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Eyes on abstention as Cubans vote for National Assembly

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:42 GMT

HAVANA (AP) — Cubans voted Sunday in National Assembly elections with attention focused on voter turnout amid a deep economic and migratory crisis. With 470 candidates running for the legislature’s 470 seats, and no opposition challengers, the election’s outcome is a foregone conclusion. Voters essentially will do no more than endorse a slate of candidates vetted by Communist Party officials, critics say. What observers will be watching Sunday is whether a trend in declining voter participation continues as Cuba’s government struggles to turn around deteriorating economic conditions.Participation in elections in Cuba is high but has been on the decline for a decade. The National Electoral Commission said that for last November’s municipal elections about 31% of eligible voters abstained from voting, That translates to 69% participation, which is still high by international standards, but a substantial decline for Cuba where voting is not compulsory but traditionally was consid...

Military under fire as thousands of troops face lost cost-of-living allowance

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:42 GMT

OTTAWA — The Canadian Armed Forces is under fire for its plan to cut thousands of troops off a cost-of-living allowance without much notice.The military announced last week that about 7,700 Armed Forces members will no longer receive the top-up starting in July.The Armed Forces is instead introducing a new housing benefit that it says will better assist those who need it the most.Some military members have since taken to social media and online forums to express their dissatisfaction with the new plan, including the abbreviated timeline.Charlotte Duval-Lantoine of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute think tank says the issue underscores longstanding concerns about how the military treats those in the ranks, with many members relying on the allowance to make ends meet.Retired lieutenant-general Guy Thibault says members are growing increasingly angry over how they are being treated by the government and chain of command, which he worries is exacerbating the military’s current...

Adele extends Las Vegas residency, plans concert film

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:42 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Adele announced Sunday that she’s extending her Las Vegas residency with 34 more dates between June and November and also plans to release a concert film.Saturday night’s show was the last performance in the British singer’s original “Weekends With Adele” series that covered 34 dates since last November on the Las Vegas Strip.Her representatives said Adele’s shows will resume at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on June 16 and run through Nov. 4. The June performances will be recorded and released as a concert special.Adele ended speculation about her future at the Colosseum, telling a sold-out crowd Saturday night that she will be back in June and mentioning the concert film, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. “Playing to 4,000 people for 34 dates is not enough, and I know that,” Adele said. “So I am coming back for a few weeks in June, and I’m going to release it to make sure anyone who wants to see this show can see it.” The Associated Press

Quail, salmon, venison on the menu at Iowa school

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:42 GMT

GLIDDEN, Iowa (WHO) -- In general, school lunch tends to not be thought of as fine dining. However, a new chef at Glidden Ralston School District in Iowa is changing that by providing special meals for students. Chef Chad Chaney, the new school chef at Glidden-Ralston Community School District, organizes and cooks for the students. "I do all the food service prep and ordering and just kind of make sure everything runs smooth. I have two great teammates that help out with that. Mostly I write the menu," Chaney said. Chef Chad said he still likes to provide the comforting foods that kids love, but also wants to expand their palate. How much does the average Costco shopper spend per visit? Costco reveals the answer "Staple things that kids like Crispitos, hot dogs, today [it was] chicken sandwiches, and then we like to do something slightly off the wall and healthy like the bacon wrapped quail," he said. "Next week we're going to do venison stew. The week after that we're doing salm...

Can you bring your own alcohol and drink it on a flight?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:42 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — It's not uncommon to pack a snack or a drink in your carry-on for a flight, especially for a long trip. While most alcohol falls under the list of food and beverages you can bring aboard a plane, can you drink it once you're in your seat? Though it may be tempting to open a bottle of liquor after a bit of rough turbulence, you can't. And if you do, you could face serious consequences. Can you bring marijuana on a plane? It's complicated According to TSA, alcoholic beverages can be packed in your checked baggage. Those with between 24% and 70% alcohol are limited in checked bags to 5 liters per passenger and need to be unopened. Beverages with 24% or less alcohol in your checked baggage don't need to adhere to the same rules. When it comes to your carry on, you're allowed to bring smaller bottles of alcohol but they need to "comfortably fit into a single quart-sized bag," TSA notes. Once your alcohol is in your carry on, it should stay there. Man arrested after tryi...

Business People: Former Pioneer Press columnist recognized for business writing

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:42 GMT

OF NOTEGail MarksJarvisThe Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing, a national journalism organization, announced that Gail MarksJarvis, a personal finance columnist with the Chicago Tribune and formerly the St. Paul Pioneer Press, will receive the its Distinguished Achievement Award for 2023.ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONSColle McVoy, a Minneapolis ad agency, announced that Haribo, a Germany-based brand of gummi candies, has selected the agency as shopper marketing agency of record.AIRPORTSThe Metropolitan Airports Commission announced it has named Tim Simon as chief financial officer. Simon previously served as CFO at the city of St. Louis Park. The MAC operates the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and several suburban airports in the Twin Cities metro.BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTTechstars, a Colorado-based provider of startup investment funds and business mentorship, has named Sarah Bain as managing director for Techstars Minnesota, succeeding Brett Brohl, who steps int...

Saugerties man arrested in connection to stolen car

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:42 GMT

SAUGERTIES, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Saugerties man was arrested in connection to a stolen 1995 Ford Bronco and a large Bandit woodchipper attached to it. Mason Bell, 47, is charged with two counts of third-degree grand larceny. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! On Saturday, at 8:28 a.m., Saugerties police responded to the area of Myer Lane for a reported stolen Ford Bronco and bandit woodchipper. Later at 11 a.m., police found the stolen car behind a Big Lots Plaza on Route 212. They processed the car at the scene and released it to its owner. Approximately thirty minutes later, police arrested Bell in connection to the stolen car and woodchipper. Bell was processed at Saugerties Police Headquarters and arraigned in the Village of Saugerties Justice Court. He was released on his own recognizance with a stay-away order of protection on behalf of the victim. He is scheduled to reappear in the Village of Saugerties Justice Court on ...

Single vehicle crash in Huntington Beach kills driver, hospitalizes passengers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:42 GMT

A car crash in Huntington Beach claimed the life of a 22-year-old man and hospitalized two others. According to a release from the Huntington Beach Police Department, officers responded to a single vehicle collision involving a 2014 Ford Focus on Main Street north of 13th Street around 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning. The 22-year-old male driver from Huntington Beach was pronounced deceased at the scene. The two passengers were transported to a local hospital in unknown condition. It is not yet known if impairment played a role in the accident. “Based on the preliminary investigation, the Focus was traveling southbound on Main Street at a high rate of speed just prior to the collision,” the Huntington Beach Police Department said in a statement. Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or events leading up to it is urged to contact HBPD Traffic Investigator D. Demetre at 714-536-5670. 

Groundwater report could ease residents’ concerns about future East Bay wetland

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:42 GMT

A planned wetland in far eastern Contra Costa County is not likely to affect the nearby groundwater, a new report concludes – but it remains to be seen if that will sway some neighbors who fear the project could harm their drinking water drawn from wells.The 645-acre wetland project aims to curb potential flooding and poor stormwater quality while fending off encroaching development and improving habitat for threatened wildlife such as red-legged frogs, fairy shrimp and burrowing owls. The undertaking officially called the Knightsen Wetland Restoration Project, is spearheaded by the East Contra Costa Habitat Conservancy and the East Bay Regional Parks District, which bought the land in 2016.Residents will have a chance to hear about the restoration project’s potential effects on the area’s groundwater at an online community meeting on Wednesday. To help allay some of the neighbors’ worries, the conservancy commissioned a study to evaluate the current conditions and potential ef...

One dead after reports of shooting at Santa Rosa party

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:42 GMT

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KRON) -- One person died and another was injured at a party in Santa Rosa on Saturday, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office confirmed to KRON4. Deputies respond to barricaded suspect involving weapon in Gilroy Deputies responded to reports of a shooting at a party on Hall Road just after midnight. When they arrived, they found one person injured and another person was dead. A suspect is in custody, the sheriff's office said. KRON On is streaming now.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }The incident is under investigation by violent crimes detectives. No other information was immediately available.