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Illinois lawmakers still unable to pass state budget

Published Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Illinois lawmakers wrapped up a busy week in Springfield Friday after still being unable to pass the state's budget by the democratic imposed May 19 deadline.The Illinois General Assembly technically has until the start of the fiscal year in July pass the state budget, but they tend to aim for a May 31 deadline."Well that’s come and gone, and the reason they wanted to do that was essentially to give them the rest of the month to get other things done and do other work.," WGN Political Analyst Paul Lisnek."By May 31 they can pass a budget with a majority vote, but after May 31, in the month of June prior to the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1, it will require a supermajority to pass the budget.” Lawmakers approve south suburban cargo airport study Aside from the budget, things got heated Thursday on the Senate floor during several Democratic-led measures.One of those – an amendment to House Bill 1286 -- that would give businesses the option to create all...

Woman accused 3 armed robberies within minutes of each other in West Town

Published Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT

CHICAGO — A 26-year-old woman is charged with multiple felonies following a spree of armed robberies in West Town, Chicago police said Friday. Mercedes Jackson was arrested around 11:20 a.m. in the 800 block of N. Racine Ave on May 18. Police allege that hours earlier, Jackson was responsible for robbing three people at gunpoint. The incidents occurred in the following locations:1700 block of W. Crystal St. (14th Dist.) at approx. 9:05 a.m. - 44-year-old male victim  1800 block of W. Chicago Ave. (12th Dist.) at approx. 9:56 a.m. - 36-year-old male victim  700 block of N. Willard Ct. (12th Dist.) at approx. 10:10 a.m. - 30-year-old male victim. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesJackson was due in bond court on Friday.

City of Austin employees going back to the office later this year: Will it hurt hiring?

Published Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As City of Austin employees shuffle to in-person work starting later this year, recruitment and staffing companies say the city could face hiring challenges. Murray Resources -- a recruiting and staffing firm with an office in Austin -- said clients that don't offer a work from home option at all get anywhere from 25% to 75% less candidates, depending on the position. "If it's 100% in the office, what we tell our clients is that you are giving up a large portion of the candidate pool," Keith Wolf, managing partner at Murray Resources, said. He noted that the hybrid role, where people can work in the office some days and at home others, are typically the most sought after. Some positions with the city will be hybrid starting later this year. Starting in early June, employees in management positions with the city will be required to work five days a week in person. Non-executive staff who have been working from home will have to return to the office no less than three...

New study: Texas earned the title of 'Most Superstitious'

Published Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT

DALLAS(KDAF) — Texas takes its superstitious beliefs very seriously...very superstitious.. like writing on the walls superstitious.Online Sports Betting website, BETMGM listed the states who are the most to least superstitious states. BETMGM said "We surveyed people from all 42 states to see which states are the most and least superstitious and which superstitions are the most popular across the country. Based on these answers, we developed a “superstition score” that took into account the percentage of respondents from each state who said they believed in each superstition we asked about".Texas has been ranked the highest in superstitious out of all 50 states with a score of 73.96 out of 100. It is no surprise that Texas' favorite superstitious belief is four-leaf clovers, while the bad luck superstitious is breaking a mirror. The most common superstitious action that Texans take is knocking on wood. It is believed that this action will bring protection from bad luck, and bring goo...

PD: Texas mom upset after losing weed, slaps newborn 'I can hit her'

Published Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT

EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A Texas woman told police she hit her child after becoming upset when she could not find weed, documents reveal.Zaira Rina Worrel, 23, of Edinburg, was arrested on charges of injury to a child with intent to cause bodily injury, according to Hidalgo County records.On April 30, Edinburg police received a call from a relative of Worrel, who said Worrel had slapped her 4-month-old several times. The relative told police she heard Worrel scream "callate" several times followed by four or five loud slaps.According to a criminal complaint obtained by ValleyCentral, Worrel told her relative, "lt's my child. I have the right to hit her," before hitting the child again with an open hand on her face.When police arrived at the residence, Worrel told them she was tired when she got home from work and wanted to rest but her baby would not stop crying."[Worrel] admitted to striking [her baby] in front of her [relative] to prove that she can do whatever she wants ...

Congresswoman suggests withholding pay from lawmakers if government defaults 

Published Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NEXSTAR) — A new bipartisan bill would block paychecks to members of Congress if the U.S. government defaults or shuts down. The charge is being led by two lawmakers in an attempt to motivate their colleagues to prevent either of those outcomes. As the threat of default looms over the economy, Democratic Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger and Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick introduced a bill to withhold pay for lawmakers if the event of a default or government shutdown. "If we are unable to protect the United States government and the United States government from a default, frankly no member of Congress should be getting paid until we are remedying that situation," Spanberger said. Right now, President Joe Biden and Republicans are locked in a stare-down. Democrats are demanding Congress raise the debt ceiling and Republicans are refusing to do that without spending cuts attached. Negotiators met all week to try and strike a deal, but on Friday th...

Lawmakers renew push to protect 'Documented Dreamers'

Published Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NEXSTAR) — Right now, people known as "Documented Dreamers" are living in limbo, but a bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to change that. On Wednesday, lawmakers and advocates talked about their new push to protect Documented Dreamers and allow them to permanently stay in the United States. "Documented Dreamers" are people whose parents brought them to the U.S. legally, but when they turn 21 they lose the protections of their parent's long-term visa. That forces them to stay illegally or self-deport if they can't find other ways to get legal status. Muhil Ravichandran is one of the 250,000 documented dreamers living in the U.S. "It is heartbreaking that I have to spend every day in fear that I have to leave my home," Ravichandran said. Both Ravichandran and fellow dreamer Merry Joseph were part of a group that joined lawmakers to advocate for legislative changes. "All we ask is for this country to finally recognize us," Joseph said. L...

Opportunity for Texas Prime customers to earn money through Amazon pick-ups

Published Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT

DALLAS (KDAF) — Commerce Empire, Amazon, is offering $10 to pick up purchases rather than have them shipped to a home address. The company is hoping to reduce home delivery costs. Prime subscribers have received an email with a $10 offer to pick up an order of $25 or more at locations such as Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods, or Kohls's.Pick-up locations aren't new to the company as they first started introducing pick-up locations back in 2019. As Amazon comes up with new initiatives for prime customers, Dallas also benefits due to the increased foot traffic into its stores. Thus introducing a new era of convenience and customer engagement.Check your local Whole Foods or Kohls's and see if they are participating.

Paul Newberry: A city fights back against the ol’ arena flimflam

Published Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT

By PAUL NEWBERRY (AP Sports Columnist)Congratulations are in order for the good people of Tempe, Arizona.They might’ve cost themselves an NHL team, but that was a small price to pay to hang on to their wallets.In a rare setback for billionaire owners and their endless scams to get the public to build them new places to play, the Phoenix suburb decisively turned back a $2.3 billion proposal that included a new arena for the Arizona Coyotes.This one was a stunner for the NHL and the Coyotes, who thought they had worked their flimflam so well that nobody would notice it was nothing more than another egregious example of corporate welfare.“The voters seem to understand, deep down, that these things are a bad idea,” said J.C. Bradbury, an economics professor at Kennesaw State University in suburban Atlanta and vocal critic of publicly funded stadiums and arenas. “Why are we subsidizing sports teams, no matter how much they claim it’s going to spur economic d...

North St. Paul native Carolyn Wiger makes it to this season’s ‘Survivor’ finale

Published Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Two east metro natives competed on the current season of “Survivor” and one of them, Carolyn Wiger, made it to the finale, which airs at 7 p.m. Wednesday on CBS.The daughter of former state Sen. Chuck Wiger, the 35-year-old Wiger was born in North St. Paul and now lives in Hugo, where she works in substance recovery.With her lanky figure, numerous tattoos and complete lack of a poker face, Wiger seemed more like light comic relief to both viewers and her fellow castaways for much of the season, which is the show’s 44th. She proved to be both highly skilled and comically inept at challenges, like when she got stuck in a twisted net and starting howling and moaning (the challenge starts about 3 minutes into the video below).But once the tribes merged, Wiger’s savvy began to become much more obvious. She formed an unlikely alliance with Carson Garrett, a 20-year-old engineering student who used a 3D printer to recreate practice puzzles from the show, and Yamil “Yam Yam” Aro...