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Progressive Minnesota US Rep. Ilhan Omar draws prominent primary challenger

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:47 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar got a prominent Democratic primary challenger Sunday when former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels announced he’ll try once again to unseat her after coming close in 2022.Omar, a charter member of “the squad” of progressive House Democrats, won reelection twice despite making comments in her first term that were widely criticized for invoking antisemitic tropes and suggesting Jewish Americans have divided loyalties. But Omar — a Somali American and Muslim — has come under renewed fire for condemning the Israeli government’s handling of its war against Hamas.“Our congresswoman has a predilection to divisiveness and conflict,” Samuels said in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of his official announcement Sunday morning on WCCO Radio.The Jamaican-born Samuels still maintains that his narrow primary loss in 2022 showed Omar was beatable, and that he could have won if they had competed later in the general ele...

Sunday Forecast: Breezy, decreasing clouds, high near 60

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:47 GMT

Sunday: Decreasing clouds, breezy & milder. S 10-20, G30 mph. Air quality is Good to Moderate today around Chicagoland. High near 60Sunday Night: Mostly clear & a bit breezy. SW/NW 5-15 mph. Low near 40Monday: Mostly sunny & mild. WSW 5-15 mph. High: 61Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Extended outlook calls for continued dry and unseasonably mild. A chilly start to Tuesday with lows in the mid 30s but highs in the mid to low 60s. We'll stay mild and sunny with highs in the mid to low 60s until Thursday. Then some increasing clouds and chance of showers returns Thursday night. Showers and temps in the mid 50s likely for this coming Friday. 

Sunday Brunch: Beignets with Blue Door Kitchen and Garden

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:47 GMT

Join WGN Weekend Morning News Sunday Brunch with executive chef at Blue Door Kitchen and Garden.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.

State of emergency declared after fire shuts down Los Angeles freeway

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:47 GMT

(KTLA) — Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday night after a massive fire shut down part of the 10 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles.The blaze was first reported early Saturday around 12:30 a.m. at a pallet yard underneath the freeway near East 14th and Alameda streets. The flames quickly spread to neighboring storage yards and engulfed both sides of 14th Street underneath the 10, eventually melting some of the freeway's steel guardrails and damaging firetrucks, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.More than 160 firefighters from 26 companies and a helicopter responded to battle the blaze.Firefighters battle a massive fire near an overpass in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 11, 2023. (KTLA)Firefighters battle a fire near an overpass in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 11, 2023. (KTLA)A homeless encampment is seen as firefighters battle a fire near an overpass in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 11, 2023. (KTLA)Firefighters battle a massive fire near an overpas...

Black Friday shopping could look different this year, experts say

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:47 GMT

(NerdWallet) - Black Friday is Nov. 24 this year. Retailers thrive on tantalizing shoppers ahead of the post-Thanksgiving event, keeping them guessing about how exactly the experience will unfold. But economic conditions, past sales and other factors can provide clues about what’s to come.Here’s what marketing, retail and supply chain experts expect for Black Friday 2023.Shoppers and retailers may scale back“A lot of macroeconomic indicators are pointing to a big slowdown in spending,” says Jeff Galak, associate professor of marketing at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. Signs include record-high consumer credit card debt — balances reached over $1 trillion in the second quarter of 2023, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York — a reduced personal savings rate and the increased cost of goods due to inflation, Galak says.Consumers are feeling the pinch. Some 2023 shoppers say they plan to purchase gifts for fewer people this holiday season (31%) or spe...

Real World Economics: Grains of truth about U.S. ag trade

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:47 GMT

Edward LottermanIs U.S. agriculture losing out globally? Yes and no.Global grain and oilseed markets are in flux because of a sort of quadruple witching hour of short- and long-term factors: currency exchange rates, global unrest, changing political alliances, technologies and land use priorities.All this affects Minnesota because agriculture remains a major economic sector in our state and is the primary one for economic conditions in most communities outside of the Twin Cities and other metro areas.We grow large volumes of internationally traded commodities. We are home to two major commodity-trading businesses, Cargill and CHS. Storage of crops and their transport by truck, rail, barge and ocean shipping employs many thousands. Supplying and maintaining farm inputs — from million-dollar tractors and combines, seed and fertilizer, and data services — employs thousands more.So world agricultural trade is very much a local issue.So what is going on?Concerns center on whe...

PHOTOS: St. Charles Veterans Day parade

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:47 GMT

St. Charles -- The City of St. Charles celebrated Veterans Day this year with a parade and ceremony at the Lewis and Clark Boathouse. St. Charles Salutes included a full day of recognizing and celebrating veterans and their service.  The day began with a parade at 10 a.m. The parade started at the Lewis and Clark Boathouse Parking Lot and traveled down Boone’s Lick Road to Fifth Street.  After the parade returned to the Lewis and Clark Boathouse parking lot, a ceremony was held at the Veteran's Memorial.  Photo by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto by Liz DowellPhoto ...

Atmospheric river heading for Southern California: When will it start raining? 

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:47 GMT

Although SoCal is expected to see sunshine through the start of the week, an offshore Pacific storm will bring steady rain to the area for several days. There is a “100 percent chance” of rain Wednesday through Saturday for all of Southern California, according to the National Weather Service. The Southland is forecast to receive anywhere from one to three inches of rain during this period, NWS said.  State of emergency declared after fire shuts down 10 Freeway Potential flooding may occur, and high surf is forecast due to strong southerly winds. “[It will be] much cooler mid to late week with increasing rain chances and possible heavy rain as a Pacific storm system affects the region,” weather officials said. The rain forecast for Southern California for Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023.According to KTLA 5 meteorologist Kacey Montoya, the trough will start to move off the coast of San Francisco by Monday, which will lead to cooler temperatures and increased cloud cover.  Loca...

America’s Support for Cannabis Legalization Hits 70%

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:47 GMT

On the heels of Ohio’s big cannabis win on election night, Gallup announced a record 70% of Americans now support the legalization of marijuana. The number has been climbing for years. In the mid-1990s when Prop 215 passed, less than 30% of Americans were on board with legalization. But once the ball started rolling, it was off to the races. Support would break 30% in 2000. Then as more and more medical states came online in the 2000s, eventually support would hit half of Americans in 2011. The next big catalyst for support was the first couple states to legalize. With the exception of a 2% dip in 2017, more Americans have supported cannabis legalization every year since Colorado and Washington decided to be the canaries in the coal mine. But the sky has not fallen, and now a little less than a decade later, we’ve hit 70%!The nation’s oldest marijuana reform organization, NORML, was thrilled with the news. “There’s no ‘buyer’s remorse’ among the public when it come...

Sunnyvale public safety officer wins advocacy award

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:26:47 GMT

Officer wins advocacy awardAt the 30th annual Domestic Violence Conference on Oct. 13, Sunnyvale Public Safety Officer James Pine received the Melinda “Mindy” Zen Domestic Violence Victim Advocacy Award. Pine was recognized for his efforts in supporting a domestic violence victim during an extensive investigation. He obtained a gun violence restraining order, recovered a firearm and safely apprehended the perpetrator. He was able to create a strong rapport with the victim and supported her throughout the investigation and court process.Pine is currently assigned to the patrol division as a field training officer and is a sniper on the SWAT team.New traffic signal at WolfeConstruction at the intersection of South Wolfe Road and Dartshire Way has begun. This project is intended improve pedestrian safety by tightening the corners, installing new curb ramps, installing crosswalks and allowing protected vehicular left turns. Dartshire Way will be slurry sealed and striped in December. Tr...