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SDSU student becomes university's first-ever Truman scholar

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State University on Thursday announced its first-ever student to receive the prestigious Harry S. Truman graduate scholarship, which is for those pursuing careers as public service leaders. Sandrien "Sandy" Mekany was selected from 199 finalists for the scholarship, an award of up to $30,000 for graduate or professional school studies only given to 62 outstanding college students from 60 institutions in the 2023 class, SDSU said in a press release. Born in San Diego to Arabic-speaking Chaldean refugees who fled Iraq during Saddam Hussein's regime, Mekany says her experience with struggling to pick up the English language and enduring anti-immigrant hate was a powerful influence on her life path. NOAA issues El Niño watch: Here’s where and when we will feel the impact “I was too scared to speak up, because who’s going to defend me? I’m a little kid,” Mekany said. “I wanted to meet the idea of what was considered ‘American enough’ in the eyes of my peers and...

Snowmelt spurs flooding from Southwest to Rockies, 2 rescues

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A rapid spring snowmelt after an unusually wet winter is unleashing flooding from the Southwest to the Rockies, causing residents there and in the Upper Midwest to evacuate or stock up on sandbags amid surging creeks and rivers.In New Mexico, emergency crews rescued people from at least two vehicles from high water Thursday night in Jemez Pueblo north of Albuquerque, the National Weather Service said. But there were no immediate reports of any deaths of serious injuries. A flood warning was in effect for communities along the Jemez River into next week.In Flagstaff, Arizona, neighbors on one street have been working side by side since Tuesday with shovels to stave off floodwaters from their homes. Three creek-retention basins installed last year helped better navigate water that rushed down from burned mountains above the city, officials said. Still, water engulfed the shoulder of a local highway, and several roads and sidewalks were closed this week as the w...

Blackhawks say Toews will not return to team next season

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews will not return to the team next season, ending a wildly successful run that included three Stanley Cup championships in 15 seasons.General manager Kyle Davidson said Thursday that the team will not re-sign its longtime center, who turns 35 on April 29. He is eligible for free agency after agreeing to an $84 million, eight-year contract extension in July 2014.“I think words fail to adequately summarize everything that Jonathan’s done for the organization, the amazing memories that he provided,” Davidson said. “He’ll be a Blackhawk forever.”Chicago hosted Philadelphia in its season finale on Thursday night. Toews won his first championship when the Blackhawks beat the Flyers in the 2010 Stanley Cup Final.He heard loud, prolonged cheers when he was introduced with the starting lineup, and every time he was shown on the overhead videoboard. The reception reached another level when Toews scored a power-play goal in the...

G7 diplomats to grapple with Ukraine, China, N. Korea crises

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Russian threats to nuke Ukraine. China’s belligerent military moves around rival Taiwan. North Korea’s unprecedented run of missile testing. The top diplomats from some of the world’s most powerful democracies will have plenty to discuss when they gather in the hot spring resort town of Karuizawa on Sunday for the so-called Group of Seven foreign ministers’ meeting. Some believe that with the weakening of the United Nations, amid Russian and Chinese intransigence on the Security Council, global forums like the G7 are even more important. But there’s also considerable doubt that diplomats from mostly Western democracies can find ways to influence, let alone stop, authoritarian nations that are more and more willing to use violence, or its threat, to pursue their interests.Besides the global hotspots, foreign ministers from Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Italy and the European Union are expected to discuss wa...

AGCO proposes ban on athlete, celebrity ads for online gambling

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

The agency that oversees online gambling in the province is proposing a ban on using athletes or celebrities in advertising those services. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) says the goal of the ban is to further minimize potential harm to youth and children.“The AGCO has identified advertising and marketing approaches that strongly appeal to persons who are under the legal gaming age through the use of celebrities and/or athletes,” the agency said in a statement on Thursday. “The AGCO is therefore proposing to prohibit the use of athletes as well as celebrities that can reasonably be expected to appeal to children and youth from internet gambling advertising and marketing in Ontario.”Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, and NHL legend Wayne Gretzky are among the athletes currently in ads endorsing online gambling platforms. Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers and NHL legend Wayne Gretzky appea...

A cyclone-hit Indian hamlet pins its hopes on a sea wall

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

KOCHI, India (AP) — Nearly two years ago, Mary Sebastian was hoisted on a chair and carried by a policeman in waist-deep floodwaters, leaving behind her now damaged home where she had spent more than 70 years of her life. She never thought she would return.So, when Sebastian, now 85, recently recounted her experience during Cyclone Tauktae, which hammered parts of southern India in May 2021, she became emotional as the memories came rushing back. Having returned to the same tiny, tiled-roof home, she expressed hope that a sea wall being erected on the coast just in front of her house would check raging waves of the Arabian sea and keep her safe. “I feel that at least now we have a shield to protect the coast,” she said. “To stop the waves suddenly hitting the shores and sending it back to the sea.”“Nothing like that had been here for years,” she added.Like many native dwellers of Chellanam, a fishing hamlet of 40,000 people in India’s southern state of Kerala, Sebastian is living wi...

Clement Virgo’s film ‘Brother’ wins a record 12 Canadian Screen Awards

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

TORONTO — Clement Virgo’s deeply personal film about Black boyhood dominated the Canadian Screen Awards Thursday as members of the entertainment scene gathered for the first in-person festivities in four years.“Brother,” a Scarborough, Ont.-set coming-of-age tale, nabbed a record 12 awards, including three with Virgo’s name on them: best motion picture, best-adapted screenplay, and achievement in directing. The veteran filmmaker said he rushed to the awards ceremony after a day of working on a Netflix series called “The Madness” and was looking forward to celebrating with his cast and crew.“I ran from set, had a quick shower at a gym up the street, and ran down here,” a beaming Virgo said on the red carpet before the show, dressed in a sharp black suit and tie. The adaptation of David Chariandy’s novel of the same name, which dives into societal challenges facing two Jamaican-Canadian brothers in the 1990s, debuted at the Toronto...

List of Canadian Screen Awards winners in top film categories

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

The Canadian Screen Awards celebrated the best in homegrown film Thursday night. A look at some of the winners:Best motion picture — “Brother”Achievement in direction — Clement Virgo, “Brother”Performance in a leading role — Lamar Johnson, “Brother”Performance in a supporting role — Aaron Pierre, “Brother”Adapted screenplay — Clement Virgo, “Brother”Original screenplay — Anthony Shim, “Riceboy Sleeps”Achievement in Cinematography — Sara Mishara, “Viking”This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2023. The Canadian Press

Video captures racial incident that led to Las Vegas teacher’s firing

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Exclusive video obtained by Nexstar's 8 News Now in Las Vegas shows reactions from students the moment a local teacher reportedly wrote a racial slur on a whiteboard.The Clark County School District acted swiftly to fire the substitute teacher less than 24 hours after the incident occurred. It happened on Tuesday at Silvestri Junior High School. VIDEO: 7-foot gator finds new home under Florida man’s truck In one of the video clips, the substitute appears to tell students, “African features…were said to resemble those of monkeys and apes.”As the lesson continues, the “n” word appears on the whiteboard, and the students react.“Either we can have a fun class today where we actually talk about English…I was planning on y’all being a bunch of little punks and misbehaving and this class acting as detention,” the substitute is heard saying over the video.In another clip recorded by students, the teacher writes the slur again on the whiteboard sparking pushback from kid...

Gophers men’s basketball picks up commitment from unique and huge center

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

The Gophers men’s basketball program picked up a commitment from a unique center on Thursday.The 6-foot-11, 330-pound Jack Wilson played football and basketball at Washington State and will be on scholarship for the Minnesota hoops team next season. The U men now have two remaining open scholarships for next year’s roster.Wilson, of Montara, Calif., was a reserve big man on the Cougars roster last season, coming off the bench to chip in during 14 games. He transitioned to basketball after appearing in 25 games for the Washington State football team as a walk-on, where he played primarily on special teams and at offensive tackle in spot duty.Wilson played basketball at both Idaho and Oregon State before transitioning to football. At Junipero Serra High School, he was an all-conference basketball player who averaged 16.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.“By the grace of God, I’ve been blessed with an amazing journey through collegiate sports,” Wilson wrote on social media. “I look...