally optimistic, telling Netanyahu during their meeting in New York, "If you and I — 10 years ago — were talking about normalization with Saudi Arabia, I think we'd look at each other like, 'Who's been drinking what?'"Now, the outbreak of war between Israel and the Palestinians after a devastating Hamas attack on Israeli soil is threatening to delay or derail the yearslong, country-by-country diplomatic push by the United States to improve relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Iran sends deadly message to Biden with Hamas attack on Isr...

NASA, SpaceX prepare for launch: Psyche mission aims to land on a metal-rich asteroid

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:09 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — The launch of NASA's first mission to study an asteroid that has more metal than rock or ice is in its final countdown.The space agency is targeting Thursday, Oct. 12 to send its Psyche spacecraft up toward the stars aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. If all goes well, the van-sized craft will spend nearly six years traveling to one of the largest asteroids in the solar system, also named Psyche, according to NASA.Nexstar Media also plans to livestream Thursday's launch. Watch your local site for live coverage.The current mission timeline aims to put NASA's craft into orbit around the asteroid in late July 2029. At that point the actual mission will begin: two years of photo taking, surface mapping, and data collection to determine Psyche's composition. Russia reports coolant leak in backup line at space station and says crew not in danger The asteroid is about 173 miles in diameter at its widest point and spends its time orbiting the sun in the main asteroid belt be...

'I'm so excited': The Connor Bedard era of the Blackhawks starts Tuesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:09 GMT

PITTSBURGH — This is a day that some people have been dreaming about since the Blackhawks made the decision to do a full rebuild in March 2022. Connor Bedard is that good of a prospect, and thanks to circumstances inside and outside of their control, he's on Chicago's NHL team and ready to start a new chapter of the franchise. That begins on Tuesday when the team takes the ice for the first of 82 games against the Penguins in Pittsburgh at PPG Paints Arena at 7 p.m. Central Time. It's the regular season debut of the most heralded young talent in the game in a decade. "I'm so excited," said Bedard ahead of his debut on Monday. "It's hard to kinda think about and realize that it's true, but it's really exciting."Expect the center to see plenty of action as he's expected to be on the team's top line with wingers Taylor Hall and Ryan Donato. It's one of the most anticipated debuts for the Blackhawks since Patrick Kane (Oct. 4, 2007 at Wild) and Jonathan Toews (Oct. 10, 2007 vs. Sharks) ...