Politics

With the hockey season winding down, many Canadians have two things on their minds: their teams’ playoff chances and a barrage of television ads for online sports gambling.The deluge of commercials is a creation of Ontario. Canada’s most populous province decided to go with a competitive marketplace just under two years ago, after the federal government opened up sports betting. As of Friday, 79 online gambling sites, not all of them based on sports, are legally permitted to relieve Ontarians of their money. In other provinces, sports betting is part of the provincial lottery system.Just over a week ago, Ontario…

Theirs were already lives of great hardship, in camps for displaced people, after they had fled their homes in Nigeria’s embattled northeast. One recent day, they risked a foray into the countryside to collect firewood — and around 200 of them, some officials said, were kidnapped.Just days later, dozens of children — if not more — were reported abducted on Thursday from a primary school some 500 miles away in central Nigeria.Who was responsible was unclear, and the security services have made no statements. The first incident took place in the region terrorized by Boko Haram, the brutal Islamist group…

Entertain the kidsIf you’re taking your children to see the eclipse, they will need distractions. What’s better than an indoor water park, like the one at the Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky, Ohio? Near the centerline of the eclipse’s path, it’s well situated, and its viewing party will offer free wolf ears for the kids and moon pies for everyone. A family suite that includes unlimited access to the park averages nearly $330 a night. You can also find child-friendly activities if you’re willing to travel back in time. Kinmundy Log Cabin Village in Kinmundy, Ill., will open its grounds…

VideotranscriptBacktranscriptKamala Harris Calls for ‘Immediate Cease-Fire’ in GazaDuring a speech in Selma, Ala., the vice president called on Hamas to agree to a six-week pause that is on the table and for immediate aid to those living in Gaza.Hamas claims it wants a cease-fire. Well, there is a deal on the table. And as we have said, Hamas needs to agree to that deal. Let’s get a cease-fire. Let’s reunite the hostages with their families, and let’s provide immediate relief to the people of Gaza. And given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate cease-fire,…