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Oil and gas companies would pay more to drill on public lands under new Biden rule

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:50:16 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Energy companies would have to pay more to drill on public lands and satisfy stronger requirements to clean up old or abandoned wells under a new rule announced Thursday by the Biden administration.A rule proposed by the Interior Department raises royalty rates for oil drilling by more than one-third, to 16.67%, in accordance with the sweeping climate law approved by Congress last year. The previous rate of 12.5% paid by oil and gas companies for federal drilling rights had remained unchanged for a century. The federal rate was significantly lower than what many states and private landowners charge for drilling leases on state or private lands.The new rule does not go so far as to prohibit new oil and gas leasing on public lands, as many environmental groups have urged and as President Joe Biden promised during the 2020 campaign. But officials said the proposal would lead to a more responsible leasing process that provides a better return to U.S. taxpayers.The plan...

Texas is largest state to leave bipartisan national effort to prevent voter fraud

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:50:16 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The state of Texas resigned Thursday from a national, bipartisan effort to prevent voter fraud, becoming the largest state and ninth GOP-led state to leave the initiative since 2022.The exit from the Electronic Registration Information Center, commonly known as ERIC, comes after Texas Republicans began showing a willingness this year to leave the group, which has been targeted by conspiracy theories about its funding and purpose. Republicans elsewhere have cited other reasons for leaving the initiative and said they have been working on an alternate system. On Thursday, Texas submitted a letter to ERIC giving notice that the state would withdraw from the program, effective in 91 days, according to a Secretary of State spokesperson.As fewer states participate in the effort, which allows states to share government data to maintain accurate voter lists, the costs for participating states are set to increase, spokesperson Alicia Phillips Pierce said. There is no imm...

Firefighters battle apartment fire in Elmwood Park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:50:16 GMT

ELMWOOD PARK, Ill. — Firefighters are battling an apartment fire Thursday in Elmwood Park.Flames could be seen coming from the apartment in the 2400 block of North 72nd Court.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesSkycam 9 is over the scene. You can watch it live in the player above.This story will be updated.

Police seek help identifying girl found on Chicago's Northwest Side

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:50:16 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago police are seeking the public's help in identifying a child who was found the city's Northwest Side.Police said the girl is between the ages of 3 and 6-years-old and was found Thursday just before 1 p.m. in the 4700 block of West Fullerton Avenue in the city's Belmont Cragin neighborhood. She is 42 inches tall and 40 pounds. She has brown eyes and black hair. was wearing a white t-shirt and light blue shorts. She was not wearing shoes. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesPolice believe her name may be Samiya or Miles.Anyone with any information should called Chicago detectives at 312-746-6554.

Former Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips speaks out amid hazing scandal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:50:16 GMT

GREENSBORO, N.C. — A former Northwestern athletic director is speaking out for the first time after a hazing scandal continues to play out where he worked for 13 years.Jim Phillips, the current commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference, released a statement on Wednesday after he was named in a lawsuit being brought by a former Wildcats football player on Tuesday. This comes as the school continues to deal with the fallout of the allegations of hazing in that program along with accusations of mistreatment in other sports. This led to the ouster of longtime football head coach Pat Fitzgerald, baseball coach Jim Foster, and the filing of lawsuits by former players against Northwestern while others have retained the services of attorneys for possible litigation. Ben Crump, former Northwestern players discuss hazing allegations Here is Phillips' statement through the ACC's media relations."This has been a difficult time for the Northwestern University community, a place that my ent...

'Be nice to each other:' 7 residents of a suburban senior living home offer advice on living 100 years

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:50:16 GMT

WHEELING, Ill. — At Villa Addolarata in northwest suburban Wheeling, seven residents have lived a century.Some, like Cecilia Pedtke, have even surpassed it. She’s 106-years-old.The centenarians were recently honored during a celebratory mass.Peter Lococo attributes “good genes” for his 100 year run.“And being lucky,” he said. “I went through WWII and North Africa and South Pacific and never heard a shot fired.”“And I’m Irish and I never tell my age,” Laverne Washburne said.   At 101-years-old, she makes her own rules.“Sometimes I think, ‘Gee whiz, Lord what else am I going to have to face in my life?’” Clara Antram, 100, said.But what the collective group does know is an honest answer to what it feels like to live so long.“It’s rather boring to be honest with you it’s the same routine every day,” Lococo said.“It feels great,” Stephanie Ziemba, 100, said. “I have my faculties. I’m not in diapers.” Related: At 109, education pioneer Edith Renfrow reflects on ‘The greatest ...

Democrats push legislation for Supreme Court ethics

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:50:16 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Democrats are pushing for a more stringent ethics code at the Supreme Court after recent reports highlighted questionable ties between some justices and donors.Democrats are advancing efforts to beef up oversight at the Supreme Court."This legislation will be a crucial first step for restoring confidence in the court,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL.Durbin said ethics reforms are needed after reports revealed conservative justice Clarence Thomas and others failed to disclose gifts and dealings with donors. Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said Congress has an obligation to step in."This can't go on," said Whitehouse. "Because the highest court in the land has the lowest standard of ethics anywhere in the federal government.”The bill would require Supreme Court justices to adopt a code of conduct and create new methods to investigate alleged violations. Senate committee approves a bill to impose stronger ethics standards on Supreme Court just...

Daughter of retired MLS player dead after being thrown from boat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:50:16 GMT

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) - The daughter of a retired professional soccer player is dead following a boating accident in South Carolina, her family has confirmed. Olivia Knighton, 11, of Massachusetts was among nine people thrown overboard when their 23-foot boat was hit by a large wake from another boat on the Intracoastal Waterway Wednesday, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. There were 12 people on the boat at the time, and no one else was hurt.Knighton was hit by the propeller after being thrown overboard, the DNR said. She died at a local hospital after the incident, according to Horry County Fire Rescue."We are in the process of a detailed inquiry that includes collecting witness statements, examining the boat and working to develop a complete picture of what happened," the DNR said. "Our thoughts are with the child’s family and loved ones." Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett dies in apparent drowning in Florida Brad Knighton, a former goalie f...

Delayed flight strands passengers at NYC airport for 30 hours: 'It's been a circus'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:50:16 GMT

NEW YORK (WPIX) – A delayed flight caused Hawaiian Airlines passengers to be stranded at JFK Airport for more than a day, according to two sources at the airport on Wednesday. Jeff White told Nexstar's WPIX that he and his fellow passengers were stuck at John F. Kennedy International Airport for more than 33 hours. ‘This is not American’: Sheryl Crow responds to Jason Aldean’s controversial song “It’s been a circus,” White said. “There are small children … elderly people, and mothers with newborns who were unable to retrieve their baggage due to this delayed flight.” White said he and fellow passengers have been shuffled between gate 18B and A9. He also claimed the only compensation they received was a $12 food voucher. White said the airline would not give passengers their luggage back so they could get on the next flight to Hawaii and would not exchange the tickets for another company.Passengers were told the cause of the delay was a problem with the aircraft involving...

Big 12 basketball: Texas men play Houston twice, women take on Iowa State once in 2023-24

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:50:16 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the Texas Longhorns embark on their final season as members of the Big 12 Conference, conference officials announced the breakdown of conference games for both men's and women's basketball on Thursday.No times or dates have been announced, but both Texas programs know who they'll play twice plus the team they'll play only once during the conference season.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersWith 14 teams in the Big 12 this year before the Longhorns and Oklahoma depart for the Southeastern Conference, Texas will play five teams twice and the other eight once for 18 conference games.Texas men's Big 12 opponentsHome-and-away: Baylor, Houston, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, West VirginiaHome only: UCF, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma StateAway only: BYU, Cincinnati, Kansas, TCUTexas women's Big 12 opponentsHome-and-away: Baylor, Oklahoma, Kansas State, TCU, Texas ...