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Man accused of battering CTA employee, damaging attendant booth

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:12 GMT

CHICAGO — A man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly battering a CTA transit employee and damaging an attendant booth on the West Side.Curtis Washington was arrested at around 1:20 a.m. in the 3200 block of West Lake Street.Moments earlier, police accused Washington of battering a 40-year-old CTA employee and also damaging the attendant booth at the Kedzie Green Line station. Police: Rideshare passenger shot on South Side Washington was charged with aggravated battery against a transit employee and criminal damage to property.He is due in bond court on Thursday.

WATCH LIVE | Norfolk Southern CEO bringing apology, aid to Senate hearing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:12 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Norfolk Southern's CEO plans to apologize to Congress on Thursday and pledge millions of dollars to help East Palestine, Ohio, recover from the fiery train derailment as senators investigate railway safety and the Biden administration’s response to the disaster. “I am deeply sorry for the impact this derailment has had on the people of East Palestine and surrounding communities, and I am determined to make it right," CEO Alan Shaw says in prepared remarks released ahead of the Senate Environment and Public Works panel hearing.Shaw says the railroad will do “the right thing” with a $20 million commitment to help the community recover.The company has announced several voluntary safety upgrades. Senators, however, have promised a pressing inquiry into the derailment, the company's safety practices and the emergency response to the toppling of 38 railcars, including 11 carrying hazardous materials. Federal regulators have also said Norfolk Southern must do more to impr...

US sees white supremacist propaganda jump to all-time high: ADL

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:12 GMT

(The Hill) – The United States saw its highest-ever distribution of white supremacist propaganda last year, jumping 38% over 2021, according to data collected by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).The group recorded 6,751 incidents of propaganda activity in 2022 — a jump from 4,876 in 2021 that the ADL attributed to growth in the number of white supremacist groups and their membership.“There’s no question that white supremacists and antisemites are trying to terrorize and harass Americans and have significantly stepped up their use of propaganda as a tactic to make their presence known in communities nationwide,” Jonathan Greenblatt, president of ADL, said in a statement alongside the report. High school students pepper-sprayed at anti-racism protest in California Three white supremacist groups — Patriot Front, Goyim Defense League and White Lives Matter — were responsible for 93% of this year’s activity, which includes banners, posters and events.Much of that content was speci...

Bulls reportedly get more bad news on Lonzo Ball

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:12 GMT

CHICAGO - The chances of the Bulls having their starting point guard back in time for the start of the 2023-2024 season could be in jeopardy based on a report on Thursday.Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, there is a possibility that Lonzo Ball will need a third surgery on his troublesome left knee that has kept him off the court for over a year. This would require another six months of rehabilitation, which could sideline him for the opening parts of training camp and next season.No final decision has been made, per Wojnarowski.This could be another difficult moment in a Bulls' career that began with great promise for the guard whom the team acquired through a sign-and-trade in the summer of 2021. In 35 games that first season, he was averaging 13 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per contest as the Bulls got off to a quick start.On January 14, 2022, Ball had 15 points, three assists, and two rebounds in 23 minutes against the Warriors at the United Center, and that's when his lef...

Here's how much each state depends on federal money

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:12 GMT

(MoneyGeek) - As the United States faces a crucial decision concerning the future of its budget and debt ceiling, it is important to consider how this could affect individuals and state governments. To help put this into perspective, MoneyGeek analyzed which states are most dependent on the federal government. The analysis take into consideration political affiliation, net benefits that individuals and organizations in the state receive, state government revenue from federal sources and GDP per capita to assess which states are most dependent on federal funding.  KEY FINDINGS- 7 of the 10 states most dependent on the federal government were Republican-voting, with the average red state receiving $1.05 per dollar sent to the IRS.- Twenty-nine states sent more to the federal government than they received, compared to just nine states in 2021.- Of the states that sent more than they received, 52% were Democrat-voting and 48% were Republican-voting.- New Mexico had the highest return on...

La Niña is officially over, NOAA announces: What does that mean?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:12 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The long season of La Niña has finally ended, meteorologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have confirmed. The La Niña climate pattern, which has been present practically uninterrupted since the summer of 2020, started weakening in recent months. Now, La Niña has officially been replaced by "ENSO-neutral conditions," the Climate Prediction Center (a division of NOAA's National Weather Service) said in its "Final La Niña Advisory" Thursday morning, “ENSO neutral" means neither La Niña nor El Niño is present. Forecasters expect these conditions to last through early summer. How La Niña ending will impact spring weather in your state We may switch from ENSO-neutral conditions to El Niño at some point this summer or fall, but it's too early to predict the timing or strength of an El Niño season, meteorologists said. Both La Niña and El Niño usually grow strongest in the winter. A strong El Niño for fall and winter, if it were to d...

More Americans are skipping college since the pandemic

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:12 GMT

JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) — When he looked to the future, Grayson Hart always saw a college degree. He was a good student at a good high school. He wanted to be an actor, or maybe a teacher. Growing up, he believed college was the only route to a good job, stability and a happy life.The pandemic changed his mind.A year after high school, Hart is directing a youth theater program in Jackson, Tennessee. He got into every college he applied to but turned them all down. Cost was a big factor, but a year of remote learning also gave him the time and confidence to forge his own path.“There were a lot of us with the pandemic, we kind of had a do-it-yourself kind of attitude of like, ‘Oh — I can figure this out,’” he said. “Why do I want to put in all the money to get a piece of paper that really isn’t going to help with what I’m doing right now?”Hart is among hundreds of thousands of young people who came of age during the pandemic but didn’t go to college. Many have turned to hourly jobs or car...

DPS identifies 3 victims in deadly Burnet County crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:12 GMT

BURNET COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Public Safety identified three people who died in a Feb. 21 two-vehicle crash in Burnet County Wednesday, according to a news release from DPS.The crash occurred at approximately 3 a.m. at State Highway 71 near East Trail Road, DPS said.According to the preliminary investigation, a Ford F-350, occupied by the driver and three passengers, was traveling west on SH 71. A Hyundai, occupied by the driver and two passengers, was traveling east on SH 71. 3 dead in State Highway 71 crash in Burnet County, DPS investigating DPS said the Ford struck the Hyundai in a head-on collision. As a result of the crash, the driver and two passengers in the Hyundai died.The driver was identified as Matthew Lindsey, 23, of San Antonio; the first passenger was identified as Daniella Harris, 23, of San Antonio; and the last passenger was identified as Spencer Jandreau, 24, of San Antonio.The driver and passengers of the Ford were taken to Baylor Scott...

Safety is 'number one priority,' AUS officials say after 2 planes nearly collided on runway last month

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The City of Austin’s Airport Advisory Commission (AAC) met Wednesday to discuss several agenda items, including airport construction updates, as well as AUS staffing changes.The airport is currently over capacity, with passenger totals hitting forecasts five years ahead of schedule, officials said citing the need for "immediate projects" to increase capacity. FULL STORY: Passenger growth at Austin’s airport is hitting forecasts five years ahead of schedule The AAC briefly touched on the National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report on a possible runway incursion in February.The NTSB initially tweeted about the incident Feb. 4 and said it involved a Southwest Airlines plane and a FedEx cargo plane.This rendering from the National Transportation Safety Board shows the flight paths of a Southwest plane in red and a FedEx cargo plane in purple when they came close to colliding Feb. 4, 2023. (NTSB Photo) Timeline shared of near-miss between 2 pla...

8,000 square foot garage a 'total loss' in west Travis County fire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:12 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Pedernales Fire Crews say an 8,000-square foot garage in western Travis County is a "total loss" after an overnight fire. It's in the 800 block of Angel Light Drive, which is east of Briarcliff along the Colorado River. The fire department said on Twitter that there was no damage to the adjacent home or property. The cause is still under investigation. The department told KXAN there were reports of several vehicles inside the garage, but no one was reported to be inside. The fire was contained to the garage. The department asked everyone in a tweet at 4:46 a.m. to avoid the area for safety and let crews finish their work. It said it had reports that no one was inside the home.Lake Travis Fire and Rescue tweeted at 6:20 a.m. that its crews assisted Pedernales Fire.