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Biden will meet with United Auto Workers president in Illinois on Thursday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday will meet in Belvidere, Illinois, with the head of the United Auto Workers union, and the two leaders are expected to highlight plans to reopen an auto factory that Stellantis wanted to close. The White House announced in a statement Tuesday afternoon that during the visit, Biden will deliver remarks and meet with UAW members and the union’s president, Shawn Fain.The event will be an opportunity for the president and Fain to publicly showcase tentative contract agreements that ended a nearly 45-day union strike that targeted General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, maker of Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles.Biden will “highlight his commitment to delivering for working families and creating good-paying union jobs, as well as the UAW’s historic agreement that includes bringing thousands of UAW jobs back to Belvidere and reopening a plant,” the White House said. The contracts, if approved by 146,000 union members in the coming weeks, woul...

Charges filed against 2 accused of killing woman during attempted robbery in Worth

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:32 GMT

WORTH, Ill. — Charges have been filed against two people accused of killing a woman during an attempted robbery in the south suburbs over the weekend.According to Worth police, 22-year-old Tamara Jailynn Johnson and 23-year-old Jason Jerry Joseph Johnson have both been charged with first-degree murder for their alleged role in the shooting death of Jonnie Angel Klein, a 32-year-old mother of two. Police say the deadly shooting happened around 3 p.m. in the 6800 block of West 111th Street on Saturday afternoon while the victim was attempting to withdraw money from a bank in the area.  Chicago crime experts offer tips on how to avoid carjackings, minimize harm Family members told WGN-TV that Klein had just gotten off work before heading to the bank.Police responded to the scene after reports of someone “in need of assistance,” but responding officers arrived on scene to find the victim dead. Following an investigation by the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force, aut...

White Sox announce 2024 coaching staff under Pedro Grifol

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:32 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox announced their major league coaching staff under manager Pedro Grifol for the 2024 season Tuesday, including five new faces to the franchise, and four returnees.New faces hired include Matt Wise (assistant pitching coach), Marcus Thames (hitting coach), Jason Bourgeois (first base/outfield coach), Drew Butera (catching coach) and Grady Sizemore (major league coach).Already familiar faces returning to the club in 2024 include Charlie Montoyo (bench coach), Ethan Katz (pitching coach), Mike Tosar (assistant hitting coach), and Eddie Rodriguez (third base/infield coach).Wise spent the last three seasons as the pitching coach for the Los Angeles Angels. After serving as the Angels bullpen coach in 2020, he began the 2021 season as interim pitching coach before taking over the position on a full-time basis in late May of that season.During his tenure, the Angels ranked sixth in the American League with a 3.77 ERA in 2022. Shohei Ohtani went 34-16 with a 2...

Government shutdown looms as lawmakers look for a solution

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- Another deadline to avoid a government shutdown is steadily approaching."We're working earnestly on that," House Speaker Mike Johnson said.Johnson said his party is determined to avoid a government shutdown."I believe all Republicans want to get to the same end," Johnson said.GOP lawmakers, like Rep. Don Bacon (R-Ne.) and Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) said they support the speaker's goal."I'd probably do a straight CR [continuing resolution] through to January or late January," Bacon said."We're looking at all the options, but we can't shut down the government and we have to fully fund the military," Kiggans said.But Rep. Pete Aguilar said Republicans are wasting time with bills that cut programs that Americans rely on."These are bad policy bills. We should be talking about that in addition to what the Republican plan is in the next 10 days to fund government," Aguilar said.Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the only way forward is for Congress t...

Airbnb 'nightmare': Tenant leaves Los Angeles home after nearly 600 days

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:32 GMT

(KTLA) – Elizabeth Hirschhorn, the woman who accused of squatting for well over a year in a Los Angeles guesthouse that she booked on Airbnb, is finally out.Hirschhorn left the guest house last Friday with a police escort after 575 days of rent-free living at the $3.5 million property, according to a court filing from the landlord obtained by People magazine. "It was quite a crazy moment because we were in the house, filming with a news channel," landlord Sascha Jovanovic old NewsNation. "And then these three men started walking [to the guest house], and I had no idea who was walking into it. I approached them, they didn't want to speak to me. ... Then I called the police as a home invasion, three men entering our property."Those three men turned out to be the movers, according to the Los Angeles Times. Airbnb renter stays at Brentwood home for more than a year without paying Jovanovic met Hirschhorn when she rented his guesthouse through Airbnb for six months at $105 pe...

Supreme Court to decide whether accused domestic abusers can have guns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Gun violence prevention advocates rallied in front of the Supreme Court on Tuesday as the justices heard a case that has the potential to upend a major gun control policy. The case challenges a federal law that bars people under domestic violence restraining orders from having guns. Among those advocates was Donna Berdych. She was there in memory of her late daughter, who she says was shot and killed by her abuser. "I don't want any family to experience what we have experienced," Berdych said. Tuesday's case revolves around a Texas man convicted of gun charges because of a restraining order issued after he hit and threatened his girlfriend. His lawyer, J. Matthew Right, argues that violates his Second Amendment rights.  Abortion ruling prompts variety of reactions from states "Very consequential actions that go against an individual's fundamental right to keep arms," Right said. This case was sparked by the Supreme Court's ruling las...

Lawsuit alleges 'widespread' abuse at shuttered youth facility operated by man commuted by Trump

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:32 GMT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Eight former residents of a youth treatment center that was run by an Arkansas man who former President Donald Trump commuted have filed a lawsuit alleging widespread abuse at the facility.Attorneys for the former residents of the Lord's Ranch said the lawsuit filed Monday is the first of several to be filed against the facility. A man with a gun is arrested in a park near the US Capitol The Lord's Ranch closed in 2016 after owner Ted Suhl was convicted in a federal bribery scheme. Trump commuted his sentence in 2019.The lawsuit claims the unnamed residents were victims of repeated sexual abuse and rape by a counselor. The suit said officials there allowed the abuse to occur.

Man arrested in Sunday crash that killed 1, injured another

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:32 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A man was arrested on a charge of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle, a second-degree felony, in connection with a southeast Travis County crash that killed one and injured another.According to an arrest affidavit, 24-year-old Maximiliano Hernandez Cervantes was arrested Sunday in the death of 39-year-old Nerelda Bueno-Figueroa.Documents said Hernandez’s vehicle caused a crash in the 12900 block of FM 812 by failing to drive in a single lane before driving on the wrong side of the road in a no-passing zone. PAST COVERAGE: 1 dead, child injured following serious collision near COTA, ATCEMS confirms When speaking with law enforcement, Hernandez’s breath had a “strong odor of a metabolized alcoholic beverage,” according to the affidavit.Documents said there were containers of alcohol inside Hernandez’s vehicle as well as empty containers of alcoholic beverages outside of the vehicle that matched the type found inside.“They did not appear to have di...

Raising teacher pay on the ballot for Round Rock ISD voters

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:32 GMT

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) - Round Rock ISD voters will consider a tax rate election this Election Day that would effectively grant teachers a pay increase.The district called for a Voter Approved Tax Ratification Election (VATRE). According to RRISD, this would allow the district to keep more of its funding that it currently sends as “recapture” payments to the state.Back in August, RRISD Superintendent Dr. Hafedh Azaiez said the district’s tax rate would decrease slightly.He said the district called for this election to make up for shortcomings from this year’s legislative session that failed to secure raises for Texas teachers.If approved by voters, teachers and staff would received a 3-6% salary raise as soon as their first paycheck after the election. Azaiez said they would also be paid retroactively for time worked before November.“We would make sure that is retroactive to the first day of their contract for the year, so that would be retroactive to July,” Azaiez said.

$825 million in road improvements on the ballot in Williamson County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:32 GMT

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) - One of the state’s fastest growing counties has asked voters to consider $825 million in road improvements.There are 38 road projects listed in the county’s bond program related to this election. Some projects of note were the widening of Ronald Regan Boulevard from RM 3405 to Sun City Boulevard. Another big project includes improvements at FM 1431 and Highway 183.As reported by KXAN Traffic Anchor Erica Brennes in October, Williamson County voters historically have passed similar measures. Voters approved bonds in 2000, 2006, 2013 and 2019 elections.According to an interview in October, Williamson County Communications Director Connie Odom said much of these projects are to help the county accommodate the rapidly-growing number of drivers on its roads.“In certain cases, then they can bypass downtown areas where maybe moms and kids and dads are all going to school and to work. And so that bigger traffic can find other ways to go without impacting pe...