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Skilling: Cool night ahead warm, mostly sunny Thursday for Chicagoland

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:15:28 GMT

There was a chill in the air today (by May standards) with the day's 61-deg high temp typical of normal highs back on April 20-21---three weeks earlier.Temps rebound big time Thursday surging to within striking distance of 80-deg---a near 20-deg temp increase by Thursday afternoon.But the return of clouds and showery spells Friday will reduce temps Friday and weekend lake breezes likely to put a lid on temps, holding inland readings to modestly below normal levels.There's a hint a Canadian high pressure could strengthen the pressure gradient Sunday afternoon and evening. If true, that's a period to watch for a possible intensification of lakeside cooling.The big weather story looking out over the coming 1 to 2 weeks are growing signs of significant warming beyond Monday next week. Current modeling suggest high temps will surge into the 80s beginning Tuesday next week and hold there the remainder of the week, through the following weekend and into the following week. If so, that sugg...

Teacher arrested for threatening students after finding swastikas in classroom

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:15:28 GMT

GRAFTON, Wis. (WFRV) - A Wisconsin middle school teacher has been charged for allegedly making threats toward students after finding swastikas in a classroom.According to the Grafton Police Department, on May 12, officers were called to John Long Middle School for a teacher who allegedly made inappropriate and "alarming" statements to his class.The teacher, 46-year-old David Schroeder, has been charged with making terrorist threats, according to online court records. Schroeder, who is Jewish, said in a statement that he became "enraged after he found student artwork and a notebook in his classroom with swastikas drawn on them," Grafton Police reported. Florida teacher under investigation after showing students Disney movie He reportedly went on to admit that he told the class he would "send his daughter to their homes with a baseball bat" and "go scorched Earth on them." Schroeder also reportedly admitted to wishing pain upon the students and their families. According to authorit...

Republicans demand more cooperation from President Biden, Democrats on debt limit talks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:15:28 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- President Joe Biden says he and congressional leaders agree, they will not let the country default."Every leader in the room understands the consequences if we fail to pay our bills," Biden said.But time is running out to avoid the debt limit's June 1 deadline."We still have a lot more work to do between now and the day we bring the legislation to the floor," said Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).A key sticking point is the demand from Republicans to add work requirements for some safety net programs. President Biden says he's not open to major additions."Not anything of consequence," Biden said.Republicans laughed at Biden's statement, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy pointed out that "this is the senator who voted for work requirements."McCarthy and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) urge the president to work with the GOP."Let's sit down in a sensible, responsible way," McCarthy said."Because it took the president three mo...

Warming trend leading up to late week severe storm risk

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:15:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After dodging downpours the last several days, drier skies and sunshine will take over the next couple of afternoons.Mainly sunny skies will stretch areawide today with rain chances less than 10%. Afternoon highs will warm near to just above average this afternoon and again tomorrow, with most areas in the upper 80s to low 90s.Wednesday afternoon forecast high temperaturesFriday looks to be the hottest day of the week ahead our next cold front. This front will spark scattered storms and showers, some of which could be severe late Friday afternoon through evening. Primary threats look to be large hail and damaging winds.Slight risk (2 out of 5) for severe storms late FridayThe front passes out of the area Saturday morning leaving a breezy north wind and keeping weekend temperatures cooler and more comfortable. A few showers and thunderstorms will remain possible this weekend into early next week. ‘Potentially significant’ El Niño to begin by summer FIRST WARNING WE...

Accenture to lay off hundreds locally in coming months at Facebook site

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:15:28 GMT

AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) -- Professional services giant Accenture PLC is laying off hundreds of Austin employees working at a facility in The Domain leased by social media giant Facebook — which itself has cut hundreds of jobs in Austin in recent months.Accenture, an Ireland-based giant that works works with other large tech companies, is planning to lay off up to 549 employees in the coming months, it disclosed in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act letter sent to the Texas Workforce Commission last month.The letter, made public May 17, said the decision affects employees at 11800 Alterra Parkway, otherwise known as Domain 12. Facebook reportedly leased the entire 17-story building in 2018.

Second bobcat sighting reported in Kyle neighborhood this spring

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:15:28 GMT

KYLE, Texas (KXAN) — There appears to be a new resident moving into a Kyle neighborhood.One month after resident Sophia Johnson sent KXAN a video of a bobcat in the Plum Creek area, viewer Michael Angelillis sent along a new video of a bobcat in the same neighborhood, with a sighting off of the Plum Creek Hike and Bike Path. While not an everyday occurrence, bobcats aren't quite as much of an unusual sight here in Central Texas. Typically, the critters live in outcrops or within rocky canyon regions, according to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. However, bobcats have adapted living habits as more people have moved into their traditional habitats.Bobcats tend to average between 15-35 pounds and are about 25-30 inches long with their tails. They're known for having a spotted coat that ranges in color from a reddish brown to gray with black spots.Compared to big cat species like mountain lions, bobcats tend to be shyer and exhibit more nocturnal...

Motorcyclist dead after crash in southwest Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:15:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – A motorcyclist is dead following a crash with an SUV Sunday evening in southwest Austin. The Austin Police Department responded to the incident, which occurred in the 500 block of E. Slaughter Lane, just after 7 p.m. Sunday. Benjamin Garcia, the 39-year-old motorcyclist, was taken to the hospital, where he died shortly after arriving, per APD.According to APD, the driver of the SUV was not injured in the crash and is cooperating with the investigation. APD is investigating this incident as Austin’s 34th fatal crash of 2023, which have, in total,  resulted in 34 deaths. This time last year, there had been 37 fatal crashes which resulted in 38 deaths. Anyone with information should contact APD’s vehicular Homicide unit at 512-974-8111 or submit a tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program.

Texas Democrat faces censure, primary challenger after vote on health care ban for transgender minors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:15:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Texas state representative already drew a primary challenger and faced a formal censure from a Democratic group in her district one day after joining Republicans in supporting legislation to ban health care options for transgender minors, such as puberty-blocking medication and hormone treatments. Rep. Shawn Thierry, D-Houston, crossed party lines Monday afternoon along with three other Democrats — Reps. Harold Dutton of Houston, Abel Herrero of Robstown and Tracy King of Batesville — to vote in favor of Senate Bill 14, one of the main priorities for Texas Republican leaders this session. The legislation, which many LGBTQ+ advocates adamantly opposed, cleared a final vote in the House by a margin of 87-56. Pivotal House vote moves Texas closer to banning puberty blockers, hormone treatments for trans kids The amended bill now heads back to the Texas Senate, where it originated, so that lawmakers there can weigh some changes, such as the addition of language spec...

Here’s what’s in the giant education bill that passed the MN House and Senate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:15:28 GMT

Minnesota schools will see a surge in state funding, along with new course requirements, teacher diversity grants and changes to reading instruction under legislation that will become law with Gov. Tim Walz’s signature.The compromise education budget that passed the House on Tuesday and the Senate early Wednesday morning will increase school funding by $2.26 billion, or 10.8 percent over the current biennium.Much of that comes through 4 and 2 percent increases to the per-student state aid formula and extra money to close the gap between revenue and spending on students with disabilities and those learning English.Schools also won ongoing increases to the per-student formula with a new provision that will tie future funding hikes to inflation, subject to a 2 percent floor and 3 percent ceiling.“This is going to provide funding stability for Minnesota schools,” education finance committee chair Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton said before dawn Wednesday, as her party worked around a...

South St. Paul teen fatally shot in Minneapolis picked ‘wrong crowd to hang out with,’ mother says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:15:28 GMT

A 15-year-old South St. Paul girl who died shortly after reported gunfire in North Minneapolis last weekend was remembered Wednesday as a free spirit and a social butterfly who made friends easily.Marleisha Davenport was a “beautiful girl in every way you can imagine,” said her mother, who is also named Marleisha Davenport. “And she picked the wrong crowd to hang out with. She loved the dangerous crowd.”Marleisha Davenport Courtesy of the Davenport family)Authorities have released few details about the teen’s killing, saying she was shot once in the back and dropped off at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale just before 10 p.m. Saturday. She was pronounced dead about 45 minutes later.“I’ve gone from being hurt to being angry, because nobody has any answers,” the teen’s mother said. “It’s not fair.”Minneapolis police spokesman Brian Feintech said Wednesday that homicide investigators are still trying to determine where the shooting happened and circumstances leading up...