Latest news with #CTA

Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Suburban man charged in fatal stabbing aboard Blue Line train, police say
A Broadview man faces a murder charge in connection to a fatal stabbing earlier this week aboard a CTA Blue Line train, Chicago police announced Friday. Lawrence Strother, 66, faces a single count of first-degree murder tied to an attack that occurred on the Rosemont branch of the Blue Line aboard a train near the 5800 block of North River Road Wednesday evening, police said. Killed was Jason Rowinski, 42, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. An autopsy performed on Thursday determined he died of a stab wound to the lower extremity and was ruled a homicide. Police arrested Strother in the 9500 block of Technology Boulevard in Rosemont several hours after the attack. Authorities didn't say what they believe sparked the fatal stabbing. Strother is expected to appear before a judge for a detention hearing on Saturday.


CBS News
14 hours ago
- CBS News
Man charged with murder in fatal stabbing on CTA Blue Line train in Rosemont, Illinois
A man has been charged with stabbing another man to death on a CTA Blue Line train earlier this week in Rosemont, Illinois. Chicago police said 66-year-old Lawrence Strother, of Broadview, is charged with one count of first-degree murder. Lawrence Strother Chicago Police Department Strother was arrested he was arrested around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, hours after he stabbed 42-year-old Jason Rowinski on a Blue Line train near the Rosemont station along the Kennedy Expressway near River Road. Police said Strother and Rowinski got into an argument on board the train, and Strother stabbed Rowinski in the thigh. The victim was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where he was pronounced dead. Rosemont police located Strother after the attack and took him into custody before transferring him to Chicago police custody. Strother was due to make his first court appearance on Saturday.


Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Probe into Air Canada's baby on ‘standby' is still ongoing — and could take 3 years. Why the delay?
Remember little Margaret 'Molly' McLachlan, the Toronto tot that Air Canada put on 'standby'? Six months later, the investigation by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) into the airline's cock up is still ongoing — and could take as long as three years. As of June 26, Air Canada had yet to provide all requested information to the CTA's investigator, an agency spokesperson confirmed to the Star by email. The evidence, and airline regulations, seem rather straightforward. On their way home from Tampa in January, airline gate agents told the McLachlans that 20-month-old Molly would have to catch the next flight. Moments before takeoff, an agent got Molly on the plane, but several rows away from her parents. And flight attendants refused to help fix the problem. Under the CTA's Air Passengers Protection Regulations, 'airlines must, at the earliest opportunity and at no extra cost, take steps to seat children under the age of 14 near their parent, guardian or tutor,' the CTA told the Star. The distance depends on a child's age. Children under five, 'must be in a seat next to their parent, guardian or tutor.' Kids ages five to 11 must be in the same row, separated by no more than one seat from a parent while those aged 12 and 13 must be no further than a row away. The CTA told the Star recently that its investigation to determine whether the airline did anything wrong is 'still ongoing.' Well, how long could this possibly take? After the Star published the McLachlans' story, one of the most-read on the Star's website this year , families across Canada and beyond reached out to me with similar horror stories. 'The only legal timeline is set out in section 181 of the Canada Transportation Act, and specifies that any enforcement action needs to be taken within 36 months of the date the violation occurred,' senior investigator Amanda Capstick wrote in an email to Molly's dad, Greg McLachlan. 'Amanda,' McLachlan replied, 'my daughter, will be 5 years old in three years. 'How does this get escalated?' Capstick has yet to reply, McLachlan told me last week. But the law Capstick referred to does in fact give her and other CTA investigators very broad powers to compel airlines to promptly produce evidence — even on the spot. Rodney Conlon eventually got a refund through PaySimply and Amex, but still wonders exactly what Why the CTA isn't acting swiftly to protect Canadian consumers is something all taxpayers should be angry about. And it's not for lack of resources. In 2023, the federal government gave the agency $76 million in additional funding over three years, to help process 'unprecedented' numbers of complaints from air passengers and hire 112 complaint resolution officers. In 2023-2024, the CTA's annual reports states the agency received a record 43,549 complaints from air passengers. An agency briefing report published in March 2024 notes the backlog of unresolved complaints on its to-list is '67,400 and rising.' Despite the CTA's regulations, because they travel regularly and know things don't always go as they should, the McLachlins actually paid to ensure Molly and her slightly older brother were seated next to a parent on the flight. Air Canada later told the Star that 'human error' resulted in Molly not getting her preassigned seat and 'this was unfortunately not corrected.' McLachlan said airline staff advised he would have to ask another passenger to move if he wanted Molly to sit beside him or his wife Lindsay. 'There was no legal basis for the flight attendants to say it's not their responsibility,' air passenger rights advocate Gábor Lukács told me. 'This is really, really troubling. There should be significant and swift consequences. This is happening because the regulator isn't doing its job properly.' Lukács, president of Air Passenger Rights , said the CTA could issue a notice of violation and a $25,000 administrative monetary penalty against Air Canada. But past experience shows if a fine is issued at all it will likely be paltry and won't foster compliance, which will just boost the agency's bloated backlog of complaints. 'The message,' he said, 'should be that airlines that behave this way will not be tolerated in Canada.' The number of formal CTA investigations that result in administrative monetary penalties against an airline is relatively small. In 2023-2024, the agency conducted 112 'targeted investigations' and issued about $1.3 million in penalties. It's unclear from the agency's annual report what portion of these fines has been collected. What is clear is that the CTA, despite a substantial funding boost, is not living up to its mandate to protect Canadian air passengers. While the federal government and the agency have made some strides toward improving the system (though Lukács describes the moves as 'window dressing') it's still clearly broken. The CTA is relying on companies to co-operate with investigators when they don't need to, say Lukács. If airlines fail to produce documents quickly, he says, investigators like Capstick are empowered to seize them in the public interest. (See subsection 178(2) and section 178.1 of the Canada Transportation Act .) It's unclear what other information the CTA requires from Air Canada to move forward with the McLachlans' case. Air Canada has publicly acknowledged its mistake. The regulations on the matter is clear, and the company did not comply with the regulations. So what, really, is the holdup? On the upside, Molly McLachlan may be old enough to read the report herself by the time the CTA publishes its findings and determines whether a penalty is warranted. That's not how the system should work.


Time Out
2 days ago
- Business
- Time Out
Chicago debuts its first-ever Regional Day Pass linking CTA, Metra and Pace
Getting around Chicago just got a whole lot smoother: Chicago Transit Authority just announced a brand-new Regional Day Pass that offers unlimited rides on CTA, Metra and Pace for a full day—all from a single purchase in the Ventra app. This is the first time the city's major transit agencies have teamed up to offer a truly unified fare option for daily riders. The pass is part of a larger push by the Regional Transportation Authority, CTA, Metra and Pace to make public transportation more affordable and convenient across the entire region. The Regional Day Pass includes unlimited access to Metra, CTA trains and buses, and Pace fixed-route buses for 24 hours. You'll need the latest Ventra app (that's version 2.2.11) and a registered Ventra card—physical or digital—to purchase and use the pass. "This pass is a huge step forward in creating a more seamless, rider-friendly experience," said RTA Executive Director Leanne Redden. And with summer in full swing, the timing couldn't be better for locals and visitors alike to explore Chicago without worrying about multiple fares. Here's what Chicago's new Regional Day Pass costs: On weekdays, pricing is tiered by Metra travel zones: $10 for single-zone travel $13.50 for two zones $16 for three zones (Discounted fares apply for reduced fare card holders.) On weekends, the fare is $9.50 flat, regardless of distance. The pass is currently being rolled out as a six-month pilot, with potential for a permanent spot in the system by 2026. Regional leaders are calling it a win—but also a preview of what's possible with further investment and collaboration. To get yours, just open the Ventra app (get your physical or virtual Ventra card here), go to "Buy Metra Tickets," choose your trip, and select the Add a Regional Day Pass option at checkout.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
⚠️ Earthquake in Spanish refereeing: RFEF sacks the CTA leadership
The RFEF dismisses the entire leadership of the Technical Committee of Referees, including its president, Luis Medina Cantalejo. The decision also affects Clos Gómez and other senior officials of the CTA. It was first reported by El Partidazo de COPE and later unofficially confirmed by several media outlets, including Marca and Onda Cero. The Royal Spanish Football Federation has announced the immediate dismissal of the entire board of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), in a decision that represents a real upheaval in the refereeing establishment. According to the information provided, Luis Medina Cantalejo, president of the organization, as well as Carlos Clos Gómez, head of VAR, Antonio Rubinos Pérez, assistant to the presidency of the CTA, and the three vice presidents of the governing body of referees have been dismissed. This is a complete restructuring of the highest refereeing body, driven by the new management of the RFEF. Advertisement This decision comes in a context of profound transformation within the Federation, following recent institutional scandals and with an eye on a new era of transparency and renewal. It has not yet been officially announced who will fill the vacant positions, although it is expected that the names of the replacements will be known in the coming days. The dismissal of Medina Cantalejo and his team marks a turning point in Spanish refereeing, just before the start of the 2025-2026 season. It remains to be seen how this transition will be managed and what short-term effects it will have on the organization of the refereeing group. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 JAVIER SORIANO - AFP or licensors