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Azerbaijan raises flag over the Karabakh capital to reaffirm control of the disputed region

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:18 GMT

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has raised his nation’s flag over the capital of Karabakh in a ceremony reaffirming Baku’s control of the disputed region.The Azerbaijani leader delivered a speech and raised the flag over the city, which is known as Khankendi by Azerbaijan and Stepanakert by Armenians, the presidential office said Sunday.The Karabakh region, which was previously called Nagorno-Karabakh and is known to Armenians as Artsakh, is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, but became a breakaway state under the control of ethnic Armenian forces in 1994 following a six-year conflict.A subsequent war in 2020 returned control of much of the area to Azerbaijan, until a lightning offensive last month forced separatists to relinquish the rest of the region.In a 24-hour campaign that began on Sept. 19, the Azerbaijani army routed the area’s undermanned and outgunned Armenian forces, forcing them to capitulate.The majority of the area’s ethnic Armenian population lat...

Sunday Forecast: Mostly cloudy, breezy and low 50s

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:18 GMT

Sunday: A few lake effect showers to start the day then partly to mostly cloudy skies throughout the rest of the day. Expect a bit more sunshine across inland locations. Winds will remain breezy out of the north 10-15 mph. Highs today will stay below average just into the mid 50s. Monday: Lakeside showers move back in overnight lingering into early Monday morning with dry conditions expected across suburban areas. Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Some sunshine and temperatures recover back into the 60s midweek before showers return to the forecast towards the weekend.

Mary Lou Retton is making 'remarkable' progress, family says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:18 GMT

(AP) — The family of Olympic gymnastics champion Mary Lou Retton says she is making “remarkable” progress in her battle with a rare form of pneumonia that landed her in intensive care.McKenna Kelley, one of Retton's four daughters, posted an update on Instagram Saturday that said the 55-year-old Retton's breathing is becoming stronger and her “path to recovery is steadily progressing.”“Though it’s a lengthy journey, witnessing these improvements is incredibly heartening,” Kelley wrote. “She’s beginning to respond to treatments.”The family disclosed earlier this week that Retton — who became the first American female gymnast to win the Olympic all-around title at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics — was “fighting for her life” and unable to breathe on her own after being diagnosed with pneumonia. Parents sue Hyatt Hotels Corporation after death of 1-year-old son Donations have poured into a fundraiser the family set up to help offset Retton's medical expenses after the family said she d...

40% won't tip at food trucks – but should you?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:18 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Many people have decided tip creeping has gone too far and the line needs to be drawn somewhere. That line, according to a recent Forbes Advisor survey, is being drawn at food trucks. Forty percent of respondents in the survey said they don't believe food truck workers should be asking for tips, even though it's common to see a digital tipping screen when you pay for your food. Default tipping suggestions can be customized. Sometimes you'll see options like $1, $2 and $5. Sometimes it's more like 18%, 20% and 22%. “People think it’s manipulative, they resent it, and their perceptions of service go down,” Michael Lynn, a marketing and management communication professor at Cornell University, told Nexstar. When it comes to eating at food trucks, industry experts agree a different standard applies than at full-service restaurants. Ted Rossman, a senior industry analyst at Bankrate.com, told The Hill he doesn't think tipping on takeout, like at food trucks, is necessary unle...

Body found during search for missing Indiana teacher in Puerto Rico

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:18 GMT

NAGUABO, Puerto Rico (WXIN) — A body has been found by authorities searching for a missing Indiana teacher in Puerto Rico. Amanda Webster, 44, was vacationing in Puerto Rico when she was reported missing last week. Webster is an Indianapolis resident and art teacher at Thompson Crossing Elementary School in Franklin Township. Puerto Rico Police Commissioner Antonio Lopez Figueroa activated an “Ashanti Alert” — an alert issued for those who don't meet the criteria for an AMBER Alert or Silver Alert, according to the Department of Justice — on Friday asking residents to help search for Webster. Suspect in custody after shooting at Texas State Fair leaves 3 wounded “Amanda Lynn Webster was reported missing on Wednesday by the landlord of the place she is staying at, after realizing she failed to leave the home as agreed upon and left her belongings and a rented car on the property,” an English translation of a post from police read.Saturday afternoon, Puerto Rico police confirmed the...

Suspect in custody after shooting at Texas State Fair leaves 3 wounded

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:18 GMT

(The Hill) — One suspect is in custody after a shooting left three people wounded at the Texas State Fair Saturday night. Dallas police said three people were injured with non-life-threatening injuries after a shooting broke out near the food court of the Dallas State Fair at about 7:45 p.m. local time on Saturday. The initial investigation determined that one man shot at another man. The shooter was taken into custody after he ran from the scene. Police noted that a gun was recovered and that the investigation is ongoing.The State Fair of Texas posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it was evacuating attendees from the park as a result of the shooting at about 8 p.m. local time on Saturday. It will now have a delayed opening on Sunday.Dallas City Councilmember Adam Bazaldua said that the shooting sparked from an issue between two people who knew each other. He also used the incident to call for more gun control reform in Texas.“I have been updated by the City Manage...

The Israel-Hammas war has roiled US campuses. Students on each side say colleges aren't doing enough

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:18 GMT

America’s colleges aspire to be places where ideas meet and common ground emerges. As the death toll rises in the Israel-Hamas war, they have become seats of anguish.Many Jewish students and their allies, some with family and friends in Israel, have demanded bold reckonings and strong condemnation after the attacks by Hamas militants, who stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns, killing and abducting civilians and soldiers.Meanwhile, some Muslim students have joined with allies to call for a recognition of decades of suffering by Palestinians in Gaza, plus condemnation of the response by Israel. After the Hamas attack, Israel launched a total blockade of Gaza; airstrikes have flattened buildings and homes, killing civilians and forcing hundreds of thousands to evacuate.On many campuses, these students agree on one thing: Their colleges, which are increasingly staking out positions of neutrality, have not done enough to support them.College officials, already ...

Movies and TV shows that feature St. Louis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:18 GMT

ST. LOUIS – If you ever find yourself with a free day, consider checking out these St. Louis-featured movies. Some are cheesy, some are romantic, but all of them showcase recognizable St. Louis locations on the big screen.White Palace: Glen Savan, a native of St. Louis, wrote the book "The White Castle," on which this movie is based. Savan even makes an appearance in the film as an extra, playing a disgruntled customer.King of the Hill: Based on A.E. Hotchner's memoir of his childhood in St. Louis during the Great Depression, this movie follows a boy's life in the city.The Black Hole is a movie about a scientific experiment gone wrong and the mayhem a mysterious creature wreaked in St. Louis.Escape from New York: While filmed in St. Louis, the movie is set in 1997, when the U.S. president crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum-security prison. A convicted bank robber is sent in to rescue him.Up in the Air: George Clooney was in St. Louis during the creation of this film. The st...

Sunnyvale hosts Halloween Costume Collection and Swap

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:18 GMT

Halloween costume swapThe City of Sunnyvale is partnering with First 5 Family Resource Center and Sunnyvale Community Services to host a Halloween Costume Collection and Swap for families in need.Clean, gently used children’s costumes and accessories can be dropped off at Columbia Neighborhood Center, 785 Morse Ave., through Saturday, Oct. 21. Donations will be accepted Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. in the main lobby and 5-8 p.m. in the fitness room.Sunnyvale Community Services is also accepting donations through Friday, Oct. 20, at its donation center, 1160 Kern Ave., Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon and 12:30-4 p.m. Donations can also be dropped off in the main lobby on Saturdays, 9 a.m.-noon.New afterschool programVargas, Bishop and Ellis elementary schools are hosting a Transitional Kindergarten Kids Learning Afterschool (TK-KLAS) pilot program is for kids ages 4-6. This after-school program is an extension of the regular school day. The program runs Monday-Frid...

Campbell’s Heritage Theatre stages ‘Dynamite,’ dancing Dorothy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:18 GMT

‘Dynamite’ cast reunionFans of ligers and Tater Tots might want to check out the show at Campbell’s Heritage Theatre on Nov. 2, when cast members from “Napoleon Dynamite” will be on hand to talk about the 2004 cult movie.A screening of the movie will be followed by a discussion with cast members Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), Efren Ramirez (Pedro) and Jon Gries (Uncle Rico).The evening is less a serious deconstruction of the movie and more a fun celebration of the much-loved comedy. It includes “Napoleon Dynamite”-themed preshow activities starting at 6 p.m., including selfies with Tina the Llama’s cousin Varekai (from Black Cat Llamas), with food and drinks available for purchase, and maybe even some Tots. There’s also a preshow meet and greet with the actors, including professional photographs and a signed poster.Tickets are $55 at 408-866- 2700 or HeritageTheatre.org; VIP Meet and Greet tickets are an additional $75. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Heritage Theatre, locate...