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Brazil has a new biggest favela, and not in Rio de Janeiro

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:51 GMT

SOL NASCENTE, Brazil (AP) — The buzzing main avenue of this poor Brazilian neighborhood is filled with people popping off buses after work or grabbing a bite. Teens attend an open-air rap battle and gymnastics class. Hymns and prayers from tiny church services spill into the night.It’s an ordinary Wednesday in Brazil’s biggest favela, or low-income neighborhood. And for the first time since poverty, lack of opportunity and economic inequality caused favelas to mushroom across many of the nation’s cities, that superlative doesn’t belong to a favela in Rio de Janeiro.Sol Nascente (Rising Sun, in English) is just 21 miles (34 kilometers) from capital Brasilia in the Federal District, whose GDP per capita is by far higher than any Brazilian state, underscoring the inequality between affluent public servants’ neighborhoods and the district’s outskirts.The number of households in Sol Nascente has swelled 31% since 2010 to more than 32,000, surpassing Rio’s hillside Rocinha fav...

Some Flair customers say they’re owed more after plane seizures, flight cancellations

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:51 GMT

Flair Airlines says it has reimbursed virtually all 1,900 passengers whose flights were cancelled after the seizure of four of the carrier’s planes earlier this month, but some customers say they are owed more money. Bailiffs repossessed the Boeing 737 jets, on which the discount airline had overdue payments, at airports in Toronto, Edmonton and Waterloo, Ont., on March 11.The seizures meant multiple flights that day had to be cancelled, sending customers scrambling to rebook on other airlines.Kelly Butt was scheduled to take a Flair flight with her family from Toronto to Palm Springs, Calif. on the Saturday afternoon, but arrived roughly 30 hours later than planned due to the cancellation.She says Flair has pledged to reimburse her for the fares, but not the cost of a lost Airbnb reservation and a car rental, and won’t fully compensate her for the last-minute cancellation.Flair says in an emailed statement that virtually all refund requests have now been addressed, and ...

Boat carrying 32 capsizes in eastern Caribbean; 16 missing

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:51 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — One person died and 16 are missing after a boat capsized near the eastern Caribbean island of St. Kitts early Tuesday, authorities said.The boat was carrying 32 passengers, 16 of which were rescued, according to the government’s Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Services.Officials in Antigua are leading the search and said the majority of those rescued are from unidentified countries in Africa. It was not immediately clear where the person who died was from.The boat sank about 40 miles (60 kilometers) northwest of Antigua. It was not immediately clear where it was headed, Col. Telbert Benjamin, chief of defense for Antigua and Barbuda’s Defense Force, told the government’s media outlet.An official with the Antigua and Barbuda Coast Guard told The Associated Press said the search for possible survivors was continuing. The Associated Press

Minnesota youth vaping trial of e-cigarette maker Juul opens

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:51 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison will personally open his state’s case against Juul Labs on Tuesday, the first of thousands of cases against the e-cigarette maker to reach trial.Minnesota is seeking more than $100 million in damages, Ellison said, accusing San Francisco-based Juul of unlawfully targeting young people to get a new generation addicted to nicotine.Juul has faced thousands of lawsuits nationwide but most have settled, including 39 with other states and U.S. territories. Not Minnesota, which won a landmark $7.1 billion settlement with the tobacco industry in 1998. Minnesota added tobacco industry giant Altria, which formerly owned a minority stake in Juul, as a co-defendant in 2020. Altria completed its divestiture this month and says it effectively lost its $12.8 billion investment. But it didn’t abandon e-cigarettes: Just a few days later, Altria announced a $2.75 billion investment in Juul’s rival, the startup NJOY.“We will...

Beef shipped to 9 states — including Illinois and Indiana — recalled over E. coli concerns

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:51 GMT

(WKBN) – Thousands of pounds of boneless beef chuck are being recalled, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. About 3,436 pounds of Elkhorn Valley Packing boneless beef chuck product has been recalled over possible E. coli contamination, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said Friday. The USDA said the recalled items — which may be contaminated with by Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O103 — were shipped to nine states, including Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The affected beef, which was packed on Feb. 16, went to distributors, retailers and wholesalers, as well as hotels, restaurants, and other "institutions," the USDA said. Gluten-free Reese’s Pieces Brownie Brittle recalled over undeclared wheat The issue came to light during routine FSIS testing of ground beef derived from the meat. The USDA said that, so far, there have been no confirmed reports of illness or...

Billy Porter Tour Coming to Chicago

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:51 GMT

Grammy, Emmy and Tony award winner Billy Porter is on his way to Chicago.He brings with his first-ever career-spanning pop music concert tour: THE BLACK MONA LISA TOUR: VOLUME 1 to town, May 26. Fans can expect a full band, multi media experience, of course featuring the amazing voice and story telling of Billy Porter. Tickets are on sale now HERE.BLACK MONA LISA TOUR: VOLUME ONE DATES4/29 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre5/1 Salt Lake City, UT Eccles Theater5/2 Denver, CO Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre5/4 San Jose, CA San Jose Center For The Performing Arts5/5 San Francisco, CA Golden Gate Theatre5/6 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Pantages Theatre5/7 Tempe, AZ ASU Gammage5/9 Austin, TX The Paramount Theatre5/10 Dallas, TX AT&T Performing Arts Center5/12 San Antonio, TX HEB Performing Hall - Tobin Center for the Performing Arts5/13 Houston, TX Bayou Music Center5/14 New Orleans, LA Saenger Theatre5/16 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre at Old National Centre5/18 Detroit, MI Fisher Theatre5/20 M...

Hundreds of deer carcasses dumped in Memphis lot

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:51 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) - A few feet from the banks of Kilowatt Lake in North Memphis, Tennessee, sits the small neighborhood of New Chelsea. In six years living there, neighbors have gotten used to one thing.“Smells horrible,” one woman told Nexstar's WREG.She never thought much of it and didn't think she could do anything about it. She also never goes past the end of her block into the small industrial district between her neighborhood and the lake. People in the industrial area can smell it too.“Like rotting disgustingness. It’s just awful," another woman said. Both have smelled the stench for years.In the industrial area, they figured it came from Dino’s Meats, a wild game processing facility. But they never suspected much more, until someone noticed hundreds of deer carcasses piled up and left to rot in a lot behind Dino’s. Bodycam video shows moments police killed active shooter at Nashville school “You’ll literally see dogs running by with bones in their mouths and they're li...

Texas' 3rd medical marijuana dispensary opens in Austin

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Thousands of people living with chronic pain are hoping lawmakers at the Texas Capitol provide them with relief in the form of medical marijuana.Last week, the Texas House Committee on Public Health unanimously approved a bill to increase the THC limits in medical cannabis and expand who is eligible to use it.On Tuesday, goodblend — a state-licensed medical marijuana operator — opened its first dispensary location in Austin. It’s only the third medical marijuana retail location to open in the Lone Star State. Related: Austin-based dispensary offering eligible veterans free medical marijuana prescription Cannabis advocate Johanna Nuding stopped by the store to see what was available."A lot of times, people need a little hand-holding,” she said. “Having a brick-and-mortar location where people can do that, makes them feel more comfortable."In goodblend’s new retail location, registered patients of the Texas Compassionate Use Program can shop for non-smokable cannabis...

Some are pushing to ban menthol cigarettes, here's why

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In a few months, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to release final regulations to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.  Some lawmakers are taking up the proposed ban on a state-wide level, including Texas Sen. Carol Alvarado of Houston.Senate Bill 920 would prohibit the sale of flavored cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Advocates say it's about public health. Previous coverage: FDA issues plan to ban menthol in cigarettes, cigars The Centers of Disease Control found the following:"In 2021, 39% of middle school and high school students who currently smoked cigarettes reported using menthol cigarettes. In 2019, 51% percent of young adults (18-25 years old) who currently smoked cigarettes reported using menthol cigarettes. That same year, 39% of adults (over 25 years old) who currently smoked cigarettes reported using menthol cigarettes."According to The FDA, menthol makes cigarettes more addictive and harder to quit.“Menthol in particular, it...

Chinese hand-pulled noodles, mochi doughnuts and kosher eatery coming to Mall of America

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:51:51 GMT

Three new dining options are set to open this spring at Mall of America in Bloomington.• Master Noodle, the Chinese hand-pulled noodle shop on University and Hamline avenues in St. Paul will open its second location in the mall. The restaurant will serve its entire menu of noodle soups, stir-fries, handmade dumplings and egg rolls. The eatery will be on Level 3, South.• Mochinut, a California-based chain of doughnut shops that serves mochi doughnuts, will serve its signature combination of American doughnuts and Japanese mochi. The doughnuts are made from rice flour and are shaped like those baby teething rings we all had, with eight balls of dough connected together to make a circle. The doughnuts do contain a small amount of glutinous flour, so are not gluten-free. In addition to the doughnuts, the stand will serve trendy Korean hot dogs, bubble tea and soft serve. The eatery will be on Level 2, East.• And finally, Vitali’s Kitchen, an offshoot of the kosher skyway outfit Vitali’s...