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Canada watching nervously as Biden, Trump do battle in Michigan over EV strategy

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:49:22 GMT

WASHINGTON — Joe Biden is making history today as the first modern U.S. president to visit a picket line — a big-stakes play for blue-collar votes with implications for Canada. Biden, an avowedly pro-union president, is in Michigan to commiserate with striking members of the United Auto Workers. But it’s not just about supporting union workers — the visit is also about defending his all-in strategy on making electric vehicles a cornerstone of U.S. manufacturing. Donald Trump, Biden’s presumptive Republican rival, will be in the state Wednesday to attack that strategy as a looming catastrophe for the auto industry. It could become a pivotal question in the 2024 election with deep ramifications for Canada’s auto sector, which is tightly integrated with U.S. manufacturers. Eric Miller, president of the D.C.-based Rideau Potomac Strategy Group, says automakers themselves are likely too invested in EVs to reverse course now. This report by The Canadian Press was first p...

The UK’s hardline immigration chief says international rules make it too easy to seek asylum

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:49:22 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s immigration minister argued Tuesday that international refugee rules must be rewritten to reduce the number of people entitled to protection, as the Conservative government seeks international support for its tough stance on unauthorized migration.Home Secretary Suella Braverman said people who faced discrimination for their gender or sexuality should not be granted asylum unless they were “fleeing a real risk of death, torture, oppression or violence.”“Where individuals are being persecuted, it is right that we offer sanctuary,” Braverman told an audience in Washington. “But we will not be able to sustain an asylum system if in effect, simply being gay, or a woman, or fearful of discrimination in your country of origin, is sufficient to qualify for protection.”Braverman said that the bar for asylum claims had been lowered over the decades since the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention. She questioned whether “well-intentioned legal conventions and treaties...

Amazon hit with antitrust lawsuit by FTC, 17 states

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:49:22 GMT

(The Hill) -- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a bipartisan coalition of 17 state attorneys general sued Amazon over violations of anti-competitive behavior on Tuesday, building on the government’s crackdown on the market power of powerful tech companies. The lawsuit targeting Amazon is twofold — alleging the e-commerce giant’s practices are anti-competitive in how it serves shoppers as well as third-party sellers on the site, according to an FTC announcement. The government alleges that Amazon uses anti-competitive measures that punish sellers and deter other online retailers from offering lower prices than Amazon, which keeps prices higher for consumers across the internet even off Amazon’s platform. FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan called it a “one, two punch” that has “internet-wide effects” for consumers and sellers. The complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, does not lay out specific remedies the agency is...

Tuesday Forecast: Temps in low 70s with showers and storms

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:49:22 GMT

CHICAGO — Mainly cloudy Tuesday with scattered storms. Winds: ESE 5-10 G15. High: 72. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here Mainly cloudy tonight with scattered storms. Winds: ESE 5-10 G15. Low: 62.Wednesday Forecast: Mainly cloudy, scattered storms. Winds: E 5-10. High: 68.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Police: Suburban woman dead after running stop sign, struck by semi

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:49:22 GMT

CAMPTON HILLS, Ill. — A suburban woman died after being struck by a semi due to running a stop sign Monday afternoon, police said.At around 4:30 p.m., authorities responded to the intersection of Route 47 and McDonald Road on the report of an accident involving two vehicles.A black Ford Escape and a Kenworth semi-truck hauling mulch were located at the scene.Following a preliminary investigation, police believe the Ford Escape, driven by a 69-year-old woman, failed to stop at the stop sign and entered the intersection — where she was struck by the semi.The woman was transported with life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead at St. Joseph Hospital. Police: 5 injured after distracted driver causes crash in Northwest Indiana The male driver of the semi was not injured, police said.

Shrek's Swamp now an Airbnb stay in Scotland

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:49:22 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — It may have been 13 years since DreamWorks' iconic ogre was on the big screen but Shrek is never too far far away from public consciousness. Well, in case you missed out on the recent Shrek x Crocs shoe release, the character's latest commercial outing is coming up quick: the chance to stay in Shrek's Swamp.On Tuesday, short-term rental giant Airbnb unveiled the listing, which is located in the Scottish Highlands and is hosted by Shrek's four-legged best friend Donkey himself. What's more — the two-night stay for up to three guests costs zero dollars (more on that later). ‘Probably Haunted’: Sign outside Massachusetts property makes mysterious claim Airbnb explains that the stay "brings a whole new meaning to the term 'treehouse.' With its clever use of forestry, charmingly rustic interiors and iconic outhouse, the swamp is certain to offer an experience unlike any other."(Credit Alix McIntosh via Airbnb)(Credit Alix McIntosh via Airbnb)(Credit Alix McIntosh via Airbnb...

WATCH: Biden joins UAW strike picket line

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:49:22 GMT

Live coverage of President Biden's visit to Michigan will appear within this story as soon as a feed becomes available.WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's decision to stand alongside United Auto Workers pickets on Tuesday on the 12th day of their strike against major carmakers underscores support of labor unions that appears to be unparalleled in presidential history.Experts in presidential and U.S. labor history say they cannot recall an instance when a sitting president has joined an ongoing strike, even during the tenures of the more ardent pro-union presidents such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Theodore Roosevelt invited labor leaders alongside mine operators to the White House amid a historic coal strike in 1902, a decision that was seen at the time as a rare embrace of unions as Roosevelt tried to resolve the dispute.Biden will be arriving one day before former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, goes to Detroit to ...

AFD: South Austin home on fire

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:49:22 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN Live’s top headlines for Sept. 26, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Firefighters responded to a house fire in south Austin Tuesday morning, the Austin Fire Department said on social media.According to a photo shared by AFD, the front of a home in the 500 block of Fort Drum Drive, which is near Stassney Lane and South Congress Avenue, is covered in flames.Around 11:20 a.m. Tuesday, AFD said the fire reached a second structure. Austin-Travis County EMS is also at the scene.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

$1.37M to help with childcare costs in Travis County

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:49:22 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN Live’s top headlines for Sept. 26, 2023.TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — On Tuesday, Travis County commissioners voted to continue a partnership with United Way for Greater Austin to expand childcare access in the county for two years. The $1.37 million contract extension will help childcare centers and home-based providers for families with low to moderate income in Travis County. RELATED: Child care in Travis County is the most expensive in Texas, new data show Previously, county commissioners approved an October 2022 contract for about $979,000. The Tuesday vote is a continuation of the program. This money comes at a time when over 300,000 kids in Texas are at risk of losing their childcare, according to The Century Foundation. On Saturday, funding from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act will expire, which will end financial help for childcare providers. Across the country, about 70,000 childcare programs could close without added funding....

Will running back Cam Akers make his Vikings debut this week?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:49:22 GMT

Cam Akers watched from the sideline on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium as the Vikings suffered a 28-24 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. After acquiring Akers last week in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams, the Vikings made the 24-year-old running back inactive for the game so as not to put too much on his plate.It should be a different story this week as the Vikings prepare for a road game against the Carolina Panthers.Never mind that fellow running back Alexander Mattison will remain the No. 1 option in the backfield. Not only is Akers in position to make his Vikings debut this weekend, he could end up having a major role in the game plan moving forward. He’s eager to prove himself after being written off a few weeks ago.“The opportunity has presented itself,” Akers said. “Now all I’ve got to do is go make the most of it.”Talking to reporters on Monday at TCO Performance Center, less than 24 hours after a crushing defeat, Akers expressed a...