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Olympic sports bodies want talks with IOC after cricket and others were added to 2028 LA program

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — Olympic sports bodies want urgent talks with the IOC about the risk of cuts in their revenue shares and medal events at the 2028 Los Angeles Games because cricket and other newcomers were added to the program.The International Olympic Committee last month approved cricket, baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse and squash for 2028 and kept boxing, modern pentathlon and weightlifting — three sports whose status had been in doubt.The umbrella group of current Summer Games sports, known by the acronym ASOIF, said Monday the decision to increase to a record 36 sports “has raised several questions” among its members, who collectively shared $540 million of IOC-allocated money at each of the past two Olympics.Most Olympic sports got between $13 million and $17.3 million from the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021. For some, that was about half their total income over four years.Adding four team sports in 2028 also is set to break the IOC’s preferred limit of 10,500 ath...

Chicago firefighter critically injured after battling fire at restaurant in Lincoln Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

CHICAGO — A firefighter was critically injured while battling a fire at a restaurant in the city's Lincoln Park neighborhood.The fire started around 6 a.m. Monday at Lincoln Station Bar and Grill in the 2400 block of Lincoln Avenue. According to officials, a Mayday call was made while crews were responding to the fire and one firefighter was trapped and had to be rescued. The crew member was transported to Illinoic Masonic Hospital in critical condition.The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.This is a developing story. Check back for details.

Toddler in critical condition after drowning incident in LaPorte County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

LAPORTE COUNTY, Ind. -- A toddler is in critical condition after he and a 5-year-old boy were found drowning in a river in LaPorte County, Indiana.According to Indiana police, the incident occurred in the Tippecanoe River where a one-year-old and five-year-old boy were found struggling in the river behind a home on Stamper Drive around 10:50 a.m. Chicago firefighter critically injured after battling fire at restaurant in Lincoln Park Officers found that the children had been playing outside and entered the water. Family members pulled the children from the water after hearing the five-year-old call for help. The children and two adult family members were transported to Pulaski Memorial Hospital. The toddler was later transported to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis in critical condition. WGN is actively following this incident and will update as more information is provided.

Possible government shutdown sets up nightmare scenario for Thanksgiving travel

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

(The Hill) - The government is days away from a Nov. 18 shutdown, which could force Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees and federal air traffic controllers to work without pay just as the busy Thanksgiving travel season begins. Around 4.7 million people are expected to fly over the five-day period surrounding Thanksgiving, the highest projection in nearly two decades, according to a new forecast released Monday by AAA.These are the busiest travel days of the year and could coincide with a government shutdown unless Congress comes together on a deal in the next few days. Absent some kind of new funding bill, the government would shut down on Saturday.Travel industry officials and advocates are amping up their warnings, saying the nation risks a messy travel season if lawmakers are unable to reach a deal. “We are quickly approaching what is forecasted to be the busiest travel period since before the pandemic; and it’s critical that policymakers work together to...

Inside the ‘OutLaw’ project: Collaboration, bias awareness and fairness

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

(KXAN) — How do you cover a story when you’re part of it? For LGBTQ+ journalists at KXAN, the record number of bills filed at the Texas State Capitol in 2023 restricting their community brought concerns – and presented an opportunity.After thorough discussion among newsroom leaders, we decided to lean into the informed, well-sourced reporting those journalists could offer, launching our sixth “Catalyst” investigative project to date. Knowing the topic was already highly-politicized and often emotional in legislative hearings and beyond, we wanted to take a multi-platform, extensive look – and produce it in a way our audience would know we are striving to maintain objectivity and fairness.It started with a broad look at the legislation proposed and analyzing the background, influence and outcome of each bill we focused our reporting around. Some measures passed, others progressed further than ever before. As our investigators tried to track down details on the players behind these po...

Listen to Catalyst podcast on LGBTQ+ issues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

(KXAN) — This standalone season is a companion to our “OutLaw” project – exploring a record number of laws proposed in 2023 impacting LGBTQ+ Texans, including a repeated effort to repeal the state’s ban on homosexual conduct. KXAN’s team of journalists – many, members of that community themselves – share how they work to make fair, objective coverage decisions with this topic and also how their own experiences shape their reporting – including the murder of a gay college student two decades ago.Listen to the podcast here.

Body reported on 183A; northbound lanes shutdown, Cedar Park PD says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) – Cedar Park Police say a body was found on Highway 183A Monday morning, and the northbound lanes of the roadway have been shut down. Police said on social media the lanes were shut down near Whitestone Blvd. through Crystal Falls around 6:53 a.m. "for a traffic incident."CPPD told KXAN the body was found near the Scottsdale exit. Police gave no other details.This is a developing story. Stay with KXAN for more details.

Williamson County residents protest monument, want it off courthouse grounds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

GEORGETOWN, TEXAS (KXAN) – Williamson County residents gathered outside the Williamson County Courthouse Sunday to protest a monument to the Confederacy on the courthouse grounds.The groups sponsoring the protest want county commissioners to move the monument to the International Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery in Georgetown where they say several Confederate soldiers are buried. Group covers confederate monument outside Williamson County courthouse The protestors said the courthouse “cannot represent justice for all when a confederate monument remains on its grounds.”According to the press release announcing the protest, the groups sponsoring the event were Central Texas Methodist Federation for Social Action, Courageous Conversations of Georgetown, Georgetown Ministerial Alliance, GTX Connect, WilCo Patriots, San Gabriel Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and Wellspring United Methodist Church.Previous protestOn July 4, members of the Wi...

GasBuddy: Avg. Alb. prices drop 4.7 cents in last week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Average gasoline prices in Albany have fallen 4.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.60/g Monday, according to GasBuddy's survey of 546 stations in Albany. Prices in Albany are 17.5 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 38.0 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has fallen 4.2 cents in the last week and stands at $4.34 per gallon. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Albany was priced at $3.25/g Sunday while the most expensive was $3.99/g, a difference of 74.0 cents per gallon. The lowest price in the state Sunday was $2.59/g, with the highest being $4.99/g, a difference of $2.40/g.The national average price of gasoline has fallen 4.6 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.33/g Monday. The national average is down 24.8 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 42.6 cents pe...

The future of food is banking on climate-resistant seeds like the ones grown in Boulder

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:54 GMT

It’s not enough to just grow one’s own produce anymore; the first step is in planning for foods that can grow in a changing climate starts with which seeds are harvested during years of adaptation.“People are just beginning to learn more about not just who grows their food, but also which seeds do well as they adapt to inevitable climate changes,” said Laura Allard, operations manager at MASA Seed Foundation in Boulder.Allard, along with Rich Pecoraro, who founded the MASA Seed Project initially and is its agricultural director, run this foundation that includes 24 acres of farmed land in east Boulder year-round. The mission of the foundation is to grow organic seeds that become part of a bio-regional seed bank.“Our living seed bank belongs to future generations,” said Allard.The MASA Seed Foundation is working with the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at the University of Colorado Boulder. “It has been fascinating to see how important these aspects of biology are in this...