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EU Commission president will propose Dutch foreign minister as successor for climate czar Timmermans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:21 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The EU’s top official said Tuesday she would nominate the foreign minister of the Netherlands as the commissioner in charge of climate action to fill the void left by the departure of Frans Timmermans, who resigned last week to run in the Dutch general election. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen interviewed Wopke Hoekstra, who was named by the Dutch government as its preferred candidate to replace Timmermans. After their talks, she said he “showed strong motivation for the post and a great commitment to the European Union. He also has relevant professional experience for this post.”Timmermans, who was in charge of the European Green Deal climate initiative, quit to lead a center-left bloc into the Netherlands’ November general election. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s ruling coalition proposed Hoekstra as a replacement. His appointment must now be formally approved by the European Parliament and the European Council of member states. Vo...

Hurricane Idalia 2 p.m. track: Winds increate to 90 mph

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:21 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Idalia strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane early Tuesday and is expected to rapidly intensify in the Gulf of Mexico.The National Hurricane Center said Idalia is about 275 miles south-southwest of Tampa. The storm's winds have have increased to near 90 mph.Idalia is forecast to make landfall along the northwest Gulf Coast of Florida sometime on Wednesday as an "extremely dangerous" Category 3 major hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. Real-time wobble tracker monitoring Hurricane Idalia’s shifts in Gulf of Mexico As of the 11 a.m. update, Idalia was over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, moving north around 15 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Idalia's track remains west of Tampa Bay.Storm surge remains the biggest threat with Idalia, with some areas north of Tampa Bay expected to see 8 to 12 feet of storm surge, with 4 to 9 feet in the Tampa Bay area and 3 to 7 feet south of Tampa Bay. The storm surge threat is increased t...

University of North Carolina graduate student charged with murder in killing of his faculty advisor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:21 GMT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Authorities charged a University of North Carolina graduate student Tuesday with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of his faculty advisor, in an attack that caused a campus lockdown while police searched for the gunman.Tailei Qi, 34, was due in court later Tuesday for an initial hearing in the Monday killing of Zijie Yan inside of a science building on the Chapel Hill campus. In addition to the murder count, he is charged with having a 9mm handgun on educational property, according to a warrant for his arrest. Yan was an associate professor in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences who had worked for the university since 2019, UNC said in a statement Tuesday. “The University is in contact with Yan’s family and is providing resources and support,” it said. In a page that has been taken down since the attack, Qi was listed on the school's website as a graduate student in Yan's research group and Yan was listed as his adviser.Qi, who lives in Chape...

Tuesday Forecast: Temps in mid 80s with afternoon showers and storms possible

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:21 GMT

CHICAGO — Temperatures in the mid 80s Tuesday with increasing clouds. A 40 percent chance of thunderstorms are expected. Winds: N 10-15 G20. High: 84. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Partly cloudy tonight. Winds: NNE 10-15 G20. Low: 60.Wednesday Forecast: Morning clouds, decreasing clouds. Winds: NNE 10-15 G20. High: 71/68.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Dairy Queen celebrating fall with 85-cent Blizzards

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:21 GMT

(WJW) - Dairy Queen's fall menu is returning with fan-favorite Blizzards and an all-new flavor that you can try soon for less than a dollar. Starting Sept. 11, the ice cream chain is offering 85-cent Blizzards at participating locations. The promotion lasts through Sept. 24. Discontinued Chick-fil-A sandwich can now be made at home The offer, only available on the DQ App, celebrates the chain's fall Blizzard menu, which includes Pumpkin Pie, Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough, Caramel Fudge Cheesecake, Oreo Hot Cocoa, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Pie and Choco Dipped Strawberry.Also new this season is the Royal Reese's Fluffernutter Blizzard, which the company describes as, "Reese's candies and peanut butter swirled with world-famous vanilla soft serve, complete with an irresistible marshmallow center." Hyundai recalling nearly 38,000 Elantras over acceleration bug The fall menu is already available at DQ stores, but the 85-cent offer doesn't kick off until Sept. 11.According to DQ officia...

New Jersey park closed as search for alligator continues

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:21 GMT

MIDDLESEX, N.J. (WPIX) - When you think of where alligators call home, there’s a good chance Florida and Louisiana may come to mind.But probably not New Jersey.Yet that is exactly the case in Middlesex County, where an alligator was spotted in the Ambrose Brook in Victor Crowell Park. The police department and crews have been searching for the reptile. It’s been keeping a low profile, and people are going there with the hope of getting a glimpse."You can tell by the people out here. They are excited. We finally made the news for something,” said Francis Sweeney."In the house, we were hearing the helicopter. So, we are like let's go take a walk,” Patty Phillips said. Tropical depression forms in Atlantic as Idalia barrels toward Florida Authorities estimate the alligator is about 3 to 4 feet long. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Conservation Police is working to capture and relocate it.Search crews have taken a few trips by boat but have not been successful. P...

'Excited to see her grow up': Colorado baby born with intestines outside her body is now thriving

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:21 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Baby Grace Martz is now 3 months old and doing well. "She's a very happy baby. She's doing great," said her mother, Jackie Martz.When Martz was pregnant, doctors diagnosed her baby with gastroschisis, a birth defect that allows the intestines to spill out of a hole in the abdominal wall and grow outside the body. The condition occurs in about one in 2,000 babies born each year.When Grace was born, doctors at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children in Denver were prepared. About three hours after birth, Grace went into surgery."They made a small incision and shoved the intestines back in, and in the process, they actually found that her fallopian tube and ovary were also hanging out," Jackie Martz said.Dr. Sarah Lai performed the surgery."Her intestines were very, very bloated, and although I was able to take her to the operating room and get everything back in, it was just a little bit too tight," Lai said.So, Lai left a bit of intestine outside the body in a silo ...

Some Texas education leaders denounce conservative PragerU curriculum materials

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:21 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Democratic members of the State Board of Education stood with educational and civil rights leaders at the Texas Capitol Tuesday to denounce the proposed use of curriculum designed by PragerU, a nonprofit media company that, among other things, designs learning materials for children.PragerU identifies itself as "the world's leading conservative nonprofit that is focused on changing minds through the creative use of digital media."State Board of Education member Aicha Davis called their material "misleading and false." PragerU lesson plans could be allowed in Texas schools "We are committed to working with students and families throughout Texas to prevent the infiltration of radical political ideologies into our public education system," Davis said.The discussion comes as some conservative Texas leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, have accused public schools of "indoctrinating" children with "liberal" material.In his inauguration speech at the beginning of this...

Best places to view the supermoon around Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:21 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A rare blue supermoon is expected this Wednesday night, Aug. 30. A blue supermoon is when a supermoon is seen twice in one month. Here is what to expect for this year's biggest and brightest supermoon of the year Anywhere away from Austin's artificial city lights will have the best conditions for viewing this blue supermoon. Here is a list of the best places with the darkest skies to view the supermoon: Enchanted Rock State Natural Area — Located in Fredericksburg and about an hour and a half outside of Austin is a massive pink granite dome rising above the ground. This elevated area of the park is noted for having minimal light pollution and has been a well-known location attracting stargazers from all across the Lone Star State.South LLano River State Park — Located in Junction, Texas, this park is designated as an International Dark Sky Park and is actively monitoring its dark sky every 15 minutes throughout the night.Lake Travis — Located just over 25 miles aw...

Minnesota makes cut for women’s hockey league’s ‘Original Six’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:51:21 GMT

When starting the Professional Women’s Hockey League, leadership had what Stan Kasten called “a wide-open niche” — complete access to the best players in the world, and best markets in North America.Yes, that includes Minnesota, which on Tuesday was officially announced as one home to one of the six markets for an inaugural season that will begin play as early as Jan. 1.“If there is anything like a women’s hockey hotbed, it’s probably Minnesota,” said Kasten, president of the Los Angeles Dodgers and a member of the ownership group that will finance the league in its nascent years. “So, we really couldn’t leave them out of the ‘original six.’ ”The Original Six is more commonly known as the collective name for the first six NHL franchises — Montreal, Toronto, Boston, New York, Detroit and Chicago — but with the financial backing of the Mark Walter Group, the PWHL believes it will become a similarly successful league.That would be a first for a women’s sport that has grown by leaps and...