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Weather-weary California hopes for sunny spring after storms

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:47:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Californians are tired. Tired of the rain, tired of the snow, tired of stormy weather and the cold, relentlessly gray skies that have clouded the Golden State nearly nonstop since late December.With spring now underway, the state’s 39 million residents are hopeful for sunnier days ahead. But this week’s atmospheric river — the 12th such storm here since late December — had other plans.The powerful systems dump huge amounts of rain and snow as they bring massive plumes of Pacific moisture into California. They have already wreaked havoc across the state, with a death toll rising as communities dig out and floodwaters recede. High winds toppled trees, snowfall stranded mountain communities and storm surges inundated coastal towns with no end in sight.Californians initially welcomed the precipitation and chilly temperatures after a record-hot summer and yearslong drought that included the driest January through March on record in 2022. But the atmospheric r...

Massachusetts train derails, no hazardous cargo reported

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:47:00 GMT

AYER, Mass. (AP) — Five freight train cars derailed in Massachusetts on Thursday, but no hazardous materials were being hauled and there were no reports of injuries, according to authorities.The freight cars that toppled over at about 11:30 a.m. were carrying sealed containers of trash and recycling material, the Ayer Fire Department said in a social media post. Each car was carrying double stacked containers for a total of 10 containers, according to the state emergency management agency.A woman walking in the area first noticed the toppled railcars and called authorities, Fire Chief Tim Johnston said at the scene. “For an unknown cause the two double-stacked containers on one of the trains toppled over and it seems to have ended up pulling four others over,” he said.The fire department called railway operator CSX and utility National Grid to the scene and officials took precautions to protect a nearby waterway.The train was not moving at the time of the derailment, assistant...

Abortion-rights supporters prevail in New Hampshire House

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:47:00 GMT

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — In a victory for abortion-rights supporters, the Republican-led but closely divided New Hampshire House on Thursday rejected multiple bills to further restrict abortion access while also approving legislation to protect it.The eight abortion-related bills came up for a vote during what has been a hectic week for abortion policy nationwide. Nine months after the U.S. Supreme Court ended a nationwide right to an abortion, court fights are playing out on multiple fronts, states dominated by Democrats are seeking to protect access and Republicans are trying to tighten restrictions.In New Hampshire, Republicans hold a 201-198 majority in the House, with one seat vacant. That has made attendance on session days extra important, as evidenced by the vote on a measure Thursday that ended in a tie.The proposal in question, backed by virtually all Democrats, would have repealed the state’s ban on abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy. The bill was tabled after the 192-192 t...

Ontario budget 2023: No plans yet for TTC, GO Transit co-fares unlike elsewhere in GTA

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:47:00 GMT

As the Ontario government touts the ability for residents in the Greater Toronto Area to ride local transit and GO Transit at a discounted rate, that ability still hasn’t been extended to Canada’s largest city.During the presentation of the budget on Thursday, the Ford government promoted a program that aims to make transit more affordable as “Ontario families continue to look at managing costs.”For residents who take GO Transit and local transit services in Barrie, York Region, Bradford-West Gwillimbury, Durham Region, Milton, Guelph, Cambridge-Kitchener-Waterloo, Milton, Oakville, Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton and Burlington, they receive a discount and don’t have to pay the local transit fare.However, in Toronto, passengers who begin or end their trip using the TTC have to pay the full fare ($3.20 as of March 23 if using a Presto card) plus the full GO Transit fare.Despite having the largest local ridership base, expansion of the program to Toronto...

NTSB: Crews failed to de-ice road before massive Texas crash

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:47:00 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — The company responsible for maintaining a Texas interstate where 130 vehicles crashed in icy conditions two years ago, killing six and injuring dozens, failed to address the deteriorating road conditions, federal officials said Thursday.That portion of Interstate 35 West in Fort Worth was not treated with salt the morning of the Feb. 11, 2021, crash, the National Transportation Safety Board said. The NTSB said that the failure of North Tarrant Express Mobility Partners Segment 3 to address the conditions contributed to the crash, as did drivers’ speeds.The NTSB said that because of the forecasted freezing rain and sleet, North Tarrant Express Mobility Partners Segment 3 had pretreated the southbound lanes of I-35W two days earlier with a liquid brine solution. But, the NTSB said, crews checking the road about 45 minutes before the crash didn’t recognize that the elevated portion of the interstate where the crash occurred needed additional de-icing treatment...

Netanyahu vows to unite Israel but opponents dismiss pledge

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:47:00 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday vowed to “mend the rift” in a nation deeply divided over his proposed overhaul of the country’s judiciary. But he offered no details on how he intends to do so and gave no indication that he would slow down the plan.Netanyahu delivered his appeal in a nationally televised address after another day of mass protests across the country against the plan, and hours after his parliamentary coalition passed the first in a series of laws that make up the overhaul. His vague pledges were quickly rejected by the protest movement, which said it would continue to oppose “Netanyahu’s attempt to become a dictator.”Protesters blocked traffic on main highways and scuffled with police in unrest that shows no sign of abating. Police used water cannons to disperse crowds, and dozens of people — including leaders of the protest movement — were arrested.The government’s plan has plunged the nearly 75-year-old nation into one of its w...

Army: Decorated soldier killed in South Carolina shooting

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:47:00 GMT

A decorated 20-year member of the U.S. Army has been identified as one of the five people killed in a shooting Tuesday night at a South Carolina home.Command Sgt. Maj. Carlos Evans, 38, was killed by a former soldier in an attack that officials say left three sleeping children dead while their surviving mother frantically sought help.The ex-soldier, Charles Slacks Jr., then killed himself. Slacks and the woman were divorced, but he used a key to enter the home in Sumter around 10 p.m. Tuesday, Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark said Wednesday.Slacks, 42, killed his own children, 5-year-old Aayden Holliday-Slacks and his 6-year-old Aason Holliday-Slacks, and also killed their half-sister, 11-year-old Ava Holliday, Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker said. Before the divorce, Slacks had been Ava’s stepfather.Slacks had just begun working as a budget analyst with U.S. Army Central last month, according to Major Jason Welch. Slacks served as a tracked vehicle mechanic from June 1999 to Ju...

S&P/TSX composite down Thursday, U.S. markets post small gain despite morning rally

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:47:00 GMT

TORONTO — The S&P/TSX composite index was down about 70 points Thursday, while U.S. markets posted small gains, with markets rallying for most of the day before sputtering in the last trading hour. The S&P/TSX composite index was down 72.86 points at 19,459.92.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 75.14 points at 32,105.25. The S&P 500 index was up 11.75 points at 3,948.72, while the Nasdaq composite was up 117.44 points at 11,787.40.The Canadian dollar traded for 73.15 cents US,compared with 72.93 cents US on Wednesday.The May crude contract was down 94 cents at US$69.96 per barrel and the May natural gas contract was down two cents at US$2.28 per mmBTU.The April gold contract was up US$46.30 at US$1,995.90 an ounceand the May copper contract was up eight cents at US$4.12 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD=X)The Canadian Press

Police in Waukegan searching for missing 21-year-old Navy sailor

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:47:00 GMT

WAUKEGAN, Ill. — The Waukegan Police Department is asking for the public's help in finding a 21-year-old man who is an active Navy member stationed at Great Lakes Naval Base.Police said Seamus Gray left the Ibiza Bar on North Genesee Street by himself around 1:35 a.m. on March 18 and was last seen on camera in the area of Sheridan Road and Washington Street. Surveillance video captured him leaving the bar, as well as walking along the lakefront. Detectives said Gray did not report back to the naval base. His curfew was 2 a.m.Waukegan Deputy Chief Brian Mullen spoke on why authorities focused their attention near the lakefront. "The video released last night showed Seamus leaving the bar. After he left the bar, he proceeded to the intersection a little east of the bar at Washington Street and Sheridan (Road)," Mullen said. "Overnight, we received some more video from some of the businesses at the marinas that showed Seamus right on the water's edge. So we focused our efforts on searc...

Skeptical US lawmakers grill TikTok CEO over safety, content

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:47:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. lawmakers grilled the CEO of TikTok over data security and harmful content Thursday, responding skeptically during a tense committee hearing to his assurances that the hugely popular video-sharing app prioritizes user safety and should not be banned.Shou Zi Chew's rare public appearance came at a crucial time for the company, which has 150 million American users but is under increasing pressure from U.S. officials. TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, have been swept up in a wider geopolitical battle between Beijing and Washington over trade and technology. In a bipartisan effort to reign in the power of a major social media platform, Republican and Democratic lawmakers pressed Chew on a host of topics, ranging from TikTok’s content moderation practices, how the company plans to secure American data from Beijing, and its spying on journalists.“Mr. Chew, you are here because the American people need the truth about the threat TikTok poses to our na...