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With vocabulary more important than ever, National Spelling Bee requires different prep

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:29 GMT

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — Navneeth Murali would strongly prefer for the Scripps National Spelling Bee to get rid of the onstage, multiple-choice vocabulary questions that were introduced to the competition two years ago.“It’s sort of hit or miss, the onstage vocab format, and it’s sort of brutal in my opinion,” the 17-year-old former speller said.The vocabulary questions are part of a series of changes to the post-pandemic bee, which is leaner and, in some ways, meaner. Accomplished spellers can be bounced from the bee without ever misspelling a word. And because there is no alternative path to the bee as there was in the late 2010s, the regional bees spellers must win to qualify can be incredibly tense, and sometimes shocking. Last year’s national runner-up, Vikram Raju, didn’t make it back in his final year of eligibility.The tweaks help ensure the bee, which began Tuesday with the preliminary rounds and concludes Thursday, finishes on schedule with a sole cham...

Skilling: Partly cloudy, warm before 90 degrees on Wednesday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:29 GMT

We did in Chicago today! Recorded our first official 90-deg high temp of 2023 at 1:34pm Tuesday afternoon. This first 90 comes 19-days later than a year ago when the first 90 at O'Hare occurred on May 11th (a day earlier, May 10, 2022 at Midway).Air quality issues have arisen with an Illinois EPA Air Quality Alert in effect until midnight. The presence of scattered t-storm should allow increased mixing of air a modest decrease in sunshine Wednesday thus cutting down on the photochemical reactions which produce ozone as a by-product.The same wide spread in Chicago area temps between the immediate lake shoreline, where mid afternoon temps have held to 60 at the Wilmette harbor buoy, 65 on the Lake Forest shoreline, 64 at the Waukegan Harbor buoy, 67 at Burns Harbor, IN, 66 at Michigan City and 71 at Ogden Dunes and 72 at Calumet Harbor represented the coolest area temps. The offshore Harrison-Dever Crib—3 miles off the North Side of Chicago report 61-deg a mid afternoon.In stark contr...

Here's what's in, what's out of the debt limit bill to avert US default

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:29 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP/WGN) — President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have been working the phones in an intense push to sell Congress on the 99-page bill that would suspend the nation's debt limit through 2025 to avoid a federal default while limiting government spending.The Democratic president and Republican speaker have to win their respective parties’ support for the plan in time to avert a default that would shake the global economy. On Tuesday, lawmakers will begin scrutinizing and debating the legislation, which also includes provisions to fund medical care for veterans, change work requirements for some recipients of government aid and streamline environmental reviews for controversial pipelines and other energy projects.The modest deal gives both men wins to tout, with Biden protecting major parts of his agenda from Republican cuts and McCarthy scoring several conservative spending caps and changes to government programs. McCarthy has pledged that the House will vote ...

Former Cubs pitcher apologizes for sharing homophobic social media post

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:29 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass apologized Tuesday for expressing support on social media for anti-LGBTQ+ boycotts of Target and Bud Light.Bass shared a post on his Instagram stories Monday urging others to spurn the American companies over support for they showed for the LGBTQ+ community. Both companies are dealing with fallout from those campaigns, which have included hostile and homophobic criticism and calls from LGBTQ+ activists not to cave to anti-LGBTQ+ groups.The right-handed reliever made a brief statement on the field but did not take questions before the Blue Jays hosted Milwaukee.“I recognize yesterday ​​I made a post that was hurtful to the Pride community, which includes friends of mine and close family members of mine,” Bass said. “I am truly sorry for that.”Bass said he had addressed teammates about the controversial post and apologized to them for sharing it. LGBTQ+ activists call for new strategies to promote equality after Target backl...

Chicago City Council to vote on making outdoor dining permanent

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:29 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago City Council is expected to vote Wednesday on a plan to make outdoor dining permanent across the city.During the COVID pandemic, many businesses needed patios to stay afloat and continue serving customers. Those temporary rules could now become part of the city’s municipal code."It will attract visitors and it’s something we need," 50th Ward Alderperson Debra Silverstein said.President and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, Sam Toia, said if passed, this would be quite a win for bars and restaurants."Restaurants have been going through a rough time over the last few years cause of the pandemic inflation and the sidewalk ordinance. Today will help restaurants move forward in the summer months." Toia said. "Citizens and tourists love eating outdoors we are the best summer city in America and this outdoor ordinance makes us an even better summer city."If approved by the city council on Wednesday, the new plan would allow aldermen to approve or deny expan...

ISP: Suspect steals school bus, leads police on chase through 2 Indiana counties

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:29 GMT

SHELBY COUNTY, Ind. — A police pursuit of a stolen school bus came to an end late Tuesday morning after the chase led officers across two separate counties in Indiana. Booking photo of Chad MurdockChad A. Murdock, 32, of Cincinnati was arrested after the conclusion of the chase and faces multiple charges including criminal recklessness with a vehicle, resisting law enforcement and criminal mischief. Police: Wanted woman walking with her children fired gun at officers According to Indiana State Police, Murdock stole the school bus from the Cincinnati area before leading numerous police departments on a chase that lasted nearly an hour and went through parts of both Decatur and Shelby counties, leaving a trail of damage in the pursuit's wake. State police said troopers were first tipped off about the stolen school bus at approximately 10:15 a.m. Ohio authorities said the stolen bus was being tracked on westbound I-74 and was near Batesville in Ripley County. Photo of the stolen sch...

Search underway for missing Chicago teen

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:29 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Police Department are asking for the public's help in locating a missing 14-year-old who was last seen on Tuesday, May 23.Lemarius Petty, 14, was last seen on the 7000 block of South Maplewood in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood near Marquette Park on Tuesday, May 23. Search underway for missing Chicago woman last seen on May 21 Petty was last seen wearing a grey hoodie, black pants, and black Nike gym shoes. He is described as 5-foot-10, weighing 180 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.Anyone with information regarding Lemarius Petty's whereabouts are asked to contact the Chicago Police Department at 312-747-8380.

'As far as I know he's under the rubble': Families fear loved ones still in collapsed Davenport building

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:29 GMT

(WHBF) - Five people are still missing after an Iowa apartment partially collapsed over the weekend, including two people who may still be in the wreckage, according to Davenport Mayor Mike Matson.One mother fears her son is one of those residents still inside the collapsed building."As far as I know he's under the rubble," Ryan Hitchcock's mother, Linda Feliksiak, told Nexstar's WHBF on Tuesday. "I want them to get him out."She hasn't been able to reach him via mobile phone."They said they pinged his phone... the carrier. It's supposedly over there," Hitchcock's stepfather, Pat Feliksiak, said as he pointed to the collapsed building. Pets rescued from collapsed Davenport building Another family fears their loved one is still in the building. Mike Collier told WHBF Tuesday morning that he believes his cousin, Brandon Colvin, is still in the building after he did not show up for a Memorial Day gathering. He's also calling for the city to fully search the six-story building before i...

Man arrested in 'multiple murders', city official calls him 'serial killer'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:29 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Raul Meza Jr., 62, confessed to murdering his roommate, Jesse Fraga, and implicated himself in the murder of Gloria Lofton, 66, in 2019, three years after he was released from the Travis County Jail, per Austin Police. APD said they are looking into 8-10 more cold cases Meza may be connected to. Meza is currently detained in Travis County Jail. Meza told police that he wanted to kill again. "Here's a serial killer that justice was not served. It was a travesty of justice," said Interim Assitant City Manager Bruce Mills, who was also the primary investigator on the 1982 case where Meza raped and murdered 8-year-old Kendra Page. "We don't know how many more people he killed or would have killed," Mills said. Mills recalled Meza pleading guilty to Page's murder. For reasons he still does not entirely understand, the case did not go to trial, he said at a Tuesday press event. "We never really got solid answers on that," Mills said. "I think 11 years later, this guy was...

Austin's Project Connect clears state opposition... for now

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:29 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A bill that aimed to derail Project Connect, Austin's massive transportation plan, was killed in the regular session. But lobbyists and attorneys behind the “No Blank Checks” bill believe legal challenges are still likely in the future. "I feel confident that we're going to celebrate that Austin gets the light rail that its people want," Mayor Kirk Watson said Tuesday. But Watson also said legal challenges were likely to be part of the project's future. HB 3899 aimed “to ensure local government corporations in Texas follow the same rules as cities and counties when issuing debt backed by property taxes," a release said. Under the bill, any local government corporation created through a tax rate increase election would be required to abide by the same rules cities and counties do when issuing debt. In the case of the Austin Transit Partnership — the organization created to oversee Project Connect — HB 3899 would apply to any debt they issue in the future for the...