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This year’s most popular (and relevant) Halloween costumes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

(CNN) — It’s that time of year again, when all things spooky come out to play.Halloween, our annual celebration of the scary, has long been a showcase for ghost costumes and vampire teeth. This year, though, the most popular costumes might look a little different.Barbie, Spider-Man and Wednesday Addams (from “The Addams Family”) are among the most searched costumes ideas in the US this year, according to Google Trends’ Frightgeist, which analyzes the most-searched costume ideas across the country.If you still haven’t found a costume idea, fear not. CNN has you covered with five topical, yet still popular, Halloween costume ideas guaranteed to stun.BarbieKate McKinnon as Weird Barbie could be your next Halloween costume.Of course, after “Barbie” made history with a $1 billion box office run, the doll is almost guaranteed to appear at your local Halloween party or trunk-or-treat. The Mattel favorite is the most-searched Halloween costume of the year, begg...

Boston Women’s Memorial celebrates 20 years, unveils modern touch featuring local women leaders

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

Leaders and community members gathered in the Back Bay to honor the 20th anniversary of the Boston Women’s Memorial, where organizers unveiled a modern touch to the memorial on the Commonwealth Mall.Built in October of 2003, the memorial commemorates the work of abolitionist Abigail Adams, women’s rights advocate Lucy Stone and formerly enslaved poet Phillis Wheatley.“To have women firmly entrenched and lifted up in this narrative is really important, we’re starting, thanks to the work of folks in this space, to see that across all parts of the city but this one place is very special,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said at the event.In honor of the anniversary, visitors can now scan a QR Code on each of the statues to hear the words written by the three women, read by three current female leaders. The initiative is a part of the Talking Statues Project, featuring the voice of Wu as Stone, Rep. Ayanna Pressley as Wheatley and Attorney General Andrea Campbell as Adams.“My kids a...

PM Trudeau marks 9th anniversary of Parliament Hill shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

On the ninth anniversary of the deadly attack at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid tribute to members of the armed forces who devote themselves to their country while calling on Canadians to promote the values of freedom, peace and inclusion.Corporal Nathan Cirillo, 24, a sentry at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, was shot at point-blank range on Oct. 22, 2014. The gunman, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, then stormed Parliament Hill’s Centre Block where he was shot and killed by the House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms, Kevin Vickers. Three other people suffered minor injuries.The incident came just two days after two other Canadian soldiers were run over — and one of them killed — in Quebec by a man with jihadist sympathies.Then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper condemned the shooting as a “terrorist attack.”In a statement issued Sunday morning, Trudeau says the attack inflicted a deep wound on the country and the values Canadians hold dear.“There is no p...

Restricted rights put Afghan women and girls in a ‘deadly situation’ during quakes, UN official says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Women and girls are in a “not only difficult … but deadly” situation following recent earthquakes in Afghanistan because of the humanitarian and civil rights crises in the country since the Taliban seized power, a U.N. official said Sunday. An update from U.N. Women highlighted some of the problems women are facing in areas of Herat province, where a series of violent earthquakes and aftershocks this month killed thousands of people, more than 90% of them women and children, and destroyed nearly every home.Cultural norms make it impossible for women to share a tent with neighbors or other families, the U.N. agency said in its update published Thursday. Many women also have difficulty obtaining humanitarian aid if they don’t have male relative who can access it on their behalf and there is an absence of female workers aid distribution points, the U.N. said Women affected by the earthquake have told the U.N. they cannot access aid without the nati...

German leaders voice outrage and thousands rally in Berlin in reaction to rising antisemitism

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s chancellor and president strongly denounced a rise in antisemitism in Germany in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war in separate appearances Sunday that stressed the same idea that it is unacceptable for such hatred to flourish in the nation that perpetrated the Holocaust.In Berlin, thousands of people gathered at a demonstration called to show opposition to antisemitism and support for Israel. People carried Israeli flags or posters with photos of some of the people reported to be missing or held by Hamas as hostages. The protest, organized by a broad alliance of various organizations, comes as antisemitic incidents have been rising in Germany following the violent escalation of the war in Gaza.“It is unbearable that Jews are living in fear again today — in our country of all places,” President Frank-Walter Steinmeier told those gathered in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. “Every single attack on Jews, on Jewish institutions is a disgrace for Germ...

Sunday Forecast: Sunny, breezy and Good air quality

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

Sunday: Mostly sunny, breezy & seasonal temps. N/NE 5-10 mph. Air quality in the Good category. High: 57Sunday Night: Mostly clear evening. Increasing clouds overnight. SE 5-10 mph. Low: 44Monday: Mostly cloudy with some mid-day showers & building winds. S 10-20 mph. High: 63Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Extended outlook calls for a nice start to Tuesday and temps to build into the mid to upper 70s. Showers likely by the evening-- and we'll see on/off rain at times and a few iso. t'storms getting into Wednesday with temps settling back into the mid to upper 60s. And we'll stay pretty cloudy for the rest of the week as well with each day through the coming weekend has a chance of showers. The good news is that the rain will help the near peak to peak fall colors to really pop on the trees. 

Michigan State apologizes after Hitler's image on videoboards in pregame quiz

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State showed Adolf Hitler's image as part of a pregame quiz on videoboards before playing No. 2 Michigan on Saturday night, and later apologized for the inappropriate content provided by an outside source.Hitler and Austria, his birthplace, flashed on the videoboards long enough for some on social media to share what was seen by some fans more than an hour before kickoff.“MSU is aware that inappropriate content by a third-party source was displayed on the videoboard prior to the start of tonight’s football game," Michigan State spokesman Matt Larson said. The 5 highest – and lowest – paying college degrees in the US "We are deeply sorry for the content that was displayed, as this is not representative of our institutional values. MSU will not be using the third-party source going forward and will implement stronger screening and approval procedures for all videoboard content in the future.”The pregame quiz pro...

Who needs 3 vaccines this cold and flu season?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — There’s a chill in the air and, depending on where you live, there may even be snow in the forecast. Sure, that could be a sign that the holidays are around the corner, but it also means cold and flu season is knocking on our doorsteps. With that, of course, comes the push to get vaccines, whether that be for the flu or the latest COVID booster. But, if you meet certain criteria, you may be due for more than one or two shots. What’s the best time to get the flu vaccine? Let’s start with the obvious: the flu vaccine. The season’s flu vaccine was released last month, and according to the CDC, as many as 170 million doses are expected to be dispersed. As usual, the CDC is recommending everyone 6 months old and older (unless you’re allergic to the ingredients or have had an adverse effect to a previous vaccine) get the single-dose shot. For the first time, the CDC is recommending a higher dose flu vaccine for those who are 65 years old and older.While you’re gett...

Person detained following hi-rise fire in downtown Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin firefighters responded to a hi-rise building in downtown Austin Sunday after a person reportedly set items on fire on the twenty-third floor, according to the Austin Fire Department.AFD said the fire on Red River Street was controlled by a sprinkler system, and crews were working to mitigate the smoke and water inside the hi-rise building.The person involved in the fire was detained by officers with the Austin Police Department for fire investigators, according to AFD.

Man sentenced in fatal 2021 road-rage shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:09 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was sentenced Wednesday in connection with a 2021 fatal road-rage shooting in north Austin.According to Travis County court documents, Xzaver Griffin, 23, was sentenced to serve 15 years in state prison for manslaughter, a second-degree felony, in connection with the death of Arlen Sanchez on Sept. 14, 2021.According to court documents, Griffin faced a murder charge but was convicted on the lesser charge of manslaughter following a plea deal.Travis County jail records showed Griffin was booked into the jail Dec. 2, 2021. It is unclear if he will receive jail credit toward his sentence.