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Justice Department seeks 33 years in prison for ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio in Jan. 6 case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:21 GMT

The Justice Department is seeking 33 years in prison for Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader convicted of seditious conspiracy in one of the most serious cases to emerge from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to court documents filed Thursday. The sentence, if imposed, would be by far the longest punishment that has been handed down in the massive Jan. 6 prosecution. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy in a separate case, has the received the longest sentence to date — 18 years. Tarrio, who once served as national chairman of the far-right extremist group, and three lieutenants were convicted by a Washington jury in May of conspiring to block the transfer of presidential power in the hopes of keeping Republican Donald Trump in the White House after he lost the 2020 election. Tarrio, who was not at the Capitol riot itself, was a top target of what has become the largest Justice Department investigation in Ameri...

Taekwondo athletes appear to be North Korea’s first delegation to travel since border closed in 2020

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:21 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — North Korean taekwondo athletes and officials were traveling through Beijing on Friday morning, apparently the country’s first delegation to travel abroad since the nation closed its borders in early 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The group of around 80 men and women wearing white track suits with “Taekwondo-Do” printed on the back and the North Korean flag on the front were in the departure hall of Beijing’s international airport checking in and walking to customs. They reportedly arrived Wednesday or Thursday. The group was expected to take an Air Astana flight to Kazakhstan to compete at the International Taekwon-do Federation World Championships, according to Japanese and South Korean media. The competition is being held in Astana through Aug. 30.North Korea has extremely limited air connections at the best of times and travel all but ended when Pyongyang closed the national borders to prevent the spread of COVID-19. How badly North Koreans were...

Utilities begin loading radioactive fuel into a second new reactor at Georgia nuclear plant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:21 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Workers have begun loading radioactive fuel into a second new nuclear reactor in Georgia, utilities said Thursday, putting the reactor on a path to begin generating electricity in the coming months.Georgia Power Co. says workers will transfer 157 fuel assemblies into the reactor core at Plant Vogtle, southeast of Augusta, in the next few days. There are already three reactors operating at the plant. Two reactors have been operating for decades, while the third reactor entered commercial operation on July 31, becoming the first new nuclear unit built from scratch in the United States in decades.It’s a key step toward completing the two-reactor project, which is seven years late and $17 billion over budget.Once fuel is loaded, operators will conduct tests and begin splitting atoms, which creates the high temperatures that boil steam that drives turbines, which generates electricity. The company says unit 4 is supposed to reach commercial operation by March 2024.Th...

1959 Chicago Little League champs reunite, share memories 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:21 GMT

CHICAGO — A barrier-breaking part of Chicago baseball history is reunited and sharing their memories. In August of 1959, the Tuley Park Comets finished an undefeated season becoming the first Black team to win the Chicago Park District Little League Championship. SEE ALSO: MORE STORIES FROM WGN'S GAYNOR HALL“It was magical. It was exciting,” said Robert Collins. “It was all you could dream for as a 12-year-old.” Former teammates and lifelong friends recently reunited at the park to celebrate the anniversary of their win. “There’s nothing like what we had. What we had and what we still have,” said Edward Thompson III, whose father coached the team. “We’ve been bonded for life.” 19592023Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesGaynor Hall, photojournalists Bradley Piper and Ted Parra report in this WGN-TV Cover Story. 

Stratotanker helps Thunderbirds get ready for Chicago Air and Water Show

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:21 GMT

GARY, Ind. —  One of the lesser-known attractions for the Chicago Air and Water Show is called the KC-135 Stratotanker. Without it, the Thunderbirds would have a tough time appearing at the annual show this weekend.In Gary, Indiana, Schaumburg native Patrick Burke said he is living out a childhood dream. WGN’s Mike Lowe skydives with Golden Knights "I flew in the (Chicago Air and Water Show) last year. It was a surreal experience," Burke said. "Watching it as a kid piqued my interest in aviation and sent me down the career path I’m on today."The KC-135 Stratotanker can provide long-range refueling — mid-air — for the likes of the Navy, the Marines and the Thunderbirds. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesThe Chicago Air and Water show is scheduled for this weekend along the lakefront. The free show is the largest of its kind in the United States.This year’s headliners include the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Army Golden Knights.

Rev. Jesse Jackson honored with lifetime achievement recognition

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:21 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Rev. Jesse Jackson was honored Thursday with a lifetime achievement recognition by the Parliament of the World’s Religions.The lifetime achievement recognition from the Parliament of the World’s Religions for his good works and championing human rights throughout his career.Rev. Jackson announced on July 15 that he will step down as president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Chicago-based civil rights group he founded more than 50 years ago.Jackson, 81, announced his resignation during a quiet farewell speech at the organization’s annual convention, where the group paid tribute to him with songs, kind words from other Black activists and politicians, and a video montage of Jackson’s 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns.Jackson has been a powerful advocate for civil rights and a strong voice in American politics for decades.A protégé of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., he broke with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1971 to form Operation PUSH, initiall...

What's the difference between a hurricane and a tropical storm, and what do the categories mean?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:21 GMT

(KTXL) — Tropical storms and hurricanes rarely reach California, but they have happened before and Hurricane Hilary could possibly reach the state by the weekend. The last time a tropical storm made landfall in the state was near San Pedro on September 25, 1939, according to the National Weather Service.A hurricane reached San Diego in 1858, causing $2 million in damages to shipping, shore structures, power and communication lines, and crops. Tropical storms and hurricanes form in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and their number usually increases in August, peaks in mid-September, and continues until the month of November, according to the National Weather Service. Differences between a hurricane and a tropical stormHurricanes and tropical storms are both tropical cyclones that are rotating systems of clouds that form over tropical or subtropical waters. Their classification is determined by wind speed. According to the NOAA, Hurricanes gain energy from warm ocean waters ...

Elgin ISD turns to Spain to fill teacher vacancies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:21 GMT

ELGIN, Texas (KXAN) — Students are back in the classroom once again at Elgin Independent School District.Teachers, like Maria Gallego, are busy learning a lot of new names, but she's also still learning about Elgin.She is one of 11 teachers in the district who came to Texas to teach, and she said this will be her second year."It is very good to see them improve along their year," Gallego said.Daniel Cansino heard about the Texas Spain International Teacher Program as well and also signed up."Here I teach Spanish so I feel like I am at home," Cansino said. Leander ISD welcomes teachers from Australia, Jamaica as school year starts again Both teachers are bilingual, and with a high demand for teachers who can speak Spanish, they were welcomed with open arms."I did not know I was helping to fill a position until I get here," Gallego said. "So, I am happy, they are happy, it is a win-win."The program helps fill much needed positions, but it also allows the teachers to teach students a...

Where do the rich live in Austin? ABJ map shows the way to wealth

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:21 GMT

AUSTIN (ABJ) — If you want to find the metro's wealthiest ZIP codes, you’ll need to travel west of MoPac Expressway.The top five on Austin Business Journal's latest list of ZIPs ranked by median household income form a loose band stretching from the hilly bends of Lake Austin down to Driftwood. That household income ranged from $187,778 in the No. 1, the 78733 ZIP that includes the Barton Creek neighborhood, to $153,438 in 78619, on the southwest fringe of the capital city in Hays County.That's no surprise — Austin's wealth has long been concentrated on its west side. But ABJ's list, which uses U.S. Census Bureau data, shows how that level of wealth is changing: in 2020, median household income in 78733 was $171,027 and in 78619 it was $136,779.Read the full story and list on the Austin Business Journal.

Public is invited as Viking River Cruises returns to St. Paul on Saturday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:21 GMT

When Viking River Cruises sails into downtown St. Paul with its custom-built luxury liner on Saturday morning, the public is invited to welcome visitors and wish them a bon voyage.The city of St. Paul, the Visit St. Paul tourism bureau and the St. Paul Downtown Alliance will celebrate the state-of-the-art cruise boat’s return to the banks of the downtown Mississippi River at 8 a.m. Saturday at Lambert’s Landing.Visitors are invited to take photos in front of the 386-passenger cruise ship and enjoy live music and food trucks between 8 and 10 a.m.Earlier: We went aboard the Viking Mississippi, a luxury cruise liner, on its St. Paul stop.Lambert’s Landing is at 494 Shepard Road.After years of preparation, Viking launched its travel experiences between New Orleans and St. Paul a year ago with trips ranging from eight to 15 days.Related ArticlesThings to Do | Hamline plans forum on academic freedom after classroom controversy Things to Do | Ba...