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US announces $524 million in new aid for Horn of Africa drought, climate crisis

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:11:19 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States announced at a U.N. conference on Wednesday nearly $524 million in additional humanitarian aid for the Horn of Africa that aims to put a spotlight on the extreme effects of climate change and the worst drought in the region in 40 years — and the need for more than $5 billion.The U.N. has appealed for $7 billion and has received just $1.6 billion — far from enough to help the 43.3 million people in need of assistance in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya or even just the 21 million among them who don’t have access to enough food.The United States is the largest provider of humanitarian aid to the region, and Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told the pledging conference that the $524 million in new funds will bring the total U.S. humanitarian contribution to the region to $1.4 billion for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30.When Thomas-Greenfield visited the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in September, she said she heard firs...

Statistics agency: Migration from Russia to Finland at record levels

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:11:19 GMT

HELSINKI (AP) — Migration from Russia to neighboring Finland was at record levels last year, higher than figures seen after the collapse of the Soviet Union over 30 years ago, the Finnish statistics agency said Wednesday.Citing official 2022 immigration data, Statistics Finland said just over 6,000 people immigrated from Russia to the Nordic country of 5.5 million last year. Some 94% of those had Russian citizenship and the figure was almost equally divided between males and females.When the Soviet Union was brought down at the end of 1991, some 5,500 people migrated from the fallen empire to Finland that year.The number of migrants Finland received from Russia hovered between 1,700 and 2,600 annually in 1992-1995, the agency said, adding that the yearly figure remained below 3,100 until 2021.Senior statistician Juhana Nordberg from Statistics Finland said there was a temporal connection between last year’s migration figure and Russia’s war in Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24...

Biden judicial nominee Wamble withdraws from consideration, cites nearly 2-year wait for action

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:11:19 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal prosecutor tapped by President Joe Biden to become a U.S. district judge in Kansas has withdrawn from consideration, citing the nearly two-year wait for action on his nomination. Jabari Wamble is Biden’s second judicial nominee to withdraw this month. Attorney Michael Delaney backed out of consideration for the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week in a rare judicial defeat for the Democratic president. Delaney did not have enough support in the Senate Judiciary Committee to send his candidacy on to the full Senate for confirmation.Wamble wrote to Biden that he had been “humbled and honored by the faith you placed in me with this nomination” but said he was withdrawing his name from consideration for appointment to the U.S. District Court for Kansas. “My path to this nomination began more than 18 months ago and after careful thought and consideration I feel that it is best for me to continue my work at the United States Atto...

Mayor Johnson to preside over his first Chicago City Council meeting

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:11:19 GMT

CHICAGO — Newly inaugurated Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will preside over his first Chicago City Council meeting Wednesday; a meeting with a packed agenda.In addition to officially organizing the councils many committees, to include chairperson appointments, a discussion and vote is expected on a $51 million aid package to assist migrants being moved into the city. If approved, the money will be used for staffing shelters, providing meals, and supporting the migrants in other ways such as with legal assistance. Retired Chicago officer shot while attempting to stop carjacking on West Side WGN plans to livestream the city council meeting, to include any pre-council press conferences and Mayor Johnson's expected post-council availability, within this story beginning at approximately 9:30 a.m.

DHS unveils body camera guidance for agencies

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:11:19 GMT

(The Hill) -- Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday announced the first department-wide policy requiring its law enforcement officers and agents to wear body cameras when interacting with the public in specified settings. The guidance issued instructs DHS agencies with law enforcement officers to develop agency-specific policies that meet or exceed the standards outlined in the department-wide policy. These agencies — including the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — must develop their policies within the next 180 days.The new policy would require law enforcement agents to wear body cameras when responding to emergency calls, during planned arrests and when executing search warrants. The policy specifies agents are not permitted to wear body cameras “for the sole purpose of recording individuals engaged in First Amendment activity.” Box truck driver said ...

WATCH: Clouds of midges swarm across Northeast Ohio

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:11:19 GMT

WICKLIFFE, Ohio (WJW) - Midges are back in swarms across Northeast Ohio, especially over the past several days.The small insects, which resemble mosquitos, have been known to mass together in groups visible to the human eye. At first thinking it was smoke, a WJW photographer spotted "dark clouds" of the bugs flying just the station Tuesday evening. Earlier, a viewer sent video of the midges swarming over their community in Wickliffe, Ohio: The midges were even showing up on weather radar over the weekend as they made their return to the lakeshore. Clouds of midges were also seen on Saturday. The National Weather Service in Cleveland tweeted out, “They’re Baaaaack! The CLE Weather radar is picking up on some of those midges west of #CLE near the lakeshore of Lorain and Huron Counties this evening.” ‘Cringeworthy:’ Radar catches moment swarm of mayflies arrive on shores of Lake Erie Experts say, midges, also known as muckleheads (and mayflies, whi...

What is Twitter Spaces? DeSantis expected to use platform to announce presidential run

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:11:19 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to announce he's running for president during a Twitter Spaces discussion with Twitter CEO Elon Musk Wednesday, according to reports. NBC News first reported that Musk and DeSantis would team up to host the event in Spaces. The discussion is expected to be held at 6 p.m. ET on May 24. But what is Twitter Spaces, and how can citizens watch DeSantis' expected announcement unfold? Florida student who tracked Elon Musk’s private jet is now monitoring jet used by Gov. DeSantis Spaces is a public, audio-only platform that is exclusive to Twitter, meaning no one will be able to actually watch Gov. DeSantis make his announcement; users will only be able to listen. Listeners will be able to tune in to Spaces by using an iOS or Android mobile device. The platform is also currently accessible on the web. It was not immediately clear whether Musk or DeSantis' account would host the conversation.Where is Spaces available? Typicall...

Celebrate National Italian Beef Day with Chicago area's top sandwiches — readers' poll

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:11:19 GMT

CHICAGO — The fourth Saturday of every May is often a celebration of summer's start, and always a celebration of Italian beef.According to a 2017 Patch.com article, the Chicago area's own Italian beef sandwich restaurant chain, Buona, is also the founder of the annual National Italian Beef Day. Six years later, the beef-centric celebration has grown beyond Buona.If you're looking for one of the best beefs party with this Saturday, May 27, check-out the top 5 Italian beef sandwiches in the Chicago area according to a WGN readers' poll. Full poll article: Top 5 Italian beef sandwiches in Chicago area BuonaThe originator of the "holiday" is celebrating by giving away a free beef, with up to one topping, to every user of their "MyBuona" app, including existing users. They are also offering a plant-based beefless sandwich as an alternative option to it's classic construct.Check out Buona's top 5 feature here.Al's #1 Italian BeefThe family behind Al’s #1 Italian Beef lays clai...

Box truck driver said he wanted to 'seize power,' 'kill the president': court records

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:11:19 GMT

(The Hill) -- A Missouri man who crashed a rented U-Haul truck into security barriers near the White House told federal agents his goal was to “seize power” and “kill the president,” according to court records. Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, crashed the rented truck into security barriers around Lafayette Square in front of the White House late Monday, according to a statement of facts from a Secret Service agent, shared by the Department of Justice. Kandula exited the vehicle and took out a red-and-white flag with a Nazi swastika in the center before officers intervened, authorities said. According to the filing, Kandula told agents that his goal was to “get to the White House, seize power, and be put in charge of the nation” and that he would “kill the President if that’s what I have to do and would hurt anyone that would stand in my way.” The Chesterfield, Mo., man allegedly said he’d been planning his actions for six months and told agents that he thought they had been succ...

Why people keep dying on Lake Travis party boats

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:11:19 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The coolers roll down the dock with 30-packs and hard seltzers stuffed inside. The arms pulling them almost always belong to someone in their 20s and 30s, visiting from a faraway corner of the country, dressed in a new summer bikini or muscle tank top.They come here by the hundreds, even thousands, on weekends. As soon as it becomes warm enough to float on a boat comfortably, bachelor and bachelorette parties show up for a reservation booked months ago to have a party boat captain take them around Lake Travis. Hidden concrete plant, pecan orchards highlight Lake Travis dangers "I would say (it's) 85-90% bachelor and bachelorette parties from out of state," said Lone Star Party Boat Owner Beau Sisul. "That's our main customer."Sisul has extensive boating experience, and for the last five years he's built up a fleet of five boats that he and his team of captains charter for people looking to party.The boats fit up to 22 people, have state-of-the-art sound systems, ...