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US says Congo and rebel groups agree to a 3-day cease-fire ahead of key election, but cracks emerge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:48 GMT

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Congolese security forces and rebel groups have agreed on a 72-hour cease-fire to de-escalate tensions in the country’s hard-hit east near the border with Rwanda, the White House announced just days before Congo’s presidential election. But some of the region’s many rebel groups quickly distanced themselves, and neither government commented.The agreement was backed by both Congo and Rwanda, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, Adrienne Watson, said in a statement Monday. The most prominent rebel group is the M23 with links to Rwanda, a major source of tension between the neighbors even as Rwanda denies supporting the rebels.The U.S. said the agreement includes the withdrawal of forces occupying the locality of Mushaki — seized this month by the M23 — and the RP1030 road, a main supply route in eastern Congo. The wider region has struggled with conflict for decades as more than 120 armed groups fight for control of mineral ...

3 teens among 4 injured after argument leads to shooting on South Side

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:48 GMT

CHICAGO — Four people, including the alleged shooter, were injured after a shooting inside a home on the city's Far South Side.According to police, the shooting happened just after 7 p.m. Monday on the second-floor of a residence in the 9300 block of South Racine Avenue in the Brainerd neighborhood. Missing Carpentersville teen’s car pulled from pond in Vernon Hills Police say four people were gathered in the home when an argument broke out between them. Officers say that is when a 16-year-old boy allegedly pulled out a gun and opened fire.Police say a 15-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man suffered critical injuries in the shooting and another 15-year-old boy was transported to the hospital in fair condition. Gage Park jewelry store robbery captured on surveillance video The 16-year-old who allegedly opened fire was also shot in the hand and abdomen and was taken to the Comer Children's Hospital in fair condition.Police say an investigation by Area Two detectives is underway. No...

Tuesday Forecast: Temps in upper 30s with mostly sunny conditions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:48 GMT

CHICAGO — Mostly sunny and a bit breezy Tuesday with seasonal temps. Winds: WSW 5-15, G25 mph. High 38. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here Partly cloudy tonight with increasing clouds overnight. Winds: WNW 5-10 mph. Low 23Wednesday Forecast: Clouds and mixed sunshine with a bit milder conditions. Winds: WSW 10-15 mph. High 41Extended outlook calls for more sunshine on Thursday with temps getting into the mid 40s. Increasing clouds late Friday but temps will get up to near 50 degrees. Slight chance of showers on Saturday with mostly cloudy skies. Temps look to stay mild for this weekend in the mid to upper 40s. Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Israel-Hamas war among the year's top Google searches in 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:48 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Your Google search history for 2023 has arrived.Well, actually, the world's. On Monday, the California-based tech giant released its “Year in Search,” a roundup of 2023’s top global queries, ranging from unforgettable pop culture moments (hello, Barbenheimer), to the loss of beloved figures and tragic news carrying worldwide repercussions.The ongoing Israel-Hamas war topped news trends in 2023, per Google's global data, followed by queries related to the Titanic-bound submersible that imploded in June, as well as February's devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Jury decides against Google’s app store in antitrust lawsuit Damar Hamlin was Google's top trending person on search this year. A safety with the NFL's Buffalo Bills, Hamlin experienced a near-death cardiac arrest on the field during a January game, but has since completed a celebrated comeback. Actor Jeremy Renner, who survived a serious snowplo...

I-270 North Project grand opening today

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:48 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - A major renovation project that has been ongoing for years along Interstate 270 in north county is nearly complete, and Tuesday morning a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned to mark the historic moment.The project impacts a lot of drivers, with I-270 being such a major thoroughfare in the area. The interchange is among the improvements that are part of the massive road project. The ribbon-cutting set for 11:00 a.m. Speakers include Governor Mike Parson.Our Bommarito Automotive Group SkyFOX helicopter was over the north county area earlier this year as work was unfolding on what has been called the 'I-270 North Project.' This has been a $278 million project that basically overhauled a heavily used eight-mile stretch of I-270. Archdiocese of St. Louis prepares to announce school closures The project made infrastructure and safety improvements along 270 and the surrounding area, from North Lindbergh to Lewis and Clark Boulevard in the Bellfont...

Suspects in St. Charles County human trafficking case requesting bail

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:48 GMT

ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. - Three defendants involved in a human trafficking case in St. Charles County are hoping for a chance to get out of jail.The three suspects are at the St. Charles County Jail on kidnapping and abuse charges without bond. There will be a hearing across the street at the St. Charles County Courthouse at 1:30 p.m. where the defense attorneys will make a case for their possible release.The three defendants are accused of kidnapping, torturing, and abusing one of the suspect's relatives from India, as well as using the 20-year-old victim as forced labor.St. Charles Country Prosecutor Joe Mcculloch said because of the defendant's wealth and influence, his office asked the courts to set no bond, and the courts agreed. According to court records, St. Charles County police uncovered the case when doing a welfare check at a property on Highway D in defiance. Police say the victim ran out of the home screaming for help. Missouri teen killed in hunting incident remembe...

Illinois officials request public health assessment of Cahokia Heights after flooding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:48 GMT

CAHOKIA HEIGHTS, Ill. - Illinois officials are calling for a public health assessment in Cahokia Heights, an area hit hard by flooding over the course of several years.Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski and State Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are making the request to the Department of Health and Human Services. A recent report indicated locals are living in dangerous conditions. Archdiocese of St. Louis prepares to announce school closures The report from Washington University and the University of Colorado found that almost half of the residents tested positive for dangerous bacteria that could increase the risk of gastric cancer and other serious health issues.

Illinois lifts ban on nuclear plants

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:48 GMT

BELLEVILLE, Ill. - Illinois is once again allowing new 'nuclear energy plants' to be built in the state. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a law lifting a ban the state has had since the 1980s. Manufacturers see it as a big potential energy source as the state continues to move away from coal and natural gas. Missouri teen killed in hunting incident remembered for joy he brought others The bill doesn't take effect until next summer and it takes years for federal approval of any new reactors.  

Court hearing today on Illinois Gun Ban Registry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:48 GMT

CHICAGO, Ill. - A federal judge hears arguments Tuesday on a case challenging the 'Illinois Gun Ban Registry'.The law banning assault weapons took effect last January. It requires everyone who owned those firearms before the law took effect to register those weapons. Archdiocese of St. Louis prepares to announce school closures Registration began on October 1. The deadline to register is January 1. Opponents want more time to register.The state says they've had enough time. Gun owners who don't register could face criminal penalties.

Opinion: The ski bum will soon be extinct if resorts don’t act

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:48:48 GMT

Nearly two decades ago, I moved to the mountains to be a ski bum, chasing snow. I was a stereotype — an East Coast kid pulled west by the promise of bigger adventures and higher mountain ranges. I was also part of a counterculture that rejected social norms in favor of 100-day ski seasons.In ski towns in western Colorado in 2005, risk was everywhere, but in a way that felt exciting. I liked the brag of drinking too much, and I was too naïve to notice harder drugs. Climate change seemed theoretical, and no one I knew had died in the mountains yet.Corporate entities were just starting to binge-buy resorts while I somehow thought that living in my car was cool and I could exist like that forever.But myths are complicated things to keep alive, and I eventually left ski towns to work as a writer, already seeing the ski-bum dream changing. I saw friends struggling to build careers, families and community while still chasing the fragile dream that a powder day topped almost everythin...