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Biden will host Sweden’s prime minister at the White House as the Nordic nation seeks to join NATO

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will host Sweden’s prime minister at the White House on Wednesday in a show of solidarity as the United States presses for the Nordic nation’s entry into NATO, a bid stalled by objections from two members of the Western military alliance. Biden and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson plan to “review our growing security cooperation and reaffirm their view that Sweden should join NATO as soon as possible,” the White House said a statement Saturday. The leaders also will discuss the war in Ukraine and China.Sweden and neighbor Finland dropped their long-standing military neutrality after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and applied for NATO membership, seeking protection under the organization’s security umbrella. Finland, which shares an 832-mile (1,340 kilometer) border with Russia, joined NATO in April. Sweden, which has avoided military alliances for more than 200 years, has seen its ascension delayed by Turkey and Hungary;...

Police search for 2 men who fled scene of multi-vehicle crash in Scarborough

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:24 GMT

Police are looking for two men who fled the scene of an early morning crash in Scarborough.Investigators say they were called to the area of Kennedy Road and Sheppard Avenue East just after 6 a.m. for a crash involving four vehicles including a TTC bus. One of the cars then struck a bus shelter and a tree. Two men from that vehicle fled the scene.The bus was empty at the time and the driver did not sustain any serious injuries. Paramedics tell CityNews two people were assessed at the scene and one person was taken to a nearby hospital suffering from non-life threatening injuries.

Man charged for officer impersonation, battery of teen girls: Park Ridge police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:24 GMT

CHICAGO -- A suburban man is being charged with multiple felony counts for impersonating a police officer and battery of teenage girls, Park Ridge Police said. According to police, 38-year-old James E. Tripi from Streamwood is facing two counts of false impersonation of a police officer, 2 more counts of unlawful restraint and two counts of aggravated battery.Park Ridge police stated two separate reports made of a man approaching teenager girls and telling them he is a police officer -- on June 14 and June 23 between the hours of 11:45 p.m. and 12:15 a.m. Tripi allegedly told the girls he is a police officer and proceeded to pat them down, grabbing the buttocks of one of the girls. 4 shot, 1 fatally after shooting in Chicago Lawn: CPD Park Ridge Police Department deployed women officer decoys dressed as teenage girls as a part of the investigation. The two officers decoyed were walking in the 300 block of South Lincoln Avenue around 12:00 a.m. when they were approached by the off...

Saturday Forecast: Warm, mid-80s chance of showers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:24 GMT

Saturday: Warm conditions with low pressure bringing a good chance for showers and thunderstorms.  And showers are expected to be light mainly north of I 80 with heavier downpours south of that corridor. Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)High temps on Saturday will climb into the mid-80s with cooler weather coming Sunday.Chicago Area Radar | WGN TV

Weekend Gardening with Tim Joyce: Perennial garden suggestions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:24 GMT

Join WGN Weekend Morning News for Weekend Gardening with Tim Joyce for more tips on perennial 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.

What is a flash drought? An earth scientist explains

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:24 GMT

(The Conversation) - Many people are familiar with flash floods – torrents that develop quickly after heavy rainfall. But there’s also such a thing as a flash drought, and these sudden, extreme dry spells are becoming a big concern for farmers and water utilities.Flash droughts start and intensify quickly, over periods of weeks to months, compared to years or decades for conventional droughts. Still, they can cause substantial economic damage, since communities have less time to prepare for the impacts of a rapidly evolving drought. In 2017, a flash drought in Montana and the Dakotas damaged crops and grasses that served as forage for cattle, causing US$2.6 billion in agricultural losses.Flash droughts also can increase wildfire risks, cause public water supply shortages and reduce stream flow, which harms fish and other aquatic life.A developing flash drought in the central U.S. covered 64% of corn territory and 57% of soybean territory in late June 2023. Areas marked S a...

Lake Austin watercraft ban starts at sunset Monday for July 4 holiday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Starting at sunset Monday, no watercrafts will be allowed on Lake Austin. The city’s annual ordinance will lift Wednesday at sunrise.The ban applies to personal watercrafts, wet bikes, motorized surfboards and similar devices. Kayaks, canoes and paddleboards are allowed.Austin Police Department’s Lake Patrol Unit will enforce the ordinance, according to the city. Boaters should call 911 to report reckless boat operations or for emergencies.Lake Travis is not affected by the watercraft ban. Lake Austin stretches from Mansfield Dam to the Tom Miller Dam.The city’s annual ordinance, which aims to enforce public safety, also goes into effect for periods around the Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays.

At least 1 injured in fiery rollover crash in Compton 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:24 GMT

A fiery crash in Compton hurt at least one person and left one car completely charred. Authorities responded to the rollover wreck on the eastbound side of the 91 Freeway near Wilmington Avenue around 9:30 p.m. Friday night. Video shows one sedan flipped onto its roof and another vehicle completely burnt.A fiery crash in Compton hurt at least one person and left one car completely charred. (KeyNews)A fiery crash in Compton hurt at least one person and left one car completely charred. (KeyNews)A fiery crash in Compton hurt at least one person and left one car completely charred. (KeyNews)A fiery crash in Compton hurt at least one person and left one car completely charred. (KeyNews) Massive fire breaks out at discount store in South Central Los Angeles It was reported that at least one person was injured, but their condition, as well as the conditions of the other occupants of both vehicles, are unknown. CHP temporarily closed two lanes of the freeway to cl...

Massive fire breaks out at discount store in South Central Los Angeles

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:24 GMT

A large fire engulfed a commercial building in South Central Los Angeles early Saturday morning. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, more than 80 firefighters were dispatched to the Best Bargain discount store on South Broadway near West 41st Place around 2:30 a.m. to combat the blaze, which started on the roof of the store and quickly spread inside. A large fire engulfed a commercial building in South Central Los Angeles early Saturday morning. (KTLA)A large fire engulfed a commercial building in South Central Los Angeles early Saturday morning. (KTLA)A large fire engulfed a commercial building in South Central Los Angeles early Saturday morning. (KTLA)A large fire engulfed a commercial building in South Central Los Angeles early Saturday morning. (KTLA)It took an hour and a half for fire crews to contain the blaze, but due to potential signs of structural collapse, firefighters were unable to immediately target hot spots in the interior of the building.No injuries w...

Targeting glut of political campaign signs, Livermore bans all temporary signs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:33:24 GMT

Call it a sign of the times.Starting Saturday, temporary signs directing people to open houses or garage sales will be outlawed in much of Livermore, along with political signs. The city has banned the signs on public property such as sidewalks and medians, beginning July 1.The City Council passed the ban last year to try to rein in the glut of political signs that pop up every election season. But intentional or not, the new law prohibits any temporary sign in the public right-of-way.The ban – which is billed as “content-neutral” to reduce exposure to litigation alleging violations of the First Amendment – captures in its web all types of signs, including those directing people to businesses, events, yard sales and open houses. The move frustrates local real estate professionals who say it throws the baby out with the bathwater by restricting signs that haven’t been causing problems to target the problematic political ones.David Stark, a spokesperson for Bay East Associ...