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Bidens to host Juneteenth concert at White House

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:09 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will host a Juneteenth concert next week in a “celebration of community, culture and music,” the White House announced Wednesday.The concert, to be held June 13, will be on the South Lawn of the White House. During the event, the White House says it will “uplift American art forms that sing to the soul of the American experience” as part of Black Music Month.Artists that will be featured include Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, singer and talk show host Jennifer Hudson, and Cliff “Method Man” Smith, a member of the legendary hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan.Juneteenth marks when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free — which occurred June 19, 1885, when Union soldiers told enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, news of their freedom. It became a federal holiday in 2021.“This is a day of profound weight and profound power, a day in which we remember the moral stain, the terrible toll that sla...

New York City sues 30 counties over ‘xenophobic’ orders banning migrant relocations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:09 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City sued nearly half the state’s counties Wednesday over their attempts to keep out international migrants, the latest escalation in an ongoing battle between city officials and local leaders. The suit, filed in state court Wednesday, accuses at least 30 New York counties of seeking to “wall off their borders” to asylum seekers through “xenophobic” executive orders that violate state and federal law.“These counties have implemented misguided and unlawful executive orders premised on false claims that the prospect of a few hundred asylum seekers sheltered at the city’s expense across multiple counties constitute an emergency and imperil public safety,” said Sylvia Hinds-Radiz, a lawyer for the city. New York City has struggled to care for an influx of asylum seekers in recent months, converting hotels and houses of worship to shelters as Mayor Eric Adams repeatedly declared that the city had reached its limit on new arrivals. Last month, the city began...

UN investigators compiling evidence on chemical weapons use by Islamic State extremists in Iraq

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:09 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.N. investigators are compiling evidence on the development and use of chemical weapons by Islamic State extremists in Iraq after they seized about a third of the country in 2014, and are advancing work on the militant group’s gender-based violence and crimes against children, Sunni and Shiite Muslims, Christians and Yazidis, the head of the investigative team said Wednesday.Christian Ritscher told the U.N. Security Council that survivors of a March 2016 chemical attack against Taza Khurmatu, a mainly Shia Turkmen town south of Kirkuk in northeast Iraq, were still deeply impacted when he visited earlier this year.He said he has prioritized the investigation of chemical weapons used by the Islamic State, also known as ISIL.“ISIL weaponized several chemical agents and deployed these as chemical rockets and mortars, as well as improvised explosive devices, in the vicinity of Taza Khurmatu” which hit residential neighborhoods and agricultural fields, Ritscher said...

Autopsy finds North Carolina man died of ‘sudden cardiac arrest’ during police confrontation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:09 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A man who died after police officers in North Carolina’s capital city repeatedly used stun guns on him died from “sudden cardiac arrest” related to cocaine intoxication and the police confrontation, according to the state’s autopsy released on Wednesday. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner also labeled the Jan. 17 death of 32-year-old Darryl Tyree Williams a homicide.The autopsy report listed Williams’ death “as sudden cardiac arrest in the setting of cocaine intoxication, physical exertion, conducted energy weapon use, and physical restraint.” A toxicology analysis detected cocaine and a chemical contained in marijuana among others in his blood, the report said.The State Bureau of Investigation has been looking into the death and the role of Raleigh Police Department officers who said they were trying to arrest Williams for possession of a controlled substance. Several officers were placed on leave as part of the investigation. Will...

In unusual orca sighting, tour spots at least 20 killer whales off San Francisco

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:09 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — An uncommonly large grouping of orcas for Northern California — roughly two dozen killer whales — were spotted by a whale watching tour off the coast of San Francisco last month, likely gathered together to celebrate a successful hunt for sea lions or seals.“I screamed ‘orca!’” recalled Michael Pierson, a Oceanic Society naturalist leading the tour, after noticing “those distinct dorsal finds poking out of the water.”“It was really, really special,” Pearson said in an interview Wednesday. The big group of whales was seen on May 7 near the Farallon Islands, about 28 miles (45 kilometers) west of San Francisco. Killer whales are more commonly found around the deep ocean canyon beneath Monterey Bay — about 75 miles south of the city — and can be spotted anywhere from the coastline to just 5 miles off shore, according to Nancy Black, a marine biologist and owner of Monterey Bay Whale Watch.It’s easier for whale-watching tours to see them in Monterey Bay becaus...

Workers at Barnes & Noble in Manhattan’s Union Square vote to unionize, continuing trend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:09 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Workers at the Barnes & Noble in Manhattan’s Union Square, one of the retail chain’s signature stores and home to its corporate offices, have voted to unionize. They join employees at a handful of other Barnes & Noble stores in the Northeast who have affiliated with unions in recent weeks, following a wave of union activity over the past few years at independent booksellers.The Union Square employees are now part of the the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which also represents workers at McNally Jackson, Greenlight Bookstore and other independents. In an announcement Wednesday, the RWDSU cited issues at the Union Square store ranging from workplace harassment to “unstable scheduling practices” and “favoritism by management.” “Together, with their colleagues in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and just across the water in Brooklyn, Barnes & Noble workers in Union Square have sent a message all across the nation — the bookstore industry ...

Cooler Wednesday night before a sunny Thursday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:09 GMT

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Clear, cool, comfortable. Local upper 40s/near 50 normally cooler outlying areas. Low: 55 Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog THURSDAY:  Unlimited sunshine, comfortable temperatures and humidity levels. Lake breezes continue to cool areas near Lake Michigan where low to mid 60s are expected.

Lincoln MKC recalled for engine fire risk while parked

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:09 GMT

(The Car Connection) -- Owners of certain Lincoln MKC crossover SUVs have been advised to park outside away from other buildings and vehicles due to an increased risk of engine fire, the NHTSA disclosed Monday. The known fires have occurred when the vehicle is off and parked.The recall encompasses 142,734 Lincoln MKCs from the 2015-2019 model year. Related to the Ford Escape, the Lincoln MKC existed for one generation before being rebranded as the Lincoln Corsair in 2020.Parent company Ford is unsure what has caused the fires, but believes it originates from or near the 12-volt battery in the MKC. Specifically, the battery monitor sensor could short-circuit and overheat, triggering a fire in the engine bay.Ford is aware of 19 instances of fire globally while the vehicle was parked and the engine shut off. The majority of those reports happened in the U.S., while seven occurred in China and one in Canada.Related Articles2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV earns To...

Should you run your air conditioner when it's smoky outside?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:09 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – When smoke from wildfires turns the outside air unhealthy, is it safe to run the air conditioner?An oppressive blanket of smoke from over 100 Canadian wildfires rolled over the East Coast and Midwest Wednesday, leaving many residents concerned about the air quality.Dr. Brian Christman, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University told Nexstar's WJW that running the air conditioning is fine, so long as the right settings are used.Most air conditioners operate by cooling the air inside the house and recirculating it, not pulling in air from outside. Some units, however, are equipped with a fresh air function, which should not be used.“I wouldn’t spend a lot of time outside," Christman said. "I would try to set your air conditioning on recirculate so that you’re not breathing in as much of the outdoor air and if you have good level filters on your air conditioner, make sure that they’re in place and that you’re using them.” The Environmental Protection Agency has t...

Boy, 7, finds Kansas tortoise lost for nine months

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:02:09 GMT

LENEXA, Kan. (WDAF) -- A runaway tortoise has found its way back home, all thanks to a 7-year-old Kansas boy.Fredericka, a 17-year-old Russian tortoise, had been gone for nine months, owner Jan Langton told Nexstar's WDAF, noting that it's incredible that she survived through the winter.For eight years, Langton kept her pet tortoise in a pen."And I thought, gosh, she could have the whole backyard," Langton said. "So, I took her, and I tried to put her through every banister, sideways and that way - she couldn't get out - not possible." Taco Bell launches vegan option of an iconic item at select locations Fredericka took her newfound freedom too far and traveled outside the fence."I got that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach," Langton recounted.She took to Facebook and posted flyers throughout the neighborhood. Lots of people offered help, but couldn't put their finger on the right reptile."And they go, is this her? And they're holding a snapping turtle and I'm like, no, you ca...