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Illinois lawmakers approve $50.4 billion budget, await Gov. Pritzker's signature

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:57 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP/WGN) — Illinois lawmakers finally approved a new state budget early Saturday, sending it to Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker for his signature with just over a month to spare before it takes effect with the new state fiscal year July 1.In a vote along party lines, Illinois lawmakers approved a $50.4 billion spending plan that includes health care for undocumented residents, $250 million to fund Governor Pritzker’s early childhood program, $350 million for K-12 evidence-based school funding and $400 million to attract businesses and jobs to the state.  Illinois bill to allow law enforcement use drones for public safety almost law The General Assembly delivered the budget to Pritzker more than a week late after lawmakers failed to meet a self-imposed May 19 deadline to adjourn despite Democrats controlling both chambers.The budget makes “transformative investments” in early childhood and higher education, public safety, workforce development and mental health servic...

Notre Dame wins first men's lacrosse national title in program history

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:57 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Liam Entenmann made a season-high 18 saves and Brian Tevlin scored a go-ahead goal with 27 seconds left in the third quarter to help Notre Dame claim its first men's lacrosse national title with a 13-9 victory over Duke on Monday.Third-seeded Notre Dame (14-2) had lost in its previous two championship game appearances in 2010 and 2014 — both to Duke. The top-seeded Blue Devils (16-3) were playing in their seventh national championship game in program history.Entenmann made eight saves on nine shots on goal in the first half as Notre Dame cruised to a 6-1 lead after scoring six unanswered goals — from six different players. After scoring 35 seconds into the game, Duke was held scoreless for the final 29:25 of the first half.Duke was 1-for-24 shooting in the first half, but opened the second going 4 for 6 to get within 6-5. Charles Balsamo knotted it at 7-all with 1:01 left in the third — for the first tie since it was 1-1.But Notre Dame scored two goals in the fin...

Good Memorial Day all!

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:57 GMT

It’s been a warm one over all but immediate shoreline locations. Check out the spread in temperatures. AN AIR QUALITY ALERT HAS BEEN DECLARED THROUGH TUESDAY BY THE ILLINOIS EPA into Tuesday night, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see this extended deeper into the coming week. The air mass stalled over us is growing a bit “dirty.” More on that to come.AMONG THE WARMER READINGS at mid-afternoon Memorial Day (Monday) across the Chicago area:88 Oswego87 Joliet86 Montgomery86 Plainfield86 Peotone86 Poplar Grove85 Lake Barrington85 Hebron, IN85 Geneva84 KankakeeON THE IMMEDIATE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORELINE at mid afternoon Memorial Day (Monday):56 Waukegan Harbor56 Winthrop Harbor56 Wilmette buoy57 Harrison-Dever Crib (3 miles off Chicago’s North Side)59 Michigan City, IN buoy63 Calumet Harbor63 Burns Harbor, INThat’s as much as a 32-degree spread across the Greater Chicago area. But, coverage of the coolest temps was literally ON THE IMMEDIATE SHORELINE.It should be noted that Lake Michigan ...

Texas House selects 12 managers for Ken Paxton impeachment trial

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:57 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas House of Representatives approved which 12 of its members will serve as managers when the Senate holds an impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton. The group includes seven Republicans and five Democrats, including all the members of the House general investigating committee that first recommended articles of impeachment against Paxton over years of alleged misconduct. Here's a list of the impeachment managers: Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, chair. Rep. Ann Johnson, D-Houston, vice chair. Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth. Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso. Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg. Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Allen. Rep. Oscar Longoria, D-Mission. Rep. Morgan Meyer, R-Dallas. Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Houston. Rep. Cody Vasut, R-Angleton. Rep. David Spiller, R-Jacksboro. Rep. Erin Elizabeth Gámez, D-Brownsville. Texas House votes to impeach Ken Paxton The House approved their selection by a vote of 136-4. Afterward, the 12 impeachment managers walked across the C...

Hill Country storms produce heavy rains

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:57 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Showers and thunderstorms increased in coverage and intensity over the Hill Country this afternoon. The biggest threat has been from lightning. Radar indicated most hail to be marble-sized but there is one report of pea-sized hail before 3 p.m. west of Fredericksburg at Highway 290 and Cedar Hills Dr.There are three Flash Flood Warnings in Gillespie County. One for the southern part of the county, including Morris Ranch, runs until 7 p.m. The second for Cherry Spring and Doss runs until 7:15. The third, for Harper, runs until 7:30. Several rain gauges in the Hill Country have had rain totals exceeding an inch, particularly in Blanco, Fredericksburg, and San Saba. Rain totals so far this Memorial Day These showers and thunderstorms will continue into the evening. The loss of daytime heating spells the end of the rain, likely before 10 to 11 p.m. Much of this precipitation will be in the Hill Country.Additional showers and thunderstorms through the eveningDry weathe...

Gunshot victim collapses in Troy neighborhood

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:57 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - A morning shooting in Troy has one man in the hospital after disrupting a quiet neighborhood.  NEWS10 with the latest in Troy as police continue to search for a suspect. Albany Memorial Day Parade honors fallen Vets “To think that I can let my kids, kind of like play outside and not have something to worry about, but I guess when it comes down to it, there's something to worry about. Everywhere, nowadays you can't just rely on the fact that you live in a quiet neighborhood,” said Jessica Cachioli.Troy police confirm that around 10 a.m. Monday they received multiple calls for a person who had been shot and collapsed after walking out from the wooded area behind the homes on Ridge Drive.“I guess when it comes down to it, everybody, you just need to see something, say something. You know, if there was, if there's something odd in the neighborhood to notify the police as quickly as possible,” said Jessica Cachioli.Assistant Chief of Police, Steven Barker with a m...

As Nuggets await clarity on NBA Finals opponent, KCP relishes shot at another title

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:57 GMT

Like Tom Petty said, the waiting is the hardest part.It’s been a week since the Nuggets clinched their spot in the NBA Finals and appeared on a collision course with the Miami Heat, who took a 3-0 lead in Eastern Conference Finals. But Boston, intent on making history as the first team to come back from a 3-0 deficit in NBA history, stormed back to force Monday’s take-all Game 7.Regardless of who wins, the Nuggets will finally, mercifully, get an answer.“I know I speak for everybody in that locker room, we just can’t wait for (Monday’s) game to be over, to finally have some clarity, so when we wake up (Tuesday) morning we know who we’re playing, we know who we’re preparing for and we can kind of turn the page and really focus in on that,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone.Since punching their first-ever ticket to the NBA Finals, the Nuggets have focused on themselves. In the subsequent practices, Malone has hammered conditioning and intentionality, not wanting to l...

Opinion: A racially charged murder trial in small-town Oregon results in manslaughter and minimum sentence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:57 GMT

If you think that race is only an issue in the country’s biggest cities, consider a murder trial that recently concluded in the small town where I live, in the Rogue Valley of southern Oregon.The defendant in this criminal case was Robert Paul Keegan, a 50-year-old white man. In November 2020, Keegan was staying at a motel in Ashland, a few miles from my home, because his house had burned down two months earlier in a wildfire.Keegan, who had complained before about noise at the motel, testified that one night at around 4 a.m. he heard loud music and believed it was coming from the motel parking lot where a Black teenager, Aidan Ellison, was sitting in a parked car.Ellison, 19, was staying at the motel because he’d also lost his home in the fire. A roommate told police that Ellison had trouble sleeping and had gone outside to sit in her car to avoid keeping her awake.Keegan admitted that he used profane language in shouting at Ellison, and claimed that Ellison responded in kind.The m...

Alcaraz, Djokovic ‘not otherworldly’ in French Open wins over foes making Slam debuts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:57 GMT

By HOWARD FENDRICH (AP Tennis Writer)PARIS (AP) — You might assume that the opponents for Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in the French Open’s first round would come away from their straight-set losses Monday feeling too overwhelmed by the play of the two tournament favorites. You would be wrong.Forget the scores and the point-by-point particulars on a windy day at Roland Garros for a moment. Of course it turned out that No. 1-seeded Alcaraz, the reigning U.S. Open champion, beat 159th-ranked qualifier Flavio Cobolli, a 21-year-old from Florence, Italy. And of course it turned out that No. 3 Djokovic, a 22-time major winner, got past 114th-ranked Aleksandar Kovacevic, a 24-year-old who grew up in New York City and is now based in Florida.And naturally, both Cobolli and Kovacevic acknowledged feeling a bit jittery at the outset of what were their Grand Slam debuts in huge arenas against a couple of elite players.“I started in a bit of a daze,” Cobolli said a...

Rockies place Charlie Blackmon on bereavement list, call up Elehuris Montero

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:57 GMT

Outfielder/designated hitter Charlie Blackmon was placed on the bereavement list ahead of the Rockies’ series with the Diamondbacks on Monday.The move comes amid a nine-game hitting streak for Blackmon, who has hit safely in 16 of his last 17 games and reached base in 18 in a row. He’s submitted a .318/.365/.561 slash line with six doubles, two triples, two home runs and 12 RBIs over that 18-game period.In a corresponding move, the team recalled Elehuris Montero from Triple-A Albuquerque. The corner infielder could be called on to DH in Blackmon’s absence. Montero struggled before being sent down to Albuquerque, slashing .255/.296/.373 with just one homer in 51 at bats to start the season with Colorado. He’s mashed since (.383/.435/.765) in the notoriously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, with 13 home runs, five doubles and 38 RBIs over 115 at bats.In two other moves, left-hander Ryan Rolison, who is returning from shoulder surgery, was reinstated from t...