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Epic Games, maker of ‘Fortnite’ video game, begins $2.75M settlement payout

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:47:25 GMT

The maker of the popular video game “Fortnite” has begun compensating claims in a $2.75-million settlement to a Canadian class-action lawsuit over the inclusion of controversial “loot boxes.”Epic Games says on its website that compensations began on Thursday and noted in legal documents that the settlement “is a compromise of disputed claims and is not an admission of liability, wrongdoing or fault” in the case.The class action was certified by the Supreme Court of British Columbia and the settlement also resolves claims in a separate, similar lawsuit in Quebec.The lawsuit originally alleged that Epic’s placement of loot boxes in games like “Fortnite” and “Rocket League” — where players pay real money to acquire a digital roll-of-the-dice opportunity to win an in-game item — constituted unlicensed gambling.In a statement, Epic says it removed such loot boxes from those games in 2019, and players “should know upf...

Chow optimistic in push for federal funding to deal with massive budget shortfall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:47:25 GMT

A spark of optimism from Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow in her quest to secure desperately needed federal funding for things like the growing housing crisis, transit and the massive budget deficit following a series of meetings in Ottawa.Chow spent the last two days in the nation’s capital, painting a grim picture of the city’s crippling finances and the desperate need for funding when it comes to an overflowing shelter system, a refugee crisis, a lack of transit and affordable housing, along with a $1.5 billion budget gap. Chow says she believes momentum is building and that Ottawa understands the city’s dire situation.“There were a lot of nodding of heads, there were a lot of listening,” said Chow. “I tried to capture what the tenants are going through now in the city of Toronto and said we need immediate help now. The positive thing is that they didn’t say no. They are thinking about it.”City council recently approved new revenue tools, ...

Mississippi sees spike in child care enrollment after abortion ban and child support policy change

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:47:25 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi has seen a consistent rise in the number of families accepting public assistance for child care since lawmakers banned abortion in almost all circumstances, with the sharpest increase coming after a child support policy change in May, the state human services director said Friday. Speaking at a legislative hearing on funding requests for the upcoming budget cycle, Bob Anderson, who leads the Mississippi Department of Human Services, said the upward trend in voucher enrollment means the agency might “hit a wall with state and federal money,” forcing parents to undergo a waiting period for child care assistance.The department counted 31,532 families receiving those vouchers as of this month, up from 24,500 last October. “That is on track with what we were told to expect when Dobbs happened,” Anderson said, referring to Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Mississippi case in which the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the five-decade-old prot...

2 Indianapolis officers indicted for shooting Black man who was sleeping in his car, prosecutor says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:47:25 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A grand jury has indicted two Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers for shooting a Black man who was sleeping in a car parked outside his grandmother’s house, a prosecutor said Friday.Officers Carl Chandler and Alexander Gregory were indicted on battery and criminal recklessness charges in connection with the Dec. 31 predawn shooting of Anthony Maclin on the city’s north side, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said.Maclin’s attorney, Stephen Wagner, said the officers fired at least 30 shots, hitting his client three times and leaving him hospitalized for 17 days for six surgeries.Police had found Maclin asleep with a gun next to him in the driver’s seat before officers knocked on a car window and said, “Police. Hands up,” the police department said in a news release at the time. “While Anthony had a firearm in the car — and a license to carry the firearm — he never reached for the gun,” Wagner said in a statement. “He never had ...

Astros, Rockets acquire AT&T SportsNet Southwest, form new network

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:47:25 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros and the NBA’s Houston Rockets announced on Friday that they acquired AT&T SportsNet Southwest from Warner Bros. Discovery and will form their own network.Space City Home Network launches on Tuesday and will be a joint venture of the two franchises. The teams say the move will be seamless for fans, who will be able to watch games on the same channels they used previously.The Astros and the Rockets are the latest franchises to seek alternatives for the struggling regional sports network model.The first live game broadcast on the network will be a Rockets preseason opener against Indiana on Oct. 10. The new network expects to broadcast about 220 games per season, along with regional high school and college content.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlbThe Associated Press

Chicago man accused of sexual assault, robbery captured in Oregon after manhunt

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:47:25 GMT

CHICAGO — A Chicago man accused of sexual assault, robbery and escaping from electronic monitoring is in custody after he was tracked down in Oregon, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.Authorities say 34-year-old Rene Chandler, who is accused of sexually assaulting two women in Chicago in 2018, was taken into custody in Portland, Oregon, on Wednesday after he was tracked down by the Cook County Sheriff’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit. ‘We are all in shock’: 3 dead after being found unresponsive in Edgewater apartment According to authorities, there were four arrest warrants out for Chandler. Two were connected to alleged sexual assaults in 2018, a third was in connection to a robbery charge in 2019 and a fourth warrant stemmed from an alleged escape from electronic monitoring in 2020.Authorities say Chandler used several fake names, IDs and social security numbers to evade capture by police. Girl, 10, shot by stray bullet that entered her home on South Side Following his...

20 years ago Friday, the Bears opened new Soldier Field

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:47:25 GMT

CHICAGO — When it comes to the Bears and their home stadium, things were much different 25 years ago on Friday.That's when the team was getting ready to start a new era at Soldier Field in a stadium that had undergone a massive renovation over nearly two years that still creates debate today.(JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images)On September 29, 2003, the venue had its grand reopening as the Bears hosted the Packers on Monday Night Football on a cool evening in Chicago. This came after the venue had undergone a $632 million that completely transformed the inside while adding a new look to the outside over 21 months. The latter caused plenty of controversy, with many still saying today that it looks as if a spaceship had landed inside the nearly 100-year-old venue. A number of luxury suites were added along with different decks that actually dropped the capacity of the stadium to 61,500. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)It was a welcome moment for the Bears, who were forced to play...

Oswego man to spend 8 years in prison for deadly DUI crash involving girlfriend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:47:25 GMT

WILL COUNTY Ill. — An Oswego man will spend almost a decade in prison for his role in a 2020 DUI crash in Channahon that left his girlfriend dead, according to the Will County State’s Attorney's office.In a news release sent out on Friday afternoon, Carole Cheney, a spokesperson from the Will County State’s Attorney's office, said 51-year-old Corey Chattic pleaded guilty to aggravated driving while under the influence and driving on a suspended or revoked license on Thursday and was sentenced to eight years in prison. ‘We are all in shock’: 3 dead after being found unresponsive in Edgewater apartment The crash, which took place on Aug. 12, 2020, resulted in the death of Chattic's girlfriend Danielle Rachford.According to Cheney, Chattic had been drinking at a bar and grill in Wilmington with Rachford before they drove his Harley Davidson motorcycle to another bar in Channahon. After leaving the bar, Chattic was driving his motorcycle with Rachford sitting as a passenger when he at...

When will humans go extinct? These scientists have an answer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:47:25 GMT

(WTAJ) -- Just how long will humans be able to inhabit Earth? That is the question a group of researchers at the University of Bristol in England think they may have answered.According to a paper published this week on nature.com, humanity might only have 250 million years left as Earth forms a new supercontinent. While scientists have warned about climate change, Earth's temperature, and greenhouse gases/emissions, it was time to see what might actually wipe out humanity with the help of a new supercomputer. In the paper, the research team said that while the sun will naturally expand as it begins dying, eventually engulfing Earth in about two billion years, human life might not make it past the possible anarchy of what's been dubbed "Pangea Ultima." The simulation comes from the team of scientists feeding it data that's currently available about Earth, such as climate, ocean chemistry and tectonic plate movement. The supercomputer predicted that Earth's tectonic plates would shift...

LIVE: Westlake's Kayser closing in on big milestone, Chaps host Del Valle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:47:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Coming off a hard-fought 20-14 win over Lake Travis in the Battle of the Lakes last week, the Westlake Chaparrals host Del Valle at 7:30 p.m. Friday in a 6A-District 26 matchup.Both teams are coming off wins last week with the Cardinals picking up a 22-14 victory over Akins for their first win of the season. Quarterback Nasir Ardoin threw for 129 yards with a touchdown and running back Kenelle Hodges rushed for 105 yards on 17 carries with a score.REPORT YOUR SCORE: We'd love to post your team's score on our website, but we need your help to do it. Email the score of your game to [email protected] and we'll get it on our websiteFor the Chaps against Lake Travis, they were led by their reliable rusher, senior Jack Kayser. He rumbled for 130 yards on 24 carries with a 40-yard touchdown. Oddly enough, it was his first 100-yard game of the season but it would be naive to think he's not going to rack up more. According to statistics entered into MaxPreps, Kayser is 25 yards...