Biden pays respects as former Minnesota House Speaker Hortman, killed in shooting, lies in state
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Former President Joe Biden joined thousands of mourners Friday as former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman lay in state in the Minnesota Capitol rotunda while the man charged with killing her and her husband, and wounding a state senator and his wife, made a brief court appearance in a suicide prevention suit.
Hortman, a Democrat, is the first woman and one of fewer than 20 Minnesotans accorded the honor. She lay in state with her husband, Mark, and their golden retriever, Gilbert. Her husband was also killed in the June 14 attack, and Gilbert was seriously wounded and had to be euthanized. It was the first time a couple has lain in state at the Capitol, and the first time for a dog.
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Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
Arizona governor approves up to $500M to upgrade Diamondbacks home
Published Jun 28, 2025 • 3 minute read The roof to Chase Field begins to open prior to an opening-day baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Chicago Cubs, March 27, 2025, in Phoenix. Photo by Ross D. Franklin / AP PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed legislation Friday that funds up to $500 million in renovations to Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The bill, which won bipartisan support in both of the state's GOP-controlled chambers, will use sales tax revenue from the stadium and nearby buildings for infrastructure upgrades over the next 30 years, including improvements to air conditioning systems and the stadium's retractable roof. The team said it will also contribute $250 million for the renovations at the stadium, which is located in downtown Phoenix and is surrounded by small businesses and restaurants that see a boost of activity during the baseball season. The legislation is one of a handful of bipartisan deals that Hobbs, a Democrat, prioritized negotiating during the session. She says the funding is a responsible use of taxpayer dollars, will provide good-paying jobs and ensure the Diamondbacks do not leave Phoenix. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Attendance at games has increased since the team's 2023 run to the World Series, where the Diamondbacks lost to the Texas Rangers. This season they are averaging 31,420 fans per game — the highest in two decades. 'I'm not going to let Arizona lose the Diamondbacks,' Hobbs said Friday on the social platform X. Derrick Hall, president and CEO of the Diamondbacks, praised the governor and said the team will now turn its attention to extending its lease with Maricopa County. The bill cleared the Legislature June 23 after months of debate that included the question of whether the Diamondbacks could potentially leave unless a public funding deal was reached. Other MLB teams have threatened to leave host cities if they did not get public financing. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Oakland A's, for example, complained for years about the Oakland Coliseum and an inability to gain government assistance for a new ballpark. Now the team is bound for Las Vegas, where a groundbreaking ceremony was held this month for a $1.75 billion ballpark that is expected to be completed in time for the 2028 season. Nevada and Clark County approved up to $380 million in public funds for the project. And last year voters in Jackson County, Missouri, rejected an attempt to extend a sales tax that would have helped fund a ballpark for the Kansas City Royals and stadium renovations for the Kansas City Chiefs. Lawmakers in Kansas are trying to lure the teams with government subsidies, and Missouri is trying to keep them with its own financial incentives. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Diamondbacks have spent nearly three decades in their downtown ballpark, which is owned by the Maricopa County Stadium District. In 2017, the team sued the district over funding for repairs and sought to remove a contractual clause preventing the team from looking into other stadium options. A perennial problem has been the park's air conditioning system and its ability to keep it cool in triple-digit summer heat, Hall said. Fans of country music star Morgan Wallen bemoaned the heat at a 2023 summer concert there, despite the retractable roof being closed. Concession stands ran out of water, and some people simply left. Chase Field was one of the first MLB stadiums to have a retractable roof. Now seven out of the 30 teams play under one, including the Brewers, Blue Jays, Rangers, Marlins, Astros and Mariners. Chase Field also has a small swimming pool in right field, one of its most recognizable features. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The funding from the Legislature will not mean upgrades to the pool or to stadium suites, the latter of which was a sticking point for Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. She got on board after the bill was updated to prevent funds from being used for suites and a cap was placed on how much money the city would contribute for a land deal should the Diamondbacks break from the Stadium District, according to Gallego chief of staff Seth Scott. Hobbs is running for reelection, and while it's too early to say whether the Diamondbacks funding will be part of her campaign messaging, it's another bipartisan win, her campaign spokesperson Michael Beyer said. Democratic state Sen. Mitzi Epstein, who voted against the funding, said Hobbs' support for the bill was wrong and hurtful for Arizonans. She said she was disappointed that amendments to create public benefits such as free streaming of games failed. NHL Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Toronto Raptors Columnists
Edmonton Journal
an hour ago
- Edmonton Journal
Arizona governor approves up to $500M to upgrade Diamondbacks home
Article content The team said it will also contribute $250 million for the renovations at the stadium, which is located in downtown Phoenix and is surrounded by small businesses and restaurants that see a boost of activity during the baseball season. The legislation is one of a handful of bipartisan deals that Hobbs, a Democrat, prioritized negotiating during the session. She says the funding is a responsible use of taxpayer dollars, will provide good-paying jobs and ensure the Diamondbacks do not leave Phoenix. Attendance at games has increased since the team's 2023 run to the World Series, where the Diamondbacks lost to the Texas Rangers. This season they are averaging 31,420 fans per game — the highest in two decades. 'I'm not going to let Arizona lose the Diamondbacks,' Hobbs said Friday on the social platform X. Derrick Hall, president and CEO of the Diamondbacks, praised the governor and said the team will now turn its attention to extending its lease with Maricopa County.
Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
U.K. authorities seize cocaine worth more than $130 million from a ship at London port
Published Jun 28, 2025 • 1 minute read FILE - Shipping containers wait to be processed at London Gateway port, in Stanford-le-Hope, on the Thames estuary east of London, England, on Feb. 5, 2025. Photo by AP / AP LONDON (AP) — British authorities seized 2.4 metric tons of cocaine in a ship arriving in England from Panama, authorities said Saturday, calling it one of the U.K.'s biggest drug busts in years. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The drugs, valued at 96 million pounds ($132 million), were found under containers on a vessel at London Gateway port, east of the British capital. The shipment was discovered after what officials said was an intelligence-led operation. Britain's interior ministry, the Home Office, said it was the sixth-largest cocaine seizure on record. U.K. Border Force Maritime director Charlie Eastaugh said the seizure was 'just one example of how dedicated Border Force maritime officers remain one step ahead of the criminal gangs who threaten our security. 'Our message to these criminals is clear — more than ever before, we are using intelligence and international law enforcement co-operation to disrupt and dismantle your operations.' Britain is one of Europe's biggest markets for cocaine, according to the National Crime Agency. The U.K. government says cocaine-related deaths in England and Wales rose by 31% between 2022 and 2023. NHL Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Toronto Raptors Columnists
