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WATCH LIVE | Aldermen to vote for more independence from Mayor's office Thursday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:27 GMT

CHICAGO —The group of aldermen are pushing for more independence from the mayor's office happening just a week before a new mayor is elected to run the city.The aldermen are looking to increase the number of committees and subcommittees from19 to 28 which would include adding a youth services subgroup and another focused on entertainment and conventions. The group also wants council members to pick their own committee chairs instead of thew power belonging to the mayor.City Council has allowed mayors to hand-pick committee chairs for the past few decades, helping ensure the mayor could push through their legislation more quickly.Another change is stopping ordinances from being introduced last minute without making information available to the public. A rare Michael Jordan card is up for auction Even though the vote is taking place Thursday, any rules approved later would still have to be re-approved by the newly elected City Council once the new ter...

DeSantis' new board says Disney stripped its power: 'Never seen anything like this'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:27 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The new board controlling the special district that oversees Walt Disney World was stripped of nearly all its powers through an agreement made before the state took control of the district from Disney, lawyers for the new board said Wednesday. In February, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law stripping the entertainment giant of its control over the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a special tax district and governance jurisdiction which had been controlled by Disney since 1968. The new law changed the district's name to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and gave the governor power to appoint a new Board of Supervisors. The state's takeover also came months after the governor clashed with Disney executives over the company's opposition to Florida's Parental Rights In Education legislation, or the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill that later became law.DeSantis picked five allies, including a donor, an evangelical minister and Bridget Ziegler, a...

Dean's A-List Interview: Chris Cooper on 'Boston Strangler'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:27 GMT

CHICAGO - It was one of the great crime investigations of the 1960s that's now being retold 60 years later."Boston Strangler" is a movie streaming now on Hulu about the murders of 13 women in Boston from 1962 through 1964 and how two female newspaper reporters for the Boston Record American broke the story.Veteran actor Chris Cooper portrays newspaper editor Jack MacLaine in the film and the Oscar winner joined Dean Richards to discuss the film on "Dean's A-List Interview" on Thursday's WGN Morning News.He discussed what he did to learn more about newsrooms and the challenges the reporters had in breaking the story in the 1960s.See more of Cooper's discussion with Dean from the March 30 show in the video above.Get Dean's reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean's Downloads weekly newsletter. You'll also get his Dean Cooks recipes too!

Holy Carp! 67-pound invasive fish caught in Oklahoma

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:27 GMT

DELAWARE COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) -- The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) says a fishing guide service recently caught a 67-pound male bighead carp in the Grand Lake area.Fisheries biologists have asked skilled fishing guides for help in capturing invasive bighead carp out of the Grand Lake system, according to ODWC. "Shout out to High Water Guide Service for reeling in this massive 67-pound male bighead carp!" said ODWC on Facebook. "They've gotten us a few now and we simply can't appreciate it enough."Image courtesy Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.According to the ODWC, the bighead carp is native to eastern China and was first brought to the United States in 1972 by an Arkansas fish farmer. "The bighead carp utilizes open water areas, moving about in the surface zones of large lowland rivers, consuming large quantities of blue-green algae, zooplankton, and aquatic insect larvae and adults," the ODWC stated. "Because of its feeding habits, bighead carp a...

Why Canadians Should Be Optimistic About the Economy and Budget 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:27 GMT

In The Month Of Ramadan, We Honour Kaldi

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:27 GMT

UT Austin researchers help develop blood test for traumatic brain injuries

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:27 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin's PsyBrain Lab helped develop the first commercially-available laboratory test for traumatic brain injury, or TBI, in the U.S., UT announced Wednesday. The university said the Food and Drug Administration just approved the Alinity i test. According to the announcement, the Alinity i test looks for elevated levels of two biomarkers in blood which it said are "tightly correlated with brain injury." UT said the technology, produced by Abbott Laboratories, can diagnose patients in as little as 18 minutes.The announcement said before Alinity i was available, doctors had to use "subjective assessments" and CT scans to detect brain tissue damage or lesions. UT said the test can provide "greater certainty for patients and doctors." It hopes the Alinity i test might encourage more people to get help if they think they may have a TBI.“This work demonstrated the accuracy of a blood test that can reduce the number of unnecessary ...

Overnight RV stays become Central Texas businesses' side hustle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:27 GMT

LULING, Texas (KXAN) — Inflation has hit several small businesses hard throughout Central Texas, cutting into their bottom line.Yet, a growing trend has emerged as an innovative way for businesses to earn extra income.Lots of local distilleries, breweries and wineries are letting travelers in trailers stay on their property for free.Those overnight stays are booked through Harvest Hosts, an RV club.The only rule: guests must buy an item from the small business before leaving in the morning for the next leg of their trip. This allows these local businesses to keep the extra income.Jose Baptista and his wife Ines are Harvest Hosts members. They said they frequently take their camping trailer to travel throughout the Lone Star State."This is one way to get out of the house and bring your house with you, so to speak,” he said.The couple drove to Luling this week, and set up an overnight campground at AFT Distillery."You get to stay for free and usually get to see something really unique...

New neighborhood of up to 1,600 homes gets green light in Caldwell County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:27 GMT

CALDWELL COUNTY, Texas (Austin Business Journal) -- The Caldwell County Commissioners Court unanimously approved March 28 a development agreement between the county and a subsidiary of Lennar Corp. for a neighborhood of up to 1,600 homes in the rural area south of Austin. Is Elon Musk planning town east of Austin? The answer’s complicated The development agreement will allow Lennar — one of the region's busiest homebuilders — to transform the 491-acre parcel into a large community of single-family homes, plus parkland and amenities, according to county documents. Cotton Gateway, as the development is currently known, would be a significant injection of new homes in Caldwell County, part of the region stretching between Austin and San Antonio that some experts believe will evolve into the state’s next metroplex.The development will rise across the road from the San Marcos Regional Airport at State Highway 21 and William Pettus Road.Read the full story at Austin Business Journal.

Mohonk Preserve to host 50-mile challenge fundraiser

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:59:27 GMT

GARDINER, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- On May 6, the Mohonk Preserve is hosting the annual Rock the Ridge challenge. The goal is to run or hike a 50-mile course within 18 hours. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Participants can tackle the course by themselves or in relay teams of two, three, or four. There will be well-stocked and closely spaced aid stations along the well-marked course.Rock the Ridge serves as a major fundraiser to support the Mohonk Preserve's mission to protect the Shawangunk Mountains. When registering, participants will set up a personal fundraising page that donors can access. There are fundraising incentives highlighted with a two-night, mid-week stay at the Mohonk Mountain House for the top fundraiser!Registration closes on April 15 at midnight. All participants must register in advance, pay the registration fee, and commit to raising $325 prior to race day. Volunteers can also sign up by emailing volunteers@moh...