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Quebec pedophile hunters face child pornography distribution charges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

GATINEAU, Que. — Members of a self-proclaimed group of Quebec pedophile hunters have been arrested and face 38 charges including distribution of child pornography.Gatineau police say six people were arrested Thursday as part of a crackdown on the vigilante group.Five of the suspects, four men and a woman aged 24 to 27, face charges of distributing child pornography.Some of them also face charges of intimidation and forcible confinement while a sixth suspect, a 40-year-old man from a nearby Western Quebec region, faces criminal harassment, intimidation and forcible confinement charges.Police say the group’s activities were widely advertised on social media with the alleged vigilantes filming their meetings with alleged pedophiles after contacting them online.Const. Andrée East, a Gatineau police spokeswoman, says the distribution of child pornography charges relate to the methods that are alleged to have been used to corner suspects, using explicit photos faked to make it look ...

6 people charged in deadly fire at Mexican detention center

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A Mexican court on Thursday issued arrest orders for six people in relation to the fire that killed 39 migrants at a detention facility earlier this week in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, according to the federal prosecutor leading the investigation.Sara Irene Herrerías said the six include three officials from the National Immigration Institute, two private security guards contracted by the agency and the person who allegedly started the fire. She said they would face charges of homicide and causing injuries.At least 39 migrants died after apparently starting a fire inside a holding cell at the facility Monday night. More than two dozen other migrants were injured. Video from inside the facility showed the fire starting, but guards not making any apparent attempt to release th migrants from the cell.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.MEXICO CITY (AP) — The top immigration official in the Mexican state where a detention center fire...

Concerns raised over recommendation to phaseout RCMP police training Depot in Regina

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

REGINA — Saskatchewan politicians are raising concerns after a report recommended RCMP’s Depot police training academy in Regina be phased out for a new degree-style system.A report released Thursday into the 2020 shooting rampage in Nova Scotia that left 22 people dead recommended the phaseout by 2032, and that provinces instead establish three-year policing degree programs.The RCMP has been training recruits at the Depot for the past 140 years. It has strong ties to Regina and has been a source of heritage, employment and tourism in the province.Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck, the member of the legislative assembly for Regina Lakeview, said she opposes the proposal.“It’s deeply concerning and not only as an MLA for Regina, but also as someone very proud of the tradition of the RCMP in this province,”  Beck told reporters. “I think this seems an extreme measure, especially at a time when we have a shortage of officers across the country.”The report denounces the RCMP response to ...

MPs debate bill that would outlaw advertising sugar to Canadian kids

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

OTTAWA — Trix may be for kids, but a Quebec Liberal MP does not want that kind of cereal or other sugary foods marketed that way anymore.A parliamentary health committee is discussing Patricia Lattanzio’s private member’s bill, which seeks to reduce childhood obesity by forbidding advertisements for sugary food and drinks aimed at kids under 13.Conservatives have opposed the bill, which passed an initial vote in the House of Commons in September, on the basis that it may create a whole bunch of regulations without accomplishing the goal of actually changing kids’ eating habits.But the NDP has indicated support for the prospective law.“I think we have to send a clear message: if we want to protect our kids from the very, very effective and sophisticated advertising techniques, and billions of dollars spent to try to attract children to products that will harm their health, then I think that has to be the dominant goal of this bill,” health critic Don Dav...

1 dies after being found shot on front porch in Gary

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

GARY, Ind. — A person is dead after they were found shot on a front porch Thursday afternoon in Gary, according to police.Around 1:10 p.m., Gary Police Department officers were called to investigate a report of shots fired in the 4400 block of East Delaware Street. Sibling, 5, fatally shoots 16-month-old brother in Indiana When they arrived, they found an unresponsive person, a male, on a front porch, according to a Facebook post from the department. As of now, police said the incident appears to be isolated. Detectives are investigating the incident as a homicide. Gary native Johnell Davis makes history in Florida Atlantic’s NCAA Tournament run The age and the name of the person who died haven't been released.Anyone with information should call police.

8 jurors deliberating on Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash as trial concludes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

PARK CITY, Utah (KTVX) — Who struck whom on the slopes of Deer Valley Resort in February 2016? Eight jurors are expected to give their judgment in the matter soon after the ski crash case between Gwyneth Paltrow and optometrist Terry Sanderson ended Thursday afternoon.Those jurors will have to rely on the testimony of expert witnesses who were not on the scene and conflicting eyewitnesses who were. Either way, very scant evidence exists from the actual crash. While there was a lot of discussion about possible GoPro camera footage floating around, it never surfaced. Coffee, steak, chocolate chip cookies: These are the groceries that rose in price in the West last month “It’s a ‘He-Said, She-Said’ case,” said Sanderson’s attorney Kristin van Orman Thursday morning.But Paltrow’s attorneys reminded the jury that it’s Sanderson’s team that must provide the burden of proof in the case.Under Utah law, jurors could possibly decide that both Paltrow and Sanderson had liability in the case ...

Vallas receives endorsements, Johnson speaks with Chicago nurses ahead of Election Day

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

CHICAGO -- Chicago mayoral candidates were out on the town Thursday gathering as much support as they can before the April 4 election. WGN Poll: Vallas leading Johnson in Chicago Mayoral runoff election Paul Vallas stopped by the Chicago Cub's opening day festivities, posing for pictures with voters outside the historic Cubby Bear, alongside Aldermen Tom Tunney.Vallas' meet-and-greets began in Belmont Cragin, where some Latino faith leaders gave him their endorsement at the New Life Family center. He said churches and other faith-based organizations are an important part of the public safety fabric of Chicago.  "The faith based organizations can play a critical role in the mentoring and tutoring and character development," Vallas remarked. "For many families, the churches are places where families can go for help." Rewatch the entire WGN Chicago Mayoral Debate here Vallas' opponent, Brandon Johnson, met with nurses from the Illinois Nurses Association and Nurses Union ...

2023 Remarkable Women of Chicago winner announced

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

CHICAGO -- March is Women’s History Month and Nexstar and WGN have recognized the great contributions women have made in our community.Throughout March, four finalists for the 2023 Woman of the Year award have been highlighted, and now, we have a winner. ‘Let’s show them’: Elmhurst mother starts sports program for special needs children Congratulations to Dena Seidenfuss, of Access Sports in Elmhurst, for being WGN's Remarkable Woman of the Year.From starting with six kids and one sport 17 years ago, to now hosting 80 participants playing four sports, Seidenfuss has expanded Access Sports to ensure all kids have a chance to play sports.“I really wanted my son to be able to play, wear the uniforms, hoist the trophies play on the same fields and have the same connection just the same way other kids have with their peers,” Seidenfuss said.“And then someone said to me ‘why don’t you start your own?’ and I’m like oh, maybe I could do that!” See the other Remarkable Women finalists he...

Report: Austin listed among cities with highest property taxes in US

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin metro ranked in the top 15 American cities with the highest property taxes, according to a report by Construction Coverage. The report ranked Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown at No. 13.According to the report’s findings, Austin metro’s effective property tax rate for owner-occupied homes was 1.4%.The report said the median property taxes paid for owner-occupied homes in Austin metro was $6,397, the median owner-occupied home value was $397,100 and the median household income was $86,530.Other large Texas metros ranked in the top 15 were:Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington at No. 6 with a 1.6% property tax rateHouston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land at No. 7 with a 1.6% property tax rateSan Antonio-New Braunfels at No. 10 with a 1.5% property tax rateRochester, New York, was ranked at No. 1 with an effective property tax rate for owner-occupied homes at 2.4%.According to the report, property taxes are usually calculated as a percentage of the assesse...

Austin Police corporal runs nearly 200 miles for charity

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:46 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Police Department Corporal Ben Mewis ran from the San Jacinto monument in Harris County to the Texas State Capitol to raise money and awareness for a cause close to his heart: CASA of Travis County. The run was just under 200 miles. Austin corporal runs from Alamo to Texas Capitol, uses passion to connect with community CASA of Travis County helps children who have experienced abuse or neglect. “For me, specifically, the hardest calls that I take have to do with children involved as victims," Mewis said. "So this means a lot to me for Austin and for Travis County to be able to run for this group.” While this is the first time he's running for a charity - this isn't his first time taking on a large-scale running endeavor to connect with the community. In 2021, he ran every street of his patrol sector - the Baker Sector.Around Thanksgiving, he ran from the Alamo in San Antonio to the Capitol. During that run, he said people asked him if he was running for a c...