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Bulls finalizing contract extension for Nikola Vucevic, reports say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:42 GMT

CHICAGO — One of the biggest questions for the Bulls this offseason appears to have been answered as the new league year gets set to begin. Per a few reports, the first from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the team is finalizing a contract extension for center Nikola Vucevic as he'll get a three-year, $60 million deal. While the Bulls were able to negotiate with him the day after the conclusion of the NBA Finals, the deal won't become official until July 6. Teams can begin to negotiate with free agents on other teams on June 30 at 5 p.m. central time ahead of the start of the new league year on July 1. Acquired by the Bulls at the trade deadline of the 2020-2021 season in a deal that included their 2021 & 2023 first round picks, Vucevic was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent. It was expected that executive VP Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley would try to bring back the center, so Wednesday's news isn't a major surprise. Over parts of three...

South Dakota lawmaker calls Mount Rushmore demonic portal for communism 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:42 GMT

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – A member of South Dakota’s House of Representatives went on a podcast and claimed that Mount Rushmore is a “freemason shrine” and a portal for demonic entities to enter and spread communism throughout the country. “What the Lord has revealed to me is that Mount Rushmore has a direct ley line to Washington, D.C.,” Joe Donnell, a Republican member of the South Dakota House of Representatives, said in a May 31 episode of the "Now Is the Time" podcast. “In order to understand the spiritual realm of what we’re facing, we have to realize that in order for the enemy to do anything, it needs the agreement of human beings. In order to be empowered to do more damage he needs the agreement of human beings and oftentimes that comes in the form of an altar that acts as a portal for other demonic things. What we’re really dealing with in that portal is communism. That witchcraft, altar, those things that are happening in the Black Hills, what we’re dealing with is commu...

DoorDash updates to include a minimum hourly wage for drivers 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:42 GMT

(The Hill) -- DoorDash announced Wednesday that it will offer an hourly minimum wage for drivers among other new updates to the food delivery platform.DoorDash unveiled a series of new updates to its application and to its compensation policies Wednesday. The new compensation option will allow DoorDash delivery drivers to choose to be paid an hourly rate from when they accept an offer to when it is delivered, as well as guarantee 100 percent of the tips made on that order.“Our business has evolved beyond just facilitating single orders from single restaurants and today, Dashers have more choice than ever when it comes to how they want to earn – from in-store shopping to package pickup and more,” DoorDash said in its announcement. Food delivery fees add up. Who keeps the money from all those surcharges? DoorDash did not detail what the expected minimum hourly wage will be in its announcement. However, The New York Times reported that the wage will depend on the region and will be...

13 live parrots seized in duffel bags at US-Mexico border

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:42 GMT

SAN DIEGO (KSWB) - A driver was detained at the San Ysidro Port of Entry after attempting to smuggle 13 live yellow-headed parrots, authorities said.The seizure occurred June 16 when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers searched a 2010 sedan driven by a 26-year-old man applying for entry into the U.S. from Mexico, border officials said.During the inspection, CBP agriculture specialists found 13 yellow-headed parrots hidden in two duffel bags in the trunk of the vehicle, according to CBP. SeaWorld closes ‘Electric Eel’ rollercoaster after reported injury “CBP enforces hundreds of laws at the border for more than 40 different government agencies, in order to help stop smuggling attempts like these which can lead to trafficking of possibly endangered species,” said Sidney Aki, CBP Director of Field Operations in San Diego. “Smugglers attempt to deceive CBP officers with no consideration for the health and safety of the animals; CBP aims to continuously enforce USDA ...

Student debt relief: Which way will the Supreme Court go?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:42 GMT

The Supreme Court is set to release its decision on President Biden’s relief of up to $20,000 in student loan debt, with advocates and borrowers widely concerned the justices will strike down the plan.The court holds a strong 6-3 conservative majority that seemed skeptical of the administration’s ability to forgive the debt during oral arguments in February. But as several recent decisions show, the court sometimes hands down a surprise ruling, offering a sliver of hope to those wanting the forgiveness despite the widespread skepticism. Court watchers are closely eyeing how the justices rule on whether any of the challengers have legal standing to bring their lawsuits, an issue that the high court’s liberal wing and conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett in particular probed during oral argument.The situation has been a whirlwind for borrowers and will, one way or the other, come to an end soon.Why are borrowers fearful of the decision?President Biden delivers remarks on s...

How UT Austin students are looking for a workaround to maintain DEI

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — This summer, some University of Texas at Austin student leaders are starting to look for ways to make sure their campus is inclusive when everyone gets back from break.This comes after a new law was passed that bans diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices, staff and initiatives at public universities and colleges. Texas lawmakers find consensus on bill banning diversity, equity and inclusion offices in public universities "When DEI is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!" a group of UT students chanted outside of the capitol, just steps away from where lawmakers voted to ban college DEI initiatives.UT's Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), led a small protest on Tuesday, just getting started with its plans for a workaround to move forward with DEI work."There is a greater coalition of UT students for DEI that we do some work with," Jules Lattimore with SDS said.According to Lattimore, that coalition is made up of cultural groups."We reached ...

Rare footage of great white sharks takes center stage in new Nat Geo special

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:42 GMT

Hundreds of great white sharks hunting seals close to shore along Cape Cod, and how local researchers are hoping to predict shark behavior, is the focus of a new National Geographic special for Sharkfest next week.The documentary Return of the White Shark includes “really rare footage” of three great whites feasting on a seal, and an apex predator attacking a seal in the surf zone.The Cape shark researchers in the show also revealed how many sharks have visited the region in a recent 5-year period, which is much higher than expected.“There was never a population estimate for white sharks in the Northwest Atlantic,” Atlantic White Shark Conservancy staff scientist Megan Winton said during the special. “It’s one of the most mysterious populations of white sharks on the planet.”The team of researchers, which includes Winton and Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries marine biologist Greg Skomal, now estimate that 800 to 900 individual sharks have visited the Cape’s waters in the re...

City of Blaine responsible for drying up residential wells, DNR says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:42 GMT

The city of Blaine’s operation of unpermitted wells dried up dozens of private wells, according to a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources report.In the summer of 2022, residents of Blaine and Ham Lake discovered their private wells had dried up, and their homes no longer had running water. “Life is not possible without water,” one resident wrote in a complaint to the DNR. “I am not the only one going through the pain. Please help,” said another.A DNR investigation has concluded that increased pumping by the city caused 47 residential wells to dry up, and that three of the wells operated by the city did not have DNR-issued permits. The city ceased pumping from the unpermitted wells after receiving notices from the DNR last summer.Well interference can occur when a deeper, high volume pump causes water levels in the surrounding aquifer to go down, leaving shallower wells, such as residential wells, unable to reach water. The effects of Blaine’s...

Washington County driver gets probation in gun-pointing incident

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:42 GMT

A 19-year-old Scandia man has been sentenced to two years of probation after admitting to pointing a gun at a motorist during a road rage incident in West Lakeland Township.Adam Joseph Jaap (Courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office)Adam Joseph Jaap in April pleaded guilty to second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with the gun-pointing incident, which involved a Woodbury man in the area of 30th Street and Manning Avenue North on Sept. 3, 2022.A charge of threats of violence was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.Jaap “brake-checked” the other driver, then rolled down his window and put his arm out while holding a handgun, the complaint criminal said.Washington County District Judge Siv Mjanger sentenced Jaap to 364 days in jail on Friday, but stayed the time on the condition that he complete terms of two years of probation, which includes writing an apology letter to the victim.Mjanger also ordered Jaap to do 200 hours of community service, hal...

NYSDOT taking public input on reimagining I-787

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:42 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- For many who work in Downtown Albany, it may be hard to imagine their commute without I-787 as it is now. Advocates and lawmakers are proposing changes to the highway to create better access to green space and the waterfront, and the New York State Department of Transportation is listening. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Tuesday, hundreds of people packed into the MVP Arena for NYSDOT’s first-ever open house taking comments on the idea, as the department is in the midst of a $5.3 million study on what a new I-787 corridor may look like."Most people have said that they wanted to see a better connection to the riverfront, they want to see our neighborhoods reconnected, Downtown to the South End," said Derek Baranski, who contributes to the Albany Riverfront Collaborative, a group that has been developing proposals to reimagine the highway, "so it was really encouraging for the work that we do, and ho...