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Hugs and tears as 8 Miami Beach firefighters come home after volunteering in Israel

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:33 GMT

Nearly three weeks after they answered the call to help other first responders in Israel, eight Miami Beach firefighters came home to a warm welcome from family, friends and colleagues.Loved ones on Sunday morning greeted the returning first responders with hugs outside a fire station along Pine Tree Drive.Their family, friends and neighbors rallied arounf their firefighters.“We want to thank each and every one of you for standing in solidarity with Jewish community and Israel and got being willing to have the courage to save lives and to stand with us,” said Rabbi Gayle Pomerantz with Temple Beth Sholom. “We are so grateful.”Among the eight firefighters who volunteered to travel overseas was Miami Beach Fire Rescue Capt. Adonis Garcia.“I would do it again in a minute, anytime they need us,” he said. “I think it’s very important that the people understand how much the Israeli people really need us. They were so thankful.”The Sout...

Proposed mandatory reuse rules jeopardizing world’s best recycling system

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:33 GMT

Six years ago, millions of viewers saw a mother albatross feeding her newborn chick scraps of plastic in David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II. What followed was a wave of support for more sustainable packaging and less waste ending up in nature.Unfortunately, pledges for more sustainable packaging made little difference. According to Eurostat, packaging is still 36 percent of solid municipal waste and growing (1). This constant increase combined with low levels of reuse and poor recycling of plastic makes a low-carbon, circular economy a difficult task.The governing body closest to meaningful change is the European Union. In this, MEPs are representative of their electorate: a study commissioned by Smurfit Kappa revealed that 65 percent of people surveyed prefer paper packaging over plastic (2).To help, the EU is proposing the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). It’s a big step in the right direction, and everyone supports its goals of reducing waste and CO2 emissions. B...

Column: ‘It’s unexplainable.’ How a story of promise, progress and production became another tale of woe for the Chicago Bears.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:33 GMT

This should have been a story about progress, about purpose, about a feisty NFL underdog that went on the road Sunday and gave it to the best team in their division in just about every way imaginable.Forced four turnovers. Controlled the ball for more than 40 minutes. Sunk its claws into a golden opportunity and appeared ready to make a statement with a signature victory.That’s how good the Chicago Bears were for 2 hours and 38 minutes Sunday afternoon, playing together, playing free, pummeling the Detroit Lions with aggressiveness and timely playmaking.Man, what a story this could have been.Should have been.Instead? This, unfortunately, has become another story about disappointment and disbelief, the kind that shows up in a stunned locker room after a team’s most impressive performance of the season topples like a child’s Jenga tower.This is the latest dispiriting chapter in a thick saga of woe for the Chicago Bears, who left Ford Field on Sunday as improbable 31-...

Celtics fortunate to beat Grizzlies after chaotic final sequence: ‘Lucky to win that game’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:33 GMT

As chaos hit its climax in the final seconds, Kristaps Porzingis kept his cool. With the Celtics leading the Grizzlies by two during a wild sequence, the ball found Ziaire Williams, whose desperation game-tying shot found Porzingis’ hand.Porzingis stood in satisfaction of the moment and seemed to send some trash talk in Williams’ direction as he lay on the court. His Celtics teammates swarmed him. And they all stood there for a moment to ensure the victory was secured.Somehow, the Celtics survived.For a second consecutive game, the Celtics were not at their best. Against an inferior Grizzlies team missing eight players, they were caught in another rockfight. It was emotional, physical, frustrating and sloppy, a game deserving of Marcus Smart, who was sitting on the Memphis bench all night due to an injury. But once again, the C’s found a way. Porzingis’ sixth block of the game clinched a gutsy 102-100 victory in Memphis.Porzingis – the man acquired for Smart in that shocking trade b...

Vogt resigns as CEO of Cruise following safety questions, recalls of self-driving vehicles

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:33 GMT

Kyle Vogt has resigned as CEO of Cruise, General Motors’ autonomous vehicle unit, as questions build about the safety of self-driving cars. Vogt’s decision to step down, announced late Sunday, follows a recent recall of all 950 Cruise vehicles to update software after one of them dragged a pedestrian to the side of a San Francisco street in early October. The California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the license for Cruise. The company earlier announced it had paused operations for a review by independent experts. “The results of our ongoing reviews will inform additional next steps as we work to build a better Cruise centered around safety, transparency and trust,” the company said in a statement. ”We will continue to advance AV technology in service of our mission to make transportation safer, cleaner and more accessible.”Cruise won approval to transport fare-paying passengers last year. Since then, the autonomous vehicles have drawn complaints for making unexpected, t...

Seoul warns North Korea not to launch a spy satellite and hints a 2018 peace deal could be suspended

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:33 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military warned North Korea not to go ahead with its planned spy satellite launch, suggesting Monday that Seoul could suspend an inter-Korean peace deal and resume frontline aerial surveillance in retaliation for a launch.North Korea failed in its first two attempts to put a military spy satellite into orbit earlier this year and didn’t follow through with a vow to make a third attempt in October. South Korean officials said the delay was likely because North Korea is receiving Russian technological assistance and that the North could conduct a launch in coming days.Senior South Korean military officer Kang Hopil urged North Korea to cancel its third launch attempt immediately. “Our military will come up with necessary measures to protect the lives and safety of the people, if North Korea pushes ahead with a military spy satellite launch despite our warning,” Kang said in a televised statement.South Korean Defense Minister Shin Wonsik said in ...

Sunday Forecast: Mostly cloudy, highs in the 40s

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:33 GMT

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy & not as cold. E 5-10 mphLow near 40, colder in the suburbs. Monday: Cloudy skies, a bit breezy & chance of afternoon light rain. E 10-20 mph. High 48Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Extended outlook calls for a rainy Monday night and Tue morning commute. High temps Tue still in the mid to upper 40s with clearing skies in the afternoon. Wed/Thu both cooler and sunny with highs in the mid to low 40s. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott endorses former President Donald Trump for 2024 in valley event

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:33 GMT

EDINBURG, Texas (Nexstar) — Former President Donald Trump made a return to Texas on Sunday, where he’s expected to receive backing for his 2024 bid from the Lone Star State’s top Republican.Trump joined Gov. Greg Abbott in the Rio Grande Valley — home to a large portion of the highly-pined for Hispanic vote that Republicans have increasingly been investing time, money and resources in.It follows an early November trip to Houston, where the indicted former president held a rally as his poll numbers soar when ranked against fellow Republicans vying for their party’s nomination to take back the White House.The two Republican leaders met with state authorities stationed in South Texas as part of Abbott’s Operation Lone Star — his signature multi-billion dollar border security initiative. Trump and Abbott plan to serve meals in Edinburg to Texas National Guard soldiers, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, and authorities at the border for the Thanksgiving holiday.Former President...

Josh Dobbs proves he’s human as Vikings suffer frustrating 21-20 loss to Broncos

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:33 GMT

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) breaks the tackle for a touchdown pass against the Denver Broncos during the first half on an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) scores a touchdown as Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons (31) defends during the second half on an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs dives into the end zone for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos during the second half on an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs dives into the end zone for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos during the second half on an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) scores a touchdown against the Denver Broncos during the second half...

Kiszla: Dancing on the brink and living on a prayer, Broncos beat Vikings and get back in playoff hunt

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:33 GMT

Dancing on the brink and living on a prayer, the Broncos refuse to flinch or fold. When one slip would end everything, they laugh at the danger and and live to dream of the playoffs for another day.And with another incredible escape, their playoff hopes are very much alive after a 21-20 victory against Minnesota.“A crazy game in a lot of ways,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said Sunday.Denver never found the end zone until the final 69 seconds of the fourth quarter, but a leaping touchdown catch by Courtland Sutton to salvage a desperate 15-yard pass by quarterback Russell Wilson was enough for the Broncos to win for the fourth-straight time and even their record at 5-5.These Broncos aren’t anyone’s idea of pretty. But they certainly are ornery.After being released from timeout by the NFL, Broncos safety Kareem Jackson stood up from his seat in the corner where he served a two-game suspension for repeatedly battering the brains of opponents with illegal tackles a...