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Iowa GOP schedules Jan. 15 for leadoff presidential caucuses. It’s on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:48 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Republicans announced Saturday that the party’s presidential nominating caucuses will be held Jan. 15, on the federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr., putting the first votes of the 2024 election a little more than six months away as the GOP tries to reclaim the White House.White House candidates have campaigned in Iowa since last winter, but there has been some uncertainty about the date for the caucuses that have by tradition kicked off the Republican selection process for a nominee. What’s changed is the Democratic National Committee’s election calendar, dropping Iowa as its first contest.The Iowa Republican Party’s state central committee voted unanimously for the third Monday in January — a date that is earlier by several weeks than the past three caucuses, though not as early as 2008, when they were held just three days into the new year.The decision could have implications for both parties. Iowa Democrats had been waiting for the GOP...

A mob storms Tbilisi Pride Fest site, forcing the event’s cancellation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:48 GMT

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Hundreds of opponents of gay rights on Saturday swarmed the site of an LGBT festival in the capital of the country of Georgia, vandalizing the stage, setting fires and looting the event’s bar.Deputy Georgian Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze said participants in the Tbilisi Pride Fest were safely evacuated from the scene. Festival organizers called on people not to come to the lakeside park where the event was to be held. Georgian news media estimated about 5,000 people marched toward the site. Many of them waved Georgian flags and carried religious icons. Animosity toward sexual minorities is strong in Georgia, which is predominantly Orthodox Christian, and some previous LGBT events have met violent disruptions. Darakhvelidze said police tried to obstruct the protesters but could not hold all of them back. But the event organizers criticized police as ineffectual, saying in a statement: “The police did not block the access road to the festival...

At rainy Wimbledon, Alcaraz among those playing day after day — and winning

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:48 GMT

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz played for the second straight day at Wimbledon and won again.So did Christopher Eubanks, Aryna Sabalenka and Petra Kvitova.Stefanos Tsitsipas also won a match for the second day in a row, but on his fifth consecutive day on court.The rain early in the week at the All England Club has caused some chaos with the schedule, forcing many players to get on court day after day. Even more rain came on Saturday, delaying the proceedings briefly.The backlog hasn’t seemed to slow down Alcaraz, a 20-year-old Spaniard who is seeded No. 1 and is considered to be the next big star in men’s tennis. Playing under the roof on Centre Court, Alcaraz advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon for the second straight year by beating No. 25 Nicolas Jarry 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 7-5.“Stay focused all the time,” Alcaraz said on court. “I knew I was going to have my chances.”Alcaraz, last year’s U.S. Open champion, reached the semifinals at the French Open — lo...

Victim identified in east end shooting in Queen and Carlaw area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:48 GMT

Toronto police have identified the woman killed in a daylight shooting in Leslieville on Friday afternoon.Investigators say the woman was an innocent bystander hit by a stray bullet.Officers were called to the Queen Street East and Carlaw Avenue area at around 12:23 p.m. for reports of shots fired.Caroline Huebner-Makurat, 44, of Toronto, was found in the area and transported to a trauma centre in an ambulance. She was later pronounced dead.Witnesses reported seeing three males involved in an altercation before shots rang out.“Prior to the shooting, officers have learned that there were three individuals involved in a verbal and physical altercation at Queen Street and Carlaw,” Duty Insp. Michelle Olszevski said.Olszevski also said investigators aren’t yet certain how many people fired shots, or how many total shots were fired.Earlier police released information on two of the suspects. No description has been provided for the third person involved in the original confrontation that ...

Major league Rugby championship to take off in Chicago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:48 GMT

Major League Rugby championship is expected take off on Saturday and the CEO of the organization joined WGN Weekend Morning News to share more on it.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

Weekend Gardening with Tim Joyce

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:48 GMT

Like the smell of freshly cut grass? Well, you're not alone! Check out Weekend gardening with Tim Joyce for more tips and facts about gardening. Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

IRS warns taxpayers of new 'unclaimed refund' scam – here's how it works

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:48 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Amid the onslaught of text and email scams, there's a new tactic targeting your bank account, the Internal Revenue Service warns, and it uses old-fashioned physical envelopes.The choice of a mailer is likely by design as the IRS doesn't contact taxpayers by email, text message or social media channels to ask for personal or financial information. The scam mailer shows up in a cardboard envelope from a delivery service, and the letter inside has the IRS masthead and the wording "in relation to your unclaimed refund." However, instead of getting you a refund, the letter goes on to request detailed information that identity thieves themselves can use to file for a tax refund or access other financial information. Walgreens expects to close 150 U.S. stores, CFO says "This is just the latest in the long string of attempts by identity thieves posing as the IRS in hopes of tricking people into providing valuable personal information to steal identities and money, including ta...

6 killed in Southern California plane crash 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:48 GMT

(KTLA) – Six people died when a business jet crashed near the French Valley Airport in Murrieta, California, early Saturday morning, marking the second deadly crash at the airstrip in one week, authorities said. The Cessna C550 business jet crashed just north of the airport around 4:15 a.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The flight, which had departed from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, went down in a field and burst into flames.“Deputies located an aircraft fully engulfed,” the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said. “Six occupants from the plane were located and pronounced deceased at the scene.”The crash caused a small brush fire that crews were able to extinguish in an hour, the Riverside County Fire Department said.The identities of the victims were not immediately released. Death of Texas airport worker ‘ingested’ into plane engine ruled a suicide Saturday morning’s crash comes just four days after one man was killed when his pla...

Whatever happened to Whataburger's Whataguy?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:48 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — You may be the ultimate Whatafan, but did you know the iconic orange and white Texas restaurant has a little-seen mascot? According to Whataburger, Whataguy made his debut appearance on kids' meal bags and games in summer 1999 with a mission: "To protect freshness, flavor and the Whataburger Way!" Where did Whataburger’s orange and white colors come from? But despite the character's popularity, Texas' signature fast food restaurant has used the character sparingly, leading many to wonder: Whatever happened to Whataguy?Memories and throwback sentiments of Whataguy and sidekick Attaboy live on online, in places like the Whataburger subreddit — where the Whatapals and the lore (yes, deeper lore!) resurface occasionally. Just last month, one Reddit user sought help trying to remember one of the Whatapal's names."Who knows if the Whataguy will ever come back," lamented one of the subreddit's users just four months ago. There's even Whataguy fan art.But despite his sporadic...

Solar storm Thursday could make Northern Lights visible in Twin Cities

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:21:48 GMT

A solar storm forecast for Thursday is expected to give skygazers in 17 American states a chance to glimpse the Northern Lights, the colorful sky show that happens when solar wind hits the atmosphere.Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, are most often seen in Alaska, Canada and Scandinavia, but an 11-year solar cycle that’s expected to peak in 2024 is making the lights visible in places farther to the south. Three months ago, the light displays were visible in Arizona, marking the third severe geomagnetic storm since the current solar cycle began in 2019.The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks has forecast auroral activity on Thursday in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Indiana, Maine and Maryland.Auroral activity also has been forecast for Canada, including Vancouver.Light displays are expected to be visible overhead in Milwaukee, M...