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Civil rights group wants independent probe into the record number of deaths in Alaska prisons

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:10:47 GMT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A civil rights group is asking the state court system to order an independent investigation into the Alaska Department of Corrections after a record number of deaths were reported last year.The request from the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska came Thursday when it announced separate lawsuits against the state Department of Corrections on behalf of two men who died by suicide while in prison in the last year, the Anchorage Daily News reported.The lawsuits, filed jointly by the organization and private attorneys on behalf of family members of the two men, seeks financial settlements and the outside investigation.“There must be greater accountability and transparency on behalf of the Department of Corrections to prevent these tragedies from occurring,” Ruth Botstein, the ACLU of Alaska’s legal director, said at a news conference.Neither the the Alaska Department of Corrections nor the attorney general’s office had been served with the lawsuits by...

Gabon opposition leader alleges the ousted president’s family arranged the coup to retain power

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:10:47 GMT

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Gabon’s opposition leader accused the family of the recently ousted president of engineering his removal from power in order to retain their control in the oil-rich Central African nation, and said Friday that he should have won last week’s presidential election.Albert Ondo Ossa told The Associated Press on Friday that the junta who ousted Gabon’s president on Wednesday, just after he had been declared the winner in the election, did not engage in a coup but rather a “palace revolution” in order to continue his family’s reign.Soldiers toppled President Ali Bongo Ondimba and put him under house arrest, accusing him of irresponsible governance that risked leading the country into chaos. They then put Bongo’s cousin, Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, head of the elite republican guard, in charge. Oligui is expected to be sworn into office on Monday before the constitutional court. Ossa lost the Aug. 26 presidential election to Bongo by more than 30 percenta...

Billionaires want to build a new city in rural California. They must convince voters first

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:10:47 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Silicon Valley billionaires behind a secretive $800 million land-buying spree in Northern California have finally released some details about their plans for a new green city, but they still must win over skeptical voters and local leaders.After years of ducking scrutiny, Jan Sramek, the former Goldman Sachs trader spearheading the effort, launched a website Thursday about “California Forever.” The site billed the project as “a chance for a new community, good paying local jobs, solar farms, and open space” in Solano, a rural county between San Francisco and Sacramento that is now home to 450,000 people. He also began meeting with key politicians representing the area who have been trying unsuccessfully for years to find out who was behind the mysterious Flannery Associates LLC as it bought up huge swaths of land, making it the largest single landholder in the county.An all-star roster of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and venture capitalists are backing the...

Nearly 1.6M flyers expected at O'Hare, Midway over busy Labor Day weekend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:10:47 GMT

CHICAGO — Nearly 1.6 million travelers are expected to fly out of Chicago O'Hare and Midway International airports this Labor Day weekend as airline travel continues to rebound from the pandemic. According to the Chicago Department of Aviation, the number is based on travelers projected to take flight from Thursday, Aug. 31 through Tuesday, Sept. 5. The CDA adds that O'Hare is expected to see a 7% increase in airline passenger travel. The Labor Day holiday, Sept. 4, is projected to be the busiest day of travel. Midway travel numbers are projected to be on par with 2022, seeing only about a 1% increase in passengers. Labor Day is also expected to be the busiest, traveling-wise, for Midway. RELATED: The busiest days to fly around Labor Day 2023According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Labor Day weekend will be the third most active holiday weekend of the year, behind only the Juneteenth-Father's Day weekend and President's Day weekend.“Travelers this Labor Day weekend can rest...

FBI updates photo of University of Wisconsin bomber wanted for 53 years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:10:47 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — More than 50 years after a Vietnam War-era bombing on the University of Wisconsin campus that killed a researcher, the FBI on Thursday released age-processed photographs of a suspect who has thus far evaded law enforcement and been referred to as “Wisconsin's state ghost.”Leo Burt was placed on the FBI's most wanted list immediately after the 1970 bombing of Sterling Hall and remains the last fugitive sought by the FBI in connection with radical anti-Vietnam War activities.The bombers parked a stolen van packed with fertilizer and fuel outside the university’s Army Math Research Center in Sterling Hall and lit the fuse in the early morning hours of Aug. 24, 1970. The bomb attack, which was the nation’s most powerful until the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, killed 33-year-old graduate student Robert Fassnacht, who was doing research in the middle of the night. It also injured other people and caused millions of dollars in damage. The bombers fled to Canada. Does t...

'A special place in my heart': Chicago's Skye Blue returns home with AEW this week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:10:47 GMT

CHICAGO — One of the rising stars in All Elite Wrestling is making a homecoming to Chicago this weekend.There are a number of reasons why it's special for Skye Blue.For one, it gives the Chicago native a chance to continue her rise in the company as she takes part in AEW Rampage - one of three events the company is holding in the Chicagoland area during this week. The 23-year-old took part in a tag team match with Willow Nightingale against Taya Valkyrie and Anna Jay at the event that was taped on Wednesday evening at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates. It will air on Friday at 9 p.m. central time on TNT.It's a home match for Skye, who attended Fenton High School and still resides in Chicago where she also trains. It's here that she first found her love of professional wrestling through the influence of family."I grew up watching wrestling, my parents have been fans their whole lives," said Skye to WGN News Now this week. "So it was always on in my house. When I was younger, I d...

Friday Forecast: Temps in mid 80s with sunny conditions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:10:47 GMT

CHICAGO — Temperatures in mid 80s with mostly sunny conditions. Cooler lakeside, winds: SSE 5-10. High: 85/80. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Mostly clear tonight with calm conditions. Winds: S 0-5. Low: 63.Saturday Forecast: Mostly sunny with hot conditions. Winds: SW 5-15 G20. High: 90.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

South Elgin High School mourns loss of 2 classmates killed in car crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:10:47 GMT

SOUTH ELGIN, Ill. — South Elgin High School students and staff are mourning the loss of two students killed in a car crash in Bartlett.Two memorial sites have been created in honor of the two female victims; one at the scene of the crash and one at the high school.South Elgin students began their day with a vigil, with all the students huddled together to remember their two classmates.Police said the crash happened just after 7 a.m. Thursday near the intersection of Route 25 and Keynon Road. Four girls were on their way to school in a Honda Civic, when they collided with a semi-truck.The truck ended up on its side and the Honda ended up in a corn field. 2 South Elgin HS students killed in semi crash: Police Fire crews removed the roof of the passenger car to gain access to the girls inside the Honda Civic.One girl suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to a hospital where she later died. Another girl was pronounced dead at the scene.The two other girls, along with ...

Nazi ties halt Christie's auction of late Austrian billionaire's jewels

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:10:47 GMT

(The Hill) – Christie's announced Friday that it is canceling an upcoming auction of a late Austrian billionaire’s jewels after “intense scrutiny” over ties to Nazi Germany.Heidi Horten’s jewel collection was scheduled for its second auction this November after the initial May sale was also criticized over her late husband’s membership in the Nazi party. German billionaire Helmut Horten had made his wealth in the department store industry and got his start when the Nazi government pressured the Jewish owners of successful stores to sell their companies in the 1930s. He later expanded his business, purchasing a major textile manufacturer from a Jewish owner fleeing persecution. World War II-era map sparks hunt for Nazi treasure in tiny Dutch village Heidi Horten died last year at 81, with a net worth estimated by Forbes to be near $3 billion. The May sale of the first portion of her estate netted more than $200 million, a record for a single private collection.Multiple Jewish ...

Impeachment trial: what are the allegations against Attorney General Ken Paxton?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:10:47 GMT

Editor's Note: The above video explains the Ken Paxton impeachment trial rules.AUSTIN (Nexstar) — All eyes will be on the Texas Senate Tuesday, when senators embark on the first impeachment trial of a statewide elected official in more than 100 years: suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton.At the end of May, the House voted 121-23 to impeach Paxton on a host of allegations — making false statements, obstructing justice, accepting bribes from a campaign donor and more. KXAN will have live coverage for the entirety of the Ken Paxton impeachment trial. Click here for in-depth coverage and the latest live stream of the trial.Although an impeachment trial is purely political, in the sense that lawmakers are not bringing any criminal charges against Paxton, legal experts note that the process will likely mirror what happens in a criminal or civil courtroom. The House acts like a grand jury, with their vote signifying that the majority found there was enough probable cause to impeach Paxton...