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Proud Boys member who went on the run after conviction in the Jan. 6 riot gets 10 years in prison

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:41 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A member of the Proud Boys extremist group who went on the run after he was convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol and then allegedly faked a drug overdose after he was caught was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison.Christopher Worrell, who was convicted of assaulting police with pepper spray, was on house arrest in Naples, Florida, when he disappeared in August, ahead of his original sentencing date. He was found six weeks later after he tried to “covertly return” to his home, prosecutors said. He seemed to be unconscious and was hospitalized for five days to treat an apparent opioid drug overdose, but prosecutors say he faked his condition to further stall his sentencing. Worrell suffers from a rare form of lymphoma and said he was afraid the cancer treatment he’d get during a long prison sentence could allow the disease to kill him. He also disputed that he faked his overdose. “I acted out of severe mental anguish and very genuine f...

There’s a glimmer of hope for broader health coverage in Georgia, but also a good chance of a fizzle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:41 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Medicaid expansion was long politically impossible in Georgia. Now it’s just unlikely.Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns says he wants lawmakers to consider more health coverage in Georgia as their session begins Monday. But he’s careful not to label it Medicaid expansion, and certainly not “Obamacare.”“The speaker is committed to lowering costs and increasing access to healthcare across the state, and will be working closely with members over the coming weeks to develop sound policy to do just that,” Stephen Lawson, a spokesperson for the Newington Republican, said Thursday.After North Carolina began offering Medicaid to uninsured adults on Dec. 1, there are 10 remaining states that don’t cover people with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty line. That’s what was envisioned in President Barack Obama’s 2010 health care overhaul. Like in Georgia, there’s a thaw in Mississippi, where GOP legislative leaders say they’re open to extending ...

TTC bus collides with boom truck in Etobicoke, trapping two workers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:41 GMT

Fire crews are working to rescue two people trapped in the bucket of a boom truck following a collision involving a TTC bus in Etobicoke.Emergency crews were called to the area of Dundas Street West and Old Dundas Street near The Kingsway just before 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.Officials say the bus collided with the bucket of a truck, leaving two workers stuck 15 feet in the air.Fire crews rescued one person and are still working to bring the second person down.Toronto Fire says both people were “conscious and breathing” when crews arrived.The Ministry of Labour has been notified.

Man charged in series of renovation scams in Mississauga, Brampton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:41 GMT

A man is facing fraud charges for his alleged involvement in a series of renovation scams across Mississauga and Brampton.Peel Regional Police said that between Sept. 2021 and Feb. 2023, the accused, who went by Sunny of Weaver Home Improvement and North Side Renovations, signed five renovation contracts and collected deposits totalling $37,000.Investigators claimed 42-year-old Hardish Khinda of Norval, Ont., promised to provide a service, signed a contract, collected a deposit, and failed to provide said service or return the deposit. On Nov. 24, 2023, Khinda was arrested and charged with defrauding the public. He appeared in court on Dec. 18, 2023.In a news release, a police spokesperson said authorities are reminding the public to be meticulous in vetting their contractors by asking for personal referrals, checking online reviews, and verifying their credentials.

Voters file an objection to Trump's name on the Illinois ballot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:41 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A petition filed by five voters on Thursday seeks to bar former President Donald Trump from the Illinois Republican primary election ballot in March, claiming he is ineligible to hold office because he encouraged and did little to stop the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.The petition, similar to those filed in more than a dozen other states, relies on the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits anyone from holding office who previously has taken an oath to defend the Constitution and then later “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the country or given “aid or comfort” to its enemies. The Supreme Court is expected to determine whether Trump can keep running for president. Here’s why The 87-page document, signed by five people from around the state, lays out a case that Trump, having lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden, fanned the flames of hardcore supporters who attacked the Capitol on the day Congress certified the ...

'Having fun with it': Meet the Chicago-style hot dog croissant by Daisies, The Wieners Circle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:41 GMT

CHICAGO — The Logan Square restaurant and café Daisies has teamed up with The Wieners Circle to create a concoction you may not initially think about when dreaming of a pastry — a Chicago-style hot dog croissant.The collaboration kicked off Tuesday and the amount of attention it's already received is "wild," according to pastry chef Leigh Omilinsky. Starting last September with Paulie Gee's, Daisies produced croissant collaborations with Kasama and GG's Chicken Shop as well.Omilinsky sat down with WGN News to explain how the fourth edition, the Chicago-centric pastry, got off the ground with the help of a legend — Poochie from The Wieners Circle.As the series was rolling along, one of her team members light-heartedly asked, "so what's next? Wouldn't it be so funny if we did Wieners Circle?""They should know not to joke around about things back there or I'll make it happen," laughed Omilinsky.Omilinsky, courtesy Dave YakirThe other partners at Daisies got a production agency to work ...

Wilmette woman in Indiana toll road crash struck, killed by alleged intoxicated driver

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:41 GMT

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. — A woman who was involved in a crash on the Indiana Toll Road was struck and killed by an alleged intoxicated driver on the expressway.Indiana State Police were dispatched to eastbound I-90, at the .9 mile marker near the state line, on the report of a multi-vehicle crash Friday at around 4:45 p.m.Following a preliminary investigation, police believe the a gray Nissan SUV may have hydroplaned and struck the concrete barrier that separates the east and westbound lanes.A driver in a white Lexus saw the crash, which blocked the left and center lanes, and pulled over. The woman in the SUV, later identified as Sarah Herd, 23, of Wilmette, asked him to call 911 and began to walk across the roadway toward the Lexus.Police said a blue Ford F250 was traveling eastbound and approached the scene. The driver, Scott Schuch, 55, of Porter, allegedly made a sudden lane change and struck Herd. She died at the scene.Schuch's pickup truck then crashed into the Lexus. Two occupants ...

U.S. Secretary of State heads back to Middle East

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:41 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head to the Middle East Thursday night to work on preventing the war in Gaza from spreading into a wider conflict.Blinken will visit Israel and other nations important to maintaining some stability in the region.This is Secretary Blinken’s fourth trip to the Middle East since war began and the State department says his top priority is de-escalation.State department spokesman Matthew Miller says the U.S. remains focused on easing tensions in the Middle East.“Even if it’s tough, sometimes it’s the job of the United States to do that,” said Miller.Blinken's trip to the region comes just days after a drone strike killed a senior Hamas leader in Lebanon.“It is no one’s interest--not Israel’s, not the regions, not the world’s--for this conflict to spread beyond Gaza,” said Miller.Israel did not claim responsibility for the attack, but both Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah military group immediately blamed them and vowed a "s...

Republican candidates make final push ahead of Iowa caucuses

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:41 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- The first critical contest in the 2024 presidential race is less than two weeks away and the Republican candidates are fighting to win over Iowa voters. With Donald Trump still far ahead in the polls, the other candidates are making a last-minute push to show they can compete. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held an event in Iowa on Wednesday night."I'm asking for your support. I'm looking forward to January 15th." DeSantis said. Although the former president seems to have a commanding lead, the other Republican candidates are still making their case to voters. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley told people at a New Hampshire rally that her campaign is gaining momentum. "President Trump's given me some attention these days. I'm kind of flattered. I'm flattered because I know he sees what we're seeing and that means we're surging and he is getting uncomfortable," Haley said. DeSantis is going after both Trump and Haley. "Donald T...

Biden to speak at Valley Forge on 3rd anniversary of Jan. 6th attack

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:24:41 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Friday President Biden will mark the third anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol with a speech near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.The historic landmark was a turning point in the Revolutionary War."Where Americans came together to fight for our democracy hundreds of years ago," said Kevin Munoz, a representative of the Biden campaign.The President plans to talk about what he calls threats to democracy.  Munoz says we can expect Biden to go after what the campaign calls extreme Republican policies. The Biden team says democracy's future is on the ballot in November."We want to make sure every American has the freedoms that we've fought for," he said.Conservatives say President Biden and Democrats are the real threat to democracy."I think when he's talking about a threat to democracy, he must be looking in the mirror because if there's any threat to democracy, it's the actions of his administration and his supporters, " said Hans von Spakovsky of ...