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Ian Wilmut, a British scientist who led the team that cloned Dolly the Sheep, dies at age 79

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:48:48 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Ian Wilmut, the cloning pioneer whose work was critical to the creation of Dolly the Sheep in 1996, has died, the University of Edinburgh in Scotland said Monday. He was 79.Wilmut set off a global discussion about the ethics of cloning when he announced that his team at the university’s Roslin Institute for animal biosciences had cloned Dolly using the nucleus of a cell from an adult sheep. It marked the first time that a genetically identical mammal was created from an adult cell and spurred questions about the potential cloning of humans.Wilmut later focused on using cloning techniques to make stem cells that could be used in regenerative medicine.“With the sad news today of Ian Wilmut’s passing, science has lost a household name,’’ Bruce Whitelaw, the director of the Roslin Institute, said. “Ian led the research team that produced the first cloned mammal in Dolly. This animal has had such a positive impact on how society engages with science, and how scientist...

Greek shipping minister resigns over the death of a man who was pushed off a ferry ramp

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:48:48 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s shipping minister resigned Monday over the death of a man who was pushed off a ferry ramp by a crew member after arriving late.A Greek prosecutor brought criminal charges against the captain of the island ferry and three crew members over the encounter in the port of Piraeus, near Athens, that resulted in the Sept. 5 drowning of Andonis Kargiotis, 36. One crew member faces a charge of homicide with possible intent. Amateur video posted online showed the passenger running onto the Blue Horizon ferry’s loading ramp as the ship had cast off its moorings and was about to leave for the island of Crete. He tried to push past two crew members and then was pushed off the ramp when he tried again. The footage showed the man disappearing in water churned up by the ferry leaving the dock as crew members stepped away. The ship was eventually ordered to return but the man was found unresponsive. He was later determined to have drowned by a medical examiner. “No one...

Impaired driver found asleep behind wheel in live lane of Hwy. 401: police

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:48:48 GMT

A driver is under arrest after they were found asleep in their car on a Toronto expressway.Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say officers discovered the driver in a live lane of Highway 401 near Leslie Street.Police say the driver blew over three times the legal limit. They were taken into custody and charged with impaired driving.Their driver’s licence has also been suspended.Photos of the incident posted to social media by OPP show a white sedan hooked up to a tow truck.Driver found asleep behind the wheel in a live lane near #hwy401 and Leslie St in #Toronto. Arrested and charged with #ImpairedOperation #Over80 #DriveSuspend. Blood alcohol concentration over 3x the legal limit. #DriveSober #TorontoOPP ^yb pic.twitter.com/l0iRcRyter— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) September 11, 2023

McCarthy juggles a government shutdown and a Biden impeachment inquiry as the House returns for fall

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:48:48 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is a man who stays in motion — enthusiastically greeting tourists at the Capitol, dashing overseas last week to the G7 summit of industrial world leaders, raising funds back home to elect fellow Republicans to the House majority.But beneath the whirlwind of activity is a stubborn standstill, an imbalance of power between the far-right Republicans who hoisted McCarthy to the speaker’s role yet threaten his own ability to lead the House.It’s a political standoff that will be tested anew as the House returns this week from a long summer recess and McCarthy faces a collision course of difficult challenges — seeking to avoid a government shutdown, support Ukraine in the war and launch an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.“They’ve got some really heavy lifting ahead,” said the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, John Thune, of South Dakota.McCarthy, of California, is going to “have his hands full trying to figure out ...

Pennsylvania Republicans have the candidate they want for the US Senate. They just need him to run

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:48:48 GMT

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republicans trying to recapture the U.S. Senate majority have the candidate they want in Pennsylvania. Now they just need David McCormick to run.Almost since the moment he lost last year’s Senate GOP primary, McCormick has floated the possibility that he would again seek the party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate, this time to challenge three-term Democratic Sen. Bob Casey.McCormick has shown up at local party events, raised money for Republican candidates, hired staff, done a publicity tour for his new book and made the rounds of conservative podcasts. In short, everything a candidate might do — except announce his candidacy.“At this point, if Dave McCormick doesn’t run, it’ll be the biggest head fake in Pennsylvania political history,” said Vince Galko, a Republican campaign strategist based in northeastern Pennsylvania.Republicans, perhaps, have done just about everything they can think of to entice McCormick to join a 2024 ticket th...

Fukushima nuclear plant’s operator says the first round of wastewater release is complete

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:48:48 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — The operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant said Monday that it has safely completed the first release of treated radioactive water from the plant into the sea and will inspect and clean the facility before starting the second round in a few weeks.The Fukushima Daiichi plant began discharging the treated and diluted wastewater into the Pacific Ocean on Aug. 24. The water has accumulated since the plant was damaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011, and the start of its release is a milestone in the plant’s decommissioning.The discharge, which is expected to continue for decades until the decommissioning is finished, has been strongly opposed by fishing groups and by neighboring countries. China has banned all imports of Japanese seafood in response, hurting producers and exporters and prompting the Japanese government to compile an emergency relief fund.Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, at summits last week of Southeast Asian countries and the ...

9/11 events to be held across Chicago area in honor of 22 years since attacks

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:48:48 GMT

CHICAGO -- Dozens of first responders from Chicago headed to New York City 22 years ago to help with the aftermath of 9/11.At 7:35 a.m. Monday morning, the mayor and others will come together outside the home of Engine 42 to remember the victims, including fallen heroes. Chicago firefighters went to Ground Zero to dig through rubble where the former World Trade Center stood. People will gather at the firehouse, city hall and memorials to commemorate the anniversary. Many people will also do volunteer work on this Patriot's Day.Nearly 3,000 people were killed when terrorists associated with Al-Qaeda flew two planes into the World Trade Center. 9/11 victims to be honored at memorial ceremony in Lower Manhattan A third plane crashed into the Pentagon and a fourth went down into a Pennsylvania field when passengers intervened and confronted the terrorists. There will be an event taking place at Malcom X College and 15,000 volunteers will help pack meals at Union Station, all benefiti...

Woman charged after transit employee battered on far South Side: CPD

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:48:48 GMT

CHICAGO -- A 44-year-old woman is facing felony charges after a transit employee was battered and threatened in South Chicago Sunday night. Police said Shavon D. Gayden is facing a felony charge of aggravated battery to a transit employee and a misdemeanor count of aggravated assault. Police investigate string of armed robberies at liquor stores, bar on Northwest Side She was arrested and identified as the woman who moments earlier, battered and threatened a 45-year-old woman in the 3000 block of East 91st Street around 9:02 p.m. Gayden was placed into custody and charged accordingly.There was no other information provided and police are investigating the incident.

Duckworth tests positive for COVID-19 

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:48:48 GMT

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) will be absent from the Senate in the coming days after testing positive for COVID-19, she announced Sunday. "After experiencing mild symptoms, I tested positive for COVID-19 today," Duckworth said in a statement. "I will continue working for the people of Illinois in isolation and follow medical guidance on when to return to the Senate chamber."The Illinois Democrat is the latest senator to test positive for COVID-19, with Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) each doing so in recent weeks. The U.S. overall has experienced an uptick in cases.Duckworth had also tested positive for the virus in December. The news means that Senate Democrats will be down a vote on the floor this week as the upper chamber is set to kick off consideration of the first batch of spending bills and continue work on nominations. The Senate is expected to move on three bipartisan spending bills in the coming weeks: Agriculture-Food and Drug Administration, Milita...

22 years later, teachers reflect on how 9/11 is remembered in the classroom

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:48:48 GMT

***Related 9/11 video above***(The Hill) -- More than two decades after Sept. 11, 2001, educators who watched the terror attacks unfold live on TV see slow changes in how the tragic day is honored in classrooms. Teachers are forced to walk a fine line, facing the emotions from a day that no one in their generation will forget while educating kids who see the deadliest foreign attack on U.S. soil as a distant historical event.“It was actually my first year teaching, and we had only been in school a couple of weeks when it happened, so I was very brand new still,” said Shannon Seneczko, who was teaching fifth grade in a suburb of Chicago. “And so that kind of really hits me. That was one of my very first teaching experiences, dealing with my own emotions that day and then being there for the kids too.”Seneczko recalled the nervousness of students who had parents in the city on the day of the attack, as no one knew where could be targeted next. Some were even closer to the site of...