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Health care strike over pay and staff shortages enters final day with no deal in sight

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A massive health care strike over wages and staffing shortages enters its final day on Friday without a deal between industry giant Kaiser Permanente and the unions representing the 75,000 workers who picketed this week.The three-day strike carried out in multiple states is set to officially end Saturday at 6 a.m., and workers were expected to return to their jobs in Kaiser’s hospitals and clinics that serve nearly 13 million Americans. The two sides did not have any bargaining sessions scheduled after concluding their talks midday Wednesday.The decision to walk off an important job was very difficult, said Josephine Rios, 55, a nurse attendant who takes in patients for surgery at a hospital in Irvine, California.“Unfortunately, it’s a financial burden for us that live paycheck to paycheck,” she said. “We can’t afford to strike a long time, but it’s a double-edged sword. We can’t afford not to strike.”A fall heat wave did not deter picketing at Los Ang...

A nurse is named as the prime suspect in the mysterious death of the Nigerian Afrobeat star Mohbad

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A nurse was identified on Friday as the “principal suspect” in the mysterious death of a Nigerian Afrobeat star, which triggered dayslong protests by thousands demanding justice.Investigations into the death of Ilerioluwa Aloba, better known as MohBad, in the commercial hub of Lagos have pointed to the nurse who treated the late singer before his death, Lagos police chief Idowu Owohunwa told reporters on Friday.The nurse was invited to treat Aloba for an unknown illness at his Lagos residence where she “administered three different injections which are believed to have occasioned the chain of reactions that directly resulted in the death of the singer,” Owohunwa said. The nurse is in custody, but there has been no arraignment and no formal charges have been brought.The police statement came after a closely-watched investigation that prompted Aloba’s body to be exhumed for an autopsy as authorities searched for answers to what killed the 27-year-old on Sep...

Lawyers say election denier and ‘MyPillow Guy’ Mike Lindell is out of money, can’t pay legal bills

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Attorneys who’ve been defending MyPillow chief executive and election denier Mike Lindell against defamation lawsuits by voting machine companies are seeking court permission to quit, saying he owes them unspecified millions of dollars and can’t pay the millions more that he’ll owe in legal expenses going forward.Attorney Andrew Parker wrote in documents filed in federal court on Thursday that his firm and a second firm representing MyPillow in lawsuits by Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems can’t afford what it would cost to represent Lindell and MyPillow through the rest of the litigation. Continuing to defend him would put the firms “in serious financial risk,” he wrote. It’s the latest in a string of legal and financial setbacks for Lindell, who propagates former President Donald Trump’s lies that the 2020 election was stolen from him, in part by rigged voting machine systems.The Associated Press left phone messages with Lindell on F...

Emergency resolution on pharmacare expected at NDP convention

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

OTTAWA — A group of grassroots NDP activists is planning to push for pharmacare to be a make-or-break element of the federal party’s supply-and-confidence deal with the Liberals at a policy convention next week.The agreement has the NDP supporting the minority Liberals on key votes in exchange for progress on shared priorities, including pharmacare.The activists are submitting an emergency resolution to declare that the future of the deal is contingent on legislation that commits to a universal and entirely public pharmacare program.The resolution comes after NDP health critic Don Davies revealed that the party rejected the Liberal government’s first draft of a pharmacare bill that is expected to be tabled this fall.Health Minister Mark Holland says conversations with the NDP continue, and the situation is still fluid. The resolution will likely be discussed on the last day of the NDP convention, if it makes to the debate floor. This report by The Canadian Press was firs...

Chicago City Council votes to raise tipped worker minimum wage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago City Council passed an ordinance Friday that would raise the pay for tipped workers who make less than minimum wage.Aldermen voted 36-10 in favor of the measure.The measure would phase in the minimum wage of $15.80 an hour over the next five years, start next July.Supporters call it a fair wage plan, while opponants said it will hurt businesses, like restaurants, that do not have big profit margins.This is a developing story. Check back for details.

Suburban teen aims to collect 1 million pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

OAK LAWN, Ill. —  A suburban teen has spearheaded an effort to collect 1 million pop top tabs.The aluminum is recycled and the money raised goes to the Ronald McDonald House Chapter in Oak Lawn helping families in their greatest time of need.Ulises Cardenas is a senior at Evergreen Park Community High School. He’s a standout student and athlete who also serves on the teen advisory council at the RMCH Oak Lawn chapter just across from Advocate Children's Hospital in Oak Lawn.He first found out about the Ronald McDonald House charity and its student involvement program by his guidance counselor, and his mom and dad encouraged him to go for it. He would soon set his goal of collecting 1 million pop tops.He was also awarded the Ray Schnauger Award for Student Excellence.Ulises is 57 pounds into his goal. About 787 pounds equates to 1 million tabs.Saturday the RMHC will hold it's annual Recycle with Ronald event at United Scrap Metal in Cicero.

Navy veteran, 28, found shot to death inside tow truck on West Side

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

CHICAGO — A 28-year-old man was found shot to death inside a tow truck on the city's West Side.Police said officers responded to a call of shots fired on the 3000 block of West Fifth Avenue around 1:30 a.m. Friday. Upon arrival, officers found 28-year-old Jack Jacobsen with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso sitting inside of the tow truck.According to police, Jacobsen was pronounced dead on the scene. A handgun was recovered next to the victim. A source said it appears there was some kind of altercation because two different kinds of shell casings were found.According to his attorney Thomas Glasgow, Jacobsen was a former Navy service member. A baby shower was planned for Saturday to celebrate his first child — and he was expected to get married soon. 63-year-old man questioned after 2 fatally shot inside home on South Side No one is in custody. Area Four detectives are investigating.A GoFundMe fundraiser has been created for Jacobsen's memorial costs and for his family.

'Lewis,' Target's hot new Halloween decoration, goes viral thanks to mysterious catchphrase

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Like every good horror villain, Target’s hot new Halloween decoration is mysterious, imposing and absolutely insistent on repeating a ridiculous catchphrase.“Lewis,” as he’s been named by his manufacturer, is an 8-foot light-up Halloween decoration with the face of a jack-o’-lantern and a hooded, tattered robe. He’s also capable of saying several prerecorded catchphrases — and one, in particular, has catapulted him to viral stardom.“I am not a jack-o’-lantern,” he states firmly. “My name is Lewis.” Halloween decor at New York house prompts fire department response Lewis has now become the star of dozens, if not hundreds of TikTok videos with millions upon millions of combined views. Many users are also filming their own trips to Target to see — and hear — Lewis for themselves.“This feels like meeting a celebrity,” one user wrote of her trip.“I love his sass,” another TikTok commenter said of Lewis' voice.Some have also documented Lewis’ other sayings, which include “I’...

Search warrant: Police believe woman found in west Austin fire burned alive

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

Editor's Note: The above video is KXAN's previous coverage of the homicide investigation.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Police believe a woman firefighters found dead in the Northwest Hills area of west Austin last month was burned alive, according to a search warrant issued by the Austin Police Department.Earlier this week, the police department identified that woman as Melissa Davis, 33. Police are investigating her death as a homicide. Police identify body found while AFD responded to northwest Austin grass fire Firefighters responded to an area near the intersection of Mesa Drive and Cat Mountain Drive around 5 a.m. on Sept. 29 following a 911 call about the fire.According to a search warrant for the victim's cell phone, which police believe she had with her before she was killed, the fire covered a 10-foot area and firefighters found a body engulfed in flames. Police said officers "smelled a strong odor of accelerant" near the body, which was in a small grassy area next to a person's fence...

Victim identified, suspect arrested in south Austin homicide investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:43:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Court documents filed Thursday provided additional details surrounding a Tuesday homicide investigation in south Austin.According to court documents, police responded shortly before midnight for a call regarding a possible dead person in the 1100 block of Cumberland Road.When police arrived, a man’s body was found inside a vehicle, and Austin Police identified the man as 20-year-old Rickye Henderson. PAST COVERAGE: Police investigating homicide in south Austin; City’s 50th of the year According to police, Henderson was unresponsive and had injuries consistent with a gunshot wound.Court documents said two witnesses were inside the vehicle when the shooting occurred. Both witnesses told police Willie Joe Tyron Jones III, 20, took out a black handgun and shot Henderson.According to the documents, Austin Police officers found Jones as he attempted to leave the scene.Travis County jail records showed Jones was being held on a murder charge and bonds of more than $1 mill...