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David Lametti’s legacy as justice minister is advancing cause of wrongfully convicted

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:11 GMT

OTTAWA — When David Lametti met David Milgaard in his office a few years back, he pulled a copy of The Tragically Hip’s “Fully Completely” off a shelf and asked Milgaard to sign his record. Its song “Wheat Kings” was inspired by the wrongful conviction that kept Milgaard falsely imprisoned for 23 years, starting when he was a teenager.“He called David his hero when he was a student,” recalled James Lockyer, a Toronto-based lawyer who helped found the organization Innocence Canada, which works to exonerate people like Milgaard, who died last year.“He had a photographer come in and take multiple photographs with him and David in his office … I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he’s framed one.“I saw how visibly affected he was, and it visibly affected me to see that.” As justice minister, Lametti introduced legislation earlier this year seeking to establish a long-fought-for independent commission to review cases wh...

Skilling: Threat of severe weather Friday ahead of weekend cooldown

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:11 GMT

FIRST, THE LATEST THURSDAY WEATHER HEADLINESTHE HEAT IS ON--THOUGH AN EXPECTED LAKE BREEZE IS TEMPERING THE HEAT IN LAKESIDE AREAS THURSDAY---LOW & MID 90s WITH TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT INDICES INLAND THURSDAY----FRIDAY HOLDS THE POTENTIAL OF BEING THE HOTTEST IN THE CURRENT HOT SPELL--BUT SEVERAL TWISTS WARRANT MONITORING, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS A POTENTIAL "WIND-SHIFTING BACK DOOR COLD FRONT" WHICH COULD SEND TEMPS CRASHING FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER SECTIONS OF THE AREA EVEN AS WITHERING TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT INDICES GRIP SOUTHERN SECTIONS---ALSO SEVERE WEATHER AND THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERY FLOODING DOWNPOURS COMES INTO PLAY LATE FRIDAY OR, MORE LIKELY, FRIDAY NIGHT---MUCH COOLER, LESS HUMID WEEKEND FOLLOWSIt's hot out there Thursday--though the predicted easterly lake breeze is doing its thing and restraining the most extreme heat in lakeside and north suburban areas closest to the lake. 34 states are under heat advisories Thursday and Friday; sections of 15 states are under...

'Can feel the sweat': Chicagoans grapple with scorching heat and high humidity

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:11 GMT

CHICAGO - Staying hydrated and trying to catch a little shade is part of the mix at the colorful Fiesta Del Sol, but for those forced to work in the heat across the city, the stifling conditions have presented an enormous challenge. For many, the heat brought about a fun day in the sun. For others, it was business as usual with no reprieve in sight.Work continued amid the scorching temperatures for a hard-working street crew in Pilsen. Thursday Forecast: Heat Advisory issued for parts of area, isolated storms possible tonight "We got to be here. Someone has to do the work,” said utility worker Daniel Rendon.  Even through leisure, Alejandro Chavez told WGN News he bore the brunt of the hot weather.  “I'm sweating already,” the laundromat patron said. "It's really humid. I can feel the sweat."   At the Pier 31 Restaurant, drinks on ice were the beverage of choice at Chicago's 31st Street Beach.  List: Cooling centers in Chicago "I’m going to go dip my feet in the water ...

Chase Claypool on 2023: 'This is the biggest year of my life.'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:11 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — He's been one of the most talked about players in the 2023 offseason for the Bears other than Justin Fields. That's because many are wondering if Chase Claypool will be able to reach his potential with the team after a slow start to his career late in the 2022 season when he came over from the Steelers.But you can be that the receiver is feeling just as much anticipation for this upcoming campaign as any other in his football career. "This is the biggest year of my life. I understand that," said Claypool to reporters as training camp opens this week at Halas Hall. "If anyone thinks my work ethic isn't matching that, they're deeply mistaken."I get motivated and motivated and motivated and it just keeps building on top of each other. My work ethic grows from last year, it will grow after this year, I learn from things, I'm always growing, just like everyone in the world should be - you always grow and learn from your mistakes."The goal is the same at the end of the...

3M Open: Potential redemption stories abundant as struggling golfers find form on Day 1 in Blaine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:11 GMT

TPC Twin Cities proved to be friendly confines on Thursday for golfers in search of rediscovering their form.Billy Horschel is still a top-50 player in the world by the Official World Golf Rankings’ count. But he hasn’t logged a finish inside the top 40 in more than three months, a stretch that includes four missed cuts.He shot a 5-under round of 66 in Round 1 of the 3M Open.Brandt Snedeker went nearly nine months between tournaments after undergoing surgery to address the major pain in his sternum.He shot a 7-under 64.Tyler Duncan entered the week having made just 10 cuts in 27 tournaments played this season. He hasn’t finished higher than 47th in an event in four months. He shot a 7-under 64.Kevin Streelman’s last five results read as follows: missed cut, tied for 49th, missed cut, tied for 51st, missed cut. He, too, shot a 7-under 64.They’re all chasing Lee Hodges, the solo leader after an 8-under 63, who came to Blaine this week having missed three cuts in his past four starts.T...

Stillwater bar no longer facing criminal charges in George Musser death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:11 GMT

A downtown Stillwater bar is no longer facing criminal charges of selling alcohol to 20-year-old George Musser prior to his death in December.In an amended complaint filed Wednesday in Washington County District Court, Brian’s Bar & Grill is still accused of having sold liquor to an underage patron on Dec. 23, but not to Musser.George Musser (Courtesy of Bradshaw Funeral Home)“After reviewing all of the evidence, we could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Musser was served any alcohol by the establishment,” Stillwater City Attorney Joe Kelly said Thursday.Musser, of Stillwater, was last seen alive around 2:20 a.m. Christmas Eve, leaving Brian’s Bar & Grill at 219 S. Main St., the Washington County sheriff’s office said at the time.The temperature was below zero with fairly strong winds when Musser left the bar in a flannel shirt and jeans with a stocking cap and shoes but no coat. His body was found around 7 p.m. on Christmas Day about two miles from the bar, near...

Vikings’ Alexander Mattison getting comfortable as RB1

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:11 GMT

Alexander Mattison is taking the biggest opportunity of his life and running with it. Literally.After serving as the primary backup to Dalvin Cook for the past few seasons, Mattison is finally the guy shouldering the load as the team’s top running back. That much was decided earlier this offseason when the Vikings released Cook to save some money during a salary cap crunch.Now, with training camp underway at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, there’s no question that Mattison is the starting running back for the Vikings.“It’s my job now to go out there and prove their decision right,” Mattison said. “I’m extremely honored that they trust and believe in me.”To the untrained eye, the decision to roll with Mattison instead of Cook this season might not make a lot sense. Take a closer look at the body of work, however, and it sheds some light on why general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah felt comfortable taking that risk.Not only is Mattison a p...

Democrats introduce bill to eliminate student loan interest for current borrowers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:11 GMT

Congressional Democrats on Thursday introduced legislation that would immediately cut interest rates to 0 percent for all 44 million student loan borrowers in the U.S. While the Student Loan Interest Elimination Act, introduced by Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) and Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), would cover current borrowers, future ones would still be on the hook for interest, though under a different system. The interest rates for future borrowers would be determined by a “sliding scale” based on financial need, leading some borrowers to still have 0 percent on their interest. No student would get an interest rate higher than 4 percent. Furthermore, the bill will establish a trust fund where interest payments would go to pay for the student loan program’s administrative expenses. “Students and families are already saddling the rising costs of a college education. The federal government should not exacerbate the problem by making money off borrowers’ federal student loa...

St. Louis Music Park organizers plan to keep concertgoers cool in the dangerous heat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:11 GMT

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. - St. Louis Music Park is getting set for the Amplified Echoes tour of Jimmy Eat World and the Manchester Orchestra on Thursday afternoon.“We have water hydration systems in place for fans,” said Sue Silverstein, director of St. Louis Music Park. “We’re allowing fans to bring in an extra factory-sealed bottle of water, so they can stay hydrated through the entire event, so they can enjoy it while they’re here.”The massive fans that were recently installed will move air.Outside the venue, in the shadow of Hollywood Casino, St. Louis Music Park will have misters as well.Cavetown and their Bittersweet Daze tour will perform on Friday. Younger crowds are expected to turn out on another day with temperatures in the triple digits. St. Louis police search for man after child sex crime “Tomorrow, we have a younger crowd that is early arrivals,” Silverstein said. “We have an early arrival. What we’re doing is wrist banding them when they arrive the first 500 to keep t...

Ohtani throws 1st MLB shutout, hits 2 HRs as Angels sweep Tigers in DH team says he’s staying

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:11 GMT

By LARRY LAGE (AP Sports Writer)DETROIT (AP) — Shohei Ohtani threw his first shutout in Major League Baseball in one game and hit two homers in the next, helping the Los Angeles Angels beat the Detroit Tigers twice on Thursday to sweep a three-game series.Ohtani, though, gave the team a scare when he left the second game of the doubleheader due to cramps that led to him grimacing after hitting his 38th homer in the fourth inning.He had a one-hitter and struck out eight as the Angels beat Detroit 6-0 in the first game and then cleared the fences twice in an 11-4 victory for the surging team’s ninth win in 11 games.Ohtani (9-5) did not allow a baserunner until the fifth inning of his start and walked three batters on the same day the Angels confirmed they’re not trading him.The two-way superstar, who will be a free agent after the season, didn’t budge on his approach to avoid talking about next year despite the recent developments.“In season, I don’...