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LGBTQ+ ‘State of emergency’ declared, ‘Americans Fight Back’ guidebook released

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:29:08 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Human Rights Campaign declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. on Tuesday and a released a guidebook summarizing what it calls discriminatory laws in each state, along with “know your rights” information and health and safety resources.Sounding the alarm about the current political environment, the nation’s largest organization devoted to the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans said advisories warning against travel to dangerous places aren’t enough to help people already living in so-called hostile states. The campaign said it’s taking action in response to unprecedented and dangerous spike in discriminatory legislation sweeping state houses this year, with more than 70 anti-LGBTQ+ bills signed into law so far in 2023 — more than double last year’s number. In a report called “LGBTQ+ Americans Under Attack,” it says the new laws are a result of coordinated Republican efforts, supported by “well-...

Woman found dead in Logan Square apartment, just a block from where missing woman lives

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:29:08 GMT

CHICAGO — A woman was found dead inside an apartment on the city's Northwest Side, just a block away from where a woman who went missing last Friday lives.Police were seen going in and out of an apartment on the 2000 block of North Kimball in Logan Square Monday night, collecting evidence after the body was discovered.Officials have not announced the identity of the person, but did declare her death a homicide.Just after 10 p.m. Monday, the brother of 33-year-old Brittany Battaglia, who has been missing since last Friday, posted to social media that police said the woman who was found in the apartment was his sister. ‘It’s really odd’: Family pleads for information about missing Logan Square woman (Family photo: 33-year-old Brittany Battaglia)Brittany Battaglia resides in the 1900 block of N Kimball Avenue, just a block from where the deceased woman was discovered.Brittany's roommate alerted her brother that she hadn't come back to their apartment after going to her boyfriend's ho...

WGN Morning News' Robin Baumgarten is married; officially Mrs. X!

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:29:08 GMT

CHICAGO — Well, it's official. WGN Morning News' Robin Baumgarten is now "Mrs. X!"Robin announced during Tuesday's Courtesy Desk segment that she and Mr. X were married in Las Vegas at the Little White Wedding Chapel. She said they then celebrated with a dinner accompanied by close friends and family.The love birds then honeymooned in Hawaii.Robin said that she will still refer to him because he enjoying his anonymity.The two got engaged in June of last year after dating a couple of years.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.

Bicyclist struck in Logan Square; critical condition

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:29:08 GMT

CHICAGO — A bicyclist was struck late Monday night in Logan Square.Just after 11:30 p.m., officers responded to the 2600 block of North Pulaski on the report of a man struck.A 43-year-old man on a bicyclist rode through a red light and was struck in the intersection, police said.He sustained blunt force trauma to the head and body. The bicyclist was transported to Illinois Masonic in critical condition. 59-year-old woman dies after Bensenville crash The driver of the vehicle was not cited.

Man fatally shot during exchange of gunfire with person inside vehicle on South Side: police

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:29:08 GMT

CHICAGO — A 32-year-old man was fatally shot during an exchange of gunfire with a person inside a vehicle on the city's South Side.The shooting happened around 11:45 p.m. Monday in the 5100 block of South Dorchester. Police said the man was walking when an unknown vehicle approached and someone inside fired shots at the man. Woman found dead in Logan Square apartment, just a block from where missing woman lives According to police, the man returned fire and was shot in the stomach. He was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, where he later died.No one is in custody. Area One detectives are investigating.

Missing elderly man last seen in Uptown

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:29:08 GMT

CHICAGO — A 88-year-old man has been reported missing on the North Side.Jerry Ye resides in the 5200 block of West Carmen. He was last seen in Uptown last Thursday.Ye can walk but has a wheelchair with him, police said.He previously resided in San Francisco and recently returned to Chicago.No further information was provided.Anyone with information can call police at 312-746-6554.

Tuesday Forecast: Temps in high 70s with mostly cloudy and hazy conditions

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:29:08 GMT

CHICAGO — Mostly cloudy Tuesday with hazy conditions, 30 percent chance of showers. Winds: NNE 5-10 G15. High: 77/70. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Mostly cloudy tonight with slight rain chance. Winds: NNE 5-10 G15. Low: 59.Wednesday Forecast: Morning clouds and 20% chance of showers, mostly sunny afternoon. Winds: ENE 5-15 G20. High: 75/68.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Florida mom fatally shot by neighbor after dispute over playing children, sheriff says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:29:08 GMT

OCALA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida mother was fatally shot through the front door of her neighbor’s home while her 9-year-old son stood next to her, a violent culmination of what police said was a 2½-year feud.Ajike Owens, 35, was fatally shot after going to the Ocala apartment of her neighbor, who earlier had yelled at Owens’ children as they played nearby and threw a pair of skates that hit one of them, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said at a news conference Monday.Deputies responding to a trespassing call at the apartment Friday night found Owens suffering from gunshot wounds. The mother of four was taken to a nearby hospital, where she died. Ocala is about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of Orlando.“I wish our shooter would have called us instead of taking actions into her own hands,” Woods said. “I wish Ms. Owens would have called us in the hopes we could have never gotten to the point at which we are here today.”Since January 2021, Woods said, deputies responded at leas...

David Ross has a short stay in Cubs' series finale vs Padres

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:29:08 GMT

SAN DIEGO — The Cubs' manager wouldn't have a long stay in the club's season finale against the Padres on Monday evening.In fact, it was only 15 pitches into starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks' outing in San Diego that David Ross had enough with how the game was getting called at the plate. After the second pitch of the at-bat to Gary Sanchez was called a ball, Ross began to argue with home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi from the dugout. Within 15 seconds, the manager was thrown out, and then he came out to argue. Ross wasn't about to just go back to the clubhouse as he got in words with Cuzzi for about 30 seconds before heading back to the dugout. It was the manager's 12th ejection since he took over the club in the 2020 season. He wouldn't miss much the rest of the way on what was an off night for the Cubs overall.In the same at-bat as the ejection, Hendricks surrendered a two-run homer to Sanchez and the Padres never looked back. The Cubs' starter allowed four runs over six innings while t...

Mayor Johnson promises 'more sophisticated, sharper response' after weekend violence in Chicago

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:29:08 GMT

CHICAGO — He's only been on the job for three weeks, but Chicagoans are already looking to Mayor Brandon Johnson for ways to solve the City's violence problem."Chicago has suffered a great deal of pain," Johnson said. "All of us have experienced that pain for a very long time in Chicago and it's one of the motivations that led me to this office."According to the Chicago Police Department's weekend crime statistics, at least 46 people were shot over the weekend, with at least nine of the victims dying from their wounds.The peak of the violence took place Sunday morning in Austin, where a mass shooting left one woman dead and at least six other victims in good-to-critical conditions."This is only the second weekend of summer in the city of Chicago," Alderman Ray Lopez said. "We have 12 more weeks to go and every weekend cannot be a bloody weekend. I think we need to reassess what we’re doing. We have to speak with our communities, speak with our stakeholders." Chicago police to hold...