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German far-right says the EU is a ‘failed project’ as it prepares for European Parliament elections

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:45 GMT

VIENNA (AP) — The far-right Alternative for Germany declared the European Union a “failed project” in its current form as it adopted its program for next June’s European Parliament election at its party convention in the eastern city of Magdeburg on Sunday, the German news agency dpa reported. The text states that the EU has “completely failed” in all important areas, including its migration and climate policy, and it rejects the Euro as a currency.However, the party stopped short of demanding Germany’s exit from the EU. Instead, the AfD is calling for the EU to be re-founded as a “federation of European nations,” dpa reported. According to the election program, the main tasks of the new federation should be the protection of external borders against migration, strategic autonomy in security policy, and the preservation of “different identities” in Europe. Recent polls put support for the AfD at 19-22%, behind only the main conservative opposition bloc. AfD candidates recently...

Dozens rescued by Italy from migrant shipwrecks. Survivors say 31 missing, others stranded on rocks

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:45 GMT

ROME (AP) — Italy’s Coast Guard rescued 57 migrants from two boats that capsized during the night in rough seas south of a tiny Italian island and recovered two bodies, authorities said. In a statement, the coast guard quotes survivors as saying some 30 migrants were missing and it recovered the body of a boy and a woman from one of the capsized vessels. Some 20 others were stranded Sunday on rocks after a third shipwreck. According to those who were rescued from the shipwrecked vessels late Saturday, some 23 nautical miles (42.5 kilometers) southwest of Lampedusa, 28 people were missing from one and three from the other.Meanwhile, 20 migrants were clinging desperately to jagged rocks of a tall reef off Lampedusa since early Saturday after a third boat crashed into the craggy outcropping west of the island’s lighthouse. Strong winds and powerful waves made any Coast Guard rescue too dangerous.The coast guard office in Palermo requested the help of a Sicily-based Alpine and Cav...

China releases TV documentary showcasing army’s ability to attack Taiwan

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:45 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China has released a new documentary about the army’s preparation to attack Taiwan and showcasing soldiers pledging to give up their lives if needed as Beijing continues to ramp up its rhetoric against the self-ruled island.“Chasing Dreams,” an eight-part docuseries aired by state broadcaster CCTV earlier this week to mark the People Liberation Army’s 96th anniversary, features military drills and testimonials by dozens of soldiers, of which several express their willingness to die in a potential attack against Taiwan.China claims Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy, as its own territory, to be conquered by force if necessary. State media and the PLA frequently release propaganda materials promoting the army’s modernization as well as sleek videos of military drills. The materials serve to fan rising Chinese nationalism and display military confidence against Taiwan and, implicitly, its ties with the United States. While the U.S. doesn’t recognize Taiwan as a sovere...

Governments are gathering to talk about the Amazon rainforest. Why is it so important to protect?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:45 GMT

BELEM, Brazil (AP) — The Amazon rainforest is a massive area, twice the size of India and sprawling across eight countries and one territory. It’s a crucial carbon sink for the climate, has about 20% of the world’s freshwater reserves and boasts astounding biodiversity, including 16,000 known tree species. But governments have historically viewed it as an area to be colonized and exploited, with little regard for sustainability or the rights of its Indigenous peoples.Now, as those governments seek to clamp down on a Wild West atmosphere of resource extraction, human rights abuses and environmental crime, collaboration across borders is a must. That’s a major goal of the two-day Amazon Summit that opens Tuesday in Belem, where Brazil will host policymakers and others to discuss how to tackle the immense challenges of protecting a critical resource in stemming the worst of climate change.Here’s a rundown of the Amazon’s importance, the threats it faces and possible s...

Girl, 8, fatally shot in head in Portage Park

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:45 GMT

CHICAGO -- An eight-year-old girl is dead after she was shot in the head by a known offender in Portage Park Saturday night. According to police, a known individual approached a group from across the street near the 3500 block of North Long Avenue around 9:40 p.m. and shot the girl in the head.She was transported to Stroger Hospital in critical condition where she was then pronounced dead. 2 injured after being electrocuted on CTA tracks in Oak Park on their way to Lollapalooza Another man on the scene got into physical altercation with the offender and tried to disarm him. During the struggle, the offender was shot in the face and transported to the hospital in critical condition. A weapon was recovered on the scene and police are investigating.

Cloudy Sunday with morning showers, Moderate Air Quality

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:45 GMT

CHICAGO -- Mostly cloudy with morning showers. Some limited afternoon clearing. Air quality is Moderate today. Lake swimming hazard for large waves and rip currents. NE 10-20 mph. High: 75, lower 70s lakeside.Sunday Night: Scattered showers/thunderstorms. Slight chance some could be strong to severe. ESE 5-10 mph. Low: 65Monday: Cloudy with showers likely. Chance of isolated thunderstorms. Precipitation slowly clears out in the evening. N 5-10 mph. High: 72, upper 60s beachesChicago Area Radar | WGN TV

Lollapalooza wraps up with cloudy weather, possible storms to come

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:45 GMT

CHICAGO — Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park for its fourth and final day of the festival -- with a side of possible showers and storms to come. Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Gates will open at 11 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. each day.The gates are located at the following locations:Main Entrance: Michigan and Ida B. Wells North Entrance: Monroe and Columbus CLICK HERE FOR FULL LOLLA LINE-UPSunday 8/6: Lana Del Rey, L’Impératrice, Louis The Child, Red Hot Chili Peppers Sunday tickets are sold-out. Get on waitlist here.Is there a map of the festival grounds?YES, HERE: Check out the festival map for 2023 here.

Extreme heat outside? Your electric vehicle battery could suffer

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:45 GMT

DALLAS (NewsNation) — With much of the country experiencing scorching heat from Arizona to Texas to Florida, those driving electric vehicles might notice that they aren’t going as far before needing to recharge.New data revealed that electric vehicles can lose up to 20% of their range when it’s 95 degrees or hotter outside.That means if the vehicle normally drives 100 miles, in extreme heat, it can only go 80 miles instead.Some EV drivers said they haven't noticed a change in the way their vehicles run, while others said they definitely can tell the difference and that when it's this hot out, they can't go as far or take as many trips before needing to charge. Recurrent, a website providing battery reports for electric vehicles, studied the batteries of 7,500 EVs and found that when it gets hot, the EV battery starts to lose 15%-30% efficiency. Why does the battery lose efficiency in extreme heat? How to keep your car cooler in the summer heat The vehicle's battery is using up mo...

Several highs above 105°

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Saturday's high of 106° tied a record first set in 2011. It's the 29th consecutive day and 45th day overall of a triple-digit high.Today's high is, again, forecast to reach 107°. The record high for August 6th is 105° set in 2013. BLOG: Forget the heat: Here's when cooler air usually comes The Excessive Heat Warning runs from noon - 9 p.m. for most of Central Texas with feels-like temperatures as high as 105° to 109°. The Heat Advisory remains in place for Blanco and Gillespie Counties for possible heat index readings up to 111° although the highest heat index in these two counties Saturday got no higher than 105°.Today's heat alertsA Red Flag Warning will be in effect for the entire afternoon and night. Wind speeds are forecast to increase up to 10 to 15 mph later this morning into the afternoon and evening. Relative humidity readings will fall again to the upper teens to low 20s. Yesterday's lowest humidity during the mid- and late-afternoon hours fell to a ran...

Weather update: strong storms expected later today, potential for hail and tornadoes

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:45 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- A few showers and weak storms are impacting the region. These continue to weaken as they move east and shouldn't cause any issues. A few more showers may develop this morning along a warm front lifting north. This front will help to destabilize the atmosphere later today. Afternoon temperatures climb into the upper 80s.We will likely have some strong storms later this afternoon and evening ahead of a rather strong cold front that moves through later today. There are questions as to how the morning activity and lingering cloud cover impact our instability, as well as the timing of the cold front. These factors will impact how far west storms are able to develop. Storm chances are highest from eastern Missouri into Illinois ahead of the front. Storms will gradually expand in coverage and move southeast over the evening hours. Some storms could produce large hail to golf ball size, strong winds to 70 mph, as well as a few tornadoes. The timing we are watching for is after ...