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British home secretary under fire for making joke about date rape drug

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:20 GMT

LONDON (AP) — British Home Secretary James Cleverly was under fire Sunday for joking about date rape just hours after announcing plans to crack down on what he had dubbed a “perverse” offense. Cleverly, who oversees national security and law enforcement in England and Wales, faced a call to step down after he reportedly joked at an event at the prime minister’s home about drugging his wife. He told women guests at a Dec. 18 reception that the secret to a long marriage was having a spouse who “is always mildly sedated so she can never realize there are better men out there,” the Sunday Mirror newspaper reported.Cleverly said “a little bit of Rohypnol” — the so-called date rape drug — “in her drink every night” was “not really illegal if it’s only a little bit.” The drug, colloquially known as a roofie when it is crushed and put into someone’s beverage without their knowledge, makes the subject drowsy and can lead to unconsciousness and memory loss. Cleverly ap...

Two people charged with theft from store in Markham

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:20 GMT

Aurora OPP officers charged two people with theft under $5,000 after stealing product from a store in Markham.Officers were flagged down at Highway 404 and Steeles Avenue East, and charged a 48 year old male from Unionville and 37 year old from Scarborough.Stolen product was found in the back of their vehicle.Both were charged with theft under $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime. A young offender was also involved.Sat night #AuroraOPP was flagged down at #Hwy404 & Steeles in #Markham for a store theft. Officers charged a 48 yr old male from Unionville & 37 yr old from Scarborough with theft under $5000 & possession of property obtained by crime. A young offender was also involved.^nm pic.twitter.com/CNciiL3jki— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) December 24, 2023

Man dead due to early morning to fire near The Stockyards

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:20 GMT

A man has died due to a fire near The Stockyards early Sunday morning.Fire crews were called to McCormack Street, near Weston Road and St. Clair Avenue West, at approximately 4:08 a.m. for reports that several tractor trailers were on fire.“In the course of firefighting and search and rescue operations, one person was located inside a storage trailer adjacent to the fire,” said Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg on X.The victim, a man in his 40’s, was transferred to the care of Toronto medics but succumbed to his injuries at the scene.Police and the Office of the Fire Marshal are investigating the origin, cause and circumstances of the fire.I am on scene with @Toronto_Fire crews on McCormack Street. The investigation into the origin, cause&circumstances of this fire is underway in collaboration with @TorontoPolice and @ONFireMarshal. Sincere condolences to family, friends and all those impacted by this tragic fire.— Matthew Pegg (@ChiefPeggTFS) December 24, ...

A weekend of combat in Gaza kills 14 Israeli soldiers as public support for the war is tested

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:20 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Fourteen Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in Gaza over the weekend, the Israeli military said Sunday, in some of the bloodiest days of battle since the ground offensive began and a sign that Hamas is still putting up a fight despite weeks of brutal war.The mounting death toll among Israeli troops is likely an important factor in Israeli support for the war, which was sparked when Hamas-led militants stormed communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 and taking 240 hostage. The war has devastated parts of Gaza , killed roughly 20,400 Palestinians and displaced nearly 85% of the besieged territory’s 2.3 million people.The Health Ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza said 166 people were killed in the coastal enclave over the past day.Israelis still stand behind the country’s stated goals of crushing Hamas’ governing and military capabilities and releasing the remaining 129 captives. That support has stayed mostly steady despite rising inter...

Sunday forecast: Dense fog moves out of area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:20 GMT

A dense fog advisory is in effect until 12 p.m. for several counties. Visibility in some parts of Chicagoland, including Chicago's Midway International Airport, was less than a mile.Latest warnings and watches from the National Weather Service.Sunday (Dec. 24):  AM Fog, Mostly cloudy, SSE winds 5-15 mph   High: 57. Sun. Night:  Mostly cloudy   Low:  48Temperatures will remain in the 50s through Tuesday and then start to drop on Thursday with the high on Saturday around freezing.

Weekend Break: Christmas Around the World

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:20 GMT

CHICAGO — On Christmas Eve, Weekend Break stopped by the Museum of Science and Industry for Christmas Around the World. MORE STORIES: Weekend Break You can learn more by watching this story in the player above.

Holiday foods can be toxic to pets, here's what to do if Rover or Kitty eats them

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:20 GMT

(The Conversation) - During the holidays, it’s typical for people to indulge in special foods. Being a pet owner myself, I know that many pet parents want to give their fur babies special treats as well.As a veterinarian and clinical veterinary researcher, however, I also know that some very common foods – including many popular holiday staples – are dangerous to pets.Here are some of the most common food-related crises we veterinarians encounter in the animal ER during the holidays, and what to do if they happen.Fatty food risksTurkey with gravy is probably among the most popular holiday meals. And most dogs or cats would certainly agree with their humans that roast turkey is delicious.However, the fat contained in turkey skin – and the excess of fatty, greasy foods that can accompany it, such as gravy, butter and bacon – don’t go down well with cats and dogs. Pets that ingest an overload of fats may develop pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas, the organ th...

'Just Bewildered': Daughter of Richmond WWII veteran speaks after father's remains identified

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:20 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS -- Anne Walker Collingwood never knew her father.Collingwood's father — U.S. Army Second Lt. Gene Walker, a Richmond resident — died while fighting in World War II in 1944, just months after Collingwood was born."I just drifted through life for 79 years, not knowing a whole lot about my father," she said.But, when Walker's remains were identified in July by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Collingwood got a chance to do something she never thought she would do: plan a funeral for her father. According to previous reports, Walker's remains were accounted for on July 21 after his death in 1944. Walker's unit was engaged in battle with German forces near Hücheln, Germany, when the tank Walker was in was hit by an 88mm anti-tank round. Walker is believed to have been killed instantly.After the war, officials with the American Graves Registration Command investigated missing American personnel in Europe. While several investigations were conducted in the Hücheln a...

ATCEMS: Vehicles swept into north Austin creek Sunday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:20 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin-Travis County EMS are responding to a report of a vehicle swept off the road and into a creek in north Austin Sunday morning. Texas prepares for thunderstorms, heavy rainfall ahead of holiday weekend The call came in just after 7 a.m. that multiple patients were in the vehicle. The vehicle was swept off the road in the 1100 block of Rutland Drive, just north of West Rundberg Lane and near the Quail Creek Neighborhood Park.Officials said the Austin Fire Department and Travis County Star Flight are also responding. Safety tips: How to drive in the rain, what to do if your car hydroplanes An additional update from ATCEMS online revealed officials discovered a second vehicle "in the creek upside down that will need to be searched when water recedes." The exact patient count is unknown at this time, but multiple have been discovered already and are receiving medical assessment.Officials added responders are looking for a victim "who was reported to be seen by...

Other voices: Here’s how the IRS whistleblower revealed flaws of the U.S. tax code. He still committed a serious crime

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:20 GMT

At the peak of the pandemic, a series of reports revealed that many of the richest Americans paid little in income taxes — and, in some years, nothing.The 2021 stories by nonprofit news organization ProPublica were based on the actual tax returns of wealthy Americans ranging from George Soros and Elon Musk to Ken Griffin.The stories illustrated how multibillionaires can keep more of their money out of government coffers legally by taking full advantage of deductions, credits and loopholes. They highlighted the unfairness of a system where top earners often pay far less than the average middle-class tax rate — a situation that is, in our view, un-American.But …But how did ProPublica get the tax returns? Those documents are secret, and absolutely not available upon request to journalists curious about how much an individual might, or might not, be paying.Enter Charles “Chaz” Littlejohn, a St. Louis native in his late 30s who was a consultant to the Intern...