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Ilhan Omar embarks on new path no longer defined by ‘firsts’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden was winding up for a speech at a Minnesota clean energy facility when he spotted a lawmaker in the crowd whom he wanted to recognize. “I want to thank you for being here,” Biden said, gesturing toward Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar during his recent visit. “You never stop working to level the playing field for everybody.”For Omar, the quick flash of praise from Biden — who was neither her first nor second choice to be the party’s 2020 White House nominee — was more than just a courtesy shout-out during a presidential visit to her suburban Minneapolis district. It was a recognition of how far Omar has come after a rocky start to her political career that at times made her standing with Democrats appear tenuous.As she settles into her third term, Omar is no longer defined by the “firsts” that accompanied her arrival in Congress: one of the first Muslim women in the House, the first refugee from Africa elected to the House, the first lawmaker to ...

Saudi officials visit Yemen’s capital for talks with rebels

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:24 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Saudi officials were in Yemen’s capital Sunday for talks with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as part of international efforts to find a settlement to Yemen’s nine-year conflict, officials said.Saudi Arabia’s delegation, chaired by the kingdom’s ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, will hold talks with with Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi’s supreme political council, which runs rebel-held areas in Yemen, according to the Houthi-run SABA news agency.An Omani delegation, which arrived in Sanaa on Saturday, will also join the talks, the agency reported, citing an unidentified source.Mohammed al-Bukaiti, a Houthi leader, said on Twitter that Saudi and Omani officials would discuss “ways to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace in the region.”He said achieving an honorable peace between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia would be “a triumph for both parties,” and urged all sides to take steps to “preserve a peaceful atmosphere and prepare to turn th...

A mild Easter

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- This Easter Sunday is starting out with a cloudy sky and areas of fog. The fog will lift by 9 to 10 a.m. Clouds will gradually clear during the afternoon with most high temperatures reaching the low to mid 70s.The next chance of rain comes Monday as a weather disturbance moves southeast out of Colorado into Texas. Weather models are not in agreement on the coverage of rain. The maps seem to tell a better story so the forecast will call for a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms primarily in the Hill Country. Much of the I-35 counties eastward will be dry Monday.Much of Monday's rain forecast for the Hill CountryThe upper-level trough providing Monday's rain will, by Tuesday, be located along the upper Texas coast. A 20% chance of a few isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms will be part of Tuesday's forecast. Bright and dry weather will be accompanied by warming air with highs Wednesday in the mid to upper 70s. Maximum temperatures Thursday will inch up ...

ATCEMS reports traffic fatality on I-35 service road

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin-Travis County EMS said a traffic fatality happened early Sunday in the 600 block of the North Interstate 35 northbound service road.ATCEMS said one adult was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 2:18 a.m.Officials said people should avoid the area.Extended closures should also be expected, as well as a large public safety presence.EMS did not provide details on how the person died.

St. Paul activist Melvin Giles one of seven to receive $55,000 grant for rest and recuperation

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:24 GMT

With $55,000, Melvin Giles can buy a lot of fuel — er, bubbles.Giles, a lifelong Rondo community activist and urban gardener in St. Paul, is known for blowing bubbles as a central part of his peace advocacy. In addition to co-leading the Urban Farm and Garden Alliance and spreading joy with bubbles, Giles also installs peace poles, simple monuments with the inscription ‘May peace prevail on Earth’ in several languages.And as a “Star Trek” fan, he considers himself a time traveler — looking backward in time to draw lessons from the past, and looking generations into the future at a better world.Melvin Giles, a Rondo community activist, blows “peace bubbles” after an interview about the significance of the Dale Street Bridge Project in August 2017. Giles is an inductee in the new Black Legacy and Leadership Enrichment Initiative, which comes with an unrestricted $55,000 grant for recuperation. (ThreeSixty Journalism)His ethos, simply put: “The peace poles are m...

Longtime employees take over St. Paul’s 55-year-old Mastel’s Health Foods

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:24 GMT

After navigating Mastel’s Health Foods through the early stages of the pandemic, longtime employees Lauren Gaffney and Alina Hornfeldt knew they were ready for their next move — becoming the store’s new owners.Located at 1526 St. Clair Ave., Mastel’s has been selling supplements, vitamins and food to St. Paulites since it was founded in 1968 by John Mastel. New owners as of March 24, Gaffney and Hornfeldt plan to uphold the legacy that Mastel created with products they believe in and a focus on customer service.Mastel said that as a child, he suffered from near-constant allergies and illnesses, which spurred his interest in natural supplements and plants to try to quiet his symptoms. After discovering what worked for him, he said he made it a goal to teach others in hopes of helping them too.When asked how he felt about selling the store, Mastel said with a chuckle, “I feel like a grandad.”Gaffney began working for Mastel’s part-time in 2002 when she was a student. “I’ve...

Easter Sunday events in St. Louis highlight the holiday

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:24 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- There are a lot of fun events this Easter Sunday. One of them is a free Easter Egg hunt. It's happening at St. Paul's Evangelical Church at 10:45, and before that at 9:30 - an Easter worship service.Also happening today, is an Easter car show from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. in Forest Park. It's put on by the Horseless Carriage Club of Missouri, where you can take a look at authentic restored and original antique vehicles 25 years and older; with some dating back to the early days of the automotive industry more than a century ago.And at around 1 p.m. today is the 46th annual Compton Heights Easter Parade. The parade starts at the Grand Point at 3521 Hawthorne. It will go from Hawthorne to Russell, to Longfellow and back to the Grand Point. The parade takes about half an hour to an hour.

Man shot in north St. Louis Saturday

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:24 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- Police are investigating after a man is shot several times in north St. Louis. It happened just after 8 p.m. Saturday on Northland Avenue in the Kingsway East neighborhood.Officers say a 29-year-old man was shot four times. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. His condition and name have not been released at this time. Neither has any information about a possible suspect.

Letters: Inspired by Native resilience displayed at Denver March Powwow

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:24 GMT

Inspired by Native resilience displayed at PowwowRe: “Denver March Powwow: ‘Culture is alive and well’,” March 20 news storyThis was my first time at a Powwow. I spent three days viewing and experiencing this special event at the Denver Coliseum. What I saw was beautiful and joyous. It was an expression of Native love, tradition, and unity. Their dance to the beat of drums, their energy and joy was a sight to behold. Yet, I felt something much more profound. Their sound was not a soft compliant drumbeat. The pounding of the drums expressed their anger and defiance. It was powerful. The singing that accompanied the beats was one of anguish and crying out for life.The dancers were all so beautiful with their colorful regalia and feathers. Mothers and fathers held their babies as they danced together. The young children danced enthusiastically and proudly. The elders, who danced slower, expressed their deep-rooted feelings for the love of their culture.I appreci...

Is Colorado ready to serve English learners under new universal preschool?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:24 GMT

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters. Leer en español.Every morning, students in the Early Excellence Program in north Denver start their day with a song in Spanish and English. Story time and reading circles also happen in the two languages. Kids are encouraged, but never forced, to speak both.These are some of the ways teachers at this highly-rated preschool try to give students a strong foundation in their home language as they prepare for school — something researchers agree is helpful for young bilingual learners.As the state prepares to roll out universal preschool, a new taxpayer-funded program starting in the next school year that offers preschool hours for free to all 4-year-olds and some younger children, officials have given priority to children who don’t speak English at home. The state will offer those children more hours of tuition-free preschool and is promising — for the first time — that program...