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Macaulay Culkin celebrated by ‘Home Alone’ mom Catherine O’Hara at his Walk of Fame ceremony

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:09 GMT

(CNN) — He’s the boy who was left to his own devices in everyone’s favorite holiday comedy, and on Friday he got some recognition in Hollywood.Macaulay Culkin, star of ’90s classics “Home Alone” and “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” among many other titles, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week. There to congratulate him was his onscreen mom from the beloved franchise, Catherine O’Hara.O’Hara – who famously realized she left her son “Kevin!” home while on a plane to France for Christmas in the 1990 Chris Columbus and John Hughes movie – said on Friday that the reason “Home Alone” was and is so beloved is because of Culkin.“It is Macaulay’s perfect performance as Kevin McAllister that gave us that little everyboy on an extraordinary adventure,” she said.“I know you worked really hard,” O’Hara continued, “but you made acting look like the most natural thing in the world to do.”As Culkin stood beside her, looking suave while decked out in wayfarer shades...

Jayson Tatum ejected, but Celtics survive for wild victory over 76ers

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:09 GMT

Jayson Tatum had to be restrained. Even well after he said the magic word that got him ejected for just the second time in his career, Tatum continued barking at referee Bill Kennedy – a rare display of emotion from the Celtics superstar – so much so that he had to be held back by coaches Joe Mazzulla and Charles Lee before he headed down to the tunnel.Tatum’s frustrating night – which ended with seven turnovers – had boiled over, and the Celtics were teetering against a 76ers squad without stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The sequence that Tatum was ejected – with one second remaining – led to a lead for Philadelphia. The Celtics’ defense had been absent all night, and as boos rained down at TD Garden following the ejection, it looked grim.But Mazzulla challenged the Celtics to get it together defensively, and they responded. They created havoc on that end of the floor. Without Tatum, everybody stepped up down the stretch. Patrick Beverley and the 76ers gave the Celtics all they...

Las Vegas police search for suspect after 5 homeless people are shot, killing 2

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:09 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Five homeless people were shot in Las Vegas on Friday, two of them fatally, and police were searching for a lone suspect, authorities said. The shooting occurred around 5:30 p.m. near a freeway overpass in the northeastern part of the city, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Mark Lourenco.Two people died and three others suffered non-life-threatening injuries. All the victims were unhoused, Lourenco said. “We believe this is an isolated event,” Lourenco responded in a text when asked if there was an active shooter situation.One shooter was involved, but a suspect had not been captured, he said Friday evening.The shooting comes after police in Los Angeles announced Friday they are searching for a suspect in the fatal shootings of three homeless people in separate incidents last month. The Associated Press

65 years later: The lasting impact of the Our Lady of Angels tragedy

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:09 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago School fire that stunned the nation happened 65 years ago Friday. Our Lady of the Angels fire took the lives of 92 children and three nuns.In part one, we heard from some of the survivors.Now a look at the lasting impact of the tragedy.On December 1st, 1958, 200 firefighters from across the city rushed to Our Lady of the Angels school. Despite all their efforts they were fighting a losing battle. The inferno had won.Less than two months prior, this document shows Our Lady of the Angels had passed its fire inspection, but the school had been grandfathered in with fire codes from 1949.At 11, Luci Mordini escaped by falling out of her classroom window, 25-feet below. She was hospitalized for 24 days with burns to her arm and back.“We were in one of the rooms that had the fire on two sides,” she said.Not long after the fire, the work began to prevent this from ever happening again.Sweeping changes in the fire codes were enforced in schools throughout the U.S. inclu...

Chicago releases environmental report on potential Brighton Park migrant tent site

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:09 GMT

CHICAGO -- The mayor’s office released a nearly 800 page environmental report on the site where a migrant tent camp will potentially be going in Brighton Park.The Brighton Park community has been fighting the construction of a migrant tent camp at 38th Street and California Avenue with one of the concerns being that neighbors believe the land is contaminated.The consultants that the city hired to do the inspection of the nine acre site found some items that need to be remediated.At one sample location, the consultants found a level of mercury that exceeds what they call "remediation objectives," which the consultants say they removed and disposed of it at a landfill. Elk Grove passes ordinance to help migrants while keeping community safe They also found DEHP, that's identified by the CDC as a human carcinogen that’s used in the production of PVC, in a soil sample. That soil will also reportedly be removed.Another part of the soil was found to have a high level of a two semivolit...

Paul Lisnek on Burke trial, Smollett ruling, and more

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:09 GMT

WGN Political Analyst Paul Lisnek joined WGN Evening News to discuss several big stories from the week.The topics include the latest on the Ed Burke trial, Jessie Smollett ruling, assault weapons update, George Santos being expelled from Congress, former President Donald Trump trails, remembering Sandra Day O’Connor, Rosalynn Carter, and Henry Kissinger.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesTune in on Sundays for WGN-TV Political Report with Paul Lisnek.

Austin Special Olympian takes home national golf title, hopes to inspire others

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:09 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — For decades, the Special Olympics has been an outlet for athletes to form friendships, learn about sportsmanship and of course compete. There is one local athlete who has done all of the above.They said practice makes perfect, but for Matthew Wright, the game of golf just comes natural-- in fact it's in his DNA."My grandmother was a legendary El Paso Texas golf legend," Wright said.Legend is a word Wright knows all too well. When KXAN asked him what he wanted to be titled in this news story, he responded with, "Special Olympics Texas Golf Legend."He's not shy to tell it how it is, and judging from his medal collection, which numbers in the hundreds, why should he be."From 1999 to the current games," Wright said. Meet the athletes representing Texas in the 2023 Special Olympics World Games Many of those medals were won with his, coach, teammate and good friend, Drew Widney."Over the last decade we have been doing Special Olympics together and it has been the best fr...

Kind Clinic starts 24 hours of STI testing for World AIDS Day

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:09 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Staff and volunteers at Kind Clinic started the first of a 24-hour long initiative to test Austinites for sexually transmitted infections Friday evening.Joe Anderson, director of community engagement for Texas Health Action, said from 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1 through 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, the agency would be conducting free walk-in STI testing for THA's Rock the Ribbon initiative.Anderson said the event is to promote sexual health awareness and break STI-testing stigma in honor of World AIDS Day."I think there is totally a stigma. I think we a lot of times don't like to talk about sexual health in general," Anderson said. Amid soaring rates of STIs, the CDC has a new recommendation to reduce them He said the 24-hour-long event will have different attractions throughout its duration including yoga, dance fitness classes, trivia and a vendor market.Anderson said the day celebrates the advancements made to prevent and fight HIV/AIDS but also to acknowledge the measure...

Texas HHSC was under federal scrutiny as SNAP delays continue

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:09 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Health and Human Services Commission was already under federal scrutiny as it struggled to keep up with months-long delays distributing food benefits to millions of low-income Texans, who rely on this lifeline.For more than a year, KXAN has investigated backlogs for Texans receiving federal food benefits through SNAP, which helps low-income households buy groceries.Texas HHSC recently sent a 62-page "Corrective Action Plan" to the US Department of Agriculture detailing problems distributing funds through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which it oversees in Texas. The state agency, it turns out, has been under USDA monitoring for years -- issues date to 2018 -- and is subject to "periodic" updates" until they "are no longer needed," HHSC spokesperson Jennifer Ruffcorn said.States that repeatedly fail to meet federal timeliness requirements are subject to corrective action. Last month, USDA officials visited HHSC, and other ...

Texas volleyball thumps SMU 3-0 to advance to 18th consecutive NCAA regional semifinal

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:46:09 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — After dropping a set to Texas A&M in the first round of the NCAA volleyball tournament, the Texas Longhorns made sure it wouldn't happen again.The second-seeded Longhorns pummeled the seventh-seeded SMU Mustangs 3-0 to clinch a berth in the regional semifinals for the 18th consecutive season. Set scores were 25-16, 25-14 and 25-17.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters"We were emotionally stable and started out at a really high level tonight," Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott said. "We put a ton of pressure on them with our serving and kept steady the whole night. It was a really good performance by the whole team."The Longhorns had 46 kills with just five errors in the match, hitting an eye-popping .446, led by Madisen Skinner's 21 kills. Jenna Wenaas chipped in 10 kills while Asjia O'Neal and Molly Phillips each had six. Texas setter Ella Swindle has 37...