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Referendum reconsidering Chicago as Welcoming City appealed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

CHICAGO — City council gathered for a special meeting Thursday to discuss Chicago's status as a Sanctuary city and decided to repeal the referendum reconsidering Chicago as a Welcoming city.The alderpeople involved in the initial consideration wanted to give power to voters and allow them to decide if Chicago should remain a Welcoming City."It is a shame that you all are scared. What are you sacred of, to let people have a voice? What are you scared of, the truth," Beale asked. The majority of people who attended the meeting were in support of not reconsidering Chicago's Sanctuary city status. Therefore, the Sanctuary city referendum question will not be on the March primary ballot.Chicago has been a Sanctuary city since 1985 since former mayor Harold Washington issued the executive order that is made sure to protect undocumented immigrants regardless of their immigration status. Mayor Brandon Johnson faces rising pressure to address migrant crisis following failed Brighton Park ...

'Like a gift': Oprah Winfrey says she uses weight-loss medication

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

(WJW) – While it’s known in polite company never to ask about someone’s weight, in American culture, we’ve been talking about Oprah Winfrey’s weight for decades.And so has she."It was public sport to make fun of me for 25 years," she told People.In an exclusive interview published Thursday, Winfrey, 69, revealed to People that she uses weight-loss medication as a maintenance tool to stay on top of things, and she says she’s "done" being shamed."Obesity is a disease," she told the outlet. "It’s not about willpower — it's about the brain." ‘Ozempic face’: Doctors explain side effect of weight loss drugs Fans of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will remember one of her most famous episodes from 1988, during which she wheeled out a red wagon filled with 67 pounds of animal fat — the same amount of weight she had recently lost.In this Tuesday, Nov. 16, 1988 file photo, television talk show host Oprah Winfrey shows off her new figure as she stands in front of 67 pounds of fat inside a toy wagon...

McHenry man, 75, charged and seriously injured after single-vehicle crash in unincorporated Richmond 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

RICHMOND, Ill. — A 75-year-old McHenry man was seriously injured and faces charges after a crash in unincorporated Richmond  on Wednesday afternoon.According to the McHenry County Sheriff's Office, first responders arrived at the scene of a crash involving a single vehicle around 4:43 p.m.A preliminary investigation indicates that a 2013 Kia Sorento, driven by a 75-year-old McHenry man, was traveling westbound near the 7800 block of Tryon Grove Road. The vehicle left the roadway to the south, where it struck a culvert, then the vehicle came to rest on its side on the opposite side of the culvert.The driver, and sole occupant of the vehicle, was flown to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with serious injuries.The man was charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence and improper lane usage.The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Traffic Crash Investigation Unit is conducting the ongoing investigation.That was the first of two serious single-vehicle crashes...

Congress approves bill barring any president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

(The Hill) - Congress has approved legislation that would prevent any president from withdrawing the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) without approval from the Senate or an Act of Congress. The measure, spearheaded by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fl.), was included in the annual National Defense Authorization Act, which passed out of the House on Thursday and is expected to be signed by President Biden. The provision underscores Congress’s commitment to the NATO alliance that was a target of former President Trump's ire during his term in office. The alliance has taken on revitalized important under Biden, especially since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in Feb. 2022.“NATO has held strong in response to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war in Ukraine and rising challenges around the world,” Kaine said in a statement, He added the legislation “reaffirms U.S. support for this crucial alliance that is foundational for our n...

McCarthy gives farewell speech on House floor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) addressed fellow lawmakers on the House floor on his final day in Washington as a member of Congress on Thursday afternoon.“I had the privilege of being a leader for five years and I think about did I leave this place better than I received it?” McCarthy said.The former Speaker of the House announced he would not seek reelection earlier this month. He became the only speaker in history to be voted out of the job in October.McCarthy reflected on his time in Congress, thanked members on both sides of the aisle and offered up some advice.“Do not be fearful if you believe your philosophy brings people more freedom,” McCarthy said.McCarthy has been in Congress since 2007. He served as majority whip and Republican leader before being elected speaker in January 2023.McCarthy has not yet shared what he plans to do next.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FDA recalls cases of Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta from three southern states

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

(The Hill) - Nearly 2,000 cases of Coca-Cola products were recalled in three southern states in recent weeks, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acknowledged in an advisory this week.The 12-pack cases — 417 of Diet Coke, 14 of Orange Fanta and 1,557 of Sprite — were distributed across Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, but the company last month began voluntarily pulling them because of the potential presence of "foreign materials" in the drinks. The FDA didn't specify what the foreign materials may have been.Photo by Scott Olson/Getty ImagesThe potentially affected items specifically include:Diet Coke: 12-pack fridge pack of 12-oz. aluminum cans. UPC: 49000028911, Best By 01/29/24; Fanta Orange: 12-pack fridge pack of 12-oz. aluminum cans. UPC: 49000030730, Best By 07/29/24; and Sprite packaged: 12-pack fridge pack of 12-oz. aluminum cans. UPC: 49000028928 Best By 07/29/24.NBC News reported that none of the affected sodas remain on the market.

How schools fought chronic absenteeism over the past year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

(NewsNation) — Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools across the country saw a huge increase in rates of chronic absenteeism where students racked up weeks of unexcused absences. For instance, almost half of the students in Washington, D.C., were considered chronically absent last year. These absences will help compound the impact of learning loss, where students fall behind because they're not getting quality instruction.As students transitioned out of pandemic protocols in 2023, educators and administrators got creative to bring down these high rates of absenteeism and return students to the classroom. Home visitsPonus Ridge STEAM Academy Middle School in Connecticut reduced chronic absenteeism from 32% during the 2021-2022 school year to around 10% the following year.They got there by streamlining their system for parent communication, which included home visits to families where children had seen many days out of school. ‘Crisis of vacancies’: Nevada teachers won’t ...

$2M winning lottery ticket sold in north Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A winning $2 million Texas Powerball ticket was sold in Austin, according to Texas Lottery.In Wednesday's drawing, there was one winner who got five out of five numbers correct with Power Pay, which doubles winnings. The winning numbers were: 3, 8, 41, 56, 64, and the Powerball number was 18. Almost 2,000 Texans have won more than $1 million in state lottery history The ticket was sold at Winners Corner TX LLC, located at 7817 Rockwood Lane Suite 101B.The next drawing will be held Saturday, with an estimated annuitized jackpot of $535 million, which has an estimated cash value of $257.6 million.

ERCOT CEO: Power grid 'ready and reliable' ahead of winter

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023.HOUSTON (Nexstar) — State and industry leaders assured Texans on Thursday morning that the state's energy grid is sufficient for the cold months ahead, comforting concerns still lingering among many Texans since the devastating blackout of 2021."The power grid is as ready and reliable as it has ever been for the winter season," Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) CEO Pablo Vegas said. "We have more generating and dispatchable resources available to the grid than we have had in any prior winter in history. So we are ready for that." Virtual power plants to provide power to ERCOT grid for the first time, PUCT says Vegas said ERCOT has performed more than 1,500 inspections of power plants in the last two years and expect to complete 500 more this winter."The power plants are ready," he said.Gov. Greg Abbott echoed that confidence, saying Texas is "better prepared than we've ever been" ...

City looks to provide financial assistance for additional dwelling units

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:57 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin City Council passed a resolution Thursday that directs the City Manager and his staff to explore options that would give financial assistance to low and moderate-income homeowners who are renovating their home or adding an additional dwelling unit. This resolution comes a week after council passed phase 1 of the H.O.M.E. initiative which now allows people to build up to three structures on a single-family lot. The resolution calls for access to down payment assistance for Austinites who qualify. What is the HOME initiative? What to know about Austin’s latest push for more housing The resolution was brought forward by district 3 council member José Velásquez. His resolution also directs the Manager to come back next year with an update on two prior resolutions that deal with ADUs. "I am very proud of the work this dais has accomplished and the sense of urgency we've moved to make Austin more affordable for all," Velásquez said before the vote Thursday. "Thi...