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Spectrum auction wraps, bringing more than $2.1 billion

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:50:00 GMT

OTTAWA — The federal government has announced the results of its latest spectrum auction offering telecommunications companies the chance to purchase chunks of mid-band wireless spectrum touted for being able to carry a lot of data over long distances.Telus Communications Inc. was awarded the most licences in the provisional results, having secured 1,430 licences for nearly $620 million.Bell Canada was awarded 939 licences for $518 million, followed by Rogers Communications Inc., which says it invested $475 million for 40.5 MHz of 3800 MHz spectrum, spanning 860 licences. Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron, was has been seeking to solidify itself as a fourth national carrier, spent almost $300 million to secure 305 licences.A total of 22 companies had qualified to participate in the auction, which was the first held since 2021.The federal government said the 3800 MHz auction marked a key milestone in its plan to make spectrum available for 5G services and rural connectivity. It says it...

Family of Marine killed in Afghanistan fails to win lawsuit against Alec Baldwin

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:50:00 GMT

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Alec Baldwin didn’t have to pay anything to resolve a $25 million lawsuit filed by family members of a Marine killed in Afghanistan after the actor chastised them on social media over the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Baldwin’s attorney said.U.S. Southern District of New York Judge Edgardo Ramos in August dismissed the lawsuit sought by the wife and sisters of Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, of Jackson, Wyoming, When the McCollum family didn’t file an amended lawsuit as Ramos invited to do before a September deadline, the judge closed the case in October.Baldwin paid nothing to resolve the case, his attorney Luke Nikas said Wednesday in an email to The Associated Press.The case has seen no activity since, according to court documents. Lawyers for both sides, including McCollum family attorney Dennis Postiglione, did not comment further on the case when contacted by email Thursday. Reached by email Wednesday, Postiglione declined to comm...

Sen. Rand Paul performed Heimlich maneuver on choking Sen. Joni Ernst during GOP lunch

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:50:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa, was choking on food during a luncheon Thursday when fellow Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky performed the Heimlich maneuver on her.The incident occurred during a closed-door Republican lunch in the Capitol. Shortly after, Ernst posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to thank Paul. Ernst joked that she was choking on “woke policies.”She was seen walking in the Capitol after the incident, and senators said they were grateful Paul was ready to help her. The Kentucky senator formerly worked as an eye doctor.“It’s a good thing he did,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. “God bless Rand Paul.”The Associated Press

Liberal justice minister accepts Senate changes to government bail-reform bill

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:50:00 GMT

OTTAWA — Federal Justice Minister Arif Virani is urging the House of Commons to accept Senate amendments to the Liberal government’s bail-reform legislation and pass it into law.Virani says the government accepts the changes, which include a new requirement that judges detail how their bail decisions take into account the circumstances of accused people who are Indigenous or members of other marginalized groups.The minister says the Criminal Code already states that courts have to consider such factors, but the Senate heard from witnesses who said the law is not consistently applied. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association proposed the measure during the Senate’s study of the legislation, saying that courts often don’t do this analysis, or fail to explain how it is done.It was one of several civil-society groups that said proposed reforms making it more difficult for some offenders to access bail could worsen the overrepresentation of Black and Indigenous offender...

Georgia Republicans advance House and Senate maps as congressional proposal waits in the wings

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:50:00 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Republicans on Thursday pushed forward new legislative maps that would preserve their majorities in the state House and Senate, while still not revealing how they want to redraw Georgia’s 14 congressional districts.A state Senate committee voted 7-5 along party lines to advance a new Senate map, while a House committee voted 9-5 to advance a new House map. Both bills advance to their full chambers, which could debate them Friday. Democrats and some outside groups targeted the Senate map as particularly flawed, saying it fails to create significant opportunities for Black voters in the 10 districts that a federal judge identified as violating the law. But Democrats also question the House map, in part because it would alter or eliminate two districts in which no ethnic group is a majority.Lawmakers are meeting in special session after U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled in October that Georgia’s legislative and congressional maps violated federal law by...

Texas judge rips into Biden administration’s handling of border in dispute over razor wire barrier

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:50:00 GMT

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — Border Patrol agents for now can cut razor wire that Texas installed on the U.S.-Mexico border under a judge’s ruling that also took President Joe Biden’s administration to task for its handling of immigration enforcement. The ruling is at least a temporary defeat for Texas officials who say Border Patrol agents have repeatedly cut, damaged and moved some of the roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) of concertina wire the state installed near the border city of Eagle Pass, where large numbers of migrant have crossed in recent months. U.S. District Judge Alia Moses, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, initially issued an emergency order in October that prevented agents from cutting razor wire in Eagle Pass, except in emergencies. On Wednesday, however, she ruled that the state hadn’t met the requirements to issue a wider preliminary injunction.At the same time, she said razor wire has proved to be effective at deterring migrants elsewhe...

McDonald's is bringing back adult happy meals

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:50:00 GMT

ST. LOUIS (KTVI) -- McDonald's is releasing a new limited-edition happy meal for adults, complete with a very special toy. It's a modern take on the beloved McNugget buddy toys of the '80s and '90s. You can choose from a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets or a Big Mac box. Footlong cookies are coming to Subway restaurants nationwide Step Into Frost Way with The Kerwin Frost Box at McDonald’sIt also comes with fries, a soft drink and, of course, the toy. There are six different buddies that come with mix-and-match outfits. The meals will be available at participating McDonald's starting Dec. 11.A special McNugget Buddy collectible makes its return after 25 years, designed in partnership with Kerwin Frost.Hailing from Harlem, New York, internet personality Kerwin Frost said he used to have a McNugget Buddy collection when he was a kid. McDonald's decided to collaborate with Frost to reintroduce the Buddies. There are six of them – named Kerwin Frost, Don Bernice, Uptown Moe, Waffutu, BRRRI...

Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center launching new series

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:50:00 GMT

Illinois holocaust survivors have a powerful message to share as the war in Gaza continues.Some of the survivors have written letters and made a video to let the world know that the events of October 7 were traumatizing and have impacted them and the entire world. They want everyone to know it's important to come together and build a better world.Kelley Szany is the senior vice president of education and exhibitions at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.She joined the WGN Evening News.The center is launching a new programming initiative called Understanding & Confronting Anti-Jewish Hate. Beginning in December 2023, this initiative will be anchored in a series of programs focused on helping the Chicagoland community identify and address antisemitism head-on.The first will be held on Dec 5.Full details here.

HIV on the rise for the first time in a decade — and more

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:50:00 GMT

For Thursday, Nov. 30, WGN’s Dina Bair has new medical information, including: More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch HIV on the riseFor the first time in a decade, HIV diagnoses have increased, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. The center revealed the troubling trend as more people are infected with the disease. Experts blame the HIV increase on several factors, including migration, lifting COVID-19 restrictions and the arrival of refugees who are getting better medical attention. Nearly 23,000 new HIV cases were diagnosed in 2022. Women were the most affected by new diagnoses and heterosexual sex was the primary transmission mode.       High altitude conditions can help surgery recoveryHigher altitudes can help older people thrive after surgery. But they don't have to climb a mountain. Researchers simulated high altitude conditions and said it aided older patients at risk for surgery-related he...

Richard Allen disagrees with Judge Gull, AG Rokita's findings; continues push for Indiana Supreme Court to step in

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:50:00 GMT

CARROLL COUNTY, Ind. — Richard Allen, the man accused of killing Abby Williams and Libby German in Delphi in 2017, disagrees with Judge Fran Gull and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita's reasoning to have his petition thrown out of the state's highest court. Attorneys representing Allen previously filed a writ of mandamus with the Indiana Supreme Court petitioning that Gull be removed from the high-profile Delphi murders case and that Allen's original defense team of Bradley Rozzi and Andrew Baldwin be reinstated. Gull removed the lawyers from the case in October after sensitive crime scene evidence was leaked online. The leak was due to a former coworker of Baldwin's taking photographs of evidence photos which Baldwin had laid out in a conference room in his law office. Andrew Baldwin (L), Richard Allen (C), Bradley Rozzi (R) Gull called the attorneys "grossly negligent" in her reasoning for removing them from the case and argued that removing them was in the best interest of All...