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‘Class of COVID’: For this year’s graduating seniors, the pandemic dominated and defined high school

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:45 GMT

Zareen Syed, Olivia Alexander, Alexandra Kukulka | Chicago Tribune (TNS)CHICAGO — Jaylin Green was still adjusting to a new school in a new neighborhood when his barely rooted new life was uprooted in March of his freshman year. Something called COVID-19 was abruptly shutting down schools and hurtling students into one of many unknowns: remote learning.The shift was jarring enough, even with Green thinking at first that “we’re going to go and have normal class in a week or so.”When that week turned into the rest of the school year, the sense of isolation set in.“It was really challenging. … I was just in my room, just looking at a computer screen, and I know there’s a lot of people there, but I was still by myself,” said Green, now part of the class of 2023 of Chicago’s Mather High School, whose seniors graduated Wednesday evening.Green and his peers have been dubbed by some the “class of COVID” — freshmen when the pandemic hit and, as it happened, seniors on the verge of earning th...

1 in 3 travelers has been scammed when booking a trip, study finds

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:45 GMT

Laurie Baratti | (TNS) TravelPulsePlenty of travelers have already solidified plans for their summer escapes, but among those who have yet to book their trips, many cite record-high inflation and the cost-of-living crisis as the reason they’re searching the darker corners of the internet for affordable vacation options.The results of a recent market research survey commissioned by leading internet security company McAfee found that 56% of today’s travelers are more likely to actively go hunting for bargains on travel due to increased cost concerns amid the financial pressures of today’s economic environment.Unsurprisingly, online booking is still the order of the day and was shown to be the vast majority (94%) of travelers’ preferred trip-planning method for 2023. Unfortunately, in their desperation to snag a decent deal, global leisure travelers may be much more prone to getting lured in by a deal that’s literally too good to be true.This means there’s perhaps more opportunity than...

Quick Fix: BLT burger, coleslaw perfect for Father’s Day (or anytime)

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:45 GMT

Linda Gassenheimer | Tribune News ServiceI was thinking about Father’s Day coming up. My husband loves to make a BLT sandwich for lunch. I added bacon, lettuce and fresh sliced tomatoes to a cooked burger to make a crunchy burger for his day — or it’s great for anytime you’re looking to add variety to your burger.Cooked bacon is easily available at the market sold in boxes. I like to crisp them up in a skillet and then use the same skillet to cook the burger patties.Helpful Hints:— You can find coleslaw mix in bags in the produce section, or you can use any shredded cabbage mixture.— If cooked bacon isn’t available, an easy way to cook bacon is in the microwave for 2 minutes.Countdown:— Make coleslaw and set aside.— Prepare burger ingredients.— Toast burger rolls.— Crisp bacon and then cook burger.Shopping List:To buy: 1 package whole wheat hamburger rolls, 1 box cooked bacon, 1/2 pound 95% lean ground beef, 1 small tomato, 1 head romaine lettuce, 1 jar reduced-fat mayonnaise, 1 bot...

More states line up to serve free school meals to all kids

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:45 GMT

Elaine S. Povich | (TNS) Stateline.orgDuring his long career as a high school teacher, New York state Sen. John Mannion often reached into his own pocket to cover the cost of lunches for kids who didn’t have the funds.“I watched kids get to the end of the line and not have enough money on their cards,” the Democrat said in a phone interview with Stateline as the legislative business of the Senate droned on in the background. The cafeteria worker would have to tell students that they were over their limit. That’s when Mannion frequently stepped in.Now, Mannion, who is in his second term representing an upstate district, is trying to help on a broader level: He is championing a proposal to offer free school meals to as many kids as the state can afford to serve.New York is one of many states where legislators are trying to make school breakfasts and lunches available to some, if not all, students at no charge. Six states — California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada and Vermont...

Counteroffensive? Probing defenses? A look at the fighting in Ukraine

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:45 GMT

While Kyiv is keeping silent about the start of any counteroffensive, fighting is raging in several sections of the front line, signaling that the long-expected campaign could be getting underway.A video, released over the weekend by Ukraine, shows several of its soldiers in full combat gear raising a finger to their lips. “Plans love silence. There will be no start announcement,” say the words flashing on the screen afterward, followed by warplanes in flight.Moscow claims it successfully fended off a Ukrainian attempt to ram through Russia’s defenses, but some pro-Kremlin military bloggers paint a different picture, acknowledging that Kyiv’s troops made some quick gains.‘SHAPING OPERATIONS’In recent weeks, Ukraine has intensified the shelling of Russian positions and successfully pushed back against Russia’s attempts to extend its gains outside the eastern city of Bakhmut that it reclaimed last month in the war’s longest and bloodiest battle.Pro-Kyiv paramilitary groups of Ru...

Home destroyed in ignition operation as fire continues to burns near N.W.T community

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:45 GMT

SAMBAA K’E, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES — A home in Sambaa K’e has been destroyed during an ignition operation as an out-of-control wildfire grew closer Monday to the small Dene community in the Northwest Territories. The territorial government said the operation between the airstrip and the lake was meant to burn available fuel to create a break between the wildfire and the community previously known as Trout Lake.The territory said, however, an unexpected thunderstorm caused the test fire to flare up and, despite efforts to extinguish it, the blaze crossed the airstrip toward the home Sunday evening. It said containing the test fire was difficult because aircraft were unable to fly due to low visibility created by smoke. “This is first and foremost a tragedy for the family. Our government will immediately begin work with the family that has lost their home to get them the help they need,” Mike Westwick, wildfire information officer with the Department of Environm...

Oklahoma school board approves what would be the 1st taxpayer-funded religious school in US

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:45 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A state school board in Oklahoma voted Monday to approve what would be the first publicly funded religious school in the nation, despite a warning from the state’s attorney general that the decision was unconstitutional. The Statewide Virtual Charter School Board voted 3-2 to approve the application by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma to establish the St. Isodore of Seville Virtual Charter School. The online public charter school would be open to students across the state in kindergarten through grade 12.Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond had warned the board that such a decision clearly violated the Oklahoma Constitution.“The approval of any publicly funded religious school is contrary to Oklahoma law and not in the best interest of taxpayers,” Drummond said in a statement shortly after the board’s vote. “It’s extremely disappointing that board members violated their oath in order to fund religious schools with our tax dollars. In doing ...

Anna Shay, fan favorite on ‘Bling Empire,’ dead at 62

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:45 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anna Shay, an heiress, philanthropist and breakout star of the Netflix reality series “Bling Empire,” has died at 62.Shay died from a stroke, according to a family statement provided to The Associated Press on Monday. It was not immediately clear when she died.“It saddens our hearts to announce that Anna Shay, a loving mother, grandmother, charismatic star, and our own brightest ray of sunshine, has passed away,” the family said. “Anna taught us many life lessons on how not to take life too seriously and to enjoy the finer things. Her impact on our lives will be forever missed but never forgotten.”Shay, a Los Angeles socialite, amassed a fortune after she and her brother sold their father’s company, Pacific Architects and Engineers, after his death. She told OprahMag.com in a 2021 interview she had no idea what she was getting into when she joined the cast of “Bling Empire,” which chronicled the lives of ultra wealthy Angelenos of Asian descent.Originally, S...

MUST-WATCH: All across the Spider-Verse

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:45 GMT

Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, and many more Spider People have entered the MUST-WATCH! But will the power of all those superheroes take the top spot, or could it go to a beloved singer from Scarborough? Perhaps a documentary about a controversial reality tv family? You’ll have to keep reading to find out!The IdolWhere to watch: CraveFirst up, let’s start with the Weeknd’s debut on tv!Lily-Rose Depp and Abel Tesfaye in the Idol, courtesy of HBO.Created by Sam Levinson (the creator of Euphoria), the Idol stars Abel Tesfaye (from Uncut Gems) as a cult leader who has his eyes set on a new inductee called Jocelyn (played by Lily-Rose Depp from Yoga Hosers and the King). She’s a failed pop musician who had a nervous breakdown which led to the cancellation of her tour. She’s hoping to get back out there and take over the pop culture world, and with the help of this charming, enigmatic and dangerous cult leader she just might. This show also features Jane Adams (f...

‘Cheers’ bar sells for $675,000 at Dallas auction of items from classic TV shows

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:01:45 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — The bar from the television series “Cheers” sold for $675,000 at auction over the weekend, garnering the highest bid among the nearly 1,000 props, costumes and sets from classic TV shows offered up from a collection amassed by one man over more than three decades.Heritage Auctions said that the items sold during its three-day event that wrapped up Sunday in Dallas brought in over $5 million. James Comisar has said that after his dream of creating a museum to house his collection failed to come together, it was time for the pieces to go to fans to enjoy.“The auction’s success confirmed what I have always known: that television characters are cherished members of our extended family and that their stories and our own are inseparable,” Comisar said in a news release from the auction house.The Batman and Robin costumes worn by Adam West and Burt Ward in the 1960s television series went for $615,000, while the set where Johnny Carson hosted guests on “The Tonight Show” went...