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Residents prepare to return to sites of homes demolished in Lahaina wildfire 7 weeks ago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:57:22 GMT

From just outside the burn zone in Lahaina, Jes Claydon can see the ruins of the rental home where she lived for 13 years and raised three children. Little remains recognizable beyond the jars of sea glass that stood outside the front door.On Monday, officials will begin lifting restrictions on entry to the area, and Claydon hopes to collect those jars and any other mementos she might find.“I want the freedom to just be there and absorb what happened,” Claydon said. “Whatever I might find, even if it’s just those jars of sea glass, I’m looking forward to taking it. … It’s a piece of home.”Authorities will begin allowing the first residents and property owners to return to their properties in the burn zone, many for the first time since it was demolished nearly seven weeks ago, on Aug. 8, by the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.The prospect of returning has stirred strong emotions in residents who fled in vehicles or on foot as the wind-whipped flames raced ...

The Biden administration is poised to allow Israeli citizens to travel to the US without a US visa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:57:22 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is poised to admit Israel this week into an exclusive club that will allow its citizens to travel to the United States without a U.S. visa despite Washington’s ongoing concerns about the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinian Americans.U.S. officials say an announcement of Israel’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program is planned for late in the week, just before the end of the federal budget year on Saturday, which is the deadline for Israel’s admission without having to requalify for eligibility next year.The Department of Homeland Security administers the program, which currently allows citizens of 40 mostly European and Asian countries to travel to the U.S. for three months without visas. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is set to make the announcement Thursday, shortly after receiving a recommendation from Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel be admitted, according to five officials familiar with the ma...

Scholarship to address shortage of STEM teachers, need for diversity

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:57:22 GMT

CHICAGO — A scholarship program aims to address the shortage of STEM teachers and the need for diversity in STEM programs.Dr. Theresa Robinson from Elmhurst University joined WGN Weekend Morning News to discuss it.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. You can learn more by watching this story in the video player above.

Weekend Break: Pilsen Arts & Community House

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:57:22 GMT

CHICAGO — On Sunday, WGN Weekend Morning News checked out the Pilsen Arts & Community House. MORE STORIES: Weekend Break You can learn more in the video in the player above.

Sunday Brunch: Sunda New Asian

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:57:22 GMT

CHICAGO — This weekend for Sunday Brunch, Billy Dec from Sunda New Asian joined WGN Weekend Morning News. MORE STORIES: Sunday Brunch You can learn more by watching the video in the player above.

Apple Fest returns to Lincoln Square

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:57:22 GMT

CHICAGO — Apple Fest is a long-standing tradition in Lincoln Square and brings the community together to celebrate the beginning of autumn.Next weekend, the festival will welcome more than 80 vendors selling apples, apple pie, hard apple cider, candy apples and more.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. You can learn more about the festival by watching the video in the player above.

Usher to headline 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:57:22 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — The Super Bowl may seem far away, but preparations are already underway. We also now know who will headline the halftime show: Usher. The eight-time Grammy Award-winning artist will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 11, 2024.“It's an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can't wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they've seen from me before," USHER said in a press release. “Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I'll see you real soon."In a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday, Kim Kardashian appears to be speaking with Usher — though it is actually a clip from the music video for his song, "Confessions Part II" — telling him about the announcement. A similar video featuring Deion Sanders was also shared.Usher previously appeared during Super Bowl XLV in 2011 when The Black Eyed Peas were the hea...

Ex-NHL player dies in Tennessee motorcycle crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:57:22 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) - A former professional hockey player was killed in a motorcycle crash in Tennessee on Saturday, police have confirmed. According to Metro Police, the crash happened just after 3:30 a.m. in North Nashville at the intersection of Wheless Street and 14th Avenue North.A motorcyclist — identified as 29-year-old Nicolas Kerdiles — was driving his Indian Motorcycle west on Wheless Street when he traveled through a stop sign and struck a BMW, police said.A preliminary investigation shows that Kerdiles hit the driver's side of the BMW SUV. The SUV remained on scene after the crash. Think twice before buying something from Temu Kerdiles was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he later died, officials said.The Anaheim Ducks, an NHL team based in California, posted about Kerdiles' death on X, formerly known as Twitter: "We’re heartbroken to hear the news about Nic Kerdiles, who died in a motorcycle accident this morning. An Irvine native, Nic became t...

How psychedelic drugs turned a Texas veteran's life around and the role Austin plays in research

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:57:22 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — When C.T. Thompson looks at a picture of himself from a few years ago standing on a snow-covered mountain in Colorado, he sees something others might not. He said he sees a man who was angry and closed off.“I was just struggling to get through a lot of days,” Thompson said. “Everything from anger, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance.”Veteran C.T. Thompson said he sees anger in his face when he looks at this picture taken before psychedelic therapy (Courtesy C.T. Thompson)Thompson is a veteran, an elite Green Beret with more than a dozen years in the military and as a military contractor. Green Berets are Special Forces soldiers described on the U.S. Army recruitment website as "the toughest of tough."“All together, I did seven combat deployments,” he said. He now lives in College Station.He served in Afghanistan, Iraq and a few other places and believes it was prolonged exposure to the terrors of war that wore him down. He said he first started noticing changes in...

Suicide among post-9/11 veterans surged in recent decades: Study

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:57:22 GMT

Suicide remains the second leading cause of death for veterans under the age of 45 and U.S. veterans are at an increased risk of suicide compared to other people. Amid this backdrop, many groups are working the help veterans heal and find help when in crisis. On Veteran Suicide Awareness Day, NewsNation's special coverage is aimed at elevating the voices of veterans, their loved ones and caregivers fighting on the frontlines at home. (NewsNation) — The suicide rate for veterans who served after 9/11 has significantly outpaced the increase among the general population, jumping tenfold from 2006 to 2020, according to new research. The findings — from an analysis of more than 2.5 million service member records — suggest those who served after the September 11 attacks have faced unique challenges adjusting to life after the military.If you or someone you know needs help, resources or someone to talk to, you can find it at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website or by calli...