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Former Mountie tells court he was unaware of secrets sent to investigative targets

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:08 GMT

OTTAWA — A former RCMP investigator who worked on a money laundering probe says he was unaware at the time that someone had sent secret information to people who were of interest to authorities. Disclosure of the material in question could have tipped off suspects or even jeopardized the safety of police, retired staff sergeant Patrick Martin testified Thursday in the trial of Cameron Jay Ortis, a former RCMP intelligence official charged with breaching Canada’s secrets law. Ortis, 51, has pleaded not guilty to violating the Security of Information Act by allegedly revealing secrets to three individuals in 2015 and trying to do so in a fourth instance. The Crown alleges that Ortis anonymously sent secret information to people who were of interest in the money laundering investigation, including Salim Henareh and Muhammad Ashraf. Ortis’s lawyers have said they will argue their client had the authority to take the actions he did. Martin, who was involved in the probe known...

N.W.T. premier presses for infrastructure as Trudeau promises new homes

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:08 GMT

YELLOWKNIFE — The premier of the Northwest Territories said Thursday she doesn’t expect the North to get essential critical infrastructure before the next climate disaster, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the fire-ravaged region.“The longer we wait, the more in danger we are and the more at risk we are to climate change,” Caroline Cochrane said.Cochrane joined Trudeau in Yellowknife to announce a jointly funded project between the federal government and the N.W.T., with the city providing the land. Fifty new affordable homes are to be built in the capital under the federal government’s rapid housing project. Trudeau acknowledged remote communities face unique challenges with supplies and workers.“The people who are, of course, hardest hit by this lack of supply are vulnerable people, including seniors, Indigenous peoples and those experiencing homelessness,” he said.“Housing is a complex issue, and we have to tackle it from different angles.”Trudeau ...

White House poised to announce winners of competition to produce hydrogen fuel

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:08 GMT

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The White House is poised to announce the winners of a $7 billion federal competition to produce and deliver hydrogen fuel, with the Philadelphia area and West Virginia among those selected, according to a person familiar with the program.President Joe Biden is expected to make the official announcement during an economic-themed visit to Philadelphia on Friday.There were 23 finalists for the hydrogen fuel program, a key component of the president’s clean energy plan.Among those selected are the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub, based in West Virginia, and the Philadelphia-area Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub, according to the person briefed on the plan. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss the selection before Biden’s appearance and spoke on condition of anonymity.Pennsylvania, a presidential battleground state of the highest importance to Biden in next year’s election, is in line to benefit from both the Philadelphia-area hub a...

WNBA legend Teresa Weatherspoon is the next Chicago Sky coach

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:08 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Sky have chosen one of the best-known players in the history of the Women's National Basketball Association to lead the team moving forward.Teresa Weatherspoon is coming to the Windy City to begin a new era of the franchise.Now official: The @chicagosky have hired Teresa Weatherspoon as their new head coach..The Basketball Hall of Famer has been an assistant for the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans since 2020..@WGNNews pic.twitter.com/q4zvN9i5tA— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) October 12, 2023The Basketball Hall of Famer has been named the sixth full time head coach in the history of the Sky, with the news becoming official on Thursday afternoon. She replaces James Wade, who resigned as the head coach and general manager of the team in July to take an assistant coach position with the Toronto Raptors. Emre Vatansever served as interim head coach for the rest of the 2023 season, with the Sky qualifying for the WNBA playoffs for a fifth straight year. They lost in ...

Can a solar eclipse poison your food? Debunking 5 popular myths

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:08 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The so-called "ring of fire" annular eclipse will blaze a path across the western half of the United States Saturday. As exciting as the event will be for millions of Americans, eclipses also have a history of myths and misconceptions.Since eclipses themselves pre-date the scientific breakthroughs that allow us to understand and predict them, so do some of humanity's early beliefs about eclipses. MAP: Where, when and how to get the best view of the 2023 annular eclipse "Some older ideas seem remarkably resistant to replacement by the more scientifically-correct explanations," NASA wrote on a page dedicated to dispelling those myths.In no particular order, here are a few of the most popular ones:1. The sun's rays are more dangerousDr. Kelly Korreck, NASA's program manager for solar eclipses, told Nexstar that a recurring theme has to do with sunlight."One common one that comes to mind is that somehow the sun's light and rays that come from the sun are dangerous or diff...

Illegal dam in Mason County blocking water from refilling Highland Lakes

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:08 GMT

MASON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- A dam that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say was constructed illegally in Mason County is blocking water from flowing toward the Highland Lakes, which serve as Austin's drinking water supply. NEXT: Houston oil executive wants to build private dam for recreation on South Llano River This new dam came to KXAN's attention following our investigation of a different, proposed private dam on the South Llano River.A hydrologist told KXAN the sudden rise of new dam construction is part of a growing trend statewide, stressing dwindling water resources during a multi-year drought.Mason County residents are concerned"We share the rivers with everybody. We always have," Mason County resident Kathy Zesch-Bradley said. "This land has been in my family since the 1850s, and no one has ever attempted to do this, but especially not having any permits.""Unfortunately, it's a situation where people that have enormous amounts...

What causes "near misses" at airports?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) issued a press release Wednesday evening stating that chronic staffing shortages within the National Airspace Systems (NAS) are "not sustainable" and possibly to blame for near miss events."Currently, there are 1,200 fewer fully certified controllers than there were 10 years ago," the NATCA statement reads, "The effect of that mandatory overtime has been very difficult to the controller workforce on a personal level, denying them time with their families that other Americans take for granted and increasing stress and fatigue in a profession that is already one of the most stressful."The statement comes after reporting by The New York Times about a February near miss at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. February: Austin airport plane incident under Federal Aviation Administration investigation A "near miss event," according to a Merriam-Webster post, refers to proximity of two objects and not the probabi...

Hot Friday, then wonderful fall weather this weekend

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Temperatures spike well above normal values on Friday, then a late-day cold front brings lower humidity, cooler temperatures and wonderful autumn weather for Austin City Limits Music Festival weekend two.We begin Friday with cloudy skies and a bit of mist and drizzle, courtesy of muggy October humidity. A rain-free cold front enters the Hill Country mid-morning, then blows through the Austin area by 3 p.m. Gusty northerly winds drop temperatures and humidity Friday evening after a briefly hot afternoon.Wonderful autumn weather follows the front with mild, sunny days and brisk fall nights into early next week. We are tracking the next storm system set to bring rain and thunderstorms to Texas on Thursday. Stay tuned for updates.Annular solar eclipse SaturdayThe weather looks great for local viewing of the annular solar eclipse midday Saturday. Expect mostly sunny skies, low humidity and cool temperatures. Full information on the eclipse is below: Annular solar eclip...

People concerned about crime, lack of streetlights in San Marcos neighborhood

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:08 GMT

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) --- People in a San Marcos neighborhood said they are worried about more crime in the area. On Thursday, they will have a chance to speak directly with the San Marcos Police Department about it at a public safety meeting.'It's unsafe'One of those people concerned is George Garcia. He said at night, most of his street in the Blanco Gardens area of San Marcos is pitch black. "The only light that's working is the light that's about five houses down," Garcia said. "It's pretty dark. We usually use flashlights to come out here to go into our car or take out the trash cans the night before."Garcia believed the lack of light contributed to more crime."The crime has been very high," he said. "Breaking into cars, going into backyards, taking bikes, especially bikes, lawn mowers."He said it makes it dangerous for himself and others who leave for work before the sun comes up."There are residents here that work for the school district that are bus drivers and they got t...

Mortgage rates hit 23-year high which may deter some Austin homebuyers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:21:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The average long-term mortgage rate has risen to 7.57%, reaching a 23-year high, according to the Austin Board of Realtors. Rates may even breach 8%, increasing the income a family unit would need to earn to comfortably afford a typical home, according to Zillow. At the current rate in Austin, the income needed to afford a typical home is $107,000 annually. If the mortgage rate increases to 8%, a household will need to earn around $114,000 a year to comfortably afford a standard Austin home, according to a Zillow analysis. This prediction is based on the 30% income threshold commonly used as a guideline for homeowners. “The probability that mortgage rates could reach 8% is certainly higher now than it was in months past,” said Claire Losey, the housing economist for the Austin Board of Realtors. “Higher mortgage rates diminish purchase affordability or the homebuyer's potential purchasing power. So, in essence, each increase in the mortgage interest ra...