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A powerful 6.2-magnitude earthquake shakes northern Chile

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:33 GMT

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — A magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook northern Chile on Wednesday but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake struck at 8:48 p.m. local time, and its epicenter was 41 kilometers (25 miles) south-southwest of Coquimbo, Chile. The quake had a depth of 41 kilometers (25 miles).Chile’s national emergency office did not report any damages or injuries.Chile is located in the so-called “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific and experiences frequent earthquakes. In 2010, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake and subsequent tsunami claimed 526 lives.The Associated Press

Japan launches rocket carrying lunar lander and X-ray telescope to explore origins of universe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:33 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan launched a rocket Thursday carrying an X-ray telescope that will explore the origins of the universe as well as a small lunar lander. The launch of the HII-A rocket from Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan was shown on live video by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, known as JAXA.“We have a liftoff,” the narrator at JAXA said as the rocket flew up in a burst of smoke then flew over the Pacific. Thirteen minutes after the launch, the rocket put into orbit around Earth a satellite called the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, or XRISM, which will measure the speed and makeup of what lies between galaxies.That information helps in studying how celestial objects were formed, and hopefully can lead to solving the mystery of how the universe was created, JAXA says.In cooperation with NASA, JAXA will look at the strength of light at different wavelengths, the temperature of things in space and their shapes and brightness.David Alexander, director of...

NBA owner putting millions toward stroke care, health research in Detroit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:33 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — The family foundation of NBA team owner Dan Gilbert will give nearly $375 million for a 72-bed rehabilitation center for stroke patients in Detroit and a research institute that will focus on a genetic disease that afflicted his son, officials announced Wednesday.Gilbert, the billionaire owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and founder of Detroit-based Rocket Companies, had a stroke in 2019 and received extensive care in Chicago. He said his foundation would create a $10 million fund to help low-income residents who get care at the new Detroit rehab center.“I’m forever grateful to the doctors, nurses, therapists and staff who helped me improve every day,” Gilbert said. “However, while there I met many other patients who could not get all the rehabilitative care they need because insurance limited the number of hours covered.”The rehab center will be managed by the Chicago-based Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and become part of an expansion by Henry Ford Health, a major Det...

64 Fall Festivals and events coming to Chicagoland this autumn

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:33 GMT

Do you have a hankering for apple cider, craft beer, pumpkin pie, hayrides and good times?If so, whether you're taking the kids out for some family-friendly fun, or looking for something to do with friends, we have a list of 64 fall festivals and events happening from Chicago, to the suburbs, and out to Northwest Indiana as the leaves change on the way to the holiday season.Chicago-AreaSept. 8-10, 12-8 p.m. — Taste of ChicagoSet to take over Grant Park for three days, the Taste of Chicago will include 35 of Chicago's most popular food vendors' live music entertainment and a number of other hand-on activities for Chicagoans to partake in.For information on the event's schedule, participating restaurants, and concerts set to take place, visit choosechicago.com.Sept. 8, 5-11 p.m. / Sept. 9, 12-11 p.m. / Sept. 10, 12-10 p.m. — German-American FestGerman-American Fest crowd in 2022 (Courtesy: Ripson Group)For more than 100 years, Chicagoans have come out for German-themed bands, dancing,...

Silver Alert cancelled for missing northwest Indiana teenager

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:33 GMT

UPDATE: The Gary Police Department has cancelled the Silver Alert for Alexxzander Meyers. Police: Motorcyclist weaving in traffic crashes, dies in suburbs GARY, Ind. — The Gary Police Department is asking for the public's help in locating a missing 17-year-old who is believed to be in "extreme danger" and may require medical attention.17-year-old Alexxzander Meyers, of Gary, Indiana, was last seen around 6:20 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 3.Meyers is described as 6-foot-2, weighing 320 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a burgundy shirt, gray shorts and red Croc's.ISP said that Alexxzander is believed to be in "extreme danger" and may require medical assistance. He is missing out of Gary, Indiana, which is 152 miles northeast of Indianapolis.Anyone with knowledge of the missing teen's location is being asked to call 911 or the Gary Police Department at (219) 660-0000. No other information was immediately provided.

Bruce Springsteen postpones September concerts while receiving medical treatment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:33 GMT

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR) — Bruce Springsteen announced that he will be postponing all of his September concerts, starting with his show scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 7 at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York. Springsteen, 73, announced on his Twitter that he is being treated for symptoms of peptic ulcer disease, and his medical advisors decided he and the E Street Band should postpone their September shows. Those with peptic ulcer disease experience painful sores or ulcers that develop in the lining of their stomach or the first part of their small intestine, according to Cleveland Clinic. While one in 10 people will develop an ulcer, research has shown the two main causes of ulcers are H. pylori bacteria and pain medications like aspirin, naproxen, ibuprofen, and prescription NSAIDs. Smoking, drinking alcohol, having untreated stress and spicy foods can make ulcers worse, the Mayo Clinic explains. Treatment can vary but typically includes taking medications to address the H. py...

Education secretary praises Springfield after-school program during visit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:33 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona visited Springfield Wednesday to tout the Biden administration's education plan to accelerate learning, eliminate a teacher shortage, ensure students have a proper path to college or career and more.Accompanied by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state school Superintendent Tony Sanders, Cardona visited Fairview Elementary School on the city's north side, to promote the Education Department’s “ Raise the Bar: Lead the World” education agenda.Cardona interacted with kids in the Springfield School District's after-school SCOPE program, emphasizing the partnership with the city's Boys and Girls Club as a way to relieve some of the burden on public schools, which have carried greater and greater responsibility for child development beyond classroom learning.“There is more asked of our schools, which is why it’s really important that our schools are connected to community assets,” Cardona later told reporters. “Which i...

Rolling blackouts possible after ERCOT issues Emergency Level 2 due to low power reserves

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:33 GMT

Editor's Note: The above video explains the different ERCOT alert levels.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas' main electric grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, has now issued Energy Emergency Alert (EEA 2) due to low power reserves, the agency confirmed on Twitter."There are no controlled outages at this time. Please safely reduce electric use and have a plan to stay safe in case outages become necessary," the agency said on Twitter.However, an emergency alert from ERCOT said controlled outages may be needed to protect the electric system. Texans are being asked to reduce electric use.Earlier in the day, ERCOT issued a conservation alert for Texans Wednesday evening due to potential "tight grid conditions," according to a press release. Understanding ERCOT’s emergency alert levels ERCOT has several different Energy Emergency Alert levels, or EEAs. After Normal Grid Conditions, the levels are Conservation Alert level, then EEA 1, 2, and 3.Here’s what the alert levels m...

CO2 pipeline project denied key permit in S.D.; another seeks second chance in N.D.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:33 GMT

South Dakota regulators on Wednesday denied a construction permit for a carbon dioxide pipeline project, one month after a North Dakota panel did the same to a similar project by another company.Navigator CO2 Ventures wants to build a 1,300-mile pipeline network across Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota, to carry planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions from more than 20 industrial plants to be buried over a mile underground in Illinois.The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to deny Navigator’s application for its Heartland Greenway pipeline. Chair Kristie Fiegen cited myriad reasons in her motion to deny, including the company’s lack of promptness and several objections to commission staff questions as well as struggles to notify landowners of routes and meetings. She detailed concerns related to safety, community growth, landowners and emergency responders, among other issues.The proposed South Dakota route encompassed 112 miles...

Minnesota attorney general investigating predatory student-loan debt-relief companies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:21:33 GMT

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Wednesday that his office is investigating 52 student-loan debt-relief companies.The companies are all suspected of violating consumer-protection laws and not registering as required by law, his office said in a statement.Several of the companies are based in California.Along with not registering in Minnesota, Ellison’s office said the companies are suspected of violating consumer-protection laws by misrepresenting their fees and services and promising student-loan forgiveness, even though the federal government is the only entity that can offer student-loan debt forgiveness.The latest investigation comes after more than a dozen enforcement actions the attorney general’s office has taken to shut down fraudulent companies of this kind beginning in 2016.Because of those actions, Ellison’s office said it has recovered and returned millions of dollars to consumers from fraudulent student-loan debt-relief companies.“Min...