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Weekend Break: Christmas Around the World

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:12 GMT

CHICAGO — On Christmas Eve, Weekend Break stopped by the Museum of Science and Industry for Christmas Around the World. MORE STORIES: Weekend Break You can learn more by watching this story in the player above.

Holiday foods can be toxic to pets, here's what to do if Rover or Kitty eats them

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:12 GMT

(The Conversation) - During the holidays, it’s typical for people to indulge in special foods. Being a pet owner myself, I know that many pet parents want to give their fur babies special treats as well.As a veterinarian and clinical veterinary researcher, however, I also know that some very common foods – including many popular holiday staples – are dangerous to pets.Here are some of the most common food-related crises we veterinarians encounter in the animal ER during the holidays, and what to do if they happen.Fatty food risksTurkey with gravy is probably among the most popular holiday meals. And most dogs or cats would certainly agree with their humans that roast turkey is delicious.However, the fat contained in turkey skin – and the excess of fatty, greasy foods that can accompany it, such as gravy, butter and bacon – don’t go down well with cats and dogs. Pets that ingest an overload of fats may develop pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas, the organ th...

'Just Bewildered': Daughter of Richmond WWII veteran speaks after father's remains identified

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:12 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS -- Anne Walker Collingwood never knew her father.Collingwood's father — U.S. Army Second Lt. Gene Walker, a Richmond resident — died while fighting in World War II in 1944, just months after Collingwood was born."I just drifted through life for 79 years, not knowing a whole lot about my father," she said.But, when Walker's remains were identified in July by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Collingwood got a chance to do something she never thought she would do: plan a funeral for her father. According to previous reports, Walker's remains were accounted for on July 21 after his death in 1944. Walker's unit was engaged in battle with German forces near Hücheln, Germany, when the tank Walker was in was hit by an 88mm anti-tank round. Walker is believed to have been killed instantly.After the war, officials with the American Graves Registration Command investigated missing American personnel in Europe. While several investigations were conducted in the Hücheln a...

ATCEMS: Vehicles swept into north Austin creek Sunday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin-Travis County EMS are responding to a report of a vehicle swept off the road and into a creek in north Austin Sunday morning. Texas prepares for thunderstorms, heavy rainfall ahead of holiday weekend The call came in just after 7 a.m. that multiple patients were in the vehicle. The vehicle was swept off the road in the 1100 block of Rutland Drive, just north of West Rundberg Lane and near the Quail Creek Neighborhood Park.Officials said the Austin Fire Department and Travis County Star Flight are also responding. Safety tips: How to drive in the rain, what to do if your car hydroplanes An additional update from ATCEMS online revealed officials discovered a second vehicle "in the creek upside down that will need to be searched when water recedes." The exact patient count is unknown at this time, but multiple have been discovered already and are receiving medical assessment.Officials added responders are looking for a victim "who was reported to be seen by...

Other voices: Here’s how the IRS whistleblower revealed flaws of the U.S. tax code. He still committed a serious crime

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:12 GMT

At the peak of the pandemic, a series of reports revealed that many of the richest Americans paid little in income taxes — and, in some years, nothing.The 2021 stories by nonprofit news organization ProPublica were based on the actual tax returns of wealthy Americans ranging from George Soros and Elon Musk to Ken Griffin.The stories illustrated how multibillionaires can keep more of their money out of government coffers legally by taking full advantage of deductions, credits and loopholes. They highlighted the unfairness of a system where top earners often pay far less than the average middle-class tax rate — a situation that is, in our view, un-American.But …But how did ProPublica get the tax returns? Those documents are secret, and absolutely not available upon request to journalists curious about how much an individual might, or might not, be paying.Enter Charles “Chaz” Littlejohn, a St. Louis native in his late 30s who was a consultant to the Intern...

How Much CBD Oil Should You Take For High Blood Pressure?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:12 GMT

View the original article about How Much CBD You Should Take for High Blood Pressure at Real Tested CBD.High blood pressure is a common condition, affecting more than one in four adults in the United States according to the CDC. Although it can be managed with lifestyle changes and medications, many people are looking for more natural ways to lower their blood pressure.One such natural remedy with potential is cannabidiol (CBD) oil, an extract found in both hemp and cannabis plants. So, how much CBD oil should you take for high blood pressure? Let’s take a closer look.What Is CBD Oil?CBD oil is an extract from hemp plants, most often taken orally in the form of a tincture or as a capsule. CBD itself is one of many naturally occurring compounds found in hemp and cannabis plants called cannabinoids.Unlike another popular cannabinoid called THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD does not produce intoxicating effects, meaning it won’t make you feel “high.” Instead, CBD interacts with t...

Changing lives, one gift at a time: Wish Book readers make wishes come true

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:12 GMT

The spirit of giving is shining brightly in the Bay Area. Now celebrating 40 years, Wish Book readers are stepping up to help their South Bay neighbors in need. As of Dec. 18, your generous donations have reached a heartwarming $400,346!We’d like to express our deepest gratitude to our amazing Wish Book donors. Your contributions will fuel essential programs that support countless families struggling in our local communities. Every dollar you give goes directly to work in the South Bay and will make a difference for so many. It is readers like you that make Wish Book a success year after year.We are still counting contributions, and there is still time to bring joy to families featured in our news sections and online this holiday season. To learn more about these families and discover how you can donate, visit wishbook.mercurynews.com. Below is a partial list of generous contributors; we will publish a full list in January.  We are also grateful to the many anonymous donors wh...

Fake kidnappers are trying to scam Oakland families, school district warns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:12 GMT

OAKLAND — Oakland school district officials are warning parents they may receive calls from scammers claiming to have kidnapped their children — and even playing audio in the background of fake pleas for help.The district has warned the parents not to take these calls seriously, even though in some cases the scammers have known the names of the students. Oakland Unified reported several instances of the scam playing out during the fall semester, including two last week. But the students, invariably, were safely at school.In all cases, the callers are after money, demanding a ransom from parents in hopes they’ll pay up in a moment of fear.“Unfortunately, this scam shows the heartlessness of some scammers, and the lengths to which they will go to squeeze money from unsuspecting people,” Sondra Aguilera, the district’s chief academic officer, said in a community email. “This is where being alert and prepared for any possible scenario can help p...

Lawsuit accuses former Santa Clara County sheriff of retaliating against key witness in gun-permit corruption probes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:12 GMT

SAN JOSE — An employee of former Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith has filed an explosive whistleblower lawsuit against her old boss, accusing Smith of repeatedly harassing and intimidating her as she served as a key witness in a corruption probe that led Smith to step down last year after more than two decades in office. The lawsuit, filed last month by one-time Smith staff member Lara McCabe, contends the sheriff’s office continued alienating her even after a new administration assumed command, and that the county staff failed to protect her against the retaliation even after she reported their conduct.McCabe, whose attorneys declined comment, makes several damning claims in the lawsuit, mostly against Smith. She attests that Smith, feeling the pressure of a criminal and later a civil grand jury investigation, openly demeaned, belittled and defamed her after she was summoned multiple times to testify in proceedings over Smith’s issuance of concealed-carry weapons...

Why are Comcast and AT&T trying to block millions in state money to boost Oakland’s high-speed internet?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:00:12 GMT

OAKLAND — Internet giants Comcast and AT&T are trying to prevent Oakland from receiving $14 million to build out its capacity for high-speed internet, the latest obstacle to the city’s efforts to close longstanding gaps in online access for its residents.In objections to Oakland’s latest share of a $3.87 billion California spending package, the two companies argued to the California Public Utilities Commision (CPUC) that the neighborhoods slated for enhanced fiber-optic infrastructure already enjoy faster internet speeds.Their evidence for that assertion has been kept confidential to everyone but the CPUC, which will review the objections and then decide if the $14 million — a spending plan known locally as “Oakland Connect” — can move forward.The companies’ claims run counter to speed tests run by the Oakland Unified School District, with help from the tech company HubbleIQ — that indicate over a third of 8,000 tested addres...