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Wildfire fight switches from defence to offence near capital of Northwest Territories

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

YELLOWKNIFE — Firefighters battling a wildfire near the capital of the Northwest Territories shifted from defence to offence Monday after a weekend of cooler temperatures, favourable winds and some rain.“We’re in a position to move to direct attack on that fire,” N.W.T. fire information officer Mike Westwick said Monday.Until now, firefighters had mostly focused on trying to stop the spread or reduce the intensity of the fire near Yellowknife. That means building fire lines to rob the fire of fuel or water-bombing it from the air to cool it off.“A lot of the tactics we’ve been using have been more indirect,” he said. “In this case, we’d be looking at putting out fire right on the perimeter, which is more of an offensive strategy.”Flames remained about 15 kilometres from Yellowknife, whose 20,000 people were largely evacuated by road and air. Most evacuees were staying in Alberta communities, while about 3,000 were flown to Manito...

Group of House conservatives unveil demands to support spending bill and avoid shutdown

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — House conservatives in a group known as the Freedom Caucus have unveiled a list of demands that they want included in a stopgap spending measure to keep the federal government running after the end of September. It’s a smorgasbord of non-starters for the Democratic-controlled Senate and the White House, signaling the challenges House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will face next month to get a bill passed in the House without alienating a sizeable share of his conference. Historically, members of the Freedom Caucus rarely support short-term spending bills to keep the government open, but with Republicans holding just a five-seat majority in the House, they have significant leverage over the agenda. Still, McCarthy will likely need votes from Democrats to pass a short-term funding measure than can also get through the Senate and be signed into law.Among the demands from the House Freedom Caucus: —Spending levels below the top-line numbers that McCarthy had agreed to w...

Russian space agency chief blames decades of inactivity for Luna-25 lander’s crash on the moon

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

LONDON (AP) — The head of Russia’s space agency said Monday that the Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon after its engines failed to shut down correctly, and he blamed the country’s decades-long pause in lunar exploration for the mishap.The pilotless Luna-25 had been scheduled to land Monday while aiming to become the first spacecraft to touch down on the south pole of the moon, an area where scientists believe important reserves of frozen water and precious elements may exist.Roscosmos Director General Yury Borisov said the spacecraft’s engines were turned on over the weekend to put Luna-25 into a “pre-landing orbit” but did not shut down properly, plunging the lander onto the moon.“Instead of the planned 84 seconds, it worked for 127 seconds. This was the main reason for the emergency,” Borisov told Russian state news channel Russia 24. Roscosmos had contact with the spacecraft until 2:57 p.m. local time Saturday, when communication was lost and “the d...

Man on meth, other drugs found guilty after killing pedestrian in suburbs

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

LAKE COUNTY, Ill. — A man who caused a deadly crash in 2021 while high on meth and other drugs has been found guilty.Brian King, 41, was facing the charge of aggravated driving with any amount of drug in urine, which is a class 2 felony.In June 2021, King was driving on Route 12 and Route 59 in Lake County. Eyewitness testimony during the trial states that King was swerving repeatedly for approximately 13 miles.He eventually struck 53-year-old Michael Brennan, who was walking next to the shoulder, near Stanton Point Road in Ingleside.Brennan died from his injuries on June 16, 2021. 36-year-old motorcyclist killed in front of Midway Methamphetamine and seven other controlled substances were found in King's blood after the crash, authorities said.He has been held on a $500,000 bond. After the verdict, a judge revoked his ability to post bail.King's sentencing date is set for Sept. 13.

CPS students killed ahead of new school year

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

CHICAGO -- Two different CPS students were shot and killed this past weekend ahead of the new school year. Rayjohn Harshaw, 14, was fatally shot near his home near 87th Street and Cregier Avenue and Monday would have been his first day of Freshman year at Hyde Park High School. "Everywhere he went, he was just a sweetheart," his legal guardian and aunt --- Harshaw said. Mayor Johnson visits Chicago Public Schools ahead of new school year Just hours before that incident, two teen girls were shot at a party in Galewood Park in North Austin Saturday afternoon. Ashuntice Wilburn, 17, was killed and was supposed to begin her senior year at Shurtz High School on the Northwest Side. "She was an exceptional individual, and for her life to be taken like this, why?" Ashuntice's grandmother Patty Ringo said. Officer shot, suspect in custody after barricade situation in Bolingbrook Chicago police have no one in custody for either shooting. If any information is recovered on either inciden...

Mayor Johnson visits Chicago Public Schools on first day

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson stopped by a few Chicago Public Schools Monday morning ahead of a new school year, swearing in six new school board members. Johnson visited a Garfield Park elementary school that CPS considered closing more than a decade ago. This will also be the earliest start to the school year for the district's more than 3,000 students. Traditionally, kids did not return until after Labor Day. The Board of Education approved a new calendar year that is more closely aligned with the schedules of suburban school districts and local colleges. New challenges include helping migrant children learn English and help them navigate the trauma of making their journey to the U.S.CPS estimates an additional 3,000 migrant children with many of them still living in migrant shelters and police stations. Aerial performances on display over Lake Michigan for annual Chicago Air and Water Show Funding for bilingual education will be increased by $15 million and other challenges ...

Wynonna Judd announces Rosemont stop on Back to Wy Tour

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. — Country music artist Wynonna Judd is launching a solo tour, 16 months after her mom, and The Judds singing partner, Naomi Judd, died of suicide.The theatre tour, Back To Wy, will be produced by Live Nation and feature the songs of her first two solo albums; Wynonna (1992) and Tell Me Why (1993). The plan is to perform both albums track by track, front to back, and then conclude each show with other hits and The Judds classics. The Judds, Ray Charles join the Country Music Hall of Fame Judd's 15-city tour will kick off Tuesday, Oct. 26 in Indianapolis, IN and wrap-up in Knoxville, TN on Friday, Dec. 1. Her fourth stop on Nov. 2 will bring her to Rosemont Theatre in Rosemont, IL.A quote attributed to Judd in the tour announcement press release states, “Getting to share this tour with the fans who have been with me for 40 years, means the world to me. Deep diving into my first two solo albums, 'Wynonna' and 'Tell Me Why,' track by track, will be a trip down memory la...

Steve McMichael can get another step closer to Pro Football Hall of Fame Tuesday

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

CHICAGO — The next step for "Mongo" to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame comes on Tuesday - and it's a big one. It would be the second to last to get Steve McMichael inducted as part of the Class of 2024. The former Bears' defensive tackle is one of 12 players up for consideration to be passed onto the final stage of voting for the Hall of Fame in the Seniors Committee. That group will be meeting on Tuesday, consisting of 12 people, with The Athletic and longtime pro football journalist Dan Pompei presenting on behalf of McMichael.During that meeting, up to three finalists will be selected from that group of 12 players. They would be put into the main group for consideration for the Class of 2024. A 50-person committee will meet during Super Bowl week, with the Seniors Committee players needing at least 80 percent approval of the"up-or-down" balloting by the members at that meeting to get in.Their selections will be unveiled at the NFL Honors in Las Vegas later that week. Wi...

How to watch the first Republican presidential primary debate

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

(The Hill) – Republican presidential hopefuls are slated to take the stage Wednesday night to make their cases to voters in the first 2024 presidential primary debate.While former President Trump remains the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, his rival candidates are hoping this debate will help them make a name for themselves as they balance trying to separate themselves from Trump without turning away his supporters.Candidates needed to meet certain requirements set by the Republican National Committee to be able to participate in Wednesday’s debate. To qualify, candidates need at least 40,000 separate donors to their presidential campaign committee, which includes at least 200 from 20 or more states and territories.They also must be polling at 1 percent or higher in at least three authorized national polls or at 1 percent or higher in two national polls together with one “early state poll” from two “carve out” states recognized by the RNC. In addition, they must sign a loyalty p...

Tropical storm likely to make landfall in Texas Tuesday

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Tropical Storm Warnings have been issued for the coast from Port O'Connor south to the Mouth of the Rio Grande. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect from Port O'Connor north to Sargent.Potential Tropical Cyclone 9Potential Tropical Cyclone 9 formed in the Central Gulf Monday morning. It is forecast to strengthen into a tropical storm within the next 24 hours and make landfall between Corpus Christi and Brownsville Tuesday. Landfall could be around Laguna Madre.Winds have increased to 35 mph Tropical Storm Warnings issued for much of the middle and all of the southern coastBig PictureWe have an increasingly strong area of high pressure setting up in the Midwest, influencing the weather across most of the country.Heat DomeThe strong high pressure will steer the tropical low around it in a clockwise motion. That will help to pull the low nearly due west into South Texas. The strength of the high will serve to prevent the low from moving farther north, keeping the low on...