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Both parties rally supporters as voting begins in Virginia’s closely watched legislative elections

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:14 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Early voting started Friday in Virginia’s costly, high-stakes and closely watched legislative elections after a week in which elected officials and candidates rallied their supporters across the state.All 140 General Assembly seats are on the ballot, with candidates running for the first time in an environment shaken up by maps overhauled in the most recent once-a-decade redistricting process. With the Legislature narrowly divided, both parties say they see a path to a full statehouse majority running through a little more than a dozen battleground districts centered in central Virginia, Hampton Roads and the outer Washington suburbs. “At the heart of this is holding our House and flipping our Senate,” Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin told supporters in Petersburg on Thursday afternoon, urging the crowd to vote early, donate and volunteer.A GOP trifecta would clear the way for Youngkin to move swiftly on what he calls his “commonsense” conservati...

Interim CPD supt. takes blame for White Sox game not being stopped after shooting: report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:14 GMT

CHICAGO — Interim Chicago Police Supt. Fred Waller is taking the blame for the White Sox game not being stopped completely after two women were shot at the stadium on Aug. 25.According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Waller said the game was allowed to continue without interruption due to “miscommunication” on the Major League Baseball protocol, and that issue has been addressed and will not happen again.“We did not know exactly what we had on our hands. We didn’t think it was an active shooter. But we didn’t know,” Waller told the Sun-Times.A 42-year-old woman was shot in the leg and a 26-year-old woman suffered a graze wound to her stomach during the White Sox game against the Athletics at Guaranteed Rate Field. It is still unclear if the bullets came from inside or outside the stadium.The women who were shot have been interviewed, but no suspects have been identified. Jerry Reinsdorf: ‘Virtually no possibility’ shot came from inside Sox park “We’re still using technology to show us i...

Wrigley Field concession workers authorize strike ahead of final homestand

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:14 GMT

CHICAGO — In another effort to get a new contract, a number of workers at Wrigley Field could walk off the job this weekend.UNITE HERE Local 1, which represents a number of concessions employees in the ballpark who work for Levy Restaurants, announced that their membership voted by "an overwhelming majority" to authorize a strike ahead of the team's final regular season series against the Colorado Rockies.That begins on Friday and runs through Sunday, and thanks to the vote, the union could call for a strike at any moment. This comes as UNITE HERE Local 1 and Levy haven't been able to come to terms on a new contract since their old one expired on Oct. 31, 2020.Over 700 bartenders, cashiers, cooks, dishwashers, suite runners and warehouse workers at Wrigley Field are represented by the union.“Workers of Compass Levy at Wrigley Field welcome visitors to one of the most iconic venues in Chicago and serve baseball fans with dedication," said UNITE HERE Local 1 president Karen Kent in a ...

Amazon Prime Video viewers will have to pay to keep movies, shows ad-free

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:14 GMT

(AP) – Amazon Prime Video will include advertising during shows and movies starting early next year, joining other streaming services that have added different tiers of subscriptions.Members of Amazon Prime can pay $2.99 per month in the U.S. to keep their service ad-free, the company said Friday.Streaming services are in a heated tug-of-war over viewers and users are growing more adept at jumping in and out of those services, often depending on price. The platforms risk losing customers with price hikes, but they could lose them if they don't generate new content that wins over users.Disney will begin charging $13.99 a month in the U.S. for ad-free Disney+ in mid-October, 75% more than the ad-supported service. Netflix already charges $15.49 per month for its ad-free plan, more than twice the monthly subscription for Netflix with ads. Could a government shutdown impact student loan payments resuming? Amazon said limited advertisements will be aired during shows and movies startin...

Silver Alert for 64-year-old last seen in New Braunfels Friday morning

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:14 GMT

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (KXAN) -- A Silver Alert was issued Friday afternoon for a woman who was last seen in New Braunfels Friday morning. The New Braunfels Police Department said it was searching for Cindy Williams Feathers, 64. She has a diagnosed cognitive impairment.Cindy Feathers (Photo: Texas Department of Public Safety) Feathers is a white female, 5'4" and 130 lbs, with blonde/gray shoulder-length hair and hazel eyes and was last seen wearing brown glasses and a brown floral top. She was last seen around 9 a.m. Friday in the 1900 block of Kalli Jo Lane in New Braunfels in a silver 2012 Honda Pilot with Texas license plate BJN1999. The vehicle was described to have black running boards, a visible car seat in the rear passenger seats with the passenger side window rolled down.Law enforcement officials believe Feathers' disappearance poses a credible threat to her health and safety.If you have any information regarding this mi...

Man gets life sentence in 2022 Burnet murder

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:14 GMT

BURNET COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A jury convicted a man and he received a life sentence in state prison Aug. 9 in connection with a 2022 murder in Burnet County.In addition to the sentence, court documents showed 58-year-old Daniel Keith Smith, Sr. must also pay $10,000 in fines and $795 in restitution. PAST COVERAGE: Man stabbed multiple times after fight in Burnet Smith was charged in the May 8, 2022, death of 55-year-old John Hawkins, who was stabbed multiple times during a fight in the 600 block of Buchanan Drive.A charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon was also dismissed the day of his conviction and sentencing, according to court documents.Prior to his sentencing, Smith remained in the Burnet County jail on bonds of nearly $2 million.

Concordia University expands outreach to low-income students, covering gap between Pell Grant, tuition

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:14 GMT

As a new enrollee at Concordia University in St. Paul, first-year student Arleth Pacheco Ramirez has already taken in a football game, signed up for a series of science classes and checked out the psychology club on campus — all opportunities made possible by her tuition-free enrollment.Concordia’s growing efforts to recruit low-income young people from the Twin Cities, including those who are the first in their family to go to college, include an expanded financial aid program for Pell Grant-eligible students, one that took Pacheco Ramirez entirely by surprise.In fact, in her final days at Irondale High School in New Brighton, Pacheco Ramirez had given up on the idea of immediately matriculating into a four-year college, given the cost. Her mother, who suffers from a permanent disability, can’t work and her father holds two jobs to make ends meet as a device assembler and restaurant cook. Neither her parents nor her older sibling attended college.But Pacheco Ramir...

Timberwolves bringing back ‘Old Shep’ logo with retro jerseys and court for 35th anniversary season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:14 GMT

Old Shep is back and ready to howl.The Timberwolves will feature jerseys and a court for select home games this year that pay homage to their 1989 season as part of their 35-year anniversary campaign this season.The jerseys resemble the design of the Timberwolves’ first jerseys, including the light blue and light green colors. The court features a matching color scheme, along with Old Shep — the team’s first logo — featured prominently at center court.https://www.twincities.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ClassicJerseyLaunch_HeroVideo.mp4The team will first don the “new” uniforms for a game on Nov. 8, when Minnesota hosts New Orleans on the anniversary of the franchise’s 1989 home opener. The jerseys will be worn 11 times at Target Center this season, and 10 times on the road.The immediate response to Friday’s jersey reveal was almost unanimously positive, as fans have pleaded for a return to the Old Shep logo and color scheme for years...

First week of Jacob Klein trial lays out evidence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:14 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Witness testimony continued in the New Scotland murder trial Sept. 22. Jacob Klein is accused of killing Philip Rabadi in his home back in April 2022. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! During the first week of testimony, we learned more about the process investigators took to obtain a large amount of evidence in this case. Criminal Investigators, from the Albany County District Attorney's Office, testified about the different locations and methods they used to obtain surveillance video around New Scotland, Miller Road and Central Avenue in Albany. On Sept. 21, we heard from Uber drivers, business representatives and residents near the Airbnb Klein stayed at, who also submitted their surveillance footage to investigators. Police investigate shooting at Homewood Suites Investigators said they reviewed license plate readers and badge swipes at St. Peter's Hospital, where Rabadi and his wife, Elana Radin,...

Colorado library district to pay fired librarian $250,000, create more inclusive policies in settlement of civil rights probe

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:14 GMT

A Weld County library district has agreed to pay $250,000 to a librarian it fired two years ago after she objected to the cancellation of programs for youth of color and LGBTQ teens, part of a legal settlement with the state that also requires the district to revise its policies to be more inclusive.Librarian Brooky Parks’ attorney Iris Halpern called the outcome of the Colorado Civil Rights Division’s investigation of High Plains Library District a “groundbreaking settlement,” saying it is among the first public settlements in the nation amid a wave of conservative pushback against LGBTQ- and race-related library books and programming.The Colorado Civil Rights Commission voted to accept the settlement at its monthly public meeting Friday.“There is a massive move of these terminations happening to librarians and educators,” Halpern told The Denver Post. “We’re all hoping this gets people to step back and reframe the issue and think about wha...