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Ecuador, Argentina order out envoys amid diplomatic clash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:49 GMT

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Argentina and Ecuador are in a diplomatic clash after a former Ecuadorian Cabinet minister who had been convicted of corruption and taken refuge with the Argentine ambassador escaped from Ecuador’s capital of Quito to VenezuelaBoth countries have expelled the other’s ambassador as a result of their disagreement over the handling of María Angeles Duarte, who served in the Cabinet of then Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa.Duarte had been living in the residence of the Argentine ambassador in Quito with her Argentine son since August 2020 to avoid serving an eight-year corruption sentence. Argentina had offered Duarte political asylum, but Ecuador refused to grant her safe passage. Argentina told Ecuador on Monday that Duarte was no longer in the Quito residence, saying she had left of her own accord. It was later revealed that she left Friday. Ecuador did not hide its anger, summoning Argentina’s ambassador, Gabriel Fuks, and telling him to leave the count...

Police: Man dies after shooting in Walmart parking lot on Chicago's South Side

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:49 GMT

CHICAGO — A man is dead after he was shot multiple times Wednesday evening while he was in a Walmart parking lot on Chicago's South Side, according to police.The man, 51, was shot around 5:30 p.m. in the 8300 block of South Stewart Avenue by an unknown person, according to information from the Chicago Police Department. Chicago’s top cop checks out early He was taken to a hospital and later died, according to the Chicago police and fire departments.Police haven't said if any arrests have been made but said Area Two detectives are still investigating.

Florida ride dismantled after teen's fatal fall, mother calls it 'bittersweet moment'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:49 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (WFLA) — The mother of the Missouri teenager who fell to his death from the Orlando FreeFall attraction at ICON Park last year visited the site for the first time Wednesday.Tyre Sampson, 14, died while on vacation in Orlando on March 24, 2022.An autopsy showed that Sampson suffered numerous broken bones and internal injuries in the fall, which was ruled an accidental death. It showed Sampson weighed 383 pounds, well above the ride manual’s weight limit of 287 pounds.Now, the Orlando FreeFall is in the process of being demolished as part of an agreement made between the company and the Florida Department of Agriculture. Florida woman loses strip club gig after posing as Tyre Sampson’s cousin: report Orlando Slingshot, the ride operator, told Nexstar's WFLA in a statement it retained the amusement park, Ride Entertainment, to coordinate the deconstruction, which began this week.“That activity is expected to continue into the following week because of the large size of ...

T-Mobile Acquires Ryan Reynold’s Mint Mobile, For $1.85 Billion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:49 GMT

SXSW concert moved ahead of potential Thursday storms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:49 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A South by Southwest concert scheduled Thursday night at Lady Bird Lake is moving indoors ahead of potential severe weather, according to a SXSW release.The KUTC Rockin Near The Shores concert will be held in Ballroom A of the Austin Convention Center. Luck Reunion postponed due to weather threat A cold front is expected to move through Central Texas late Thursday evening, bringing the threat of strong to severe storms, according to the KXAN First Warning Weather team.Concert schedule6 p.m.  Lucky Diaz6:30 p.m.  Red Yarn & Aaron Nigel Smith  7 p.m.  Mega Ran 7:30 p.m. SaulPaul8 p.m. Rosie Flores 8:30 p.m. Thao NguyenAnother music festival postponed Thursday ahead of the inclement weather.Luck Reunion with Willie Nelson announced it is postponing until Friday. All existing tickets, parking passes and press credentials will be honored for the rescheduled Luck Reunion date on Friday.

Changes to paratransit service coming to Round Rock in June

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:49 GMT

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — City of Round Rock's Transportation Director Gary Hudder said it will change how it provides paratransit services in June.Hudder said low ridership in some areas amid rapid population growth in others has spurred the city to revamp the service.He said, currently, there is a fixed-line system where paratransit riders are picked up and dropped off on a daily schedule.At next week's Round Rock City Council meeting, Hudder said he will share more about these transportation changes, including the replacement of the current system with a mobility, on-demand service.The service will be similar to how a person would order a rideshare service, he said.Those currently using the paratransit system, contracted through San Antonio-based Star Shuttle, will qualify for the new system provided by Austin-based Ztrip, Hudder said.“The transit system has to continue to be modified and morphed to satisfy a rapidly growing community," Hudder said.The change will exclude at lea...

Sled dog race threatened by changing climate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:49 GMT

(KXAN) — Earth's temperature continues to rise. It has increased an average of 0.14° Fahrenheit every 10 years since 1880. In total, this is 2° Fahrenheit. Courtesy: Climate.govBut the increase has become more pronounced since 1981 with an average increase of 0.32° Fahrenheit, more than twice to average increased rise since 1880. The effect this is having is not just limited to unusually hot summers and droughts. It is also having an effect on areas of the country getting less snow than normal. This is true in Alaska, home to the Iditarod.The Iditarod is a big part of Alaska. The annual trail sled dog race has been around for 50 years. The 938-mile race happens in March and runs from Anchorage to Nome. It covers all of our nation's 49th state.A musher and his team in the IditarodSince 2000, climate change has affected this annual event. In 2003, 2015, and 2017, there wasn't enough snow in the Alaska Range so the start had to be moved nearly 300 miles from Willow to Fairbanks. Even ...

NCAA Frozen Four: National semifinals won’t intimidate Gophers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:49 GMT

Brad Frost’s Gophers haven’t played in a Frozen Four since 2019, when they lost to Wisconsin in the championship game. But the lights of a national semifinal on Friday at Duluth’s Amsoil Arena won’t be too bright for his team, the coach said.What the second-seeded Gophers lack in Frozen Four experience, they make up for in performances on even bigger stages.“We have a lot of experience at some pretty big-time events. from U18s to state tournaments to Olympics and national team programs,” Frost said.Frost and the Gophers boarded buses outside of the Athletes Village on Wednesday evening, cheered by well-wishers from throughout the Gophers’ athletics programs. When the pucks drops on their 6 p.m. game against No. 6 seed Wisconsin, Minnesota will have four Olympians — forwards Josefin Bouveng (Sweden), Abbey Murphy (U.S.) and Grace Zumwinkle (U.S.) and defender Nellie Laitinen (Finland) — as well as the MVP of last fall’s IIHF World Championships, center T...

State girls basketball: Alexandria outshoots Hill-Murray in Class 3A quarters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:49 GMT

All year, Hill-Murray coach Erin Herman has been worried.Worried that in the biggest games, her team’s biggest weakness — a lack of reliable shooting — would break them.It was the case against Alexandria back in February — and it again doomed Hill-Murray in a rematch against them in the Class 3A state quarterfinals Wednesday at Williams Arena.“We just don’t have enough offense and it was pretty obvious today,” said Herman following the 57-39 loss to Alexandria that ended Hill-Murray’s hope for an elusive state title. “We played pretty well defensively, but we don’t finish, and we don’t always make the best decisions.”Hill-Murray shot 35% from the field, compared to Alexandria’s 58%. The Pioneers made only 4-of-16 3-point attempts.There were signs the scoring woes were behind the Pioneers. Since losing to Alexandria back on Feb. 11, Hill-Murray did not lose a game and had several 60-point scoring performances. Yet with the familiar opponent, the Pioneers’ frequent v...

State agency accuses southern Minnesota meat processor of child labor violations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:49 GMT

A meat processing company in southern Minnesota employed children as young as 13 to work in hazardous conditions, such as operating meat grinders, while they worked overnight shifts and longer hours than allowed by law, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry said Wednesday.The state agency is asking a district court to issue a temporary restraining order against Tony Downs Food Co., based in Mankato, while it investigates the allegations.According to the complaint, the meat processing company employed at least eight children ranging from 14 to 17 at its plant in Madelia. Investigators also have identified other employees who were hired before they were 18 years old, the department said.The young employees, one of whom was 13 years old when hired, operated meat grinders, ovens and forklifts on overnight shifts and also worked in areas where meat products are flash frozen with carbon monoxide and ammonia, according to the complaint. They also allegedly worked longer hours than...