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Pope Francis urges Europe to work for peace as he lands in Portugal for World Youth Day

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:44:15 GMT

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Pope Francis challenged Europe to retake its role as a peacemaker and bridgebuilder as he arrived Wednesday in Portugal to open World Youth Day, hoping to inspire the next generation of Catholics to work together to combat conflicts, climate change and other problems facing the world.Francis was spending five days in Lisbon, blending a state visit and pilgrimage to the Catholic shrine at Fatima with the raucous trappings of World Youth Day, the Catholic jamboree that aims to rally young Catholics in their faith. More than 1 million young people from around the world were expected to attend the gathering, which culminates with a papal Mass on Sunday.As he was traveling to Lisbon, Francis vowed to continue urging young people to “make a mess” – a reference to his now-famous exhortation at his first World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro in 2013. It was a call for young people to shake things up in their parishes, and has come to symbolize Francis’ own revolutionary ...

Progressive Thai party that won May election is excluded from coalition to form the next government

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:44:15 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — The progressive political party that won the most seats in Thailand’s general election has been excluded from a coalition to form the next government, its former ally said Wednesday. Conservative lawmakers strongly oppose the party over its proposed reform of a law banning criticism of the country’s monarchy.Thailand has struggled for nearly three months to form a government and select a new leader since its election in May. Move Forward Party, the surprise winner, pulled together an eight-party coalition with 312 seats in the 500-member House. However, under the military-enacted constitution, confirming a new prime minister requires a majority vote by both the elected House and the 250-member Senate, which was appointed by a previous military government.An initial bid last month by Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat fell short by more than 50 votes, largely because only 13 senators backed him. His second attempt the following week was blocked by a procedural...

Austin trauma surgeon says 95% of traumatic scooter injuries involve alcohol

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:44:15 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Amid increases in emergency room visits from riders using e-bikes and scooters while intoxicated, Ascension Seton is urging people to find other ways to get home if they have been drinking alcohol. Dr. Jayson Aydelotte, trauma medical director at Dell Seton Medical Center, said that as the number of scooters and e-bikes have increased around Austin, so have the number of riders who have injured themselves while using them. One common characteristic of people who end up in the hospital after riding a scooter or e-bike is alcohol, Aydelotte said.“Since the scooters have come around, and the bikes too, if you get in an accident bad enough to give you an injury [and] get admitted to the hospital, 95% of those people have been drinking too much,” Aydelotte said. E-bikes and scooters started appearing on Austin streets in 2018. Many tout the devices as a convenient and environmentally friendly means of transit to get through denser parts of the city. Others have...

Girlfriend of convicted killer Cedric Marks enters guilty plea, receives sentence

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:44:15 GMT

BELTON, Texas (FOX 44/KWKT) -- The partner of convicted killer Cedric Marks officially pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon to her part in the deaths of Jenna Scott and Michael Swearingin in 2019. The judge sentenced Maya Maxwell to 20 years in prison for tampering with a corpse.The hearing for Maya Maxwell was originally set for July, but it was reset for Aug. 1. According to Maxwell's defense attorney Kyle Watkins, "the basis of their motion was that Mr. Garza was not in town and he wanted to be here."Prosecutors say Maxwell is an accomplice to Cedric Marks in the murders of Jenna Scott and Michael Swearingin. A jury found him guilty of capital murder in June and sentenced him to death. Now, Marks is asking for a new trial. "Maya Maxwell has an agreement with the state to plead guilty to tampering two counts of tampering with a corpse, which is punishable by 2 to 20 years in exchange for the dismissal of the capital murder charge, and we were set for a plea today," Watkins said. Maxwe...

Arrest made in fatal Treat Williams motorcycle crash

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:44:15 GMT

DORSET, Vt. (NEWS10) -- An arrest has been made in the fatal motorcycle crash that killed actor Treat Williams. Ryan Koss (35, Dorset, Vt.) is charged with grossly negligent operation resulting in death. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Around 4:53 p.m. Monday, June 12, Vermont State Police said a Honda Element was on Vermont Route 30 near Morse Hill Road when it was attempting to turn left into a parking lot. As the vehicle was turning, police said it entered the path of a motorcycle being driven by Treat Williams.Police said Williams, 71, was unable to avoid a collision and was thrown from his motorcycle. He suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to Albany Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Koss sustained minor injuries. 5 things to know this Wednesday, August 2 Police say Koss voluntarily met with troopers at the Shaftsbury Barracks on Tuesday, where he was processed on the charge and was released. He is du...

Tractor-trailer crash causes I-255 EB lane closures

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:44:15 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - Crews are at the scene of a tractor-trailer crash on Interstate 255 Wednesday morning.Our Bommarito Automotive Group SkyFOX helicopter is flying over the area located on I-255 EB at Telegraph, where only one lane is open as slowdowns continue. So far, the cause of the crash has not been reported and there are no injuries. Illinois family still shaken after vandals poured oil into their pool, breaking window FOX 2 will update this story with more information as it becomes available.

CDOT struggles to keep up with growing transit mandate, falling behind on payments to providers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:44:15 GMT

The leader of a small nonprofit transportation provider recalled making a plea directly to a state transportation official to speed up the approval of her grant contracts before money ran short. At stake was a door-to-door shuttle service for people with disabilities, older people and low-income clients across El Paso County.Another nonprofit transit provider said it opted to put off a planned expansion of a similar paratransit service into Weld County and other northern Front Range communities while it waited for state grant reimbursements to kick in.The culprit in both cases: a contracting bottleneck this year at the Colorado Department of Transportation, which has struggled to keep up with its expanding mandate to support transit programs across the state, especially in rural areas.Recent months have brought anxiety-inducing moments for the leaders of dozens of small providers, transit agencies and bus contractors across the state. The grant contracts and payments they depend on ...

These viral Denver hoagies cost nearly $30; fans say they’re worth every penny

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:44:15 GMT

When Arthur John (AJ) Shreffler III started selling hoagies and Philly cheesesteaks out of his Denver apartment in 2019, he would skip a night of sleep to bake all the bread.Those freshly made rolls, usually semolina sesame seed, still provide the base for every one of his sandwiches, no matter what is inside, because Shreffler likes to build things from the ground up.  “The day I start buying bread [instead of baking it] is the day I shut down the business,” he said.Four years after starting the business as a hobby, Shreffler has moved the kitchen prep out of his apartment and into a string of pop-up kitchens around metro Denver. His East Coast-style hoagies — everything from chopped cheese to Italian subs to meatball grinders — sell out almost immediately after he posts them online for pre-orders.To keep up with the demand, he’s found a team of six employees to help him run Little Arthur’s Hoagies, which is currently tucked inside Sunny’s, a breakfast joint in th...

After pushback to electric vehicle charging plan, Xcel Energy proposes rebates for others to build stations

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:44:15 GMT

After getting pushback to its plan to build out electric vehicle chargers, Xcel Energy-Colorado is proposing to offer rebates to private businesses that want to build their own charging stations.The Public Utilities Commission is considering a proposal by Xcel to spend $145 million to build, own and operate up to 460 fast public electric vehicle chargers over the next three years. In July, the company filed an alternative plan to spend $120 million from 2024-2026 for a program offering rebates to businesses and non-regulated entities to build charging stations.Under the alternative, Xcel, Colorado’s largest electric utility, wouldn’t own or operate the chargers. The EV charging proposal is part of Xcel’s transportation electrification plan, required by state law.Trade organizations representing convenience stores and other businesses interested in installing chargers have said utilities would have an unfair advantage in the emerging market. They said utilities can ...

8 Colorado lakes suspected of toxic algae blooms. Here’s why it’s getting worse.

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:44:15 GMT

Colorado’s lakes serve as a needed respite during sweltering summer days, but as climate warms the state’s lakes are becoming more susceptible to toxic blooms of algae.Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials closed several lakes to swimming and other recreation over recent weeks due to toxic algae blooms that can sicken swimmers and kill pets. The agency closed parts of Cherry Creek Reservoir on Sunday as well as the swim beach at North Sterling Reservoir.At least four lakes and reservoirs across the state have tested positive for toxins so far this summer: Deweese Reservoir outside Westcliffe, Road Canyon Reservoir south of Lake City, Barr Lake near Brighton and Cherry Creek Reservoir outside Denver, according to data collected by Colorado Public Health and Environment. Possible blooms have been reported in eight others, including Blue Heron Lake at St. Vrain State Park outside Longmont.The number of algae blooms will increase as Colorado’s climate becomes warmer, s...