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Vice President Kamala Harris makes history with tiebreaking votes in Senate

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris, who made history as the first woman or person of color to serve as vice president, made history again Wednesday as she matched the record for most tiebreaking votes in the U.S. Senate. The vote, her 31st, advanced the nomination of Kalpana Kotagal to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The only other vice president to cast so many was John C. Calhoun, who served as vice president from 1825 to 1832.“It is a moment and I think that there’s still so much left that we have yet to do,” Harris told reporters afterwards.“My mother gave me great advice, which is that I may be the first to do many things,” she added. “I’m going to make sure I’m not the last.”Unlike Calhoun, who spent eight years accumulating his total, Harris tied the record in two and a half years. It’s a reflection of her unique circumstances, with a narrowly divided Senate and a sharply partisan atmosphere.“It really says more about our time, and our political cl...

Lawsuit by Buffalo supermarket shooting victims pins blame on Facebook, Amazon and other tech giants

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:00 GMT

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Tech and social media giants like Facebook, Amazon and Google bear responsibility for radicalizing the Buffalo supermarket shooter, who was fueled by racist conspiracy theories he encountered online, the victim’s relatives said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday.“They were the conspirators, even if they don’t want to admit it,” civil rights attorney Ben Crump said at a news conference announcing a 171-page lawsuit, which seeks unspecified financial damages as well as changes in how the companies operate. The suit names several online platforms including Facebook’s parent company Meta, Instagram, Google, Discord and Amazon — which owns Twitch, the livestreaming platform the shooter used to broadcast last year’s shooting. The suit also names RMA Armament, the maker of the gunman’s body armor, as well as the firearms retailers that sold him weapons.Ten Black people were killed and three others were wounded in May 2022 when Payton Gendron opened fire at ...

‘A puddle of emotions’: Sheryl Lee Ralph, Sarah Snook, Jessica Chastain react to Emmy nominations

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:00 GMT

Reactions from select nominees for the 2023 Emmy Awards.SHERYL LEE RALPH“I am a puddle of emotions! It is just absolutely crazy. It, I mean, I am living one spectacular year. … In all honesty, it could never ever be about me trying to beat that moment (of last year’s ceremony, when Ralph won her Emmy and stole the show, singing much of her speech). Maybe they’ll ask me to host it! That moment was something. as all of my friends say that’s something you worked for Sheryl. That’s something you waited for and you received the gift, now, just sit back and be lovely and I’m gonna just sit back and be lovely! And so thankful to everybody who thought that it should be me … for me to be in a space where that is happening for me after all of these years, I’m just so happy. I am SO happy.” — Ralph, who’s nominated for best supporting actress in a comedy for ABC’s “Abbott Elementary.” JESSICA CHASTAIN“It’s incredible … the thing that was th...

Tornado Warning issued for DuPage County

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:00 GMT

UPDATE: The National Weather Services in Chicago has issued a Tornado Warning for DuPage County until 6 p.m. on Wednesday.Latest warnings and watches from the National Weather Service.CHICAGO — A Tornado Watch is in effect for the Chicago area as heavy rain and storms move through the region Wednesday.A Tornado Watch has been issued for Cook, De Kalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, La Salle, McHenry and Will counties in Illinois until 10 p.m. In Northwest Indiana, Jasper, Lake, Newton and Porter counties are under a Tornado Watch until 10 p.m.A Flood Watch is in place until 7 p.m. for Cook County, DuPage County, Will County and some parts of Northwest Indiana. There is a slight risk of severe weather. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Mostly cloudy conditions with heavy rain showers expected throughout the day. High temperature of 76 degrees and 73 degrees lakeside. Low of 66 degrees tonight.Thunderstorms will push eastward and waves of storms racing throu...

'A culture of small, racist jokes': former NU player details experience in football program

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:00 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. — Another former Northwestern University football player spoke to WGN Wednesday co-signing some of the allegations shared by other former players of the program."Certain family members reached out to me, called me and actually apologized to me," the player said, who asked to remain anonymous. "They said, 'hey, we're really sorry that we didn't listen to you and how you voiced your complaints on your experience at Northwestern."That former Northwestern football player played at the university from 2005-10 and is one of several former players WGN has spoken to since the hazing scandal involving the football team went public last week. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: NU football players release statement, student newspaper details hazing allegations made against team Former players have disclosed racism and sexually-inappropriate acts that were a part of the team's culture when they played. An initial whistleblower brought the allegations to light, which led to an investigation int...

Illinois Republicans call for overhaul of state-run developmental facility

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:00 GMT

Republicans in Springfield are calling for an overhaul at a state-run developmental facility amidst continued issues that include staff misconduct and patient abuse.On Wednesday, GOP state lawmakers accused the Pritzker administration of not meeting the needs of the state's most vulnerable. Secretary of State’s office launches updated website "Time and time again we've seen this administration fail to fully prioritize our developmentally disabled community," State Sen. Terri Bryant said.There are allegations of abuse and neglect at the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Southern Illinois.A ProPublica, Lee Enterprises and Capitol News Illinois investigation found people living with developmental disabilities at state institutions, like Choate, have been punched, slapped, hosed down, thrown about and dragged across rooms.They also reported the facilities are short-staffed and at times, chaotic and dangerous. Chicagoland residents asked to limit water usage Illinois D...

Mother fights for food allergy law after son dies eating at Texas restaurant

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:00 GMT

HARLINGEN, Texas (KVEO/KGBT) — After nearly a decade of pushing for food allergy awareness, a grieving mother's hard work paid off as a new law goes into effect in Texas this year.In 2014, Sergio Alexander Lopez died after ingesting peanut butter at a restaurant in McAllen, Texas. Before eating, Lopez checked with employees whether it was safe. Lopez, who was 24, was on his lunch break with a friend when he ordered a veggie taco. He asked if the order had peanuts and was told no. Lopez received the ordered and asked again, and was told no a second time, his mother recalled.(Courtesy: Belinda Vaca)He took the order to-go and began eating the food in front of the music academy he worked at when he felt a tingling sensation."So, he called [the restaurant,] it's on his telephone. He spoke to them for a minute and a half, and they again told him 'It's just spices,'" Vaca said.Lopez continued eating the taco and made his way to work. That's when he was seen grabbing his throat, saying "th...

Chipotle testing guacamole-making robot named 'Autocado'

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:00 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The Chipotle Mexican Grill workers so often seen chopping and preparing fresh ingredients in ad spots may soon have a non-human helper.The company is testing a "collaborative robot" named Autocado at the Chipotle Cultivate Center in Irvine, California.Autocado can take up to 25 pounds of unpeeled avocados at a time, the company says. The robot stands the fruit upright one at a time, slices them in half, and removes the skin and pit.The peeled avocados drop into a bowl below, and a Chipotle worker then takes over, adding additional ingredients and mashing the guacamole.Autocado is a collaborative robot prototype that cuts, cores, and peels avocados before they are hand mashed to create Chipotle's guacamole. (Chipotle)"We are committed to exploring collaborative robotics to drive efficiencies and ease pain points for our employees," said Curt Garner, Chief Customer and Technology Officer at Chipotle in a news release. "The intensive labor of cutting, coring, and scoop...

Mixed reactions as City of Austin suspends partnership with DPS

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Wednesday, the City of Austin suspended its partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Since the announcement, local groups have shown both support and disapproval of the decision.Mayor Kirk Watson indicated "recent events" led to the need for a pause, although he didn't specify in the release which events. He added, "This partnership was an innovative approach to address acute staffing shortages that were years in the making. However, any approach must be in sync with Austin values."APD Chief of Police Joseph Chacon said questions from the city council and community led to the decision to suspend the partnership.“While this news is disappointing, I know that each of you are working hard to keep our community safe and that you will continue this important work,” Chacon wrote in an email to City of Austin employees.The Austin Police Association said the decision by Interim City Manager Jesús Garza and Mayor Watson to suspend the APD/DPS partnership was...

Amid spikes in sexually transmitted infections, a Texas clinic is struggling to stay funded

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) –  A Texas sexual health clinic with multiple locations across the state reported that the demand for sexually transmitted infection testing increased by 176% in 2021. Despite the clear need for the services, the clinic has seen a 53% reduction in funding during the last 12 months. Texas Health Action’s Kind Clinic was founded in 2015 and, at no cost, “provides sexual health services in a safe and supportive environment with expertise in serving the LGBTQIA+ community,” according to the clinic. The clinic said it serves 11,000 people annually at its Central Austin location.  MORE: APH says STI rates in Travis County are rising, encourages testing “Over the years, we have just seen such a need for this service,” said Christopher Hamilton, the CEO of the Texas Health Action. “Austin's population is booming, and more people are moving to the area,” he said. “Our current clinic program has been slowly able to meet that demand. But we're getting to a breaki...