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North Carolina senator pushing medical marijuana bill describes smoking pot during cancer fight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina General Assembly’s chief advocate for legalizing medical marijuana in the state revealed publicly on Tuesday how he smoked pot over 20 years ago to withstand discomforts of intense chemotherapy during a fight with cancer.Sen. Bill Rabon of Brunswick County has been working for years on a measure that lays out a structure for patients with serious and life-ending illnesses to lawfully obtain cannabis and smoke or consume it to gain relief. Legislative opponents of the idea — fewer than in previous years but still a significant bloc — argue that marijuana can lead to medical harm, only masks symptoms and would lead to making recreational use lawful.Rabon had described himself as a colon cancer survivor, but had been reticent on many details, particularly whether he had used marijuana, until pitching his bill in the House Health Committee three months after it passed the full Senate. The veterinarian recalled taking a few puffs at home aft...

S&P/TSX composite down more than 200 points as price of oil falls

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points as the price of oil fell and losses in energy, financial and base metal stocks helped lead the way lower, while U.S. markets were mixed.The S&P/TSX composite index was down 228.25 points at 19,739.70.In New York, where markets had been closed Monday for Memorial Day,the Dow Jones industrial average was down 50.56 points at 33,042.78. The S&P 500 index was up 0.07 points at 4,205.52, while the Nasdaq composite was up 41.74 points at 13,017.43. “It’s really just a continuation of the trends that we’ve seen in recent weeks,” said Stephen Duench, vice-president and portfolio manager for AGF Investments Inc. Investors are continuing to gravitate toward big tech names, especially those involved in artificial intelligence, said Duench.“It’s just like a race to (see) how big and how narrow the top of the market can be.”  Chipmaker Nvidia Corp. joined other giants like Alphabet, Apple and Microsoft in reach...

UN nuclear chief urges Russia and Ukraine to ban attacks at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. nuclear chief stressed Tuesday that the world is fortunate a nuclear accident hasn’t happened in Ukraine and asked Moscow and Kyiv to commit to preventing any attack on Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and make other pledges “to avoid the danger of a catastrophic incident.”Rafael Grossi reiterated to the U.N. Security Council what he told the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board of governors in March: “We are rolling a dice and if this continues then one day our luck will run out.”The IAEA director general said avoiding a nuclear accident is possible if five principles are observed at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, where fighting on seven occasions, most recently last week, disrupted critical power supplies, “the last line of defense against a nuclear accident.”Grossi “respectfully and solemnly” asked Ukraine and Russia to observe the principles, saying IAEA experts at Zaporizhzhia will start monitoring and he will publicly report on a...

Harbourfront installation promoting brain health removed after vandalism, theft

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

An installation along Toronto’s Harbourfront that was designed to raise awareness and funding for brain health and dementia research has been removed after some of the art pieces on display were vandalized and stolen.The Toronto-wide art exhibit created by the Baycrest Foundation called The Brain Project currently features installations at Harbourfront and Nathan Phillips Square, with plans to move them to various new locations in July.Baycrest says the Harbourfront installation was targeted on Tuesday, May 23, forcing its removal, which organizers called “a devastating blow.”“Two art pieces included in the project were stolen when their protective casing was intentionally damaged,” Baycrest said in a release. “The remaining pieces that were on display at this location have been removed in order to preserve them.”“This is a devastating blow to one of our signature programs,” said Josh Cooper, President and CEO of the Baycrest Fou...

Gorillaz announce 4 city tour, including Chicago stop

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

CHICAGO -- The English virtual band Gorillaz will be heading to the Windy City this fall to make fiction a reality for fans.Gorillaz will be bringing their their four city "The Getaway Shows" tour to the Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in Tinley Park on Saturday, Sept. 16. Chicago & House Music: A relationship over four decades in the making With over 27 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the band from London, England launched onto the world stage with their 2001 hit song "Clint Eastwood" followed by their 2005 Grammy Award winning song "Feel Good Inc."With a blend of rock, hip hop, and pop music, Gorillaz have created a sound of their own and a virtual persona over 25 years led by front man Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett. The band recently released their eigth studio album "Cracker Island." Chevelle and Three Days Grace 2023 tour coming to Chicago Gorillaz will be joined by Kaytranada, Lil Yachty, and Remi Wolf during their four city tour. "The Getaway Shows" tour wil...

Chevelle and Three Days Grace 2023 tour coming to Chicago

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago area rock band Chevelle will co-headline a 2023 tour with fellow 90s rock band Three Days Grace this fall.The newly announced tour includes a Sept. 13 stop at Chicago's Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom. Both bands were first formed in the mid-1990s and made their respective names in the hard rock / alternative metal genres. Chevelle was founded in the northern Chicago suburb of Grayslake by the Loeffler brothers in their parents' garage. Lollapalooza 2023 aftershows announced Presale tickets for the tour went live Tuesday alongside the tour announcement with general onsale set for Friday, June 2 at 10 a.m. local time for each concert stop. See below for the full tour details.CHEVELLE AND THREE DAYS GRACE 2023 TOUR DATES: Fri Sep 08 – Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event CenterSat Sep 09 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans AmphitheaterTue Sep 12 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom HillWed Sep 13 – Chicago, IL – Byline Bank A...

Shedd Aquarium brings back Stingray Touch Exhibit for the summer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

CHICAGO — For the tenth time in as many years, Shedd Aquarium has brought back it's 'Stingray Touch' Exhibit, where guests at the venue can can interact with the animals in what the aquarium calls "a one-of-a-kind, hands-on experience for a closer connection with nature and wildlife."A school of cownose rays. (Credit: Shedd Aquarium/Brenna Hernandez)The exhibit is home to cownose rays, which the aquarium describe as being tactile animals that naturally school together and brush up against one another while swimming. On top of having a hands-on experience, guests will also be able to learn unique facts on the creatures and how the Shedd Aquarium cares for the cownose rays in the exhibit.According to the Shedd Aquarium, cownose rays are well-known for their marathon mass migrations. Each autumn, as their summer waters start to cool, schools numbering in the thousands seek warmer habitats, moving from places like southern New England and Florida's west coast, to places in the southern ...

'Terrifying': Passenger recalls experience aboard Carnival Sunshine during storm

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- A passenger is recalling her "terrifying" experience aboard a Carnival cruise ship after it was stuck at sea during a Memorial Day weekend storm. The Carnival Sunshine was returning to port in Charleston, South Carolina from the Bahamas when it was rocked by a coastal storm that generated damaging winds and high surf. A Myrtle Beach woman said she was "scared for her life" during the hourslong ordeal, which began around 8:00 p.m. on Friday. "The ship took a hit from a wave about 11:00 at night," Sharon Tutrone said. "The wave hit on our side of the ship – we were on the right side of the ship – and that wave pushed the ship to the left where I thought we were going to capsize." Tutrone, who was taking a celebratory trip with her mother after beating breast cancer, said the entire experience was "terrifying." "Going through cancer was scary, but being on that ship during that storm, that was about 30 times scarier for me," she...

The Red Line Doubleheader: A Chicago day full of baseball

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

CHICAGO — With a couple of tickets, a train pass, and a little bit of endurance, a Chicago baseball fan had a dream scenario on Monday. One could attend two Major League Baseball games in the city in a single day, first on the north side and then on the south side. It's also known by many people as the "Red Line Doubleheader."For the second and final time in 2023, the Cubs and White Sox had home games at different times on Monday, allowing willing fans enough time to see both. The north siders were hosting the Rays at 1:20 p.m. at Wrigley Field while the White Sox hosted the Angels at 7:10 p.m. at Guaranteed Rate Field. Here's a look at the journey undertaken by those who decided to take the trip from one ballpark to the other during a "Red Line Doubleheader."The Cubs were first up with a contest against the Tampa Bay Rays in the afternoon on a warm yet overcast afternoon at Wrigley Field. A crowd of 38,163 fans showed up with the hope that the home team would be able to stop a four...

How Loons manager Adrian Heath handles substitutions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:57 GMT

Minnesota United can see the end of a grueling stretch.Come Saturday, the Loons will have played 12 matches over 43 days since late April, and manager Adrian Heath has asked a smaller group of players to get the team through it.“Big workload,” Heath said Tuesday. “Plenty of miles on the clock, for sure, over the last few weeks.”The busy schedule continues with the Loons (5-5-4, 19 points) traveling to play Austin FC (4-6-4, 16 points) at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Q2 Stadium in Texas.In MLS action, MNUFC has made a league-low 43 substitutions this season, according to fbref.com. Those subs are playing more than the MLS average at 21 minutes per appearance, which ranks 11th in the league.With five substitutions available per match, Heath has averaged 3.07 changes per game, leaving approximately two unused subs per contest.“America has a fascination with substitutes, more so than anywhere else I’ve ever been,” said the Englishman, repeating a line he often uses when the subject is broache...