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US-Iran prisoner swap unlikely to lower tensions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:27 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) -- Five Americans landed safely in the United States early Tuesday, part of a prisoner swap with Iran that also unfroze nearly $6 billion in Iranian assets."I have no higher priority, the president has no higher priority than making sure that Americans who are unjustly detained anywhere can come home," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.But while the Biden Administration celebrated, Republicans like Sen. Mitch McConnell slammed the deal."Unfortunately, the deal that secured their released may very well be the latest example of president Biden rewarding and incentivizing Tehran's bad behavior," McConnell said.In fact, McConnell was critical of the administration's overall Iran strategy, which he said "emboldened the massive state sponsor of terror and would be nuclear arms aggressor."Blinken, though, said the administration is committed to getting Iran to return to the nuclear agreement -- which former President Trump ended."We continue to be determined to...

19-year-old man in critical condition after shooting in Wicker Park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:27 GMT

CHICAGO — A 19-year-old man is in the hospital after he was shot while riding a scooter in Wicker Park, according to Chicago police. Officers say the shooting happened around 7 p.m. on Tuesday evening in the 1500 block of North Artesian Avenue.  Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines The man told police that he was in the area when he heard shots and felt pain. Officers say the man was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.Currently it is unclear what led to the shooting. Anyone with information on the shooting can leave a tip for police at CPDtip.com. Tips can be left anonymously.

Orioles win 4th straight, blast Astros, 9-5, behind homers from Austin Hays, Ryan O’Hearn and Heston Kjerstad

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:27 GMT

No player in the major leagues is more familiar with Camden Yards’ unnatural left field wall than Austin Hays.Playing in front of a different — but also strange — one Tuesday in Houston, Hays took advantage of Minute Maid Park’s shorter left field, blasting two home runs and leading the Orioles to a 9-5 victory.Baltimore’s bats combined for 10 hits and four homers for the club’s fourth straight win — a streak that has followed its four-game skid last week — to drop the Orioles’ magic number to win the American League East to eight.Hays’ first homer — a three-run shot in the third to give Baltimore a lead it wouldn’t relinquish — easily made it out to the short porch in left field. It wouldn’t have been a long ball at 14 MLB stadiums, including Camden Yards, which altered its dimensions last season by moving the left field wall back almost 30 feet and increasing its height by 5 feet.His second, though...

Kenta Maeda open to whatever postseason role Twins give him

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:27 GMT

CINCINNATI — Kenta Maeda said he didn’t feel perfect on Tuesday — his four-seam fastball, in particular, didn’t have the life he had wanted it to have. But the results were nearly perfect nonetheless.Maeda threw five innings on Tuesday, striking out eight batters and allowing just one hit — a double in the fourth inning — and a walk while picking up the win in the Twins’ 7-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.That came after an outing in Chicago in which Maeda gave up two runs across seven innings. The veteran starter has now won three straight games and has certainly been making a case to start a playoff game.The Twins, who are likely to clinch the American League Central DIvision title later this week, are expected to play in a best-of-three Wild Card Series in which Pablo López and Sonny Gray, in some order, would likely start the first two games.If the Twins opt to line up Joe Ryan for a potential Game 3, Maeda has plenty of experience coming out of t...

Still no 401(k) access for former South City Hospital employees

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:27 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Four weeks after we first met, Jonathan Howard still can’t access the money he contributed to his 401(k) account while working at South City Hospital.“Nobody can show us, ‘Ok, your money is here. Here’s the account number. Here’s a statement. This is what your account has,’” Howard said.Howard and hundreds of his colleagues abruptly lost their jobs at South City Hospital in early August. Since then, he says the hospital’s human resources department has provided employees with promises but no progress.“It’s been over six weeks since our last day and nothing’s changed. We’re still in the same financial situation with them,” he said.FOX 2 was included in an email Howard received on Sept. 13 from Rob Boyd, the Regional Chief Human Resources officer for South City Hospital and Gateway Medical Center in Granite City. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News ...

St. Louis County Council approves Boeing tax break for expansion project

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:27 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – Boeing is one step closer to a $2 billion expansion facility near St. Louis Lambert International Airport after the St. Louis County Council approved a multi-million dollar tax break.Groups speaking in favor of the Boeing expansion said it would bring 500 jobs to the region.Council members who spoke before Tuesday's vote said this has been a difficult decision to make.Councilwoman Kelli Dunaway voted against the tax break."It is these types of incentives that have turned this country, this county, and the world we live in into a game that is stacked against the working families that we're trying to protect by passing this bill," she said.County Executive Sam Page the vote "shows St. Louis County's commitment to growing our economy, expanding career opportunities, and building on our priorities to invest in north county." He plans to sign the new bill into law on Wednesday morning."Approving these incentives demonstrates to the federal government that Boeing h...

Reported incidents on MetroLink increase despite security investment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:27 GMT

ST. LOUIS – A You Paid For It Investigation spotlights an increase in incidents on MetroLink despite the millions of additional dollars poured into security.According to the MetroLink Task Force Incident Report, incidents increased in the period from April to June of this year.Bi-State Development Commissioner Derrick Keith Cox is a critic of the organization’s slow pace of security improvement.“Well, I think we live in a pretty dangerous city, and I think that right now people think that that’s a place they can go and get away with their crime,” he said. “We’ve got to make it uncomfortable for the bad people to do any kind of crime on the platform or on the train, anything to do with MetroLink.”According to the report, there were 236 incidents in the first quarter of the year, but that increased to 249 incidents in the second quarter.58% of the incidents are conduct violations like breaking curfew, loitering, and disorderly conduct.31% of the incidents are violent crimes like assau...

Chesterfield ordinance slows charity’s fundraising

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:27 GMT

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. – Members of the Incarnate Word Knights of Columbus Council 9981 were hoping the city of Chesterfield would grant a waiver allowing the charitable organization to conduct a fundraising event that’s been a tradition.In October, members don yellow vests for three days and hand out Tootsie Rolls in exchange for donations from drivers stopped at intersections. The donations support organizations that help individuals with developmental disabilities.The fundraising effort ran into a hurdle last year after Chesterfield passed an ordinance aimed in part at addressing aggressive panhandling. Several other communities have passed similar ordinances over safety concerns. For the second year in a row, Council 9981 was denied a request to solicit at several Chesterfield intersections. A spokesperson for the city of Chesterfield said legal advice given to the city stated that if an expectation was made for one organization, then exceptions would be required for others.“They’re ...

Release of certain info has Francis Howell parents concerned over gaps in student safety

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:27 GMT

ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. – Some parents in the Francis Howell School District are left deciding between allowing their child's personal information to be shared or keeping their child out of the yearbook.According to the district, it started with a social media post on Monday, which soon sparked a conversation about what information Francis Howell should be sharing about the students.Chief communication officer Jennifer Jolls says the district sent a letter home to parents as a result. The letter says things like a student’s name, grade, and building name, as well as personal phone numbers, email addresses, and mailing addresses, were shared after a Sunshine request was submitted by a third party. Federal agents head operation on I-270 in St. Louis County Parents say that the release was never sent, and they were caught off guard.Jolls says over two dozen parents reached out to the district on Tuesday with their concerns. The district has an opt-out program through the Family Educa...

Man armed with sledgehammer dies at Long Beach school

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:27 GMT

A man with a sledgehammer died during a confrontation while attempting to enter a Long Beach elementary school on Tuesday.The suspect was only identified as an adult male by the Long Beach Police Department.Officers responded to calls of a home invasion robbery on the 6700 block of Orizaba Avenue around 2:27 p.m.The suspect, who was armed with a sledgehammer, had walked over to the nearby parking lot of McKinley Elementary School.As the man attempted to climb a fence and enter the school grounds, a group of males pulled him down and detained him while awaiting officers. At some point during the confrontation, he became unresponsive, authorities said.Police are investigating after a man died during a confrontation while attempting to enter a Long Beach school on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)Police are investigating after a man died during a confrontation while attempting to enter a Long Beach school on Sept. 19, 2023. (KTLA)Police are investigating after a man died during a confrontation ...