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Bears add former Falcons starter to their defense

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:51 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — As the Bears look to build up some depth on their defense, they're adding a player to the roster they faced during the 2022 season.In fact, he was a starter for the Falcons when they faced them in Atlanta in Week 11.The Bears have claimed linebacker Mykal Walker off waivers..The 2020 fourth round pick of the Falcons started 12 games with Atlanta last season. .@WGNNews pic.twitter.com/LMsFWbMtlP— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) August 14, 2023On Monday, ahead of their second preseason game with the Colts, the Bears claimed linebacker Mykal Walker off waivers. He joins the team after spending his first three seasons with the Falcons, who selected him out of Fresno State in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He'll take the field for the Bears when they have joint practices with the Colts in suburban Indianapolis on Wednesday and Thursday.Walker played in 49 games over three seasons with Atlanta with 20 starts, 12 of which came during last season. He had 107 ...

"Three decades of service:" Mayor Johnson introduces pick for next CPD Superintendent

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:51 GMT

CHICAGO — During a press conference at city hall on Monday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson introduced Chicago Police Chief Larry Snelling as his choice for the department's next superintendent. "He will build upon his three decades of service, most recently, of course, as Chief of the Bureau of Counterterrorism, after rising through the ranks of this department," Mayor Johnson said. The mayor says Snelling is a proven leader with an impressive reputation and resume who will unify CPD and ensure Chicagoans are safe. Johnson chooses Larry Snelling to be next CPD Superintendent "We will work together to continue to build the partnerships that ensure every single voice is heard, that every resident feels safe and those who are most impacted by crime in our city have a seat at the table in influencing the solutions that our communities deserve," Johnson said. Snelling, a lifelong South Sider, says he is eager to begin his new role. "Every member of this city has to be a s...

Clarence Avant, nicknamed the ‘Godfather of Black Music,’ dies at 92

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:51 GMT

(KTLA) – Recording industry insider Clarence Avant, who garnered the nickname of the "Godfather of Black Music," died at his Los Angeles home Sunday night, according to a family statement released Monday. “Clarence leaves behind a loving family and a sea of friends and associates that have changed the world and will continue to change the world for generations to come. The joy of his legacy eases the sorrow of our loss,” said the statement, which was released by Avant's son Alex, daughter Nicole and her husband, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.No cause of death was given. ‘He will be moderately missed’: Viral obit details the eccentricities of Kentucky man Avant’s achievements were both public and behind the scenes, as a name in the credits, or a name behind the names. Born in a segregated hospital in North Carolina, he became a man of lasting and wide-ranging influence, in part by minding two pieces of advice from an early mentor, the music manager Joe Glaser: Never let on how much y...

MedWatch: Altering genes to fight addiction, mental health maps and vaccines

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:51 GMT

For Monday, Aug. 14, WGN’s Dina Bair has new medical information, including: More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch Gene therapy could reduce alcohol use The gene therapy is already in use for Parkinson's patients and now doctors say it works to reduce chronic heavy drinking., Oregon Health and Science University scientists found by implanting a type of molecule to promote cell growth, they can reset the brain's dopamine reward pathway. The effects lead to a dramatic reduction in alcohol cravings and alcohol use. Since the procedure involves brain surgery, experts say even though it is incredibly effective, it should be reserved for only the most severe cases of alcohol use disorder. Brain scans reveal changes linked to different mental illnessesVisualizing mental health issues is possible with brain scans. New maps reveal the individual brain changes linked to different mental illnesses. Scanning nearly 1300 people with various mental health challenges highlighted the diversity acros...

Texas House committee suggests possible path for school voucher program in new report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:51 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Ahead of an expected special legislative session related to public and private education, a select Texas House committee is proposing an avenue for creating a school voucher program, one of Gov. Greg Abbott's priorities that did not get accomplished during the regular session. The select committee issued a report on Friday that outlines a potential compromise for leaders on school vouchers and also addresses a variety of issues facing Texas schools as many head back to school this week. The bipartisan 15-member committee issued a number of recommendations related to issues like teacher retainment, student outcomes and overall public school finance. A school voucher program would allow parents to use public dollars to help pay for private school education. During the regular session, the Senate passed a voucher bill but it never made it across the finish line in the House — where several rural conservatives did not get on board after expressing concerns about how i...

Changes finally in sight as longest heatwave on record continues

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Monday was Austin's 38th-consecutive 100°+ day in Austin with a high of 105°. But as we bake in our longest heatwave on record, we finally have some concrete and noticeable changes to our forecast -- the first of which arrives now.A weak cool front blows from north to south through the area overnight after producing just a 10% chance of isolated downpours in the northern Hill Country. A north wind blows areawide Tuesday -- dropping temperatures only slightly, but humidity noticeably. Even with a temperature drop of several degrees, Austin's 100° stretch is expected to continue.Wednesday morning -- coolest in two monthsAs humidity bottoms out, Wednesday morning is expected to bring our coolest temperatures since early June. Many suburbs will dip into the 60s, with lows near 70 in downtown Austin. Make plans to go outside, as it will feel more comfortable than we have in a long time!After a brief foray from the heat and humidity, record high temperatures surge back in...

Karl W. Smith: Housing is Fed’s secret weapon in battle against inflation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:51 GMT

The consumer price index report for July showed the smallest back-to-back monthly increase in two years. This is welcome news in the battle to tame inflation, but the even better news was buried deep in the report. There, it was revealed that rising shelter costs accounted for a whopping 90% of the increase in the CPI. Why is that good? Because the category is notoriously out of date and most likely already in decline, making the moderate inflation data even more benign in reality.Let’s start with what shelter costs are and how they are measured. The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates this metric — which accounts for about a third of CPI — by looking at changes in actual rents and something called owners’ equivalent rent. That second part is essentially a survey-informed assessment of how much homeowners think they could get by renting their home.What this all means is that a backward-looking metric is what’s driving the CPI numbers. How so? We know ...

Explainer: Why is a police raid on a newspaper in Kansas so unusual?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:51 GMT

Tensions between public officials and the press are hardly unusual. To a large extent, it’s baked into their respective roles.What’s rare in a democratic society is a police raid on a news organization’s office or the home of its owner. So when that happened late last week, it attracted the sort of national attention that the town of Marion, Kansas, is hardly used to.The Marion Police Department took computers and cellphones from the office of the Marion County Record newspaper on Friday, and also entered the home of Eric Meyer, publisher and editor. The weekly newspaper serves a town of 1,900 people that is about 150 miles (241 kilometers) southwest of Kansas City, Missouri.Within two days, the raid drew the attention of some of the nation’s largest media organizations, including The Associated Press, The New York Times, CNN, CBS News, the New Yorker and the Gannett newspaper chain.What prompted this action?Police said they had probable cause to believe ther...

U Albany students ponder careers on Move In Day

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:51 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — On move in day at U Albany, students' questions about future job prospects might come down to a decision between passion and opportunity.4 ways restarting student loan programs could impact the economyWheeling push carts full of belongings into their new homes for the semester, the weight of the future might be just as heavy for these future graduates. Business Administration major Owen Hoey wants to get into sports management. While Hoey says he chose the most popular major because of its flexible opportunities, he was very much motivated by passion. Albany among top areas for college graduates in 2023“When you're working it's, ‘oh I gotta go to work, work my 9-to-5 like I'm exhausted’ but if you're working and you're doing something you love, it doesn't feel like a job” Hoey said. Pre Med Major Alexandria Joseph thinks otherwise. While she's passionate about her major, it was important for her to choose a high demand career path. “While it is important to b...

State requests federal assistance in migrant situation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:57:51 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)----Governor Kathy Hochul has been asking for federally owned sites such as Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn and Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island to be used to shelter asylum seekers."I’ve been asking for one in particular---a large airfield, Floyd Bennett Field, and that will be able to handle 2,000+ migrants," Hochul said at a press conference last Thursday. "We have been supporting directly independent of what the mayor has asked for support for these large scale places and we’ve listed them many times."State, federal, and city officials have been touring the locations. After a meeting with the U.S. Department of the Interior on Sunday, the governor’s request is still pending. In the state budget, $1 billion was allocated to help with the asylum seeker crisis. $250 million is now available to reimburse New York City."We are also continuing to pay for the National Guard directly out of our pockets," said Hochul. "That is a high cost, approaching $200 million dol...