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Firefighters contain a quarter of massive California-Nevada wildfire

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:28:56 GMT

MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters had managed to partially contain a massive wildfire by Tuesday morning after the blaze ignited in a California wildland preserve and spread into Nevada, its smoke blotting out the sun across Las Vegas while flames scorched tens of thousands of acres of desert scrub, juniper and Joshua tree woodland.The York Fire was mapped at roughly 125 square miles (323.7 square kilometers) on Tuesday, with 23% containment, making it the largest wildfire of the season in California.The blaze erupted Friday near the remote Caruthers Canyon area of the vast wildland preserve, crossed the state line into Nevada on Sunday and sent smoke further east into the Las Vegas Valley. Midday Monday, a smoky haze on the Las Vegas Strip obliterated views of mountains surrounding the city and suburbs. Because of low visibility, the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas reported departure delays of nearly two hours.Firefighters battled “fire whirls” on M...

French reporters end an unsuccessful strike against a new editor known as a far-right supporter

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:28:56 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Journalists at France’s emblematic Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche ended a 40-day strike Tuesday after unsuccessfully protesting the appointment of an editor-in-chief they denounce as far-right supporter. It was the longest journalists’ strike in France in decades. The newspaper, also known as the JDD, was absent from newsstands for the sixth week in a row Sunday. The newspaper’s owner, the Legardere group, said the printed version would resume publication in mid-August.The journalists had denounced the appointment of Geoffroy Lejeune, known for his far-right political views, which they say is putting the editorial independence of the newspaper at risk. Lejeune has openly supported far-right presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, a former TV pundit who run in France’s April 2022 election, drawing fervent audiences with his anti-Islam, anti-immigration invective. Zemmour lost in the first round with 7% of the votes. The newspaper’s journalists’ as...

‘Little Mosque on the Prairie’ creator among finalists for Leacock Medal for Humour

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:28:56 GMT

The creator of the CBC hit series “Little Mosque on the Prairie” is among the finalists for this year’s Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour.Zarqa Nawaz’s novel “Jameela Green Ruins Everything,” published by Simon and Schuster, in on the short list for the $25,000award. The other two finalists are Wayne Johnston’s “Jennie’s Boy,” from Alfred A. Knopf Canada, and Susan Juby’s “Mindful of Murder,” from HarperCollins Publishers. Nawaz’s satirical novel is about a Muslim woman who becomes involved in a plot to infiltrate a terrorist organization, Johnston’s memoir tells the story of his Newfoundland childhood, and Juby’s book is described as a comedic murder mystery. Stephen Leacock Associates President Michael Hill says in a news release that all three finalists — selected from 71 entries — “perfectly” meet the judging criteria for humorous books that are written with style...

Migrants moving into Broadway Armory Tuesday, impacting Chicago Park District programs

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:28:56 GMT

CHICAGO — The City of Chicago will start welcoming migrants into a new temporary shelter Tuesday.Asylum seekers will start moving into the Broadway Armory Park, located at 5917 North Broadway. It will be used as a temporary shelter, but it will have an impact on programs offered there.The city has been preparinig for this move for the past couple weeks. According to the alderperson for the 48th Ward, at least 300 migrants could be staying at the site.People who live in the area are echoing a lot of what's been heard in other neighborhoods regarding the temporary shelters. They are concerned with safety, the lack of transparency, and the impact it will have on the Park District programs — specifically children's summer camps and senior programs. Helicopter crashes into cornfield in southern Illinois, killing pilot The city has been trying to make adjustments to continue the programs in some form while the Armory is being used as a temporary shelter.For the last week of summer camp,...

Northwestern hires former US Attorney General to conduct latest athletics review

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:28:56 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. — In the wake of a major hazing scandal around its football program, Northwestern University is conducting a new review of its athletic department. This time it will be led by a former United States Attorney General, and the public will get the chance to see the results.Northwestern has announced a new independent review of the “processes and accountability mechanisms” at the school to address potential misconduct in athletic programs..Former US attorney general Loretta Lynch will lead the review & results will be made public..@WGNNews pic.twitter.com/auLhShNBL0— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) August 1, 2023On Tuesday morning, Northwestern announced that they will have former Loretta Lynch from the law firm of Paul, Weis, Rifkind, Wharton, and Garrison lead a review of the "processes and accountability mechanisms" in place to prevent misconduct in athletic programs. She will conduct the review with feedback from faculty, staff, students, and alumni, with it be...

Report: Taylor Swift gifts $100K bonuses to truck drivers on 'Eras Tour'

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:28:56 GMT

Taylor Swift was generous with the truck drivers responsible for hauling her equipment over the country for "The Eras Tour" — gifting each driver with a $100,000 check, according to TMZ.She passed out the checks before her Saturday show in Santa Clara. Her U.S. tour wraps up Aug. 9 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.In addition to the drivers, TMZ reported that other people involved in the tour, including dancers, sound technicians and more, received a "very generous amount" of bonuses.Swift brought an economic boost to Chicago during her three-day stay at Soldier Field. According to Bloomberg, hotel occupancy averaged 96.8%. ‘Sooooo epic:’ Taylor Swift’s message to Chicago fans after Soldier Field concerts “Chicago that was sooooo epic. Playing 3 nights at Soldier Field and getting to sing ‘You All Over Me’ with Maren Morris who I adore. You guys were so much fun to play for, I love you,” Swift wrote on Twitter after the Chicago shows.Beginning on Aug. 27 in Mexico City, Swift begins...

Cedar Point reveals new record-breaking coaster

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:28:56 GMT

SANDUSKY, Ohio (WJW) - Calling all thrill seekers! Cedar Point has done it, again.The Roller Coaster Capital of the World announced that in 2024 they will debut "Top Thrill 2."Roller coaster experts say the new ride will be "the world’s tallest and fastest triple-launch strata roller coaster."So, how does it compare to the original Top Thrill Dragster? Outdoor waterparks in Ohio: Big and small Whereas the Top Thrill dragster had a single 120-mile-an-hour launch point, this new coaster will have three launches, the second being a backward launch at 101 miles-per-hour, the final one catapulting riders to speeds of 128 miles-per-hour. It will include a 90-degree verticle climb of 420 feet, equalling the height of the original Top Thrill Dragster.Courtesy: Cedar PointCourtesy: Cedar PointCourtesy: Cedar PointCourtesy: Cedar PointThe step-by-step breakdown, as described by the experts at Cedar Point:At the start, riders will peel out down the straightaway reaching speeds of 74 mph, rac...

'Very loud' NASA research flyover lifts off; flight path released

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:28:56 GMT

CHICAGO — The NASA aircraft took off Tuesday morning for a "very loud" flight over the Chicago area for research purposes.According to Flight Aware, NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center’s DC-8 aircraft took off from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base at around 9:50 a.m.The proposed flight path is also on Flight Aware. The aircraft will fly up through Indiana and may be over southern Lake County before flying in a rectangle pattern through the south suburbs.The aircraft will then fly into the city — flying through parts of the South Side, West Side and Northwest Side before heading to southern Wisconsin.It will then fly over parts of the northern suburbs and back into the city. According to Flight Aware, the aircraft will fly across parts of the West Side again and Lincoln Park.It is scheduled to land at 6:18 p.m. Previous: NASA warns Chicago area residents of 'very loud' jet flyover for data research NASA is warning residents that it will be flying at a low-altitude. It will also ...

Zoo in China denies that bear in viral video is just a human wearing a costume

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:28:56 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – A zoo in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou has been forced to deny that its bears are just human beings in elaborate costumes after a video clip showing one of the animals went viral.Internet users reportedly began joking about the legitimacy of the Hangzhou Zoo’s bears after photos of the animal — a sun bear — began circulating on social media, the Associated Press reported. What happens to animals who die at the zoo? Video clips of the Hangzhou Zoo’s bear exhibit also began popping up on China's popular Weibo social-media platform, showing one of the bears standing on its hind legs. An accumulation of furry skin on the hind area of the bear led to further observations that the bear’s “butt folds” looked like “wrinkled” leather pants, some Weibo users said.“Imagine you get a job at the zoo and you have to be the sun bear,” a Twitter user joked, commenting on a post that noted how “lanky and uncanny” the sun bear appears compared to other bear species.Sun bears are ...

Why is gas getting expensive again? You can blame the weather

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:28:56 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Temperatures around the country aren't the only numbers reaching new heights. Gas prices are also heating up, reaching a nationwide average of $3.76 per gallon on Monday, according to AAA. The situation is way worse out West. In California, the average is $5. Washington isn't far behind at $4.95. Gas prices typically rise in the summer, but the heat is making it even worse this year, industry experts say. The cheapest day of the week to fill up on gas, according to experts "You've got a lot of refineries that are coughing and wheezing. They're not really geared to run with 10 or 15 days with 100-degree temperatures in a row," explained Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at OPIS, in an interview with NBC News. When refineries don't run at their full capacity, less and less gasoline is produced. A tighter supply naturally means higher prices. The biggest drop in production has been at refineries on the West Coast, USA Today reports. Here’s how to predict when g...