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Upwards of 50 ducks affected by chemicals from Friday’s industrial fire in Etobicoke

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

Toronto Wildlife officials say upwards of 50 ducks may have been affected as a result of chemicals leaking into a creek following a massive fire at an industrial plant on Friday. More than 100 firefighters responded to an explosion just after 1 a.m. at the Brenntag Canada chemical storage facility on Vulcan Street near Martin Grove Road and Belfield Road. The six-alarm blaze sent flames and plumes of dark smoke shooting into the air, forcing businesses in the nearby area to evacuate while residents were asked to stay indoors with their windows shut.Fire officials confirmed that a number of petroleum-based products were burning, primarily motor oil, but that they managed to contain the blaze and keep it away from more hazardous chemicals that were stored within the facility.Given the nature of the chemicals stored at the site, concern immediately shifted to potential health and environmental threats. Toronto Water and the Ministry of the Environment were on the scene conducting tests...

Bud Billiken Parade returns for 94th, inspiring Black youth

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Bud Billiken Parade returns to Chicago for its 94th year to kick off a new school year, celebrating African American culture and the talents of the youth. This year's theme is 'Parading in Peace Block by Block, sending positive vibes to youth going back to school. Founder of the Chicago Defender, Robert Sengstacke Abbott created the parade in 1924 which simply started as a picnic, then turned to festival in 1929. Kittens thriving after spending 5 days in shipping container from Georgia Generations of families lined the streets to watch marching bands, tumblers and the beloved South Shore drill team. Grammy winner and Chicago native J. Ivy will serve as Grand Marshal.'Bud Billiken' stands as a fictious character, or mascot of the Chicago Defender, made to protect and inspire the youth. The parade has now become the nation's second largest next to the Rose Parade. The three-mile-long parade kicked off Saturday morning and ends with a festival and picnic in Washington...

'Water intoxication': How much water is too much?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

(NEXTAR) – Staying properly hydrated is essential for keeping the body functional and healthy. But too much can be detrimental, and, in very rare cases, lead to death.One such case involved a 35-year-old woman in Indiana who unexpectedly died last month after consuming a large volume of water in a short amount of time, leading to low sodium concentrations in the blood, brain swelling and ultimately death, medical experts believe.“A condition happens in your body if you drink too much liquid that has no electrolytes in it, which is water, which causes hyponatremia, which is low sodium,” Monica Gandhi, M.D., a professor of medicine at the University of California in San Francisco told NewsNation last week.“If you have low sodium, you can get many conditions, but it’s really brain swelling that led to the death in this case. It’s a very sad case,” she said.Ashley Summers, the Indiana woman who died last month, had reportedly claimed to be feeling dehydrated after spending the day with ...

Florida shooting suspect's 'reign of terror' ends in deadly gunfight, sheriff says: 'Sounds like a movie plot'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A man was killed in a deadly shootout in Tampa early Saturday morning after a crime spree that "spanned several counties" in Florida, according to authorities."What we are about to describe this [morning] sounds like a movie plot of some big blockbuster action movie," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "The sad reality is that everything we're about to tell you is true, and several communities were victimized by this bad guy." Stolen forklift suspect leads police on chase in downtown Los Angeles Chronister said it all began with a domestic violence situation in Hernando County that crossed into Pasco County.According to Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, the victim of the domestic violence incident said she was going to Wesley Chapel to pick up her child, who was at her parent's house after the initial incident.At 2:14 a.m., the victim called the Pasco Sheriff's Office saying she arrived at her parents' home, but shortly after, the dispatcher hea...

Fleetwood Mac musician says restaurant burned in Maui wildfires: 'Main priority is the safety of our dear staff'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

(The Hill) – Fleetwood Mac co-founder Mick Fleetwood said his restaurant was lost in the raging wildfires on Maui this week.His restaurant, Fleetwood’s, stood on the waterfront in Lahaina, which has been almost completely destroyed by a wildfire that has killed at least 80 people, state officials said.“This is a devastating moment for MAUl and many are suffering unimaginable loss,” Fleetwood said on Instagram. “Fleetwoods on front Street has been lost and while we are heartbroken our main priority is the safety of our dear staff and team members.”“On behalf of myself and my family I share my heartfelt thoughts and prayers for the people of MAUI," he added. "We are committed to supporting the community and those affected by this disaster in the days month and years to come."Mick Fleetwood arrives at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)Fleetwood said he has lived on the island of Maui “for decades.” Can Lahaina’...

Women get far more migraines than men – a neurologist explains why, and what brings relief

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

(The Conversation) - A migraine is far more than just a headache – it’s a debilitating disorder of the nervous system.People who have migraines experience severe throbbing or pulsating pain, typically on one side of the head. The pain is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and extreme sensitivity to light or sound. An attack may last for hours or days, and to ease the suffering, some people spend time isolated in dark, quiet rooms.About 800 million people worldwide get migraine headaches; in the U.S. alone, about 39 million, or approximately 12% of the population, have them regularly.And most of these people are women. More than three times as many women as compared to men get migraines. For women ages 18 to 49, migraine is the leading cause of disability throughout the world.What’s more, research shows that women’s migraines are more frequent, more disabling and longer-lasting than men’s. Women are more likely than men to seek medical care and prescr...

Pornhub, coalition of adult websites sue Texas over law requiring them to collect user's legal ID

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A lawsuit filed August 4 asks a federal court to block Texas Interim Attorney General Angela Colmenero from enforcing a new law that would require users of adult websites to send their government-issued identification to those websites.The Free Speech Coalition (FSC), a trade association that represents "hundreds of businesses and individuals involved in the production, distribution, sale, and presentation of constitutionally-protected adult content," filed the lawsuit alongside 16 companies and one anonymous adult performer."Many of FSC’s members are individual adult performers gravely concerned about the consequences of the Act, but who fear for their safety should they come forward publicly to challenge the Act in court," FSC's attorneys write in the lawsuit.Some of the companies named in the lawsuit include the operators of adult entertainment websites Brazzers, Pornhub and XVideos. Download and read the full lawsuit Colmenero has not yet filed a response to t...

City of Austin Celebrates old Home Depot site demolition, prepares for more affordable housing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN)—The City of Austin will hosted a celebration Saturday morning to mark the redevelopment of the former site of the Home Depot store in north Austin.The site, located at 7211 N. Interstate 35, is officially called the St. John Site. That location held significant historical importance for the Black community, according to an announcement from a group representing that modern community. The site’s roots trace back to the 1890s when the St. John Regular Missionary Baptist Association obtained 350 acres north of Austin to establish a freedman community with the St. John Industrial Institute and Orphanage as its anchor, according to the city.The city acquired the site in 2008 and worked with the St. John community to create a plan, which was adopted in 2020.According to a City of Austin release announcing the demolition, the city planned a free, family-friendly event for Saturday that featured live music, local performances, children’s activities and breakfast tacos.Previous...

Austin Fire welcomes newest group of cadets during graduation ceremony

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Fire Department welcomed new cadets Friday morning with a ceremony in northwest Austin.The graduates for Cadet Class No. 136 included those with fathers and grandfathers who served with the department.“I will be the fourth generation in the Dandridge line with the Austin Fire Department,” said Colten Dandridge, a new graduate and member of AFD. AFD labor contract negotiations end without reached agreement Dandridge said his family has had 82 consecutive years with AFD.“I grew up in the fire station. I grew up with a whole fire family that was second to mine,” Dandridge said. “it’s just always been something that I've wanted to do, and I'm just happy that I finally got the opportunity.”KXAN also asked the cadets about their preparation while being in the thick of wildfire season.“Obviously, it's that nervousness—the butterflies you can say—but this is what we signed up for,” said Juan Chavarin, a new graduate and member of AFD. “We got one of the best tra...

AFD labor contract negotiations end without reached agreement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Thursday, the City of Austin said it did not reach an agreement with the Austin Firefighters Association (AFD) and Austin firefighters regarding labor contract negotiations, according to a city memo.The city said management had been working with the AFA for several months to achieve a mutually agreeable labor contract for the city’s firefighters.“Within the past week the parties had arrived at mutually agreeable language for all of the contract articles, which included a wage package that would keep our firefighters the overall best paid fire department in Texas by a significant margin, a reduction in scheduled work hours that directly addresses the AFA’s request, and other enhancements to the firefighters’ working conditions,” said Austin interim assistant city manager Bruce Mills in a memo.Mills said after agreeing on the contract language, management asked the AFA leadership to recommend the contract terms to its members; however, on Wednesday, AFA told the cit...