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Earthquake in northwest China kills at least 95 in Gansu and Qinghai provinces

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:50 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese state media are reporting that at least 95 people have been killed in a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in the country’s northwest. The official Xinhua News Agency said that 86 died in the province of Gansu and another nine in neighboring Qinghai province in the quake, which occurred late on Monday evening.The Associated Press

Lawsuit says Georgia’s lieutenant governor should be disqualified for acting as Trump elector

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:50 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia judge heard arguments but didn’t rule Monday on a long-shot attempt to disqualify Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones from holding office because of Jones’ participation as an elector for Donald Trump in 2020.The lawsuit comes as a decision remains in limbo on whether to prosecute the Republican on state charges, due to a lack of a special prosecutor willing to take the case.A group of four Georgia voters, including the former head of the Atlanta branch of the NAACP, on Dec. 7 asked a judge to declare that Jones was ineligible to hold office in Georgia because he violated his oath of office by signing his name as an elector for Trump. Democrat Joe Biden was certified as winning Georgia’s 16 electoral votes in the 2020 election.Opponents nationwide are challenging Trump’s eligibility to appear on the ballot, arguing he’s barred under a clause in the U.S. Constitution that forbids those who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office. The pro...

Police seek suspect in Scarborough stabbing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:50 GMT

Toronto police are trying to track down a suspect who stabbed someone several times in the back in Scarborough last October.Officers were called to the Kingston and Galloway roads area on Wednesday, October 25 at around 6 p.m. for reports of a stabbing.Investigators say a man approached the victim from behind and stabbed them numerous times before fleeing.The victim was hospitalized with non life-threatening injuries.Police have not revealed the gender of the victim, or revealed if the victim and suspect knew each other prior to the incident.The suspect is described as 30 to 35 years old, between five foot eight and five foot ten with a slim build and black hair.He was wearing a blue hooded sweater, gray pants, black rimmed glasses and dark coloured boots.

Mining company agrees with court decision ordering Guatemala to grant property rights to community

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:50 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Solway Investment Group, a Switzerland-based mining company with interests in Guatemala, said Monday it agreed with a regional court’s decision requiring the Guatemalan government to recognize the property rights of an Indigenous community.The company, which was not a party to the case, stressed that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights decision handed down Friday “does not cover the right of the company to conduct mining operations in the areas outside the Agua Caliente community lands.”The delineation of those lands will be part of the process for the Guatemalan government in complying with the court’s decision, Carlos Pop, one of the lawyers representing the community, said Monday.On Friday, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that Guatemala violated the rights of the Indigenous Q’eqchi’ people to property and consultation by permitting mining on land where members of the community have lived at least since the 1800s.The court ordered Guatemala t...

Johnson says migrants are being dropped off in Chicago without coordination

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:50 GMT

CHICAGO — Communication has broken down between Chicago and Texas as buses full of migrants are arriving just about every day without coordination.Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson isn't happy about it. 5-year-old child living at migrant shelter in Pilsen dies: Mayor's office During a press conference on Monday, Johnson was frustrated when asked about the death of a migrant boy and rogue buses from Texas randomly dropping off new arrivals."They're just dropping people off anywhere," Johnson said. "Do you understand how raggedy and how evil that is? You just gon' put people on a bus and take them somewhere and drop them off in the middle of the night?"Johnson administration officials said the migrants are no longer being dropped off at the city's landing zone and buses are doing this in response to harsher penalties for bus owners who violate a new city ordinance.Last month, the city implemented new rules requiring buses arrive Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. in desi...

Taylor Swift, a Kennedy, doggie treats and tuna: 5 memorable moments from the historic Ed Burke corruption trial

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:50 GMT

CHICAGO — The historic Ed Burke corruption trial has wrapped up after six weeks at the Dirksen Federal Building.On Monday, jurors began deliberations to decide the fate of Burke, once the most powerful of the 50 Chicago City Council members.PHOTO: Kevin Doellman/WGNWGN's Mike Lowe has been on the scene for the entirety of one of the more memorable events in the long annals of Chicago politics.Here are five memorable moments from the Burke trial that stood out to Lowe:Number 5A juror brought a bag of doggie treats to the courthouse. The comfort dog ate the entire bag and got sick, causing a delay.Number 4Pop icon Taylor Swift was mentioned not once, but twice, during the proceedings.Number 3Chris Kennedy, the son of Robert F. Kennedy, showed up in a walking boot to support his friend, Ed Burke.Chris Kennedy showed up to the Ed Burke trial in a walking boot to support his friend, Burke. Number 2Former Alderman Danny Solis, who had not been seen in public for five years, called a ride ...

Skilling: Cloudy week ahead for Chicagoland

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:50 GMT

It's been cold and windy. Gusts have topped 40 mph.Temps have been falling all day. The high of 36 occurred at midnight.The air is cold aloft and the city is beneath the gusty backside circulation of the same storm which has swept up the Eastern Seaboard producing over a foot of rain in sections of South Carolina and more than 5" of rain in sections of northern New Jersey even as winds gust from, 45 to 65 mph have raked the Mid Atlantic and New England Coasts.The cold air flowing over warm lake water has produce lake effect snows--downwind of the Great Lakes and snow showers and flurries here in Chicago.  At one point around midday, winds were gusting to 45 mph and snow reduced visibilities for 3 minutes at Midway Airport to 3/4 mile.Despite the chill today, December is running more than 6-deg ABOVE NORMAL and more than 4-deg warmer than the opeing 18 days of the month a year ago.A chilly Tuesday is ahead--but temps will warm as the week progressed reaching the 40s Thursday and into...

5 charged in connection with retail thefts around DuPage County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:50 GMT

DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. — Authorities in DuPage County say they are on high alert this holiday season following a string of arrests in connection with retail thefts at businesses across the county.On Monday, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced five arrests in connection with three separate retail thefts that allegedly unfolded in the past week. Aurora police launch new system to report non-emergency incidents and crashes online All five individuals who were allegedly involved in the thefts have been charged with one count of burglary and one count of retail theft.Juan Andres Gomez-Hernandez is accused of stealing around $304 worth of clothing from a JCPenney in LombardOn Thursday, 24-year-old Juan Andres Gomez-Hernandez, who currently resides in Chicago, was taken into custody after he was allegedly caught stealing around $304 worth of clothing from a JCPenney in Lombard.The state’s motion to detain Gomez-Hernandez pre-trial was granted.Juan Sebastian Rojas Jaimes (...

Why El Niño could wreck plans for a snowy Christmas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:50 GMT

(The Hill) – Federal forecasters are shutting down dreams of a snowy Christmas this season for most of the U.S., according to a recent analysis from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center warned last week that a likely strong El Niño winter will result in warmer-than-average temperatures and increased precipitation across parts of the United States. El Niño is a climate phenomenon that brings warmer sea temperatures near the equator and occurs every two to seven years on average.“Based on the latest forecasts, there is now a 54% chance of a ‘historically strong’ El Niño during the November-January season,” Climate Prediction Center forecasters wrote in their discussion post last week.An El Niño winter typically means that the southern half of the United States, including California, will see more precipitation than usual from December to February. California and the Southeast are most likely to see above average levels o...

Who is the NFL's oldest active player?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:50 GMT

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — For years, Tom Brady was the oldest active NFL player until his retirement in 2022. So, who's the oldest active NFL player now that Brady is out of the league?At age 41, Seattle Seahawk Jason Peters holds the title, according to Sports Illustrated. He'll turn 42 in January.Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Jason Peters (70) on the sideline prior to an NFL Football game in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)Peters, a native of Queen City, Texas, played his college football at the University of Arkansas, where he was recruited as a defensive tackle before moving to tight end, according to the U of A's Razorback website.The former Hog went undrafted and was picked up by the Buffalo Bills in 2004 as a free agent. Two years later, he made his first career start with the Bills at right tackle on the offensive line.Since that first start in 2006, Peters has played for five different NFL teams: the Bills, the Philadelphia ...