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First 550 US active duty troops arriving at southern border

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:40:45 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — About 550 U.S. active duty troops have begun arriving along the U.S.-Mexico border in the first group of military support ahead of an expected increase of migrants, U.S. defense officials said Tuesday. The forces will mainly be used to help monitor and watch the border as pandemic-era restrictions on asylum end, and will have no contact with the migrants. More than 900 more soldiers, Marines and airmen will follow around the end of the month, as the Biden administration bolsters efforts to monitor the border and process incoming migrants. The initial plan calls for a 90-day deployment of the active duty forces, because they can be moved much more quickly to the border than National Guard or Reserve troops. The Pentagon has said that some of the active duty forces could be replaced over time by reservists, who need more time to deploy.According to a defense official, most of the active duty troops will be doing monitoring and detection, which are done from trucks po...

Pet Valu posts lower profit as company sets sights on up to 50 new stores

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:40:45 GMT

Pet Valu Holdings Ltd. is looking to open 40 to 50 new stores this year as it looks to capitalize on the surge in adoption of furry companions during the pandemic.With more than 700 stores across Canada, Pet Valu also plans to expand, renovate or relocate 20 to 30 of them this year, the company said Tuesday as it reported its first-quarter earnings.Joanne McNeish, a marketing management professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, said the pet food and supplies retailer’s growth since the start of the pandemic reflects how many people turned to dogs, cats and rabbits at the height of restrictions that limited social interaction with other people. “There was an explosion in people buying animals during COVID. That’s really good news for a pet retailer because pet retailers during COVID continued to operate,” she said.“People who had space for a pet, who had houses, for example, often bought a bigger animal, which then require all the accessories that go...

Rare May heat wave brings worries for further floods and fires: emergency minister

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:40:45 GMT

VICTORIA — A spell of unseasonably warm weather forecast for British Columbia is raising concerns for further flooding and fires.  Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma says the heat will impact the pace of snowmelt, which has already pushed river levels near or over their banks in several parts of central and southeastern B.C. Dave Campbell, with the B.C. River Forecast Centre, said in a briefing on Monday that about three quarters of the snow on the mountains remain and the warm weather may bring further flooding. Ma says the unusual heat also elevates the risks of wildfires burning in B.C. There are more than 50 fires burning in B.C., most of them in the north and central part of the province, and three wildfires have prompted evacuation orders or alerts for nearby residents. Ma says the forecast does not call for a heat dome like the one that killed hundreds of people in the summer of 2021, but heat can still be a risk to human health and the government is able to support comm...

Journalist working for AFP news agency killed in Ukraine

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:40:45 GMT

PARIS (AP) — French international news agency Agence France-Presse says its Ukraine video coordinator was killed Tuesday during a rocket attack near the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.In a tweet, AFP said other agency journalists were with Arman Soldin at the time of the Grad rocket bombardment. French media outlets reported that the late afternoon attack took place in the vicinity of Chasiv Yar, a town near Bakhmut. Russian forces have been trying to capture the city for nine months, making Bakhmut the focus of the war’s longest battle. Soldin was 32 years old and born in Sarajevo, now the capital of Bosnia, according to the French media reports. AFP said it was “devastated” at Soldin’s death and “all of our thoughts go out to his family and loved ones.” In May 2022, French journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, who was working in Ukraine for BFM-TV, was killed near Severodonetsk in the east. The Associated Press

Signed in purple ink, Minnesota dedicates highway to Prince

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:40:45 GMT

CHANHASSEN, Minn. (AP) — The late pop superstar Prince is being honored in Minnesota as the state renames a seven-mile stretch of highway that runs past his Paisley Park recording studios. Minnesota Gov. Tim Waz used purple ink on Tuesday to sign the bill that dedicates the roadway formerly known as Minnesota Highway 5 to Prince. Now, the stretch of road in the Minneapolis suburbs of Chanhassen and Eden Prairie will be named the Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway. Prince’s friends and fans are covering the costs of the purple signs that will soon go up along the road.After touring Paisley Park on Tuesday, Walz described Prince as a “global icon” and “creative genius.” The governor said this is the “coolest bill signing” he’s ever done.For Minnesotans, Prince is “part of our shared cultural identity that really does transcend generations,” Walz said, adding that the highway dedication is just “a small recognition” of Prince and a gift to Minnesota.“I for one am just incredibly gra...

Morgan Wallen cancels 6 weeks of shows, taking vocal rest

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:40:45 GMT

(WHNT) - Country superstar Morgan Wallen has canceled the next six weeks of his One Night At A Time tour due to a doctor's suggested vocal rest but could make his return to the stage in time for his scheduled appearances in Chicago. Wallen took to Twitter telling his fans that his doctors recommended that he take a six-week vocal rest after a throat scope showed he is suffering from vocal cord trauma.The announcement comes after he abruptly canceled a show on April 23 in Oxford, MS. Wallen says he took ten days off for vocal rest and then played three shows in Florida May 4-6. Morgan Wallen falls hard during Kentucky concert, video shows Wallen says following those shows he felt "terrible" and he went in for a vocal cord scope following and the results of that showed vocal cord trauma. Doctors advised Wallen to take a six-week vocal rest or he could risk permanent vocal cord damage.The following cities will be affected by this announcement: Hershey, PAEastford Rutherford, NJAustin...

Get a free McChicken at McDonald's for one day only

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:40:45 GMT

(WSYR) — Love chicken sandwiches? How about free chicken sandwiches? If so, you can head to McDonald's for a free McChicken.The restaurant chain has announced a one-day-only deal, offering the sandwich for free to McDonald's customers all day Wednesday — but there's a catch.(Courtesy of SHIFT Communications)To get your free McChicken (regular or spicy), you have to order using the McDonald’s app, though no purchase is necessary. Ale ‘n’ Angus Pub wins Best NY Burger Competition for third year in a row The deal is offered to new and existing users of the app at participating McDonald's, though first-time app users will earn three times the rewards points.McDonald's customers can pay on the app using a debit or credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal or Venmo. The app is available for both Android and Apple devices.

North Shore beach lands on 'Best Secret Beaches in US' list

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:40:45 GMT

LAKE BLUFF, Ill. — A North Shore beach made the list of the 100 best "secret beaches" families want to visit this summer. In a poll of 3,000 families by Family Destinations Guide, Sunrise Beach in Lake Bluff came in at No. 54. The beach is on Lake Michigan and is described as having pristine white sand, crystal clear water and stunning views of the lake. For residents of Lake Bluff, the beach is free. Non-residents, however, musr purchase daily passes for access. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesAwahua beach in Hawaii topped the list.

Alex Caruso gets an honor from the NBA for the 2022-2023 season

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:40:45 GMT

CHICAGO — One of the most consistent things for the Bulls this past season was the steady defense of one of their guards in both a reserve and starter's role. Alex Caruso was so effective in that aspect of the game that the NBA has placed him on one of their end of season teams. Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso has been named to the NBA’s 2022-2023 All-Defensive first team..It’s the guard’s first selection to any postseason All-NBA list..He’s the 1st member of the Bulls to make the All-Defensive first team since Joakim Noah in 2013-2014..@WGNNews pic.twitter.com/n7ng4GcoYy— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) May 9, 2023The guard made the NBA's All-Defensive first team, the league announced on Tuesday afternoon. It's the first postseason honor of any kind for Caruso, who is in his second year with the Bulls and sixth in the NBA.Caruso received 50 votes for the first team and 25 for the second, with his 125 total points being enough to get him in the top five. He joined the Bucks' Jrue...

Pentagon officially renames Fort Hood to honor first 4-star Hispanic general

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:40:45 GMT

(The Hill) -- The Defense Department on Tuesday officially renamed Fort Hood to Fort Cavazos, honoring the nation's first Hispanic four-star general who served in both the Korean and Vietnam wars.The U.S. Army held a ceremony at the base in central Texas to commemorate the official change, part of an effort to rename nine bases in the country that honor Confederate generals. Until the renaming, Fort Hood had honored John Bell Hood, a Confederate general.Fort Cavazos honors the service and legacy of Richard E. Cavazos, who was born in Texas to Mexican-American parents and eventually rose to become a commanding general of the U.S. Army Force Command.Undersecretary of the Army Gabe Camarillo called Cavazos a "legendary" soldier and said he wanted to "recognize his impact" on the military."Today's change is a fitting one," Camarillo said. "General Cavazos displayed his talent, his bravery, his valor and innovation multiple times in a highly decorated career."Cavazos enlisted with the U....