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Appeals court pauses order limiting Biden administration contact with social media companies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court Friday temporarily paused a lower court’s order limiting executive branch officials’ communications with social media companies about controversial online posts.Biden administration lawyers had asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to stay the preliminary injunction issued on July 4 by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty. Doughty himself had rejected a request to put his order on hold pending appeal. Friday’s brief 5th Circuit order put Doughty’s order on hold “until further orders of the court.” It called for arguments in the case to be scheduled on an expedited basis. Filed last year, the lawsuit claimed the administration, in effect, censored free speech by discussing possible regulatory action the government could take while pressuring companies to remove what it deemed misinformation. COVID-19 vaccines, legal issues involving President Joe Biden’s son Hunter and election fraud allegations were among the t...

WATCH LIVE | Chicago area at risk for severe weather Friday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

CHICAGO WEATHER LIVE - Have a comment or question for the interactive livestream? Send it in using this form:Submit a form. The Chicago area is at a 2 on the scale of 1-5 for the risk of severe weather Friday. Showers will move out for awhile Friday and midday sun and humidity will arrive.The sun will help fuel an environment of instability this afternoon with storms set to return around 4 p.m. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here The first round of potentially severe weather will last from 4 p.m. to around 9 p.m.A second round of storms is expected to move into the area around 11 p.m.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog Non-severe weather and showers will linger into the morning Saturday with another round of storms likely Saturday afternoon.

Northwestern picks interim football coach for 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern University has officially picked the person that will lead their program for the rest of the year after the firing of Pat Fitzgerald. They won't be looking outside the program for the person to take that job for the next five months. Defensive coordinator David Braun will serve as the interim head coach for the 2023 season, which was made official on Friday afternoon. He is the newest member of the football coaching staff, joining the program in January after a successful run at FCS power North Dakota State. He had served as the acting head coach after Fitzgerald was fired on Monday after 17 seasons in the wake of a hazing scandal within the program. WGN's coverage of the controversies around Northwestern football, firing of Pat Fitzgerald "The opportunity to lead this team at this crucial moment in its history is not something I take lightly, and I'm grateful for the trust placed in me by Dr. Gragg and Northwestern leadership," said Braun in a state...

NTSB looking at risk parked semis posed to Greyhound bus in fatal Illinois accident

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Big rig driver David Cherno was hauling Jimmy Dean sausages on Interstate 70 when he had to stop for the night or risk violating federal regulations limiting driving time for truckers. An Illinois rest area was full, so Cherno parked on the wide shoulder of the exit ramp leading to it — a common practice for truck drivers.Just before 2 a.m. Wednesday, Cherno was awakened to a frightening jolt that sent him airborne into his dash. He got out and saw the horror: A burning Greyhound bus jammed into his trailer, passengers pushing and kicking at windows trying to get out.The accident near St. Louis killed three of the 22 bus passengers and left 14 other people, including the driver, injured. The National Transportation Safety Board is trying to determine what caused the bus to strike three parked rigs and will look at factors such as driver fatigue. Investigators also are specifically looking at the safety risks posed by trucks parked on ramps. Victims identified in d...

Children's library box set on fire in Lowell; entire playground destroyed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

LOWELL, Ind. — Authorities in Lowell are conducting an arson investigation after a children's library box was set on fire, leading to the destruction of an entire playground.On Tuesday afternoon, authorities responded to the 200 block of North Fremont Street on the report of a fire.Following an investigation, firefighters determined that books from the Little Library Box, meant for children's literacy, were intentionally set on fire with the use of an accelerant. The flames spread and let to the destruction of the entire playground area. ‘Not going to cut it’: Suburban boy thriving in national mullet contest Police and the volunteer fire department said they are conducting an investigation. A $500 reward has been offered by a local businessman for information leading to an arrest and a conviction.Anyone with information can call police at 219-660-0000.

Chicago residents with disabilities invited to job fair on Near West Side

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago residents with disabilities are invited to attend a job fair set to take place next Tuesday on Chicago's Near West Side. The networking event will allow locals with disabilities to network with employers across various industries. Search for jobs on our job board The job fair will be held Tuesday, July 18, at the Central West Community Center from 1:30 - 4 p.m. Employers scheduled to attend include:Museum of Science and IndustryMarriott International Residence Inn ChicagoRUSH University Medical CenterFedEx GroundThe Chicago LighthousePace BusEssendantS&C Electric CompanyUniversity of Chicago MedicineShedd AquariumGreater Chicago Food DepositoryAramarkEli’s CheesecakeFarmer’s FridgeShirley Ryan Ability LabGreater West Town Development ProjectRead more: Latest Chicago news headlinesThe job fair will be co-hosted by the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), Ada S. McKinley Community Services and the Illinois Department of Human Services - Division...

Florida mom trying to steal newborn from NICU stabs 3 hospital employees: deputies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida mother was arrested Thursday and accused of slashing several hospital employees with a knife after "violently" removing her 3-day-old child from a neonatal intensive care unit and trying to escape.Palm Beach County deputies were called to Palms West Hospital on Thursday around 10:30 p.m. in response to a stabbing report.Documents obtained by WFLA.com allege 31-year-old Kendra Greene entered the NICU where her child was located and "violently removed the breathing device from the infant’s mouth, the central line from the infant’s stomach, feeding tube," and several other life support devices keeping the infant alive.Moments later, hospital staff issued a “Code pink" alert over the intercom, indicating a child abduction. All available medical staff rushed to the nearest door, per hospital policy, to prevent anyone from leaving the building.At one point, deputies said Greene allegedly approached an exit blocked by one staff member and swung a large, serra...

Llano County brush fire at 600 acres, nearly 20 agencies responding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

LLANO COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A brush fire that began burning at a ranch Thursday afternoon grew to scorch 600 acres and is 50% contained as of 1:30 p.m. Officials said no homes have been lost, but 12 were threatened. Air support and dozers are expected to will keep working on building firelines overnight.The Llano County Office of Emergency Management posted on its Facebook page that at least 10 agencies are now responding to the fire located near East Highway 71 and County Road 307. Crews also have CR 307 shut down right now due to the ongoing response. By 6 p.m., there were nearly 20 agencies responding to the fire, including 13 volunteer fire departments. Initially, first responders told KXAN the fire began on a ranch property. As of 2 p.m., the growing fire caused no evacuations. Moore Peak Fire near Llano, Texas, on July 13, 2023. (Courtesy: Alan Jensen)Air support from the Texas Forest Service is currently assisting with the fire, according to the Llano County Office of Emerge...

City of Georgetown: Outdoor watering prohibited until July 17

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

GEORGETOWN, Texas -- The City of Georgetown is temporarily enacting and enforcing Stage 3 of the Drought Contingency Plan, due to sustained high water use nearing system treatment capacity, the city said in a news release Friday. The restriction is effective immediately from July 14-July 17, according to the city.This means watering with an irrigation system or hose-end sprinkler is prohibited during this time, the city said. Furthermore, the city will decide early next week whether to extend or increase said restrictions.Additionally, the city said the water is safe to drink. However, eliminating outdoor water usage is critical to keeping the water safe and avoiding boil water notices.“We need every one of our water customers to immediately stop outdoor watering, at least through Monday,” Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder said. “Conserving water this weekend is critical to giving our system enough time to recover, so we can lift these temporary restrictions, but we won't know for sur...

Flooding highlights need for future rail support

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:48 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – This week on Empire State Weekly, this week severe thunderstorms caused significant damage in several parts of the state. Flash flooding caused Amtrak service in the Hudson Valley to be suspended for several days. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Bruce Becker the Communications Director for the Empire State Rail Passengers Association explained the delay to Amtrak service had a significant impact. According to Governor Hochul's office, 14,000 riders were impacted per day. Becker expressed concern about a proposed bill to cut federal funding for Amtrak by eighty percent."It would be a big issue, a big detriment, particularly for those folks in the capital region that rely upon Amtrak to go to new york city on a regular basis" said Becker. Also, this week, as people continue to clean from flash flooding some homeowners beginning the complicated process of filing flood insurance claims. Tully Rinkey atto...