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Hong Kong’s jailed student loses bid to reduce sentence over inciting secession in landmark ruling

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:34 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — A jailed university student in Hong Kong lost his bid to reduce his five-year sentence for inciting secession in a landmark ruling by the city’s top court Tuesday that will have a far-reaching impact on other cases brought under a Beijing-imposed national security law. Lui Sai-yu pleaded guilty to breaching the sweeping security law in April 2022 and admitted that content on a Telegram channel he administered incited others to separate Hong Kong from China or alter the legal status of the city unlawfully. But his timely guilty plea did not get him a one-third reduction in the length of his imprisonment — like in many other cases under the city’s common law system — because the security law imposed minimum jail terms for serious offences. Lui is one of the some 260 people who were arrested under the security law as Beijing tried to crush dissidents following the massive protests in 2019. The ruling on his appeal is expected to set the bar for sentencings ...

Chicago non-profit, CTU members help register migrant children for school

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:34 GMT

CHICAGO — In a room at the 12th district CPD police station, volunteers with the non-profit Todo Para Todos and CTU members helped migrant parents enroll their children and teens in Chicago Public Schools on Monday."Kids who just arrived today, yesterday and this week are registered for school and get all the supplies that they need to set them up and welcome them here in Chicago," said Kathleen Murphy, a volunteer with Todo Para Todos, which translates to "Everything for Everyone."Those on hand also handed out backpacks stocked with school supplies, hoping to meet the academic needs of the City's newest, youngest residents. New school year, new challenges as CPS students return to classroom CPS has not said exactly how many migrant students have joined the district, but CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said the number of English learners has increased since last year.“We're [at] about 5,000 new English language learners," Martinez said. "Normally, we have about 3,000 because every year, we...

New platform connects aspiring professionals with mentorship network

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:34 GMT

A new celebrity platform is opening doors for people of color.The new platform ‘Assemble’ is connecting aspiring professionals with a strong mentorship network. 1959 Chicago Little League champs reunite, share memories “I think that this is a solution to finally create a bridge and allow experts, such as Sakiya, to reach back and have a way to properly deal with everyone that loves to learn from someone like him,” Cortney Woodruff, Assemble creator and CEO said.The new professional mentorship network connects diverse experts with its users, no matter their age or background, and offers an assembly of successful Black and brown professionals that users can text, call or Zoom anytime they want.“I was just a kid with a dream and I had to really go around the world to find mentorship to figure out how to do the thing I really aspired to do,” Woodruff said.Unlike Cameo, Masterclass and other celebrity platforms, for a small fee, Assemble connects users with mentors that it calls "Expe...

Summer 2023’s hottest spell of weather is due in Chicago Wednesday into Thursday, prompting an “excessive heat watch”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:34 GMT

Heat-limiting easterly lake breezes, responsible for cooling lakeside areas Sunday and Monday, to linger one more day. But, well developed southwest flow to shut down that cooling Wednesday and pushing heat up to and out over the lake, allowing temps to soar. Record to near record heat expected Wednesday and Thursday with temps approaching 100 degrees for the first time in 12 years. The northern flank of heat domes can be finicky and prone to impacts like nearby thunderstorms and their outflows and lake breezes, the possibility of each of which will be monitored Thursday afternoon and evening.Temps at or above 100 in Chicago are rare. Since official records began in the city 153 years ago in 1871, there have only been 62 days with highs at or above 100 degrees. And at the Midway Airport site on the city's South Side where weather observations have been archived since 1928, on only 92 occasions over that 95 year period has a reading of 100 degrees or higher occurred.There’s a reason ...

Galway CSD votes to keep books 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:34 GMT

GALWAY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – A measure that would have banned books at Galway Central School District was dismissed at a packed board of education meeting Monday night. Community members showed up in droves to show their support for keeping two books in the district’s curriculum.‘The 57 Bus’ is a non-fiction book about a transgender person who experiences a hate crime. ‘Ink Knows No Borders’ is a collection of poetry from teen immigrants and refugees. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! A curriculum complaint cited foul language as the reason for the proposed book ban.Superintendent Brita Donovan says she was proud to see so many community members show up to support keeping the books.“It made me feel wonderful. It is so wonderful seeing our parents step up and our students step up,” said Donovan.She says teachers are thoughtful when selecting their curriculum and undergo a rigorous selection process – which abides by new york state educ...

St. Louis police won’t respond in person to car break-ins

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:34 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Car break-ins caught on camera during lunch hour in south St. Louis. But it’s unclear if the evidence has made it into police hands. That’s because of a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department policy when it comes to handling such calls.The department says its policy is to take reports only over the phone.“This is what happened to my window: glass all in my car,” Jamie Derleth said.Someone smashed out the rear passenger window of her car around 11:30 a.m. Sunday.“He hit three cars in a matter of four minutes,” she said.Tammi Voracek’s car was another. “I thought my window was down at first,” she said, “…and I didn’t remember leaving it down, and then my friend Ashley screamed that our windows were broken.”They were parked on Cherokee in south St. Louis, where surveillance video shows a suspect driving up in a truck with no plates. He looks through an unlocked car on one side of the road, then walks to the other side, where he broke out the windows of Voracek’s and Derle...

East St. Louis man gets shocking bill, calls FOX 2 to investigate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:34 GMT

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Cedric Childress keeps meticulous records.“Whatever was on the statement, if they said you owe $300 this month, I paid it. Whatever the charges were, whatever was on there, I never disputed it. I always made the payments,” he said.Childress has a log of every Bank of America representative he’s spoken with recently.“That person. That person. This person. This person,” he said.He thought the final payment on his home equity line of credit was accounted for.“Man, about 10 days later, I get notice saying you owe us $6,000 sum-odd dollars. I said $6,000?” said Childress.Confused about this new escrow balance he says he knew nothing about, Childress took to the phone. East St. Louis man gets shocking bill, calls FOX 2 to investigate “I’m on the phone the first day for over two hours. They couldn’t tell me nothing. They said, ‘Why don’t you call back tomorrow. We should figure this out,’” Childress said. “I call back the next day, I was on the phone for almost thr...

St. Louis County man found safe 11 weeks after disappearing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:34 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – It's been nearly 11 weeks since a beloved south St. Louis County restaurant worker seemed to vanish.In June, St. Louis County police issued an Endangered Silver Advisory for Stephen Wehrman, 61, who has a learning disability. There were no updates regarding his whereabouts.But after 76 days, his family had incredible news to share with FOX 2 on Monday: Stephen had been located and was coming home.His brother, Marty, a retired Mehlville fire captain, pointed to the power of prayer.“My prayer was that he was being taken care of,” Marty Wehrman said.It had been 76 days since Stephen didn’t show up for his long-time job at Bartolino’s South restaurant; 76 days since he went to his bank, withdrew some money, and seemed to vanish; 76 days of worry and prayer. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News ...

Massive mudslide from Hilary buries mountain communities

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:34 GMT

In the wake of Tropical Storm Hilary, some residents in the San Bernardino Mountain were still stranded after a massive mudslide barreled down the hillside, burying cars and sweeping away everything else in its path.  While first responders told KTLA’s Chip Yost that they have no confirmed reports of anyone missing after the mudslide, they said they are still making their way into many of these areas to check on residents and make sure everyone is accounted for.   The communities of Forest Falls, Oak Glen and Seven Oaks on the east side of the San Bernardino mountains were hit hard by the first tropical storm to hit California in 83 years. Some areas received more than six inches of rain during the storm.   Tropical Storm Hilary leaves a muddy mess in Coachella Valley; local emergency proclaimed As the cleanup gets underway, miles of roads are still closed to many who live there. “I don’t know that we’re ever going to recover from this,” Kyle McLaughlin, whose family own...

California gas prices rise to highest of the year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:34 GMT

California gas prices surged to the highest they’ve been all year, up $0.11 on average across the state, according to the American Automobile Association.AAA reports that Southern California gas prices rose rapidly last week by double digits in many areas and the average price of a gallon is now within nine or ten cents of what it cost a year ago in Los Angeles, San Diego and Riverside. California’s statewide price for regular gasoline is now $5.18, which is $0.09 higher than a week ago, while the national average is $3.88 per gallon, which is $0.05 higher than a week ago. In Los Angeles County alone, the average price for a gallon is $5.35 per gallon. “Oil Price Information Service reported this morning that Los Angeles and San Francisco wholesale gasoline prices are surging because there is limited supply on the wholesale market and a lot of demand from refiners looking to buy excess supply,” said Auto Club spokesperson Doug Shupe. “The combination of those factors is continuing t...