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Former lawmaker who led Michigan marijuana board is sent to prison for bribery

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A man formerly known as a powerful Michigan lawmaker was sentenced Thursday to nearly five years in federal prison for accepting bribes as head of a marijuana licensing board.Rick Johnson admitted accepting at least $110,000 when he led the board from 2017 to 2019.“I am a corrupt politician,” Johnson told the judge, according to The Detroit News.Johnson was a powerful Republican lawmaker years ago, serving as House speaker from 2001 through 2004. He then became a lobbyist, and ultimately chair of a board that reviewed and approved applications to grow and sell marijuana for medical purposes.U.S. District Judge Jane Beckering sentenced Johnson to about 4.5 years in prison.“You exploited your power, and you planned it out even before you got the appointment,” Beckering said.Two lobbyists who referred to Johnson as “Batman” in text messages have also pleaded guilty to bribery-related charges. A Detroit-area businessman who paid bribes, John Dalaly, was recent...

Friend of slain B.C. Sikh advocate says police warned him of threat after killing

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

A member of the Surrey, B.C., gurdwara where Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar served as president before he was gunned down in June says police have also warned him about a threat to his life. Gurmeet Toor, who calls himself a close friend of Nijjar, says he was surprised when two police officers knocked on his door one night last month and handed him a “duty to warn” letter saying his life may be in danger.Toor told The Canadian Press in an interview conducted in Punjabi that police advised him to be careful, to avoid gatherings and move to a safer location, but they wouldn’t provide details on the threat. He is member of the management committee at the same gurdwara where Nijjar was shot and has been campaigning in the unofficial referendum for an independent homeland in part of northern India. The warning to Toor came on Aug. 24, before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament, on Sept. 18, that Canada’s intelligence services were investigating “...

BlackBerry loses US$42 million in second quarter

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

WATERLOO, ONT. — BlackBerry Ltd. says it lost US$42 million in the second quarter of its 2024 fiscal year, compared to a loss of US$54 million in the same period last year.The Waterloo, Ont.-based tech company, which reports its earnings in U.S. dollars, says the loss works out to seven cents per diluted share.BlackBerry says its revenue for the second quarter was $132 million, compared to $168 million in the prior year’s quarter.While revenue from the company’s cybersecurity segment declined by 40 per cent year-over-year, revenue from its IoT segment increased by four per cent.The company says it expects its IoT revenue to continue to grow, and is forecasting its fourth quarter to be the strongest ever for that segment.BlackBerry also announced the resignation of Timothy Dattels from its board of directors Thursday.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:BB)The Canadian Press

North Carolina governor vetoes bill that would take away his control over election boards

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed Republican legislation Thursday that would take away his powers to choose State Board of Elections members and give them to legislative leaders as the 2024 campaign cycle begins in the closely divided state.Cooper already had signaled a veto was coming, which sets up override votes likely next month. The GOP has narrow veto-proof majorities in each chamber and the final bill passed the House and Senate last week on party-line votes.The measure, if enforced, would remove from Cooper and future governors the ability to pick an elections board that contains a majority of appointees from their own party. For decades, the governor’s party has held a 3-2 seat advantage.Republicans have said such division breeds distrust among voters about board decisions. Their proposal would increase the board to eight members and give the House speaker, the Senate leader and the minority party leaders in each chamber two seats t...

Ohio football coach whose team called ‘Nazi’ during game says he was forced to resign, no ill intent

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

BROOKLYN, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio high school football coach says he was forced to resign by his school district and intended no harm to opposing players after he and his team repeatedly used “Nazi” as a game call in a Sept. 22 match. In an interview with The Associated Press Thursday, former Brooklyn High School coach Tim McFarland said he never meant any offense by using the term and that it “didn’t even occur” to him that it could be taken as antisemitic But the team’s use of “Nazi” has been largely criticized as such, especially given that the plays were called during a game against Beachwood High School — a school based in a largely Jewish Cleveland suburb. Peter Pattakos, McFarland’s lawyer, balked at the idea of the word Nazi being deemed antisemitic and said it is a historical term, not a slur. Citing an Ohio high school coaching book from the 1990s, Pattakos said “Nazi” is often used in football to warn teammates of what is known as a “blitz.” Beachwood School...

Appeals court blocks hearings on drawing a second majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal judge’s plan to hold hearings next week to draw up congressional boundary lines giving Louisiana a second majority-Black district was blocked Thursday by a divided appeals court panel.Supporters of establishing a second such district had hoped a recent Supreme Court ruling upholding a redrawn map in Alabama would soon result in similar results in Louisiana. But in a 2-1 ruling, a panel of judges at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Baton Rouge-based U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick was moving too quickly and must give the state more time to consider a new map. Dick had issued an injunction last year blocking a map that had been drawn up by the Legislature, saying it violated the Voting Rights Act. But the map was used in the 2022 elections after the Supreme Court put the Louisiana case on hold, pending the outcome of the Alabama case. Writing for the majority in Thursday’s appellate ruling, Judge Edith Jones said Dick had set an “impossibly...

Sovereignty act may be used to fight 2035 net-zero electricity plan: Alberta premier

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she would use her province’s sovereignty act as a last resort to challenge any attempt by the federal government to impose a net-zero electricity grid by 2035.Smith says achieving net-zero 12 years from now is not realistic, adding that it could lead to power blackouts because Alberta wouldn’t have a reliable source of baseload power such as natural gas.Smith’s government is arguing for a net-zero grid by 2050 and has a working group discussing the issue with federal counterparts.“We’re preparing a sovereignty act motion and I’m hoping we don’t have to use it,” Smith told reporters in Calgary Thursday.“That’s why we’re at the table having these negotiations.“But we are going to defend our constitutional jurisdiction to make sure that we develop our oil and gas industry at our own pace and that we develop our electricity system so that it achieves the goal of reliability and affordability.”The act is formally titled the Alberta Sov...

'It's beyond words:' Young cancer survivor, art therapist reunite

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

For years, Bella Marin was filled with anxiety every time she had to return to the hospital for more rounds of chemo. However, last week, she returned once again but this time with joy and gratitude for the woman who single handedly changed her path ahead.  It had been seven years since she walked down the corridor at Advocate Children's Hospital."Walking through the hallways, at first it brought back bad memories," she said.Memories of endless days of chemo, complications, and loneliness.On this recent visit back, Marin was back to thank the woman who helped her find the light: Art therapist Lori Mackey."It's really an honor to be invited into anybody's space,” Mackey said. "It takes a lot of courage to create when I present someone with a blank canvas and art materials they've never used. That takes courage." More from Erin: Doctor, retired music teacher team up to bring healing music to suburban hospital For years Mackey has worked with young patients through hard mom...

Plant-based diet could reduce the risk for Parkinson's — and more

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

Medical Watch Digest for Sept 28Parkinson's DiseaseEating a healthy, plant-based diet could reduce the risk for Parkinson's Disease.A team of European researchers analyzed the diets of more than 100,000 people. They found those who had a higher intake of vegetables, nuts and tea had an up to 31% lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.Right now there is no cure for Parkinson’s.Researchers say their findings provide urgently needed prevention strategies.Hot flashes & Alzheimer’s DiseaseWomen who develop frequent hot flashes during menopause may be at a greater risk for developing Alzheimer’s Disease.Researchers say hot flashes are associated with poorer memory performance as well as greater markers of small vessel disease risk in the brain which has been linked to dementia.Scientists say the study is a caution to women who experience hot flashes to reduce their controllable risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s.FDA advisers vote against experimental ALS treatmentAn ex...

Britney Spears' odd knife dance prompts welfare check: report

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

(KTLA) — One of Britney Spears’ latest dancing videos on Instagram has some concerned about her well-being. Monday night the pop star posted a video of herself dancing with large knives, one in each hand inside her Southern California home.“I started playing in the kitchen with knives today,” she wrote in the caption.Once the concerned comments started to roll in, she added a disclaimer saying “Don’t worry they are NOT real knives!!! Halloween is soon!!!” Costco says its one-ounce gold bars are selling out fast Fans became more worried when another video was posted afterward showing what looked like a cut on her thigh and a possible bandage close to her wrist. Spears was wearing the same outfit as the knife video, so many made the assumption that those two factors were tied to the knife video.Spears then posted a new video asking everyone to “lighten up about the knives” and said she was only “copying Shakira.”Shakira recently performed with knives during the MTV Video Music Award...