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Microsoft moves closer to completing $69 billion Activision takeover after court rebuffs regulators

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:46 GMT

A U.S. appeals court on Friday rejected a bid by federal regulators to block Microsoft from closing its $68.7 billion deal to buy video game maker Activision Blizzard, paving the way for the completion of the biggest acquisition in tech history after a legal battle over whether it will undermine competition. In a brief ruling, a three-judge panel on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded there were no grounds for issuing an order that would have prevented Microsoft from completing its nearly 18-month-old deal to take over the maker of popular video games such as Call of Duty. The Redmond, Washington, software maker is facing a $3 billion termination fee if deal isn’t completed by Tuesday.“This brings us another step closer to the finish line in this marathon of global regulatory reviews,” Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a statement. The appeal filed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission was a last-ditch effort from antitrust enforcers to halt the merger after an...

France celebrates Bastille Day with parades and parties – and extra police, after recent unrest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:46 GMT

PARIS (AP) — French fighter jets trailed red-white-and-blue smoke over Paris monuments, families held picnics and firefighters hosted holiday balls around France to celebrate Bastille Day on Friday, a moment of much-needed festivity after mass protests, riots and political divisions that have riven the country this year.Not everyone was feeling the spirit of “liberty, equality and fraternity” that the holiday aims to embody. Traditional fireworks displays were banned in some towns, and trams and buses halted after dark across France to prevent new unrest in underprivileged neighborhoods. And an exceptional 130,000 police were deployed around the country to maintain order.This year, the celebrations marking the start of the French Revolution on July 14, 1789 come in the wake of the nation’s most serious urban violence in nearly 20 years, following the fatal police shooting of a teenager with North African roots that laid bare anger over entrenched inequality and racial discrimination...

Ex-San Francisco utilities head found guilty of fraud in wide-ranging federal corruption probe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:46 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A former head of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission was found guilty of federal fraud charges Friday, becoming the latest among several once-powerful city employees felled by a lengthy public corruption probe.A jury convicted Harlan Kelly, former general manager of the commission, of six out of eight charges involving two fraud schemes, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.Prosecutors argued — and jurors agreed — that Kelly tried to steer a city streetlight contract to a local contractor in exchange for deeply discounted construction work on his home and other gifts. Jurors also found that Kelly lied to a lender in order to acquire a $1.3 million loan. A sentencing date wasn’t immediately set. But Kelly’s attorney, Brian Getz, said he’d seek to dismiss the convictions or appeal the verdicts, The San Francisco Standard reported.The verdict is the latest win for federal prosecutors in a corruption investigation that started in January 2020 with ch...

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for DeKalb & LaSalle County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:46 GMT

UPDATE: The National Weather Service in Chicago has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for DeKalb and LaSalle counties until 8:45 p.m. on Friday.The National Weather Service in Chicago also issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for LaSalle and McHenry counties until 10 p.m. on Friday.Latest warnings and watches from the National Weather Service.Chicago area may see severe weather for third day in a rowThe Chicago area is at a 2 on the scale of 1-5 for the risk of severe weather Friday. Showers will move out for awhile Friday and midday sun and humidity will arrive.The sun will help fuel an environment of instability this afternoon with storms set to return around 4 p.m. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here The first round of potentially severe weather will last from 4 p.m. to around 9 p.m.A second round of storms is expected to move into the area around 11 p.m.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog Non-severe weather and showers will linger into th...

Missing 16-year-old girl last seen leaving her Chicago home may need medical attention

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:46 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago police are looking for a missing 16-year-old girl last seen leaving her home Friday morning and may need medical attention.Aileen Villa-Valdez is described as being about 4 feet 10 inches tall, weighing about 130 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesAccording to the Chicago Police Department, she was last seen around 7:15 a.m. leaving her home in the 2700 block of South Kostner Avenue.She was last seen wearing a blue and white jacket, blue jeans, grey and white Puma gym shoes and may be carrying a light purple backpack.Chicago police said she may be in need of medical attention and anyone with information on her whereabouts should call 911 or Area Four detectives at 312-746-8255.

13 confirmed tornadoes after Wednesday night's storms: National Weather Service

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:46 GMT

CHICAGO — The National Weather Service confirmed Thursday a total of 13 tornadoes after Wednesday night’s storms.The first Elgin tornado had a maximum intensity EF-1 and maximum wind speed of 100 mph. The track roughly started east of Rt. 47 and ended near the railroad tracks west of Villa Olivia Golf Course.The NWS says the second tornado in Elgin had a max intensity of EF-0 with max wind speed of 85 mph. The tornado began close to McDonald Road and ended along Hopps Road.A NWS team confirmed a third tornado after grounds were surveyed from Burr Ridge to Stickney. A EF-1 with max winds near 110 mph was identified.The fourth tornado confirmed by NWS was reportedly an EF-0 with a maximum wind speed of 85 mph in northeastern Oswego and eastern Boulder Hill Wednesday evening.NWS survey teams confirmed three additional tornadoes across McHenry and Lake County in Illinois. In Huntley, an EF-1 with max wind speeds of 90 mph. Two EF-0 tornados were also confirmed with one in Barrington wit...

Faith, community leaders speak on who they think should be the next Chicago police superintendent

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:46 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicagoans directly impacted by violence and working to end it are speaking out about who they think should take the seat as Chicago's next police superintendent.The three finalists were selected and announced Thursday by the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability.They are Shon Barnes, Angel Novalez and Larry Snelling. 3 finalists for Chicago police superintendent announced On Friday, faith and community leaders said they think it's essential for the mayor to choose an insider.Pam Bosley, the co-found of Purpose Over Pain, said many of the faces on a wall outside St. Sabina, including her son, are unsolved cases. "Terrell, my son, was murdered in 2006," Bosley said. "His case remains unsolved."Urgency in solving these cold cases is something Bosley wants the next superintendent of the Chicago Police Department to take to heart."For parents like me whose children's lives were taken by violence, if we can make the top priority, one of the top priorities...

NDAA faces slim chance in Senate after heated House debate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:46 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) – The United States House of Representatives passed a sweeping defense authorization bill, but the package is full of measures that led to heated disagreements on Capitol Hill.Passage of the National Defense Authorization Act is typically widely bipartisan, but this time around, moderate and far-right Republicans united to pack the legislation full of controversial policies. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy says the NDAA passed by his party will benefit military members who he says will “receive the biggest pay raise in decades.”But the debate over the package turned into an ideological fight.“Stop using taxpayer money to do their own woke-ism,” McCarthy argued.“They block my amendment to help homeless vets get rides to medical appointments. What the hell is woke about that?” Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) questioned.Additionally, the discussion over a provision eliminating ...

Thunderstorm warnings, flood advisories Friday evening around St. Louis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:46 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Severe thunderstorm warnings and flood advisories are in effect around the St. Louis metro through late Friday evening. As of 7:30 p.m. Friday, St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Madison County are all under thunderstorm warnings. If you are in the path of a thunderstorm, seek shelter immediately. St. Charles County and north St. Louis County are also under flood advisories due to the storms. St. Louis radar: See a map of current weather here Scattered thunderstorms will continue into the evening. A few of the storms could be strong to severe, bringing threats of damaging winds and large hail. When it's not storming it'll be hot and very humid with highs in the low to mid 90s.A complex of storms that develops over the central plains will bring more widespread rain and storms to the region late this evening and continue into the overnight and early Saturday morning hours. These storms could also be severe producing damaging winds and large hail....

Five people, including a pedestrian, injured in two-vehicle crash in Aurora

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:46 GMT

Five people were injured and hospitalized Friday in a two-vehicle crash in Aurora, police said Friday.Four of the injured people were in the two vehicles, and a fifth person, a pedestrian, was also taken to a hospital with injuries suffered when he was hit by debris from the crash.UPDATE: This was a 2-vehicle crash between a passenger vehicle and a pickup. The car was making a left turn from Iliff onto Sable when it was struck by the pickup that had run a red light. The pickup rolled several times for 300 feet post impact and came to rest on its wheels.…— Aurora Police Dept (@AuroraPD) July 14, 2023Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Eastbound 6th Avenue cleared after three-vehicle crash forced closure and delays Crime and Public Safety | Motorcyclist killed on I-70 was shot in head amid hail of bullets fired from pursuing truck, Denver police say Crime and Public Safety | 26-year-old Brighton man killed in Aurora rollover crash...