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Rideshare drivers protest outside Uber Hub over wages, safety concerns

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:31 GMT

CHICAGO — Rideshare drivers rally for better pay, job security and safety on the city's North Side.Uber and Lyft drivers gathered Thursday outside the Uber Hub on North Avenue to protest unfair working conditions and low pay.The workers are asking for fair wages, safer conditions when it comes to picking up riders and fair termination and suspension practices.Several drivers spoke about incidents where they felt unsafe or were attacked by the riders. Earlier this week, Chicago police issued a community alert about armed robberies and aggravated vehicular robberies. Six of 10 victims were Uber drivers. Mayor Lightfoot to hold community meeting to address plans for asylum seekers Ald. Mike Rodriguez and Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez came out in support of the drivers, both stating their support of an ordinance that would require the companies provide fair wages, due process for deactivation to driver accounts and better safety protocols.Uber released a statement in response to the protest...

Detroit men accused of trafficking 20 kilos of fentanyl into Midway

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:31 GMT

CHICAGO — Two Detroit men were charged after allegedly trafficking over $3 million worth of fentanyl into Midway.Jamire Hollingshed, 26, and Robert Lewis, 24, each face a charge of manufacture-deliver of more than 900 grams of fentanyl.On Tuesday, Hollingshed and Lewis were arrested at Midway after their flight landed from Los Angeles.In mid-April, a DEA investigation was launched from information received that Lewis and Hollingshed were traveling from Los Angeles to Midway and "may be carrying a quantity of narcotics," according to court documents.Once their plane landed on Tuesday, a K9 unit sniffed their checked bags and indicated the trace of narcotics, documents allege.In each of their bags, the DEA said 10 brick-shaped objects, later determined to 10 kilograms of fentanyl, were recovered. ‘Tranq dope’: Xylazine continues to rip through area as DEA issues nationwide alert The 20 kilograms (44 lbs.) have an estimated street value of $3.1 million, according to court documents.H...

Man, 37, shot in stomach outside work truck in South Shore

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:31 GMT

CHICAGO — A man was shot in the stomach near his work truck in South Shore Thursday afternoon.According to police, the 37-year-old man was outside his truck near the 7700 block of South Colfax Avenue around 12:33 p.m. when a known offender fired shots at him. Police reports state that the 37-year-old man returned fire striking the offender in the thigh. Girl charged as adult in high-speed police chase with man on hood of car The man was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition. The offender self-transported to Trinity Hospital and his condition is unknown. Charges are pending.

COVID dropped to 4th leading cause of death in US last year

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:31 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. deaths fell last year, and COVID-19 dropped to the nation's No. 4 cause, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.COVID-19 deaths trailed those caused by heart disease, cancer and injuries such as drug overdoses, motor vehicle fatalities and shootings. In 2020 and 2021, only heart disease and cancer were ahead of the coronavirus.U.S. deaths usually rise year-to-year, in part because the nation’s population has been growing. The pandemic accelerated that trend, making 2021 the deadliest in U.S. history, with more than 3.4 million deaths. But 2022 saw the first drop in deaths since 2009.The 2022 tally was about 3.3 million — a 5% decline from 2021 but still much higher than in the years before the pandemic. The CDC cautioned that last year's numbers are preliminary and may change a little after further analysis. Coronavirus-associated death rates fell for nearly all Americans. The virus was deemed the underlying cause of about 187,000 U.S. ...

Bunk beds recalled because support slats can break

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:31 GMT

(WHTM) -- Over 120,000 bunk beds with support slats that could break have been recalled, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The commission says the wooden slats supporting the Walker Edison Furniture Twin Over Twin Bunk Beds can break while in use, potentially causing the occupant to fall. Screaming monkey toy recalled over choking hazard There have been 14 incidents of the bunk bed slats breaking reported, including one with minor injuries, according to the CPSC. Courtesy: U.S. Consumer Product Safety CommissionCourtesy: U.S. Consumer Product Safety CommissionThe wooden bunk beds, which come in various colors and finishes with a ladder down the side, were sold online at walmart.com, amazon.com, overstock.com and wayfair.com between February 2010 through February 2022. They cost between $206 and $389.The Brazil-made bunk beds have the model name printed on a label inside the bed rail or footboard.Below is a list of all of the affected bunk beds, according t...

Woman stabbed during fight between moms at Rockford school bus stop

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:31 GMT

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A woman was hospitalized Tuesday morning after being stabbed during a fight between several women at a school bus stop.Officers were called to the 3500 block of Elm Street, in the area of the Rockford Ridge Apartment (formerly Concord Commons) around 8:25 a.m. According to Rockford Police, as four women were dropping their children off at a bus stop, an argument ensued and escalated into a physical fight.During the fight, police say Shatay Barney, 29, stabbed another.Authorities have called the woman's injuries life-threatening, and her condition is currently unknown.Shatay Barney, Andriana Carothers, Ashlee Morris. Photos: Winnebago County Jail.Barney was charged with Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon and Felony Mob Action.Andriana Carothers, 26, Ashlee Morris, 26, and Lanora Fields, 28, (not pictured) were each charged with Felony Mob Action.

Over 465K Texans will get payment from Intuit TurboTax

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:31 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for May 4, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Around 4.4 million Intuit TurboTax U.S. customers, including more than 465,000 Texans, will receive money from the tax filing service after a 2022 settlement, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a release.The $141 million, multi-state settlement is for customers for tax years 2016, 2017 and 2018 who were "misled" into paying Intuit for federal tax returns. Customers who paid Intuit to file their federal tax returns but were eligible to file for free through the IRS Free File Program will receive money from the settlement, according to the release“Intuit misled everyday Americans into paying for a service that should have been free, and now Intuit is paying the price,” Paxton said in the statement. “This settlement will help hundreds of thousands of Texans, as well as millions of people across the country, get their money back."How will you be paid...

Texas State rolls out online teacher credentialing program

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:31 GMT

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) -- Educators looking to teach advanced academic courses will have a new online program to help secure state credentialing.Texas State University's College of Education announced Tuesday a new, fully online Master of Education in Secondary Education with a concentration in teaching advanced academics.The program is set to launch in the fall, per a Texas State release. It is catered toward "practicing teachers seeking a graduate degree with qualifications to teach advanced academic courses in history, math, English or government at the high school level," per the release.Those enrolled will undergo 18 semester hours in secondary education along with 18 hours in a content subject area. It's designed to assist working teachers already in the field who are looking to advance their profession, the release added.“This fully online program is really exciting,” said Dr. Joellen Coryell, associate dean for educational partnerships and enrollment, in the release. “It w...

A cut of sports gambling taxes may not be enough to appease horse tracks

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:31 GMT

Senate Democrats are betting that cutting horseracing tracks in on some of the revenue from sports wagering will bring the political support needed to approve a broad expansion of gambling in Minnesota.Lawmakers have debated legalized sports betting for years, but it’s been a bit of a sleeper issue during this year’s legislative session with Democrats in control of state government with a long list of priorities.A bill that would legalize sports gambling was modified Wednesday by the Senate state government committee to funnel as much as 30 percent of the tax revenue from the new wagering into an economic development fund to aid the horseracing industry.“It recognizes that a new form of gambling, like mobile sports betting, may have a negative impact on horse breading and racing,” Sen. Matt Klein, DFL-Mendota Heights, who is the primary sponsor of the bill in the Senate, said about the recent changes.Klein said he hoped earmarking gambling tax revenue to help...

Vikings add depth through NFL’s International Player Pathway Program

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:31 GMT

As a part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, the Vikings added former SMU outside linebacker Junior Aho.The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Aho grew up in Nice, France, attended New Mexico Military Institute, then settled in at SMU. He finished his collegiate career with the Mustangs, totaling 43 tackles, 5 sacks, and 7 1/2 tackles for loss across 25 games.The other teams participating in the program this season include the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers from the NFC North, and the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers from the AFC West.All teams will carry these players on their roster until the end of training camp. If the players don’t make the active roster, they are eligible for an international player practice squad exemption, which grants the teams an extra practice squad member.Since being launched in 2017, the NFL’s International Player Pathway program has helped increase the number of intern...