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17.4 per cent raise over 5 years for Quebec’s ‘common front’ public sector unions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:39 GMT

MONTREAL — Around 420,000 Quebec public sector workers will receive salary increases of 17.4 per cent over five years.The labour alliance representing the workers confirmed today the settlement that led to a Dec. 28 agreement in principle with the provincial government.The agreement includes a clause that would protect the purchasing power of union members during the three final years of the deal.The alliance — known as the “common front” — had been seeking a three-year contract that would have tied wage raises to the consumer price index, plus an additional increase of two to four per cent.Union leaders representing workers in sectors such as education and health care are evaluating the offer, which will be presented to members during assemblies that should begin mid-January.The proposed deal gives psychologists and specialized workers higher increases than other union members.The government has also reached a deal in principle with a teachers union that has about 66,00...

Waukegan police officer charged after throwing handcuffed person to ground

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:39 GMT

WAUKEGAN, Ill. -- A Waukegan police officer has been charged after he allegedly threw a handcuffed individual to the ground last month.According to the Lake County State's Attorney's Office, Waukegan police officer Richard Tabisz has been charged with felony official misconduct and misdemeanor battery to a civilian after an incident on Thursday, Dec. 14.Tabisz allegedly threw a handcuffed civilian to the ground in front of several officers in December. The civilian had reportedly been cooperative with the other officers at the scene prior to Tabisz's arrival. ‘Stop coming here’: Suburban man pleads guilty after killing wife considering court order "Besides Tabisz, other officers on the scene acted very professionally throughout the encounter," Reinhart wrote in a statement.The Waukegan Police Department provided the State's Attorney's Office with evidence related to the incident, including several body camera recordings, on Friday, Dec. 15.The Lake County State's Attorney's Office...

Free admission on certain days is back at the Shedd Aquarium for Illinois residents

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:39 GMT

CHICAGO — New year, same admission at no cost for Illinoisans looking to visit the Shedd Aquarium on specific days during the first half of the calendar year.Much like in 2023, with proof of residency, Illinois residents will receive free admission to Chicago’s aquatic animal world on certain days through the end of June. The Illinois Resident Free Days include access to all open animal and permanent exhibits, in addition to the seasonal Stingray Touch. Free days at the Shedd begin next Tuesday, Jan. 9. Hours vary based on the date. Events that shaped Chicago: 2023 Year in Review January9-16, 23-25, 30, 31February1, 6-8, 13-15, 20-22, 27-29March5, 12, 19, 26April2, 9, 16, 23, 30May7, 14, 21, 28June 4, 11, 18, 25A breakdown of the free admission schedule 2024 Free Tuesday Evenings: 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. Free Tuesday Evenings at the Shedd begin in March, with admission times at no cost slotted for 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. While entry to the Shedd will be free on the days listed abo...

As other free agency dominos fall, Cody Bellinger return to Cubs becomes more likely

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:39 GMT

CHICAGO — During an offseason where many considered the Chicago Cubs to be prospective big spenders, the club has been relative quiet when it comes to their pocketbooks, leaving fans feeling as if they are sitting on pins and needles, waiting to see if Cody Bellinger returns to the North Side.According to 670 The Score's Bruce Levine, both sides of the Bellinger free agency equation are playing a game of chicken, waiting for the other side to budge first."Now that Bellinger is the top player on the market … [Scott] Boras being 'he,' he's the one waiting for this marketplace to develop," Levine said Tuesday on Marquee Sports Network. "Meanwhile, the Cubs are smart and waiting for the market not to develop. Therefore, it's January 2nd moving forward, and there's no movement yet."At the end of the day, the devil is in the details — specifically the contract length each side is seeking, plus the average annual value of the deal, according to Levine."Do you want to pay a six-year contrac...

DCFS still failing to find appropriate care for kids, leaving them locked-up, report shows

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:39 GMT

An annual report to legislators, prompted by a WGN Investigates series, shows the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is still leaving kids in crisis in psychiatric hospitals and juvenile jails longer than necessary.Newly released numbers show 296 kids were locked in psychiatric hospitals longer than medically necessary in the past fiscal year. DCFS also revealed 45 youth were in juvenile jails beyond their release dates. Both circumstances continues to occur due to a shortage of appropriate shelter space and foster care options, especially for kids with severe psychiatric or behavioral issues.“These are not just statistics. They represent children, real children, our children,” said Cook County public guardian Charles Golbert, who has shown a spotlight on the issue for years.While the most recent numbers show a slight improvement over the previous year they’re still worse than before the pandemic.  Previous Coverage: Hundreds of DCFS kids hospitalized longer than...

Trump fights effort to kick him off state ballots

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:39 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - Former President Donald  Trump is fighting to stay on the ballot in Maine and Colorado, where legal efforts to kick him off are moving forward. Now the Supreme Court is expected to take up the issue and decide whether he is disqualified from becoming president again. Critics of Trump have been working to remove him from the ballot in several states. They argue his role in the January 6th Capitol riot falls under the insurrection clause of the constitution. Georgetown Law Constitutional Law Professor Dr. Michele Goodwin explains the clause was put in place after the Civil War to keep confederates from returning to office. "It prohibits individuals who've attempted to overthrow the government from being able to hold office," Goodwin said. Republicans are appealing a ruling from Colorado's Supreme Court to bar Trump from the ballot. This week Trump's legal team appealed a similar decision by Maine's Secretary of State. ...

WWII-era practice bomb washes up on California beach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:39 GMT

(KRON) – An inert military ordnance washed up on a California beach over the weekend, prompting local authorities to contact specialists at the Travis Air Force Base for disposal.Deputies with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office were notified of a surprising find at the Pajaro Dunes on Sunday, following recent storms along the coastline the week before. The office's bomb team responded to the scene, where they determined the ordnance to be "safe," deputies wrote on Facebook. Turkey fryer explodes inside NC home after the cook falls asleep: authorities The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office also called in experts from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team at Travis Air Force Base in Solano County. "After safely performing an on-site visual inspection and x-ray scan, the item was deemed free of explosives and safe to transport to Travis AFB," a communications official from the military base told Nexstar.The Travis Air Force Base identified the device as a WWII-era practice b...

House republicans visit southern border

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:39 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - House Republicans say securing the border is their top priority in 2024.60 House republicans went to Eagle Pass, Texas to call on the Biden administration to change their border policies.They say a recent surge of migrants arriving at the border is proof President Joe Biden’s border management is failing.This trip comes at a critical time, as Congress is still in search of a border compromise, and the White House says any change to border policy is up to Congress.“It’s been an eye opener. One thing is absolutely clear, America is at a breaking point,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson.Last month, border officials reported the highest monthly total of migrant encounters on record, Republicans blame that on the Biden administration.“The Biden administration needs to end catch and release. And they need to deport people by the thousands not by the dozens,” said Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas).But the Assistant Secretary for Border and Immigration Policy at the Departm...

Go back to yesteryear and watch 150 films with Alamo Drafthouse's 'Time Capsules' series

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:39 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Throughout January and February, you can travel back in time to watch movie classics from a six-year span of cinema from "the end of the millennium," as Alamo Drafthouse kicks off its "Alamo Time Capsules" series.Patrons can watch movies like "The Goonies," "The Iron Giant," "Clueless," "Run Lola Run" and more, according to Alamo's website.Starting with the year 1999, you can journey through "the greatest years in the history of cinema:" 1999, 1994, 1989, 1984, 1979 and 1974, Alamo's website said.The movie theater chain said it digs deep to tell a story of that year, whether it be in cinema, culture and history. During the series, Alamo officials said online guests can expect to see "essential films" like "The Matrix," "Pulp Fiction," "Do The Right Thing," "Purple Rain," "The Warriors" and "The Godfather Part II."The series will also include exclusive merchandise, themed menus and special events. To see the cinema list in full, visit Alamo's website.

Science Museum of Minnesota receives record $6.5 million donation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:39 GMT

The Science Museum of Minnesota announced on Wednesday it received a $6.5 million donation — the largest philanthropic gift in its 117-year history — from the estate of a longstanding donor.William D. Wells, a globe-trotting pioneer in combining the disciplines of psychology, marketing and research for major consumer brands, authored more than 60 books and academic papers before retiring as a professor of advertising from the University of Minnesota’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.Wells died in September 2020, leaving behind a sizable estate that has allowed him, posthumously, to continue to encourage others to explore the intersections of scientific research, media and general education.In 2021, Twin Cities Public Television received a $9 million gift from the Wells estate, the largest philanthropic donation in the downtown St. Paul television station’s then-64-year history. Wells had been a contributor to TPT STEM programs like “SciGirls” and ...