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Dem senators from 4 states ask NOAA to address whale deaths

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:54 GMT

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Senators from four states want federal environmental officials to address a spate of whale deaths on both coasts, urging “transparency and timeliness” in releasing information about whale deaths and their causes.The call late Tuesday by New Jersey Sens. Robert Menendez and Cory Booker; Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, and Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse for action by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration marked the first large-scale request for action by Democratic federal lawmakers on an issue that has rapidly become politicized.Thus far, mostly Republican lawmakers have called for a pause or an outright halt to offshore wind farm preparation work, which they blame for the deaths of whales along the U.S. East Coast since December.But in their letter to a NOAA administrator, the Democratic senators conspicuously did not blame — or even mention — offshore wind as a potential cause of the death...

Congress to consider new no-fly list for unruly passengers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:54 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Senate and House members proposed a new no-fly list for unruly passengers on Wednesday, an idea that was pushed by airline unions but failed to gain traction last year.The legislation would let the Transportation Security Administration ban people convicted or fined for assaulting or interfering with airline crew members. It would be separate from the current FBI-run no-fly list, which is intended to prevent people suspected of terrorism ties from boarding planes.The number of incidents involving unruly passengers dropped sharply last year after a judge struck down a federal requirement to wear masks on planes. However, incidents serious enough to be investigated by federal officials remained more than five times higher than before the pandemic.“The violent incidents have not stopped,” Cher Taylor, a Frontier Airlines flight attendant who said she witnessed a passenger attack another in 2021 in Miami and walk away before police arrived, said during a news conf...

$3.8 billion, 100-acre 'megadevelopment' breaks ground in Bronzeville

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:54 GMT

CHICAGO — The "largest mixed-use project ever undertaken in Chicago" broke ground Wednesday thanks to $60 million in city funding.According to a press release from public relations firm Purpose Brand, LLC, the 100-acre megadevelopment dubbed Bronzeville Lakefront will be constructed on the site of the former Michael Reese Medical Campus and is "the nation’s first megadevelopment to have a 50% Black development team," with "a 98% diverse or minority supplier team for the infrastructure portion of the project." See the day-by-day lineup for Lollapalooza 2023 The project is expected to create 45,000 construction jobs, 31,000 long-term, full-time jobs, and have an overall economic impact of $8.2 billion, according to the project's website.This story will be updated, check back later for additional details.

How could the US ban TikTok?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:54 GMT

(The Hill) - Lawmakers are sounding alarms over TikTok and putting forward proposals that aim to ban the video-sharing app, but there’s no clear consensus over what path forward the U.S. government may pursue. In addition to a litany of technical issues over how to enforce a ban on a social media platform, the unprecedented nature of the situation poses obstacles that complicate attempts to block the app, which is owned by China-based parent company ByteDance. The nitty-gritty: How could a TikTok ban be enforced?The growing political pressure, with calls to ban the app on both sides of the aisle but more broadly from Republicans, is rooted in allegations that TikTok poses national security threats. The company has strongly pushed back on the allegations. Can the president do it himself?Former President Donald Trump, left, and President Joe Biden, right. (AP Photo/File)To ban the app in the U.S., the president could try to do so through an executive order — which is the cou...

WATCH LIVE | Chicago man exonerated after spending 28 years in prison

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:54 GMT

CHICAGO — A 46-year-old man has had his wrongful conviction of double murder officially overturned after spending 28 years behind bars.David Wright was first arrested in Aug. 1994 for killing his friends Tyrone Rockett and Robert Smith, according to a release from his attorneys. It goes on to state, in "his petition for post-conviction relief, no physical evidence linked him to the murders, nor did any eyewitness witness identify him as being the perpetrator. Instead, in a story that has become all too common, Mr. Wright was convicted based on statements – a false “confession” – he signed following a grueling, abusive 14-hour interrogation by Chicago Police Detectives James Cassidy, Kenneth Boudreau, and John Halloran." Several 7-Elevens robbed across Chicago in last 3 days WGN plans to livestream a press conference following his official exoneration hearing within this story. More details of his case will be added later today.

Driver shows 'Get Out of Jail Free' card to deputy at traffic stop: 'Points for the effort and humor'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:54 GMT

(WFLA) – When a sheriff’s deputy asked to see some identification during a traffic stop outside Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday, he wasn’t expecting a Monopoly Chance card.“[On Friday, March 24,] a deputy did a traffic stop, and the driver handed him this card, along with his driver’s license,” the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post, including a picture of the pink Monopoly “Get Out of Jail Free” card.Captain Andrew Mahowald, of the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office, told Nexstar the driver had been stopped after one of the department’s deputies spotted him for speeding through Franconia Township just before he produced the card. Do speeding ticket quotas really exist? The deputy and the team behind the CCSO’s Facebook account later had a big laugh about it.“Unfortunately the state of Minnesota does not recognize this as a valid document,” the Facebook post continued. “Points for the effort and humor though!”Despite not recognizing the “document,” C...

19-year-old hospitalized after bullying incident in Georgia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:54 GMT

GLYNN COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) – Hundreds of people showed up at a vigil on Monday night in front of the Brunswick hospital in Glynn County, Georgia, where 19-year-old Trent Lehrkamp is recovering after an apparent bullying incident left him in the ICU last week.Lehrkamp has been in the hospital for over a week, having been dropped off by three people he called friends last Tuesday. The teen was found to be heavily intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level of .464, or more than five times the legal limit in Georgia, police said.Upon arrival, the teen was only taking six breaths per minute, and needed to be placed on a ventilator. He was also covered in spray paint and urine, according to a police report from the Glynn County Police Department. The three teens who dropped Lehrkamp off left their names on a piece of paper and left in a white Jeep. Suspected catalytic converter thief crushed to death at car lot Lehrkamp's father, Mark Lehrkamp, told Glynn County Police officers about two oth...

APD dispatcher leads officers to crime scene, homicide victim using background noise

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – A dispatcher with the Austin Police Department was able to lead officers to the scene of a homicide by using the sound of the officer’s voices becoming louder on a 911 call, according to a Travis County murder affidavit.On March 22, Austin police officers responded to a shooting call at an apartment complex in the 5800 block of Techni Center Drive.“Austin 9-1-1 received a call from a female screaming ‘I've been shot!’" the affidavit said. RELATED: Woman dies in east Austin shooting According to records, the dispatcher tried to get information from the caller but could only hear the woman, later identified as 27-year-old Shahre-ka Mays, making noises and a possible fire alarm in the background. Records said Mays stopped answering any of her questions and the line went silent.“[An] APD Officer arrived on scene and searched for [Mays] through the apartment complex by checking door to door,” the affidavit said. “APD Dispatch was able to guide the patrol officers on sce...

Magnolia moving HQ into old Waco newspaper building

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:54 GMT

WACO, Texas (FOX44) -- Magnolia, the remodeling and design business based in Waco made famous by its founders Chip and Joanna Gaines, will soon celebrate the opening of a new headquarters.Magnolia says it is 'dedicated to investing in the Downtown Waco community,' and is 'thrilled' to be moving its new headquarters in the former building where the Waco Tribune-Herald was printed.The 110,000-square-foot building was built in 1950 and includes an All Hands Meeting area which can accommodate 200 people, according to a release from Magnolia. The building also has a coffee bar with a mezzanine and a lounge, two break rooms and 20 conference areas.There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony this Thursday to celebrate the opening of its new headquarters. The event will take place at 9 a.m. at 900 Franklin Avenue.The ceremony will include special appearances from Magnolia founders Chip and Joanna Gaines - as well as Waco Mayor Dillon Meek. The ceremony will take place exclusively outside. The r...

Gophers gain commitment from Pepperdine point guard Mike Mitchell

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:26:54 GMT

The Gophers men’s basketball program went full circle in the NCAA transfer portal on Wednesday.The U received a commitment from Pepperdine transfer point guard Mike Mitchell Jr., per On3Sports, while last year’s primary ball handler, Ta’Lon Cooper, said he will transfer to South Carolina.Mitchell, a 6-foot-2 point guard from San Jose, Calif., averaged 11.4 points, 5.0 rebounds in 31 games last season. He appears to have two years of eligibility remaining.Mitchell shot 43 percent from field-goal range, 44 percent from 3 and 76 percent from the free-throw line last season. Pepperdine and Minnesota finished with 9-22 records last season.Mitchell was West Coast Conference all-freshman team in 2021-22 with 9.1 points, 4.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 32 games.Cooper, of Spartanburg, S.C., will head home to the Gamecocks after one year with Minnesota. When Cooper left Morehead State before the 2022-23 season, he initially said he might not use both of his two remaining years of eligibility...