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Russian lawmaker disputes report saying he adopted a child taken from a Ukrainian children’s home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:44 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A Russian lawmaker and staunch supporter of President Vladimir Putin has denied media allegations that he adopted a missing 2-year-old girl who was removed from a Ukrainian children’s home and changed her name in Russia.Sergey Mironov, 70, the leader of political party A Just Russia, asserted on social media that the Ukrainian security services and their Western partners concocted a “fake” report to discredit true Russian patriots like himself. His statement, posted on X, followed the BBC and independent Russian news outlet Important Stories publishing an investigation Thursday that said Mironov adopted a child named Margarita Prokopenko who was allegedly taken to Moscow at the age of 10 months by the woman to whom he is now married. Mironov accused the two news organizations of having only “one goal — to discredit those who take an uncompromising patriotic position.”“You are trying in vain,” he wrote, adding that Russia would win its war in Ukraine.The office of the U...

Trudeau accuses Tories of turning their backs on Ukraine’s needs, announces more aid

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:44 GMT

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the Conservatives for voting against a bill to implement a free trade agreement with Ukraine, saying it’s troubling to see support for the embattled country slipping. Trudeau accused the Tories of turning their backs on something Ukraine needs because of American-style partisanship, speaking with reporters in St. John’s at the Canada-EU Summit this morningTrudeau says he has boasted in the past to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that supporting Ukraine is not a political debate in Canada. Conservative MPs voted against a bill to implement the trade deal, and party leader Pierre Poilievre has insisted they were rejecting the legislation because it promotes carbon pricing. Ukraine has had a price on carbon for years and the country’s ambassador is urging Canada to pass the legislation.Canada announced another $60 million in military aid for Ukraine today, including nine million rounds of ammunition a...

2 men shot while inside vehicle on Near West Side

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:44 GMT

CHICAGO — Two men were shot early Friday morning while inside a vehicle on the Near West Side.At around 2 a.m., police responded to the 1300 block of South Throop on the report of shots fired.A 23-year-old man was transported in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds to the body.A 26-year-old man was transported in fair condition with multiple gunshot wounds to the body.No one is in custody. Anyone with information can leave an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com.

Pork could get more expensive in 2024 as pig farmers adjust to California's Proposition 12

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:44 GMT

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) -- A shakeup on the pork shelves at your grocery store is coming as pig farmers prepare for the January 1 implementation of a California animal welfare law mandating larger space requirements for pigs, cows, and chickens.In Illinois, where the state's pork industry is the fourth largest in the country, it's a nearly $14 billion part of the state's economy, according to Illinois Pork Producers Association.Fourth-generation pig farmer Cheryl Walsh owns one of the state's more than 2,100 pig farms which will be impacted by the new law."Right now, the hardest part of my job is not knowing what the future holds for me and my family business," said Walsh, owner of Cowser's Family Sow Farm in Bradford.The Farm Animal Confinement Initiative, better known as California Proposition 12, requires sows to have at least 24 square feet of space with the ability to move and turn around. Most pregnant sows are kept in gestation stalls measuring two feet wide by seven feet long."T...

The Loop NFL Picks: Week 12

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:44 GMT

Bears at Vikings (-3½)Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson stunned some of his most loyal supporters by claiming that his health is more important than fantasy football. It’s the surest sign yet that the injured player has been possessed by evil demons and might burn in the fiery pits of Hell.Pick: Vikings by 3PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 14: Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings fumbles the ball over the pylon for a touchback as he is tackled by Terrell Edmunds #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on September 14, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Browns at Broncos (-2½)Denver safety Kareem Jackson has been suspended four games for his vicious helmet-to-helmet hit on Minnesota’s Josh Dobbs. The blow was so violent and damaging that the Vikings’ QB instantly reverted to being the old Josh Dobbs.Pick: Browns by 3DENVER, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 19: Quarterback Joshua Dobbs...

Gophers football vs. Wisconsin: Keys to game, how to watch and who has the edge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:44 GMT

WISCONSIN vs. MINNESOTAWhen: 2:30 p.m. SaturdayWhere: Huntington Bank StadiumTV: Fox Sports 1Radio: KFAN, 100.3 FMWeather: 31 degrees, cloudy, 9 mph northeast windBetting spread: Wisconsin, -2Records: With a 37-3 loss to No. 2 Ohio State last week, the Gophers (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) have lost three straight games. The Badgers (6-5, 4-4) ended a three-game losing streak with a 14-point comeback for a 24-17 overtime win over Nebraska last Saturday.History: With a win, Minnesota will possess Paul Bunyan’s Axe for a third consecutive time, a streak unseen for the Gophers since they won four in a row in from 1984-87. College football’s most-played rivalry sits dead even at 62-62-8.Key matchup: P.J. Fleck vs. Luke Fickell. Fleck is 3-3 vs. the Badgers, while Fickell has not played Minnesota. The rivalry between the two schools was rekindled off the field when Fleck accused Wisconsin’s new staff of negative recruiting last December. On the field, will Fleck call the necessary shots to get a po...

UCSO to establish mental health co-response team

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:44 GMT

ULSTER COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Ulster County Sheriff's Office has been awarded a $400,000 Community Orientated Police Services grant by the United States Department of Justice. The grant will go toward expanding the sheriff's office's Opioid Response As County Law Enforcement (ORACLE) team by establishing a crisis intervention and mental health co-response team by early 2024. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The team, known as Support and Advocacy through Frontline Engagement (SAFE), will aim to support the county's community response with operations such as following up on 911 calls related to intentional overdoses and behavioral health, connecting people in need to appropriate Department of Mental Health resources and providing behavioral health outreach to black, indigenous and people of color communities. The team will consist of clinical social workers, peer advocates and deputies trained in crisis intervention. Congr...

Would you want to cut down your own Christmas Tree in Shawnee National Forest?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:44 GMT

HAROLD, Ill – Cut down your Christmas tree in the Shawnee National Forest with the purchase of a Christmas tree permit. This special permit allows you to harvest a Christmas tree from designated sections of the Shawnee National Forest.Selecting the perfect Christmas tree can be an adventure. According to Recreation.gov, it's recommended to do a preliminary scouting hike to identify an area with a diverse array of red cedar trees before venturing into the woods with your saw. Additionally, consider the weather conditions and the location of the tree when deciding to cut it down. However, this isn't a "Home Alone" situation where you can simply cut off the top of the tree; there are guidelines to follow for legally cutting down a tree. Each permit allows the purchase of only one Eastern red cedar tree, and the selected tree cannot exceed 15 feet in height.Recreation.gov provides all the necessary details for cutting down a tree. The cost of obtaining a tree is only $5.00, making it a ...

One dead, one injured after Thanksgiving knife attack at Denver migrant encampment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:44 GMT

A Thanksgiving Day knife attack at a downtown Denver migrant camp left one man dead and another person injured.On Thursday, the Denver Police Department investigated a stabbing in the Park Avenue and Lawrence Street area of downtown Denver near Coors Field around 11 a.m., with two people transported to the hospital with “unknown extent of injuries,” according to a tweet.By 3 p.m., an adult male victim had died at the hospital. No arrests have been made yet, and Denver police didn’t immediately respond on Friday with additional details on the stabbing, such as confirmation of the involvement of Venezuelan migrants specifically or updates on the suspect.But a KDVR journalist who was working on a separate story at the scene when the attack happened reported that a group of unhoused Venezuelan migrants in the area said a man with a knife had allegedly bothered them since Wednesday night, telling them that “they were not welcome here and for them to return to thei...

NFL picks: Thanksgiving leftovers, a former All-Pro for hire and a fun Week 12 AFC South matchup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:41:44 GMT

Around the AFCPost-Joe. Joe Burrow’s season-ending wrist injury is a potentially conference-rattling development. The Bengals now go forward with Jake Browning as their guy and, at 5-5, are going to have to find a way to mount a strong finish without an MVP-caliber player running the show. That’s a tall task. Seems like a long shot at this point, especially in football’s toughest division. They start that journey as 1.5-point home underdogs against offensively challenged Pittsburgh.All-Pro for hire. Seemingly out of nowhere this week, Indianapolis waived three-time All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard. He’s been hurt and his playing time diminished so far this year, but he’s been among the NFL’s very best defensive players for much of the past six years. For his part, he said he was shocked at the parting of ways. Now he’ll look around for another team to play for and already has several suitors.Highest perch. With the Chiefs losing Monday night, the current best record in the...