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Space station welcomes 2 Saudi visitors, including kingdom’s 1st female astronaut

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:21 GMT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The International Space Station rolled out the welcome mat Monday for two Saudi visitors, including the kingdom’s first female astronaut.SpaceX’s chartered flight arrived at the orbiting lab less than 16 hours after blasting off from Florida. The four guests will spend just over a week there, before returning to Earth in their capsule.The 270-mile-high (430-kilometer-high) docking puts the space station population at 11, representing not only Saudi Arabia and the U.S., but the United Arab Emirates and Russia. .Saudi Arabia’s government is picking up the multimillion-dollar tab for its first female astronaut, Rayyanah Barnawi, a stem cell researcher, and fighter pilot Ali al-Qarni.John Shoffner, a Knoxville, Tennessee, businessman who started a car racing team, is paying his own way. Retired NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is their chaperone. She now works for Axiom Space, the Houston company that organized the 10-day trip, its second to the...

Germany rejects criticism it watered down language on gas at G7 summit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:21 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — The German government on Monday rejected criticism that it pushed to weaken existing commitments for phasing out natural gas at a summit of leaders from the Group of Seven major industrialized democracies, saying the concluding statement is in line with international climate efforts.Environmental campaigners slammed the leaders’ decision in Japan to back the construction of new infrastructure for liquefied natural gas, a planet-warming fossil fuel. In their final text the G7 said that “investment in the sector can be appropriate in response to the current crisis and to address potential gas market shortfalls provoked” by Russia’s attack on Ukraine.“In the exceptional circumstance of accelerating the phase-out of our dependency on Russian energy, publicly supported investment in the gas sector can be appropriate as a temporary response,” the G7 said, adding that this must be done in a way that’s consistent with efforts to curb global warming.Tracy Cart...

Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 28-June 3

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:21 GMT

Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 28-June 3May 28: Actor Carroll Baker is 92. Singer Gladys Knight is 79. Singer Billy Vera is 79. Singer John Fogerty is 78. Musician Jerry Douglas of Alison Krauss and Union Station is 67. Actor Louis Mustillo (“Mike and Molly”) is 65. Actor Brandon Cruz (“The Courtship of Eddie’s Father”) is 61. Actor Christa Miller (“Scrubs,” ″The Drew Carey Show”) is 59. Country singer Phil Vassar is 59. Singer Chris Ballew of Presidents of the United States of America is 58. Singer Kylie Minogue is 55. Rapper Chubb Rock is 55. Actor Justin Kirk (“Weeds”) is 54. Talk show host Elisabeth Hasselbeck (“Fox and Friends,” ″The View”) is 46. R&B singer Jaheim is 46. Actor Jake Johnson (“New Girl”) is 45. Actor Monica Keena (“Dawson’s Creek,” ″Undeclared”) is 44. Actor Alexa Davalos (“Clash of the Titans” ″The Chronicles of Riddick”) is 41. Actor Megalyn Echikunwoke (“24”) is 41. Singer Colbie Caillat is 38. Actor Carey Mulligan (“The Great Gatsby”) is 38.May ...

18 men broke into USPS office in Loop overnight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:21 GMT

CHICAGO — Police are searching for as many as 18 men who broke into a USPS office in the Loop early Monday morning. According to police reports, the men broke into the front doors at the postal office near the 100 block of West Randolph Street around 3:59 a.m. Girl, 17, injured in drive-by shooting in Lakeview It is still unknown if anything was taken and there is no one is in custody. Police are still investigating the incident.

Check your mail: TurboTax users start receiving settlement checks from Intuit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:21 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – If you see a letter from "Intuit Multistate Settlement Administrator" in your mailbox this month, don't throw it out with the junk. It's could be a payment from the $141 million TurboTax settlement.Eligible recipients have started receiving the checks, which are being mailed out throughout May, according to the settlement administrator. TurboTax's parent company Intuit was ordered to pay back customers who should have qualified for free tax filing in the 2016, 2017 and 2018 tax years, but were misled into paying for the online filing services. An estimated 4.4 million customers across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., qualify. Eligible taxpayers did not need to file a claim and will receive payment automatically. You should have also received an email from the settlement fund's administrator. When will Facebook settlement payments be sent out? Here’s what we know Most people are expected to receive a check for about $30, though some may receive up to $85.“Turbo...

Def Leppard's Rick Allen reveals he was attacked after Florida concert in March

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:21 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen says he was blindsided during an attack on him outside a South Florida hotel following a concert earlier this year.“I heard a couple of steps and then I just saw this (flash) and the next thing I knew was I was on the ground,” Allen, 59, told ABC's “ Good Morning America ” in an interview broadcast Monday. “I landed on my backside — hit my head on the pavement.”Def Leppard was in Fort Lauderdale to perform at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino when he was attacked March 13 while taking a smoke break outside a hotel.Police arrested Max Hartley, a 19-year-old from Avon, Ohio, who has pleaded not guilty to two counts of battery and four counts of criminal mischief, according to court records. Police said they haven't determined a motive.“I don’t think he knew who I was, but he must have seen that I wasn’t a threat because, you know, I’ve only got one arm,” said Allen, who lost his left arm in a car accident in 1...

Dean's A-List Interviews: Seth Rogan and Rose Byrne in 'Platonic'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:21 GMT

Dean sits down with A-List stars Seth Rogan and Rose Byrne in the new Apple TV + series, 'Platonic.'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!

Police issue alert over armed robbery spree on NW side

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:21 GMT

CHICAGO — Police reported of nine armed robberies within an hour on the city's northwest side overnight. Police reported of armed robberies in the locations below: 2000 Block of West Webster Ave on May 21, 2023 @ 12:27 AM1200 Block of North Damen Ave on May 21, 2023 @ 12:30 AM 2700 Block of North Milwaukee Ave on May 21, 2023 @ 1:00 AM 2200 Block of West Webster Ave on May 21, 2023 @ 1:03 AM 2600 Block of North Kedzie Ave on May 21, 2023 @ 1:05 AM 2900 Block of West Armitage Ave on May 21, 2023 @ 1:08 AM3000 Block of North Kimball Ave on May 21, 2023 @ 1:15 AM 3200 Block of North Elston Ave on May 21, 2023 @ 1:26 AM3100 Block of North California Ave on May 21, 2023 @ 1:30 AMPolice described the offenders as four men between the ages of 15 and 21 wearing black hoodies, black masks and armed with handguns. Man, 18, broke into USPS office in Loop overnight

Christopher Morel's history is a highlight of bad Cubs road trip

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:21 GMT

PHILADELPHIA — Outside of the performance of a promising second-year player, it was another lost road trip for the Cubs. A 2-1 loss to the Phillies on Sunday finished off a 2-7 road trip for the club as they now fall a season-high six games under .500 (20-26). For the month of May, the Cubs are sporting a 6-13 record as they fall five games behind the Brewers for first in the National League Central.In a tough road trip, however, Christopher Morel has started his second season with a bang - literally. In his first 11 games of the 2023 season, the outfielder has hit eight home runs in 46 at-bats. According to the Cubs, he's the first in franchise history to pull off the feat, with those statistics going back to 1901. Morel also has three doubles and 14 since he was called up from Triple-A on May 8. A surprise omission from the Opening Day roster for some, the outfielder had a strong 29 games with the Iowa Cubs, hitting .330 with nine doubles, 11 homers, and 31 RBI. Signed as an inter...

Texas Senate attempts to add school voucher-like program to teacher pay bill

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:17:21 GMT

Austin (KXAN) -- One of the last viable bills in the Texas legislature that would increase teacher pay now has a provision that would create a school voucher program.The Senate Committee on Public Education is hearing testimony on the bill Monday morning.Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, over the weekend, filed a committee substitute of the bill that would add a school voucher-like program that would allow parents to re-direct up to $8,000 to private school tuition.The Texas legislature has yet to pass a bill that would address the growing shortage of teachers in Texas public schools. Austin ISD plans to pull millions from reserve funds to give educators 7% raise House Bill 100 initially increased the per-pupil allotment for public schools – and through that provision – would require school districts to use a certain amount of those funds to increase teacher pay.The bill, in its current form, would also increase the minimum salary schedule for teachers and provide school districts...