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Von der Leyen doles out political gifts in campaign-like State of the Union speech

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:59 GMT

For a politician who won’t say if she plans to run for reelection, Ursula von der Leyen sure sounds a lot like a candidate.Her State of the European Union speech, delivered Wednesday morning in Strasbourg, was as close as you can get to a campaign launch short of unveiling a “Make Europe Great Again” baseball cap — down to the way she handed out political gifts to every group that would have a say in her reelection.Take her rather blatant outreach to European conservatives. While the choice of who becomes the next Commission president will ultimately be made by European heads of state and government sometime next summer, von der Leyen still needs to lock in support from her own political family, the European People’s Party (EPP).It’s the biggest political group in the European Parliament and is likely to remain so after the election in June, despite big losses since 2019. Von der Leyen did not disappoint her brethren. Tossing out red meat...

Local schools placed on lockdown after report of shots fired in Lynn

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:59 GMT

Police in Lynn are investigating after shots were fired near an intersection Wednesday morning, prompting nearby schools to go on lockdown.The Lynn Police Department said investigators were working in the area of Neptune Boulevard and Astor Street after receiving a call of shots being fired there just before noontimeSKY7-HD spotted nearly a dozen police cruisers closing off the roadway, where several bullet casings could be seen on the ground.As a result of the shooting, several nearby schools were placed on lockdown as police responded, including Lynn Vocational Technical Institute.Authorities did not say whether there were any victims as they continue to investigate.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

A kid posed with his pilot dad in an airplane. Almost 30 years later they recreated the photo

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:59 GMT

(CNN) — Ruben Flowers stumbled across the photo by accident.It was early 2023 and he was thumbing through photo albums at his grandmother’s house. Suddenly, there it was: a snapshot from 1994, taken in an airplane flight deck, depicting him as a toddler, sitting next to his pilot dad.In this picture, Flowers is looking at his dad in admiration. His father smiles at the camera, ready to fly the plane.Flowers had forgotten the photo existed, but seeing it again, he was flooded with memories of growing up, inspired by his father. He’d loved their trips to the airport, tagging along to the training center, taking a go on the simulators. He’d beamed with pride when his dad talked about his job at the school careers day.And the timing of the rediscovered photo was perfect: Flowers, now 30, was just about to follow in his father’s footsteps and begin flying as a First Officer for Southwest Airlines.Meanwhile Flowers’ father – also called Ruben Flowers – was nearing retirement and read...

Moderna says mRNA flu shot generates better immune response in study than currently available vaccine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:59 GMT

(CNN) — Moderna said Wednesday that its experimental mRNA-based seasonal flu vaccine generated a stronger immune response against four strains of the flu virus than a currently marketed vaccine in a Phase 3 study, paving the way for the company to discuss a path to approval with regulators.The experimental shot, dubbed mRNA-1010, was compared with a currently approved seasonal flu vaccine from GSK called Fluarix. The results are from an interim analysis and were disclosed in a company news release Wednesday morning.The announcement doesn’t come in time to affect this year’s flu season as the vaccine still needs to go through the regulatory approval process.Moderna is racing Pfizer to bring mRNA technology to seasonal flu vaccines in a bid to improve how well they can target circulating strains. The companies also have plans to combine Covid-19 mRNA shots with those for flu and RSV in the years ahead if studies show that they’re safe and effective.Also Wednesday, Moderna said it...

How to manage caregiving costs for parents while raising kids

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:59 GMT

By Kate Ashford | NerdWalletNearly a quarter of millennials are caregivers for an adult, according to a 2020 AARP survey. And a 2020 report from insurance marketplace GoHealth found that 1 in 3 millennials are supporting their parents financially, and more than a quarter help manage their parents’ health care.This means that in addition to caring for young children, many millennials are also managing the needs of parents, grandparents or other loved ones. That can take a toll: Eighty-two percent of millennials worry about having enough money to support both their parents and themselves, according to GoHealth.While there are many resources available that can help with costs, it’s hard to know where to look. Here are some starting points.Ask about their resourcesDoes your loved one have long-term care insurance? This coverage can help with in-home care costs or assisted living or nursing home expenses. “I’ve talked to a lot of caregivers who didn’t even know their loved ones had long-...

Body found by divers in Greece raises death toll from recent storm to 16

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:59 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Coast guard divers in central Greece have recovered the body of an unidentified man in an area where authorities are searching for a missing Austrian couple in the wake of a massive storm, officials said.The discovery raises the death toll attributed to flooding from the storm to 16. The body was pulled from the sea near the central city of Volos, and taken to a morgue for identification. The missing Austrian couple had rented a vacation home in the forested area, which was destroyed by a torrent of floodwater.Extensive flooding across central Greece has caused widespread damage to property, farms and infrastructure. Municipal crews are racing to dispose of tens of thousands of dead farm animals to prevent the spread of disease, while stranded areas are receiving emergency supplies delivered by helicopter.Elderly residents in need of medical attention were being moved to nearby towns using boats or by being placed in the buckets of earthmoving vehicles.A senior...

Suspect in the slayings of 4 Idaho college students wants news cameras out of the courtroom

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:59 GMT

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Attorneys for a man accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death late last year want cameras banned from the courtroom, contending that news coverage of the criminal proceedings has violated a judge’s orders and threatens his right to a fair trial.Bryan Kohberger is charged with four counts of murder in connection with the deaths at a rental house near the university campus in Moscow, Idaho, last November. A judge entered a not-guilty plea on Kohberger’s behalf earlier this year. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson has said he intends to seek the death penalty, and the case is scheduled for trial this fall, although it could be postponed. Kohberger was a graduate student studying criminology at Washington State University, which is a short drive from the scene of the killings across the state border. He was arrested at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania, and the unusual details of the case have drawn widespread interest.Second...

CP NewsAlert: BC United MLA Bruce Banman defects to provincial Conservatives

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:59 GMT

VICTORIA — A member of the Opposition BC United caucus has crossed the floor to join British Columbia’s Conservatives.Bruce Banman, the MLA for Abbotsford South, says he is proud to join his friend B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad in the provincial legislature.In a statement, BC United Leader Kevin Falcon says Banman’s move to the Conservatives is not entirely unexpected but it betrays his constituents who elected him to serve as part of the BC United team.More coming.The Canadian Press

WATCH: Home surveillance captures scary carjacking attempt in Brampton driveway

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:59 GMT

Police are investigating after a man nearly had his vehicle stolen while he was sitting inside it outside of his Brampton home.The alleged carjacking attempt took place early Wednesday morning at a residence in the area of Castlemore Road and Goreway Drive.Surveillance footage submitted to CityNews shows the victim getting into an SUV on his driveway around 5:15 a.m. Shortly after he gets inside, a white vehicle can be seen driving slowly past the home before coming to a stop just beyond the driveway.Three suspects dressed in hooded sweaters and masks get out of the back and passenger side of the white vehicle and run up on either side of the victim’s SUV. The driver of the suspect vehicle remains on the street.Two suspects approach and open the driver’s SUV door and attempt to remove the victim, while the victim begins screaming and honking his horn. After a brief struggle, the suspects flee back to their vehicle on the street and make a getaway.Harvinder Kataoria, the ...

A 5th teen has been arrested in a deadly mass shooting at a Baltimore block party

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:59 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — A fifth teenager has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting that unfolded during a Baltimore block party over the July 4 holiday weekend, leaving two dead and 28 others wounded.Baltimore police announced the arrest in a news release Wednesday morning, saying detectives believe the teen opened fire at several people.The 15-year-old’s name has not been released because he’s a minor and details about the allegations against him weren’t available because the court records are sealed. It also wasn’t immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.Officials said he will be charged with 44 counts, including attempted first-degree murder.The suspect was arrested Aug. 30 on an unrelated handgun violation, according to the news release. He was taken back into custody Wednesday at a Baltimore residence, police said.Four other teens have also been arrested in the case. One is charged only with possessing a handgun while the others are accuse...