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Vatican says no heresy in allowing blessings for same-sex couples after pushback by some bishops

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:32 GMT

ROME (AP) — After pushback by some bishops in Africa, Poland and elsewhere, the Vatican on Thursday defended the recent move by Pope Francis to allow blessings for same-sex couples, insisting there is nothing “heretical” involved.In a five-page statement, the Holy See’s office to safeguard doctrinal orthodoxy expressed understanding that some bishops’ conferences need more time for “pastoral reflection” on the pontiff’s formal approval for such blessings.But “there is no room to distance ourselves doctrinally” from the Declaration about the blessings “or to consider it heretical, contrary to the Tradition of the Church or blasphemous,” said the statement by the office, formally called the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. The new rule of blessings came last month in the form of a declaration, an important Catholic church document. Some bishops immediately said they wouldn’t implement the new policy.“Prudence and attention to the ecclesial context and to the local ...

Alice Hoffman’s new book will imagine Anne Frank’s life before she kept a diary

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:32 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — With the cooperation of the Anne Frank House, a novel based on Frank’s life immediately before she began keeping a diary will be released in September by the children’s publisher Scholastic.“When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary,” written by bestselling author Alice Hoffman, is scheduled for Sept. 17. The project was initiated by Scholastic editors Lisa Sandell and Miriam Farbey, who thought Hoffman ideal for telling the story. Hoffman is known for “Practical Magic” and other fiction about sorcery, but she also has written books for young people and a novel, “The World That We Knew,” about the Nazis’ persecution of the Jews.“In the year when I was 12, I discovered many of the books that have meant the most to me, books that changed my life,” Hoffman said in a statement issued Thursday by Scholastic.“The book that affected me more than any other was ‘The Diary of a Young Girl,’ by Anne Frank. It changed the way I looked at t...

Woman critical after being found unresponsive on CTA train

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:32 GMT

CHICAGO — A woman is hospitalized in critical condition after being found unresponsive on a CTA train.Police said the unidentified woman was found by transit employees on a train car around 1:35 a.m. Thursday in the 0-100 block of East Roosevelt.The woman was transported to Stroger Hospital and is listed in critical condition with a laceration to her face and contusions, according to police. Rideshare driver shot, in critical condition after apparent carjacking in Austin neighborhood The circumstances surrounding the incident are unknown at this time.Area Three Detectives are investigating.

2 teens charged with robbery, possession of stolen vehicle: CPD

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:32 GMT

CHICAGO -- Two teens are facing charges after a car was stolen on the Far North Side Wednesday evening.According to police, a 16-year-old boy faces felony charges of robbery armed with firearm and possessing a stolen vehicle. A 15-year-old boy is charged with a felony count of armed with firearm and a misdemeanor count of criminal trespassing to vehicle. Driver carjacked, battered at gas station on North Side: Police The teens were arrested in the 1600 block of West Monroe Street around 4:46 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. They were identified as the individuals who less than 30 minutes earlier, took property at gunpoint from a 26-year-old woman in the 100 block of West Elm Street in Gold Coast.Officers quickly located the individuals with a stolen vehicle. The teens were placed into custody and charged accordingly. There is no additional information at this time.

83-year-old man struck, killed in Northwest Indiana after getting mail

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:32 GMT

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. — An elderly man was struck and killed Tuesday evening moments after getting his mail.Officers with the Lake County Sherriff's Department responded to a call just after 5:40 p.m. in the 13700 block of Chase Street, located in unincorporated Crown Point, on the report of a pedestrian struck.Officers at the scene located an 83-year-old man, later identified as Raymond Chermak, trapped underneath a vehicle.Police believe Chermak crossed the street to get his mail and was returning when he either kneeled over or bent for an unknown reason in the roadway.A 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander, driven by a 42-year-old woman, began braking after noticing him in the roadway. She was unable to stop and struck Chermak.He was pronounced dead at the scene. Woman in toll road crash struck, killed by alleged intoxicated driver in Northwest Indiana Police said there was no indication that drugs, alcohol or speed played a factor.

House republicans say border situation is "unconscionable"

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - House Republicans criticized President Joe Biden Wednesday for what they call a catastrophe at the southern border. At the same time, the White House accuses the group of dodging the opportunity to address the issue.Republicans say making changes at the border is necessary and inaction is a threat to the country's national security.House Speaker Mike Johnson and more than 60 House Republicans from across the country took a tour of the southern border."The situation here and across the country is truly unconscionable. We would describe it as both heartbreaking and infuriating," said Johnson.The trip gave lawmakers an opportunity to hear from border patrol agents as well as put pressure on the president to put strict immigration policies in place."The administration has done next to nothing to protect the border, but we've all seen with our own eyes, they've opened the border wide to the entire world," added Johnson.Congressman Marc Molinaro of New York said, “T...

Dean's A-List Interview: Real-life subjects of the Bradley Cooper-directed film 'Maestro'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:32 GMT

In his latest A-List Interview, WGN's Dean Richards sits down with some of the real-life subjects of the Bradley Cooper-directed film "Maestro." Jamie, Alexander and Nina, the children of Leonard and Felicia Montealegre Bernstein, talk about how the film — expected to be a big awards contender —portrays their family life and their famous conductor father, played by Cooper. Dean’s Home Video: Dan Levy stars in ‘Good Grief’ and much more in the first picks of 2024 Dean’s A-List Interview: Dan Levy Get Dean’s reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean’s Downloads weekly newsletter. You’ll also get his Dean Cooks recipes too!

Austin-based Blackdot launches futurist way to tattoo

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:32 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin startup has built one of the world’s first automatic tattooing devices.Blending man and machinery, Blackdot is now tattooing customers at its studio in East Austin.The first customer to receive a custom design was Kevin Rose, a technology entrepreneur who flew in from Los Angeles to receive his tattoo. PREVIOUS: High-tech tattoo startup in Austin launches automated device “It literally looks like there's a picture that’s been put onto my arm, it's just insane,” he said. “No one's done this type of high-resolution tattooing before."With dozens of dots the size of a human hair, the Blackdot device discovers each client’s skin characteristics.Blending man and machinery, Blackdot is now tattooing customers at its studio in East Austin.These dots are compared against its skin database to determine which settings — number of punctures and puncture depth — will yield the perfect black dot for that client’s preferred tattoo location."When that needle actually hit...

Albany man arrested twice in lengthy drug sale investigation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:32 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An Albany man was arrested twice amid a lengthy drug sale investigation that began in the spring of 2023. Davon Sisnett, 36, faces a slew of charges. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! In the spring of 2023, state police say they received information that Sisnett was handling and selling illicit drugs. The investigation led to police executing a search warrant at his home in Albany on December 8, 2023. State Police say they seized multiple controlled substances, a large sum of money, and drug paraphernalia. Sisnett was arrested at the scene. Original charges:Second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substanceThird-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (four counts)Fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substanceSecond-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia Warren County agencies to host discussion on local human trafficking Sisnett was taken to Latham State Police f...

Liquor store in Schenectady closing after 20 years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:32 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Vineyard Wines & Spirits, located at 3770 Carman Road in Schenectady, is closing its doors after 20 years. Owner Tom Vincent has decided to retire. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! For 16 years, Vineyard Wines & Spirits was located on Hamburg Street in Rotterdam, Vincent told NEWS10. Due to construction on Hamburg Street in 2017, Vincent moved the store to Carman Plaza, opening in November 2019.The liquor store never fully recovered from the hit it took during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Vincent. Already in his late 60s, Vincent said some heath complications and him getting older contributed to his decision to retire. TGI Fridays closes in Stuyvesant Plaza "I really want to get back to doing artwork, as I am a former comic book artist, having worked in that industry for 14 years on titles like Thor, Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Silver Surfer, Conan the Barbarian, Wolverine, an...