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Airbnb names Klain, former White House Chief of Staff, as chief legal officer

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:39:23 GMT

Airbnb has named Ron Klain, former White House Chief of Staff for President Joe Biden, as its chief legal officer. Klain was President Biden’s chief of staff during his first two years in office. He was previously chief of staff to then-Vice President Biden. He held the same position under Vice President Al Gore at 34 years old, making him the youngest chief of staff to a vice president in American history. Klain was also chief legal officer at venture capital firm Revolution, which was started by AOL founder Steve Case. Klain’s appointment takes effect at the start of the year. He will report to Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky. The Associated Press

Italy is outraged by the death of a young woman in the latest suspected case of domestic violence

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:39:23 GMT

ROME (AP) — Italy has erupted in outrage over the death of a young woman, allegedly at the hands of her possessive ex-boyfriend, with the Italian premier vowing to crack down further on domestic violence that has claimed the lives of more than 50 women so far this year.Police in Germany over the weekend arrested Filippo Turetta, who had been on the run since Nov. 11, when he was last seen fighting with 22-year-old Giulia Cecchettin, hitting her in a physical attack that was captured by roadside video cameras. Cecchettin’s body, reportedly with multiple stab wounds, was found wrapped in plastic on Saturday in a ditch near Lake Barcis, in the province of Pordenone north of Venice.Italian newspapers had been consumed with the search for them both, given multiple reports from friends and family that Turetta had refused to accept Cecchettin’s decision to end the relationship. Cecchettin’s sister, Elena, had said she had been concerned about Turetta’s possessiveness of her sis...

Live updates | Shell hits Gaza hospital, killing 12, as heavy fighting breaks out

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:39:23 GMT

A shell hit the second floor of a hospital in northern Gaza, killing at least 12 people, according to the Hamas-led Health Ministry and a medical worker, as Israeli troops focus on clearing medical facilities where they say Hamas militants take cover. Heavy fighting broke out around the Indonesian Hospital, which has housed thousands of patients and displaced people for weeks.The fighting came a day after the World Health Organization evacuated 31 premature babies from Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the territory’s largest, where they were among more than 250 critically ill or wounded patients stranded there days after Israeli forces entered the compound.Israel says Hamas uses civilians and hospitals as shields, while critics say Israel’s siege and relentless aerial bombardment amount to collective punishment of the territory’s 2.3 million Palestinians after Hamas’ Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel.More than 11,500 Palestinians — two-thirds of them women and minors — have been kille...

Kimberly Palmer: Taking these financial steps could help post-divorce recovery

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:39:23 GMT

Jamie Lima remembers his divorce six years ago as one of the most emotionally draining and financially challenging experiences of his life. As a result, he resolved to use his professional background as a certified financial planner to help other people going through similar situations.“I want to make sure other people don’t step on the same land mines and be an advocate for them,” says Lima, founder of the Ramona, California-based Allegiant Divorce Solutions, a financial planning company that helps people going through divorce.While the financial aspect of divorce is often overshadowed by the emotional impact, rebuilding finances after the dissolution of a marriage can be an integral part of overall recovery. Lima and other financial experts recommend following these steps to navigate the financial challenges post-divorce:ADJUST TO YOUR NEW CASH FLOWA separation of finances after a divorce may mean you have to do more with less. “You want to start to look at, ‘If I walk away with h...

Some nurse practitioners in Canada not being paid for administering MAID

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:39:23 GMT

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — For the past year, Ellen Gretsinger, a nurse practitioner in Ontario’s Niagara region, has been providing patients with medically assisted deaths — and not getting paid for it.She has a full-time nursing job and a side gig offering virtual care, and in the evenings and on weekends, assesses patients for medical assistance in dying — known as MAID — and delivers the procedure. Like many provinces, Ontario does not have a mechanism for nurse practitioners to take on independent work and be paid for it, like a fee-for-service structure often in place for doctors.And demand for MAID is growing across the country. So Gretsinger does the work for free. She believes in it, especially after watching her mother suffer before she died of cancer.“I just feel that when people are suffering, and this is something that they’ve been told that they can access, then access needs to be there,” Gretsinger said in a recent interview. “So that’...

Two 14-year-old boys found shot to death in alley on South Side

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:39:23 GMT

CHICAGO — An investigation is underway after two 14-year-old boys were found shot to death in an alley on the city's South Side, police say.According to Chicago police, the boys were found in an alley in the 800 block of East 89th Place in Chatham just before 2:30 p.m. Saturday.  3 people, including police officer, injured in car crash on South Side Officers say both victims suffered gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead on the scene by Chicago fire officials.Currently, it is unclear what led to the shooting and police say no arrests have been made.Authorities have not yet identified anyone involved and an investigation is now underway. Man accused of promoting prostitution arrested after allegedly failing to appear for court date Anyone with information on the deadly shooting is asked to call CPD Area Two Detectives at 312-747-8273.Tips for police can also be filed at CPDtip.com. Tips can be left anonymously.

Monday Forecast: Temps in upper 40s with late day showers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:39:23 GMT

CHICAGO — Temperatures in upper 40s Monday with cloudy, late day showers. Winds: E 10-15 G25. High: 48. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here Cloudy tonight with rain showers. Winds: E 10-15 G25. Low: 41.Tuesday Forecast: Cloudy, rain showers, breezy. Winds: NNW 10-15 G30. High: 44.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

El Niño-induced wet winter could begin inundating California next month

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:39:23 GMT

(The Hill) -- Meteorologists are anticipating strong El Niño conditions this winter, with widespread wetness likely to drench much of the California coast as soon as next month and persisting into spring. “Currently, we have El Niño conditions, strong El Niño conditions at that. And those are continuing to intensify,” Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles said during a recent webinar on the subject. “Models suggest that the current El Niño event will further strengthen it potentially into a very strong, or a quote-unquote, ‘super’ El Niño event, within the next couple of months,” he added. El Niño is one of two phases in the El Niño–Southern Oscillation phenomenon — the stage in which trade winds weaken and warm Pacific Ocean water moves toward the Americas, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In the northern U.S. and Canada, El Niño tends to come with drier and warmer co...

Could the first Thanksgiving have been in Texas?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:39:23 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Millions of families, friends and loved ones will gather this week to celebrate Thanksgiving. While many affiliate the first Thanksgiving with the pilgrims up in New England, some El Paso residents have wagered the Lone Star State is where the annual tradition first took root.The history of Texas' Thanksgiving celebrationHistoric reporting from the Texas Almanac shared the tale of Juan de Oñate, a well-known family with deep ties to the Spanish crown. In a quest to explore new land, he was given access to land in the northern Rio Grande Valley, where the Pueblo Indians resided. AAA: 4 million Texans to travel for Thanksgiving this year Approval of Oñate's expedition was granted in 1597. Prior to the start of his trip, Oñate is said to have sent Vicente de Zaldívar to create a wagon trail from Santa Barbara in southern Chihuahua -- that trail later became the modern-day highway route running between Chihuahua City and El Paso.In early March 1598, the Texas Almanac ...

Cooler holiday week with a few rain opportunities

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:39:23 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- We'll start our holiday week close to 80°... but things will look and feel much different by the time we roll into Thanksgiving.Our first of two cold fronts will blow in late this morning into the early afternoon. A few spotty showers and storms are possible ahead of the front, but most are expected to stay dry. More sunshine will peak through late day. Temperatures will briefly touch 80° in Austin early afternoon but we'll likely spend most of the day in the 70s.A noticeable drop in temperatures will follow Tuesday and Wednesday with temperatures likely to get stuck in the low 60s. Windy conditions can be expected tomorrow (20-30 mph), with more sunshine to fill in by Wednesday.Much cooler behind today's cold frontA small piece of energy will pinch off from the main storm track midweek before moving east into South Texas on Thanksgiving Day. We've bumped rain chances on Thanksgiving to 20%, favoring the morning through early afternoon.Low pressure system pinches of...