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California jury returns $63M verdict after finding Chevron covered up toxic pit before selling land

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

A California jury has returned a $63 million verdict against Chevron after finding the oil giant covered up a toxic chemical pit and then sold the land to a man who built a house on it and was later diagnosed with a blood cancer. Kevin Wright, who has multiple myeloma, unknowingly built his home directly over the chemical pit near Santa Barbara in 1985, according to his lawsuit. Starting in 1974, Chevron subsidiary Union Oil had used the land as a sump pit for oil and gas production, a process that left the carcinogenic chemical benzene in the ground, court papers said. The company sold the property to Wright in 1983. Nearly three decades later, Wright was diagnosed with the cancer that attacks plasma cells in the blood and can be caused by benzene exposure, court documents said. The jurors in Santa Barbara on Wednesday returned the $63 million verdict, said Jakob Norman, an attorney for Wright. Norman called the case a “blatant example of environmental pollution and corporate malfe...

CP NewsAlert: Wildfire triggers evacuation order for Tumbler Ridge, B.C.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

VANCOUVER — An immediate evacuation order has been issued for residents of the British Columbia District of Tumbler Ridge, a community of 2,400 people in northeastern B.C, due to the threat posed by an encroaching wildfire.More to come. The Canadian Press

Saputo says earnings rose in fourth quarter, financial year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

Saputo Inc. says its net earnings for the fourth quarter were $159 million, up from $37 million a year earlier. The Montreal-based company says revenues for the quarter ended March 31 were $4.5 billion, up from $4.0 billion the same quarter last year. Diluted earnings per share were 38 cents, up from nine cents a year earlier. Net earnings for the full financial year were $755 million, up from $485 million, while revenues rose to $17.8 billion from $15.0 billion. President and CEO Lino A. Saputo said in a press release that the company delivered a solid performance in its fourth quarter through pricing initiatives, strong international markets and favourable commodity prices. Saputo said the company expects a year of organic growth ahead despite a challenging macro backdrop. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:SAP)The Canadian Press

Quebec fires: situation ‘stable’ for coming days; evacuees stuck until next week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

MONTREAL — Quebec’s precarious wildfire situation is expected to remain stable over the next 48 hours but residents displaced by the raging forest fires likely won’t be able to return home until early next week, Premier François Legault said Thursday.“We have (as of) today, 13,500 people that have been evacuated, we think that it’ll be stable in the next few days,” Legault told a briefing, but said that evacuees from Chibougamau and Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Que., which account for a large number of those displaced, won’t be able to return until Tuesday at the earliest.Quebec’s wildfire fight was focused Thursday in the province’s northern and western regions, where flames had reached the doorstep of a municipality of roughly 800 people. Authorities said a wildfire was within 500 metres of Normétal, Que., located 720 kilometres northwest of Montreal, in the Abitibi region.The province’s forest fire prevention agency — Société de prote...

Newfoundland police issue Amber Alert for 14-year-old girl said to be abducted

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Police in Newfoundland and Labrador have issued an Amber Alert for a 14-year-old girl who has been missing since last week.The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary say Melissa Morrell was abducted by an unidentified suspect whom they believe she knows.The force says “an unauthorized adult” is believed to be providing guidance to her to travel across the province, possibly to New Brunswick.Police say Morrell was last seen in St. John’s, N.L. on Friday at approximately 11:30 a.m. wearing a plaid button shirt and grey pants.She is described as being five feet tall, with a medium build, light brown hair and brown eyes.Officials ask anyone with information about her whereabouts to call 911.This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2023.The Canadian Press

Arrest warrant issued for Northwest Indiana man who set fire to jail lobby

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

CROWN POINT, Ind. — Lake County Indiana Sheriffs have identified the man deputies say intentionally set fire to the lobby of the county’s Northwest Indiana jail. An arrest warrant has been issued for 26-year-old Ryan Andrews of Merrillville. Police described the suspect as 5-foot-10-inches with a weight of 162 pounds. Andrews also has short brown hair, black eyes and a medium athletic build. He may have a goatee beard. ‘We will destroy you’: Northwest Indiana man accused of showing up to Taylor Swift’s residence, stalking Earlier this week, sheriffs released surveillance video of the June 5 incident that shows Andrews spraying an accelerant on the floor amid an attempt to get flames to spread.    Andrews made off in a blue SUV, authorities said. Photo of the blue SUV used as a getaway vehicle in the arson attempt at Lake County Jail on June 5, 2023. (Photo: Lake County Indiana Sheriffs)Fire crews from Lake County Fire and Rescue and Merrillville Fire Department...

Cool temps Thursday night, sunshine continues into weekend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

Thursday night: Clear, cool and hazy. Some upper 40s normally cooler inland locations. Low: 54Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog Friday: Generous sunshine a third consecutive day. A bit warmer, especially inland. High: 78/upper 60s lakeshore and area beaches.  

14-year prison sentence for Cook County carjacker who used dating app to lure victim

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

CHICAGO — A Harvey man guilty of using a dating app to lure and attack a victim before stealing their vehicle in June of 2019 will spend more than a decade behind bars.Stepfon Jiggetts, 25, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to felony aggravated vehicular hijacking.According to prosecutors, Jiggetts used an online dating app to lure the victim to his south suburban Harvey home.SEE ALSO | Prison time for boater who ran illegal charter operations on Chicago waterwaysOnce the victim arrived, Jiggetts entered the vehicle and asked the target to drive him to a nearby gas station. After returning to Jiggetts’ home, prosecutors say an unidentified individual began attacking the victim and attempted to remove them from the vehicle forcefully. Prosecutors said Jiggetts followed in the assault. According to prosecutors, once the victim was out of the vehicle, Jiggetts entered and drove with the victim’s phone and wallet.Jiggets was located driving the victim's vehicle t...

IRS has $1.5 billion in unclaimed tax refunds: Do you qualify?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Over a million Americans could miss out on their share of an estimated $1.5 billion in unclaimed tax refunds, the Internal Revenue Service said Thursday.The refunds are for tax year 2019, so if you didn't file for some reason in 2020, you could be owed part of those unclaimed funds."Time is running out for more than a million people to get their tax refunds for 2019," said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel in a news release. "Many people may have overlooked filing a 2019 tax return due to the pandemic. We don't want people to miss their window to receive their refund."By law, taxpayers usually have three years to file their taxes and claim their refund, but if they miss the deadline that money goes to the U.S. Treasury instead. El Niño officially arrives early: What it means for 2023 weather Usually, the deadline falls around the April tax deadline, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the 2020 filing deadline to July 15.The average tax refund that year was $893, but taxpayers...

What are the health concerns with poor air quality?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:06 GMT

The poor air quality in New York and New Jersey is making headlines as smoke from those wildfires in Canada continues to smother the region - and it's expected that the bad air could linger for days, if not weeks.Last month we saw some of that wildfire smoke hit the Chicago area as well. Related: Here’s how you can check the air quality in Illinois Kristina Hamilton is the Advocacy Director for American Lung Association and joined WGN News to talk about this crisis with the air quality.Sign up for our Medical Watch newsletter. This daily update includes important information from WGN's Dina Bair and the Med Watch team including latest updates from health organizations, in-depth reporting on advancements in medical technology and treatments as well as personal features related to people in the medical field. Sign up here