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Chicago Bears storylines for the NFL draft: Ryan Poles’ ‘long journey,’ more help at receiver and a case for Darnell Wright

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:33 GMT

We’re two weeks away from the NFL draft with the Chicago Bears eager to attack the next stage of their roster rebuild. General manager Ryan Poles has been active over the past six weeks, trading away the No. 1 pick in March and adding a dozen free agents.Much more heavy lifting is ahead. And with draft buzz getting louder, here’s our inside slant on three notable storylines.‘This long journey’Ryan Poles will have two big responsibilities when the NFL draft starts in two weeks. The first will be to find some real difference makers — impact starters and role players who can contribute early. The second will be to land a bunch of them.For all the hypotheticals that have swirled through the pre-draft process, for all the speculation of what the Bears might do, their mission this spring is really that simple. It’s not only about nailing the first first-round pick of Poles’ tenure. It’s about assembling an entire class that creates belief an...

Toronto could break nearly 50-year temperature record as summer-like sizzle continues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:33 GMT

It is expected to be another sizzling day in Toronto as temperatures are set to hit the high 20s, potentially breaking a record for the second straight day.The summer-like conditions started earlier this week and ramped up on Wednesday with the temperature soaring to 26 C at Toronto Pearson, breaking the record 25.8 C for April 12 set in 2001.Thursday will be the fourth day in a row that temperatures will be into the 20s for Toronto and much of the GTA.CityNews 680 meteorologist Jill Taylor says it will be sunny and even warmer on Thursday with a high near 28 C but it will feel more like 31 C with the humidity. The record temperature high for April 13 is 27.1 C, which was set 46 years ago in 1977.Toronto and the GTA could also break an 85-year-old temperature record on Friday. The forecast calls for a high of 24 C — the Toronto Pearson record for April 14 was 23.9 C set in 1938.Record Highs could be broken in many areas again today and Friday. Expect a change for the weekend with cl...

Taliban share rare audio message from supreme leader

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:33 GMT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban have shared a rare audio message from their supreme leader, who says justice is an instrument for the Afghan government’s survival.Hibatullah Akhundzada, an Islamic scholar, almost never appears in public and hardly ever leaves the Taliban heartland in southern Kandahar province.He surrounds himself with other religious scholars and allies who oppose education and work for women. Only one known photo of him, years old, exists. Akhundzada has traveled to Kabul only once since the August 2021 Taliban takeover to give a speech to a gathering of clerics, although he was not shown in media coverage at the closed event and appeared with his back to the audience.In his audio message, shared on Twitter Wednesday by the Taliban’s main spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, Akhundzada said justice is an instrument for the government’s survival.“But if there is no justice, and there is oppression, selfishness, murders and revenge, as well as killi...

Official: Russia may discuss swap involving WSJ reporter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:33 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia may be willing to discuss a potential prisoner swap involving jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich with the U.S. after a court delivers its verdict, a top Russian diplomat said Thursday.Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told state news agency Tass that talks about a possible exchange could take place through a dedicated channel that Russian and U.S. security agencies established for such purposes.“We have a working channel that was used in the past to achieve concrete agreements, and these agreements were fulfilled,” Ryabkov said, adding that there was no need for the involvement of any third country.However, he emphasized that Moscow would only negotiate a possible prisoner exchange after a court delivers its verdict in the espionage case against Gershkovich, 31.In December, American basketball star Brittney Griner was freed after 10 months behind bars in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.Another American, Michigan corporate secu...

1 dead, 3 hurt at Indiana park during memorial for slain man

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:33 GMT

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — One person died and three people were wounded in a shooting at an Indiana park during a memorial, police said.The shooting occurred around 6:45 p.m. Wednesday during a balloon release at McCormick Park in Fort Wayne, Officer Anthony Krock told The Journal Gazette.One woman and three men were taken to a hospital. Krock said one of the men died. He did not have additional information on the conditions of the others.Krissy Williams told the newspaper that the memorial was held to honor Tyreece Vachon, 19, who was fatally shot Tuesday outside an apartment complex. Police did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press seeking comment.The Associated Press

Corus Entertainment reports $15.5M Q2 loss, revenue down from year ago

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:33 GMT

TORONTO — Corus Entertainment Inc., the parent company of Global Television, reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year ago, as its revenue fell five per cent.The television and radio broadcaster says its loss attributable to shareholders was $15.5 million or eight cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Feb. 28 compared with a profit of $16.2 million or eight cents per diluted share a year earlier.Revenue in what was the company’s second quarter totalled $343.9 million, down from $361.7 million in the same quarter last year.Corus chief executive Doug Murphy says the results reflect the impact of current global advertising market conditions on advertising revenue, partially offset by significant growth in its owned content business.The company says its overall television revenue totalled $321.5 million, down from $339.7 million a year ago, as the advertising segment fell to $169.1 million from $184.7 million and subscriber revenue slipped to $124...

Drama plagues bid to restrict changes to Ohio Constitution

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:33 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s constitution is caught in a high-stakes tug-of-war. With an effort to enshrine abortion rights looming this fall, an influential mix of Republican politicians, lobbying organizations and business interests is positioning to try to make another change to the state’s founding document first. They’re pushing an amendment that would raise the threshold for passing future constitutional changes, including the abortion question, from the current 50%-plus-one to 60% of Ohio voters.“This issue isn’t just about abortion,” said Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis, who represented a cross-section of conservative causes at recent strategy talks on the subject. “This is about family farming. This is about small businesses. This is around Second Amendment rights, setting the minimum wage.”Despite that powerful line-up of conservative support, getting the 60% question to the ballot this August has been fraught with complications.First, there&#...

Man in critical condition after being struck by vehicle in East York

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:33 GMT

A man is fighting for his life in hospital after being struck by a vehicle in East York.Emergency crews responded to a crash at Barrington and Doncaster Avenues, near Main Street and Danforth, around 6 a.m. Thursday.Police tell CityNews pedestrian was unloading groceries from the back of his car when a black Honda crashed into his vehicle. The impact knocked the man backwards and he smacked his head on the pavement.Paramedics confirm he was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.The investigation is ongoing.

Norway expels 15 Russian diplomats suspected of spying

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:33 GMT

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norway’s government said Thursday that it was expelling 15 Russian diplomats from the country, saying they were suspected of spying while working at the Russian Embassy in Oslo. Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said the move was “an important measure to counter and reduce the scope of Russian intelligence activities in Norway, and thereby secure our national interests.”The Russians declared persona non grata “must leave Norway within a short time,”.Huitfeldt said, adding: “We will not grant visas to intelligence officers who apply for a visa to Norway.”Norway’s government said the activities of the expelled diplomats were “incompatible with their diplomatic status.” The foreign minister stressed that Oslo wants “normal diplomatic relations with Russia, and that Russian diplomats are welcome in Norway.” The Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow would respond in kind to Norway’s action, Russia’s Tass and RIA Novosti news agencies rep...

Biden to expand some migrants’ health care access: officials

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:08:33 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to announce that his administration is expanding eligibility for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges to hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children, according to two U.S. officials briefed on the matter.The action will allow participants in the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, to access government-funded health insurance programs. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter before the formal announcement on Thursday.The 2012 DACA initiative was meant to shield from deportation immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents as young children and to allow them to work legally in the country. However, the immigrants were still ineligible for government-subsidized health insurance programs because they did not meet the definition for having “lawful presence” in the U.S. That’s what Biden’s ...