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Man suspected of trying to steal items in Alaska shot by resident, authorities say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:54 GMT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A man suspected of trying to steal items from a garage in a south-central Alaska community was shot after being confronted by a resident, authorities said, the second such case in the region in recent days.Alaska State Troopers said a 30-year-old man was shot Wednesday night in Houston, which is about 57 miles (91.7 kilometers) north of Anchorage. The man entered a garage and was going through items when residents saw tracks leading to the building and confronted him, Troopers spokesperson Tim DeSpain said. The man grabbed a lamp and “attempted to use it as a blunt weapon,” DeSpain said. Troopers said the man tried to grab a gun from a resident and was shot twice, the Anchorage Daily News reported. The man was taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, troopers said, and the residents were not harmed.On Dec. 17, troopers said another man was found inside a Wasilla home by two residents. A fight ensued, and the man was fatally shot by one of...

Moneris payment machines down for second time in as many days during holiday shopping rush

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:54 GMT

For the second day in a row, Moneris debit and credit machines are down.The company initially posted a statement on X that was identical to the one they issued Friday, saying it is suffering “intermittent processing issues,” but that post was deleted and replaced with one saying it is experiencing “intermittent network slowness that may impact transactions.”CityNews reached out to Moneris to get a better understanding of what’s going on, but Moneris says a spokesperson isn’t available. Related: Moneris service outage affects card payments on busy shopping, travel day “We are currently experiencing some network slowness but all systems are operational and our teams are monitoring all systems closely,” Moneris communications director Darren Leroux told CityNews.“As you can imagine, we’re busy focusing on our merchants.”Moneris describes itself on its website as “Canada’s #1 payment processor&#...

Michigan State basketball player, Chicago-native recovering after Joliet shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:54 GMT

JOLIET, Ill. — Chicago-native, Joliet West High School alum and Michigan State University basketball player Jeremy Fears Jr. is recovering from surgery after being shot in the leg, according to the Detroit Free Press's Chris Solari.The Joliet Police Department said officers were sent to the 300 block of St Jude Avenue around 3:45 a.m. Saturday on reports of two people being shot. When police arrived, they found an 18-year-old male who was shot in his left thigh and a 19-year-old female who was shot in the pelvis.According to Joliet PD, their preliminary investigation showed both victims were inside a residence with others when it is believed that a male suspect armed with a handgun entered through the front door of the residence and opened fire, hitting both victims.The 18-year-old male and the 19-year-old female were both transported to Ascension St. Joseph Medical Center by the Joliet Fire Department and are listed as being in stable condition with injuries that are non-life-threa...

Obama shares his favorite books of 2023 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:54 GMT

(The Hill) — Former President Obama shared his favorite books of this year in a Friday post on X, formerly known as Twitter.“As I usually do during this time of year, I wanted to share my favorite books, movies, and music of 2023,” Obama said in his post.“First up, here are the books I've enjoyed reading,” the former president continued. “If you’re looking for a new book over the holidays, give one of them a try. And if you can, shop at an independent bookstore or check them out at your local library.”The former president’s list included books like “The Covenant of Water” by Abraham Verghese, “The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory,” by Tim Alberta and “The Vaster Wilds” by Lauren Groff. Obama has insisted in the past that his annual book, music and movie lists are “stuff” he “actually” likes. “People, they believe the books and the movies, but the playlists, they somehow think — and this is mostly coming from young people like you — somehow you all think you invented rock ...

How rich was the McCallister family in 'Home Alone'?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:54 GMT

CHICAGO (WGN-TV/NEXSTAR) — It's been 33 years since Macaulay Culkin first slapped his face with aftershave in the Christmas classic "Home Alone" — and the Chris Columbus-directed comedy has only gotten more popular with age.And while the film remains a constant holiday tradition, it's also spawned many burning questions. Just weeks ago, TikTok users were wondering how much Kevin McCallister's grocery order would cost today. But something else money-related keeps standing out to "Home Alone" watchers: was Kevin's family rich? Which grocery stores will be open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2023? Questions about the McCallister family's finances are based on a few details in the movie, including that the entire family was flying to Paris over the holidays. But mostly, people tend to focus on the size and condition of the family's Chicago suburb home.The New York Times recently talked to experts with the Federal Reserve who compared the home to similar ones in Chicago in the ear...

Sources: Woman killed in crash outside El Paso was founding member of Dixie Chicks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:54 GMT

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) -- A 65-year-old woman from Fort Worth who is being identified as a founding member of The Dixie Chicks was killed and another person was hurt in a head-on collision Friday night, Dec. 22 along U.S. Highway 62 in Hudspeth County. The woman was identified as Laura Caroline Lynch by the Texas Department of Public Safety. The New York Post and CBS Network are both reporting that Lynch was a founding member of The Dixie Chicks musical group and was the woman who was killed in the crash outside of El Paso on Friday night. TMZ is also reporting Lynch, a founding member of the band, was killed in the crash.The band has since been renamed The Chicks.The crash happened at about 5:45 p.m. about 25 miles west of Dell City and about 8 miles west of Cornudas, according to DPS. DPS: 1 dead, 1 hurt in head-on collision on US 62/180 According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a pickup truck was traveling westbound on U.S. 62 when the driver tried to pass another vehi...

Former Texas QB Maalik Murphy transfers to Duke

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Maalik Murphy, Texas' backup quarterback who stepped in to lead the Longhorns to two Big 12 Conference wins this season, will transfer to Duke University.He announced his decision Saturday on social media. He will try to get the starting job for the Blue Devils after previous quarterback Riley Leonard transferred to Notre Dame. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: QB Maalik Murphy to transfer from Texas Murphy has three years of eligibility remaining after finishing his redshirt freshman season with the Longhorns. Duke (8-5) defeated Troy 17-10 in the Birmingham Bowl on Saturday with true freshman Grayson Loftis taking the snaps. He threw for 183 yards with an interception against the Trojans (11-3), the 2023 Sun Belt Conference champions.Murphy stepped in for starter Quinn Ewers and led the Longhorns to wins over BYU and Kansas State. Murphy finished the season 40 of 71 passing for 477 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions, appearing in seven games including his two s...

How Christmas in Texas has always been different

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:54 GMT

TEXAS (KAMR/KCIT) - From colorful trees to cozy sleigh rides, many ubiquitous holiday symbols and traditions weren't common in Texas until the 20th century, despite being the site of the country's first Christmas. Instead, Christmas in the Lone Star State has historically been distinct from the rest of the United States.From the time of Spanish conquistadors to the reign of the cowboys, Texas for most of its history has been comprised of vast stretches of unincorporated wilderness. Even after the population boom of the 1880s-1890s, most of the communities around the state were rural with lower-density populations, and in decades previous many did not have access to railroads or other convenient trading routes and supplies. Because of this, festive occasions throughout Texas history have depended on the supplies that its people had on hand at the time; meaning Christmas in Texas has far less often featured roasting chestnuts on an open fire than a community rodeo. Christmas caroling ...

Texas woman connected to multi-million PPP fraud sentenced to prison

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:54 GMT

LUBBOCK, Texas -- A Lubbock woman was sentenced to 2.5 years in federal prison for "concealing a PPP Loan Fraud," the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton announced on Monday.According to court documents, Hope Leticia Hastey, 51, founded a company that provided contract services such as speech and occupational therapy. Along with her company, Radar Supports, federal court records said Hastey also founded Radar Foundations, a non-profit that organized community fundraisers for people with "intellectual limitations."The company had about 10 employees and the foundation had none, court records said. Court records stated in May 2020, an assumed name certificate was filed for "Radar Supports Construction," indicating Hastey as the owner. Court records stated the entity never provided services of any kind and never filed a tax return. File image of Hope Hastey (Nexstar/Staff)Hastey hired Andrew Travis Johnson for bookkeeping services. Johnson later pleaded guil...

Charley Walters: Vikings’ owners facing tough financial decisions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:54 GMT

During the 17 years that Zygi and Mark Wilf have owned the Vikings, the team has made the playoffs seven times. A loss on Sunday to the favored Detroit Lions would make the postseason unlikely. Going forward, the Wilfs face difficult spending decisions.Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) loosens up during warm ups before the start of a NFL Wildcard Round game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2022. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)Foremost will be quarterback. It’s unclear whether the underwhelming play of Vikings backups will improve Kirk Cousins’ free agency market, which could reach $40 million next spring.It seems likely that had Cousins not been lost for the remaining nine games due to Achilles surgery, the Vikings would have won a couple more games and been a legitimate NFC North contender with the Lions.But Cousins isn’t expected to be fully recovered in March when free agency begins. The draft isn’t until April, and the...