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Turkey’s Erdogan hosts Zelenskyy, says Ukraine deserves membership in NATO

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:55:42 GMT

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed support early Saturday for Ukraine joining NATO, saying the war-torn country deserves to join the alliance.Erdogan made the comment at a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who arrived in Turkey as part of a European tour to rally support for Ukraine’s entry into the military alliance after the war with Russia comes to an end. NATO leaders meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, next week are expected to reaffirm that Ukraine will join their alliance one day.“There is no doubt that Ukraine deserves NATO membership,” Erdogan told reporters,His support for Ukraine comes as Turkey has been holding off giving its final approval to Sweden joining NATO, saying Stockholm is not effectively cracking down on Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara views as threats to its security.Sweden, along with Finland, abandoned its decades-long neutrality and applied to join NATO following Russia’s invasion o...

Water woes persist in north suburban communities as boil order nears a week

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:55:42 GMT

HAWTHORN WOODS, Ill. — A boil order remains in effect through the weekend for many in the northern suburbs as a stretch of non-safe drinking water nears a week. Aqua executive Jim Bilotta apologized to the communities of Hawthorn Woods, Forest Lake, and Kildeer on Friday, adding that full restoration of water service is the company’s highest priority.“We have three different survey crews out right now leak detector companies, and as they find something, we'll address it right away," Bilotta said.RELATED: Many in northern suburbs spend holiday weekend without safe drinking waterAqua Illinois says they’ll continue handing out cases of water at the local aquatic center until the boil order is lifted. But more needs to be done, according to Hawthorn Woods resident Rick Epstein, who has dealt with a six-day-long water boil order. He hopes that the Illinois Commerce Commission takes a closer look at what went wrong so it doesn’t happen again."We fully support that and I think it’s importa...

CPD: Missing Chicago man may need medical attention

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:55:42 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Police Department is asking for the public's help in locating a missing 64-year-old who may be in need of medical attention.Marco Nunez, 64, was last seen on the 2400 block of West Farwell Ave near Chicago's Warren Park on Friday, July 7. CPD: Missing Chicago elderly woman last seen on June 28 Nunez is described as 5-foot-11, weighing 225 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He may be in need of medical attention.Anyone with information regarding Marco Nunez's whereabouts are asked to contact the Chicago Police Department at 312-744-8266.

'How did that happen?': Couple says Southwest Side animal hospital lost their dog

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:55:42 GMT

CHICAGO —  One question is constantly replaying in the minds of one Chicago couple after they say the facility watching their two dogs lost one of them: “How did that happen?”  On June 30, Paul and Abigail Chavez dropped off their dogs at Brighton Park Animal Hospital before leaving for a Walt Disney World road trip with their children. “We said, 'She’s a hopper. She likes to climb things. Can you put her somewhere else?' So they did.” Chavez said.   ‘It’s been hell’: Northwest Indiana family remembers positive spirit of daughter killed in tailgating crash Paul Chavez said when his phone rang on July 5, however, he never expected to hear the words that his dog, Henny, a one-year-old Belgian Malinois, was missing. “He was stating that he was sorry, that he was very embarrassed, and that has never happened before,” Chavez said.  According to Chavez, management called and informed him that a handler brought Henny for a walk, and when she got sp...

Lincoln Presidential Library, Museum receives $100K grant

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:55:42 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) -- The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is getting a $100,000 grant from a prestigious Chicago-based foundation.The Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust is providing the funds to help the museum develop an interpretive plan that will shape museum exhibits and plans for decades to come, museum officials said. The goal is to make the library and museum more relevant to a broader array of visitors. Young athletes host signing day on South Side to celebrate success “We are honored that the Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust appreciates what we do and wants the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to remain a vibrant leader in the field,” said Christina Shutt, the museum's Executive Director. “This grant will go a long way toward ensuring our future is as exciting as our past.” Museum officials said they intend to create an interpretive plan setting out the best ways to present Lincoln so that vis...

U.S. jobs reports cools off for June, adds 209,000 jobs

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:55:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- The latest jobs report released Friday shows the U.S. economy grew by more than 200,000 jobs in June."That means we regained all the jobs lost during the pandemic and created nearly four million additional jobs on top of that," National Economic Council Deputy Director Joelle Gamble said.That's more than 13 million jobs added since President Biden took office, pushing the unemployment rate to just 3.6%. "That's because the President came in with a plan to grow the economy from the middle out and the bottom up," Gamble said."I think today's number probably was encouraging," said Ron Hetrick, a senior economist at Lightcast.Hetrick said although June's job growth is a bit lower than expected, it's still a good sign."I like a 200,000 gain because it's the kind of gain that we would expect right now," Hetrick said. "It's still positive but it's not something that indicates we're out of control."Experts say the slower growth is just what the Federal Reserve is loo...

Commission vote on DPS in Austin won't stand after violation of Texas Open Meetings Act

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:55:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An item voted on during last month's Austin Human Rights Commission meeting won't stand, according to the city, after the commission failed to follow proper Texas Open Meetings Act requirements. According to a tweet from Kolby Duhon, which appears to have been deleted Friday, the item would have called on the city council to "hold a vote on the future of the joint policing agreement" with the Texas Department of Public Safety to "do what they know in their hearts is right for the citizens of Austin." Duhon brought the item forward. In the resolution, Duhon pointed to the disproportionate number of Black and Latino Austinites arrested during the first month of DPS' partnership with Austin police. KXAN has previously reported that 65% of people DPS arrested for misdemeanors during that time were Latino and 23% were Black. City Council has since directed the police department and DPS to shift their strategy. But the item suggesting council nix the partnership doesn't a...

Sunset Valley Police: Bank juggings becoming more common

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:55:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Law enforcement officials are reminding people how to avoid becoming the next victim of jugging, a crime that is happening more often, according to the Sunset Valley police chief. Jugging is defined by Austin police as a form of theft that includes robbery. A person will stake out a bank parking lot and wait for people to come out with money. They will then follow that person to their next location and take the money from them or their car. What is ‘jugging’? Austin police see uptick in cases Juan Cabrera, a south Austin man, is one of the most recent victims of jugging. "Even when you feel you are in a safe neighborhood, it can still be dangerous," Cabrera said about the incident. He had gone to a Chase bank in south Austin and withdrew an envelope of cash. He placed that cash in his glove box and drove to a nearby Best Buy to run a quick errand. Cabrera was in the store for less than five minutes, and when he returned to his car, he found his window smashed and...

Lawmakers hear from public on property tax relief

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:55:42 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- A special committee of Texas House lawmakers on Friday heard public testimony regarding a slate of new legislation aimed at cutting property taxes.The House Select Study Committee on Sustainable Property Tax Relief convened at the Capitol to hear testimony "only on methods to reduce the tax burden of appraisal increases on all real property."Speaker Dade Phelan created that committee amid a months-long standoff on a deal to lower property taxes. He was a primary supporter of legislation to cap the amount that a property's appraisal value can increase each year, but that idea fell flat in the Texas Senate.The two chambers are now at odds over the strategies the state should employ to lower property taxes, primarily whether the raise the homestead exemption to $100,000. That is the Texas Senate's top priority, but Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas House have supported legislation without it.The House select committee consists of eight Republicans and five Democrats, a...

San Marcos man sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to 9 sexual assault related charges

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 19:55:42 GMT

HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- A man who was accused in 2019 of sexually assaulting three woman in San Marcos was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to nine charges relating to sexual assault. Tyshane Thomas, 24, pled guilty to the following charges in May: Aggravated sexual assaultAggravated sexual assaultBurglary of a habitation with intent to commit a felony or sexual assaultBurglary of a habitation with intent to commit a felony or sexual assaultAggravated sexual assaultAggravated sexual assaultAggravated sexual assaultAggravated sexual assaultBurglary of a habitation with intent to commit a felony or sexual assaultThomas was sentenced to life in prison.