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Skilling: Rainy, wet snow possible overnight for Chicagoland

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:10:48 GMT

The Chicago area has cycled into a colder—though STILL ABOVE NORMAL---temp regime with Wednesday's high of 42 deg—a temp which equals the normal highs here at the end of November.  So we essentially had temps which would have been considered normal 3 weeks earlier.While the Wednesday high of 42 was still 8-deg above normal, it ALSO REPRESENTED A READING  17-deg chillier than Christmas Day's (Monday's) near record 59-deg high. (The NORMAL high this time of year is 34 deg)We continue, for a 5th consecutive day, with a weather pattern influenced by a slow moving storm system with a Wednesday afternoon circulation center over Missouri. The occluded low pressure system sits beneath a sprawling pool of cold, unstable (in other words, "cloud and precip-supporting") low pressure system.As this system tracks SLOWLY eastward from Missouri across downstate Illinois and Indiana, easterly upper steering winds on its north side will take moisture east of the area and sweep it westward into I...

Eberflus hopes to see more big passing plays in Bears' final 2 games

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:10:48 GMT

The Chicago Bears have a star receiver in DJ Moore, another potential deep threat in Darnell Mooney and an improved offensive line.Despite all that, they're 28th in the NFL in passing after beating the Arizona Cardinals 27-16 on Sunday. Coach Matt Eberflus would like to see more big passing plays.“We just got to just continue to work on that,” Eberflus said Tuesday. “It’s got to, to your point, get the downfield, explosive throws. How you score in the NFL is to get explosive passes and explosive runs. That’s what you need to do.” Opinion: Why Jim Harbaugh isn’t going to be a Chicago Bear The Bears are averaging 182.6 yards passing. And with two games remaining, they don't have much time left to work on it.The Bears came into the season hoping Justin Fields would take a big step forward as a passer. But that hasn't happened.Against Arizona, Fields had a 53-yard completion to tight end Cole Kmet. But his overall passing numbers were modest: 15 of 27 for 170 yards, aft...

Armed suspect dies after officer opens fire in northeast Austin, APD says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:10:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man reportedly armed with a gun is dead after an Austin Police Department officer opened fire Tuesday afternoon in northeast Austin, according to APD Chief Robin Henderson. APD said the shooting took place in the 1500 block of East Howard Lane. That's near Dessau Road. Photos from the scene show police at an apartment complex in the area. APD investigating an officer-involved shooting off Howard Lane in north Austin. (KXAN Photo/Brianna Hollis)Henderson said at about 1:18 p.m., officers responded to a gun/hotshot call concerning a male in a parking lot firing a rifle. The first police unit then arrived at the scene at 1:25 p.m., and a second officer shortly after. APD later confirmed Wednesday that the rifle the male had was a bb gun.As the two officers drove through the parking lot, Henderson said one officer communicated over the radio that a man had pointed a gun at them as they drove past. Numerous residents were walking in the parking lot at the same time. At...

Fans give warm sendoff as Longhorns head to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:10:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Longhorns took off to New Orleans ahead of the Sugar Bowl Wednesday morning. Fans of all ages gathered outside Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium to show their support as the team's charter buses rolled out of The University of Texas at Austin campus. By the numbers: What the stats say about the Texas-Washington matchup in the Sugar Bowl The Horns will face the Washington Huskies in what will be one of the College Football Playoff semifinals.The University of Texas at Austin community gathered Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023, to show their support for the Longhorns as they head to the Sugar Bowl. (KXAN Photo/Andy Way)The University of Texas at Austin community gathered Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023, to show their support for the Longhorns as they head to the Sugar Bowl. (KXAN Photo/Andy Way)The game kicks off on Jan. 1 at 7:45 p.m. Central Time.

Longhorns arrive in New Orleans ahead of Sugar Bowl

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:10:48 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (KXAN) — After a hero's sendoff from the UT Campus, the Texas Longhorns touched down in New Orleans on Wednesday afternoon. The Longhorns begin their preparation in The Big Easy for Monday's Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff semifinal against Washington.The break from the final regular season game, in UT's case, from Dec. 2 in the Big 12 Championship game to the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl, can be a challenge. Fans give warm sendoff as Longhorns head to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl "I think one of the keys is you do a lot of the structural work from a game-planningperspective back home," said head coach Steve Sarkisian. "Because we have so much time, we kind of take the week to really implement what we want to do when we're back at home.When we're here, obviously, we want to take our time to make sure that we're putting forth maximum effort to get ready for the game. But also want to give our players a chance to experience this opportunity, experience the city of New O...

F.D. Flam: FDA needs to get to the root of hair-straightener carcinogens

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:10:48 GMT

In 2020, after a couple of months of letting my hair grow during the pandemic, my hairdresser suggested my longer tresses could be smoother and easier to style if I got what’s called a keratin treatment. I could say goodbye to fighting cowlicks and humid-weather frizz and hello to effortlessly polished, professional-looking hair.This fall, the Food and Drug Administration announced that several common treatments used to smooth, straighten or relax hair — including many keratin treatments — contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. At first I thought the treatments I’ve had probably didn’t fall into this category — though after doing some research, I’m not so sure.The FDA could ban these products as early as 2024. But a ban on formaldehyde may not go far enough since a new study suggests a different class of products might pose a bigger risk to consumers.Our bodies can handle the tiny amounts of formaldehyde that we often encounter as a prese...

Minnesota State Office Building renovation will cost nearly half a billion dollars. What’s behind the price?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:10:48 GMT

A renovation and expansion of the Minnesota State Office Building, where 134 members of the state House have offices as well as the secretary of state, is expected to cost close to half a billion dollars — a price tag that has raised more than a few eyebrows.Republican critics have compared the cost to other recent projects at the Capitol complex in St. Paul, such as the $90 million new Senate Office Building finished in 2015 and the more than $300 million Capitol renovation completed in 2017.Part of the criticism comes from the way the project was greenlit.A provision in a 2021 bill effectively left the overall cost open to the Democratic-Farmer-Labor House majority and bypassed the traditional process for funding big projects. And the final design plans and cost weren’t shared with the public until hours before the DFL-majority House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee approved it in December 2022. The legislation also ruled out a teardown of the existing structur...

Guthrie Theater’s ‘Art’ offers something to think — and argue — about

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:10:48 GMT

These are not times for the conflict averse. The media (social and otherwise) seems awash with vitriolic disagreements, opinions frequently accompanied by snarls, snipes and condemnations. So why would you want to sit in a theater and listen to three men argue for 80 minutes?Here’s a reason: If you do, you might look back upon it as one of the most rewarding Twin Cities productions of 2023.That’s how I felt after experiencing the Guthrie Theater’s staging of “Art,” a comedy with some serious things to say about friendship, identity and opinions. At a time when tribalism has run amok — and a time of year when friends and family are reunited and often tiptoeing around differences — Yasmina Reza’s 1994 play is a funny and thought-provoking examination of what drives people to embrace conflict.Boasting note-perfect performances from Robert O. Berdahl, Patrick Sabongui and Max Wojtanowicz, it succeeds as a finely sculpted character study that extends outward into how and why ...

Viking won’t have to deal with Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander this weekend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:10:48 GMT

The defender who was most likely going to be tasked with marking star receiver Justin Jefferson won’t be available when the Vikings host the Green Bay Packers on New Year’s Eve.In a surprising move, star cornerback Jaire Alexander has been suspended by the Packers for conduct detrimental to the team. This is a direct result of Alexander’s antics before the Packers played the Carolina Panthers last week. He went rogue pregame, walking to midfield for the coin toss, then making the call despite not being a team captain.“We have an expectation that everyone puts the team first,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said in a statement released by the Packers. “We had a good conversation with Jaire this morning and fully expect him to learn from this as we move forward together.”It will be interesting to see who defends Jefferson with Alexander not suiting up for the game. It likely will be cornerback Eric Stokes with a ton of help over the top.There...

Nursing home ransacked, burglarized after abrupt closure

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:10:48 GMT

ST. LOUIS – After the abrupt closure of a St. Louis nursing care facility, thieves are going on a crime spree inside.Carolyn Hawthorne worked at Northview Village for nearly 11 years. Her aunt lived there for three. That all came to an end on December 15, when the facility closed."I was in her [aunt] room and I happened to look out the window and vans started shuttling in,” she said. “Different vans from different nursing homes. I'm like, this is really real.”Hawthorne said word of the closure started to spread on social media, which led looters to the front and side doors, even while workers and the 185 residents were still inside.St. Louis police were called as cleaning supplies and TVs made it to the front door. Hawthorne said she tried to stop some of them. Check the radar: Storm system returns, this time with snow  "They were trying to take buffers, televisions, house cleaning supplies," she said.She said some of the thieves put the items back, but others ran out the door.Thr...