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First Lady Jill Biden visits Chicago, speaks at Labor Federation event

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:02 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL) began its Labor Day celebrations Wednesday which includes First Lady Jill Biden headlining a McCormick Place event.Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is also expected to speak, and there may be an appearance by Governor JB Pritzker, both of whom met Biden on the tarmac as she arrived at O'Hare International Airport. McConnell freezes for 2nd time while taking questions The CFL, the third-largest council of the national American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), holds the annual Labor Day reception as it builds toward its Labor Day parade and Eddie Fest.WGN plans to livestream the speaking portion of this event within this story beginning at approximately 3:15 p.m.

Federal health officials recommend reclassifying marijuana

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:02 GMT

(The Hill) – The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has sent its findings on marijuana to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as part of the Biden administration's efforts into possibly altering marijuana's status in the U.S.In October 2022, President Biden requested that the HHS Secretary and the Attorney General conduct a review of how marijuana is currently scheduled under federal law. Marijuana is currently classified as Schedule I controlled substances, meaning the DEA considers it a drug "with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse."HHS on Tuesday confirmed it sent its findings to the DEA this week."Following the data and science, HHS has expeditiously responded to President Biden’s directive to HHS Secretary Becerra and provided its scheduling recommendation for marijuana to the DEA on August 29, 2023," an HHS spokesperson said.The spokesperson did not specify what the department's exact recommendation was. According to an HHS letter...

U.S. men’s national team shares intriguing roster for St. Paul friendly in September

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:02 GMT

The U.S. men’s national team on Wednesday released a roster with an abundance of star veterans and sprinkled with intriguing newcomers for its international friendly at Allianz Field in St. Paul on Sept. 12.The headliners are 12 World Cup players, including Christian Pulisic, Matt Turner, Weston McKinnie, Tim Weah and Yunus Musah. The 24-player list also has a mix new additions, with striker Folarin Balogun, midfielder Ben Cremaschi and fullback Kristoffer Lund.The USMNT, which welcomes back head coach Gregg Berhalter, will play Oman at Minnesota United’s Allianz Field, three days after its exhibition against Uzbekistan in St. Louis on Sept. 9.The roster, however, isn’t at full strength because of a handful of injuries — captain Tyler Adams, Gio Reyna, Walker Zimmerman, Josh Sargent, Zack Steffen, Sean Johnson and others.The roster features only three MLS players — Cremaschi, Drake Calendar (both of Inter Miami) and Cade Cowell (San Jose).U.S. rosterGoalkeepers — Drake Callender, Et...

When fans knocked down Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., Twins players felt it

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:02 GMT

Twins outfielder Jordan Luplow recalls a game at Progressive Field in which he was approached by a fan in right field.A man had fallen over the wall and, after picking himself off the warning track, started walking toward Luplow.“It was a little scary for a second,” he said.“You know when you see a real drunk guy and he’s just kinda staring through you? Like he’s looking at you but he’s looking through you?” Luplow said. “And he was big, probably like 6-6, 300 pounds. And I’m like, ‘Dude, this guy’s coming right at me.’ ”Fortunately, the fan veered left and off the field, but for a few seconds, Luplow started thinking about how he would defend himself.He was reminded of the incident after a pair of fans tried to hug Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr., and apparently seek selfies with the outfielder, during the Braves’ 14-4 victory at Colorado on Monday.“Unacceptable,” Luplow said.Every once in a while, a fan runs onto the field during a major-league baseball game and runs around...

UCP policy reversals costing taxpayers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:02 GMT

Dear Editor:Re: U. C. P. reversal of private medical lab testing     Another U.C.P. reversal, the latest in a long line of policy reversals, is the buyout of Dynalife Labs by our government, after unacceptable backlogs of testing in that private provider. The U.C.P. cancelled our new public health care superlab in Edmonton, in 2019, before it could be completed and opened. Ask Danielle Smith and Justin Wright how much money we lost in that cancellation. Ask them how much money we will pay to buy the assets of the failed Dynalife Labs and to bring the function of that business and its staff  back into public health care, when the final price is known later this year.     The big blue U.C.P. pickup truck only has one gear in the transmission- reverse. More examples of policy reversals in the last four years include:• Cancelling the oil-by-rail contracts the N.D.P. had in place by early 2019. The U.C.P. instead promised more pipelines, got none completed, and shipped no more oil.• The ...

Canada dawdles behind OECD members in public housing Stock 30 years after Liberals abandon public housing strategy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:02 GMT

Canada’s housing crisis is dire. More and more, people are sharing stories of how the high cost of living across Canada is pricing everyday Canadians out of housing.While the housing markets in Toronto and Vancouver receive the bulk of the spotlight, small town residents are feeling the squeeze too, and landlords with multiple properties continue to jack up rental prices to “keep up” with the high interest rates set by the Bank of Canada.It is true that interest rates are hurting people’s investments; but at what point do we acknowledge the moral implications of leveraging a volatile market against people trying to maintain access to shelter?All investments, including property, carry inherent risk, and based on current public discourse, somewhere along the way, many people seem to have forgotten that owning an investment property should not protect you from unfavourable market conditions, such as high interest rates.That is not to say landlords are uniquely implicated in these high ...

Rising indie-pop artist with Prairie roots drops new single and video

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:02 GMT

By Erika MathieuSunny South NewsNow based in Los Angeles, Alberta-raised singer-songwriter, Laur Elle is giving her over 100,000 monthly Spotify listeners something new to listen to in the weeks leading up to her album release.Oklahoma native Laur Elle spent her formative years in Alberta and has connections to Edmonton and Medicine Hat. The up-and-coming indie-pop artist dropped her latest single “The Morning Song” on Aug. 18. It is the fourth release from her full length debut album, which is scheduled for release this fall. Described as an intimate acoustic ballad with a stripped down sound, the music video for “The Morning Song” was published shortly after on Aug. 23.In a PR release issued by PR firm Indoor Recess, Laur Elle said, “If my life was a movie, The Morning Song would be the soundtrack to the biggest heartbreak of my life. It’s the moment that sinking feeling in your stomach comes rising up to the surface. The moment you notice that nothing feels like it used to. The M...

Wetland planting, Coalhurst public works addition nearing November completion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:02 GMT

By Nikki JamiesonSunny South NewsThe following are selected briefs from Coalhurst town council’s regular Aug. 15 meeting:CAO reportCouncil accepted Shawn Patience’s CAO report as presented.Some of the highlights from the report include:• Work continues on completing the infrastructure master plan and costing options for light industrial property as well as exploring commercial expansion opportunities.• Patience met with Dawna Coslovi, CEO of the Green Acres Foundation, to discuss options for housing models for Coalhurst, funding options and partnership opportunities.• The town office was being used as a drop-off location for the FCSS clothing and school supply drive, in support of local families. A clothing fest will also be held here in September.• The Town continues to undergo a review and update of their bylaws and policies. bylaws under review include Community Standards, which is a new bylaw, Animal Control, Land Use Bylaw, Business License Bylaw and Emergency Management Plan. ...

Chinook Arch makes carbon dioxide monitors available to loan from local libraries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:02 GMT

By Erika MathieuSunny South NewsThe Chinook Arch Regional Library System (CARLS), is adding Carbon Dioxide monitors to their inventory to allow members to borrow and test indoor air quality in their own homes.The new offering from Chinook Arch Regional Library System is being supported through a partnership with Community Access to Ventilation Information (CAVI), and will ensure people in southwestern Alberta have a way to easily monitor CO2 levels in their homes.Indoor air quality is impacted by a number of factors including exhalations, which add CO2 to the air, and CO2 levels can rise quickly in a room with more people and little ventilation or fresh air coming into the space. High levels of indoor CO2 can cause fatigue, headaches, and other symptoms. Monitoring CO2 levels can help people determine if additional simple steps should be taken to mitigate the risk of viral transmissions. Indoor pollutants also include respiratory particles and the viruses which are transmitted throu...

Summer brings end to season at Coyote Flats

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:02 GMT

By Nikki JamiesonSunny South NewsAs summer comes to an end, Coyote Flats Pioneer Village is looking back on another successful season showcasing the history and culture of southern Alberta.Board president Earl Dunn said that the season has been “very good, with lots accomplished by the volunteers and lots of visitors coming through”. New to the site this year is the Nolan Tack Shop and the Odds & Sods Building, which have been well received by visitors.Major events hosted at Coyote Flats include a Tractor Pull in June, a Tractor Show of Power parade around Picture Butte, a Show and Shine on Canada Day and a BBQ cook-off in late July.Harvest Days continued to be a success for Coyote Flats. The two-day event typically consists of harvest demonstrations, dog trials, horse pulls and antique equipment demonstrations, but this year featured two new events: a tractor balance competition and a slow tractor competition.Volunteer, Shirley Olsen added, “Coyote Flats has experienced an exce...