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What's ahead for the Bears in the 2nd half of the 2023 season?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:42:42 GMT

Joe Lewis of The Barber's Chair Network and the "79th and Halas" podcast talks Bears ahead of Thursday's game against the Panthers on "9 Good Minutes" on WGN News Now.CHICAGO — While no one expected the Bears to be dominant, its safe to say the first half of the team's season has been a disappointment.Through nine games, the team has won just two games, dealt with the departure of two assistant coaches and a serious injury to their starting quarterback while only moderate progress has been made from a 3-14 campaign in 2022. While the team has increased its talent through free agency and trade at the deadline to acquire defensive end Montez Sweat, the Bears haven't exactly inspired faith in the Matt Eberflus era of the franchise. Hence the head coach's seat is already hot not even two years into his tenure in Chicago.So a lot of curious eyes will be on Soldier Field as the Bears open the second half of their season against the Panthers on Thursday. This final run is a chance for Ebef...

Hootie & the Blowfish coming to Chicago this summer

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:42:42 GMT

CHICAGO -- Hootie & the Blowfish "only wanna be with you" this upcoming summer.Hootie & the Blowfish with bring their "Summer Camp with Trucks Tour" to the Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in Tinley Park on Friday, Aug. 9.The rock band from South Carolina has been nominated four times for a Grammy Award, including winning the categories for Best Pop Performance By A Duo or Group for "Let Her Cry" and Best New Artist in 1994. President of Chicago local SAG-AFTRA on Hollywood strike ending With over 2.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify, their hit song "Only Wanna be With You" has over 175 million streams.Hootie & the Blowfish last performed in the Chicagoland back in 2019 during their "Group Therapy Tour."The event begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9.Tickets on sale now. For ticket information, click here.

Lawmakers look for answers around aviation safety after close calls

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:42:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- Lawmakers and experts are raising alarms around close calls and near misses at airports across the country."Rather than watering down existing safety standards, we must always be looking to enhance aviation safety," Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) said.Duckworth said mistakes by air traffic control, flight crews or ground personnel happen partly because of a lack of rest."Is it time for FAA and Congress to re-examine and update rest rules that are tailored to optimize air traffic controller performance," Duckworth asked."You have people working mandatory overtime, six days a week, ten-hour days," Jennifer Homendy, National Transportation Safety Board chair said.Experts said long hours under hard and stressful working conditions, make it difficult for the FAA to keep enough air traffic controllers on the job."Has exasperated the situation resulting in 1000 fewer controllers in this elevated aviation upturn," Rich Santa, National Air Traffic Controller Associatio...

'Ethical crisis': Senate Democrats want to subpoena wealthy Republicans

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:42:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) -- Senate democrats want to subpoena wealthy Republicans to get information about alleged luxury gifts given to Supreme Court justices.But their effort to investigate the matter hit a roadblock on Thursday.The absence of an ethics code for Supreme Court justices means the justices aren't required to recuse themselves from cases that involve the interests of wealthy individuals."Congress needs to understand the full scope of the court's ethical crisis," said Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.).Republican lawmakers made it clear they're opposed to issuing the subpoenas."You've opened up Pandora's Box and you'll get a look into it. It's not very pretty," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). "We could spend all of our time talking about what we would like to subpoena."Graham, as well as Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), said they planned to offer so many amendments and subpoenas of their own that the process would grind to a halt."I think we need to get to the bottom of Presi...

Israel agrees to daily humanitarian pauses in Gaza

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:42:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Israel has agreed to allow four-hour humanitarian pauses each day to let civilians flee Gaza.The White House has been pushing this for days: While speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday, President Joe Biden urged Israel to pausing fighting against Hamas. This comes as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza grows more dire each day.On Thursday, Israel's government agreed to start humanitarian pauses. For four hours each day, civilians in Gaza will be allowed to flee without fear of bombings."This is a welcome step in the right direction," Principal Deputy State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel said.The U.S. Department of State says Palestinians evacuating northern Gaza will have access to two corridors but acknowledges that longer pauses are also needed as fighting on the ground intensifies."This is not a black and white situation," Patel said. "It's something we're going to continue to work on with our partner."Biden says he is still pushi...

Palatine man charged with shooting gun into air

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:42:42 GMT

PALATINE, Ill. — A man has been charged after police said he fired shots into the air in September in Palatine.According to a news release, the Palatine Police Department said officers were called on Sept. 9 to the 1200 block of East Prairie Brooke Drive on the report of a man shooting a gun into the air. 85-year-old woman killed in Palatine crash identified Officers arrived, found several shell casings, collected them and sent them to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab for additional analysis, according to the release.On Tuesday, Zaurbek Bogov, 29, turned himself in to police and was charged with one count of reckless discharge of a firearm, a Class 4 felony, according to the release.He is due back in court at 9 a.m. on Dec. 1.

TDCJ 'correctional officers' linked to drug smuggling ring, indictment said

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:42:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Newly released, sealed federal court records revealed inmates, civilians and multiple Texas Department of Criminal Justice correctional officers connected to the Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO)."DTO trafficked fentanyl, methamphetamine, and synthetic cannabinoids into Texas Department of Criminal Justice correctional facilities across Texas, using correctional officers and the mail to smuggle narcotics, cell phones, and other contraband into the correctional facilities," according to the criminal indictment. RELATED: TDCJ on lockdown to search facilities after increase in contraband, inmate deaths The partially redacted criminal indictment listed 13 people currently facing federal charges related to possession and distribution of narcotics, money laundering and identity theft. The names of ten people were redacted. The remaining three were identified in the indictment as TDCJ correctional officer Osawzuwa Williams, Rosa Miller and Ashley Arriaga, two non-incar...

Widespread rain continues as temperatures drop

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:42:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Welcome, beneficial rain is falling in many areas following a midday cold front that is sending temperatures tumbling. This will kick off a stretch of cooler than normal mainly gray weather through early next week.Light to moderate rain continues into the overnight hours, but dissipates a bit by dawn Friday as drier air moves in. Many areas will enjoy 0.25"-0.50" in their backyard from this first round of rainfall, with locally heavier totals.Gusty northerly winds ramp up overnight, ushering in much colder air to end the week. High temperatures hold in the 50s Friday under cloudy skies with breezy winds continuing.Though we may see a few brief breaks in the clouds on Veterans' Day, north winds keep temperatures a bit brisk. A second storm system marches in late Sunday into Monday, bringing cloudy skies and a likelihood of additional rain and thunderstorms.A series of storms like this is typical during an El Niño winter, which commonly bring wetter than normal weathe...

Texas men's hoops add 2 big recruits to 2024 class in early period

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:42:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team added two top-50 players in the early signing period that began Wednesday.Longhorns head coach Rodney Terry announced the signings of guard Cam Scott and forward Nic Codie to next year's team. PREVIOUS GAME: No. 18 Longhorns men’s hoops clobber Incarnate Word 88-56 in season opener "We were able to get two quality players that we think have really high ceilings," Terry said Thursday. "They have a chance to be really good Longhorns for us in the near future."Scott is a 6-foot-5 guard from Lexington, S.C., and is the No. 28 overall prospect in the 2024 class and No. 6 at his position according to the 247Sports composite rankings.Scott averaged 19.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while leading Lexington High School to the 5A semifinals last year and was named the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year.Codie is a 6-foot-8 forward from Carrollton who is the top-rated player in Texas by 247Sports and No. 45 nationally. Cod...

State DFL senator will seek Dean Phillips’ congressional seat next year

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:42:42 GMT

State Sen. Kelly Morrison launched a bid for Congress in Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District, becoming the second Democrat to announce a bid for a seat where the incumbent — U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips — is running for president.Morrison, a physician from Deephaven, has served in the Legislature for five years. In a campaign announcement, Morrison said she would use her experience as an OB-GYN to advocate in Congress for continued abortion access. She also touted her work carrying bipartisan legislation in St. Paul.Rep. Kelly Morrison, DFL-Deephaven (Courtesy photo)“I know what it’s like to see my patients struggle to afford the medications they need, so I took on Big Pharma and lowered prescription drug costs,” Morrison said in a news release. “I know how important it is that women — not politicians — are able to make their own health care decisions, so I led the effort to protect abortion rights in Minnesota. I’m running for Congress because we need leaders who are focused on deliv...