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Biden to extend legal status for 4 nationalities, reversing Trump but irking some

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:24 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Biden administration said Tuesday that it will extend legal status by 18 months for more than 300,000 people from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal, disappointing some advocates and members of Congress who sought a more generous offer.The extensions provide “continued safety and protection” for those already legally in the U.S. on Temporary Protected Status, which is due to end soon under Trump-era decisions, said U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. While the decision benefits an estimated 334,000 people from the four countries, including 239,000 from El Salvador, some had hoped for a far more sweeping gesture including expanded eligibility for more recent arrivals from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela.U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat who strongly pressed the White House for extensions, applauded the step but added it “simply does not go far enough” and suggested it “may have been driven in part by polit...

Young athlete in Montana climate change trial testifies he uses inhaler due to forest fire smoke

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:24 GMT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A high school athlete who along with 15 other young people took Montana to court over climate change testified Tuesday that increased smoke from forest fires makes it difficult for him to compete and that a doctor prescribed an inhaler to help his breathing problems.Mica Kantor, now 15, said he has been worried about climate change since as a 4-year-old he dictated a letter to Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., because he was too young to write it himself. He said it’s increasingly difficult to run or go on hikes with his family, and that the warmer conditions have shortened snowboarding seasons.Mica testified on day two of a first-of-its-kind trial in which the 16 young Montana residents are arguing the state is violating their constitutional rights by failing to keep the environment clean. They’re asking a judge to declare unconstitutional a state law that prevents agencies from considering the effect of greenhouse gasses when they issue permits for fossil ...

Tory Lanez sentencing on Megan Thee Stallion shooting delayed to August

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:24 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tory Lanez’s sentencing for shooting and wounding hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion was delayed on Tuesday.Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Herriford accepted the defense’s request to delay Lanez’s sentencing, which is now scheduled for Aug. 7. Prosecutors are seeking a 13 year prison sentence and Lanez faces deportation to his native Canada.Herriford decided to give Lanez’s lawyers more time to prepare their sentencing recommendation, which is due Aug. 1. The judge, who will sentence Lanez, denied a motion from Lanez’ defense attorneys for a new trial on May 9.During the brief court hearing, Lanez mostly kept his head down and barely made eye contact with anyone. He wore an orange jail outfit and black cap.Lanez was convicted in December of three felonies: assault with a semiautomatic firearm; having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence.Attorneys for Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, arg...

Ontario politician pitches a ‘pick-your-own’ stat holiday plan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:24 GMT

A potential leadership candidate for the Ontario Liberal Party wants to see Ontarians take a little extra time off.Unlike a standard statutory holiday that sees the entire province take the same day off, this proposal would allow you to pick your own holiday.“In Ontario, more than a third of our population represents a visible minority,” said Dr. Adil Shamji, Liberal MPP for Don Valley East. “There are nine statutory holidays that really don’t reflect the diversity of the many cultures in our province.”Shamji wants to allow each Ontario resident to pick one additional holiday, which could fall anywhere on the calendar.“My proposed policy will deliver one flexible, floating holiday to every person in Ontario that they can choose to celebrate or commemorate on a day of personal, cultural or religious importance,” said Shamji.“This is a way of being genuinely inclusive and making sure that every person in Ontario feels represented, feels ...

Putin mixes threats of new offensive in Ukraine with offers of peace talks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:24 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday alternated threats of a new Russian offensive to grab more Ukrainian land with statements about the Kremlin’s readiness for peace talks.Speaking during a far-ranging meeting with Russian military correspondents and war bloggers, he made some of the most extensive comments about the conflict and his goals since sending the troops into Ukraine more than 15 months ago.Here is a quick look at some of Putin’s key statements:UKRAINIAN COUNTEROFFENSIVEPutin asserted that Ukraine has suffered “catastrophic” losses in its counteroffensive.He said Ukrainian troops amassed reserves to launch the “large-scale” operation on June 4, but he claimed that the effort has failed to score gains and that Ukraine has lost 10 times more soldiers than Russia. His claims could not be verified.Putin declared that Ukraine lost 160 battle tanks and over 300 other armored vehicles, while Russia only lost 54 tanks. He alleged that the Ukrainia...

Thieves steal 6 cars from Portage Park dealership

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:24 GMT

CHICAGO — Three people are accused of breaking into a Portage Park dealership early Tuesday morning and stealing a total of six cars, according to the Chicago Police Department.Around 3:30 a.m., three people broke a window to get into the City Volkswagen of Chicago dealership in the 5300 block of West Irving Park Road, according to police. The people, identified as three males, then stole three cars. 5 teens injured after stolen vehicle crashes into fire hydrant on South Side About an hour and a half later, the group returned and stole three more cars, according to police.No one has been arrested yet.The incidents are still under investigation by Area 5 detectives.

Feds: Man allegedly had several guns while selling drugs in Chicago suburbs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:24 GMT

CHICAGO — A man is facing federal charges after he allegedly had several weapons and sold fentanyl and heroin in numerous Chicago suburbs. 5 injured after school bus overturns on Dan Ryan Expressway Provided/U.S. Attorney’s OfficeOmari Andrews, Jr., 23, allegedly had an AR-15 and three handguns while he sold fentanyl and heroin in Westmont, Villa Park, Des Plaines and Hillside, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.When law enforcement officers searched his Mt. Prospect home in March, they found fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, marijuana and loaded firearms, according to the release.Andrews is currently being held without bond and is scheduled to be arranged at 1 p.m. on June 20.

Teen, 14, hired by SpaceX after graduating from Santa Clara University

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:24 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Kairan Quazi, 14, just made history as Santa Clara University's youngest-ever graduate. The Bay Area's wonder kid earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and engineering, and completed graduate-level courses in machine learning, a branch of Artificial Intelligence. So what's next for Quazi? "Next stop...SpaceX!!! I accepted a position as Software Engineer at one of the coolest companies on the planet! Thank you everyone for continuing to follow my crazy journey!" Quazi wrote in a post to his Instagram page, which included screenshots of his SpaceX job offer. This summer, he will be moving with his biggest supporter, his mother Julia, from the San Francisco Bay Area to Washington to join SpaceX’s Starlink team, according to The Mercury News. Virginia 1st-grade teacher who was shot by student was fired, attorney says On top of being exceptionally brilliant, Quazi had an impressive resume to show during his SpaceX job interview. He interned for...

Skilling: Cloudy until sunshine breaks through Wednesday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:24 GMT

It's be among the 6% coolest June 13's of the past 153 years. Only 8 other June 13's have produced a high temp as cool or cooler than today's rainy 65 degrees high.Tuesday's 65 was 15 degrees below normal and equaled Chicago's "normal" high temps April 27-29. In other words, the temp we experienced Tuesday was similar to those which occur nearly 6 weeks earlier.Some much needed rain has occurred—but hardly enough to make a dent in the ongoing drought. It was that rain and the day's extensive cloud covering swirling into the area of the back side of sluggish low pressure mired in an atmospheric blocking pattern which was behind early summer "chill."What's interesting was how close 80 degrees temps have been Tuesday. They've occurred within just over 200 miles from Chicago—both in downstate Illinois and Indiana and to the west across much of Iowa.What's also interesting is how much warmer it was last year when the June 13 high hit 89 degrees and Chicago was on the precipice of what wa...

Austin officials begin relocating people from a Gaines Creek homeless encampment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin officials began the relocation process Tuesday for houseless people staying in a Gaines Creek area encampment which has become a public health concern, according to Austin Public Health.  This effort is part of the Housing-Focused Encampment Assistance Link (HEAL) Initiative, which executes closures of homeless encampments that pose the highest public safety and health concerns. The moving of this encampment is the result of extensive planning across city departments and social service providers, per APH. “I have toured this encampment, and the need to relocate was very apparent. There are many people living there in immediate need of emergency shelter and resources. With evidence of campfires for cooking or warmth, wildfire protection was a critical priority. This relocation is a positive development for the community that will promote public health and safety while connecting many to the vital services they need to strengthen their quality of ...