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Speaker McCarthy ousted in historic House vote, as scramble begins for a Republican leader

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:15 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Kevin McCarthy was voted out of the job Tuesday in an extraordinary showdown — a first in U.S. history, forced by a contingent of hard-right conservatives and throwing the House and its Republican leadership into chaos.It’s the end of the political line for McCarthy, who has said repeatedly that he never gives up, but found himself with almost no options remaining. Neither the right-flank Republicans who engineered his ouster nor the Democrats who piled on seem open to negotiating. McCarthy told lawmakers in the evening he would not run again for speaker, putting the gavel up for grabs. Next steps are highly uncertain with no obvious successor to lead the House Republican majority. Action is halted in the House until next week, when Republicans try to elect a new speaker. “I may have lost this vote today, but as I walk out of this chamber I feel fortunate to have served,” McCarthy said at a press conference at the Capitol, alternating between upbeat a...

New Democrats take early lead in historic Manitoba election as Leader Kinew wins seat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:15 GMT

WINNIPEG — The New Democrats were off to an early lead in several key constituencies Tuesday as a handful of polls began reporting results in Manitoba’s historic election and NDP Leader Wab Kinew won back his seat in the legislature. The NDP were ahead in many areas of Winnipeg, including key ridings that had been held by members of the Progressive Conservative cabinet. The provincial capital, where 32 of the 57 legislature seats are, is an important battleground for both parties.  Opinion polls suggested the New Democrats would have a lead in the important urban areas. Tory support dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, as hospitals struggled to deal with rising case numbers and dozens of intensive-care patients were flown to other provinces.If Heather Stefanson leads the incumbent Progressive Conservatives to a third consecutive majority, she would become the first woman to be elected premier in a Manitoba general election. Stefanson took over the top spot midterm in a party ...

Baltimore Police say multiple people have been shot on campus of Morgan State University

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:15 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — Multiple people were shot at Morgan State University in Baltimore on Tuesday, police said.The Baltimore Police Department said officers were on the scene for an “active shooter situation” on the campus of the historically Black university. The address given for the shooting appeared to match a residential building.“We’re asking everyone to shelter in place and avoid the area,” police said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.Police spokesman Vernon Davis told the Baltimore Banner that at least four people were shot. Their conditions weren't immediately known.Police spokesperson Amanda Krotki also said “multiple victims” were shot.City Council member Odette Ramos said on X that students and staff were ordered to shelter in place. The university reported an enrollment of more than 9,000 students as of late 2022 and said it is growing. Stay WGN-TV as this story develops.

Meet the DJ Dentist making people smile

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:15 GMT

CHICAGO — A special dentist on the Southwest Side of Chicago has had a trailblazing career but also has an impressive musical side hustle. Genaro Romo has made a huge difference for Latino dentists in Chicago.  Imagine performing a root canal during the day, then getting people dancing at night. He’s a DJ dentist. Two skill sets with the same goal of helping people smile. Growing up in Little Village, Romo quickly realized the need for more Spanish speaking dentists on Chicago’s Southwest Side.“There were a lot of dentists there but not one Latino dentists,” he said.Romo knew he wanted to be a dentist since high school and credits early inspiration to the Boys and Girls Club which took his group to a career conference in Fort Worth, Texas his freshman year. “It just so happened that the speaker was a dentist … and that’s how it started,” he said.At the same time, The Boys and Girls Club sparked his other passion – where he learned to spin records as a D...

Skilling: 5th day for 80s on Wednesday in Chicagoland

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:15 GMT

WHAT AN EXTRAORDINARY RUN OF LATE SEASON WARM WEATHER HERE IN CHICAGO. Chicagoans were treated to a 14TH CONSECUTIVE DAY OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS.It's not an exaggeration to refer to the current warm spell—particularly the last four days of it--- as "July in October"-------a meteorological "achievement" at a time of the year in which normal temps typically come in nearly 20-degrees cooler!  We've lost nearly 4 hours of daylight and the sun treks across the sky 30% lower than it did back on June 21st.  Sunlight that arrives at an angle and is shining down us four fewer hours than at it peak back on June 21st is weaker and delivers less energy.  So for nature to delivering us mid to upper 80-deg temps is an achievement.Hotter Chicago area high temps Tuesday included 91 at Roselawn, IN; 90 at Channahon; 89 at Hobart and Gary IN, Oswego, North Aurora, Warrenville: and 88 at  Tinley Park, Morris, and Valparaiso, IN.It appeared as the day got underway that record or near record early October...

CPD: Armed group carjacked BMW, went on West Side robbery spree

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:15 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Police Department sent out a community alert Tuesday warning West Side residents of an armed group that carjacked a BMW SUV and used it to commit several more robberies near the end of September.According to CPD, around 4:38 a.m. on Sept. 24 in the 4300 block of West Shakespeare Avenue, a group of 2-3 Black males — ages 16-30 — wearing all black clothing and ski masks and armed with rifles and handguns, robbed a victim at gunpoint, stealing his BMW X2 and personal property.About ten minutes later, police said the same group used the stolen BMW to commit a second armed robbery, stealing personal property from victims at gunpoint in the 4700 block of West North Avenue. CTA bus supervisor shot on Chicago’s Southwest Side A third robbery happened around 6:03 a.m. in the 5500 block of West Haddon Avenue, where police said victims were again robbed at gunpoint by a group of people driving the same stolen BMW X2.Six minutes after that, police said the same group rob...

Galewood residents discuss plans for migrant shelter at Amundsen Park during community meeting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:15 GMT

CHICAGO — A new migrant shelter is in the works at Amundsen Park in the city's Galewood neighborhood and some residents in the area are voicing concerns about the plan.The plan by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson would convert the Amundsen Park field house into a shelter that would house 200 people for at least six months, in order to help relieve the burden on the city’s police stations, where there are currently 2,300 asylum seekers awaiting placement. The facility would be the city’s 22nd migrant shelter.29th Ward Alderman Chris Taliaferro said he received a phone call on Friday, informing him of the Chicago Parks District's plan."When I spoke with the mayor she informed me we would have this shelter at this location and I strongly object to it and I object to it now," Taliaferro said. Ald. Lopez announces 4th District bid for Congress Taliaferro, the chair of the City Council’s Police and Fire Committee, warned that the recent increase in shelters is increasing tensions between t...

INSIGHT: Monarch butterfly migration underway in Central Texas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:15 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It is that time of year again: butterflies are migrating through Central Texas. On Monday, Andrea DeLong Amaya, director of horticulture at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, interviewed with KXAN Chief Meteorologist David Yeomans to provide insight as the monarchs continue making their way through this month.Read a full transcription of the discussion below or watch the interview in the video player above.YEOMANS: It's been a while since I've seen you. Great to have you on. So first, let's talk about the basics. How long can we expect to see the monarchs flying through our area?AMAYA: Well, they've been actually coming through our area a little bit over the last month or so. We should generally see them start to peak in in October, and then start to taper off in November. Because really, most of them are trying to get back to their roosting grounds in Mexico by the early part of November. And the drought has affected so many of us in so many different ways ov...

Oakdale drunk driver ‘robbed us of everything,’ mother of late teen says after sentencing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:15 GMT

Mikala Jean Ness asked a Hennepin County judge to “grant me mercy” on Tuesday for driving drunk in Bloomington and hitting and killing 17-year-old Donald Gayton Jr. and severely injuring his 14-year-old sister, Mya, last January.Ness, of Oakdale, who drove away from the scene of the crash, asked Judge Julie Allyn before receiving her sentence “to see the person I was before this and the person I can become, and see that my actions were not a reflection of my true character.”Donald Gayton Jr. and his sister, Mya Gayton (Courtesy of Marsha Fugett)In July, Ness pleaded guilty to the three charges against her: two counts of vehicular homicide, and one count of criminal vehicular operation. There was no plea deal, and the 28-year-old faced a guideline prison sentence of between 41 and 57 months.Allyn went on to sentence Ness to 32 months in prison on two counts, saying, “I do see that you have immense remorsefulness for your actions.”Prosecutor Kali Gardner had asked Allyn to...

Alderwoman grabs mic after questions about her absence from meetings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:15 GMT

ST. LOUIS – A longtime St. Louis alderwoman has not shown up to any of her assigned committee meetings since June, and she refused to discuss it by pushing the microphone away.Alderwoman Sharon Tyus has missed at least 11 different committee meetings, according to video copies of the meetings posted on the city's YouTube channel.Tyus represents the city's 12th Ward, including Annie Morris, who has lived in the Mark Twain neighborhood since 1968."I've watched this neighborhood go from beautiful to probably be nothing," Morris said.Morris said she's never met Tyus but believes it's important for north St. Louis to be represented at City Hall."I don't know her. I know Kingshighway used to be a very beautiful block and all these streets did, too," Morris said.According to the city's website, Tyus is a member of the Health and Human Development Committee but has recently been kicked off the Transportation and Commerce Committee.Alderman Shane Cohn, who represents Ward 3, is also the Chai...