How to Book a One-Night Stay at the ‘Home Alone’ House on Airbnb – NBC Chicago

Nearly as exciting as a whole cheese pizza all to yourself, requests to book on Airbnb the real-life Home Alone house open Tuesday, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. CT. The one-night-only stay at the iconic McCallister movie house in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka takes place Dec. 12 and can host up to four guests. The price for the entire stay is $25 (plus tax), so you can keep the change, ya filthy animal. Sarah Crowley Nows your chance to stay in the iconic Home Alone house in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka, IL. How to book the Home Alone house on Airbnb Beginning at 1 p.m. CT, Home Alone fanatics can request on Airbnbs website to book the one-night-only stay. According to the listing, this is not a contest, and guests are responsible for their own travel to Chicago, and to the house (just make sure you dont accidentally count Mitch Murphy in the airport shuttle). How much does the stay cost? According to the Airbnb listing, the overnight stay is $25 plus tax. Sarah Crowley Nows your chance to stay in the iconic Home Alone house in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka, IL. What does the overnight stay at the Home Alone house include? According to Airbnb, renters will enjoy an evening inside the McCallister house just as you remember it filled with Christmas decorations, booby traps, a candlelit dinner of highly nutritious microwavable macaroni and cheese, Kevins dads after shave, 90s junk food, Chicagos finest pizza and more. Kevins older brother, Buzz will be your host for the evening. He wont be accompanied by his girlfriend, but he will have his pet tarantula with him. The stay can accommodate up to four guests with two bedrooms and 1.5 baths. While some bathroom essentials will be provided, just make sure the toothbrush you bring is approved by the American Dental Association. Local COVID-19 guidelines will apply (Illinois is currently under an indoor mask mandate), and guests are responsible for their own travel to and from Chicago. Airbnb says its closely monitoring Chicago infection rates and government policies, and will offer booking guests a $1,000 USD Airbnb travel credit if it becomes necessary to cancel the stay. Sarah Crowley Nows your chance to stay in the iconic Home Alone house in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka, IL. The post How to Book a One-Night Stay at the ‘Home Alone’ House on Airbnb – NBC Chicago appeared first on Patabook News .

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Thousands of Afghans a day cross borders, ‘even if it means our death’

Over the course of an hour on a recent night, the bus waiting in the Herat station filled with passengers. Mostly young men, they had no luggage, just the clothes on their backs, maybe a bag with some bread and water for the long road ahead of them.  That road is leading them to Iran.  Every day, multiple buses rumble out of Afghanistan’s western city of Herat, carrying hundreds of people to the border. There they disembark, connect with their smugglers and trek for days, sometimes crammed into pickup trucks bumping through wastelands, sometimes on foot through treacherous mountains in the darkness, eluding guards and thieves.  MASS STARVATION LOOMS IN AFGHANISTAN AS HALF THE COUNTRY FACES HUNGER UNDER TALIBAN RULE  Afghans sits in a bus in Herat, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021, for a 300-mile trip south to Nimrooz near the Iranian border.  (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) Once in Iran, most will stay there to look for work. But a few hope to go farther.  We’re going to get to Europe, said Haroun, a 20-year-old sitting in the bus next to his friend Fuad. Back in their village there is no work. We have no choice, the economy here is a wreck. Even if it means our death on the way, we accept that.  Afghans are streaming across the border into Iran in accelerating numbers, driven by desperation. Since the Taliban takeover in mid-August, Afghanistan’s economic collapse has accelerated, robbing millions of work and leaving them unable to feed their families. In the past three months, more than 300,000 people have crossed illegally into Iran, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council, and more are coming at the rate of 4,000 to 5,000 a day.  The European Union is now bracing for a potential swell in Afghans trying to reach its shores at a time when EU nations are determined to lock down against migrants in general.  So far, a post-Taliban surge of Afghan migrants to Europe hasn’t materialized. Afghan entries into the EU have remained mostly stable, according to an EU weekly migration report from Nov. 21. The report noted that some Afghans who arrived in Italy from Turkey in November told authorities they had fled their country after the Taliban takeover.  But a significant portion of migrants likely intend to stay in Iran, which is struggling to shut its doors. It already hosts more than 3 million Afghans who fled their homeland during the past decades of turmoil.  Iran is stepping up deportations, sending 20,000 or 30,000 Afghans back every week. This year, Iran deported more than 1.1 million Afghans as of Nov. 21 — 30% higher than the total in all of 2020, according to the International Organization for Migration. Those deported often try again, over and over.  In Afghanistan, the exodus has emptied some villages of their men. In Jar-e Sawz, a village north of Herat visited by The Associated Press, an elderly man was the only male left after all the younger men left.  One smuggler in Herat — a woman involved in the business for two decades — said that before the Taliban takeover, she was transporting 50 or 60 people a week into Iran, almost all single men. Since the August takeover, she moves around 300 people a week, including women and children.  The country is destroyed so people have to leave, she said, speaking on condition she not be named because of her work. I feel like I’m doing the right thing. If some poor person asks me, I can’t refuse them. I ask God to help me help them.  She charges the equivalent of almost $400 per person, but only about $16 up front, with the rest paid after the migrant finds work. The pay-later system is common in Herat, a sign that there are so many migrants, smugglers can accept some risk that some will be unable to pay. Along the way, smugglers pass out bribes to Taliban, Pakistani and Iranian border guards to turn a blind eye, she said.  Everyone going gives the same reason.  There is nothing here. There is no work and our families are hungry, said Naib, a 20-year-old who was pausing with a group of migrants one night in a desolate area within sight of the Iranian border outside Herat. We go crawling if we have to. There is no other choice.  Afghanistan was already one of the poorest countries in the world before the Taliban takeover, and the economy has deteriorated the past year, worsened by the coronavirus pandemic and a punishing drought since late 2020.  When the Taliban came to power on Aug. 15, the main artery keeping Afghanistan’s economy alive — international donor funds — was severed. With the Taliban government unable to pay salaries, hundreds of thousands of state employees found themselves with no livelihoods. With funding for projects gone, many jobs vanished across the labor market.  Taliban authorities check passports at the Afghanistan-Iran border crossing of Islam Qala, on Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021.  (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) Farid Ahmed, a 22-year-old in Herat, used to go to a main square each day to be hired by building contractors for a day’s work. Previously, he found work most days. Now we wait all day and no one comes to hire us, he said.  So last month, he took his wife and their two young daughters — ages 8 months and 2 years — across the border. From a relative already there, he heard that a Tehran weaving factory had jobs for him and his wife.  The crossing was a nightmare, he said. They had to walk for three hours in the darkness with several hundred other people across the border. In the cold and darkness, his daughters were crying. Once in Iran, they were almost immediately caught by police and deported.  REAGAN NATIONAL DEFENSE FORUM: EXPERTS SAY AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL DAMAGED US RELIABILITY WITH GLOBAL PARTNERS  Back home, nothing has changed. He goes to the square every day but finds no work, he said. So he will try taking his family again. After winter, he said. It’s too cold now for the children to cross.  Herat, Afghanistan’s third-largest city, is a main hub for Afghans from other parts of the country making their way to Iran.  The city is only about an hour’s drive from the Iranian border, but the frontier is too heavily patrolled here. Instead, migrants embark on a 300-mile (480-kilometer) trip south to Nimrooz, a remote region of deserts and mountains that is Afghanistan’s most sparsely populated province. Here, the migrants cross into a corner of Pakistan, from where they can more easily slip into Iran.  It’s an arduous journey. Reza Rezaie, a Herat resident, made the trip with his 17-year-old son. The most harrowing moment comes at the Iranian-Pakistani border, where migrants must ascend and then descend Moshkelghar, literally Difficult Mountain, on narrow trails along steep drop-offs.  Two Afghan men pray at a bus station in Herat, Afghanistan, on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021, before they embark on a bus for a 300-mile trip south to Nimrooz near the Iranian border.  (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) It’s pitch darkness and you can’t turn on flashlights for security, he recalled. On the way up, they walk in single file, each holding the scarf of the person in front of them. Descending on the Iranian side, they gingerly crawl down so they don’t tumble off the edge. If you fall, no one will help you because they will fall too, he said.  At one point in Iran, he and others hid in the luggage compartment under a bus to get around checkpoints. He worked for a few weeks doing construction in Shiraz before he was caught in a police raid and expelled.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP  But he is undaunted. His father recently died, so he has to wait for the 40-day mourning period to end. Then he’ll try Iran again.  What else can I do? Here, there is nothing, he said.  The post Thousands of Afghans a day cross borders, even if it means our death appeared first on Patabook News .

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Rep. Nunes To Retire And Work For Trump’s New Social Media Company – CBS Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Congressman Devin Nunes announced he will leave Congress and begin working for former President Donald Trump’s social media company at the beginning of 2022.  “The time has come to reopen the Internet and allow for the free flow of ideas and expression without censorship,” Nunes said in a statement. I’m humbled and honored President Trump has asked me to lead the mission and the world-class team that will deliver on this promise.” READ MORE: Authorities Arrest Suspect Involved In Pursuit Of Suspected Stolen Vehicle, Possible DUI Nunes, who has been a staunch supporter of Trump, said he will retire from Congress in January 2022 and become the new CEO of the former president’s social media company. Some experts believe that Nunes may have decided to leave Congress as redistricting may leave his seat less secure. “It appeared that re-districting would put him in a disadvantageous position and he was afraid of losing his seat,” said Claremont McKenna College professor Jack Pitney. “Apparently there was an opportunity to go to work for the Trump organization and he saw a big payday.”  Nunes was first elected to Congress back in 2002 and was the chair of the powerful House Intelligence Committee in 2015 when Republicans controlled the House of Representatives. Because of his close ties to Trump he was forced to recuse himself during the House investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. “He started off as a moderate — reputation of being in the tradition of Ways Means Chair Bill Thomas,” said Pitney. “When Trump came along, he hitched his wagon to Trump and his legacy will always be associated with Trump.” READ MORE: Californians Could Soon Be Fined For Using Too Much Water Despite his departure, Nunes’ continues to have a strong following amongst California Republicans.  “He always served his local district,” said Mario Guerra from the California GOP Executive Committee. “He always took care of the Central Valley. That was his number one concern. Always said that and did that, and worked across the aisle to get what was in the best interest of California.” Nunes’ new role in President Trump’s social media company as the Congressman fought several legal battles of his own against social media companies and parody accounts that belittled him. None of those cases were successful.  “This decision makes sense for him because he’s been a Trump loyalist for a long time and he’s been somebody who has talked about social media for a long time,” said Loyola Law School professor Jessica Levinson. “Of course, the irony here is that he sued social media companies a number of times and the irony is that he will now be representing one.” Political experts say Democrats’ chances of retaining their House majority appears bleak at this moment, but Nunes’ exit may provide a glimmer of hope for Democrats. MORE NEWS: USC Student Second of Three Confirmed Omicron Cases In LA County “It increases the chances Democrats will pick up a seat and that’s important because they’re in great danger of losing their majority and this gives them a little bit of hope,” said Pitney. The post Rep. Nunes To Retire And Work For Trump’s New Social Media Company – CBS Los Angeles appeared first on Patabook News .

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Dolphin With ‘Massive Shark Bite’ on Back Found Dead on Beach

A dolphin has been found with a massive shark bite, with the wound measuring about 2 feet across. The dead Rissos dolphin was found by Michael Sutton, who shared images of the carcass on Facebook. Sutton, a photographer, was walking along Cronulla Beach, in New South Wales, Australia, at around 7:00 a.m. local time on Sunday after a local surfer had called him to tell him about the carcass. I went for a walk and found what I thought was a whale but it was actually a dolphin with a massive shark bite out of its side, he told 9News. Ive missed a handful of sunrises over the past 15 years, this is my most unusual find, Im there every day taking photos. He said the chunk missing from the dolphins back measured about 60cm (1.9ft). The carcass appeared to have been washed up on the beach for several hours. More graphic images of the dolphin can be viewed on Suttons Facebook page here. Sutton said there were very few surfers out that morning, with one person telling him they had not gone into the water because of the dolphin. The dolphin carcass was removed by Sutherland Shire Council after being alerted to the dolphin carcass. Sutherland Shire Council thanks those members of the public who alerted our staff to the issue, ensuring that Council could swiftly engage relevant authorities and ensure the carcass could be promptly removed from the site, a spokesperson told 9News. Another dolphin has also died as a result of a shark bite on Melbourne Beach, Florida. Rescuers with the Hubbs Florida Marine Mammal Stranding Team said Monday that the young female had numerous shark bites on her. Unfortunately, due to her condition, she did not make it, the team said in an Instagram post. Strandings are not always easy, but we appreciate the immense support from each of you, which allows us to continue our critical work. Dolphins are prey for many shark species, including great white, tiger and bull sharks. According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, larger sharks will target vulnerable dolphins, including young calves and sick adults. Dolphin populations particularly at risk from shark attacks are those in Sarasota, Florida, and off the coast of Australia. In July 2020, a predation event was filmed off the coast of New Jersey, close to the shore. Footage shows the water turn red as sharks devour the dolphin as beachgoers watch in horror. Robert Schoelkopf, executive director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, told nj.com that events like these are common, but are rarely filmed. Thats what sharks are out there for, to clean the ocean, he told NJ Advance Media. He said anyone who sees a dolphin in trouble should never try to go to its aid: If youre standing next to a dolphin while this is going on, youre going to be in danger. Its just food to a shark. The sharks are not going to know the difference (between a dolphin and human), especially when theres that much blood. Stock photo of a shark fin above the surface of the ocean. Two dolphins have died after being bitten by sharks. Getty Images The post Dolphin With Massive Shark Bite on Back Found Dead on Beach appeared first on Patabook News .

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Disneyland FastPass replacement Genie+ debuts this week; here’s what to know

Disney’s replacement for its iconic FastPass program is set to launch at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park this Wednesday, the company said Monday. The debut of Genie, Genie+ and “Lightning Lane” — a new secondary lane that will allow guests to bypass the traditional standby line — comes after Disney announced earlier this year that it would permanently retire FastPass and MaxPass and replace it with the new programs. While Genie is a free tool that helps guests build a daily itinerary, Genie+ will be priced at $20 per day and is required for guests to use the Lightning Lane on certain attractions.  Select Individual Lightning Lane attractions will be available for “a la carte” purchases and will not be included in Genie+. Those rides include Radiator Springs Racers and the new Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure at Disney California Adventure park, as well as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland. Genie+ is similar to MaxPass, a paid service previously offered at the Anaheim theme parks where guests could book FastPass times on mobile devices. Using the previous system at Disneyland, guests could obtain a paper FastPass at select attractions. MaxPass, which launched in 2017, introduced the ability for guests to reserve FastPass times without obtaining a paper ticket, offering convenience of scheduling attractions in the Disneyland app. Similar to MaxPass, Genie+ will include PhotoPass downloads and audio experiences. However, unlike MaxPass, Genie+ will only let you redeem one Lightning Lane per experience each day.  Genie+ can be purchased after you have entered the park and scanned your ticket. Tickets purchased after Dec. 8 can be added prior to your visit. All Lightning Lane reservations must be made after entering the theme park.  According to Disney, all attractions will continue to offer a traditional standby line or, in some instances, a virtual queue. “Disney Genie listens to the preferences that guests share with us to help design their best day and deliver an experience that’s made just for them,” Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Product, said in a statement earlier this year. “Pairing incredible technology with more than 60 years of expertise about how our guests visit the parks, Disney Genie will personalize their Disney day, allowing guests to spend less time planning and waiting and more time doing the things they love.” Guests can select their favorite attractions or characters, and Genie will “map out an entire day” while updating “your plan, so you can go with the flow as the day changes,” Disney said in a news release. Genie, Genie+ and Lightning Lane launched at Florida’s Walt Disney World in October.  At Walt Disney World and Disneyland, all previous versions of FastPass have included a free option. With the exception of private VIP tours, this marks the first time Disney has offered a paid alternative to the traditional standby queues at its domestic parks. First introduced in 1999 at Walt Disney World, FastPass began as paper tickets that had a return window for attractions. Disney World added FastPass+ and the ability to select attractions and return windows through My Disney Experience in 2013. Paper FastPass at Walt Disney World ended in 2014. In 2017, MaxPass was launched at Disneyland. When the parks closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both FastPass and MaxPass were suspended. Close Modal Suggest a Correction Suggest a Correction The post Disneyland FastPass replacement Genie+ debuts this week; here’s what to know appeared first on Patabook News .

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Sachem North’s Joe Cruz wins Zellner Award as Suffolk’s best lineman

There aren’t too many linemen who can move like Joe Cruz. Maybe that’s why the Sachem North product will be playing Power 5 football next fall. Cruz, who is committed to Syracuse, is 6-6, 285 pounds, but plays a lot smaller. And that’s a good thing. He pulls like a much smaller lineman, said Sachem North coach Dave Caputo. He just plays the game with an athleticism that we don’t see . . . Often times, when you get guys that size, they can’t move. No one in Suffolk saw a lineman better than Cruz this fall. The senior won the Bob Zellner Award, given annually to Suffolk’s top lineman. It is the second time the award was given out in 2021. Long Island played football last spring after COVID concerns wiped out the 2020 season. Cruz didn’t win the award as a junior — that one went to Sayville’s Max Llewellyn. Cruz told Newsday in the preseason that winning the Zellner as a senior was a goal of his. I had to prove that I was one of the best on the island [since] I got the offer from Syracuse, Cruz said Saturday. That was one of my goals, to be the best. I wanted to prove that I earned my scholarship, not just had it handed to me. Cruz said he spent a lot of time in the summer working on his pass protection skills. I think my footwork got better, said Cruz, who played offensive and defensive line in high school, but will play offensive tackle in college. I just got stronger. Blocking on the edge, I just knew what I was doing a lot more. Subscribe to Newsdays high school sports newsletter Newsdays weekly newsletter takes you on the field and inside the high school sports scene across Long Island. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. As a run-blocker, Cruz was excellent again. Sachem North averaged 250 rushing yards per game this season. He’s a very cerebral player, Caputo said. Some people may say he’s not a ‘road grater,’ where he’s going to pancake or get a knockdown on every play. He’s also a technician. I think that gets lost . . . If you watch his game film from his senior year, he’s doing things technique-wise that other high school lineman aren’t doing. Added Caputo: I’ve been doing this 20-years, and been in football my entire life, and he’s the most compete high school lineman that I’ve seen. Jordan Lauterbach joined Newsdays sports department in 2012. He covers running and the Long Island Ducks independent baseball team. Lauterbach graduated from C.W. Post University in 2010 with a degree in electronic media. The post Sachem Norths Joe Cruz wins Zellner Award as Suffolks best lineman appeared first on Patabook News .

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Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day: A look back at December 7, 1941

Eighty years ago, Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japanese forces, leaving over 3,400 casualties and pushing the U.S. to join the Allies in World War II. Japan launched the surprise attack with airplanes and submarines on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. More than 2,400 Americans were killed and over 1,000 were wounded during the bombings. More than 300 aircraft and 19 Navy ships, including eight battleships, were damaged or destroyed. WATCH: Centenarian WWII veteran recalls Pearl Harbor attack The next day, the U.S. declared war against Japan. When asking Congress for a Declaration of War, President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously called the attack a date which will live in infamy. On Dec. 11, 1941, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. The U.S., in turn, declared war on the Axis Powers, joining the Allies in World War II. Copyright © 2021 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=2.0; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,script, https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js); fbq(init, 443456229787972); fbq(track, PageView); The post Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day: A look back at December 7, 1941 appeared first on Patabook News .

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