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Russian diplomat flies to Beijing for talks a day after mutiny in Russia ends

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:28 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A top Russian diplomat flew to Beijing for talks with the Chinese government on Sunday, just a day after a rebellion by a Russian mercenary commander fizzled out. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang to discuss “international and regional issues of common concern,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a one-line statement on its website.Russia and China, while not formal allies, have maintained close ties throughout Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, which China has refused to condemn.Rudenko’s visit comes after Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of private mercenary army Wagner Group, ordered his troops to march on Moscow in the greatest challenge to President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power. Prigozhin later on Saturday reached a deal with the Kremlin to go into exile and sounded the retreat.China has not officially commented on the crisis in Russia. The United States and other Western powers have urge...

Houston police say 1 killed and 3 wounded after groups exchange gunfire

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:28 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — A shooting in southwest Houston early Sunday morning left one teenager dead and three other young people wounded, police said.Houston Assistant Police Chief Wyatt Martin said an altercation outside a business led to the shooting after 1 a.m. on West Fuqua Street.“We do not have a lot of details yet as to the exact motive of the shooting. Apparently two groups of individuals were shooting at each other,” Martin said at a news conference at the scene.The deceased victim was a 17-year-old girl who was close to turning 18, Martin said.Three other victims with non-life-threatening injuries included an 18-year-old woman and two men, ages 18 and 20. The woman was transported to an area hospital by firefighters and the men went to a hospital in private vehicles, Martin said.There were at least two shooters, based on multiple shell casings found at the scene, Martin said. “It was a very chaotic scene,” Martin said, urging witnesses to come forward. “We are hoping that someone ...

Trump is returning to Michigan with hopes of repeating the battleground success he found in 2016

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:28 GMT

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Donald Trump is set to appear in Michigan on Sunday as he looks to reclaim territory that helped propel him to the White House but slipped from his grasp four years later.Campaigning for a return to the presidency while facing a federal indictment for allegedly mishandling classified documents, Trump will speak in suburban Detroit, where he lost ground between 2016 and 2020 and would need to win it back if he becomes the 2024 Republican nominee. He would have to reverse the recent trend in Michigan that has seen Democrats make some of their biggest gains nationally since Trump’s reelection loss.Trump is scheduled to speak at Oakland County GOP’s Lincoln Day Dinner, where he is being honored by the party as its “Man of the Decade.” It will be his first campaign appearance in Michigan, one of three states, along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, that flipped in 2016 to put Trump in the White House and went for Democrat Joe Biden four years later.Trump’...

Overnight storms cause destruction in Cook County near West suburbs

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:28 GMT

CHICAGO -- Overnight storms swept through the Chicagoland area overnight leaving uprooted trees and flooding. A tree and utility pole landed on top of a car in Cicero during a thunderstorm warning overnight. The owner of the car reportedly slept through the storm and did not hear a crash. It was only when he stepped outside did he see the car's condition. The storm came through Cicero around about 2:00 a.m. where large trees crashed onto cars and homes. Cicero firefighters climbed onto ladders to help some residents remove debris from their homes. What you need to know about the 2023 Chicago Pride Parade Utility poles have been toppled over and tree branches have been scattered across streets. Heavy rain also caused flooding in some places. A ramp off of I-55 flooded where a vehicle got stuck in the water. The worst of the damage was reported to be in south of Ogden Avenue. ComEd reported no power outages in Cicero but a few in Berwyn. There has been no injuries reported in the s...

Trying to sell your home? These paint colors can impact offers, survey suggests

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:28 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — While the housing market continues to be hot in many parts of the country, it has certainly slowed since the pandemic peaks of recent years. Regardless, something as small as the colors you choose to paint your rooms could have a big impact on how much your home sells for, according to a new study. After reviewing a series of studies of more than 4,700 recent and prospective home buyers nationwide, real estate website Zillow said it found paint color can bolster — or hinder — a home’s sale price by hundreds or even thousands of dollars. So what colors should you opt for? It’s all about the mood, according to Zillow’s analysis. It’s no secret color can impact our mood. A bright color like yellow may make you cheery, a blue may calm you down. When it comes to current and possible homebuyers, one mood appears to be reigning supreme: charcoal gray. “Gray is the color of retreat,” Mehnaz Khan, a color psychology specialist and interior designer in Alb...

Hot and dry through the week

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin-Camp Mabry reached 103° Saturday afternoon to bring the number of triple-digit highs in June to nine. That number will increase by six by Friday, the last day of the month.Today's normal high is 95° BLOG: June likely to end as top 5 warmest in Austin Morning clouds will clear during the morning with a sunny sky again this afternoon. The Heat Advisory is in effect today for much of Central Texas. Maximum heat index readings this afternoon will likely rise to between 108° to 113° at many locations. Yesterday's highest was 112° at La Grange and 110° at Camp Mabry.Excessive Heat Warnings (Pink) and Heat Advisories (Orange)Mason and San Saba Counties, handled by the San Angelo National Weather Service office, are under an Excessive Heat Warning with the highest heat index readings up to 111°.The ridge of high pressure aloft is in northeast Mexico and south of El Paso. It will move towards Central Texas the next three days, parked over the area Tuesday and Wednes...

Truckers don’t have enough parking. Why it should matter to you

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — We’ve all felt the frustration of looking for a parking spot, but imagine having to do it every day at work.That’s the challenge for Texas truck drivers and those across the nation. According to the United States Department of Transportation, nationwide there’s roughly one parking spot for every 11 truckers.Buda-based truck driver Michael Lombard knows the challenges all too well, not just from his travels around the country hauling agriculture equipment, but also from hearing the experiences of his colleagues.“What’s going on everybody, welcome back to episode 71,” Lombard enthusiastically announced in the back of the cab of his big rig.Using a laptop with a plug-in microphone and camera, Lombard turned his Peterbilt into a mobile podcast studio, broadcasting live from wherever in the country he happens to be.Lombard talks trucking with drivers and other movers and shakers in the industry — and always top of mind is parking.Buda Trucker Michael Lombard creates podca...

Emmys 2023 power rankings: Comedy

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:28 GMT

LOS ANGELES — Emmy voters are creatures of habit. That’s good news for “Ted Lasso” in its quest to win a third consecutive comedy series trophy and keep its perfect record intact.You’d figure that fans of the show would be sentimental enough to send the series off — if it is indeed leaving the air — with a warm, teary embrace. But “Ted Lasso” faces a formidable challenge this year from “Abbott Elementary.” The ABC sitcom earned seven nominations for its 13-episode debut season, winning three, including writing honors for creator Quinta Brunson and supporting actress Sheryl Lee Ralph. “Abbott” was even better in its full second season, demonstrating that it is indeed possible to tell funny, heartwarming stories in a tight 22 minutes.And, as you’ll see here in our Emmy comedy power rankings, “Abbott” and “Ted Lasso” are far from the only shows in play. Let’s take a look at who might be smil...

Minnesota 91-year-old’s persistence pays off with bucket-list muskie

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:28 GMT

MERRIFIELD, Minn. — They say muskies are the fish of 10,000 casts.For 91-year-old Bertha Lunzer, who spends her summers in Merrifield, the count is not measured by the number of casts but by the number of years — catching a muskie has been a decades-long goal for Bertha.And catch a muskie Bertha did — an estimated 40-plus-incher June 10 out of a Cass County lake. Now she can cross that achievement off her bucket list.Bertha Lunzer, 91, joined by her sons, Michael Lunzer, left, and Joe Lunzer, holds a muskie — an estimated 40-plus-incher — she caught June 10, 2023, on a Cass County, Minn., lake. Catching a muskie has been on Bertha’s bucket list for years. (Courtesy photo via Forum News Service)“Well, I grew up in North Dakota and I caught a large northern once. And then I came down here (to Minnesota) and I thought, well, I want to get a muskie because they’re bigger,” Bertha said with a laugh.She caught her muskie while fishing with her sons Joe Lunzer and M...

RTD can’t seem to overcome its labor shortages — a problem that’s affecting bus and train riders

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:28 GMT

Shortages of bus drivers, train operators and some other key workers at the Regional Transportation District are just as large or worse than they were before a new union contract last year significantly raised wages, along with hopes for a turnaround.The metro Denver transit agency was short 184 bus drivers as of last month — a 19% vacancy rate that’s improved since last summer, but is still slightly higher than it was in January 2022, according to RTD employment data. RTD has backslid when it comes to light rail train operators, with vacancies in that position growing from 8% to 19% since early last year.And while some maintenance, technician and service categories have notched big improvements, others still are stuck with 30% or more of jobs empty.RTD leaders point to an encouraging surge in applications after it began offering $4,000 hiring bonuses and the new union contract initially boosted wages at least 16%, with more raises to come. Total hiring more than doubled...