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‘Absolutely not’: Ex-official accused of leaking secrets says he didn’t betray RCMP

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:29 GMT

OTTAWA — A former RCMP intelligence official accused of leaking secrets has told a jury he didn’t commit a crime or betray the national police force.Cameron Jay Ortis testified in Ontario Superior Court that he had the authority to do what he did in the name of fighting threats to the security of Canada.Reporters and the general public were excluded from the courtroom for Ortis’s testimony Nov. 2, but a redacted transcript has now been released.The Crown says Ortis anonymously sent classified material in 2015 to people who were of investigative interest to the RCMP.Ortis, 51, has pleaded not guilty to violating the Security of Information Act by revealing secrets to three individuals and trying to do so in a fourth instance. The Crown argues Ortis lacked authority to disclose classified material and that he was not doing so as part of some sort of undercover operation.Mark Ertel, a lawyer for Ortis, has told the jury the former intelligence official was acting largely on...

Imprisoned Algerian journalist remains behind bars despite expected release

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:29 GMT

CONSTANTINE, Algeria (AP) — An Algerian journalist who was expected to be released this week after serving a six-month sentence was kept behind bars in a move that surprised his attorneys and colleagues and underscored ongoing concerns about press freedom in the North African country.Mustapha Bendjama, the editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Le Provençal, has faced a raft of charges since authorities accused him of helping political activist Amira Bouraoui leave Algeria in the face of criminal charges in February.Authorities’ February raid on Bendjama’s office and subsequent charges against him related to Bouraoui’s escape followed years of problems with the Algerian government, which accused him of writing favorably about pro-democracy street protests that led to the resignation of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 2019.“Mustapha absolutely must be freed, because he has served his six-month sentence in the so-called ‘Amira Bouraoui affair,’” his lawyer, ...

Invest in Kids Act to expire as Illinois legislative session comes to close

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:29 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Theauntae Jones is one of 9700 students on scholarship because of the Invest in Kids Act. The president of Theauntae's school said he has had the opportunity to thrive because of the scholarship, but after Thursday, the Invest in Kids Act will expire at the end of the year."Theonte is a classic example," said Dan McGrath, President of Leo High School in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood. "I doubt very much he would be here without a tax credit scholarship and yet he's come here, he has absolutely thrived, got himself set up for college."Hundreds of people rallied in Springfield this week in a last ditch effort to save the program, with Illinois republicans pushing to bring the issue to a vote, but efforts fell short on the last day of the legislative session, and the Invest in Kids Act was officially brought to an end."I, myself, was an underpriviledged kid that got a scholarship to a high school. That changed my life and the lives of four of my best friends,...

Friday Forecast: Temps in upper 40s with cooler than normal conditions

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:29 GMT

CHICAGO — Temperatures in the upper 40s and increasing clouds. Winds: WNW 5-15 G25. Winds: 48. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here Partly cloudy tonight with calm conditions. Winds: NW 0-5. Low: 31.Saturday Forecast: Mostly sunny, late day clouds, SE 0-5. High: 50.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

96-year-old Korean War veteran still trying to get Purple Heart

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:29 GMT

ST. PETER, Minn. (AP) — Earl Meyer remembers in vivid detail when his platoon came under heavy fire during the Korean War - he still has shrapnel embedded in his thigh.But over 70 years later, the 96-year-old is still waiting for the U.S. Army to recognize his injury and to award him a Purple Heart medal, which honors service members wounded or killed in combat.Meyer has provided the Army with documents to back up his assertion that he was wounded in combat in June 1951. Doctors at the Department of Veterans Affairs agreed that his account of the shrapnel coming from a mortar attack was probably true. But few men in his unit who would have witnessed the battle have survived, and he thinks the medic who treated him on the battlefield was killed before he could file the paperwork.Earl Meyer, who fought for the U.S. Army in the Korean War, wipes away a tear while talking with fellow veterans at the American Legion, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in St. Peter, Minn. Meyer, 96, is suing the Army...

Everything you should know about silica gel packets

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:29 GMT

*Related video above: What are PFAS, so-called 'forever chemicals'?(WHTM) -- You have probably seen silica gel packets in such places as shoeboxes, dried food and even bubble wrap. It's a white packet that always has the warning "Do Not Eat" on it. So what is silica gel and what is it used for? Silica gel packets are used to keep products at the correct humidity. These little packets take in moisture when there is too much of it in products or in the air. But, if the air gets too dry, they can re-release some of the water it has collected. Silica gel, according to Discover Magazine, is categorized as a desiccant, which is used to create or sustain a state of dryness in its vicinity. These substances are used to keep goods dry in situations where excess moisture can either damage or lower the quality of the product in which they are placed. Now’s a good time to prepare for next year’s vegetable garden. Here’s how The packets work by having little pellets of water and silica, whic...

Cloudy and cool weekend with spot rain in the mix

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:29 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Pockets of light rain continue today and tomorrow, but rain chances look even better late weekend into early next week.Cool and breezy conditions can be expected areawide today with pockets of light rain possible through late morning and again late afternoon. No severe weather nor flooding issues are expected, just be sure to add extra time and slow speeds if out on the roads at any time.Though we may see a few brief breaks in the clouds on Veterans Day, we cannot completely rule out a few spots of light rain. Washout conditions are not expected but breezy and chilly conditions will promote the need for a jacket for any outdoor activities. A second storm system marches in late Sunday into Monday, bringing cloudy skies and a likelihood of additional rain and thunderstorms.A series of storms like this is typical during an El Niño winter, which commonly bring wetter than normal weather and a benefit to low lake levels. Winter Weather Outlook: What a strong El Niño co...

When's the last time Texas went one day without a death on state roads?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:29 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — For more than two decades, the Texas Department of Transportation has reported at least one death every single day on state roadways.Tuesday marked the 23rd anniversary of the last day Texas went without any traffic fatalities, with the last death-free day marked on Nov. 7, 2000. TxDOT officials said that streak nearly ended this year in February, when one death was reported compared to the average 12 traffic fatalities that happen on state roads each day. New Texas law to allow temporary highway speed limits under certain conditions In the 23 years of continuous roadway deaths, more than 83,000 people have died as a result of a Texas-based crash.“Each life lost means a family, neighborhood and community are impacted for a lifetime, and we take safety very seriously as we work to end this horrible streak,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said in a release. “But it’s going to take all of us working together to get this done.”Officials added TxDOT's latest 10-...

ACC to close for Veterans Day on Friday

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:29 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Community College said it would close Friday in observance of Veterans Day. According to ACC, registration for the spring semester remains open. The school asks students to register early before classes fill up. The ACC spring semester begins Jan. 16. The school said it offers multiple classroom formats for all schedules. ACC staff will be available during regular hours, the college said, to help students plan, register, and pay/set up a payment plan for spring classes.

'Re-Building Together St. Louis' and Home Depot making repairs at veterans' homes

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:29 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Saturday is Veterans Day, so the federal holiday is being observed Friday.Government offices are closed. For some, it's a day of giving back to those who served. Have a $2 bill? It could be worth thousands Some area military veterans are getting a helping hand around the house. 'Re-Building Together St. Louis' and Home Depot are teaming up Friday to help five local vets with some much-needed home repairs and revitalization.More than 60 volunteers will provide the work.