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Large wildfire ravages forest in northern Greece as 8 villages are evacuated

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:16:49 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities on Saturday evacuated eight villages near the northeastern border with Turkey, where a large summer wildfire was burning out of control, whipped on by high winds.The fire service said more than 130 firefighters, assisted by 14 water-dropping planes and three helicopters, were struggling to contain the blaze and reinforcements were being sent from other parts of the country. The forest fire broke out early Saturday near the village of Melia, east of the town of Alexandroupolis.There were no immediate reports of injuries to firefighters or residents, but authorities said some houses suffered damages in two of the evacuated villages.Earlier, a section of a major highway in the area was closed down due to heavy smoke drifting across it.Residents of Alexandroupolis were also advised to keep their windows closed due to smoke blown over the town from the fire.Another smaller wildfire was burning outside Thessaloniki, in the north, the second-largest ...

Tucker Barnhart's time with the Cubs comes to an end

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:16:49 GMT

CHICAGO — There was hope he could be a solid option for the Cubs at catcher for the next two seasons when the team signed him this offseason. But in the end, Tucker Barnhart's stay at the major league level for the team didn't even last a season.The Cubs have officially DFA’d catcher Tucket Barnhart..He was hitting just .202 this season in 44 games, playing in just four contests this month..Infielder Miles Mastrobuoni has been called up from Iowa..@WGNNews pic.twitter.com/aPYNV1z44d— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) August 19, 2023The veteran catcher was designated for assignment on Saturday morning ahead of the team's second game with the Royals in a three-game set at Wrigley Field. Infielder Miles Mastrobuoni was called up from Triple-A Iowa to take his place on the roster. This comes after Barnhart signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract before this season, but he's run with the team ends short of a full season.He played in just 44 games and only took part in four games in Aug...

Chicago Fire FC, Red Stars restart their regular seasons Sunday

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:16:49 GMT

CHICAGO — For Chicago's two professional soccer teams, it's been all about tournaments over the past month. But now Chicago Fire FC and the Chicago Red Stars are ready to get back to work in the regular season, hoping to keep their campaigns going as long as possible. Both teams return to regular season play on Sunday, both doing so against teams from Orlando, as each hopes to find a way into their respective postseasons. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)Chicago Fire FC played in three games in the Leagues Cup over the past month, getting out of the group stage before losing to Club America on August 4 at SeatGeek Stadium. Since then, they've been off the pitch, getting ready for a critical stretch to their season that could result in an end to their sixth-year MLS Cup Playoff drought. They enter their match on Sunday at Soldier Field against Orlando City SC with 32 points, which puts them eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. That puts them above the playoff line, with DC United current...

It doesn't say 'pickles' on most pickle jars. Why is that?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:16:49 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Quick, run over to your fridge and grab a jar of pickles. Notice something missing from the label?If you’re holding a jar of Vlasic, Claussen or Mt. Olive pickles, chances are it’s missing the word “pickle” on the front.“I don’t think it’s a coincidence; there has to be some reason for it,” theorized TikTok user Jesse Banwell, who brought the issue to light this week a now-viral video. “Maybe it’s some legal thing. I don’t really know.”Banwell, a science teacher from Santa Cruz County, California, isn’t the first to notice the omission. A couple of Reddit posts from both 2017 and 2019 had previously pointed out the lack of any “pickle”-language on the jars of different brands. And an earlier TikTok video from 2019 highlighted the same point — complete with a hashtag reading #picklesdontexist — in response to a third brand’s pickle jar. Why do Texans eat pickles at movie theaters — and why doesn’t everyone else? So what do the labels say, exactly? Vlasic, Claussen and M...

FBI: Police officers in California county collected 'trophies' from crime scenes, encouraged violence

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:16:49 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Ten current and former police officers with the Antioch and Pittsburg Police Departments in California have been accused of committing a slew of crimes involving multiple conspiracies and coverups. Among the offenses, officers with the Antioch Police Department are accused of collecting "trophies" from crime scenes and displaying the mementos on a mantle, according to a grand jury indictment unsealed after an FBI raid. The officers with Antioch and Pittsburg's police departments were simultaneously arrested in a multi-state FBI raid Thursday, after a federal grand jury handed down four indictments stemming from an 18-month investigation into East Bay law enforcement. The officers were apprehended in Hawaii, Texas, and across the San Francisco Bay Area. Trump says it’s ‘unpleasant’ to discuss indictments with Melania Three of the officers from Antioch — Eric Rombough, Morteza Amiri, and Devon Christopher Wenger — are charged with "a disturbing litany of civil...

Longtime UT sports figure Bill Little dies at 81

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:16:49 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — One of the legends on the 40 Acres has died. Bill Little died Friday at age 81, according to The University of Texas at Austin Athletics. Little worked in UT athletics for more than 50 years—many of those years as the sports information director. UT said he worked 37 bowl games, over 1,700 baseball games and set a record streak of 571 consecutive football games. He retired in 2014.Little worked in a variety of roles at UT, including assistant sports information director, sports information director, special assistant to the athletics director, assistant athletics director for external communications and communications head for former head football coach Mack Brown.Brown described Little as "a great man with a huge heart.""Bill loved Texas. He poured his heart into the coaches and staff and took such joy in working with the players," Brown said in a release. "He was an icon in his business, a Longhorn Legend, and a wonderful man, who is beloved by so many."Little was ...

Texas hospitals to get $984M in funding

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:16:49 GMT

Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 19, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott said the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) got $984 million in annual funding to support private hospitals throughout the state.According to the governor’s office, the funding comes after HHSC submitted requests to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to amend the state Medicaid plan and allow payments to privately owned or operated hospitals.An estimated $875 million would be for private hospitals that provide inpatient and outpatient services for Texas Medicaid clients, and the remaining $109 million would support teaching hospitals that operate state-approved medical residency training programs.A release said the additional funding would support teaching hospitals that treat patients with complex conditions and provide care that is intensive and technologically sophisticated.“Texans across the state will now have greater access t...

Your Money: Money has value, but values are priceless

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:16:49 GMT

Bruce Helmer and Peg WebbLong-term readers of this column know that we spend a lot of time and attention on helping clients set goals. Goals are foundational to making financial decisions around investments, asset allocation, and income planning.But financial goals are not some abstract concepts in a vacuum. They need to reflect your values — what matters the most to you. Values emerge from the accumulation of lifetime experience, struggle wisdom, and yes, loss and pain.As humans, it’s natural to look at fame, wealth, and high achievement as shortcuts to personal success. What drives good health and happiness is far different. Behavioral finance has established a deep connection between our views of money and the environment in which we were raised and the people with whom we spend time. If our parents and friends make bad money decisions, it can leave an indelible mark on our psyches, with our response either leading to a pattern of overspending and debt, unnecessary frugalness, or...

Denver weather: Heat grips the area into next week, expect high temps in the 90s

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:16:49 GMT

Denver will swelter on Saturday as the high temperature in the city tops out in the upper 90s.There’s a 20% chance for afternoon showers and thunderstorms in Denver, according to the National Weather Service forecast, and the high temp will be near 97 degrees. Winds will gust to about 22 mph.Isolated storms are expected in the region, including in the mountains and foothills, especially north of the Interstate 70 corridor, according to the weather service. Storms will be scattered and isolated across lower elevations Saturday, where stronger storms may produce brief, but heavy, rains and winds gusting to 45 mph. Storms and showers will gradually diminish towards midnight.Tonight in Denver skies will be mostly cloudy and the low temperature will dip to about 65 degrees, the weather service said.Sunday in Denver the heat continues, with a high temp of about 96 degrees. Skies will be mostly sunny with winds gusting to around 24 mph. Skies will be partly cloudy overnight, the low ...

Hurricane Hilary: how you can prepare 

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:16:49 GMT

As Hurricane Hilary barrels towards Southern California, residents are starting to prepare for the unprecedented storm expected to make landfall on Sunday. California Gov. Gavin Newsom took to Twitter to remind potentially impacted Californians of five essential steps that can be taken to stay safer during the storm: Stay connected – Check CalAlerts for local updates, call 311 to get help or 911 for a critical emergency and check on vulnerable neighbors and family members Prepare for high winds and ocean surges – Remove any dead trees or overhanging branches near structures and bring in unsecured objects from patios and balconies. Due to the National Weather Service issuing a high surf advisory, beachgoers are urged to stay out of the ocean. Travel safely – Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters, and avoid all non-essential travel. For those who must leave, visit www.QuickMap.dot.ca.gov for updates on road conditions, traffic, closures and more. Be ...