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The second fire in six months at U.S. Steel's massive coke plant outside Pittsburgh knocked a key pollution control system offline Monday, triggering a health warning as officials monitored the air around the plant for signs of a release of toxic sulfur dioxide. The Allegheny County Health Department threatened to shut down the plant unless U.S. Steel acts quickly to fix its damaged equipment, while elected officials and environmental groups alike chastised the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker. A Christmas Eve fire in the same area of the plant caused $40 million in damage and significant releases of sulfur dioxide, a pungent byproduct of fossil fuel combustion that can make it hard to breathe.

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 20:46:48 -0400

Two weeks from now, the Toronto Raptors' roster might look as different as Danny Green's combed-out mohawk with looming decisions from Kawhi Leonard, Marc Gasol and Green that brought an air of uncertainty to Monday's street party in Ontario. As the Raptors gathered with mobs of fans Monday to celebrate their NBA championship -- the City of Toronto projected 1.5 million fans packed downtown -- the next chapter for the Raptors will be on hold as a series of decisions that shape the future of the franchise are made. "Holding that trophy, there's nothing more special than that," Ed Rogers, chairman of Rogers Communications, partial owner of the Raptors, said Monday.

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 20:44:38 -0400

All-Star defenseman Erik Karlsson signed an eight-year deal to remain with the San Jose Sharks. Karlsson, 29, could have become the league's marquee free agent this offseason as he reached the end of the seven-year, $45.5 million contract he signed with the Ottawa Senators, who selected him No. 15 overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft. Limited to 53 games last season with a groin injury, Karlsson had 45 points (three goals, 42 assists).

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 20:43:51 -0400

The Spanish government has violated the rights of three Catalan leaders elected to the European Parliament by blocking them from collecting their credentials, 76 MEPs said in a letter sent to the governing body of the European legislature on Monday. The legal rights of those Catalan separatists elected to office while on trial or wanted for arrest for their role in a failed 2017 secession bid have been a major headache for Spanish courts since elections in April and May. MEPs from a range of parties, in a letter seen by Reuters, called on the European Parliament to protect the rights of the three Catalan leaders who were unable to collect their credentials on Monday.

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 20:41:42 -0400

Investor caution ahead of the Federal Reserve's interest rate meeting capped Asian stocks on Tuesday, while crude oil prices retreated as global growth worries overshadowed supply concerns stemming from recent Middle East tensions. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan inched up 0.05%. Australian stocks added 0.1% while Japan's Nikkei dipped 0.05%.

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 20:40:05 -0400