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Ed Burke found guilty on 13 of 14 counts in federal corruption trial

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 21:13:58 GMT

BREAKING UPDATE: Former Chicago Ald. Ed Burke has been found guilty on all counts except one in his federal corruption trial.Co-defendant Charles Cui was guilty on multiple counts. Co-defendant Peter Andrews was found not guilty on all counts.WGN News will update this story soon. Our Special Coverage is above.Original story:CHICAGO — After a quiet Wednesday in the Ed Burke trial, jurors are back at the Dirksen Federal Building to decide the fate of the former powerful alderman.The jury has been deliberating for roughly 21 hours now. They offered few hints to its progress Wednesday — sending no notes or questions to Judge Virginia Kendall.Legal experts said the case is a complex one and could take quite some time for jurors to decide.The most complicated aspect is count one of the indictment, which is the racketeering charge. It allows federal prosecutors to tie together seemingly unrelated acts as a pattern.There are also a number of criteria that must be met to to find someone guil...

Chicago Bears offensive inconsistency leads to questions about offensive coordinator Luke Getsy

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 21:13:58 GMT

An inconsistent offense has left Chicago Bears coordinator Luke Getsy and quarterback Justin Fields open to criticism all season.Sunday’s 20-17 loss to Cleveland did nothing to fix the situation, and coach Matt Eberflus realizes the time will soon come to quit putting off big questions about the future direction of the offense.“Sure, oh yeah, no question, no question,” Eberflus said with his team at 5-9. “And we’re going to assess all those things at the end and, again, we’ve got to play these games right here, right now." Opinion: Bears need to at least call on Justin Herbert Eberflus for now is behind his offensive coordinator.“I love Luke,” Eberflus said. "He’s a great leader in the room. Like I said, I’ll evaluate everything at the end.”Eberflus said he sees improvement on all sides of the football from the team, but points come only sporadically.Last week’s 17 points included one offensive touchdown. It occurred on an eight-play, 1-yard drive after Eddie Jackson’s interceptio...

Transportation Department gives $110 million to projects to prevent wildlife car crashes 

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 21:13:58 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - A new grant program is trying to tackle dangerous crashes with animals, which kill around 200 people in the U.S. annually. Now the Department of Transportation is giving millions of dollars to wildlife crossing projects. Each year in the U.S. there are more than a million crashes involving wildlife, with sometimes deadly outcomes for both animals and people. "We have an opportunity to do something about it," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. The Transportation Department recently announced it's giving $110 million in grants to 19 wildlife crossing projects across the country. The program is the first of its kind and Secretary Pete Buttigieg says it will save lives and boost conservation efforts. "It's the right thing to do for conservation and for habitats and wildlife, but it's also the right thing to do for drivers and their kids," Buttigieg said. Jeremy Romero with the National Wildlife Federation says as the amount of d...

Over 1 million visitors expected in Arkansas for 2024 total solar eclipse

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 21:13:58 GMT

DEQUEEN, Ark. (KTAL/KMSS) – The Arkansas Department of Transportation is preparing residents and visitors for the potential for high traffic during the total eclipse in 2024.According to a news release from ArDOT, the state is anticipating 1.5 million people will travel to Arkansas from outside the state, in addition to 500,000 Arkansans who will travel from their residences into the path of totality. Can you take a photo of an eclipse with your phone? That influx of visitors will bring an additional 700,000 vehicles to the area. Total Eclipse for ARDOT (Source: Arkansas Department of Transportation) ArDOT provided tips for locals in an effort to minimize the potential for excessive traffic. For those traveling to the area of the total eclipse, Arkansas officials encourage you to stay a while. Several school districts have announced that they will close to allow families to enjoy the eclipse and to minimize the logistical challenges that the influx of travel will cause with schoo...

Texas DPS Violent Crime Task Force in Austin ending

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 21:13:58 GMT

Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Violent Crime Task Force will be ending operations in Austin Dec. 23, a source tells KXAN.It's unknown why the task force is ending effective Saturday, though believed to be funded through April 2024. The Austin Violent Crime Task Force began in March as a way to help the Austin Police Department during staffing shortages. DPS said its primary goal was to curb both violent crime and traffic deaths.KXAN has reached out to DPS and the Austin Police Department for comment regarding the suspension of the Austin Violent Crime Task Force. This story will be updated when we receive a response. During the start of the partnership, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said DPS could potentially assist with issues like traffic control and providing additional coverage since there had been an increase in traffic-related deaths as well as gun violence. PAS...

Meet the new CEO of Central Health, Travis County's hospital district

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 21:13:58 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Travis County's hospital district, which Austinites voted on and help pay for, is getting new leadership. Central Health named Dr. Patrick Lee the new CEO and president after Mike Geeslin announced he was stepping down down earlier this year. Lee was most recently the first system chairman of medicine at One Brooklyn Health, which serves over one million New York residents in need. His resume before that is extensive. Central Health President, CEO stepping down by the end of 2023 "I'm a physician executive with that broad U.S., international experience and a lifelong commitment to health equity, who believes and understands that our core business, especially when talking about equity, is trust," Lee said. Lee takes over at a pivotal time. Central Health is in the early stages of enacting its Healthcare Equity Plan, a roughly decade-long project aimed at filling gaps in the system that exists now. Attached to that plan: 150 new projects and nearly $700 million. Whe...

Milton man arrested in sex abuse investigation

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 21:13:58 GMT

MILTON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Saratoga County Sheriff's Office arrested Stanley M. Palmer, 62, of Milton, on Tuesday. Palmer faces the charge of sexual abuse in the first degree. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Investigations determined that Palmer allegedly had sexual contact with a female victim under the age of 13. The victim is known to him.Palmer was arraigned in the Malta Town Court. He was remanded to the Saratoga County Jail pending further action.

How long does the highway with Manchester Road go out of St. Louis?

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 21:13:58 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Most highways out of the City of St. Louis are networks that cross a river in the city or St. Louis County. There's at least one exception to that norm.Missouri Route 100 is quite a unique path out of St. Louis. The eastern end of the highway concludes just west of the Mississippi River, represented locally as Chouteau Avenue near Third Street. How far does Missouri Route 100 go? Drivers can take it westbound all the way through Linn, Missouri, a small town in Osage County that's not too far from the state capitol in Jefferson City. The Missouri Department of Transportation estimates that Route 100 covers around 120 miles from start to finish. If you stayed true to the original path, it would probably take several hours to complete from St. Louis to Linn, Missouri. For reference, FOX 2 created a map on Google Maps that shows the approximate path of Missouri Route 100. Route 100 runs through the City of St. Louis and four other Missouri counties. From east to west, those...

The best FSA- and HSA-eligible beauty products to snag before year’s end

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 21:13:58 GMT

BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Details.Yes, you can use your FSA or HSA for some beauty productsMaybe a salicylic acid cleanser is part of your nightly skin care routine to keep breakouts at bay. Or perhaps you diligently use an SPF moisturizer during the day because you know sun protection is super important for daily use. But did you know that these beauty products are also eligible for flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) coverage? You may be surprised to learn exactly how many beauty products qualify for use with your tax-free dollars. The 50 best Christmas gift ideas 2023 What are FSAs and HSAs?Let’s back up for a second and go over exactly what FSA and HSA dollars are. They are pre-tax dollars that you can set aside, sometimes directly from your paycheck, to pay for eligible medical expenses, according to the Consumer Financial...

Spanish Lake man convicted in shooting death of his ex-girlfriend

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 21:13:58 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY – A Spanish Lake man was found guilty Thursday of killing his ex-girlfriend and shooting her mother. Jurors in St. Louis County Circuit Court convicted 23-year-old Dairius Kinnie in the death of 19-year-old Tianna Baker. Prosecutors said Kinnie shot and killed Baker on March 24, 2021. He also shot and injured her mother, then ran away from the police as they chased him.The state called multiple witnesses to the trial: a daughter who saw the shootings but wasn't injured, as well as several detectives, police officers, crime lab technicians, and the medical examiner.The jury heard a ShotSpotter recording that showed Kinnie paused after beginning to shoot and then started shooting again, clear evidence of deliberation. He shot Tianna Baker more than a dozen times.ShotSpotter is a device that hears gunshots and uses acoustic sensors to find illegal gunfire and immediately notify law enforcement and security staff.“The courage and composure this mother and her daugh...