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Deliberations continue in 'ComEd Four' bribery trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:28 GMT

CHICAGO -- Three and a half days of deliberations for the jurors in the bribery trial for the "ComEd Four" continued Monday.The “ComEd Four” on trial are former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s confidant Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and former ComEd consultant Jay Doherty. All have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including bribery conspiracy. ‘We simply have no more shelters:’ Lightfoot implores Abbott to stop sending migrants Potential jail time and fines for the “ComEd Four,” includes a guilty conspiracy verdict on Count 1 could lead to a maximum  $250,000 fine or 5 years imprisonment or both, according to the US Attorney’s office.Also, a bribery conviction that could lead to a maximum of 10 years in prison with a $250,000 fine, as well as a falsifying records conviction could lead to a staggering $5,000,000 fine or 20 years in prison, or both.Legal observers believe the jurors in the “ComEd Four” tria...

Pritzker, state health officials call attention to Medicaid change

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:28 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Governor JB Pritzker and state health care leaders called attention to a major change for Medicaid recipients Monday.Starting this week, Illinoisans will have to renew their Medicaid coverage. Congress paused renewals for the healthcare coverage during the pandemic, but those rules have now changed.In illinois, the renewals will happen on a rolling basis through the middle of next year. The process begins this week with those who have renewal dates in June set to receive letters in the mail requiring them to renew their coverage. Yellen says drop-dead date for debt ceiling is June 1 "Every Medicaid recipient should keep a close eye on their mailboxes to see if they were automatically renewed or if they need to fill out and return a renewal form," Pritzker said. "We are committed to making this process as smooth and efficient as possible."According to state health leaders who spoke alongside Pritzker Monday, it's a roll out that has been years in the making.“For...

US tracking balloon spotted off coast of Hawaii

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:28 GMT

(NewsNation) — The U.S. government is tracking another unmanned balloon that was spotted Friday flying over Hawaii, officials said.No action was taken against the balloon because it posed no threat to civilian aircraft or people on the ground, a Defense Department spokesman said.The balloon was floating at about 36,000 feet, the altitude at which some commercial aircraft fly. NBC News and CBS News also reported the balloon detection. Texas gunman still at large, authorities have ‘zero leads’ "Ownership of the balloon is unknown, but there is no indication that it was maneuvering or being controlled by a foreign or adversarial actor," a Pentagon spokesperson said in the statement. "Although it was flying at an altitude used by civil aviation, it posed no threat to civil aviation over Hawaii." Do not shoot down these balloons There was also no danger to people on the ground and the balloon did not fly over defense infrastructure or government “sensitive” sites, the Pentagon said.T...

Photos: Guests arrive at Met Gala 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:28 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Fashion's biggest night is underway — after all, it is the first Monday in May. Guests have started to arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the 2023 Met Gala. This year's theme revolves around late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld.Slideshow: 2023 Met Gala LooksNicole Kidman, left, and Keith Urban attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty" exhibition on Monday, May 1, 2023, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)Rita Ora, left, and Taika Waititi attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty" exhibition on Monday, May 1, 2023, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)Penelope Cruz attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty" exhibition on Monday, May 1, 2023, in New York. ...

Central Texas school districts call for more funding as lawmakers talk public education

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — School districts across Central Texas are banding together and asking the state for more money."School districts across the state are struggling," said Ed Ramos, Austin ISD chief financial officer.This comes at a time when teachers continue to leave the industry and some school districts are having to make major cuts."The funding is not there," said Thrall ISD superintendent Tommy Hooker.According to district leaders around Central Texas, inflation has risen roughly 17% since 2019, the last time Texas increased school funding. Texas lawmakers would need to add $14.5 billion to school funding just to keep up with rising costs. AISD teachers, staff could be getting a raise soon "We have a large task in public schools to fund initiatives for student success," said Hooker."Each school in the state currently receives $6,160 per student based on the average attendance formula which puts the state in the bottom 10 in per-student funding," said James Matlock with Hutto IS...

The legacy of Matt Dumba and what the Wild stand to lose

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:28 GMT

Even if Matt Dumba wanted to go back into the game last Friday at the Xcel Energy Center, his best friend Jonas Brodin wasn’t going to let that happen.They talked in the Wild locker room at intermission like they always do, only this time Dumba admitted to Brodin that he didn’t feel like himself after hitting his head along the boards. In that moment, Dumba’s health was the only thing on Brodin’s mind, and he immediately sought out trainer John Worley to make sure everyone followed protocol.When the Wild paraded out of the tunnel shortly thereafter, Dumba stayed in the back, sitting out the final 20 minutes of what might have been his last game with Minnesota. As most everyone knows by now, the Wild went on to lose Game 6 of their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars, ending their 2022-23 season.Asked about the exchange, Dumba’s eyes started to well up with tears when he talked about Brodin looking out for him when perhaps he wasn’t...

With a $17.5 billion surplus, MN DFLers disagree on how to raise tax revenue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:28 GMT

With rebates for taxpayers, credits for families and new revenues, there’s a lot of similarities in how Democrats in the House and Senate want to change the taxes Minnesotans pay, but there’s also some key differences.The biggest discrepancies? The Senate proposal raises less new tax revenue than the House and it allows dozens of local communities to hike sales tax rates. The House version excludes those local sales tax request and adds in a new income tax tier.The conflicting ideas are coming into focus after the House approved a mammoth tax bill last week and the Senate is poised to do so Tuesday. So far, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which controls both chambers of the Legislature with a narrow majority, has struggled to attract Republican support.Democrats have pledged that about $3 billion in tax changes will be included in the next two-year budget. Their plans include rebates for taxpayers, expanded credits for lower-income residents and families and some help...

New York State Fair ticket and parking prices to increase

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:28 GMT

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) -- This past February, Governor Kathy Hochul proposed doubling admission and parking prices for the New York State Fair in her State Budget, and on May 1, she and state lawmakers made that proposal permanent.Tickets will now be $6 for adults instead of $3 and $10 per vehicle for parking instead of $5. This price increase brings ticket prices back to around what they used to be before they were lowered during the pandemic. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Since 2005, ticket prices were $6 for advance-sale tickets and $10 at the gate. It was in 2020 that the NYS Fair dropped its prices to $3, which was the lowest price since 1990. Although this price increase is more than pandemic prices, it isn't the highest it's ever been, rather in the middle range of NYS Fair admission prices of the past.The State Fair is also increasing fees for those who rent spaces for concessions and non-fair events by 1.5% for...

U.S. lifting COVID-19 vaccine mandate at Canadian border

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:28 GMT

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The U.S. will lift the COVID-19 vaccine mandate at the Canadian border next week, Rep. Brian Higgins (NY-26) confirmed on Monday.Now, Canadians entering the United States at the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls and Queenston-Lewiston Bridge in Lewiston as well as across the country will no longer have to show proof of a COVID vaccination. The new policy will go into effect starting on May 11. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! This will end over three years of some sort of vaccine restrictions at the borders between the two countries. On October 1, 2022, Canada lifted its requirements to show proof of vaccination when entering the country.Before that, policies changed several times from the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, from the border being closed to testing requirements. With this change, there are no longer any sort of requirements."After 3 years of restrictions, we can ...

Biden calls McCarthy to meet amid debt ceiling warning

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:30:28 GMT

President Biden on Monday called Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and other congressional leaders to invite them to a meeting at the White House on May 9 to discuss the debt ceiling ahead of a looming deadline, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to The Hill. The president reached out to McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). McCarthy is currently leading a congressional delegation in Israel.Biden’s outreach came less than two hours after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned lawmakers that the U.S. government could default as early as June 1 if Congress does not raise the debt ceiling.Yellen’s letter is likely to ratchet up the intensity within Washington, D.C., around the matter as negotiations between Biden and McCarthy came to a standstill in recent weeks. Both have been locked in a standoff with neither side willing to cave.Administration officials...