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Northwest Side church hosts Christmas party for asylum seekers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:32 GMT

CHICAGO — Barbara Maldonado said she knows what it's like to leave everything behind and start over. She and her family left Puerto Rico in 2017 after the devastation of Hurricane Maria, but she found hope and help in church."When I arrived, they welcomed me like, 'this is your home, your house, whatever you need, we’re here,'" Maldonado said. "They’ve been there for me since I arrived. [Now] I've got to do now what they did for me."Now-a-days, Maldonado is the coordinator for the Ministry serving migrant families at St. Genevieve and Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr Parish. For months, Maldonado and parishioners have helped new arrivals with essentials like clothing and food, but she felt like this time of year is also a great time to spread some cheer. More from Gaynor: Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago sets up toy shop to help make the holidays special for families "When you talk to them, they tell you their stories," Maldonado said. "Let’s do something different — let’s draw ...

Weekend Break: Prancer's Pub Pop-Up

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:32 GMT

A hotel in the west suburbs transformed its lodge-themed bar into a Christmas spectacle, featuring a red, green and white menu crafted to holiday perfection.WGN's Courtney Spinelli takes you to the Prancer's Pub Pop-Up found at the Hyatt Lodge Oak Brook on Jorie Boulevard in the western suburbs.For more information on the Prancer's Pub Pop-Up, or to book a stay at the Hyatt Lodge Oak Brook, you can visit the hotel's website, or look up @hyattlodge on social media.

State of Texas: Legal challenge launched against bill to boost border security

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:32 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) - A day after Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law, a bill that would make illegal border crossings a state crime in Texas is now facing its first legal challenge. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas along with the ACLU and the Texas Civil Rights Project announced they filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging Senate Bill 4 from taking effect. The three plaintiffs bringing the lawsuit include El Paso County, the Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center and American Gateway. RELATED: New Texas law could reshape state authority over the US border In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Adriana Piñon, the legal director of the ACLU of Texas, said, "We’re suing to block one of the most extreme anti-immigrant bills in the country. The bill overrides bedrock constitutional principles and flouts federal immigration law while harming Texans, in particular Brown and Black communities." The law — which is set to take effect next year on March 5 — makes it a state crime t...

Hundreds honor slain Hmong advocate and performer Tou Ger Xiong at Woodbury memorial

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:32 GMT

Hundreds of people turned out at a Woodbury high school on Saturday to honor the life of Twin Cities comedian, Hmong advocate and political campaigner Tou Ger Xiong, who was killed earlier this month in Colombia.Tou Ger Xiong (Courtesy of the Bush Foundation)The candlelight vigil was held inside East Ridge High School, which is near where he grew up.Along with family, friends and community members, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., turned out to honor Xiong. Dozens of volunteers at the vigil wore pink T-shirts in honor of Tou Ger Xiong’s favorite color.His mother, Sao Lou Vue, speaking through a translator, said that although she was Tou Ger Xiong’s mother, she knew he belonged to the community and she could see that looking out into the crowd, and wanted to thank people for that.She told the crowd that in their darkest hour, she and her children would be there for people, like people were there for her family.One of Tou Ger Xiong’s...

Kiszla: Is the next Broncos loss an elimination game for quarterback Russell Wilson?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:32 GMT

With no room for error in the Broncos’ pursuit of a playoff berth, are the final three tests on the regular-season schedule also elimination games for quarterback Russell Wilson?From the jump, Wilson and coach Sean Payton have made for an odd couple. One’s a choir boy; the other’s a class (and crass) clown. How do you meld a small quarterback whose skill set requires strategic compromises with a big, complex playsheet authored by a huge ego?Now, in a relationship that only was going to be built on winning, DangeRuss doesn’t cook and Payton admits he must devise game plans with little margin for error.We can all argue until we’re blue in the face about what, if any, meaning to assign a silly tiff on the Broncos sideline between an unhinged coach and his robotic quarterback during a lopsided loss in Detroit. The bottom line: If Wilson and Payton can’t win together, why try to salvage a relationship between a mismatched quarterback and coach, whose personalities and p...

Colorado AD Rick George believes unlimited transfers could take focus off education

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:32 GMT

College athletics have gone through significant changes in recent years, giving more freedom to student-athletes than ever before.Colorado attorney general Phil Weiser is joining the fight to give even more freedom to the athletes by allowing them to transfer as often as they want without penalty. Meanwhile, University of Colorado athletic director Rick George is among the many administrators who are hoping that won’t happen.Related Articles Festivus 2023: The airing of grievances, sports edition Football recruiting: CU Buffs land top-rated lineman Jordan Seaton Former FIU tackle Phillip Houston commits to CU Buffs Keeler: CSU Rams coach Jay Norvell’s biggest football recruiting wins on National Signing Day were from his own roster. But can he build on that momentum? Recruiting: Still waiting on Jordan Seaton, CU Buffs announce class of 21 newcomers for 2024 “I think we’re forgetting about the fact ...

Large sewage spill closes Orange County beach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:32 GMT

A large sewage spill prompted the closure of areas in Laguna Beach to the public on Saturday.Around 1,964 gallons of sewage were released into the ocean due to a blockage in a sewer main, according to the OC Health Care Agency.Ocean areas from Victoria Beach to Goff Island Beach are currently closed.Visitors are not allowed to swim, surf, or dive into the waters until results from a follow-up monitoring test show bacteria levels are up to health standards.People who come into contact with contaminated water during this period could become ill, officials warned. Those who are especially susceptible are children, the elderly, or anyone who is immunocompromised.A large sewage spill has prompted the closure of areas from Victoria Beach to Goff Island Beach in Laguna Beach on Dec. 23, 2023. (OC Health Care Agency)A large sewage spill has prompted the closure of areas from Victoria Beach to Goff Island Beach in Laguna Beach on Dec. 23, 2023. (OC Health Care Agency)Warnings were also activ...

Israel strikes 2 homes, killing more than 90 Palestinians. Biden says he didn’t request a cease-fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:32 GMT

By Najib Jobain and Samy Magdy | Associated PressRAFAH, Gaza Strip — More than 90 Palestinians, including dozens from an extended family, were killed in Israeli airstrikes on two homes in Gaza, rescuers and hospital officials said Saturday, a day after the U.N. chief warned that nowhere is safe in the territory and that Israel’s offensive creates “massive obstacles” to distribution of humanitarian aid.U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, calling it a long and private conversation a day after the Biden administration again shielded Israel in the diplomatic arena. On Friday, the U.N. Security Council adopted a watered-down resolution that calls for immediately speeding up aid deliveries to desperate civilians in Gaza, but not for a cease-fire.“I did not ask for a cease-fire,” Biden said of the call. Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister “made clear that Israel would continue the war until achieving all its goals.”Also Saturday...

Pro-Palestine protestor climbs on Christmas tree in Union Square; SFPD asks public to avoid area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:32 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A pro-Palestine protester was seen climbing a Christmas tree in San Francisco's Union Square on Saturday afternoon, video from the Citizen App shows. A Palestine flag was seen attached to the centerpiece Christmas tree in the city's downtown area.The protestor climbing on the tree was seen holding a "Free Palestine" sign. Video from the scene can be viewed in the media player above. San Francisco Police Department officers were at the scene in response, the department told KRON4. SFPD said, "people began to commit crimes ranging from assault to felony vandalism causing property damage." Two Antioch minors killed in fatal hit-and-run   The public was asked to avoid the area due to police activity, according to a tweet sent at 4:09 p.m. by the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management.Several suspects were arrested. "The group appears to have cleared from Union Square," SFPD said. Police say anyone with information is asked to contact SFPD at 415-575-...

CDC tracking new COVID variant’s growth

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:22:32 GMT

(KRON) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been tracking the growth of the JN.1 COVID-19 variant.JN.1 split from its parent, BA.2.86.  Flu and COVID infections are rising and could get worse over the holidays, CDC says BA.2.86 is similar to JN.1, however; JN.1 has an additional mutation (L455S) in the spike protein.According to the CDC, JN.1 is the most widely spread variant in the United States. JN.1 is expected to account for 39-50 percent of all SARS-CoV-2 variants, which is an increase from the projected prevalence two weeks ago of 15-29 percent.According to the CDC, the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines produce antibodies that protect against JN.1. The CDC says there has been a trend of increased COVID-19 cases in the fall and winter seasons. COVID-19 activity is elevated and increasing in the U.S., as measured by emergency department visits, test positivity, wastewater levels, and hospitalizations. The CDC provides recommendations to fight the JN...