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Rhode Island governor signs bill to fund abortion coverage for state workers and Medicaid recipients

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:52 GMT

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee signed a bill into law Thursday that would let state funds be used to pay for health insurance plans that cover state workers and Medicaid recipients seeking abortions.The signing ceremony was held almost immediately after the state Senate approved the measure, also Thursday, on a 24-12 vote following less than an hour of debate in the chamber.McKee, a Democrat, said he was proud to sign the bill into law and include related funding in his state budget proposal.“Here in Rhode Island, we will always protect a woman’s right to choose and ensure equal access to these crucial health care services,” he said.An identical version of the measure cleared the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives on April 27 by a 49-24 vote.Democratic state Sen. Bridget Valverde, one of the bill’s sponsors, said that despite a vote by Rhode Island lawmakers four years ago to enshrine the right to safe, legal abortion in the state, the work to hel...

Montana is banning TikTok. But can the state enforce the law and fend off a lawsuit?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:52 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Montana’s first-of-its kind law that makes it illegal for residents to use TikTok in the state is already facing its first legal challenge with a lawsuit filed by five people who use the app and argue the law is an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights.Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed it into law Wednesday expecting a legal fight would follow. The law, which isn’t scheduled to take effect until Jan. 1, 2024, also faces a litany of questions over whether the state can even enforce the law. The new rules in Montana will have more far-reaching effects than TikTok bans already in place on government-issued devices in nearly half the states and the U.S. federal government. There are 200,000 TikTok users in Montana as well as 6,000 businesses that use the video-sharing platform, according to company spokesperson Jamal Brown. Here’s what you need to know:WHY IS MONTANA BANNING TIKTOK?Proponents of the law in Montana claim the Chinese gove...

Clerk who locked door before shooting in gas station charged with involuntary manslaughter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:52 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — A gas station clerk who locked a door during a dispute over a small purchase was charged with involuntary manslaughter Thursday after the uproar led to the fatal shooting of another man.Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy filed the charge against Al-Hassan Aiyash, 22, of Hamtramck, in connection with the fatal May 6 shooting of Gregory Kelly, 37, of Detroit, who also was inside the gas station.Kelly and two other men inside the gas station repeatedly pleaded with Aiyash to unlock the door and let them out, Worthy said.Aiyash pushed a security button to unlock the door, but didn’t tell the men seconds before the shooting began, Worthy said.“The allegations of the defendant locking the door of the store and not heeding the pleas of the men to be released led to tragic consequences in this case,” Worthy said in a news release.Aiyash was arrested Thursday by the Detroit Police Department and was expected to be arraigned Friday morning, Worthy said. It wasn’t clear wh...

B.C. government announces $11M grant for training single-room occupancy hotel tenants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:52 GMT

VANCOUVER — The B.C. government says it’s providing $11 million in grant funding to a non-profit in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside aimed at training and empowering tenants of single-room occupancy hotels.The provincial housing ministry says in a news release the money is going to the Downtown Eastside SRO Collaborative Society for three years of life-skills training programs the society offers to tenants of privately owned single-room occupancy buildings. The ministry says programs offered by the society include fire safety and overdose prevention training, with funding projected to reach more than 2,700 tenants in more than 50 privately run buildings. The ministry says the one-time funding boost will also support initiatives for tenant-driven cleaning and repair work and organizing committees to prevent evictions.The society’s executive director, Wendy Pedersen, says in the release that the buildings are a last resort for people before they become homeless and impr...

Agreement with watchdog agency allows Virginia State Police to investigate itself

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:52 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Late last year, with the Virginia State Police under scrutiny after authorities said a former trooper kidnapped a 15-year-old California girl and killed three members of her family, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced he had requested a full investigation by the state’s watchdog agency.But due at least in part to a previously existing mutual agreement between state police and the watchdog, state police appear to have simply investigated the matter themselves, according to a policy document obtained by The Associated Press through a public records request.A memorandum of understanding between state police and the Office of the State Inspector General, the watchdog agency tasked with investigating waste and rooting out inefficiencies in state government, says that in nearly all cases, VSP retains responsibility for “the oversight and conduct of internal investigations of its personnel.”The memorandum makes an exception for allegations against the superintendent or deput...

What’s involved with separating Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon from the Region of Peel?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:52 GMT

As the Ontario government embarks on a process to dissolve the Region of Peel, experts say the process of creating standalone municipalities in Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon will be complex and public engagement will be key.During an announcement at Queen’s Park on Thursday, Ontario Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAH) Minister Steve Clark confirmed the decision, if passed, will come into force on Jan. 1, 2025. After that date, the three communities will be standalone municipalities.“My head is spinning at how complex this is going to be to untie this particular knot,” Zachary Spicer, an associate professor with York University and a former MAH staff member, told CityNews in response to the move.“It has taken a long time for the province to formally get to this point primarily because there’s such a cascading array of challenges when it comes to dissolving a regional government. We really haven’t done that before in the province of Ontario.R...

Crowd trouble mars West Ham’s win at AZ Alkmaar in Europa Conference League semifinals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:52 GMT

West Ham’s win over AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League semifinals was marred by crowd trouble after some Dutch supporters tried to storm into the area reserved for friends and family of the visiting players behind the dugout after the final whistle.West Ham players including Michail Antonio, Said Benrahma, Aaron Cresswell and Flynn Downes climbed over the advertising boards in a bid to stop the trouble.West Ham manager David Moyes, whose 87-year-old father David Sr. was at the match, said he had been worried about his family’s safety, although there were no reports of injuries. “I can’t explain what happened and why it happened,” Moyes said. “I can only say the players were involved because it was the family section and most of their family and friends were in there. That was probably the reason for the reaction.”West Ham advanced 3-1 on aggregate after substitute Pablo Fornals scored deep into stoppage time to secure a 1-0 win in the second leg. The ...

Canada gas prices to rise due to cleaner fuel rules: report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:52 GMT

A new analysis finds the federal government’s plan to move to cleaner fuel sources will raise the price at the pump and have a negative impact on economic growth.The report released on Thursday looked at Canada’s Clean Fuel Regulations which are set to take effect on July 1. The new regulations will require fuel suppliers to gradually reduce the carbon intensity of gasoline and diesel fuels in the country.Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux says the price of gasoline and diesel will increase by up to 17 cents per litre over the next seven years as a result of the regulations. While it will cost household budgets an average of $573 over that time, he says it equates to a small hit to the country’s finances overall.“Nine billion dollars, or 0.3 per cent of GDP by 2030. So it’s not a big impact,” he told CityNews.The report says the provinces that will feel the greatest financial impact on households are Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Newfoundland a...

California lawmakers block bill allowing people to sue oil companies over health problems

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:52 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers blocked two big environmental bills Thursday, one that would have ramped up the state’s emissions targets and another that would have made oil companies liable for the health problems of people who live close to oil wells. They are among the hundreds of bills that did not survive the Legislature’s suspense file, a mysterious process where lawmakers decide — with no explanation — which bills will get a chance to become law later this year and which ones should not move forward.Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law that bans drilling new oil wells within 3,200 feet of sensitive areas like homes and schools. But the law hasn’t taken effect because the oil industry qualified a referendum on the 2024 ballot asking voters to overturn it.That referendum angered environmental and health advocates. They decided if the oil industry wanted to block that law, then they would try to pass another law to let people who got sick from living t...

Accounting error means Pentagon can send an additional $3 billion in weapons to Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has overestimated the value of the weapons it has sent to Ukraine by at least $3 billion — an accounting error that could be a boon for the war effort because it will allow the Defense Department to send more weapons now without asking Congress for more money. The acknowledgment Thursday comes at a time when Pentagon is under increased pressure by Congress to show accountability for the billions of dollars it has sent in weapons, ammunition and equipment to Ukraine and as some lawmakers question whether that level of support should continue. It also could free up more money for critical weapons as Ukraine is on the verge of a much anticipated counteroffensive — which will require as much military aid as they can get. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously said the offensive was delayed because they did not yet have everything they needed. The error was caused when officials overvalued some of the systems sent to Ukraine, using the value...