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Unions blast Republicans for delay as procedural budget battle continues on Beacon Hill

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:27 GMT

House lawmakers were set to gavel in Saturday morning for their third session in as many days to consider a nearly $3.1 billion supplemental budget that includes money for union contracts and the state’s emergency shelter system after Massachusetts Republicans blocked its path forward twice.Democrats and Republicans have pointed fingers at each other over who is at fault on Beacon Hill for delaying funding for 95 union contracts, which include raises for tens of thousands of public sector employees just ahead of the holidays.But some unions are clearly taking sides. In a blistering statement Friday afternoon, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO said it was “astonished and appalled” that the budget bill was not passed Friday.“The inaction and continued obstruction by a small group of House Republicans makes it increasingly more likely that 60,000 public sector employees will not see their collectively bargained raises in time for the holidays and colder weather,” the organization said.House an...

Drug busts in San Diego area leads to six arrests

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:27 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Two drug cases netted six arrests after authorities seized large amounts of narcotics in the last three days, police said.The first investigation started in October and ended Thursday when detectives seized 60,000 counterfeit* fentanyl pills, 5,000 ecstasy pills, nearly 9 pounds of cocaine and five pounds of methamphetamine, Lt. Adam Sharki with the San Diego Police Department. Two suspects, identified as Edith Gonzalez-Ramirez and Edwin Valles, were arrested and face narcotics trafficking charges, Sharki said.The second investigation began after law enforcement received reports of illegal dispensaries operating near schools and homes, per SDPD. Delta-8 THC or Delta-10 THC are known as dangerous synthetics that have been reported to national Poison Control Centers of causing hospitalizations and deaths. Person hit, killed near Coronado Holiday Parade route Several law enforcement agencies served search warrants on Nov. 28 and Nov. 29 at the following six locations thr...

San Diego's WNDR Museum transforms into winter wonderland

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:27 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- An icey wintery escape is a lot closer than San Diegans may think. The WNDR Museum in the Gaslamp Quarter has been transformed into a "serene and frigid landscape" for the holiday season. It's been dubbed "WNDRland."From now until Jan. 15, guests can explore the WNDR’s most popular exhibits like Masterpiece,  Portal, and the Light Floor in a unique way. From fruit to flesh: A day in the ink shop with San Diego tattoo apprentices The museum said the exhibits have been "transformed by a shimmering blanket of snow and ice, enveloping guests in the enchanting embrace of the cold."Depending on how long you choose to interact with each installation, the museum says it generally takes people about an hour to an hour and a half to walk through.There are also some special programs coming to WNDRland this December.First, there's WNDR After Dark on Dec. 7, which will feature live music, themed food and cocktails, snowflake crafts, as well as performances from the...

Sheriff says Alabama family’s pet ‘wolf-hybrid’ killed their 3-month-old boy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:27 GMT

CHELSEA, Ala. (AP) — A 3-month-old boy was killed as his parents tried to rescue the baby from the family pet, a hybrid animal that was part dog, part wolf, authorities said.The boy had been bitten but was alive when first responders arrived shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday at the home in Chelsea. He was transported to Grandview Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead, news outlets reported. The “wolf-hybrid” was euthanized and taken to the Alabama State Diagnostics Laboratory in Auburn for further examination, the Shelby County Sheriff’s office said.Shelby County Coroner Lina Evans said the family and investigators know the dog’s lineage and confirms there is wolf in that lineage.The International Wolf Center has published an extensive online warning against bringing such hybrids into family homes. “People who own hybrids often find that their pet’s behavior makes it a challenge to care for,” since their genetic makeup makes their behavior inconsistent and unpredictab...

Police in Greece arrest father, son and confiscate tons of sunflower oil passed off as olive oil

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:27 GMT

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — A father and son duo in Greece were arrested for selling adulterated sunflower oil marketed as olive oil, police said Saturday.A raid in a warehouse outside the northern city of Thessaloniki on Friday yielded over 13 tons of the oil, with slightly more than half already packaged in tin cans and plastic bottles and the rest in a tank, police said.The pair, aged 80 and 36, bought the sunflower oil in Bulgaria, not far from Thessaloniki, and added coloring agents to pass it off as extra virgin olive oil. Some of it they sold in Bulgaria and the rest in Greece, police said.The pair were provisionally released after interrogation by a magistrate. Oil samples have been sent to a laboratory to determine whether the coloring agents are dangerous.Hot weather over the summer hit olive oil production especially hard, sending prices skyrocketing. A 5-liter (1.3-gallon) can of oil is sold retail at 57 euros ($62) from 26 ($28.30) last year.Besides cases of adulteratio...

Vermont day care provider convicted of causing infant’s death with doses of antihistamine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:27 GMT

RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) — A child care provider accused of sedating an infant with an antihistamine was convicted of manslaughter, and faces up to 25 years in prison when she’s sentenced.A jury on Friday convicted of Stacey Vaillancourt of manslaughter and child cruelty in the 2019 death of Harper Rose Briar in Vaillancourt’s home in Rutland.The 6-month-old was found unresponsive while in Vaillancourt’s care, and an autopsy determined she had high concentrations of diphenhydramine, the sedating ingredient in some over-the-counter antihistamines including the brand Benadryl. The drug is not recommended for infants without a doctor’s order, and there was no such order for Harper.Vaillancourt’s defense attorney said there was evidence to prove Vaillancourt sedated the infant, but the prosecutor told jurors that no one else could have done it.Vaillancourt, who denied giving the infant anything that wasn’t provided by her parents, was released on an unsecured appe...

Gun factory in upstate New York with roots in 19th century set to close

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:27 GMT

ILION, N.Y. (AP) — A gun factory in upstate New York with a history stretching back to the 19th century is scheduled to close in March, according to a letter from the company to union officials.RemArms, the current version of Remington Arms, will close its facility in the Mohawk Valley village of Ilion around March 4, according to the letter sent Thursday. The letter said the company “did not arrive at this decision lightly,” according to the Observer-Dispatch of Utica.The plant currently employs about 270 workers, according to union officials. An email seeking confirmation was sent to RemArms on Saturday.Remington, the country’s oldest gun maker, began making flintlock rifles in the region in 1816. The factory site in the village dates to 1828, with many of the current buildings constructed early in the 20th century. More recently, the company faced temporary closures in Ilion, bankruptcy and legal pressure over the Sandy Hook school massacre. The current company no longer ma...

Are 'buy now, refinance for free later' mortgage deals too good to be true?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:27 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Some lenders are getting creative and offering free refinancing to buyers willing to take the leap and purchase a house amid America's crushing combination of lofty home prices and high mortgage rates.The selling point? It can be summed up by the real estate slogan that seems like it was created for 2023: "marry the house, date the rate." Essentially, fall in love with your home, but remember that you can break up with your costly mortgage rate when you find a lower one in the future. 11 states have ‘high’ or ‘very high’ respiratory illness: Map shows where sickness is spreading Mortgage rates retreated some in November but are still historically high, with the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 7.22% as of Thursday, according to Freddie Mac. The last time they were this high was two decades ago.Current conditions have created an incentive for lenders to find new ways of attracting buyers and driving business as demand stagnates. The sale of previously ...

TV pastry Chef Blaque on the Food Network: Elf on the Shelf Sugar Showdown

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:27 GMT

Chef Blaque, from Food Network: Elf on the Shelf Showdown, joins WGN Weekend Morning News to share more about his time on the Food Network shows. The chef from Steel City Bakery in Gary, Indiana joins to share more about their cookie decorating kits.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

Can you get a refund for terrible in-flight Wi-Fi?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:14:27 GMT

(NerdWallet) - For many frequent flyers in 2023, functional Wi-Fi has become a critical in-flight amenity. Many travelers demand access to the cloud while they’re, well, in the clouds.But sometimes, the Wi-Fi is no good. It takes three tries to reload a page, or the connection cuts out right when you've found what you were looking for.That's frustrating enough for passengers on airlines like JetBlue that offer complimentary Wi-Fi, or for those who get free in-flight Wi-Fi through their airline elite status or an airline-branded credit card. But it’s most brutal for the people who pay specifically for in-flight Wi-Fi yet receive a service that hardly serves them at all.I had a faulty Wi-Fi connection on a United Airlines flight in September from San Francisco to Orlando. On U.S. domestic flights, United sells Wi-Fi service for either $8 or 800 miles for MileagePlus members and $10 for everyone else. I opted to fork over 800 miles (NerdWallet values 800 miles at $9.60) for what’s offi...