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Sudan’s conflict reaches a key city that had been a haven for many. Aid groups suspend work or flee

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 08:53:18 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s deadly conflict between a powerful paramilitary force and the army has reached a strategic city that had been a haven for hundreds of thousands of displaced people, and key humanitarian groups say they have been forced to suspend work there or flee.On Tuesday, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, leader of the Rapid Support Forces, announced that they had taken the city of Wad Medani about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Khartoum. The claim could not be independently verified.Since the start of the conflict, the city had been governed by the army, headed by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and was a key hub for humanitarian organizations largely removed from the front lines of the fighting.The military didn’t respond to a request for comment.The army and RSF have been fighting for control of Sudan since April, when tensions boiled over into street battles concentrated in the capital but also occurring in other areas including the western Darfur region.Over the pas...

2 dead, 3 rushed to hospital in Caledon crash involving SUV, school bus

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 08:53:18 GMT

Two people are dead and three others have been rushed to hospital following a two-vehicle crash in Caledon on Tuesday morning.Emergency crews were called to Heart Lake and Mayfield roads around 7:50 a.m. Tuesday for reports of a collision involving a school bus and an SUV.Paramedics confirmed one occupant of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene. Four other people in the SUV were sent to hospital, including one with critical injuries. The person with critical injuries was pronounced dead at the hospital.The school bus had an adult driver and one child on board at the time of the crash. Both sustained minor injuries.A school bus in a road side ditch following a fatal two-vehicle crash in Caledon on Dec. 19, 2023. CITYNEWS/Tony FeraThe crash left the bus in a ditch on the east side of Heart Lake Road and the SUV in the ditch on the opposite side of the road. There is no word on the cause of the collision.Heart Lake Road is closed from Mayfield to Old School roads for the investigat...

Illinois Lottery: $4.35M worth of unclaimed Lucky Day Lotto, Powerball tickets

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 08:53:18 GMT

CHICAGO — If you're looking for some extra cash during the holiday season, the Illinois Lottery has a tip: check your lottery tickets.In a news release Tuesday, the Illinois Lottery says there are currently over $4.3 million worth of unclaimed Lucky Day Lotto and Powerball tickets in Illinois.Two of those will expire in the first half of 2014. Those are:A Lucky Day Lotto ticket valued at $225,000 that was purchased at Mobil, 2418 St. Charles Road, in Bellwood on April 19. A Lucky Day Lotto ticket valued at $450,000 that was purchased at Kostner Korner, 4356 W. Howard, in Skokie on June 26.According to the Illinois Lottery, as of Tuesday morning there were nine Illinois Lottery prizes in 2023 still unclaimed, totaling $4.35 million. In addition to the two previously mentioned, those are:A Powerball ticket valued at $1 million that was purchased at BP, 605 Dixie Hwy., in Chicago Heights on Aug. 14.A Powerball ticket valued at $100,000 that was purchased at Road Ranger, 7500 E. Riversi...

Indiana's First Dog Henry Holcomb dies

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 08:53:18 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Monday night that Indiana's First Dog Henry Holcomb has passed away. Holcomb described Henry as being "more than a family pet to me," in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, Monday night. The schnauzer was 13 years old. We thank everyone for embracing Henry and following his journey as the First Dog of Indiana. It warmed our hearts as we traveled the state to be met with the question, “How’s Henry?”Henry’s exuberance for life will be missed, and his place in our hearts never replaced.— Governor Eric Holcomb (@GovHolcomb) December 19, 2023Indiana First Lady Janet Holcomb also released a statement Monday night, saying "We are profoundly saddened by this loss, but memories of sharing our very special boy with his thousands of fans and followers will forever bring smiles to our faces, and joy to our hearts." The statement went on to share the challenges that Henry faced, including a "dog attack" and various su...

Celine Dion loses control of muscles amid battle with stiff-person syndrome, sister says

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 08:53:18 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) - Months after cancelling all future tour dates amid her battle with a rare neurological disease, Celine Dion's sister shared an update on the singer's condition. In an interview with French-Canadian news outlet 7 Jour, Claudette Dion said her sister “doesn’t have control over her muscles” amid her battle with stiff-person syndrome, The Guardian reports.Celine Dion performs on the opening night of her Courage World Tour on Sept. 18, 2019, in Quebec City, Quebec. (Alice Chiche/AFP via Getty Images)"What breaks my heart is that she's always been disciplined," Claudette Dion said in the interview. "She's always worked hard. Our mother always told her, 'You're going to do it well, you're going to do it properly.'"In Jan. 2022, one month after revealing her diagnosis, Dion, 55, cancelled the North American leg of her Courage World Tour, citing “severe and persistent muscle spasms." She cancelled all remaining shows in May, saying in a statement she was “working re...

Google paying $700M to settle antitrust allegations with states

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 08:53:18 GMT

(The Hill) — Google agreed to pay $700 million to settle a complaint brought by state attorneys general alleging the tech giant engaged in antitrust practices related to its Android app store. The deal was initially struck between the parties in September, but the agreement was filed late Monday night in San Francisco federal court. The settlement — which includes all 50 states — allocates $630 million to pay out U.S. consumers who utilized a payment system within Google’s Play Store that the state attorneys general alleged magnified prices for in-app purchases.The states accused the company of upcharging customers and restraining “trade in the markets for Android app distribution.” Google collects 15 to 30 percent of commissions on in-app purchases, which the states argued inflated prices higher than they would be if there was an open market for payment processing, according to The Associated Press. Why Apple is set to pull some Apple Watches from US shelves “The Complaint a...

Defense Secretary visits Israel

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 08:53:18 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - The Biden administration is increasing pressure on Israel to scale back its military campaign in Gaza.The defense secretary met with leaders in Israel Monday about those concerns.The U.S. says its support for Israel in the war against Hamas is unwavering, but the Biden administration is urging Israel to do more to protect civilian lives."I know that Israel has been profoundly changed from where you were on October 6," said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.Austin was in Israel Monday for a second time since the war began to meet with leaders there and to reiterate American support for Israel in its war against Hamas."At a time of mourning a real friend shows up, and I know how terrible these days have been for the Israeli people," Austin added.Austin said the U.S. is not trying to dictate timelines for Israel’s military but wants Israel to do more for the civilians caught in the crossfire."We also have some great thoughts about how to transition from high intensi...

Dean's A-List Interviews: Jeffrey Wright and Sterling K. Brown talk new film 'American Fiction'

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 08:53:18 GMT

Check out Dean's A-List Interviews with Jeffrey Wright and Sterling K. Brown, two of the stars of the new film "American Fiction," one of several big films coming out during the holiday season. Dean’s A-List Interviews: Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks and more 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!

WATCH LIVE: Funeral of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, first woman on the Supreme Court

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 08:53:18 GMT

Nexstar Media plans to livestream the funeral of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor within this story beginning at approximately 11 a.m. ET.WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, an Arizona native and consistent voice of moderate conservatism as the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, will be laid to rest with funeral services Tuesday.President Joe Biden and Chief Justice John Roberts are scheduled to speak at the funeral held at Washington National Cathedral. O’Connor retired from the high court in 2006 after more than two decades, and died Dec. 1 at age 93.O’Connor was nominated in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan. A rancher’s daughter who was largely unknown on the national scene until her appointment, she would come to be referred to by commentators as the nation’s most powerful woman.O’Connor wielded considerable influence on the nine-member court, generally favoring states in disputes with the federal government and often siding with police when they face...

New Texas law could reshape state authority over the US border

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 08:53:18 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- A new Texas law that allows the state to effectively deport undocumented migrants could test the balance of power between the states and the federal government, challenging years of legal precedent that has reserved the power to police the border to federal authorities.Senate Bill 4 authorizes state judges and police to order migrants back across the Rio Grande -- a deportation power reserved for federal agencies like Border Protection and ICE. In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled in Arizona v. U.S. that the federal government's immigration laws supersede Arizona's efforts to regulate immigration at the state level. In that case, the Court halted a law that criminalized being unlawfully present in the United States -- very similar to Texas' Senate Bill 4.Gov. Greg Abbott said on Monday he "welcomes a Supreme Court decision that would overturn the precedent set in the Arizona case.""We believe this law has been crafted in a way that can and should be upheld by the cou...