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Pritzker zeroes in on education investments, signs fiscal year budget for 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:42 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — After being unanimously passed by Democrats with no Republican support, Governor JB Pritzker signed the bill containing the fiscal year budget for 2024 into law Wednesday.In signing the bill, Pritzker zeroed in on educational investments that he had been travelling the state, highlighting in weeks prior."You’ve seen we’ve put forward significant dollars to support education in every way possible," Pritzker said at a ceremony for signing the bill Wednesday.Cornerstone tenants of the bill include boosts to funding for K-12 education and higher ed, as well as the launch of Pritzker's early childhood program, Smart Start. White Sox-Yankees Wednesday night game in New York postponed due to poor air quality Smart Start aims to provide every child in Illinois with access to preschool. It's also intended to grow the childcare sector, while also investing in early intervention and home-visiting services."Birth through 5 [year-old] services and kindergarten readiness is ...

When will Lionel Messi play the Chicago Fire FC?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:42 GMT

CHICAGO -- Lionel Messi announced Wednesday that he will join Major League Soccer's Inter Miami in another landmark moment for the league and the sport in the United States.After months — years, even — of speculation, Messi on Wednesday finally revealed his decision to join a Miami franchise that has been led by another global soccer icon, David Beckham, since its inception but has yet to make any real splashes on the field.He said in the interviews Wednesday that some final details still need to be worked out, but that he has made the call to “continue my path” in Miami.“After winning the World Cup and not being able to return to Barcelona, it was my turn to go to the league of the United States to live football in another way,” Messi said. Lionel Messi is going to play in MLS, reports say Messi’s next matches are likely to be exhibitions with Argentina against Australia on June 15 at Beijing and at Indonesia in Jakarta four days later — and then his Inter Miami de...

North Central College to celebrate NCAA national championship at White House

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:42 GMT

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — The North Central College Football Cardinals are headed to the nation's capital to meet the President. The NCAA Division III level champs from Naperville will meet President Joe Biden on June 12 following a 15-0 undefeated season that culminated in a Stagg Bowl victory on Dec. 16, 2022.  ‘Don’t take this for granted’: North Central College celebrates another football national title The 28-21 national championship victory over Mount Union was the Cardinals' second title in three seasons and the third-straight championship game since the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bears CEO Kevin Warren, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson release statement after meeting The two-time national champions will be among the invited guests at the inaugural College Athlete Day.See previous video on North Central Football's NCAA title win in the player above.

Taylor Swift concerts led to record number of hotel bookings in Chicago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:42 GMT

CHICAGO -- Almost all of the hotel rooms in Chicago were completely booked last weekend largely to do with the Taylor Swift-mania that took over Soldier Field.According to Bloomberg, hotel occupancy averaged 96.8% last weekend while Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" made their stop in Chicago. For Friday and Saturday nights allow, an average of 44,383 hotel rooms were occupied. ‘Sooooo epic:’ Taylor Swift’s message to Chicago fans after Soldier Field concerts Thee President and CEO of Choose Chicago, Lynn Osmond, said that this weekend "led to over $39 million in hotel revenue, which is an all-time record."The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting and the James Beard Foundation Awards also played a part in the bookings, but nearly 200,000 concert attendees coming to town for Taylor Swift are credited with the record.

BMX star dies in crash at California motocross track

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:42 GMT

RAMONA, Calif. (KSWB) — Officials have identified the man who died Tuesday at a motocross track in Ramona, California.Pat Casey, 29, died after he lost control of the motocross bike he was riding and was ejected, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office said. Casey was performing a jump on the park ramps, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.The crash happened around 2:45 p.m. at Slayground Motocross Park, which is owned by Axell Hodges, a three-time gold medal winner in X Games Moto X competition. Taco Bell launches vegan option of an iconic item at select locations Bystanders called 911 but by the time paramedics arrived at the track, they found Casey pulseless and apneic, according to the medical examiner's office. Despite life-saving measures, Casey was pronounced dead at the scene.Casey, a competitive BMX rider, recently competed in the X Games Japan event in May. He placed fifth in BMX Park Best Trick and ninth in BMX Park."We are deeply saddened by P...

Did you catch the mistake on the Madden 24 cover?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:42 GMT

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Josh Allen is the first Buffalo Bills player to be featured on the cover of the Madden video game franchise. He called it "a childhood dream come true." But some are calling out an apparent editing error on EA Sports' part. The long-rumored Madden 24 cover was confirmed Wednesday in a reveal from EA Sports. Josh Allen surprises family for daughter’s birthday Madden released two versions of the video game cover. The Standard Edition ($69.99) features a photo of Allen looking down with his hands on his shoulder pads, in a classic pre-game pose. The Deluxe Edition – which offers three-day early access, 4,600 Madden points, and an "AKA player item" for a $30 upcharge – depicts Allen celebrating with fans after jumping into the stands.Madden featured the Deluxe Edition photo in their initial tweet of the cover. But if you zoom in, you'll notice an error. Look closely at Allen's face. One of the bars of his facemask appears cut off. A zoomed-in look at the Madden ...

Benefits could increase for retired Texas teachers in 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 10 this session, setting the stage for a cost-of-living adjustment to the Texas Teacher Retirement System (TRS) at the start of the new year.It will become law in Texas unless vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott before June 18. Once the bill becomes law, it mandates an immediate one-time payment of $2,400 for TRS retirees and beneficiaries who are at least 70 years old. This payment is increased to $7,500 for those who are 75 and older. According to the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA), 186,000 TRS retirees will receive $7,500 and 104,000 TRS retirees will receive $2,400.The total cost of these payments is estimated at $1.636 billion, according to the Legislative Budget Board.Voters to decide cost-of-living adjustmentSB 10 also lays out the legal groundwork for a cost-of-living adjustment to the TRS annuity. However, voters have the final say on whether to use state money for that purpose.On Election Day in November, a ...

Austin Energy will give you money to control your thermostat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austinites could get money for letting Austin Energy adjust their thermostat.Austin Energy said it was offering an annual rebate for those who are enrolled in its Power Partner Thermostats program.On those days, the company said it would briefly adjust thermostat settings by two or four degrees to help offset high energy use, according to Austin Energy."The purpose of the Power Partner Program is to help Austin Energy customers with those smart thermostats basically control their energy use during the hot summer months. At the same time, it also helps reduce strain on our energy grid on those hot summer days when the demand is really, really high - and the energy prices are high because of that demand," Austin Energy spokesperson Matt Mitchell said.According to the Austin Energy website, as of June 1, new Power Partner applicants will receive a $50 bill credit for each eligible thermostat, plus an additional $25 annually for each thermostat that remains enrolled in t...

Canadian wildfires leading to historic U.S. air quality event supercharged by climate change

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- 100 million people are facing air quality alerts as thick Canadian wildfire smoke streams into the northeastern U.S., leading to apocalyptic scenes in New York City similar to the infamous images from San Francisco during California fires in 2020.The thick smoke traveling southward degraded air quality in five U.S. states, sinking into the "unhealthy" range. As Yale Climate Connections writers Bob Henson and Dr. Jeff Masters wrote on Thursday, "At 10 a.m. EDT Wednesday, June 7, the worst air in the U.S. was in Syracuse, New York, which had an hourly PM 2.5 AQI of 402 — well into the 'Hazardous' range. EPA warns that an AQI in this range will 'trigger health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is even more likely to be affected by serious health effects.'"Meteorologist Bob Henson, Yale Climate Connections writer and author of "A Thinking Person's Guide to Climate Change", joined the KXAN Chief Meteorologist live on KXAN News at 4 p.m. Thursday to ...

Scene of Truck Park gunfight was ‘chaos,’ St. Paul officer says at opening of shooter’s murder trial

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:42 GMT

Terry Brown’s murder trial began Wednesday with the aftermath of the mass shooting at Seventh Street Truck Park bar in St. Paul.In a St. Paul police officer’s body-camera video, people are seen huddled over the wounded. Some are yelling for help, others moaning in pain.“It was chaos,” officer Joshua Needham said when asked on the witness stand what he saw when he pulled up to the scene of the Oct. 10, 2021, shooting.Some of the 15 who were shot were lying on the sidewalk. Marquisha Wiley and others did not make it out of the bar and lie on the bar floor. Wiley, 27, was the lone person who died, struck by a bullet fired by Brown.“Fifteen people, 15 bodies, crawling, running, getting dragged across the floor with bullet holes,” Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Treye Kettwick told jurors during the state’s opening statement. “And one woman lying in a bar dead, all because two people decided to have a shootout in a crowded bar with complete disregard for everybody else.”Brown, 34, of St...