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Australian prime minister is confident the US will deliver nuclear-powered submarines

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Friday he was confident of securing bipartisan political support in the United States for a deal to provide his country with submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology.The so-called AUKUS partnership — an acronym for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States — is being discussed by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in meetings with Albanese and other Australian officials in Brisbane on Friday and Saturday.Under the deal, Australia will buy three Virginia-class submarines from the United States and build five of a new AUKUS-class submarine in cooperation with Britain.Australian media have focused on a letter signed by more than 20 Republican lawmakers to President Joe Biden that warned the deal would “unacceptably weaken the U.S. fleet” without a plan to boost U.S. submarine production.Albanese said he remained “very confident” that the Unit...

Animals visit, lift the spirits of young patients stuck in the hospital for summer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

CHICAGO — At a summer camp program at Lurie Children's Hospital, instead of the kids going away, the camp comes to the kids. And it included some Shedd Aquarium favorites traveling from the lakefront to Lurie to add a little adventure even inside hospital walls.For patients stuck in the hospital for the summer, who can’t make it to camp or other summer activities, the outside comes to them.“I heard it in my room. My nurse let me know and I said, ‘I gotta go see the animals!’” patient Alyssa Woodworth said. “It’s a taste of nature, especially when you are stuck in the building.”Lizards, snakes and big red the tortoise mingled with patients and their families as part of the 8-week-long explorers camp. ‘Be nice to each other:’ 7 residents of a suburban senior living home offer advice on living 100 years Katie Vautier is Lurie Children’s School Services Coordinator.“We’ve had a STEM week and we’ve done an engineering challenge,” she said.RJ Hall has been at Lurie for nearly a week. Th...

With injuries behind, Austin Martin ‘in a great spot’ with Saints

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

With Sunday marking the two-year anniversary of the trade deadline deal that sent Twins starting pitcher Jose Berrios to the Toronto Blue Jays, the two prospects the Twins got in return remain highly regarded in the organization as members of the Saints.Right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson, who started in the Saints’ 5-4 loss to Toledo on Thursday night at CHS Field, has had the higher profile to date, simply because utility specialist Austin Martin has been stalled by injuries.Martin tore the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow (throwing arm) early in spring training, and it kept him out of the Saints’ lineup until July 3. Last season, a torn UCL in his left elbow cost him considerable time, before he was able to come back and play well in the Fall League.The 24-year-old Martin was the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft by the Blue Jays after a standout career at Vanderbilt, and he’s eager to showcase his talents in front of Twin Cities baseball fans. Martin can pl...

Contact 2: Fighting to prevent deep fake robocalls

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Scammers have a new tool in their arsenal: Artificial intelligence. On July 11, the U.S. Senate had its first classified briefing on AI and how the technology could be applied to national security.“Elected representatives in 2023 cannot afford to be in the dark about how AI works and how it’s going to reshape our world," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.Two days later, the Federal Communications Commission held a workshop on the challenges AI brings to vital consumer issues like robocalls. One of the experts at the FCC event was Greg Bohl, Chief Data Officer for Transaction Network Services. TNS analyzes more than 1.3 billion calls daily to uncover robocall trends and tactics. FOX 2 spoke with Bohl about how cybercriminals are using AI-cloned voices to scam loved ones out of money.“They’ll take a recording, possibly off your voicemail, and make it sound like this relative of yours," Bohl said. "They’ll say, 'Help me, or they’ll be crying, or something like ...

Staffing 'crisis' creating new risks for St. Louis police officers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

ST. LOUIS - There are thousands of emergency calls in St. Louis, but the city is down hundreds of officers. Some say the lack of manpower is risking the lives of not only cops, but also the public.Earlier this month, off-duty tow truck driver Jeremy Bailey used his personal vehicle to help make other drivers aware of a vehicle that had crashed."There was a car that hit the wall, spun out and blocking both lanes," Bailey said.He had just got off work when the crash happened in on a St. Louis area interstate. Bailey told the woman to get on the other side of the guard rail and had a flashlight to try and get other drivers to slow down."I started flashing [the light at] cars, trying to get them to slow down cause cars kept flying around it," Bailey said. "They would lock their brakes up." Lincoln County mother pleads for answers 32 years after son’s disappearance  Bailey called 911, but said it took at least 45 minutes for a St. Louis police officer to arrive. The off-duty tow truck ...

MoDOT weighs improvements on dangerous stretch of Route 231  

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Residents flocked to the Hancock School District Central Office in Lemay Thursday evening to learn about and provide feedback on a multi-year MoDOT project to resurface Route 231 while making sidewalks ADA-compliant and upgrading signals."I'm really proud of the citizens to take time out of their busy schedule to give us input,” said Tom Blair, MoDOT District Engineer.The roadway was the site of a fatal crash just a week ago when a 73-year-old woman went airborne in her car, slamming into a home. MoDOT statistics show there are 25 crashes on the roadway each year, which is three times the state average on similar roads."If there's one thing I heard so far, is the fact that there seems to be a consensus we need to slow vehicles down on this route,” Blair said.The project stretches from the St. Louis City limits to just south of Franru Lane. A MoDOT study showed there's excess space along the roadway between Kingston Drive and Broadway which encourages speed. The...

U.S. Senators vote to compensate victims for nuclear radiation contamination in St. Louis region

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A big update for victims of the St. Louis region's nuclear radiation contamination came Thursday. Sixty-one U.S. senators voted in favor of a compensation bill for victims."This doesn't solve everything. But it's a good first step that is a long time coming," said Senator Eric Schmitt.Questions about compensation for victims who develop illnesses and cancers after living near the West Lake Landfill site are finally getting answers."This allows for monetary compensation from a fund that was created decades ago to deal with the Manhattan Project injuries from the toxic waste that was left behind, but Missouri was never included," Schmitt said. Lincoln County mother pleads for answers 32 years after son’s disappearance  A concern of residents during last week's West Lake Community Advisory Group meeting was who would qualify for the compensation and how quickly the legislation would be approved."They are not compensated on a differential basis. It's that if you have lived...

She says an Uber stranded her, then things really got weird

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

BELLEVILLE, Ill. - An Uber ride Friday night in Belleville was supposed to take her home. Instead, Kristina Caruso said the driver ordered her out at an Alorton gas station at about 2:30 a.m. It only became stranger after that.“I’m a very cautious person. I always snapshot my driver before they pick me up to send to who I’m with," Caruso said.She took the first screengrab when she went to meet a black Dodge Avenger and driver ‘Sara’ outside her friend’s Belleville home.“I walked out to the car with my friend Katie—it was dark, but the car looked like what was supposed to be picking me up," Caruso said. “It took me a second to realize we were going the wrong way because it was dark out. I was in the back seat, not really paying attention, and then we pulled into a gas station. She pulled up, and she said, ‘Your payment didn’t go through. Get out!’” St. Louis police search for man after child sex crime Caruso knew her payment went through because she says it showed up on her account...

St. Louis Cardinals taking steps to keep fans cool this weekend  

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Cardinals are hosting the Chicago Cubs this weekend as extreme heat settles into the St. Louis area.The team is taking the following steps to help fans stay cool:Seven 125-gallon “Water Monster” coolers have been set up around the ballpark to provide fans with free water to cool down and stay hydrated.-Large “swamp” fans have been placed inside the Busch Stadium gates to help cool guests and staff as they enter the ballpark.-Ushers have been instructed to look for signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion and offer to move fans into shaded areas if they notice anyone exhibiting symptoms.-An extra medical crew is on hand at the ballpark to assist with any heat cases that may arise.-The club is flexible with fans in the Loge (Level 3) and Pavilion & Terrace (Level 4) levels moving seats into more shaded areas as long as they do not take the ticketed seats of other fans. St. Louis police search for man after child sex crime Additionally, as with all games...

St. Charles County Fair remains open despite the sweltering heat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:28 GMT

ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. - It has been just over a year since the temperature climbed to 100 degrees in St. Louis.Everyone who lives in the region knows that our summers are hot—sometimes very hot. However, with the proper precautions, the heat can be handled. As a result, the show will continue at the St. Charles County Fair in Wentzville.The annual tradition at Rotary Park opened Tuesday and has been battling Mother Nature ever since. The crowds have been thin during the day, but as the sun sets, they pour through the gates. Fair organizers have taken all necessary precautions to keep fair goers safe. St. Louis radar: See a map of current weather here There are air-conditioned buildings, plenty of water, and a team of paramedics on hand to help if anyone gets a heat-related illness. Of course, the county fair would be incomplete without rides and animals.More than 250 animals are ready for a show at this year’s fair, and organizers are keenly aware they need to keep them safe fr...