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Australia’s highest court finds Qantas illegally fired 1,700 ground staff

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:56 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Qantas Airways lost its challenge to a court ruling on Wednesday that the Australian flag carrier had illegally fired 1,700 baggage handlers, cleaners and other ground staff at the height of pandemic travel disruptions.Seven High Court judges unanimously rejected Qantas’ appeal against a Federal Court full-bench decision. That court upheld a Federal Court judge’s ruling that the sacking of Qantas staff at 10 Australian airports in 2020 was illegal.The ruling is another major blow for the airline which Australia’s consumer watchdog is suing for more than 250 million Australian dollars ($160 million) for allegedly selling thousands of tickets mid-2022 for flights that already been canceled.Australian Competition and Consumer Commission initiated the Federal Court lawsuit two weeks ago for what it considers Australia’s most serious-ever breach of consumer law.That prompted Qantas former chief executive Alan Joyce to retire last week two months ahead of schedu...

Willi Castro hits 2-run home run in 7th and Twins top Rays 3-2

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:56 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Willi Castro hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning and the Minnesota Twins rallied to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 on Tuesday night.Edouard Julien also homered for the Twins, who lost Monday’s first game in the three-game series and began the night with a 7 1/2-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central.René Pinto homered and Josh Lowe had an RBI single for the Rays, who missed an opportunity to gain ground in the AL East with Baltimore losing to St. Louis. Instead, Tampa Bay remains three games behind the Orioles.Minnesota was held to two hits through six innings before Max Kepler singled off Rays’ starter Zack Littell (3-6) with one out in the seventh. After Carlos Correa struck out, Castro hit a first-pitch slider to the seats in right-centerfield.“The low pitch is a hot spot for me. I think he made a mistake. … I was waiting for that pitch, and that was the result,” said Castro, hitting .393 in his past nine games. Five of his 11 hits in that span are fo...

Arlington shares promising standardized test results among most vulnerable students

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:56 GMT

Students in Arlington, Virginia, made strides in several subjects last year but saw a minor decline in writing, according to standardized test score data shared with the school board last week.Overall, the county reported a four-point increase in math and a seven-point improvement in social studies. All subgroups of students improved their science scores, too, the county said, while reading scores remained about the same.The latest data is from the Virginia standardized test known as the Standards of Learning, which students took last school year.In addition to general gains, Arlington reported score increases in math, science and social studies for Black and Hispanic students, English language learners, students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students. However, the pass rate for the county’s economically disadvantaged kids was, in some instances, lower than the statewide average pass rate, Chief Academic Officer Gerald Mann said.“We’ve come a lon...

IDs released in South Platte River Trail homicides

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:56 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner has released the names of two people killed near the South Platte River Trail.Lluvia Robles-Banuelos, 31, was found shot to death on Sept. 6, near Interstate 70 and Washington Street. Three days later, 43-year-old Jeremy Hutcheson was found shot to death near South Platte River Drive and Florida Avenue. How Denver plans to spend $49M to house the homeless Authorities say both victims had multiple gunshot wounds. Both were pronounced dead on the scene.Denver Police said on Monday that they believe the shooting deaths are related. A police spokesperson said patrols have been beefed up along the trail.

McDonald's grease spill soils cars in the drive-thru

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:56 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Larry Hagen couldn’t wait to get his favorite combo meal at McDonald's, but when he pulled into the drive-thru line, he got a shock.“They were washing some type of sludge off the parking lot,” Hagen said.Desiree Eke told FOX31 the pavement at the McDonald's, located at Wadsworth Boulevard and Crestline Avenue, was slippery.“I actually was driving the Jeep through and slipped," Eke said. Failing to obey Colorado’s new roundabout law could cost you $70 Customers rolled down their windows and noticed a disturbing smell.“It was totally disgusting," Eke said.Eke and Hagen told FOX31 they quickly headed to local car washes to get rid of the residue stuck to the bottom of their cars and in the wheel wells.“That sludge fell off on the garage floor, so I drove straight to the car wash,” Hagen said.The Denver Department of Public Health and Environment told the Problem Solvers inspectors visited the property and found a grease spill had taken place but did not affect any foo...

How St. Jude helped save a local child from cancer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:56 GMT

AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) -- Each St. Jude Dream Home ticket can have an impact on kids right here at home.Taryn Peterson invited FOX31 into her little oasis, her bedroom. Like many 7-year-olds, she has lots of teddy bears, but there’s a special one on her bookshelf.“This is it,” Taryn said. “It has all of my survivor pins.” Northglenn family raises awareness for rare pediatric brain cancer Taryn’s St. Jude survivor pins are symbols of the journey and strength this karate-kicking, underwater-swimming second grader has fought and climbed to sit here today."Being able to see her make friends and play and hang out with other cousins, all these different things that she worked so hard to do, it really teaches me when things at work or stuff gets challenging," Taryn’s dad, Kenan Peterson, said. "And I'm like, oh, it's really nothing. It's not brain surgery."At 2-and-a-half years old, Taryn’s parents took her to the hospital, thinking something seemed a bit off with their girl.“We were about...

O’Toole & Johnson: Mental health help for first responders must come from the top

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:56 GMT

As public safety leaders, we understand the phrase, “walk the walk.” We relate to the challenges our first responders encounter – chasing criminals, performing CPR, rushing into burning buildings – because we’ve been there, we’ve done it, and we’ve walked miles in those boots. It is a privilege to serve our communities and to work with exceptional colleagues on the front lines. In doing so we must acknowledge these challenges and advocate for our people.But what about the unseen challenges first responders face; the rarely-talked-about mental health struggles? Are public safety leaders willing to “walk the walk” when it comes to mental health?Compared with the general population, first responders experience higher rates of depression, post-traumatic stress, burnout, anxiety, drug and alcohol addiction, and more. These often lead to secondary health risks, such as cardiovascular disease and disordered sleep. First responders are also at higher risk for suicidal tendencies, a fact hig...

Taylor Swift and her ‘Anti-Hero’ top MTV VMAs in a show dominated by hip-hop, K-pop and Latin jams

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:56 GMT

By MARIA SHERMAN (AP Music Writer)Taylor Swift took home the top prize at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards for her “Anti-Hero” music video on a night full of surprises.“This is unbelievable. The fact that this is a fan-voted award means so much to me,” Swift said in her acceptance speech. “I can’t believe it was a year ago that I announced the ‘Midnights’ album.”The show, held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, was Swift’s from nearly the beginning. The night’s first presenters were none other than NSYNC, who reunited to hand the best pop video award to Swift.In coordinating suits, Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick and JC Chasez shared the stage with Swift. Bass handed her a friendship bracelet, just as fans do at the superstar’s shows. “You’re pop personified,” she told the group.The night’s top nominee later returned to the stage to pick up the so...

Rice star of Korean comfort dish Tteokbokki

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:56 GMT

Rice is a staple food in many different cultures. Rice often is a popular side dish or even featured prominently as part of an entree..Tteok is found in sweet and savory Korean dishes. Tteok are rice cakes made from rice that is steamed and pounded to form a product that is distinctively chewy. Most tteok are rolled into cylinders and cut into pieces, or sliced thinly on a diagonal. The rice cakes are available at retailers both fresh and frozen, and can be eaten out of hand or added to stir-frys or even fried to a crispy texture.This recipe for “Royal Tteokbokki” from “Judy Joo’s Korean Soul Food” (White Lion) is a stir-fry comfort food that hails from the royal court of the Chosun dynasty.TAG GOES HERERoyal TteokbokkiINGREDIENTS1 pound beef rib eye, trimmed and thinly sliced1 small firm but ripe pear, grated3 tablespoons brown sugar3 tablespoons soy sauce2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus a drizzle for the stir-fry5 garli...

Dinner in a snap

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:56 GMT

I let the microwave do most of the work for this easy dinner with fresh snapper. It saves time and energy and means fewer pots to wash. The sauce for the snapper and the roast potatoes and green beans are cooked in the microwave.The snapper takes only a few minutes to saute and then the sauce is spooned on top. After the potatoes and green beans are microwaved, they are finished in the same skillet used to cook the snapper. This gives them a crispy finish.There are many types of snappers; any will work for this recipe. Whole grain mustard is part of the honey sauce. It’s made with mustard seeds that are ground just enough to form a paste but doesn’t break down all of the seeds. It gives a thick coarse texture to this sauce.Helpful Hints:You can use any type of white, flaky fish fillet such as sole or tilapia.You can use any type of small or baby potato. They should be about 3 to 4 inches.You can find roasted red peppers in jars in the condiment section of the store.TAG GOES HEREHone...