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Ousted incumbents, key matchups set: Takeaways from Virginia’s primary election

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:58 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A historic number of state lawmakers were ousted in this week’s Virginia primary, which featured about four dozen legislative races that set the parties’ slate of candidates for what will be a hard-fought general election. Every seat in both the House of Delegates and state Senate will be on the ballot in November in an election cycle that will help determine how much of his legislative agenda Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin can achieve in his final two years in office. Virginia is currently politically divided, and its unusual off-year legislative elections typically draw outsized national attention as a possible barometer of voter sentiment heading into the next year’s midterm or presidential cycle. Here is a look at some of the key takeaways from Tuesday’s results and what’s ahead:HISTORIC TURNOVERIt was clear well before Tuesday night that the General Assembly was headed for massive turnover, driven by a bipartisan redistricting ...

UN warns Taliban that restrictions on Afghan women and girls make recognition `nearly impossible’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:58 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. envoy for Afghanistan warned the country’s Taliban rulers Wednesday that international recognition as the country’s legitimate government will remain “nearly impossible” unless they lift severe restrictions on women and girls’ education and employment.Roza Otunbayeva told the U.N. Security Council that the Taliban have asked to be recognized by the United Nations and its 192 other member nations, “but at the same time they act against the key values expressed in the United Nations Charter.”In her regular discussions with the Taliban, she said, “I am blunt about the obstacles they have created for themselves by the decrees and restrictions they have enacted, in particular against women and girls.”The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops were in the final weeks of withdrawing from the country after two decades of war. The group’s decrees limiting the participation of girls and women have impacted fo...

Trump adviser Eastman faces California disciplinary charges

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:58 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Conservative attorney John Eastman, a lead architect of some of former President Donald Trump’s efforts to remain in power after the 2020 election, was slapped Thursday with a series of disciplinary charges in California that could lead to his disbarment.The State Bar of California’s chief trial counsel, George Cardona, said in a statement that the 11 charges stem from allegations that Eastman assisted Trump with a strategy — not supported by facts — to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 election by obstructing the count of electoral votes of certain states. The office intends to seek Eastman’s disbarment.Eastman, the former dean of Chapman University law school in Southern California, was one of Trump’s lawyers during the election. He wrote a memo that argued former Vice President Mike Pence could keep Trump in power by overturning the results of the election during a joint session of Congress convened to count electoral votes. Critics have likened that ...

Skilling: Clear Wednesday night as summer sunshine continues through the week

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:58 GMT

What a way to celebrate the first day of summer (astronomically) which began with the Solstice at 9:57 a.m. Wednesday morning and proceeded to produce 100% sunny skies and an above normal 88 degrees high. It was Chicago's 5th consecutive O'Hare high temp at or above 80 degrees.The solstice is the day the sun reaches its highest point in the sky---72 degrees above the horizon. It's also Chicago's longest day with 15 hours 13 minutes and 41 sec of potential daylight.Days begin shortening from this point forward in the summer season. But the process is a slow one. Tomorrow will see only 2/100's of a second less daylight with the day after coming in with 6/100's less sunlight. It won't be until July 8th that we lose a full minute of potential sunlight—and it won't be until July 28 we lose 2 or more minutes of daylight in a 24 hour period.And there's what's known as a "seasonal lag" between our longest day and our warmest day of the year. Historically, Chicago highest temps have occurred...

MedWatch Daily Digest: An easy way to reverse diabetes, dangers of dentures — and more

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:58 GMT

For Wednesday, June 21, WGN’s Dina Bair has the latest on new information, including the following: More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch Study: Diet can transform diabetesChanging diet can not only improve blood sugar levels — it can render diabetes in remission.  A new study from the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine finds adopting a whole food, plant-based eating pattern can transform diabetes without severe calorie restriction or liquid meal replacements. Patients from a cardiac wellness program who had type 2 diabetes ate a low-fat, plant-predominant diet. Of those patients, 37% achieved full remission of their diabetes while the others saw significant improvement in blood sugar levels. All participants also lost weight, obtaining success without surgery, devices, or medication. False teeth may cause breathing problems False teeth could cause major breathing problems. Researchers find a link between wearing dentures and developing pneumonia. Pneumonia is an inflammatio...

Family, attorney of man killed in Willowbrook shooting hold news conference

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:58 GMT

An attorney for a man who was shot and killed in a shooting in Willowbrook Township held a press conference early Wednesday afternoon, where family members of the man killed spoke out for the first time since his death.Authorities said 31-year-old Reginald Meadows was killed early Sunday in a shooting that also left over 20 injured. "I know the only reason Reginald didn't duck is because he wanted to make sure I was okay," said Ashley Miller, Meadows' fiance. "That was his main thing."A group of people were peacefully gathering at a strip mall around 12:30 a.m. Sunday near Route 83 and Honeysuckle Rose Lane in Willowbrook Township when shots were fired.An unknown number of individuals fired shots from multiple weapons in the crowd, the sheriff’s office said. What we know so far on the Willowbrook Juneteenth mass shooting Miller recalled the moment when shots rang out during the Juneteenth celebration that was taking place, saying that she and her future husband were only there fo...

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb endorses Mike Pence for President

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:58 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS — Current Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb has announced his endorsement of Mike Pence for US President.In a tweet sent Wednesday afternoon, Republican candidate for President and former Vice President Mike Pence said that Holcomb will be endorsing him. "Karen and I are truly humbled by Governor Holcomb's endorsement as we set out to make America stronger and more prosperous," Pence said. "Thank you." RELATED: Mike Pence files to run for president Pence, who served as governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017, announced his presidential bid earlier this month. The former Vice President's announcement officially set up a showdown between the Republican Party’s most recent president and vice president as he and former President Trump are both seeking the GOP nomination."I've known Mike Pence for decades," Holcomb said in his endorsement. "Throughout those years, he's remained honest as the day is long."To read Pence's full announcement of Holcomb's endorsement, click here.

Florida couple sued OceanGate CEO months before submersible went missing

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:58 GMT

WINTER PARK, Fla. (WFLA) – Months before an OceanGate Expeditions submersible went missing in the North Atlantic after embarking on a visit to see the wreckage of the Titanic, a Central Florida couple filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging fraud, according to documents.Since 2021, OceanGate has been taking tourists to the area of the Titanic wreck. The company's 21-foot submersible, Titan, was carrying five people when it went underwater and vanished Sunday. Winter Park couple Marc and Sharon Hagle had planned to visit the wreckage onboard the OceanGate sub in 2018. They allegedly paid over $200,000 to participate in the expedition. However, their trip was delayed, and the couple never went on the voyage. The couple said OceanGate kept delaying their trip and refused to give them a refund. Man who visited Titanic site: ‘No one ever said it was safe’ The Hagles' sued OceanGate's CEO Richard Stockton Rush for alleged fraud, saying his company "knowingly strung the...

7 Florida Persian cats with six-figure inheritance to be adopted soon

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:58 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — You can call them South Tampa’s version of "The Aristocats."Seven Persian cats are now up for adoption at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay after their owner left behind an inheritance to care for them long after she passed away.CEO Sherry Silk said demand is high and her staff is reviewing about 100 adoption applications.She added they are looking for the purr-fect homes with owners who have experience with Persian cats. Morgan Wallen’s 2-year-old son bitten in the face by dog “It’s really unique isn't it, to have seven purebred Persian cats in the same room,” Silk said.(WFLA)(WFLA)(WFLA)(WFLA)(WFLA)Cleopatra, Goldfinger, Leo, Midnight, Napoleon, Snowball, and Squeaky still lived in 84-year-old Nancy Sauer’s $2.5 million South Tampa home for six months after she passed away.“She's certainly a cat lady,” Silk said. “I guess she's had cats all of her life. They were her four-legged family.”After a probate judge decided the cats should not be left in the empty hou...

Man charged with murder after stabbing in north Austin tent community, APD says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:58 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Wednesday, the Austin Police Department provided more details about a homicide that occurred at a tent community in north Austin Monday.Shortly before 3:30 a.m. Monday, APD officers responded to a report of a stabbing in the 1000 block of Rundberg Lane, according to an APD release.Austin Police investigate homicide off Rundberg Lane on June 19. (KXAN: Christian Marcelli) APD: Person of interest in custody amid homicide investigation Police arrived to the tent community and found an unidentified man who died from several stab wounds, the release said. Officers found Joshua Daniel, 41, a few feet from the man and detained him, according to police.According to APD investigators, Daniel stabbed the man several times and attempted to dispose of the body by dismemberment and burning.Daniel was arrested and booked into the Travis County Jail and charged with first-degree murder, according to police. MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2023? This is being...