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Lebanese singer and actress Najah Sallam dies at age 92

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:59 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese singer and actress Najah Sallam, who surged to fame in the mid-20th century in the Middle East for her songs promoting pan-Arabism, has died, her family said Thursday. She was 92. Her family did not disclose the cause of her death. Sallam was born on March 13, 1931, and became popular as a singer in the 1950s, especially in Egypt during the 1956 Suez Canal when then-President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal and broke Egypt from its colonial past. The move angered Britain, France, and Israel, which invaded the country, sparking the second Arab-Israeli war. Nasser later granted Sallam an honorary Egyptian citizenship. Sallam was also a well-known actress and was involved in about a dozen Arabic-language films in the 1950s and 1960s.In 2018, then-Lebanese President Michel Aoun honored Sallam and other iconic artists in a celebration marking the 80th anniversary of Radio Lebanon, one of the region’s oldest radio stations.“The journey has ended,” her...

69-year-old woman killed in Aurora hit-and-run

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:59 GMT

AURORA, Ill. — A 69-year-old woman was killed in a hit-and-run Wednesday morning in Aurora.At around 1:55 a.m., authorities responded to the area of Galena Boulevard west of Barnes Road on the report of a person in the road.When police arrived they found a 69-year-old woman, later identified as Annie Kpa, of Aurora, dead at the scene.Following a preliminary investigation, police determined the woman was walking in the roadway when she was struck by a vehicle that left the scene. 2 Aurora city workers credited with saving 1-year-old boy Authorities have not released a description of the vehicle at this time.Anyone with information can call police at 630-256-5330.

Hundreds of employees at CSL Behring in Bradley on strike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:59 GMT

BRADLEY, Ill. — Hundreds of workers at a medical plant in Kankakee County are walking off the job.The contract for union workers at CSL Behring in Bradley, Illinois expired Wednesday night. A large number of employees are rallying outside the main entrance to the facility Thursday.They are calling for a new three-year deal — negotiating sessions were held Monday and Tuesday.In a statement, CSL Behring said it offered an excellent contract proposal that includes an 11% raise over three years, plus other benefits on holidays and healthcare.But unlike many strikes, the two sides are not necessarily at odds over money and benefits, instead it's about outsourced work to non union workers.CSL Behring is Kankakee County's largest manufaturing facility. There are more than 1500 workers at the bio pharmaceutical company, more than 700 are members of the union. Larry Snelling confirmed as CPD superintendent The two sides have been negotiating for a while. The company said it is ready to res...

Cathay Pacific direct flights from O'Hare Hong Kong returns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:59 GMT

CHICAGO -- Hong Kong's home airline, Cathay Pacific, resumes direct flights from O'Hare since the pandemic, the Chicago Department of Aviation announced Thursday.Flights will resume again Tuesday, Oct. 3 and will depart Chicago at 4:05 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, arriving in Hong Kong at 8:45 p.m. the following day. Suburban English teacher helps students grow through writing, seeking truth Return fights will leave Hong Kong at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays, arriving in Chicago at 2:25 p.m. the same day.“From one world-class global hub to another, I’m proud to welcome direct Hong Kong service back to Chicago,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement.

WATCH: First congressional hearing on Maui wildfire to focus on island's sole electric provider and grid

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:59 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hawaii's top public utility officials and the president of Hawaiian Electric are expected to testify Thursday in a congressional hearing about the role the electrical grid played in last month's deadly Maui wildfire.Members of a U.S. House Energy and Commerce subcommittee are expected to question the utility officials about how the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century began — and whether the electrical grid in Lahaina was safe and properly maintained.The fire killed at least 97 people and destroyed more than 2,000 buildings, mostly homes. It first erupted at 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 8, when strong winds appeared to cause a Hawaiian Electric powerline to fall, igniting dry brush and grass near a large subdivision.Among those expected to testify are Hawaiian Electric CEO Shelee Kimura, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission Chair Leodoloff Asuncion Jr. and Hawaii Chief Energy Officer Mark Glick. How a shutdown would impact key health care programs Energy and Commerc...

WATCH: House Republicans are set to make their case for Biden impeachment inquiry at first hearing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:59 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans have insisted for months that they have the grounds to launch impeachment proceedings against President Joe Biden. On Thursday, they will begin formally making their case to the public and their skeptical colleagues in the Senate.The chairmen of Oversight, Judiciary, and Ways and Means will hold the opening hearing of their impeachment inquiry by reviewing the constitutional and legal questions surrounding their investigation of Biden and what they say are links to his son Hunter's overseas businesses."Based on the evidence, Congress has a duty to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden's corruption," Rep. James Comer, the Oversight chairman, said in a statement this week.Comer added that the committee plans to "present evidence uncovered to date and hear from legal and financial experts about crimes the Bidens may have committed as they brought in millions at the expense of U.S. interests." More SNAP changes coming Oct. 1 It's a high-stakes ...

Netflix's red-and-white envelopes making final trip as DVD-by-mail service ending

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:59 GMT

The curtain is finally coming down on Netflix's once-iconic DVD-by-mail service, a quarter century after two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs came up with a concept that obliterated Blockbuster video stores while providing a springboard into video streaming that has transformed entertainment.The DVD service that has been steadily shrinking in the shadow of Netflix's video streaming service will shut down after its five remaining distribution centers in California, Texas, Georgia and New Jersey mail out their final discs Friday.The fewer than 1 million recipients who still subscribe to the DVD service will be able to keep the final discs that land in their mailboxes.Some of the remaining DVD diehards will get up to 10 discs as a going away present from a service that boasted as many as 16 million subscribers. That was before Netflix made the pivotal decision in 2011 to separate the DVD side business from a streaming business that now boasts 238 million subscribers and generated...

Does your California red wine taste like an ashtray? Here's why and what's being done

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:59 GMT

ALPINE, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. West Coast produces over 90% of America's wine, but the region is also prone to wildfires — a combustible combination that spelled disaster for the wine industry in 2020 and one that scientists are scrambling to neutralize.Sample a good wine and you might get notes of oak or red fruit. But sip on wine made from grapes that were penetrated by smoke, and it could taste like someone dumped the contents of an ashtray into your glass.Wine experts from three West Coast universities are working together to meet the threat, including developing spray coatings to protect grapes, pinpointing the elusive compounds that create that nasty ashy taste, and deploying smoke sensors to vineyards to better understand smoke behavior.The U.S. government is funding their research with millions of dollars. Wineries are also taking steps to protect their product and brand.The risk to America's premier wine-making regions — where wildfires caused billions of dollars in...

Senate passes formal dress code after backlash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:59 GMT

(The Hill) – The Senate voted Wednesday night to require that business attire be worn on the floor of the chamber, following backlash from both sides over Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) move to relax the dress code last week. The resolution, from centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), comes just over a week after Schumer announced he would loosen the Senate’s dress code, a move that was seen by some as a way to accommodate Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who is often spotted on Capitol Hill wearing shorts and hoodies instead of suits. Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike criticized Schumer's decision, with some calling it disrespectful to the upper chamber. The vote came in the midst of both chambers racing to avert a shutdown at the end of the week.The resolution seeks to “clarify the dress code” for the Senate floor. It requires men to wear a coat, tie, slacks and other long pants.Speaking with The Hill last week, Fetterman denied he was the driving...

More SNAP changes coming Oct. 1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:59 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Starting in October, SNAP benefits are getting a boost – but eligibility requirements are also changing. The changes to SNAP, which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, are taking effect as a result of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, signed by President Joe Biden in June.In order qualify for SNAP (previously called the Food Stamp Program), more people will be required to prove they are actively working, training or in school. The changes only affect one group of SNAP recipients: able-bodied adults without dependents (or ABAWDs, as the agency calls them), ages 52 to 54. SNAP benefits are increasing Oct. 1: Here’s how much ABAWDs between the ages of 18 and 52 already need to prove they are working at least 80 hours a month, pursuing an education or are in a training program to qualify for SNAP for more than three months.Now, starting on Oct. 1, able-bodied childless workers who are 51 and 52 years old will also need to meet those work ...