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A feud between a patriarch and a militia leader adds to the woes of Iraqi Christians

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:40 GMT

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Iraqi Christians have struggled since the Nineveh plains, their historic homeland of rolling hills dotted with wheat and barley fields, were wrested back from Islamic State extremists six years ago.Although the threat from IS has receded, some towns are still mostly rubble. There are few inhabited homes or basic services, including water. Many Christians have given up and left for Europe, Australia or the United States. Others are trying to follow.Now the shrinking religious minority that was also violently targeted by al-Qaida before the rise of IS has been rocked by yet another crisis in the form of a political showdown between two influential Christian figures — a Vatican-appointed cardinal and a militia leader, with land and influence at the core of the drama.The dispute adds to the woes of Iraqi Christians, who have often felt sidelined in the political order. A 2021 visit by Pope Francis provided a glimmer of hope that quickly faded.Meanwhile, the Christian ...

Biden’s inaction on death penalty may be a top campaign issue as Trump and DeSantis laud executions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:40 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Capital punishment could emerge as a major campaign issue in the U.S. presidential race for the first time in 30 years, with top GOP rivals Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis already one-upping each other by touting tougher, more far-reaching death penalty laws.Meanwhile, death penalty foes are poised to draw attention to what Democrat Joe Biden hasn’t done as president: He has taken no action on or even spoken about his 2020 campaign pledge to strike capital punishment from U.S. statutes.A demonstration that the death penalty issue is far from academic came Wednesday when federal jurors in Pittsburgh voted to impose a death sentence for Robert Bowers for killing 11 people in a synagogue. It’s the first federal death sentence handed down during Biden’s presidency.Trump, who restarted federal executions after a 17-year hiatus and oversaw 13 in his final six months as president, wasted no time making capital punishment a focus in his current, third presidential run. In...

On 3rd anniversary, Beirut port blast probe blocked by intrigue and even the death toll is disputed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:40 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Three years after Beirut’s massive port blast, attempts to prosecute those responsible are mired in political intrigue, the final death toll remains disputed and many Lebanese have less faith than ever in their disintegrating state institutions.As the country marks the anniversary Friday, relatives of some of those killed are still struggling to get their loved ones recognized as blast victims, reflecting the ongoing chaos since the Aug. 4, 2020 explosion. The blast killed at least 218 people, according to an Associated Press count, wounded more than 6,000, devastated large swaths of Beirut and caused billions of dollars in damages.Among those not recognized as a blast victim is a five-month-old boy, Qusai Ramadan, a child of Syrian refugees. His parents say he was killed when the explosion toppled the ceiling and a cupboard in his hospital room, crushing him. The parents have been unable to get the infant added to the official death list, a move that could have made t...

Mega Millions players will have another chance on Friday night to win a $1.25 billion jackpot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:40 GMT

Lottery players will have another shot Friday night at an estimated $1.25 billion Mega Millions jackpot that has been growing ever larger after months without a grand prize winner.There have been 30 straight drawings since the last time someone won the game’s jackpot on April 18. That has enabled the prize to steadily grow until it is now the sixth-largest ever in the U.S.The jackpot is so hard to win because of the 1-in-302.6 million odds of matching the numbers on five white balls and a separate mega ball. The odds are better to win smaller prizes, which start at $2.The $1.25 billion prize is for a sole winner who is paid over 30 years through an annuity. Those who opt for a lump sum payout would get an estimated $625.3 million.A big slice of those winnings would go toward federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery payouts.Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.The Associated Press

Oregon crabbers and environmentalists are at odds as a commission votes on rules to protect whales

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:40 GMT

In the wheelhouse of a crab boat named Heidi Sue, Mike Pettis watched the gray whale surface and shoot water through its blowhole. Tangled around its tail was a polypropylene rope used to pull up crab traps. It took two men with serrated knives 40 minutes to free the whale, which swam away with a small piece of rope still embedded in its skin. That was in 2004, off the waters of Waldport, Oregon.Pettis, a crab fisherman, said it’s the only time in his 44 years of fishing he has ever seen a whale caught in crab lines, and he believes that is proof such encounters are “extremely rare.” Pettis is among a number of veteran crabbers who fear regulators are on the cusp of curtailing the lucrative industry with overregulation to protect whales. Humpbacks, which migrate off Oregon’s coast, and other whales can get caught in the vertical ropes connected to the heavy traps and drag them around for months, leaving the mammals injured, starved or so exhausted that they can drown.The Oregon Fish...

US expands curfews for asylum-seeking families to 13 cities as an alternative to detention

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:40 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — U.S. authorities are sharply expanding the reach of curfews for the heads of asylum-seeking families while they wait for initial screenings after crossing the border, signaling they are comfortable with early results of what is intended as an alternative to detention.The curfews began in May in four cities and, on Friday, grow to 13 locations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials told advocates. The additions are Boston, Providence, Rhode Island, and San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose in California. New Orleans and Houston started July 28.The number of cities is expected to reach 40 by the end of September, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.The curfews, which run from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. are designed to stay in effect until the outcome of screenings, known as “credible fear” interviews, by asylum officers and any appeal to an immigration judge. Those who pass are gene...

2 men killed in Villa Park wrong way crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:40 GMT

VILLA PARK, Ill. -- A 35-year-old man was driving the wrong way on Route 83 in Villa Park when his car collided with another killing both drivers early Thursday morning.According to the Villa Park Police Department, officers responded to the intersection of Route 83 and Washington Street on reports of a multi-vehicle crash just before 12:45 p.m. on Thursday, August 3. Deadly shooting leaves 1 dead, 1 critical in South Shore Investigators report that a Hyundai Elantra was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of Route 83 when it crashed into a Honda Odyssey which was traveling northbound on Route 83.The driver of the Hyundai, a 35-year-old man from Chicago, was transported to Elmhurst Hospital where he was pronounced dead.The driver of the Honda, a 69-year-old man from Bensenville, was pronounced dead at the scene.Villa Park police believe that speed and alcohol may have been a factor in the crash.The investigation is ongoing.

How will storms impact our weekend, specifically Saturday through Sunday morning

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:40 GMT

EUROPEAN CENTER FORECAST MODEL ON HOW PRECIPITATION MAY LAY OUT LATE SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY MORNINGPlenty of available energy with thunderstorms that develop. These storms will be prolific lightning producers. Future lightning density for Sunday as the line of storms moves through the areaStrong or possible severe thunderstorms threaten damaging wind gusts large hail, isolated tornadoes and drenching downpours as a potent late summer storm system moves into the area.CITY LOGS 14TH OFFICIAL 90-DEGREE DAY THURSDAY13th at Midway Airport as both airports record a high of 90 degreesESCAPING THE EXTREME HEATYou realize how fortunate we’ve been in Chicago in for all intents and purposes ESCAPING THE EXTREME HEAT which has plagued such a broad area of the world in just completed July. Check out this Thursday post from Climate Central: “An attribution analysis by Climate Central has found that 6.5 billion people — more than 80% of the world's population — were impacted by heat intensified b...

Bubbles come to Brussels – welcome to the city’s newest attraction

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:40 GMT

Fancy escaping from the mundane realities of life?If so, a brand new attraction in Brussels could be right up your street.It is called the “Bubble Planet Experience” and this is something that will appeal to both the young and old.Visitors are immersed in a “festive and colourful world” and, no, this is not Christmas come early but a “journey” into the world of…bubbles.The innovative and novel attraction, spread across several ultra-modern themed rooms, immerses participants with giant ball pools along with a hot air balloon flight simulator and various digital devices.One room is called “Bubble Ocean” while another is the “Infinity Room” whose mirrors create an illusion of an infinite space. The “Cloud Room”, one of 11 in the complex, is a relaxation area where you can chill on cosy inflatable clouds.The “Bubble Getaway”, meanwhile, is a sensory playground featuring an innovative robot capable of producing a multitude of bubbles of different sizes and shapes.Visitors can also ...

Motorcyclist arrested after high-speed pursuit in Los Angeles County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:59:40 GMT

Authorities arrested a motorcyclist in Los Angeles County following a dangerous, high-speed pursuit on Thursday night.The suspect was wanted for speeding out of Baldwin Park, according to the California Highway Patrol. The biker was seen hitting speeds up to 120 miles per hour while erratically weaving through highway traffic and surface streets.The suspect eventually exited in the Long Beach area and pulls into a neighborhood where he narrowly misses crashing into a patrol car.Authorities arrested a motorcyclist in Los Angeles County following a dangerous, high-speed pursuit on August 3, 2023. (KTLA)Authorities arrested a motorcyclist in Los Angeles County following a dangerous, high-speed pursuit on August 3, 2023. (KTLA)Authorities arrested a motorcyclist in Los Angeles County following a dangerous, high-speed pursuit on August 3, 2023. (KTLA)Authorities arrested a motorcyclist in Los Angeles County following a dangerous, high-speed pursuit on August 3, 2023. (KTLA)Authorities ar...