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Cyclone Freddy wanes after battering Malawi, Mozambique

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:54 GMT

BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — After killing hundreds and displacing thousands as it barreled through Mozambique and Malawi since late last week, Cyclone Freddy has dissipated over land, although flooding remains a threat in both countries, a regional monitoring center said late Wednesday.The cyclone has killed at least 225 people in Malawi’s southern region including Blantyre, the country’s financial hub, according to local authorities. Another 88,000 people are displaced. In neighboring Mozambique, officials say at least 20 people have died since the storm made landfall in the port town of Quelimane on Saturday night. Over 45,000 people are still holed up in shelters, with about 1,300 square kilometers (800 square miles) still under water, according to the EU’s Copernicus satellite system.“There are many casualties — either wounded, missing, or dead and the numbers will only increase in the coming days,” said Guilherme Botelho, the emergency project coordinator in...

Blinken says Ethiopia must do more on Tigray peace deal

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:54 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ethiopia needs to make more progress implementing a peace agreement with its northern Tigray region before relations with the U.S. are normalized, visiting Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.Speaking in Addis Ababa, Blinken said Ethiopia must ensure “there are no ongoing gross violations of human rights” and establish an “inclusive and credible” transitional justice process after the two-year Tigray conflict.“Then our own ability to move forward on our engagement with Ethiopia, to include economic engagement, will also move forward,” Blinken said after meeting with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and others.Hundreds of thousands of people were killed in the Tigray conflict before the peace agreement was signed in November. Communications, banking and other basic services in the region of more than 5 million people were cut off and recently began to resume.Out of concern for massacres, gang rapes and other abuses committed by all sides in the fighting, t...

Garcetti’s India envoy nomination passes Senate test vote

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:54 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti appeared headed for confirmation Wednesday as the next U.S. ambassador to India, 20 months after he was initially selected for the post and amid fallout from a sexual harassment scandal involving a onetime top adviser.The nomination cleared a key test vote in the Democratic-controlled Senate, 52-42, with a final vote expected late Wednesday. The session began with uncertain prospects for Garcetti, a two-term, progressive Democrat first nominated to the prominent diplomatic post by President Joe Biden in July 2021. With several Democratic defections, Garcetti’s fate rested with enlisting Republicans in a chamber often divided along partisan line. He secured seven GOP votes to advance the nomination to a final vote. Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said, “I met with him personally. He clearly has an enormous amount of expertise about India. India’s been two years without an ambassador, and that is far too long. And I...

Judge weighing abortion pill is favorite of conservatives

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:54 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Texas judge hearing a case that could throw into jeopardy access to the nation’s most common method of abortion is a former attorney for a Christian legal group who critics say is being sought out by conservative litigants because they believe he’ll be sympathetic to their causes.U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who’s considering a lawsuit aimed at putting a nationwide halt to use of the drug mifepristone, was appointed by President Donald Trump and confirmed in 2019 over fierce opposition by Democrats over his history opposing LGBTQ rights. Mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone in the body and is used with the drug misoprostol to end pregnancy within the first 10 weeks.Kacsmaryk is hearing arguments in the case on Wednesday, days after he took the unusual step of telling attorneys during a status conference not to publicize the hearing because the case has prompted death threats and protests and he believed “ less advertisemen t of this ...

14-year-old boy seriously wounded in South Side drive-by shooting

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:54 GMT

CHICAGO — A 14-year-old was seriously wounded following a drive-by shooting Wednesday morning in Greater Grand Crossing.At around 11:30 a.m., a 14-year-old boy was standing outside in the 100 block of West 74th Street when a vehicle drove by.At some point, multiple occupants of the vehicle fired shots at the boy, striking him in the stomach and right leg. He was transported to Comer Children's Hospital in serious condition. No suspects are in custody. CPD: 6 armed robberies conducted in under 2 hours on Southwest Side Anyone with information can leave an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com.

Rodgers plans to play for Jets in 2023, awaits Packers' move

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:54 GMT

Aaron Rodgers said Wednesday he intends to play for the New York Jets in 2023 after 18 seasons in Green Bay as the four-time NFL MVP quarterback waits for the Packers to trade him.Rodgers made his comments during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on YouTube and Sirius XM. The 39-year-old Rodgers said he believes the Packers want to move on and make 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love their starting quarterback. “At this point, as I sit here, I think since Friday I’ve made it clear that my intention was to play and my intention was to play for the New York Jets,” Rodgers said. “I haven’t been holding anything up at this point. It’s been compensation the Packers are trying to get for me, kind of digging their heels in.” Report: Bears sign former Seahawks RB Travis Homer to 2-yr deal Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy has acknowledged the team granted the Jets permission to talk to Rodgers. The Jets sent a contingent that reportedly included owner Woody Johnson, coach Robert Sa...

Stickney Township woman attempted to suffocate 6-year-old because he was crying: Cook County sheriff

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:54 GMT

STICKNEY TOWNSHIP, Ill. — A 58-year-old woman faces a felony charge after she attempted to suffocate a 6-year-old boy because he was crying, according to Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.According to the sheriff's office, detectives responded to an elementary school in Burbank on Feb. 27 after school officials reported a possible incident of child abuse.Detectives learned that the boy's caregiver, Julie Espinosa, of unincorporated Stickney Township, placed a pillow over his face because he was crying, causing the 6-year-old to vomit when the pillow was removed.Officials from the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services have placed the boy and his siblings in the care of a relative. Espinosa was arrested on Tuesday. The state's attorney's office approved one count of felony aggravated battery of a child. Espinosa is scheduled to appear for a bond hearing Wednesday.

Opening statements delivered in ComEd bribery trial

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:54 GMT

CHICAGO — Federal prosecutors in Chicago delivered their opening statement to jurors in the bribery case involving former executives and lobbyists for the ComEd, the largest electric utility in Illinois.For more than an hour, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker laid out a years-long effort to influence and curry favor with Michael Madigan, the former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives who controlled the flow of legislation in the state capitol for more than three decades.“The defendants sought to bribe Mike Madigan in order to influence his actions in the General Assembly, to ensure that he didn’t take action to hurt the company in the General Assembly and to reward past beneficial conduct to ComEd in the general assembly with legislation that was worth hundreds of millions of dollars,” Streicker told jurors. ComEd bribery trial begins for 4 accused of influencing Michael Madigan Between 2011 and 2019, the four defendants conspired to arrange jobs and contracts f...

PHOTOS: Van full of marijuana explodes on California highway

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:54 GMT

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KRON) -- First responders were already busy with storm-related emergencies on Tuesday when a van exploded and caught fire on a California highway.Santa Rosa Fire Department firefighters saw the flaming van on Highway 101's onramp at 3rd Street at 9:34 a.m. Can I bring weed purchased in Illinois to other states? Once firefighters doused the fire, they found "several 55-gallon bags full of marijuana 'shake' soaked in butane," SRFD wrote. The driver suffered burn injuries and was transported to a hospital.(Image courtesy SRFD) Butane is a highly explosive material used to convert marijuana plants into oil, also known as "dabs" or "wax." (Image courtesy SRFD) The Santa Rosa Fire HazMat Team assisted SRPD with the explosion investigation and ensured additional hazards were mitigated before reopening the onramp.

Alderman proposes 'Chicago Plow the Sidewalks' pilot program to City Council

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:54 GMT

CHICAGO — A Chicago alderman is expected to propose an ordinance to City Council for a pilot municipal sidewalk snow and ice removal program.Alderman Gilbert Villegas held a press conference Wednesday morning with details on the Chicago Plow The Sidewalks Pilot Program.The intent is to make sure seniors and those with physical disabilities can get out of their homes and to stores for food and other supplies.The alderman wants $750,000 to fund the pilot program.Villegas points to the city of Toronto, which already plows its sidewalks.