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Expulsions, walkouts, filibusters: Lawmakers grapple with acrimonious legislative sessions

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:55 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lawmakers this year have kicked rival colleagues out of office in Tennessee and off the chamber floor in Montana. They have staged walkouts in Oregon and filibusters in Nebraska, where interactions are so fraught that some lawmakers say they’re unsure they can work together anymore.In a year of outsized acrimony at statehouses, it would be wrong to say tensions have never been worse. Legislatures have seen fistfights, unpopular members hounded from office, mass expulsions and even armed confrontations.Experts say what’s different now is that politics can reward sparring and punish bipartisanship, making reelection tougher for those who seek compromise.Lawmakers “recognize that the general electorate would prefer that they compromise, but they think that the primary electorate wants them to oppose it,” said Laurel Harbridge-Yong, a Northwestern University political scientist.Civility can crumble when lawmakers draw gerrymandered districts or make voting rules ...

IDPH investigating Salmonella outbreak after 26 cases in Chicago area

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:55 GMT

CHICAGO — The Illinois Department of Public Health is investigating a Salmonella outbreak in the Chicago area after at least 26 confirmed cases.The infections are linked to ground beef, IDPH said. The source has not been identified yet at this time.The 26 confirmed cases have been reported in Chicago as well as Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.IDPH said they are working with local health departments, the CDC and the USDA-FSIS to identify additional cases, to perform lab testing and to identify the source.Some of the ill people reported eating undercooked ground beef. Over $600K worth of counterfeit watches, socks, sunglasses seized at O’Hare Symptoms caused by Salmonella most commonly include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.Visit here for more information on how to prevent Salmonella.

Man, 54, dead after gas station shooting in Austin

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:55 GMT

CHICAGO — A 54-year-old man is dead after a shooting near a gas station in Austin Thursday morning. According to reports, there was a verbal altercation near the 700 block of South Cicero Avenue around 4:19 a.m. between two men when one man produced a firearm and shot the victim. Police say he sustained a gunshot wound to the head and was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead. CPD: Man charged in connection to death of missing Logan Square woman The offender got into a red sedan and fled southbound on Cicero Avenue. There were no other injuries reported and there is no one in custody at this time. Police are actively investigating the incident.

WATCH LIVE | Parental leave changes for Chicago Public Schools

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:55 GMT

CHICAGO — Changes are coming to Chicago Public School's (CPS) parental leave policy.Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is set to host a press conference Thursday alongside CPS CEO Pedro Martinez and Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) president Stacy Davis Gates. ‘We will destroy you’: Northwest Indiana man accused of showing up to Taylor Swift’s residence, stalking A press release states it is to "announce changes to the CPS parental leave policy" and nothing more.Details of the changes will be added to this story as soon as they become available.WGN plans to livestream the press conference within this story beginning at approximately 12 p.m.

Two accused of 'harassing' bison calf at Grand Teton, NPS investigating

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:55 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - Authorities are searching for two visitors who were seen "harassing" a bison calf in Grand Teton National Park earlier this month, marking just the latest unsafe interaction between humans and wildlife investigated by the National Park Service. The two people, who appear to be men, were seen approaching and touching a bison calf at the southern end of Elk Ranch Flats around 1 p.m. on June 4, Grand Teton rangers said in a press release Thursday. "Interference by people can cause wildlife to reject their offspring," rangers noted. "Often, these interactions result in euthanizing the animal." Yellowstone bison calf forced to be killed, man pleads guilty to disturbing it Unlike a similar case in Yellowstone National Park last month, this bison calf was reunited with its herd. Officials are asking that if you were in the area on June 4 and have information about the incident, or recognize the individuals in the photo below provided by the national park, to call the Grand Te...

Florida diver finds massive megalodon tooth

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:55 GMT

VENICE, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida diver recently found a massive megalodon tooth while looking for shark teeth in Venice.Charter captain and diver Michael Nastasio told SNN that he has been hunting for shark teeth in Venice since 2011.Nastasio said his dive didn't start well."I swam for probably 30 minutes before I found any material that looked good," he told the news station. ‘Beloved’ Venice Beach statue found trashed under bridge Little did he know, his dive would lead to a massive discovery."I made like two kicks and the tooth was looking straight at me," Nastasio said. "My mind was just blown."The megalodon tooth was 6 inches long — a surprisingly large specimen to find in Venice.The megalodon is the largest shark to have ever lived in the world’s ocean, according to the Smithsonian Institution. The shark lived roughly 23 to 3.6 million years ago.The Smithsonian Institution said scientists have discovered megalodon nursery habitats in Florida, Panama, Maryland, and the Canary ...

APD: Motorcyclist dies 11 days after south Austin crash

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:55 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for June 7, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department released the name of a man who died June 1 after sustaining injuries during a motorcycle crash May 21 in south Austin.APD said a preliminary investigation revealed the motorcycle hit a curb in the 2900 block of West Slaughter Lane and ejected 44-year-old Jeremy Larsen.Police said Larsen was taken to a hospital, where he died June 1.According to APD, this incident was being investigated as Austin's 42nd fatal crash of 2023, resulting in 42 fatalities for the year. On the date of this crash in 2022, 43 fatal crashes resulted in 44 deaths.As of Thursday, the investigation remained pending, according to officials.

Governor Abbott to sign border security bills

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:55 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Governor Greg Abbott will hold a press conference Thursday afternoon to sign several "critical" border security bills that were passed during the 88th Legislative Session.Abbott will be accompanied by Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw, Adjutant General of Texas Major General Thomas Suelzer, bill authors and sponsors, as well as other legislators and law enforcement officers. While several bills the governor will sign fall under his broader priorities of ongoing border security efforts, the keynote legislation he called for during his State of the State address did not pass. The main border security proposal Abbott had mentioned was creating a “mandatory minimum jail sentence of at least 10 years for anyone caught smuggling illegal immigrants in Texas.” Differences between the House and Senate versions of the smuggling bill were not worked out in the regular session. Now, it's one of Abbott's central calls for the first special session. The press c...

Officials speak on closing the SH 45 Gap

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:55 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Hays County is conducting a $2.5 million dollar study to explore the feasibility of constructing SH 45 between I-35 and RM 1626.Currently, many Hays and Travis County drivers use SH 45 Southwest to travel from southwest Austin to cities like Kyle and onto I-35, but they have to take 1626 to do so because that's where SH 45 currently dead ends. And traveling from the east side of I-35, SH 45 Southeast dead ends at I-35.Hays County Commissioners would like to see a new portion of SH 45 constructed in the near future to connect that current gap, but Travis County and City of Austin officials have expressed concern about the expansion. RELATED: Travis County commissioners send letter opposing SH 45 expansion project Last August, when Hays County Commissioners voted to begin engineering and design on the SH 45 Gap, the Travis County Commissioners sent a letter documenting their frustrations with Hays County leaders, citing traffic and environmental concerns.This week, ...

Human remains found in SE Minn.; father of Madeline Kingsbury’s children arrested

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:55 GMT

WINONA, Minn. — Adam Taylor Fravel, 29, of Winona, has been arrested with the suspicion of second-degree murder in Winona County.Fravel, the father of Madeline Kingsbury’s children, was placed in custody at 7:12 p.m. Wednesday, June 7. Formal charges have not been filed.Madeline Kingsbury. (Courtesy photo)A Fillmore County deputy found human remains north of Mabel on Wednesday afternoon, according to a Facebook post from the Winona Police Department late Wednesday night. The body, which has not yet been positively identified, “was found in some brush off Highway 43 and was located using information generated during the Madeline Kingsbury investigation.”“Because of this, law enforcement personnel have arrested Adam Fravel on probable cause in connection to her disappearance,” the post said.Numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner’s Office, are working to identify the remains.“...