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Mangrove forest thrives around what was once Latin America’s largest landfill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:40 GMT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — It was once Latin America’s largest landfill. Now, a decade after Rio de Janeiro shut it down and redoubled efforts to recover the surrounding expanse of highly polluted swamp, crabs, snails, fish and birds are once again populating the mangrove forest.“If we didn’t say this used to be a landfill, people would think it’s a farm. The only thing missing is cattle,” jokes Elias Gouveia, an engineer with Comlurb, the city’s garbage collection agency that is shepherding the plantation project. “This is an environmental lesson that we must learn from: nature is remarkable. If we don’t pollute nature, it heals itself.”Gouveia, who has worked with Comlurb for 38 years, witnessed the Gramacho landfill recovery project’s timid first steps in the late 1990s.The former landfill is located right by the 148 square miles (383 square kilometers) Guanabara Bay. Between the landfill’s inauguration in 1968 and 1996, some 80 million tons of garb...

3 US Marines found at North Carolina gas station died of carbon monoxide poisoning, officials say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:40 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Three U.S. Marines found unresponsive in a car at a North Carolina gas station died of carbon monoxide poisoning, the local sheriff’s office said Wednesday.Deputies from the Pender County Sheriff’s Office found the three men Sunday morning in a privately owned Lexus sedan parked outside a Speedway gas station in the coastal community of Hampstead. Autopsies performed Wednesday by the North Carolina Medical Examiner determined that all three deaths were the result of carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the sheriff’s office. The Pender County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately make clear whether their deaths were accidental.“I am saddened by the timeless and tragic death of these three young men, who served our country honorably,” Sheriff Alan Cutler said. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with their families and colleagues during this time.”The lance corporals, identified by the U.S. Marine Corps as Tanner J. Kaltenberg, 19, of Madison, Wisconsin...

Qualtrough returns as Canada’s sports minister, replaces St-Onge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:40 GMT

Carla Qualtrough returns as federal minister of sport a more experienced cabinet member, and at a tumultuous time.The former Paralympic swimmer will face continued calls for a national inquiry into Canadian sport, which her predecessor Pascale St-Onge said was in a safe-sport crisis.Qualtrough was reassigned the sports file in Wednesday’s cabinet shuffle in Ottawa. St-Onge was shifted to the heritage department, which has sport under its umbrella.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau changed sport leaders for the fifth time in his Liberal government’s eight years and amid a flood of athlete complaints and reports of abuse, maltreatment and harassment.Safe-sport issues dominated St-Onge’s 21 months as sport minister.Parliamentary committees have heard revelations in recent months from tearful athletes about mental, physical and sexual abuse, and their fears for their careers if they reported it to their organizations’ leadership.Canada had never had a sport minister l...

Quebec judge denies request to appeal decision maintaining school prayer space ban

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:40 GMT

MONTREAL — A Muslim organization and a civil rights group seeking to suspend Quebec’s ban on prayer spaces in public schools have been denied leave to appeal a court decision that maintained the ban.Quebec Court of Appeal Justice Robert Mainville ruled Wednesday that he’s not convinced the appeal — which sought to allow the prayer spaces while the courts hear a constitutional challenge — had a reasonable chance of success.“The courts will not lightly order that a duly adopted law or regulation be rendered inoperative before it has undergone a full constitutional review, since it is presumed to have been adopted in the public interest,” Mainville wrote.The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the National Council of Canadian Muslims are challenging the constitutionality of the prayer space ban. A lawyer for the two groups had argued before Mainville on Monday that a Quebec Superior Court judge erred in June when he refused to suspend the ban.Olga Redko sai...

Indigenous leaders hope new minister Anandasangaree will follow in Miller’s footsteps

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:40 GMT

OTTAWA — Indigenous leaders say they are hopeful that new Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree will take inspiration from his predecessor’s approach with organizations, community members and leadership.David Pratt, the first vice-chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, said outgoing minister Marc Miller did a “exemplary job” on the file.He said he hopes the new minister has the same motivation and desire to build meaningful relationships.“Every portfolio shuffle is a little disappointing,” said Pratt. Still, he said the group is “looking forward” to working with the new minister and moving forward on reconciliation.“The days of prime ministers and premiers sitting together making decisions about Indigenous Peoples is over,” he added.“And we need to be included in all conversations about our rights, our lands and our children’s future.”Anandasangaree is one of seven new ministe...

Alberta government says clinic offering faster doctor access for a fee is an outlier

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:40 GMT

The Alberta government says a Calgary medical clinic charging its patients fees for faster access to a physician is an outlier and it will take action against any clinic that follows suit.Alberta Health spokesman Scott Johnston said there are 13 clinics in the province that charge membership fees for medical services, but they don’t offer faster access for services paid for by taxpayers.Such non-insured services could include everything from chiropractic work to nutrition counselling.“All evaluations done to date have confirmed that these (13) clinics are operating in compliance with the (Canada Health Act),” Johnston said in a statement Wednesday.“Many of these clinics have operated in Alberta for decades, including while the (current Opposition) NDP were in government, and do not offer preferential access for insured services.”Johnston said the investigation continues into the Marda Loop Medical Clinic and stressed similar action will be taken against other clinics that seek to im...

Film review: ‘The Beanie Bubble,’ with Zach Galifianakis, plunges into a plush toy ’90s craze

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:40 GMT

` (AP) — Who knew so many movie ideas could be found while rummaging through your attic?This year we’ve had movies on Tetris ( “Tetris” ), Nike ( “Air” ), Blackberry ( “Blackberry” ) and Cheetos ( “Flamin’ Hot” ). The latest is “The Beanie Bubble,” a comic drama about the Beanie Baby craze of the 1990s.We once debated the ethics of product placement in movies — now the product IS the movie. It may not say entirely wonderful things about our capitalistic society that we’re pumping out big-screen movies and streaming-service content that exalts the stories behind snacks, sneaks and stuffies.“The Beanie Bubble,” which lands on Apple TV+ Friday, may be part of a ‘20s trend but its interest is unpacking a late-20th century phenomenon and the some of the women exploited along the way. Zach Galifianakis plays Ty Warner, the chief executive of Ty Inc., the maker of the stuffed animals that — thanks to a few ingenious innovati...

Severe weather leaves storm damage in Lake Bluff

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:40 GMT

LAKE BLUFF, Ill. -- Cleanup continues in the north shore community of Lake Bluff after a storm ripped through Wednesday morning.Lake Bluff residents are picking up debris and any damage that may have been left in their yards following the Wednesday morning storm.Public works crews and tree service companies are also in the area helping to break down bigger trees that fell during the storm.Latest warnings and watches from the National Weather Service.Hours after the storm rolled through, some remain without power, but ComEd crews are working to restore power.Neighbors are in good spirits despite being without power on this warm day.No injuries have been reported following the Wednesday morning storm.

I-65 closed both directions in NW Indiana after Hazmat situation involving tanker crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:40 GMT

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. — I-65 near Merrillville is closed in both directions until further notice after a crash involving a tanker led to a hazmat situation Wednesday afternoon.According to Indiana State Police, traffic is being diverted at U.S. 30 (exit 253) and S.R. 2 (exit 240).ISP also said emergency crews have disconnected the cab from the trailer of the tanker and up-righted the crashed semi. There is no clear time table when I-65 will reopen to traffic in the area.Stay with WGN News as this article will be updated once more information becomes available.

Increase your step count for better health — and more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:40 GMT

Medical Watch Digest for July 26Walk to better healthThe steps to better heart health: Walk. Increase your steps and monitor them.Increased step count is linked to better heart health, even for people in heart failure.University of Michigan doctors say the results of their study point to the need to adopt wearable devices to make sure to take the daily steps associated with enhanced health.So how many steps help?Baseline step counts between 1,000 to 5,000 were associated with significantly improved heart symptoms and fewer physical limitations.Study participants who increased their baseline by 2-thousand steps a day over 12 weeks saw an even greater improvement. Bronny James cardiac arrest shines light on importance of quick action Eyes on exerciseExercise is also associated with better cognitive health. And now doctors have a way to see how effective it is for each person by looking in the eyes.Pupil size during physical activity predicts benefits to the brain, specifically the p...