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Illinoisans need $11,600 more just to live like they did in 2021: analysis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:12:45 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – An economic analysis by a group of Congressional Republicans may have you feeling nostalgic for January 2021. There’s not much to miss about that time – when many Americans were still out of a job or under stay-at-home orders because of the pandemic – but inflation hadn’t yet exploded.Since then, the cost of just about everything, from groceries to gas to housing, has skyrocketed.An inflation tracker created by the members of Congress’ Joint Economic Committee shows the impact of inflation on the average household in every state. (While the joint committee is chaired by a Democrat, the report and data were put out by the committees’ Republican members.) The report uses January 2021 as a benchmark “because it was the last time inflation was within recent historical norms.”Now, the report claims, most American households would need to spend an additional $10,000 or more just to afford the same goods and quality of life they had less than three year...

Hunter Biden defends father, defies subpoena from House GOP

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:12:45 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Hunter Biden is defending his father and calling House Republican’s effort to formalize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden “shameless.”“There’s no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business because it did not happen,” Hunter Biden said.The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Hunter Biden to sit for a closed-door deposition today as part of the committee’s inquiry into President Biden and his family, but Hunter Biden insisted he would only testify in public.“I am here to testify at a public hearing today to answer any of the committee’s legitimate questions,” Hunter Biden continued.The president’s son criticized the house GOP’s probe several times while speaking to the press.“There is no fairness or decency in what these Republicans are doing. They have lied over and over about every aspect of my personal and professional life,” Hunter Biden added.Hunter Biden is facing federal gun charges and was re...

Supreme Court takes up abortion pill dispute 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:12:45 GMT

The Supreme Court said Wednesday it will take up a case that could limit the availability of the common abortion pill mifepristone, bringing the issue of abortion back to the court more than a year after the justices ended the constitutional right to one.The court granted a request from the Justice Department and one from Danco, the manufacturer of Mifeprex, the branded version of mifepristone.The brief orders consolidate the two cases and set them up to be heard this term, with a decision expected by the end of June. While the Supreme Court's 6-3 conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade and has appeared hostile to abortion, an emergency ruling by the Court in April has kept access to mifepristone unchanged.Mifepristone is widely used across the U.S. to end a pregnancy in the first 10 weeks of gestation. It was first approved in 2000, and about half of all abortions nationwide are performed using mifepristone as the first of a two-pill regimen. It is also used to help ...

Cedar Park man killed by fighting in Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:12:45 GMT

CEDAR PARK, TEXAS (KXAN) -- A Cedar Park man who traveled to Ukraine to offer humanitarian assistance has been killed in the fighting. The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed to Irish media that Graham Dale, 45, died last week while fighting for the Ukrainian Army, according to Irish Public Service Broadcaster RTÉ.Dale was a Marine veteran and Irish-American citizen who lived in Cedar Park.In May 2022, Dale talked with KXAN and said his original plan was to travel to Poland to help with the wave of refugees fleeing over the border it shares with Ukraine.However, days after quitting his job in Cedar Park, Dale found himself driving toward the battle zone in Ukraine, feeling compelled to help those in the warzone.Graham Dale, 45, fills a car full of supplies while in Ukraine offering humanitarian relief in 2022. Dale died last week in Ukraine. (Courtesy: Graham Dale)“This is somewhere that I’ve been to on vacation before I know people from here,” he said at the time. “To me...

LIVE: UT students embrace shelter adoption, responsible pet ownership

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:12:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — With an increasing number of University of Texas students seeking companionship and responsibility, students are looking to animal shelters for a remedy.Austin is a 'no-kill' city, meaning the city's shelter partners have limits on the number of animals they can euthanize entering the shelter and must implement a large-scale foster and adoption program. To save every animal possible, shelters across the city are brimming with available pets, and UT students are adopting."Shelters here in Texas are really faced with a lot more overcrowding issues than typical shelters," said Luis Sanchez, director of PR and communications at Austin Pets Alive! "What we believe in is that every pet that's in the shelter system deserves a chance at finding a family, and what sets us aside from most other shelters is that we strictly pull from the euthanasia list. We are really the last chance for a lot of these pets."Hall's cat, Kerbey, was adopted from Austin Pets Alive! in May 2020, a...

Gophers football: Linebacker Brady Pretzlaff decommits after Michigan State visit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:12:45 GMT

The second shoe has dropped on the second of three high school players with questionable commitments to the Gophers football program.Gaylord, Mich., linebacker Brady Pretzlaff said Wednesday he has de-committed from the Gophers’ recruiting class for 2024.“I want to thank the Minnesota coaches and fans for believing in me,” said Pretzlaff, who committed to the U in January.The 6-foot-3, 230-pound prospect visited Michigan State last weekend, and the Spartans hired Minnesota defensive coordinator Joe Rossi for the same role on Sunday.Minnesota has had six total de-commitments from next year’s class. One was added to the list Monday, and one might be forthcoming.Prior Lake defensive lineman Jide Abasiri backed off his pledge to Minnesota after visiting USC last weekend.Esko, Minn., safety Koi Perich visited Ohio State this weekend and his decision between the U and the Buckeyes is expected before the national signing period opens Dec. 20.Related ArticlesCollege Sports | ...

LIVE: Blues introduce new head coach Drew Bannister

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:12:45 GMT

NOTE: WATCH LIVE @ 10:30 a.m.: The St. Louis Blues are introducing Drew Bannister as the interim head coach. The Blues parted ways with Craig Berube on Tuesday night.ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Blues have parted ways with head coach Craig Berube, the only coach to lead the franchise to a Stanley Cup title in its half-century-plus history. The Blues announced late Tuesday evening that Berube was relieved of duties as head coach, a decision made public just hours after the team's season-worst fourth straight loss and perhaps with heightened concerns over the future of the franchise.St. Louis has named Drew Bannister as the interim head coach. He had been serving as the head coach of the Springfield Thunderbirds, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Blues. Bannister will take over as the 27th head coach in Blues history.This marks the first midseason coaching change for the Blues in nearly half a decade and the first time since 2017 that Berube is not part of the St. Louis coachin...

Anheuser-Busch extends naming rights for Busch Stadium until 2030

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:12:45 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals announce that Anheuser-Busch is extending the naming rights for Busch Stadium through 2030. The stadium has gone through multiple iterations, and the current Busch Stadium, often referred to as Busch Stadium III, opened in 2006.Anheuser-Busch, a significant brewery known for its Budweiser beer, acquired the naming rights in 1953 for Sportsman's Park. The brewery has a significant presence in St. Louis, and the company's founders have historical ties to the city.“Anheuser-Busch and the Cardinals are part of the fabric of St. Louis, and this continued investment in our shared hometown is an exciting next chapter in our decades-long story," states Matt Davis, Vice President of Partnerships, Anheuser-Busch.  St. Louis Blues fire head coach Craig Berube Anheuser-Busch also extended its marketing agreement with Ballpark Village for five years. The deal includes advertising rights, continuation of the Budweiser Brewhouse Restaurant, Bud Deck Rooftop, and Sports...

Who is Drew Bannister? AHL Thunderbirds coach takes over for Blues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:12:45 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Drew Bannister is the interim head coach of the St. Louis Blues after the team fired Craig Berube from the role Tuesday evening. Bannister will report to St. Louis on Wednesday and coach his first game Thursday as the Blues host the Ottawa Senators. Berube, the only coach to ever lead the Blues to a Stanley Cup title, is out after six seasons. Prior to his promotion, Bannister had served as head coach of the AHL Springfield Thunderbirds for three seasons. He guided the affiliate to a 93-58-19 regular-season record and helped them reach the Calder Cup Final in 2022, the AHL's equivalent to the Stanley Cup Final. Bannister had 164 games of NHL experience as a defenseman from 1996-2002. He played in several European leagues after that, including teams in Finland, Russia, and Germany, before retiring as a player in 2012. Bannister's coaching career began quickly after that, spending three seasons with the Ontario Hockey League's Owen Sound as an assistant and working his way...

County Roads led Ruby Leigh into the top five on 'The Voice'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:12:45 GMT

ST. LOUIS – A Lincoln County teenager has advanced to the top five, securing a spot among the best contestants in 'The Voice' competition. Ruby Leigh achieved this milestone on 'The Voice' when she sang 'Take Me Home, Country Roads,' a song by John Denver.Leigh's coach is Reba McEntire, and for the final round, McEntire has Jacquie Roar and Leigh left on her team. The other three contestants are Mara Justine, Huntley, and Lila Forde.THE VOICE -- " Live Semi-Final Results" Episode 2421B -- Pictured: (l-r) Jacquie Roar, Lila Forde, Ruby Leigh, Mara Justine, Huntley -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC via Getty Images)Leigh sang her rendition of 'You Lie,' originally by McEntire, to earn her place in the top nine spotlight the week before. Now in the top five, she needs America’s vote to be crowned the winner.“It’s up to America to vote for their favorites through to the final show of five artists, where America picks the winner through their votes,” Leigh said in a previous interview with F...