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White House eases COVID protocols as emergency lifts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:54 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pandemic-era rules on COVID-19 testing for White House journalists are being loosened as the public health emergency declaration expires Thursday. It’s another sign of how a vast web of policies designed to limit the spread of the virus is dissipating.As part of the shift, reporters will no longer be required to get tested for COVID-19 while covering events with President Joe Biden in Washington. The rules have applied to journalists who are in the pool, a rotating group that covers the president on behalf of the press corps.In addition, the White House won’t ask reporters whether they’re vaccinated.However, reporters will still need to take COVID-19 tests to fly on Air Force One or Air Force Two, which is used by Vice President Kamala Harris, or before interviews with key administration figures.The Associated Press

General who captured ‘Che’ Guevara buried without honors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:54 GMT

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — The Bolivian general who captured Argentine-Cuban guerrilla leader Ernesto “Che” Guevara has been buried, and the ceremony was shunned by Bolivia’s leftist national government in a gesture that has angered his relatives.Retired Gen. Gary Prado Salmón, a hero to some compatriots and a pariah to others, died Saturday at 84 from renal complications. He had been declared a “national hero” in 1967, but also was accused in 2009 of involvement in a coup attempt against then-President Evo Morales. The Bolivian Army did not bury Pardo with any honors for Sunday’s ceremony, though he did receive tributes from city and regional officials.No authority from President Luis Arce’s government issued any statement on Prado’s death, nor did any military officials. No active members of the military participated in the wake nor funeral and there were no active duty officers flanking Prado’s coffin, as is the norm for deceased members of the service — all of which has ...

Father shot while shielding 4-year-old son from gunfire in South Shore

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:54 GMT

CHICAGO — A man is speaking out from his hospital bed two days after he was shot in the South Shore neighborhood while trying to protect his young son amid gunfire. At the intersection of 70th and Clyde, Donald Muhammad says he was trying to take his son out of the car Sunday night when gunfire erupted. "This is an epidemic and it doesn’t just affect me, it affects children every day. It affects adults. It affects innocent people," Muhammad told WGN News. Video shows bat-wielding woman attack women with stroller in Albany Park It's why Muhammad says he chose to speak out after surviving the shooting. "Physically, I’m well but emotionally and mentally, you’ll never get over that, especially when it involves children," he said. Muhammad was with his four-year-old son, who he was dropping off at his mom’s house. The father said he barely parked and exited the car before the gunshots erupted."It wasn’t semi-automatic gunfire, it was literally just automatic," Muhammad said. The ...

MTV News to shut down amid Paramount layoffs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:54 GMT

(The Hill) - The MTV — formerly “Music Television” — news division is expected to shut down amid a new round of layoffs made by Paramount Global, the company announced in a memo to staffers.In the memo, obtained and published by Variety, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks president Chris McCarthy said the reason was due to the pressure felt from “broader economic headwinds like many of our peers.” “To address this, our senior leaders in coordination with HR have been working together over the past few months to determine the optimal organization for the current and future needs of our business,” McCarthy wrote. Is your company planning layoffs, closures? Many states let you check McCarthy added that the layoffs will affect 25 percent of employees across the Showtime, MTV Entertainment Studios, and Paramount Media Networks groups in the U.S., which include MTV News, Variety reported. “As a result, we have made the very hard but necessary deci...

WATCH: Bear 'ding dong ditches' West Virginia home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:54 GMT

FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) — Bears in West Virginia have taken to surprising elementary school principals, and now, it appears they've branched out their pranks to include "ding dong ditches."On Tuesday, Dustin Smith posted the video on his Facebook page, saying, "Last night we were a victim of the good old fashioned ding dong ditch, but this time it wasn’t being performed by a teenager."Smith said it happened in Fairmont, located in northern West Virginia, just after 11 p.m. on Monday.The video shows the bear go up to the Ring doorbell and ring it before taking off into the night. ‘If you are not already awake, that will wake you up’: West Virginia principal shares story of bear encounter The incident comes just a week after a principal at Zela Elementary School in Summersville, roughly 115 miles away, made a surprising discovery while checking the dumpster. According to Nexstar's WOWK, security footage from the Nicholas County Board of Education showed Zela Elementary School Princip...

Kyle Fire reducing response times, adding positions as city continues to grow

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Kyle Fire Department is looking for new firefighters and will soon add another fire station as growth in the city continues."So we have watched it (Kyle) grow from 5,000 and we are approaching 90,000 in this area," said Mark Schultz, who moved to Kyle as a volunteer firefighter in 1999.With more people moving to Kyle, calls to Kyle Fire have increased significantly over the years."We were running 500 calls when I first started volunteering," said Schultz. "Now we are going to run about 6,800 calls this year."In January Kyle Fire averaged about seven and a half minutes for a response, but right now they average about 6 and a half minutes.One resource that has helped is a system that helps fire engines get through intersections much easier."It is the opticom system," said Schultz. "It controls the lights for us through our siren system." City of Kyle adds new traffic solutions to decrease congestion, focus on first responder safety "The technology utilizes advanc...

Travis County unanimously votes to bump corrections officers, deputies pay

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Travis County Commissioners voted unanimously to increase base pay for both its corrections officers in the jail and deputies in the field. Both will get a $5,000 base rate increase. The conversation was brought forward largely due to understaffing at the jail. The Travis County Sheriff's Office said of it's 731 corrections officer positions, 248 are vacant. That's a roughly 35% vacancy rate. Corrections officers will go from a base rate of $50,000 to $55,000 starting in June. TCSO law enforcement deputies will go from $63,000 to $68,000. There will also be adjustments in pay for people in higher positions to ensure the pay scale remains balanced. "We have a lot of staff that are stuck inside the jails. They don't get to go home in the evenings to see their families," said Jacob Bentura, a senior corrections officer and the president of the TCSO Association.Bentura said because there are state minimums for staffing, corrections officers are being required to stay fo...

Austin FC expects 'combative' New Mexico United as Verde seeks first-ever win in U.S. Open Cup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin FC certainly hopes its second try at the U.S. Open Cup tournament goes better than its first.The team's first appearance in the tournament last year was brief after they fell 2-1 to San Antonio FC in the third round — the round that Verde and Black entered the tournament in. On Wednesday, Austin FC has another shot to advance in the tournament when it takes on New Mexico United at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Q2 Stadium.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersWith a "congested" schedule as Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff puts it, the club's May calendar is jam-packed. They'll have four matches in a 10-day span starting with the Open Cup, and if they win Wednesday, they'll have another Open Cup match on the backend of the hectic slate. Wolff said he'll use his available roster to its fullest, and in the end, he's playing every game to win."The ambition is to win t...

MN state tuition freeze and free college included in higher ed funding bill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:54 GMT

The Legislature will tap $650 million from the state’s budget surplus to freeze tuition at Minnesota State institutions the next two years and provide free college to some students.House lawmakers approved a conference committee report Tuesday with a 69-62 vote along party lines. Now the Senate needs to OK the updated bill that was worked out over the last week by a bicameral panel of lawmakers from both chambers.“Minnesotans deserve a higher education system that is affordable, accessible, and prepares them for the workforce of tomorrow,” Rep. Gene Pelowski, House Higher Education Committee chair, said in a statement after the updated bill was approved in the House.Pelowski added that it was only the second time the Legislature provided funding to freeze tuition at state institutions. At about $4.2 billion over the coming two years, the overall higher education spending increase is about 19 percent more than current spending levels.“There is a great need in higher education, ...

MN State Patrol, other law enforcement to focus on street racing, other dangerous driving this spring and summer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:31:54 GMT

Minnesota State Patrol troopers and other law enforcement partners will be working to halt street racing and other dangerous driving this spring and summer.“Street racing and intersection takeovers are not innocent acts. They put lives at risk, cause major disturbances to neighborhoods, and damage to private property and public roadways,” said Col. Matt Langer, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, in a statement. “Communities are tired of it. We are dedicated to working with our partners to keep Minnesotans safe and send a message that street racing will not be tolerated.”Efforts to address street racing began in the summer of 2021 and since then fewer incidents have been reported, according to the State Patrol. It does continue and has become more aggressive in certain cases with high speeds in populated areas.Work will include partering with other law enforcement agencies and gathering intelligence from analysts behind the scenes, according to the State Patrol.According to the Sta...