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Florida woman accused of posing as student, assaulting boy she met online

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:08 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)— A Tampa woman was arrested last week after she allegedly posed as a child and sexually battered a boy she met online, police say. A tip on Oct. 19 accused Alyssa Zinger, 22, of an "inappropriate relationship" with a child, according to Tampa police. What is the ‘card draining’ scam? Beware ahead of holidays The victim was identified by police as a middle school boy between the ages of 12 and 15, according to the arrest report. Zinger was accused of posing as a 14-year-old home-school student when she met the boy on social media. The child reported believing Zinger was 14 during their four-month relationship and "stated she physically seemed much older than her age," according to Tampa police. Detectives also learned Zinger lied to police about her age when the pair was caught shoplifting at Nordstrom in July. The tipster told Tampa police that Zinger sent child exploitation material involving the victim and another middle schooler to several other children on...

Abortion: Where do GOP presidential candidates stand on the issue?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:08 GMT

NewsNation will host the Fourth Republican primary debate on Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. E.T. The debate will be aired and streamed live on all NewsNation platforms. Not sure how to find us on your TV? Use our ChannelFinder app. If you have a question for the candidates, submit it here. (NewsNation) — Abortion has become a big motivator at the polls with a record-high number of voters saying they will only vote for candidates who share their stance on abortion. During the two elections since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, voters have shown up in droves when abortion has been on the ballot, both directly and indirectly. In September, 7% of respondents in a NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ poll said abortion was the most important issue they'd consider while deciding who to vote for in the 2024 general election. Meanwhile, when weighed against other important issues, abortion followed the economy, immigration and climate change. Ahead of the 2024 election, Nexstar's NewsNation is committed to coveri...

More on White Lung Syndrome and the rise of childhood pneumonia cases

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:08 GMT

There is a health warning out of Ohio this week after a rise in childhood pneumonia cases. Some are calling it "White Lung Syndrome.”Dr. Todd Florin is an emergency medicine pediatrician at Lurie Children's Hospital. He joined the WGN Evening News to discuss the warning.

Border and immigration: Where Republican candidates stand

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:08 GMT

NewsNation will host the Fourth Republican primary debate on Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. E.T. The debate will be aired and streamed live on all NewsNation platforms. Not sure how to find us on your TV? Use our ChannelFinder app. If you have a question for the candidates, submit it here. (NewsNation) — With an unprecedented surge in migrants coming across the southern border in the last two years, states in the U.S. have had to spend tens of millions of dollars to deal with the escalating crisis. Pressure has been amped up from both Democrats and Republicans for President Joe Biden's administration to react to the crisis and while he recently reversed his stance and gave the go-ahead for a section of the border wall to be completed, some border state governors have been taking matters into their own hands to stem the flow of migrants. In fiscal year 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered over 2.2 million migrants at the southern border, a significant increase from the 1.9 mi...

'Sick customer' delays transit on CTA Blue Line

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:08 GMT

CHICAGO — CTA Blue Line trains are running but will not be stopping at Montrose station amid a rainy rush hour, transit agency officials said Friday. The news comes after CTA officials said service was temporarily suspended between O'Hare and Jefferson Park after a customer became sick.There is not yet any word on when the Blue Line will return to full service. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines This is a developing story. Check back with WGN for updates.

Texas must remove floating barrier from Rio Grande, Fifth Circuit Court orders

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:08 GMT

AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) -- The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Texas on Friday to remove the floating barrier it deployed in the Rio Grande at Eagle Pass this summer, affirming a lower court’s ruling.In a 2-1 decision, a panel of the court found that the river is navigable where the barrier was placed and that it is “an obstruction,” meaning that Texas needed to receive permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — which regulates activities in waterways and wetlands under federal law — before deploying it.Judge Don Willett, a Trump appointee, was the dissenting vote in the ruling, arguing that the Rio Grande cannot accommodate commercial boat traffic and is therefore not navigable.Texas argued that the barrier was also meant to save lives and force migrants to cross the border at ports of entry, but Willet said Texas hasn’t proved that’s the case.“At this stage, however, Texas has not offered concrete evidence that the barrier has saved lives or reduced illegal cross...

Extended stretch of dry, pleasant weather

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An extended stretch of dry, comfortable weather starts now in Central Texas and looks to last for a full week.While other parts of the country are dealing with rain and snow, these storm systems will have little impact on our local weather. Cooler nights in the 40s are expected this weekend with pleasant daytime highs in the 70s.Next week, a weak cool front knocks temperatures down slightly on Monday, but a steady warming trend takes hold through the remainder of the week.No rainfall is expected for the next week, so now may be a good time to wash your vehicle if you have been holding off. Wetter weather is expected to return in our 8-14 day outlook. NEW BLOG: NOAA updates December, winter forecasts Winter Weather Outlook: What a strong El Niño could mean for rainfall and ice risk Austin Interactive Weather Stats (2023) FIRST WARNING WEATHER: Stay up to date with your Central Texas forecast, sign up for our weather newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters Stay up-...

Loons let go of underperforming forward Mender Garcia and seven others

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:08 GMT

Mender Garcia’s tenure with Minnesota United was underwhelming, and on Friday, the Loons declined the 24-year-old Colombian’s contract for next season.Mender, who scored four MLS goals in 1,561 minutes since arriving on a Designated Player contract in August 2022, led a list of eight players MNUFC did not renew for the 2024 season. The seven others: Bakaye Dibassy, Jan Gregus, Ismael Tajouri-Shradi, Fred Emmings, Eric Dick, Emmanuel Iwe and Ryen Jiba, according to the club.Three players are out of contract: Wil Trapp, Brent Kallman and Cam Dunbar.But the club said it is in negotiations with Trapp, Tajori-Shradi, Dunbar and Emmings, a homegrown goalkeeper from St. Paul.The Loons exercised options on five players: Michael Boxall, Kevin Arriaga, Joseph Rosales, Zarek Valentin and Tani Oluwaseyi. The complete current roster of 21 players is listed below.CEO Shari Ballard told reporters on Nov. 15 that while new Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad is still working for English club Barns...

MN Department of Health adds new medical cannabis delivery option

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:08 GMT

A new delivery method for patients who use medical cannabis was approved by the Minnesota Department of Health this week.Dry herb vaporization, a process commonly used in vape pens that heats plant material — cannabis in this case — so that the essential oils become inhalable vapor, joins other already available delivery methods for those who use medical cannabis such as sublingual tinctures, oil-based vaporizers and combustible smoking.The decision to add dry herb vaporization was based on petitions received by the health department’s Office of Medical Cannabis from the public during the months of June and July in 2023.According to a press release, the office also received petitions to add plants, concentrates, oil and weed nuggets, and rosin based delivery methods, but these were rejected due to not being “supported by peer-reviewed studies that demonstrate evidence of benefit to patients.”Petitions also called for additional conditions that could mak...

Metro Transit to begin $35 non-criminal citations, new code of conduct

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:08 GMT

Beginning Monday, Metro Transit’s community service officers will issue citations ranging from $35 to $100 to transit riders who fail to pay their fare, with a heavy focus on the two light rail lines that traverse Minneapolis and St. Paul.A first-time offense would result in a $35 non-criminal fine, which can be paid off within 90 days. The public transit authority offers other means of getting the fine waived or reduced, such as watching an educational video at a service site in downtown Minneapolis or downtown St. Paul or loading pre-payments onto a Go To card or transit fare app.Subsequent offenses will result in fines of $55, $75 and then $100, as well as suspensions from accessing transit service for 60 days after the third offense or 120 days after the fourth offense. More information is online at metrotransit.org/citations.Transit advocates have long called for a non-carceral approach toward fare enforcement and improvements to the overall rider experience, which suffer...