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DRENCHING RAINS THREATEN FLOODING IN PARTS OF THE AREA–THE AREA FROM THE I-88 CORRIDOR SOUTH APPEARS AT HIGHEST RISK SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT; A SECOND ROUND OF SHOWERS AND T-STORMS THREATENS SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:38 GMT

6-10 DAY PRECIPITATION OUTLOOKOn Friday it was another beautiful summer day with 94% of the day's possible sunshine as well as moderate air quality and humidities. The high reached 86 at O'Hare and 85 at Midway. Dew points were in the low and mid 60s—except closer to 70 in surrounding agricultural areas where crops were transpiring added moisture into the atmosphere. The haze is a combination of some moisture in the air—but also a some wildfire smoke sweeping into the area from the Western U.S. and Canada where fires are burning.Every day this week has featured highs in the mid 80s with the exception of Tuesday with its high of 90. The week (the 7-day period ending midnight Sat night) will post a modest 1-degree surplus.Easterly winds as high as 20 mph produced 2 to 4 ft. waves on Lake Michigan and prompted a BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT which continues into Saturday morning.6-10 DAY TEMPERATURE OUTLOOKThe moisture content of the atmosphere is to SOAR this weekend. Focusing rain & t-...

Al Bagnoli quits as Columbia football coach 6 weeks before opener, citing health

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:38 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia football coach Al Bagnoli quit Friday night because of health, six weeks before the Lions’ opener at Lafayette.The 70-year-old was replaced by offensive coordinator Mark Fabish, who was promoted to interim head coach for the 2023 season.Bagnoli said he had an aortic dissection in February“In consultation with my family, doctors and coaching staff, I have decided this is the right time for me to retire from coaching,” Bagnoli said in a statement. ” had every intention to get through this season, but after going through the recovery process, I realized the grind of the Ivy League season would be a lot to go through at this stage of my life.”Columbia is without an Ivy League title since its only one in 1961,Bagnoli won nine Ivy League championships in 23 seasons at Penn, then retired after the 2014 season and was hired a few months later by Columbia. The Lions went 2-8 and 3-7 in his first two seasons, then began 2017 with their first 7-0 start sinc...

‘Dangerous pivot’ on overseas oil and gas deals splits Biden administration

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:38 GMT

The Biden administration is retreating from its promises to stop funding oil and gas projects overseas, triggering a split among senior officials over whether to prioritize climate change or the diplomatic alliances the White House has deemed critical to counter Russia and China.Federal agencies have approved funding for proposals like renovations to an Indonesian oil refinery and shipments of natural gas to Poland — sometimes over the objections of President Joe Biden’s special climate envoy, John Kerry, and Democratic lawmakers.The policy shift shows how the fraught global political situation caused by the war in Ukraine and Washington’s tense rivalry with Beijing is threatening environmental goals. Democratic lawmakers and environmentalists fear the change could erode U.S. climate leadership as greenhouse gas emissions rise steadily and temperatures soar.“The Biden administration continues to approve one fossil project after another, which completely undermines our international ...

‘If you go after me, I’m coming after you!’: US prosecutors flag threatening Trump post to judge

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:38 GMT

Prosecutors on Friday night called a judge’s attention to a social media post from Donald Trump — issued hours earlier — in which they say the former president appeared to declare that he’s “coming after” those he sees as responsible for the series of formidable legal challenges he is facing.Attorneys from special counsel Jack Smith’s team said the post from Trump “specifically or by implication” referenced those involved in his criminal case for seeking to subvert the 2020 election.In a court filing just before 10 p.m. Friday, Senior Assistant Special Counsels Molly Gaston and Thomas Windom alerted the judge in Trump’s latest criminal case – U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan – to a combative post Trump sent earlier in the day.“If you go after me, I’m coming after you!” Trump wrote in all caps Friday afternoon on Truth Social, which is run by a media company he co-owns.The prosecutors said Trump’s post raised concerns that he might improperly share evidence in the case on his ...

Pope visits Portuguese shrine known for apocalyptic prophesy linked to Russia as war rages on

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:38 GMT

FATIMA, Portugal (AP) — Pope Francis visited the Portuguese town of Fatima on Saturday to pray for peace at a shrine known for apocalyptic prophesies of hell, peace and Soviet communism that have found new relevance with Russia’s war in Ukraine.Francis was spending the morning in Fatima, praying with sick people and prisoners, alongside pilgrims who began filling the shrine’s central esplanade long before sunrise. As Francis prayed before a statue of the Madonna, nearby wildfires turned the sky smoky black and sent ash flittering down on the crowd.The trip was a brief excursion from Lisbon, where Francis has been presiding over World Youth Day celebrations, the big Catholic jamboree that has gathered nearly 1 million young Catholics together. He returns to the Portuguese capital for a Saturday night vigil service and then will preside over a final Mass on Sunday, where the site of the next edition of the faith festival will be announced.The Fatima story dates back to 191...

Niger’s junta isn’t backing down, and a regional force prepares to intervene. Here’s what to expect

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:38 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Regional mediation efforts to reverse the coup in Niger and restore its democracy collapsed as soon as they started. Tensions have escalated as the Sunday deadline nears for possible military intervention by other West African countries.As its meeting ended Friday in neighboring Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, the region’s defense chiefs finalized a plan to use force against the Niger junta — needing approval by their political leaders — if Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated as Niger’s president. An Economic Community of West African States delegation to Niger, led by Nigeria’s former head of state Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, had tried unsuccessfully to meet with the coup leader, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who later declared that any aggression against Niger “will see an immediate response and without warning.”What started as an overthrow of the president by his closest commanders in the Presidential Guard has received the support of some other s...

Pakistani police arrest former Prime Minister Imran Khan

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:38 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani police on Saturday arrested former Prime Minister Khan at his home in the eastern city of Lahore. It’s the second time the popular opposition leader has been detained this year. Earlier Saturday, a court convicted him in an asset concealment case, handing down a prison sentence that could see him barred from politics. The Islamabad court issued the arrest warrant after convicting Khan, with police in Lahore moving quickly to take him from his home to the Pakistani capital.It’s a fresh blow to Khan’s bid to return to power. Since his ouster from power in a no-confidence vote in the parliament in April 2022, Khan has been slapped with more than 150 legal cases, including several on charges of corruption, terrorism and inciting people to violence over deadly protests in May that saw his followers attack government and military property across the country.The Associated Press

Syria’s main al-Qaida-linked group denies it was behind the killing of an Islamic State leader

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:38 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s main insurgent al-Qaida-linked group denied it was behind the killing of the Islamic State group’s leader in the country’s northwest saying it would have otherwise claimed responsibility.The security arm of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, made the announcement Friday night, a day after IS blamed the Syrian insurgent group for the death of its little-known leader, Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurayshi, who headed the extremist organization since November.“We categorically deny this claim,” the spokesman of HTS, General Security Diaa al-Omar, said in a terse statement. He said HTS would continue to fight “evil acts” by IS in rebel-held parts of Syria, adding that had his group been behind al-Qurayshi’s death “we would have given the good news to Muslims and announced it directly.”Al-Qurayshi was the fourth IS leader to be killed since the group was founded by Iraqi militant Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and declared a caliphate in large parts of Syria and Iraq in Jun...

Norwegian climber retires after becoming the fastest to climb world’s highest 14 peaks in 92 days

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:38 GMT

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A Norwegian who just became the fastest climber to scale all the world’s 14 highest mountains announced she was retiring from climbing high peaks on Saturday upon her return to Nepal. Kristin Harila along with her Sherpa guide Tenjin were given a hero’s welcome at the Kathmandu airport where hundreds including mountaineers, government officials and well-wishers gathered to welcome them back with cheers and flower garlands.Harila and Tenjin scaled Mount K2 in Pakistan last week, thus concluding the climb of the 14th peak — that is more than 8000 meters (about 26,000 feet) — high in 92 days, shattering the previous record of 189 days.“I don’t think I will try any eight-thousand meters for a while.” Harila said. “I have done 28 eight-thousand meters in total so I think I have done my part.”The 37-year-old climber began the mission of setting a new record in April by scaling Mount Shishapangma followed by other peaks in China as well as Nepal, i...

Daily horoscope for August 5, 2023

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:38 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Aries.Happy Birthday for Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023:You are very good at what you do. You’re independent and like to call the shots. You’re an excellent manager and can organize the efforts of others. This year is slower-paced and more laid-back. It’s time to rejuvenate yourself and focus on relationships that make you happy.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★★★Enjoy fun outings today. In fact, this is the perfect day for a vacation. Performance arts, the theater, musical concerts, sports events and playful activities with children will be fun choices. Accept invitations to socialize. Enjoy your day! Tonight: You win!TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★Get ready to entertain today, because this is a wonderful day to entertain friends and groups. You have been busy with redecorating and making things look better. Why not show off what you’ve done? (Or enlist the help of friends to do m...