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Duckworth tests positive for COVID-19 

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:54:52 GMT

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) will be absent from the Senate in the coming days after testing positive for COVID-19, she announced Sunday. "After experiencing mild symptoms, I tested positive for COVID-19 today," Duckworth said in a statement. "I will continue working for the people of Illinois in isolation and follow medical guidance on when to return to the Senate chamber."The Illinois Democrat is the latest senator to test positive for COVID-19, with Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) each doing so in recent weeks. The U.S. overall has experienced an uptick in cases.Duckworth had also tested positive for the virus in December. The news means that Senate Democrats will be down a vote on the floor this week as the upper chamber is set to kick off consideration of the first batch of spending bills and continue work on nominations. The Senate is expected to move on three bipartisan spending bills in the coming weeks: Agriculture-Food and Drug Administration, Milita...

22 years later, teachers reflect on how 9/11 is remembered in the classroom

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:54:52 GMT

***Related 9/11 video above***(The Hill) -- More than two decades after Sept. 11, 2001, educators who watched the terror attacks unfold live on TV see slow changes in how the tragic day is honored in classrooms. Teachers are forced to walk a fine line, facing the emotions from a day that no one in their generation will forget while educating kids who see the deadliest foreign attack on U.S. soil as a distant historical event.“It was actually my first year teaching, and we had only been in school a couple of weeks when it happened, so I was very brand new still,” said Shannon Seneczko, who was teaching fifth grade in a suburb of Chicago. “And so that kind of really hits me. That was one of my very first teaching experiences, dealing with my own emotions that day and then being there for the kids too.”Seneczko recalled the nervousness of students who had parents in the city on the day of the attack, as no one knew where could be targeted next. Some were even closer to the site of...

Rocks, insects, plastic: Why are 'foreign objects' common in food recalls?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:54:52 GMT

Rocks in Trader Joe’s cookies. Insects in its broccoli-cheese soup. Pieces of plastic in Banquet frozen chicken strips.In recent weeks, U.S. consumers have seen high-profile food recalls for an unappetizing reason: They're contaminated with foreign objects that have no place on a dinner plate. And while no one wants to bite down on stainless steel in peanut butter or bone fragments in smoked sausage, this type of contamination is one of the top reasons for food recalls in the U.S.Food safety experts and federal agencies use the terms “extraneous” or “foreign” materials to describe things like metal fragments, rubber gaskets and bits of bugs that somehow make it into packaged goods.“Extraneous materials” triggered nine recalls in 2022 of more than 477,000 pounds of food regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service — triple the number of recalls tied to food contaminated with toxic E. coli bacteria.And the...

WATCH LIVE: Texas Republicans weigh in on Paxton impeachment after week one of trial

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:54:52 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Republicans from Texas are weighing in on the evidence outlined during the first week of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial, with a range of opinions on the allegations.In Washington, D.C. Thursday, Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, expressed grave concern for what he heard during the trial, telling a group of reporters he has been listening to proceedings when he can."It's deeply disturbing — the allegations that are made, some of the evidence," he said. Cornyn implied that the trial is warranted based on the facts of the case thus far, drawing contrast to the federal House impeachments of former President Donald Trump."Having been a veteran of two impeachment trials myself here recently, it's a unique process, but I think it's unfolding the way it should," he said. "I think the lieutenant governor has done a good job, making sure that it's not an overly politicized process and that Attorney General Paxton gets a fair hearing but also the ...

Nightmare fuel: Introducing the Texas Toe-Biter

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:54:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Now for some news you'll wish you didn't know. A creepy, skin crawling insect is getting some extra attention this summer: the Texas Toe-Biter.The insect, considered a Giant Water Bug and part of the Belostomatidae family, can be found on land and in the water across the state.KXAN's Rich Segal spoke with Wizzie Brown, an entomologist with the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Office, about the critters. Why they're so scary and whether they're actually dangerous. You can read that transcript, edited for clarity, below.WIZZIE BROWN: These are fairly large insects. The larger species can get anywhere from two to four inches, but that's in the adult stage. So they can be rather alarming if people see them.They're a brown color, kind of oval shape. And they have swimming hind legs, and then their front legs are going to be capable of pinching. Their front legs are actually used for grabbing onto their prey.I think what everyone is so disturbed by other than their size, I...

Austin Fire crews honor those lost on 9/11

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:54:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Crews with the Austin Fire Department Monday will honor firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. A total of 343 firefighters from the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) died on that day in the terror attacks at the World Trade Center.To honor their memory, AFD held a service at 7:30 a.m. at the Buford Fire Tower on Lady Bird Lake on Cesar Chavez and Colorado. Austin Fire Department holds 9/11 memorial event at Buford Tower downtown. Sept. 11, 2023 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) Austin Fire Department holds 9/11 memorial event at Buford Tower downtown. Sept. 11, 2023 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) Austin Fire Department holds 9/11 memorial event at Buford Tower downtown. Sept. 11, 2023 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) Austin Fire Department holds 9/11 memorial event at Buford Tower downtown. Sept. 11, 2023 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey) At 9:30 a.m., AFD firefighters will climb the Pleasant Valley Drill Tower in full turnout gear, an air pack and a hose bundle. AFD said the fir...

EGCSD in 'secured lockout' after unspecified threat

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:54:52 GMT

EAST GREENBUSH, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The East Greenbush Central School District has entered a district-wide "secure lockout" after Howard L. Goff Middle School received an unspecified threat over voicemail this morning. Out of an abundance of caution, buses are being redirected to their confidential staging locations away from school grounds while law enforcement is sent to schools, according to the district's website. Get the latest news, weather, and sports delivered right to your inbox! According to the district's website:All students and staff are permitted to enter school and the school day continues as normalNo outdoor activities including physical education and recessNo unnecessary visitors may enter the schoolsAll schools will have increased police and law enforcement presence throughout the day. Parents and guardians who drop students off are advised to stay off school grounds until they are notified. Stick with NEWS10 as more information regarding the threat becomes availab...

Beetlejuice coming to Fabulous Fox Theatre October 10-22

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:54:52 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Beetlejuice is coming to the Fabulous Fox Theatre on October 10 through Oct. 22.Based on Tim Burton’s beloved film, Beetlejuice tells the story of a strange and unusual teenager whose life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes! Once a St. Louis County subdivision, now a disc golf course FOX 2 wants you to win your way in! We’re giving away a four-pack of tickets.To get registered, go to the contest page at FOX2Now.com.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra performing two shows at Enterprise Center Sunday, Dec. 17

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:54:52 GMT

ST. LOUIS - It’s one of St. Louis’ most popular holiday traditions: the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. They're performing two shows at the Enterprise Center on Sunday, December 17.Tickets go on sale Friday, with proceeds benefiting two local charities: SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital and PreventEd. FOX 2 is giving away tickets every day this week!  Once a St. Louis County subdivision, now a disc golf course To enter, go to the contest page at FOX2Now.com. For a bonus chance to enter, follow FOX2Now on Instagram.

Lamborghinis pull up to 'Bake Sale for Brier' for a surprise of a lifetime

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:54:52 GMT

ST. LOUIS - 8-year-old Brier Whitley has a rare bone disease called 'XLH' that will require major surgery. He joined FOX 2 at 9 a.m. last week to help promote his bake sale to raise money. FOX 2's Ty Hawkins shared more about the incredible turnout and his story.Brier shared that he's had a lot of people come up to him and ask, 'Why are you so short?' He tells them, 'I have this bone disease called XLH. My legs are bent and yours are straight.'Brier's family is doing everything they can to cover his medical expenses, but with the cost of traveling for this big surgery coming up, they needed a little help. So this past weekend, they held a bake sale. Tri My Best adaptive triathlon: empowering kids and raising funds for a cause Brier came on the 9 a.m. show last Thursday to tell us all about it. His wit and personality were a hit. On Saturday afternoon, FOX 2 staff stopped by the sale. So did Lamborghini's from 'Holman Motor Cars St. Louis' and the 'Lamborghini Owner's Club.'"L...