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With warmer weather, Joshua Tree National Park beckons again

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:31 GMT

The weather was so unsettled in March that I postponed my annual trip to Joshua Tree, where it was even colder than it was here. Rather than travel, my primary birthday-month activities were 1) shivering and 2) wringing out my socks.With the forecast calling for a sunny and warm Easter weekend, though, the timing felt right. I booked a cheap motel and headed east in my trusty Fiat for my first overnight trip in months. Gangway!This was my third visit to Joshua Tree. I like it.For starters, the landscape is compelling, especially in the national park, which is primarily dirt, rocks and scrubby plants, including picturesque Joshua trees.More on Joshua TreeBirthday road trip to Joshua Tree is a gasA Fiat must really be foreign in Joshua TreeJoshua Tree, a desert trip worth takingIn the commercial districts of Joshua Tree and its neighboring communities, quirky shops and galleries add flavor, and many restaurants have eclectic fare. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you would not starve. ...

Skilling: Cloudy, warm before possible thunderstorms Thursday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:31 GMT

The predicted huge north to south temp spread Wednesday has materialized as the Chicago area finds itself divided between warm southerly winds south of a warm front headed toward the city—and the chilly southeast winds coming off 44-deg Lake Michigan waters.At mid afternoon—temps varied 35 degrees from 41-deg at Waukegan Harbor to 76 degrees (and still rising) south of Chicago in Peotone and Roselawn, IN.Clusters of t-storms have dotted sections of Illinois and Wisconsin—but have avoided Chicago proper as of post time. Hail described as ping ping to golf ball size has rained down on sections of downstate and far northwest Illinois and southern Wisconsin.Temperatures will rise in Chicago tonight as a northbound warm front passes ushering tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico into the area. That air mass has generated temps as warm as 84 on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign/Urbana and 88-deg in downstate Terre Haute, Indiana.Spotty t-storms can't be ruled out overnight int...

Federal prosecutors rest in 'ComEd Four' bribery trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:31 GMT

CHICAGO -- Federal prosecutors rested their case on Wednesday after more than a month of grueling testimony in the "ComEd Four" trial. The "ComEd Four" are former Madigan confidant Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and former ComEd consultant Jay Doherty. All have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including bribery conspiracy.Federal prosecutors accused the four defendants of conspiring to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in exchange for support of the utilities legislative agenda. Judge tentatively OKs $725M Facebook settlement: How to apply for a payout Madigan was charged in 2022 with racketeering, bribery and other crimes. He’s denied wrongdoing. A year earlier, he resigned from the Legislature as the longest-serving House speaker in modern U.S. history amid speculation that he was a federal target.The indictment accused Madigan, among other things, of reaping the benefits of private le...

Police: Large gathering anticipated at North Riverside Park Mall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:31 GMT

BERWYN, Ill. -- Berwyn police are warning the public about a possible large gathering at North Riverside Park Mall on Saturday that may be similar to what occurred in downtown Chicago last weekend.The Berwyn Police Department have received credible information that suggests a large gathering is being planned for this Saturday, April 22, at the North Riverside Park Mall. Downtown beating witness: ‘They were going to kill that young man’ Berwyn PD believe the gathering has the potential for public disturbances and acts of violence similar to what happened in downtown Chicago on Saturday, April 15.The Berwyn Police Department are working with North Riverside and other neighboring jurisdictions to address the potential threat.Law enforcement asks that residents report any suspicious activity that might be related to this gathering to the Berwyn Police Department.

Another chance for a 2023 first escapes the White Sox

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:31 GMT

CHICAGO — Now three weeks into the 2023 season and the same concerns that were there in 2022 remain.While it's certainly very early, the inconsistency and injury theme remains for the White Sox as they've dealt with a sub-par start to this campaign. Wednesday was another example of that, as a chance to get a first in 2023 once again got away at home. A 5-2 win by the Phillies at Guaranteed Rate Field sent the White Sox to their fifth-straight series loss of the season. All of those have come in a row after they were able to split their opening four games with the reigning World Series champions in Houston. That's dropped the White Sox to 7-12 on the season as they sit four games behind the Twins for first in the American League Central division as of late Wednesday afternoon. Mike Clevinger, who pitched six shutout innings against the Orioles last Friday at home, was only able to get into the third inning as he allowed three runs on six hits on 75 pitches. Tanner Banks would surrend...

Kansas City man charged in Ralph Yarl shooting pleads not guilty

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:31 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) - An 84-year-old man charged in the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl appeared in court Wednesday.Andrew Lester was charged Monday with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in Clay County. He surrendered on Tuesday at the county jail and, later that day, was released after posting bond. The 84-year-old entered court Wednesday with a cane, and his attorney pleaded not guilty on his behalf. As part of Lester's bond conditions, he will not be allowed to possess any weapons, cannot leave the state without permission, and cannot have contact with Yarl or his family. Lester is accused of shooting the 16-year-old last week after the teen accidentally went to the wrong house to pick up his siblings. Kansas City police said just before 10 p.m. April 13, Yarl was picking up his younger siblings at a home on N.E. 115th Terrace when he mistakenly went to a house on N.E. 115th Street. When he arrived at the home and rang the doorbell, Lester shot Yarl...

Van Jones advises DeSantis to go after Trump's looks, family

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:31 GMT

(The Hill) – Political strategist and commentator Van Jones says Ron DeSantis "is not prepared" for his looming GOP White House primary fight against former President Trump, advising the Florida governor, who has not yet declared his candidacy, to go low.A pro-DeSantis group aired its first TV ad earlier this week, bashing Trump for targeting DeSantis on his past positions on Medicare and Social Security and turning the attack back around on the former president. That won't work, Jones, a CNN political analyst, said in an advance clip from Comedy Central’s “Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out The News,” shared exclusively with The Hill on Wednesday.“The problem they have with someone like DeSantis is he doesn’t know how to fight,” Jones told the animated hosts of the show. “If he thinks he is going to be able to beat Donald Trump by splitting hairs about Social Security policy, he hasn’t watched Donald Trump.”Trump has regularly gotten down in the mud when attacking his opponents, ...

K-Pop star Moonbin of ASTRO found dead at 25

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:31 GMT

(WJW) – Moonbin, a member of the popular K-pop group ASTRO, passed away on Wednesday evening at his home in Seoul. He was 25 years old. The label of his group confirmed his death in a statement posted on social media, PEOPLE and several other outlets reported. Coroner determines Aaron Carter’s cause of death The group said he "suddenly left us and became a star in the sky," according to a translation of the statement by PEOPLE. It went on to say the group was "deeply mourning" him.According to PEOPLE, Moonbin started his career as a child model and actor before debuting with ASTRO in 2016. The group released three albums, including "A Drive to the Starry Road" in 2022. Moonbin was also a member of the sub-group Moonbin & Sanha, which released three EPs. Elementary students mistake meth for candy He is survived by his family, including sister Moon Sua. She is a member of the K-pop group Billie, Billboard reports.While the cause of death wasn't immediately clear, local police...

House votes to block DC police accountability bill

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:31 GMT

The House voted on Wednesday to block Washington’s police accountability bill from taking effect, the second time this year that the chamber moved to thwart legislation in the capital city.The chamber cleared the disapproval resolution in a 229-189 vote.The disapproval resolution now heads to the Senate, where its prospects remain unknown. But even if the chamber clears the measure and sends it to the White House, the Biden administration has said the president would veto the resolution.The vote came weeks after Congress successfully blocked D.C.’s revised criminal code from taking effect, a move that excited Republicans and split Democrats — some of whom were frustrated by how the process played out.The disapproval resolutions are part of a strategy by Republicans to put a spotlight on crime in the U.S., a hot-button issue that resonated with voters during the 2022 midterm elections. The votes force Democrats on the record, leading some moderates to vote against the party and ...

Biggest winners and losers in the blockbuster Fox-Dominion settlement 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:31 GMT

A last-second settlement between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems this week is reverberating throughout the political and media landscape. Experts and observers have said the deal, which was struck in dramatic fashion just moments before opening arguments in the trial over Dominion’s lawsuit was set to begin, could have major implications for the future of Fox specifically and defamation settlements paid by American media companies more generally. While it remains unclear exactly how the settlement, which awarded the voting software company almost $800 Million, will affect Fox’s financial health and reputation, here is a look at the biggest winners and losers from the historic deal.WinnersTucker Carlson, host of "Tucker Carlson Tonight," poses for photos in a Fox News Channel studio in New York.Fox executives and hosts at the center of the suit Tuesday’s deal perhaps most notably shields Fox’s leading executives and household-name talent from being thrust onto the...