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Liberal MPs among Canadians in D.C. Tuesday to battle rising antisemitism

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:19:37 GMT

WASHINGTON — Two Liberal MPs are part of a Canadian delegation in the U.S. capital today to join a multilateral effort to combat the rise in antisemitism. Mental Health Minister Ya’ara Saks and Montreal MP Anthony Housefather are taking part in two days of meetings as part of the International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians. Housefather says this is the council’s first in-person meeting in eight years and comes during what he describes as the worst worldwide upsurge in antisemitism since the 1930s.He says recent incidents in Montreal — including attacks on synagogues and Jewish schools and a protest at Concordia University last week that turned violent — have been his most emotional time as an elected official. The Canadian delegation will also take part in what police expect will be a large pro-Israel rally scheduled to take place Tuesday in the shadow of Capitol Hill. Housefather says a number of Canadian protesters will also be in D.C. for the rally, part of an in...

Math teacher who became powerful Haitian gang leader has been killed, former mayor says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:19:37 GMT

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A powerful and feared gang leader in Haiti who was once a math and physics teacher was killed in a neighborhood within a sprawling seaside slum that he controlled for years, local media reported on Monday.The death of Iskar Andrice, who also has been identified as Iscar Andris, raised concerns that already rampant gang violence could spike further in the vacuum his death created.Andrice ruled the Belekou community within the Cite Soleil slum where he died, former mayor Esaïe Beauchard told Radio Galaxie FM.“It’s regrettable that this guy had to be involved in gang activity, because he’s a very intelligent man,” Beauchard said.It wasn’t immediately clear what day Andrice died.Jean-Frédérique Islain, the current mayor of Cite Soleil, declined to comment when contacted by The Associated Press.The gang that Andrice led was involved in murder, robbery, extortion, rape and the hijacking of goods and trucks, according to a recent U.N. report. He later joined fo...

Book Review: Rock ‘n’ roller and Rush pioneer Geddy Lee goes deep in his memoir, ‘My Effin’ Life’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:19:37 GMT

Geddy Lee is a rock star, that’s undeniable. But he’s also a polite Canadian to the core. So it’s fitting that the Rush icon picked a not-too-bawdy title for his memoir.“My Effin’ Life” is an engrossing tale of a “classic underachiever” who became a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame vocalist, bassist, and keyboard player. It’s a great read for anyone interested in the brilliant prog-rock trio or the music scene from the 1970s onward. Lee’s writing is a lot like his band’s songs — deep, gloriously nerdy, sometimes wandering and wonderfully thoughtful. It’s a 400-page narrative from a perfectionist who calls himself “Mr. Bossypants.”“It’s a compulsion to exhaust every possibility to make the perfect record,” he writes. “I don’t want to have to live with errors. Impossible, I know, but what’s the effin’ point of not shooting for the moon?”The book is enlivened by photos of scrawled lyric sheets, studio doodles and private emails as Lee t...

Chicago firefighter dies after falling through light shaft while battling blaze

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:19:37 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago firefighter died Monday from injuries he suffered when he fell through a light shaft at a burning building, officials said.Andrew “Drew” Price, 39, was helping battle a fire at a four-story building in the Lincoln Park neighborhood that began about 6 a.m., Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt said.Price was on the roof opening up holes for ventilation when he fell through a light shaft while putting out hot spots, Nance-Holt said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.She said a “mayday” was called and Price was located right away, but fellow firefighters needed to breach a wall to reach him. He was taken to the Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he died of his injuries, the commissioner said.Price had been a Chicago firefighter since 2009, Nance-Holt said. “We all knew Drew,” she said. “Drew worked out. He was a health nut. Loved by so many and will be missed by all.”Fire department spokesman Larry Langford said it was too early to know what started the bl...

Sustainable funds see net outflows in Q3 for first time since 2020: Morningstar

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:19:37 GMT

TORONTO — Morningstar Inc. says sustainable investment funds saw $22.4 million in net outflows last quarter for the first dip in the segment since the second quarter of 2020. The market research firm says the outflows weren’t limited to sustainable funds as Canadian long-term funds also lost nearly $4.1 billion, for a 0.2 per cent contraction compared with 0.1 per cent for sustainable funds.  The outflow in sustainable funds though was a notable shift from recent years that saw investors pump significant money into them, including more than $6 billion in net inflows in the first quarter of 2021 alone.It was only as interest rates started to climb in 2022 that flows began to drop, though sustainable funds still saw expansion of 3.2 per cent in the first quarter and 0.5 per cent in the second quarter.Passive funds were the source of the outflows, losing $208 million, while actively-managed funds saw inflows of more than $185.7 million. Active funds were also the only source of n...

New CDPH commissioner appointed by Mayor Johnson

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:19:37 GMT

CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Monday the appointment of Dr. Olusimbo "Simbo" Ige to serve as commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.Dr. Ige is currently the Managing Director of Programs at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and has previously served as the Assistant Commissioner for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene."Dr. Ige is a tremendous addition to not just our administration, but to the City of Chicago,” said Mayor Johnson. “Dr. Ige is someone who understands the balance between hard data and community interaction when assessing public health problems and solutions, and with decades of experience in public health, she brings a clear-eyed understanding of both the challenges and the opportunities that CDPH and our city face, and how we will collectively overcome them."She has been in public health for nearly two decades.As the Managing Director of Programs for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Dr. Ige oversaw partnerships w...

Jewish groups protest at Ogilvie near Israeli Consulate calling for ceasefire

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:19:37 GMT

CHICAGO — Protestors gathered Monday inside Ogilvie train station near the Israeli Consulate to rally for a ceasefire in Gaza as the Palestinian death toll surpasses 11,000.Jewish allies and supporters of the Palestinian cause gathered outside the Israeli Consulate, that sits in the same building as Ogilvie Transportation Center.Three Jewish organizations, Jewish Voice for Peace, If Not Now and Never Again, organized the demonstration, hoping to bring light to Jews standing in solidarity with Palestinians.The groups call for an end to the deadly attacks in Gaza that has claimed over 11,000 lives, mainly women and children. They also want water, food and electricity returned to Gaza to prevent further deaths. Pro-Palestinian protesters gather in Downtown Chicago while pro-Israel protestors rally in Northbrook "It's a fool's errand to think that defending oneself is going to come through bombing, mass killings and exile, displacement, ethnic cleansing genocide -- there's no military...

Missing 75-year-old Near West Side woman may need medical attention, CPD says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:19:37 GMT

CHICAGO  — Chicago police are looking for a missing 75-year-old woman who may require medical attention. Curl Donaldson was last seen at her home in the 800 block of S. Campbell Ave. on the Near West Side around 9:10 on Sunday. Curl was last seen wearing a yellow top, green pants, and black shoes.Police said Donaldson stands 5 feet, weighs 129 pounds, and has grey hair and brown eyes. SEE ALSO: Search underway for man missing from assisted living facility in ChicagoAnyone who may know Donaldson's whereabouts is asked to call 911 or Area Four Detectives at (312) 746-8251.

CPD officers helps migrant kids write new stories with donated books 

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:19:37 GMT

CHICAGO — A Chicago officer is using his time-off to help migrants.The officer’s love of books led him to begin a literacy effort for the migrant children living at his police station.Officer Jesus Magallon began his mission to hand out books to the children, newly arrived in Chicago over the summer. He saw the children of those newly arrived migrants and noticed they didn’t have any books. He said out to change that.On the force since 2018, Magallon started his career as a public school teacher and is now a PhD candidate at DePaul.Education and reading are very important to him. “That’s the beauty and the power of books … having access to that, you can learn anything and that is a very powerful concept,” he said.He has given away hundreds so far. Many of them came from Bernie’s Book Bank on the North Shore. Magallon believes that one book can make a difference for young minds. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines “You can find something that interests you, that...

MedWatch: FDA approves first vaccine for mosquito-borne disease — and more

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:19:37 GMT

For Monday, Nov. 13, WGN’s Dina Bair has new medical information, including: More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch FDA approves first Chikungunya virus vaccineEmerging as a global health threat, Chikungunya virus causes fever and joint pain.It can be debilitating, or even fatal, for newborns.  There have been more than 440,000 cases this year, including 350 deaths. Five million cases have been reported in the past 15 years.  Health experts say the threat is getting worse with climate change.  Chikungunya is most prevalent in africa, south america and southeast asia.  The FDA's approval is expected to speed up the vaccine's global rollout. The single dose shot is approved for those 18, and older who are at high risk of contracting the disease. Studies: Expermental cholestorl drugs show promiseTwo new experimental drugs to treat high cholesterol are showing promise. Instead of just helping people manage it, the drugs target those born with a genetic p...