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‘Utterly ridiculous’ misogynistic harassment of women curlers must end, says sports federation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:54 GMT

Despite their athletic achievements, women curlers continue to be the target of vicious online harassment off the ice.Members of Curling Canada are speaking out after hateful comments towards women athletes.“When we’re criticized for the gender that we are, it can be challenging,” said Jill Officer, a 2014 Olympic gold medallist in curling and six-time Scotties Champion.“We as female curlers are criticized for doing the exact same thing that our male counterparts do. Whether it’s tattoos, or how we scream, or the intensity we have on the ice. It’s all the same and we’re all trying to achieve the same thing.”Al Cameron, the director of communication at Curling Canada, says the types of messages he receives about women curlers are disappointing to read.“‘Can’t you get them to stop yelling, can’t you get them to stop screaming,’” said Cameron. “It’s just ridiculous, it’s just utterly ridiculous.”Six days into the Brier and not a single emailed fan complaint about players sc...

Vintage market brings sustainable shopping to Union Station

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:54 GMT

Massive lines filled the halls of Union Station Saturday, but the crowds weren’t there for trains or buses, they were waiting for their chance to shop secondhand clothing inside a space that used to hold horse carriages.Hundreds of shoppers made their way to Toronto’s transit hub for the travelling thrifting event known as The Street Market. Over 30 local vendors set up inside the newly revamped TD West Carriageway, where they’ll sell vintage clothing and handmade goods through the weekend.Shoppers sift through racks of secondhand clothing inside Union Station. (Brandon Choghri/CITYNEWS)“People used to be able to come in carriages and drop people off and go take the train and travel through Canada,” explains Jessica Lemire, Union Station’s director of marketing activations. “We were able to enclose the space in this beautiful glass so you can see the Royal York, you can see the CN Tower… it’s a very exclusive space but we’r...

Colorado GOP selects combative, election-denying new leader

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:54 GMT

LOVELAND, Colo. (AP) — The Colorado Republican Party on Saturday selected a combative former state representative who promised to be a “wartime” leader as its new chairman, joining several other state GOPs this year that have elected far-right figures and election conspiracy theorists to their top posts.The move in Colorado comes as the party totters on the brink of political irrelevance in a state moving swiftly to the left.Former State Rep. Dave Williams, who unsuccessfully tried to insert the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon” into his name on the party’s primary ballot last year and insists — incorrectly — that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election, was selected by the party’s executive committee out of a seven-person field.Williams crossed the required 50% threshold on the third ballot after being endorsed by one of his competitors, indicted former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who had failed to surpass 10%. Peters faces seven felony charges for her alle...

2 more children die after a Montclare house fire at a firefighter's home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:54 GMT

CHICAGO — Two more children who were critically injured in a house fire at a firefighter's home in Montclare earlier this week died Friday evening, further echoing the pain and grief being felt throughout the Northwest Chicago neighborhood."It’s very sad," said Perla Martinez, a Montclare resident. "We’ve never had something like this happen before and it just caught us off guard ... It’s really sad."A family member told WGN the two children who died Friday evening were 2-year-old Emery Stewart and 9-year-old Autumn Stewart. Emery and Autumn's mother, Summer Day-Stewart, died from her injuries earlier in the day, while 7-year-old Ezra Stewart died in the fire Tuesday. Family tells WGN that Summer's memory will live on through organ donation, while the Chicago firefighter community comes together to help pay for the family's funerals. Memorial services begin Wednesday for fallen Chicago officer "I hope they are okay in this time of their loss," Martinez said. "And we're always here...

Local business 'Cloud Cookie' blows up on TikTok, orders from across nation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:54 GMT

CHICAGO — A small-owned cookie shop just outside of Wrigleyville would have never expected to take off the way it did with just a post of a TikTok.Cloud Cookie, located on North Clark Street, has received more shipping orders in the past week than they have in the past seven to eight months, the owner says.“We’re stretched a little thin right now, but we’re handling it.  We’re not rushing anything. We’re keeping the quality which is what’s important to me and always has been,” Morin said.Anne Marie Morin, the owner of Cloud Cookie, says the shop took off in quarantine, just getting off the ground, amid a global scare and is now grateful for the abundance of love.Her dedicated staff is working night and day to cater to their now national reach.“The orders are coming in, I’ll look at my phone, my email and every ten minutes, we’re getting more shipping orders.” Weekend Break: St. Patrick’s Day celebrations at Old St. Pat’s Church She has also gone live from the kitchen, a recen...

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to Chicago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:54 GMT

CHICAGO — The renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is gracing the stage in Chicago once again.“For me it’s always a giving back to me and thanking the city for bringing me forth,” Ailey dancer Vernard Gilmore said.Gilmore went from dancing at Chicago’s Curie High School to the world-famous Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He joined the New York-based theater in 1997.“Now being there for a quarter of a century it really is a tradition in itself as far as a spiritual moment for all of our audiences,” Gilmore said.He is one of the several current Ailey dancers originally from the Chicago area.Alvin Ailey founded the company in 1958, preserving and sharing Black cultural experiences through dance.His masterpiece, “Revelations,” is considered the mostly widely seen modern dance work in the world. It’s always the finale but this year’s program also features works from other acclaimed choreographers ranging from Kyle Abraham to Twyla Tharp.  “Our audiences are just as excite...

Weekend Break: St. Patrick's Day celebrations at Old St. Pat's Church

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:54 GMT

CHICAGO — One of the biggest St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Chicago is at Old St. Pat's Church. St. Patrick’s Day Chicago 2023: See a schedule for big events in the city The Sheila Healy Irish Dancers started Saturday morning off at Shamrock'n the Block.Of course it wouldn't be St. Patty's Day without them, or the Shannon Rovers or the bagpipes and drums. Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

Jason Derulo leaves server large enough tip to cover college semester

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:54 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. (WJW) — On a recent visit to Omaha, Nebraska, one pop star made a server's day, night and semester. Jason Derulo reportedly left a $5,000 tip at Charleston's Restaurant, with server Jordan Schaffer taking to TikTok Tuesday thanking him for his generosity. Here to stay: Resident wins battle over giant St. Patrick’s Day skeleton display "Hey Jason, thank you, you just paid for a semester of my college. I can't say thank you enough," Schaffer said in the post. "I hope you and your family have a wonderful time in Omaha, and I hope you see us again. Thank you so much."Showing off the receipt in the video, Schaffer pointed out the tip was on top of a bill for $795.The 33 year-old "Want to Want Me" singer even later commented on the post thanking Schaffer "for taking such great care of our fam. Keep spreading the love bro."Derulo has recently invested in a professional women's volleyball franchise in Nebraska, TMZ reported, which is why he's been spending more time in the st...

SXSW attendees brave the heat on day two of festival

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Palpable excitement cut through the heat on day two of this year's South by Southwest festival.Along South Congress Avenue, film screening attendees lined up outside the Paramount Theatre.Among them was Justine Kraemer, an online media blogger from Toronto visiting Austin for the first time.Her biggest hope for the fest was to attend the screening of the new Dungeons & Dragons movie, that wish coming true Friday night.While this is her first time at SXSW, Kraemer said the vivacious energy of the fest was undeniable, especially after the pandemic."I think there's a real energy that people are just wanting to come back and get into as much as they can. I think that just comes across every minute we've been here," Kraemer said.Also catching the SXSW spirit was pedicab driver Thomas Romero.Romero said the first couple days of the event have been the most lively he's witnessed in years and that he's glad to be part of it.He said an autoimmune diagnosis kept him out of...

State of Texas: 'Education freedom' bill brings praise and concern

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:54 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — State Senator Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, chair of the Senate Committee on Education, filed Senate Bill 8 Friday evening, giving a detailed look into top Republicans' priority to use state money to subsidize private education.Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick chose Senate Bill 8 to carry one of his top 30 priorities of "empowering parental rights — including school choice." Governor Greg Abbott has advocated for creating state-funded "education savings accounts" that will give money to Texans to pay for education-related expenses, including private school tuition.Sen. Creighton said the goal is to provide as much as $8,000 to families with education savings accounts."I think we're in a different day and time in the outlook on educational opportunities than we even were five years ago. And I think that's why there's been a grassfire across this nation for parental choice and educational empowerment," Sen. Creighton said. "This is education freedom, this is making su...