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Excitement, optimism as hundreds line up to ride Montreal’s new light-rail train line

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:17 GMT

MONTREAL — The opening of the Montreal metro area’s new light-rail train network is drawing hundreds of curious prospective passengers to the city’s central station today, many of them expressing excitement about the future of the transit service.The first section of the driverless, electric train system known as the Réseau express métropolitain, or REM, is free to ride this weekend ahead of its official launch on Monday.Five stations are open on the segment connecting downtown Montreal with the suburb of Brossard, Que. to the southeast across the Saint Lawrence River. The stretch marks the first part of what will eventually become a 26-station network spanning 67 kilometres.Three other branches of the REM are still under construction, including lines to Montreal’s western and northern suburbs set to open at the end of 2024 and an airport link that won’t open until 2027.Officials say the REM trip between Montreal and Brossard takes 18 minutes, 20 to 30 minute...

‘The Few, the Proud’ aren’t so few: Marines recruiting surges while other services struggle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:17 GMT

PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Not long ago, Marine Col. Jennifer Nash, a combat engineer with war deployments under her belt, made a vow to fellow officers as they headed to a dinner in Atlanta: She would get two new recruiting contacts by the end of the evening.She admits recruiting is not the job that she or other Marines had in mind when they enlisted. But after stints as a recruiter and senior officer at the Eastern recruiting command, she has become emblematic of the Corps’ tradition of putting its best, battle-tested Marines on enlistment duty. They get results.Marine leaders say they will make their recruiting goal this year, while the active-duty Army, Navy and Air Force all expect to fall short. The services have struggled in the tight job market to compete with higher-paying businesses for the dwindling number of young people who can meet the military’s physical, mental and moral standards.On that night, Nash achieved her own goal. She had gotten the valet at the hotel ...

Wagner mercenaries in Belarus move closer to the Polish border, Poland’s prime minister says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:17 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Over 100 mercenaries belonging to the Russian-linked Wagner group in Belarus have moved close to the border with Poland, the Polish prime minister said Saturday.Mateusz Morawiecki said at a news conference that the mercenaries had moved close to the Suwalki Gap, a strategic stretch of Polish territory situated between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian territory separated from the mainland.Poland is a member of both the European Union and NATO, and it has worried about its security with Russian ally Belarus and Ukraine on its eastern border.Those fears have grown since Wagner group mercenaries arrived in Belarus since the group’s short-lived rebellion earlier this summer.The Poland-Belarus border has already been a tense place for a couple of years, ever since large numbers of immigrants from the Middle East and Africa began arriving, seeking to enter the EU by crossing into Poland, as well as Lithuania.Poland’s government accuses Russia and Belarus of us...

Would Justin Fields want to be featured on Netflix's 'Quarterback'?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:17 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - One of the questions that has been posed to a number of quarterbacks around the NFL this training camp has to do with a new Netflix show.That includes Justin Fields, who was asked if he had seen "Quarterback," a show on the streaming service produced by Hall of Famer Peyton Manning that followed the lives of three signal callers during the 2023 season: Kirk Cousins, Patrick Mahomes, and Marcus Mariota."I watched it. It was kinda cool seeing everybody's different backgrounds and kinda see how they prepare," said Fields when asked about the show this week as the Bears opened training camp at Halas Hall. "Just cool seeing also their personal lives and how they balance life and football."A part of the question asked to Fields on "Quarterback" was whether he would someday like to be featured on the program - and it looks like the thought has already crossed the producer's mind."They actually did reach out, and I don't think I want to do it," said Fields. "Just because...

VIDEO: Foxes seen playing on trampoline in north Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:17 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Sunday, a KXAN viewer said she saw baby foxes, also known as kits, playing on a trampoline in her garden in the north Austin area. VIDEO: Foxes spotted near St. Edward’s University According to the Texas Wildlife Association, foxes live around the world in many different types of habitats. There are foxes living in the Arctic, the desert and even in trees. Some foxes have also adapted to live in urban environments like neighborhoods."There are three types of foxes that live in Texas: the swift or kit fox which lives in the northwestern part of the state, the red fox which lives in the eastern and central parts of the state, and the most common, the gray fox which is found statewide," TWA said.According to TWA, even though it could be neat to see foxes in our neighborhoods, they are much better living in the wild."Next time you are outside in a park, remember to look up, because if you are lucky, you might see a fox up in the trees," TWA said.This story came from...

A changing political face to the city’s East Side as filings open for St. Paul City Council

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:17 GMT

For 22 years, former St. Paul police Sgt. Dan Bostrom represented much of the East Side as one of the more conservative voices on the St. Paul City Council.St. Paul City Council member Nelsie Yang during a swearing-in ceremony for Police Chief Axel Henry in the Council Chambers on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Not long after Bostrom left office at age 78, Nelsie Yang — a union steward with the progressive advocacy organization TakeAction Minnesota — was elected in his place. Then 24, Yang made history as both the youngest member ever seated on the city council and its first Hmong-American woman.When the face of the East Side’s representation changed, so did its politics. The traditionally working-class Ward 6 elected a council member who has taken an uncompromising pro-tenant stance on rent control, advocates for free public transit and says she wants to “abolish” the institution that gave her predecessor his career.Yang’s election in ...

Schenectady County declares state of emergency

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:17 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Schenectady County declared a state of emergency on July 29, as announced by County Manager Rory Fluman. The declaration is in response to a housing crisis that the county is facing. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! According to the County Manger's Office, the county's ongoing shortage of temporary and permanent housing was exacerbated by an incident that occurred at the Rotterdam Super 8 Motel on July 18, where reportedly occupants were illegally removed. The state of emergency, which aims to preserve public safety by rendering vital assistance, will remain in effect until rescinded by another order.

Ex-Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon joins push for third-party presidential bid

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:17 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon of Missouri is joining No Labels ' increasingly contentious effort to lay the groundwork for a moderate third-party presidential ticket in the 2024 election. He gives the embattled organization another prominent ally amid escalating concerns from Democratic officials that the No Labels campaign could unintentionally help Republican Donald Trump return to the White House.Nixon, a 67-year-old lawyer, is stepping back into national politics for the first time since leaving office in 2017 and will serve as No Labels' director of ballot integrity. He said in an interview that he was drawn to the role after learning that well-funded groups aligned with Democrats were working to stop No Labels from securing ballot access in key states.He said that those seeking to block the group's right to appear on the presidential ballot are attacking a pillar of American democracy.“What do I say to those Democrats? I say, ‘You’re entitled to your opinion...

Motorcyclist dies in overnight crash in Warren County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:17 GMT

WARREN COUNTY, Mo. - A motorcyclist died overnight from injuries he suffered in a highway crash in Warren County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. MSHP has identified Derek Hughes, 25, of Warrenton, as the victim. Next of kin have been notified. The crash happened around 3:30 a.m. Saturday along Missouri Route O, just south of Too Long Lane. She says an Uber stranded her, then things really got weird According to a MSHP crash report, investigators say Hughes did not negotiate a turn properly, causing him to travel off the right side of the roadway and strike a culvert. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. MSHP Troop C, which covers several counties in the St. Louis metropolitan area, is investigating the crash.

Mailbag: Next steps for Oregon and UW, the Bay Area void, Arizona’s role, the $40 million question, expansion options and more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:17 GMT

The Hotline mailbag publishes each week. Send questions to [email protected] and include ‘mailbag’ in the subject line. Or hit me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline.Some questions have been edited for clarity and brevity.Do Oregon and Washington need to give consideration to joining the Big 12? It has been well documented that both schools covet the Big Ten. But the opportunity may not exist today, and they could always join at a later date if/when the opportunity arises. — Andrew PerezThe Hotline doesn’t foresee the Pacific Northwest powers ever joining the Big 12, no matter how dire the Pac-12 situation becomes — even if, for example, the Arizona schools and Utah were to follow Colorado’s lead and flee the conference.It works both ways: The Big 12 isn’t a good it for them, and they aren’t good fits for the Big 12.The reasons are rooted in the financial, logistical and competitive aspects of realignment and conference structure.First, from the Big 12’s side: Add...