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DeSantis’ campaign and allied super PAC face new concerns about legal conflicts, AP sources say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:26 GMT

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Ron DeSantis has visited each of Iowa’s 99 counties. He has the endorsement of the governor and boasts the largest get-out-the-vote operation in the state. And he has predicted victory in Iowa’s Jan. 15 caucuses.But as the Florida governor works to project strength in the Republican primary and cut into former President Donald Trump’s huge lead, DeSantis’ expansive political machine is facing a churn of leadership, stagnant polling numbers and new concerns about potential legal conflicts.Specifically, there has been concern in recent weeks among some within DeSantis’ operation that interactions between his campaign and his network of outside groups are blurring the lines of what’s legally permissible.Multiple people familiar with DeSantis’ political network said that he and his wife had expressed concerns about the messaging of Never Back Down, the largest super PAC supporting the governor’s campaign, in recent months as ...

Chicago Bulls launch Ring of Honor, announce inaugural class

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:26 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls announced their inaugural "Ring of Honor" class Tuesday, which will recognize and celebrate past players, coaches and front office staff who made outstanding contributions to help define the organization throughout it's history, according to a press release from the team.The Bulls' inaugural Ring of Honor class will include 13 individuals — Artis Gilmore, Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, Johnny “Red” Kerr, Dick Klein, Jerry Krause, Toni Kukoc, Bob Love, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Jerry Sloan, Chet Walker and Tex Winter — and one team, the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.The Bulls will honor the following players, coaches and staff from the 1995-96 team:  Players: Randy Brown, Jud Buechler Jason Caffey, James Edwards, Jack Haley, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Dickey Simpkins and Bill Wennington Coaches: Jim Cleamons, Phil Jackson, Erik Helland, John Paxson, Jimmy Rodgers and Te...

When is SantaCon coming to Chicagoland?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:26 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The Santa Clauses are coming to town — and possibly looking for a place to urinate!SantaCon, an annual event that takes place around Christmastime, is essentially a huge, festive pub crawl populated almost entirely by revelers dressed as Santa Claus or other holiday characters. The event has been growing in popularity for decades too, with hundreds of cities in the U.S. (and many abroad) playing host to their own SantaCons in recent years. Holiday crowds at airports, on highways expected to be even bigger than last year In December 2023, over 100 different SantaCon events were scheduled to take place throughout the country, with many still to come. But that’s only the events listed on the SantaCon.info database; it’s possible there are even more being organized under different names.Where are SantaCon events taking place in the coming weeks?According to SantaCon.info, there are still more than 40 SantaCon events scheduled for cities in 17 states: Arizona, Californ...

President Gay to stay at Harvard, despite calls for resignation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:26 GMT

Harvard President Claudine Gay will stay in her position, despite Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) demanding her resignation."This is a moral failure of Harvard's leadership," Stefanik said.Last week, Gay, the president of MIT, and the former president of the University of Pennsylvania deflected questions from Stefanik about whether calling for the genocide of Jews breaks their colleges' codes of conduct."Those university presidents made history by putting the most morally bankrupt testimony into the Congressional record and the world saw it," Stefanik said.On Tuesday, Harvard's board released a statement saying Gay is "the right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing.""Have failed to stand up for Jewish students on campus. It is unacceptable and it's untenable," Stefanik said.House Republican Leader Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) says his party is leading the fight against antisemitism."We've exposed antisemitism, called it out for what...

Funding negotiations at a standstill on the Hill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:26 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - All eyes are on the Senate as they race to negotiate an immigration deal. The top two senators negotiating the deal warned that the clock is ticking to make a deal before senator’s head home for the holidays. If that happens, President Joe Biden’s package for aid to Ukraine and Israel could be in jeopardy. “This is nonnegotiable,” Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) said. “100 percent nonnegotiable. Secure the border of the United States.” Republicans say they won't support President Biden’s $106 billion supplemental funding request, that includes aid for Ukraine and Israel, unless it also includes sweeping policy changes at the southern border. “It's hard to justify spending billions on Ukraine when we can’t even support our own border security and our own national security,” Representative Brian Babin (R-TX) said. But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says republicans border policy demands are a nonstarter. “We will not accept Donald T...

Body pulled from retention pond believed to be missing Illinois teen

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:26 GMT

VERNON HILLS, Ill. (WGN) — Police believe the body recovered from an Illinois retention pond is that of a 17-year-old girl reported missing last week. Brissa Romero, a resident of Carpentersville, was traveling to a bowling alley in Vernon Hills for a holiday party before she vanished on Dec. 4. Emergency crews were searching the pond in Vernon Hills, about 45 miles north of Chicago, on Monday after data from Romero's cellphone brought them to the area. Surveillance footage from a nearby restaurant showed Romero parking her vehicle and entering the restaurant by herself before leaving, only 15 minutes before her last registered phone ping in the area of the pond. A resident in the area also notified officers about a backpack that appeared to have floated to the edge of the pond. The bag contained "identifying information," according to authorities.Monday night, Vernon Hills police confirmed they found Romero's SUV in the pond. Search for missing Carpentersville’s teen resumes Tu...

Filings reveal police had photos from AISD, Shadywood Dr. shootings showing same suspect

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:26 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Multiple students and a school employee saw the start of a spree of violence in Austin last week, according to new court filings.Shane James, 34, the suspect connected with a deadly shooting spree in Austin and Bexar County, faces 10 charges, including multiple capital murder and aggravated assault charges, court records state. Central Texas shooting spree suspect faces 10 charges, including 4 for capital murder James is accused of killing six people and injuring three others during a string of incidents on Dec. 5.Officer shot at Northeast ECHSAustin Independent School District police officer Sgt. Val Barnes was leaving the Northeast Early College High School parking lot after visiting one of the officers stationed on the campus, according to a newly filed police affidavit. Barnes passed the baseball field and saw a man in the parking lot, and investigators said it appeared he alarmed suspected killer James. Barnes told investigators James pulled out a handgun and ...

Austin Fire responding to 'large' gas leak in West Campus

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:26 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Austin Fire Department said Tuesday afternoon that crews are responding to a “large” gas leak at 23rd Street and San Gabriel Street in West Campus. AFD said in an X post that the AFD Special Operations units are on the scene with Texas Gas to stop the leak. The Austin Fire Department asked people to avoid the area until the situation is resolved.

Austin's Barton Springs Road Bridge could be replaced amid dilapidating conditions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:26 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — For more than 20 years, City of Austin officials have flagged the Barton Springs Road Bridge as one of the highest priority bridges in need of rehabilitation or replacement. Now, staff are asking Austin City Council to greenlight design work on a total replacement for the nearly 100-year-old bridge as its conditions continue to wane.The Barton Springs Road Bridge was first built in 1926 as a two-lane bridge before it was expanded in 1946. Today, approximately 20,000 vehicles cross the bridge each day, which is a key access point into and out of Zilker Park.Barton Springs Road Bridge (KXAN Photo/Frank Martinez)Barton Springs Road Bridge (KXAN Photo/Frank Martinez)Barton Springs Road Bridge (KXAN Photo/Frank Martinez)Over the years, officials have worked to maintain the bridge and expand its lifespan. However, with the amount of time it takes to design and engineer any sort of improvements on the structure, city leaders said Tuesday time is of the essence."As a profess...

When Anthony Edwards returns, who’s in — and who’s out — of Timberwolves’ rotation?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:32:26 GMT

Injured Anthony Edwards could return to the Timberwolves’ lineup as soon as Thursday in Dallas. That’s good news for a team in the midst of a difficult portion of its schedule and that showed in Monday’s loss in New Orleans that if it is to compete with some of the NBA’s most-talented teams — particularly on the road — it likely will need its best player to do so.Edwards’ return would fill Minnesota’s boat re: roster availability after Jordan McLaughlin and Jaden McDaniels also returned to action within the past few days.So Timberwolves coach Chris Finch will have the option to reshuffle the deck and dial up the rotation however he sees fit.As a reminder, when the Wolves were healthy at the start of the season, the core rotational pieces were Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Naz Reid, Kyle Anderson and Shake Milton, while Jordan McLaughlin was used in short stints as a spark when needed.But things have changed since th...