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More than 50 MPs resign from Iraqi Kurdish region’s parliament to protest court ruling

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:06 GMT

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — More than 50 members of the local parliament in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region in the north have submitted their resignations to protest a court decision that deemed as unconstitutional the legislature’s postponement of elections by a year.Jihad Hassan, an MP with the Kurdistan Democratic Party, which holds the largest number of seats in the autonomous region’s parliament, said Tuesday that all 45 members of its bloc had resigned the day before from the 111-member parliament, along with nine MPs from other parties. The Federal Supreme Court in Baghdad last month ruled against the regional parliament’s decision in October to extend its legislative term, delaying the regional election by a year. The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by opposition political figures challenging the legality of the extension.Since its inception in 1992, the Kurdish region has conducted five parliamentary elections, with the most recent one taking pla...

Doctors give mixed testimony on whether tests show brain damage in the Pittsburgh synagogue killer

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:06 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jurors considering a death sentence for Pittsburgh synagogue killer Robert Bowers heard mixed testimony from doctors on Tuesday about whether medical scans showed any significant brain damage — a central point of contention in his lawyers’ strategy to spare his life.The testimony came on the second day of the penalty phase in the case against Bowers, who was convicted this month of killing 11 worshippers from three congregations during the 2018 mass shooting that was the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.The testimony came in two batches, the first of which included the findings of three local doctors who reviewed the results of various brain scans, not knowing they were Bowers’, and found them to be largely normal with some signs of possible seizures or other problems.Two expert witnesses for the defense, though, had a different take on the test results, saying they showed that Bowers had significant brain damage that could be correlated wit...

A Chicago choir will have a big moment at NASCAR's Street Race

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:06 GMT

CHICAGO — In the first-ever NASCAR event held downtown, it's fitting that a Chicago group will take part in one of the major ceremonies before the biggest race of the weekend. .@uniting_voices, formerly the Chicago Children’s Choir, will sing the National Anthem at the NASCAR Chicago Street Race ahead of the Cup Series’ Grant Park 220 on Sunday, July 2. @WGNNews pic.twitter.com/038ix73AjW— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) June 21, 2023Uniting Voices Chicago, formerly known as the Chicago Children's Choir, will sing the National Anthem ahead of the Grant Park 220 NASCAR Cup Series event on Sunday.There will be 33 singers from the group, ages 14-18, who'll take part in the performance of the song on the 2.2-mile street course just before the start of the race at 4:30 p.m. Josephine Lee, the president of Uniting Voices Chicago, said the opportunity came about thanks to the organization's chairperson of their marketing committee Caroline Dettman."Chicago is an epicenter for great cult...

Remains found in California mountain area identified as actor Julian Sands

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:06 GMT

(KTLA) - Authorities have confirmed that remains found in a mountainous area of Southern California are those of actor Julian Sands, who disappeared in January.The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department made the announcement Tuesday. Sands' remains were found by hikers over the weekend in the Mount Baldy Wilderness Area."The identification process for the body located on Mt. Baldy on June 24 has been completed and was positively identified as 65-year-old Julian Sands of North Hollywood. The manner of death is still under investigation, pending further test results," the department added in a news release. "We would like to extend our gratitude to all the volunteers that worked tirelessly to locate Mr. Sands."The remains were found just days after a large search effort for the “Room with a View” and “Warlock” actor – including over 80 Search and Rescue volunteers, San Bernardino County deputies and staff – ended in disappointment. Jimmie Johnson’s in-laws, nephew reportedly kil...

MedWatch Daily Digest: Another example of AI changing the course for medicine — and more

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:06 GMT

For Tuesday, June 27, WGN’s Dina Bair has the latest on new medical information, including: More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch Study: AI improves outcomes in prostate cancer surgery   AI (Artificial Intelligence) is better than an MRI at helping treat prostate cancer patients.  Health scientists at the University of California Los Angeles found an AI model improves outcomes in prostate cancer surgery. Artificial Intelligence was more accurate at predicting tumor margins than MRI alone to ensure all cancer cells are removed, the research found. Researchers tested AI in focal therapy, a minimally invasive prostate cancer treatment. The study is published in the journal European Urology Open Science. Study: Surgery over drugs for diabeticsWeight loss surgery improves diabetes outcomes better than lifestyle interventions and medication.  In a 12-year study from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, researchers found patients who underwent bariatric surgery had better insulin cont...

Man found shot on Bronzeville sidewalk in critical condition, police say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:06 GMT

CHICAGO — A man is clinging to life after being found with a gunshot wound to the head on a Bronzeville sidewalk Tuesday afternoon.Police say the shooting occurred around 3:15 p.m. in the 4300 block of South Cottage Grove Ave. on Chicago's South Side. After more than 3 years, family of woman killed in Logan Square wants answers; $15K reward The victim, believed to be 30-35 years of age, was rushed to the University of Chicago Hospital in critical condition, police said.No arrests have been made. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesAnyone with information may leave an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com.Area One Detectives are investigating.

Skilling: Possible showers as smoky haze continues Wednesday

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:06 GMT

An "AIR QUALITY ALERT" has been extended through midnight Wednesday night by the Illinois EPA.The thick cloud of smoke off Canadian wildfires which have burned a record 29,000 square miles of Canadian forests---a record there for any fire season since satellites measured such things beginning more than two decades ago in 1999---has hung over the Chicago area producing "VERY UNHEALTHY" AIR QUALITY LEVELS and slashing visibilities.At mid afternoon, the visibility at both Chicago major airports---O'Hare and Midway---was just 1.5 miles and Illinois EPA and you can smell the smoke at ground level. The smoke as mixed down to the ground.The air quality had dropped to "243"--which puts the city in a rare "VERY UNHEALTHY" AIR QUALITY situation as rated by the Illinois EPA Chicago has worst air quality in the world due to wildfire smoke The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre indicates the acreage which has burned thus far this year is without precedent----equaling ALL the ACREAGE BURNE...

Poll: 58% of Texas voters support creating school vouchers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:06 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Another special legislative session is now underway in Texas focused on lowering property taxes, but the governor already signaled he plans to give lawmakers more work in the future. He would like them to come back at some point and create education savings accounts, which are often called school vouchers and failed to pass earlier this year during the regular session. The proposal to use taxpayer dollars to help Texas families pay for private schools drew much opposition this year from mostly rural Republicans as well as Democrats. However, a newly-released poll showed a majority of Texas voters support the idea of establishing what Gov. Greg Abbott described as a broader "school choice" program. Nearly half of Texans not confident lawmakers did enough to fix power grid, poll says Pollsters from the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas Politics Project surveyed 1,547 voters between June 2-12. They found that 58% supported starting a voucher, educational sav...

Record heat possible as heatwave peaks

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:06 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The record high for June 27th is 106°. That is the forecast high this afternoon. This record may be tied or eclipsed later today with a cloudless sky and slightly lower humidity.Hottest day during this heatwaveThe upper-high to our northwest has allowed for a drop in the humidity. This afternoon's numbers will be the lowest we've seen in quite some time with a potential of humidity in the teens for some in the Hill Country.The air much drier todayToday's Excessive Heat Warning is for Lampasas, Llano, Mason, Milam, and San Saba Counties where the heat index will be greater than 105° and as high as 117°. The Heat Advisory covers the rest of the area (EXCEPT Blanco and Gillespie Counties) where the heat index should reach 112°.Heat alerts continue through 9 p.m. Tuesday for most areas (exception: Lampasas & Milam County until 9 p.m. Wedneseday)The upper-level high has moved to the northwest of Austin this afternoon. That is part of why this day will be the hottest ...

Lunds and Byerlys July 4 weekend strike averted; tentative agreement reached over wages, health care

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:06 GMT

Lunds and Byerlys grocery store workers have called off a planned holiday weekend strike after reaching a tentative agreement with corporate leaders to raise wages and preserve worker oversight on health care.The agreement to avert the strike was reached late Monday, June 26, after nearly six months of contract negotiations between the company and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663, the union representing the store’s workers. Union members are scheduled to vote on Saturday, July 1, on whether to ratify the new proposed contract.“The bargaining committee believes that this tentative agreement respects, protects, and pays our members fairly,” UFCW Local 663 President Rena Wong said in a statement.Under the new agreement, Lunds and Byerlys will no longer require employees to immediately transition to a corporate-controlled health care plan, as the company had previously intended. Union members’ existing insurance plans will stay in effect for now.The proposed contract lasts f...