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Poland’s former President Lech Walesa, 80, hospitalized with COVID-19

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:42 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Lech Walesa, Poland’s 80-year-old former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner, has been hospitalized with a bad case of COVID-19, an aide said Tuesday. A post on Walesa’s Facebook shows him on a hospital bed with an oxygen mask on, with a caption that says “I have been hit by Covid.” The aide, Marek Kaczmar, told Polish media that Walesa is seriously ill, but under good care in a hospital in Gdansk, the Baltic port city where he lives. It’s Walesa’s second bout of COVID. Starting in 1980, Walesa spearheaded Poland’s pro-democracy Solidarity movement that nine years later led to the peaceful ouster of communism from Poland and inspired other countries to shed Moscow’s domination. In 1983 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1990-95 he served as democratic Poland’s first popularly elected president. The Associated Press

Families of 3 Black victims in fatal Florida Dollar General shooting plead for end to gun violence

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:42 GMT

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Lawyers and family members of three Black people who were fatally shot during a racially motivated attack at a north Florida Dollar General on Tuesday blamed the national chain for not providing security to protect customers and employees.They are suing the store’s landlord, operator and security contractor for negligence, noting that lax security led to the deaths of Angela Carr, 52, Jerrald Gallion, 29, and A.J. Laguerre, 19, in August. On Tuesday morning, a team of lawyers — including civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, as well as Michael Haggard and Adam Finkel — stood alongside family members of the three people killed that day, pleading for the gun violence to stop.“These families have lost everything. And they are here so that this never happens again,” Crump said. “We have a gigantic gun violence problem in the United States of America, and these families right here have had enough.”The gunman, 21-year-old Ryan Palmeter, had attempted to ent...

Sault Ste. Marie police officer facing sexual assault charges: SIU

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:42 GMT

A northern Ontario police officer is facing sexual assault charges after an investigation into alleged incidents that took place last year. Ontario’s police watchdog says an investigation found sufficient evidence to charge a Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., police officer with two counts of sexual assault in relation to two women.The Special Investigations Unit says the alleged incidents took place in December 2022.It says the officer is required to appear in court in Sault Ste. Marie on Jan. 8.The SIU says it will not provide more information about the case because the matter is before the courts.The SIU is an independent agency that investigates the conduct of police officers that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault or the discharge of a firearm at a person.

2 plead guilty in fire at Atlanta Wendy’s restaurant during protest after Rayshard Brooks killing

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:42 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Two of three people charged with arson in the burning of the Wendy’s restaurant in Atlanta where a police officer fatally shot Rayshard Brooks in June 2020 have pleaded guilty after reaching deals with prosecutors.Chisom Kingston, Natalie White and John Wade were arrested on arson charges within weeks of the fire, which came in the midst of weeks of upheaval and protest across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death under the knee of a Minneapolis police office. A Fulton County grand jury in January 2022 indicted the trio on two counts each of first-degree arson and one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree arson.Kingston and White on Thursday pleaded guilty to the charges and each received a sentence of five years of probation, a $500 fine and 150 hours of community service to be completed with a nonprofit organization within the first year of probation, according to online court records. They were each sentenced under Georgia’s first offende...

House Speaker Johnson is insisting on sweeping border security changes in a deal for Ukraine aid

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson told fellow Republicans on Tuesday that sweeping changes to U.S. border policy would be their “hill to die on” in negotiations over President Joe Biden’s nearly $106 billion package for the wars in Ukraine and Israel and other security needs.Johnson delivered the hard-line message Tuesday morning before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s video address to senators, a classified briefing that the Biden administration organized to underscore how desperately the aid is needed. Biden is pushing a reluctant Congress to approve the military, economic and humanitarian aid package, but the injection of border security into the negotiations has made progress difficult.“The battle is for the border,” Johnson said at a news conference. “We do that first as a top priority, and we’ll take care of these other obligations.” Moments earlier, Johnson told GOP lawmakers in a closed-door meeting that their “hill to die on” in the negotiati...

Vice President Harris breaks nearly 200-year-old record for Senate tiebreaker votes, casts her 32nd

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris broke a nearly 200-year-old record for casting the most tiebreaking votes in the Senate when she voted Tuesday to confirm a new federal judge in Washington, D.C.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, called Harris’ 32nd tiebreaking vote a “great milestone.”The previous recordholder was John C. Calhoun, who cast 31 tiebreaking votes during his eight years as vice president, from 1825 to 1832. Harris, a Democrat, tied Calhoun’s record in July.Schumer presented Harris with a golden gavel after Tuesday’s vote. Harris, who beamed as she made history from the Senate dais, said she was “truly honored.”Casting tiebreaker votes is among the only constitutional duties for vice presidents, and Harris has been repeatedly called on to break deadlocks because the Senate is closely divided between Democrats and Republicans. The pace of Harris’ votes dropped off this year, when Democrats expanded their slim majorit...

Italian prosecutors seek 6 suspects who allegedly aided the escape of Russian man sought by the US

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:42 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Milan prosecutors have identified six suspects who allegedly aided the escape from Italian custody of a Russian national a day after an Italian court ruled in favor of extraditing him to the United States to face sanctions-busting charges.Artyom Uss, the 40-year-old son of the governor of Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region in Siberia, was arrested as he was about to board a flight to Istanbul in October 2022. He was under house arrest with an electronic bracelet near Milan when he escaped five months later. He resurfaced in Russia in April.Uss is wanted in the U.S. on charges of smuggling Western technologies in violation of Western sanctions and money laundering. He faces up to 30 years in prison, Milan prosecutors said.Italian prosecutors said some of the suspects helped Uss reach the Slovenian border by car. The six are identified as an Italian national of Bosnian origin and five foreign nationals living abroad. No names or information on their whereabouts were given.Italia...

Chicago Fire FC promotes interim coach Frank Klopas to head role

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:42 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago Fire FC have promoted interim head coach Frank Klopas into the full-time role.Klopas was named interim coach after Ezra Hendrickson was fired in May.The Greece native immigrated to Chicago with his family when he was eight years old. Klopas is a member of the club's Ring of Fire and is in the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.He signed with the Chicago Sting straight out of Mather High School in 1983 and played for them through 1988. After playing for clubs in Greece and the Kansas City Wizards, Klopas was on the Chicago Fire's inaugural 1998 roster — which was able to win the MLS Cup.He went on the manage the club from 2011 to 2013 before moving onto the Montreal Impact from 2013-2015. Heisman finalists: LSU QB Daniels, Oregon QB Nix, Washington QB Penix Jr., Ohio St. WR Harrison Jr. Klopas was hired as an assistant coach with the Fire in 2020.The 2024 MLS schedule has not been released yet.

Tuesday Forecast: Cloudy with rain likely, temps in low 40s

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:42 GMT

CHICAGO — Rain/snow showers Tuesday morning. Some slushy accumulations between a half inch and an inch for the northern suburbs — but elsewhere little to no accumulation. A few rain showers are possible this afternoon. High: 39. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here Cloudy, breezy tonight and a few possible showers/sprinkles. Low 31.Wednesday Forecast: Mix of clouds and sun in the morning and mostly cloudy in the afternoon with a slight chance of rain showers. High 42.Extended outlook looks quite mild for a couple days. High temps on Thursday get about 15 degrees above normal with highs in the mid 50s and lots of sunshine. More clouds on Friday but temps a couple degrees milder-- 57 the forecast high. Temps back into the upper 40s for Saturday with some rain likely and a chance for some light snow with highs back in the seasonal upper 30s. Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Cook County Sheriff's Police offers seniors holiday scam prevention tips

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:52:42 GMT

CHICAGO — It’s the time of year to buy gifts for the ones you love, but it's also when people fall victim to online scams. That's why the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department is sharing tips to help seniors avoid credit card fraud and online shopping scams this holiday season. Vesecky’s Bakery in Berwyn closing Tuesday after over 100 years Inside Mercy Circle near 99th and Pulaski Road on Tuesday, experts spoke about some of the best practices to prevent online scams. One tip offered to seniors was creating strong and memorable passwords. Experts also say that constantly checking devices for up-to-date security software is essential. Consumers should also limit shopping through trusted websites and sources. The warning comes as the department deals with increasing phishing emails that promote false holiday deals. They say attackers may attempt to gather personal information by sending emails requesting that their target confirm a purchase, delivery, or account information. Sta...