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Search for top Southern Baptist leader fails amid dispute

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

A powerful Southern Baptist committee was looking to appoint a new leader Monday who could navigate controversies over its handling of sexual-abuse reforms and the ousting of churches with women serving as pastors.Instead, the Executive Committee found itself tangled in yet another dispute, voting down a recommendation to make its own former chairman its president in what had become a racially fraught decision.That 50-31 vote came after some of the denomination’s prominent Black clergy questioned the selection process, which they saw as bypassing an African American pastor who has led the committee as interim president for more than a year. The selection process hit a nerve in a denomination that has lost some Black clergy in recent years over what they have seen as a failure of the mostly white-led denomination to make good on its pledges to reform after its history of supporting slavery and segregation. While the SBC elected its first Black president in 2012, no African Amer...

Alberta UCP leader Smith hedges on pursuing defamation lawsuit against CBC over COVID

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

EDMONTON — Alberta United Conservative Leader Danielle Smith won’t say if she will follow through on her threat to sue the CBC for defamation over its coverage of her role in prosecuting COVID-19 court cases.Smith had given the public broadcaster until last Friday to retract and apologize or face further legal action, but a CBC spokesman said Monday it has not seen anything new from Smith’s legal team.Smith, speaking to reporters at her party’s election campaign launch in Calgary, declined to answer when asked if she is still pursuing the case and if not, why not.“I think that Albertans are interested in what we’re going to be campaigning on to move the province forward,” said Smith.“That’s what I’ll be focused on for the next four weeks, making sure that people understand exactly what a UCP majority government will deliver.”Opposition NDP Leader Rachel Notley, speaking to reporters at her Calgary campaign launch, said Smith is hedging because she doesn’t hav...

Reduced charge for man who ran over North Dakota teen

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

WAHPETON, N.D. (AP) — A man accused of intentionally running over an 18-year-old at a street dance in North Dakota had his charges reduced from murder to manslaughter, according to court documents filed Monday.Shannon Brandt, 42, of Glenfield, North Dakota, initially said he hit and killed Cayler Ellingson in McHenry, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northeast of Bismarck, after a political argument in September 2022. The case drew attention on social media after Brandt told authorities Ellingson was a Republican extremist and that he was afraid that Ellingson was calling people to “come and get him,” according to court records.But investigators have since said the case was not political and there is no evidence to support Brandt’s claim that Ellingson was a Republican extremist. Brandt was first charged with criminal vehicular homicide but the charge was later upgraded to felony murder. He has also been charged with leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in death. Foster County...

Pope’s willingness to return sacred items means they will come home: national chief

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says the Pope’s willingness to return artifacts stored at the Vatican Museum is another step forward on Indigenous Peoples’ journey with the head of the Roman Catholic Church. “We asked for the return of our sacred items, and they will make their way home soon,” said Chief RoseAnne Archibald in a news release Monday. Pope Francis said Sunday that talks were underway to return the artifacts. He was asked about the issue during a news conference on a flight back home from Hungary and said that “in the case where you can return things, where it’s necessary to make a gesture, better to do it.”Much of the Vatican’s current collection is from a former pope who decided to hold a world exposition in 1925. A message went out at that time to missionaries around the globe to send items. More than 100,000 objects and works of art were displayed.The Vatican has said parts of its collection were gifts to...

Revamped Liberal attempt to ban assault-style firearms would apply to future models

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

OTTAWA — The Liberal government is proposing a ban on assault-style firearms that would apply once legislation now before Parliament comes into force.Under the scheme, the government would make regulations through the Firearms Act to ensure that guns are classified correctly before entering the Canadian market. It also plans to recreate a firearms advisory committee of interested groups and individuals that will make recommendations on the classification of guns now on the market.The Liberals withdrew a gun bill amendment in February that would have spelled out in law the various models to fall under an assault-style firearm ban.They had touted the definition as an evergreen measure that would cement in legislation a May 2020 regulatory ban of some 1,500 firearm models and variants, as well as 482 others flagged subsequently. The government pulled the measure after weeks of criticism from Conservative MPs and some firearm advocates who said the definition would prohibit many commonl...

Quebec flooding: Two people missing northeast of capital, states of emergency

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

BAIE-SAINT-PAUL, Que. — Provincial police searched on Monday for two people swept away by the current on the flooded Rivière du Gouffre, in Quebec’s Charlevoix region, where up to 60 millimetres of rain fell within a 24-hour period.In Baie-St-Paul, Que., around 90 kilometres northeast of the provincial capital, the mayor declared a state of emergency due to heavy rains that washed away roads and isolated homes. Fire Chief Alain Gravel said his members helped in the search for the two missing people, who he said were carried away in the river north of Baie-Saint-Paul. “We tried to find them with different teams, but we didn’t succeed in seeing anyone,” he told reporters.Neither Gravel nor Mayor Michaël Pilote would confirm reports that the two missing were firefighters from a nearby community. Earlier on Monday, provincial police said they were investigating reports that two firefighters were swept away in Rivière du Gouffre near St-Urbain, Que., just north of...

7 bodies found in search for two missing Oklahoma teens: authorities

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

HENRYETTA, Okla. (KFOR) - Seven bodies have been found during the search for two missing teenagers in eastern Oklahoma, authorities have confirmed. An Amber Alert was issued Monday for 14-year-old Ivy Webster and 16-year-old Brittany Brewer, who were last seen Monday morning at 1:22 a.m. in Henryetta, roughly 90 miles east of Oklahoma City.According to the Okmulgee County Sheriff's Office, Webster was supposed to return home by 5 p.m. Sunday after spending the weekend with a friend but didn't show up.Webster was reported to be staying with Holly McFadden, her daughter, and Jesse McFadden. ‘Multiple fatalities’ after Illinois dust storm causes multi-vehicle pileup It was thought the group went to a ranch in McAlester, but the sheriff's office says that didn't happen. Investigators also say at some point, Brittany Brewer was picked up Saturday night by the group. Monday evening, authorities confirmed to KJRH and KTUL that a search warrant was executed at a property in Henryetta. Th...

Deliberations continue in 'ComEd Four' bribery trial

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

CHICAGO -- Three and a half days of deliberations for the jurors in the bribery trial for the "ComEd Four" continued Monday.The “ComEd Four” on trial are former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s confidant Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and former ComEd consultant Jay Doherty. All have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including bribery conspiracy. ‘We simply have no more shelters:’ Lightfoot implores Abbott to stop sending migrants Potential jail time and fines for the “ComEd Four,” includes a guilty conspiracy verdict on Count 1 could lead to a maximum  $250,000 fine or 5 years imprisonment or both, according to the US Attorney’s office.Also, a bribery conviction that could lead to a maximum of 10 years in prison with a $250,000 fine, as well as a falsifying records conviction could lead to a staggering $5,000,000 fine or 20 years in prison, or both.Legal observers believe the jurors in the “ComEd Four” tria...

Pritzker, state health officials call attention to Medicaid change

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Governor JB Pritzker and state health care leaders called attention to a major change for Medicaid recipients Monday.Starting this week, Illinoisans will have to renew their Medicaid coverage. Congress paused renewals for the healthcare coverage during the pandemic, but those rules have now changed.In illinois, the renewals will happen on a rolling basis through the middle of next year. The process begins this week with those who have renewal dates in June set to receive letters in the mail requiring them to renew their coverage. Yellen says drop-dead date for debt ceiling is June 1 "Every Medicaid recipient should keep a close eye on their mailboxes to see if they were automatically renewed or if they need to fill out and return a renewal form," Pritzker said. "We are committed to making this process as smooth and efficient as possible."According to state health leaders who spoke alongside Pritzker Monday, it's a roll out that has been years in the making.“For...

US tracking balloon spotted off coast of Hawaii

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

(NewsNation) — The U.S. government is tracking another unmanned balloon that was spotted Friday flying over Hawaii, officials said.No action was taken against the balloon because it posed no threat to civilian aircraft or people on the ground, a Defense Department spokesman said.The balloon was floating at about 36,000 feet, the altitude at which some commercial aircraft fly. NBC News and CBS News also reported the balloon detection. Texas gunman still at large, authorities have ‘zero leads’ "Ownership of the balloon is unknown, but there is no indication that it was maneuvering or being controlled by a foreign or adversarial actor," a Pentagon spokesperson said in the statement. "Although it was flying at an altitude used by civil aviation, it posed no threat to civil aviation over Hawaii." Do not shoot down these balloons There was also no danger to people on the ground and the balloon did not fly over defense infrastructure or government “sensitive” sites, the Pentagon said.T...