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Thousands of flight cancellations, 1.1 million lose power as strong storms hit eastern US

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:26 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of U.S. flights were canceled or delayed, and more than 1.1 million homes and businesses lost power Monday as destructively strong storms, including potential tornadoes, hail and lightning, moved through the eastern U.S.Rain began falling in the Washington area shortly after 5 p.m., and the skies gradually turned an ominous dark gray, a precursor to the severe weather and mass power outages that were predicted. The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for the greater D.C. area, lasting until 9 p.m., as well as a flood warning extending through Tuesday morning. A special Weather Service statement warned, “There is a significant threat for damaging and locally destructive hurricane-force winds, along with the potential for large hail and tornadoes, even strong tornadoes.”The storms’ spread was massive, with tornado watches and warnings posted across 10 states from Tennessee to New York. The National Weather Service said more than 29.5 milli...

New York City doctor charged with sexually assaulting unconscious patients and filming it

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:26 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City doctor was charged Monday in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of at least six women, including several patients who were drugged, filmed and assaulted during appointments at a prestigious local hospital, prosecutors said. Zhi Alan Cheng was arraigned Monday on charges of sexually abusing three of his patients at New York-Presbyterian Queens hospital and raping three other women inside his apartment in Queens, New York. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. The 33-year-old gastroenterologist was terminated from his hospital job in December after his arrest for allegedly raping a female acquaintance in his Queens home. At the time, the woman told authorities she had discovered videos of Cheng abusing her and multiple other women.As investigators searched his home and devices, they uncovered a trove of video evidence showing the doctor abusing women inside his home and workplace, according to the new indictment. The footage showed Cheng groping t...

K-pop star Suga becomes 3rd BTS member to begin military service in South Korea

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:26 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Following his debut solo tour earlier this year, Suga, the K-pop superstar rapper/singer/songwriter, has become the third member of BTS to begin South Korea’s compulsory military service.“We would like to inform our fans that SUGA has initiated the military enlistment process by applying for the termination of his enlistment postponement,” Big Hit Music said in a statement. “We ask you for your continued love and support for SUGA until he completes his military service and safely returns. Our company will spare no effort in providing support for our artist.”In South Korea, all able-bodied men aged 18 to 28 are required by law to perform 18-21 months of military service under a conscription system meant to deter aggression from rival North Korea.The law gives special exemptions to athletes, classical and traditional musicians, and ballet and other dancers if they have obtained top prizes in certain competitions and are assessed to have enhanced national prest...

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi reinstated to India’s Parliament days after top court’s order

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:26 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s Parliament on Monday reinstated top opposition leader Rahul Gandhi as a lawmaker three days after the country’s top court halted his criminal defamation conviction for mocking the prime minister’s surname.His reinduction as a member of Parliament is likely to strengthen the opposition’s effort to corner Narendra Modi’s government ahead of a no-confidence motion this week over deadly ethnic violence that has roiled India’s northeastern state of Manipur for more than three months.A fierce critic of Modi and his main challenger in the 2024 polls, Gandhi was ousted from Parliament after his conviction by a magistrate’s court in March. The Supreme Court stayed his conviction Friday, which means it is temporarily halted while the court goes into Gandhi’s appeal in detail before issuing a final ruling.The court’s order also means that Gandhi will be able to contest next year’s general elections unless a final court decision goes against him.The defamation case invo...

Carcinogens found at Montana nuclear missile sites as reports of hundreds of cancers surface

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:26 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force has detected unsafe levels of a likely carcinogen at underground launch control centers at a Montana nuclear missile base where a striking number of men and women have reported cancer diagnoses.A new cleanup effort has been ordered.The discovery “is the first from an extensive sampling of active U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile bases to address specific cancer concerns raised by missile community members,” Air Force Global Strike Command said in a release Monday. In those samples, two launch facilities at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana showed PCB levels higher than the thresholds recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency.PCBs are oily or waxy substances that have been identified as a likely carcinogen by the EPA. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a blood cancer that uses the body’s infection-fighting lymph system to spread.In response, Gen. Thomas Bussiere, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, has directed “immediate measures to be...

Archdiocese of Chicago: Dozens of families paid company for memorial headstones they didn’t receive

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:26 GMT

CHICAGO – A northwest suburban family has been waiting for about a year and a half for a memorial headstone, which records show they paid for, but never received.WGN has learned, according to the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Cemeteries, the problem is even bigger than just this family. Approximately 45 to 50 families are believed to be impacted.“We’re just trying to get this to an end, but it’s not going away,” said Joseph Weissmann.Joseph’s mother, Anna Weissmann, is buried next to her husband at St. Joseph Cemetery. She asked her children they wait until she passed to install a headstone, so she didn’t have to see her name on it when she visited the cemetery to mourn her husband.That wish has turned into an 18-month battle for the siblings, just trying to find some peace and closure.“She left it up to do that after she passed, and that’s all we’re trying to do, is see to her wishes,” said Mary Ann Shesek.Financial records provided to WGN show a payment of $1,711 was made, in fu...

Remembering a fun Steve McMichael moment at Wrigley Field

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:26 GMT

CHICAGO — Some more good news concerning "Mongo" came on Monday, which happen to fall on a memorable anniversary for the former Bears' defensive tackle.Another positive update on former Bears’ defensive tackle Steve McMichael from family today..@WGNNews pic.twitter.com/TyRy4GrxJq— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) August 7, 2023According to a release from his family, Steve McMichael's health continues to improve after being placed in ICU dealing with sepsis and pneumonia. While he's battled off the former and continues to take antibiotics for the latter, he's expected to be released from the ICU soon and return home. That was announced on August 7, 22 years to the day in which McMichael had one of his most replayed moments since being in the public eye in Chicago. What's unusual is that this didn't occur at Soldier Field or any Bears' event. Instead, it was at a Cubs' game at Wrigley Field in the WGN-TV broadcast booth. Viewers on Channel 9 watched as McMichael took the microphone ...

White Sox refute claims of 'no rules' by former reliever Middleton

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:26 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago White Sox management on Monday refuted claims by former reliever Keynan Middleton that the downtrodden team had a culture with “no rules,” allowing a rookie reliever to regularly fall asleep during games and other players to miss meetings and practices.Middleton, dealt to the New York Yankees for minor league pitching prospect Juan Carela just before the Aug. 1 trade deadline, made the statements in an ESPN report published on Sunday.Before Monday’s game against the Yankees in Chicago, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn and first-year field manager Pedro Grifol said Middleton’s claims were inaccurate. But both admitted their disappointing team had faced its share internal issues, centering around building a winning culture.“I’ve been talking about culture here since Day One and brought it up again about three or four weeks ago,” Grifol said. “I feel like we’re not even close to where we need to be, but we’re heading in the right direction.”The White Sox, expe...

95-year-old barber has 'no plans to stop' 5-decade career

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:26 GMT

GREENVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) — A barber in Greenville, Michigan is celebrating his 96th birthday on Aug. 13, and he is still up on his feet, cutting hair. William Henry Brown, or Bill to many people, has been cutting hair for more than 50 years. Before he became a barber, Brown wanted to go into the military. But when he tried to join the Navy at 17, he was seen as physically unfit due to a heart condition that he received after being ill as a child. The next year, he tried again, and it was the same result: physically unfit. "I felt bad, being a draft dodger, and all my buddies and everyone were in. (My) cousins, nephews ... So, no, it didn't feel right," Brown said. On his third attempt, he finally was drafted into the Army and sent to Germany during the Korean War. Watch: Walrus calf needs 'round-the-clock cuddling’ after being rescued "I put two years over there. Then in December of 1952, they sent me home," Brown said. After coming home, he worked in Detr...

Thousands lose Medicaid coverage in Illinois after pandemic provision ends

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:26 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) -- More than 47,000 people in Illinois have lost their Medicaid coverage after a pandemic-era extension on their eligibility ended last week.The federal government paused the yearly renewal process because of the public health emergency, keeping people on Medicaid throughout the pandemic. But now, the renewal process is restarting, and people have to show they are still eligible."Everybody kind of has to get back in the groove again, of knowing that they need to watch for letters from the state, have their eligibility checked again," said Stephanie Altman of the Shriver Center on Poverty Law. "And a lot of people have either never done it before, so they don't know how, or have forgotten." Millions at risk of losing Medicaid coverage as pandemic provision ends The Illinois Department of Family and Health Services started to send out renewal notices as the pause came to an end. Of the 47,000 who lost coverage, 13,000 were no longer eligible, but 34,000 eith...