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Montana Superfund town’s health clinic accused of submitting false asbestos claims

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:12:08 GMT

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A major U.S. railroad found liable for spreading hazardous asbestos that killed hundreds of people in a Montana town tried to convince a federal jury during closing arguments Wednesday that a local clinic submitted more than 1,000 asbestos claims for people who weren’t sick, earning them government benefits and bilking taxpayer funds.The case focuses on the Center For Asbestos Related Disease in Libby, Montana, and the health clinic’s high-profile doctor, Brad Black, who has been at the forefront of efforts to help residents of the town, which came to national prominence when it was declared a deadly Superfund site in 2000.Since 2003, Black and the CARD clinic have certified more than 3,400 people, primarily from the Libby area, with asbestos-related diseases, according to court documents.BNSF Railway — controlled by billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate — alleged during a trial in Missoula that more than half the certifications we...

World entering ‘period of uncertainty’ as AI makes advances: Hinton

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:12:08 GMT

TORONTO — The so-called ‘godfather of artificial intelligence’ said the world is entering a period of huge uncertainty as the technology he pioneered gets even smarter, more ubiquitous and in need of people working to counter its risks.“We have to take seriously the possibility that they get to be smarter than us, which seems quite likely, and they have goals of their own, which seems quite likely,” Geoffrey Hinton said at the Collision tech conference in Toronto on Wednesday.“They may well develop the goal of taking control, and if they do that we’re in trouble.”Hinton, who won the A.M. Turing Award, known as the Nobel Prize of computing, in 2018 with Yoshua Bengio and Yann LeCun, has been ringing alarm bells about AI for months as it has been adopted by more companies in the wake of ChatGPT’s creation.The generative AI chatbot capable of humanlike conversations and tasks was developed by San Francisco-based OpenAI and joins an AI rac...

How to keep your pets safe from wildfire smoke

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:12:08 GMT

As wildfire smoke makes an expected but unwelcome comeback to Toronto, it’s important to take precautions not only for ourselves but for our furry friends as well.Smoke can pose serious health risks to pets, just as it does to humans, and the Toronto Humane Society (THS) is providing some guidelines on how to keep them safe.“The first really important thing is just to stay informed,” says Greg Ratelle from THS. “[Make sure we’re] following Environment Canada, making sure we understand when air quality is the worst and then making sound decisions for our little ones,” he says.Pets need the same protection as humans, so staying indoors as much as possible, closing doors and windows and using air purifiers will be beneficial for them as well. But while animals like cats, rabbits and hamsters may fare well without outdoor activities, dogs must be walked.Ratelle offers the following tips to keep them safe if you must go outside:Reduce exposure by taking shor...

Presumed human remains recovered from Titan wreckage, Coast Guard says

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:12:08 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - Potential human remains have been found in the recovered wreckage of the Titan submersible, which returned to land Wednesday, according to authorities. A formal analysis of the "presumed human remains" will be conducted by U.S. medical professionals, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release. Five people were killed when the submersible imploded earlier this month: Ocean Gate CEO and pilot Stockton Rush; two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.Debris from the vessel was found on the Atlantic Ocean's floor last Thursday, roughly 1,600 feet from the Titanic and about 12,500 feet underwater. How long had the Titan journeyed before its ‘catastrophic implosion’? The submersible, belonging to OceanGate, Inc., suffered a “catastrophic implosion” less than two hours after it began its underwater journey to the Titanic's wreckage, authorities determined...

UPS Teamsters say nationwide strike is 'imminent' if Friday deadline not met

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:12:08 GMT

The Teamsters working for shipping giant UPS said a strike is “imminent” after walking away from the bargaining table. The UPS Teamsters said in a statement late Wednesday it gave UPS a one-week notice Tuesday to “act responsibly and exchange a stronger economic proposal” to more than 340,000 employees of the shipping company. The Teamsters demanded that UPS delivers its “last, best and final offer” to the union by Friday. “The largest single-employer strike in American history now appears inevitable,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a statement. “Executives at UPS, some of whom get tens of millions of dollars a year, do not care about the hundreds of thousands of American workers who make this company run,” he said.A UPS truck makes deliveries May 10 in Northbrook, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)Earlier this month, UPS agreed to “equip all newly purchased U.S. small package delivery vehicles with air conditioning” in 2024.The company also promised to...

Iowa woman who lost home in tornado wins $2 million lottery prize

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:12:08 GMT

CLIVE, Iowa (WHO) - An Ottumwa woman who lost her home in a 2001 tornado has won the Iowa Lottery's $2 million Powerball prize. Tammy Gordy, 56, and her husband Steve lived in Agency in 2001 when the community was damaged by a tornado. The Gordys lost their home in that storm. Tammy told the Iowa Lottery that she plans to use her winnings to finish building their new home. Can you increase your odds of winning Powerball? "We were in the process of building a home and it kind of got put on hold for a few years, so now this is going to speed it up," she said. "And it's going to go into better details. I'm talking a walk-in closet and a Jacuzzi tub!"Tammy purchased her ticket at the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh in the 1000 block of North Quincy Ave. in Ottumwa. Her ticket matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball in Saturday's drawing. Tammy added the Power Play, which multiplied her winnings to $2 million. "I fell to my chair," she said, recounting the moment she realized ...

Shelter-in-place at Austin Community College lifted after reports of man with machete

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:12:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A shelter-in-place order was lifted at the Austin Community College Eastview location after previous reports of a man near campus armed with a machete, according to the ACC District Twitter.Shortly after 5 p.m., ACC posted on Twitter writing the campus was under a shelter-in-place until further notice.However, after approximately 15 minutes, ACC posted another tweet writing the order was lifted at Eastview, and police issued an all-clear.The campus returned to normal operations effective immediately, according to ACC.

APH monitoring malaria situation following a locally-acquired infection in Texas

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:12:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Public Health said the entity is going to continue to “monitor the situation” after a Texas resident who had not traveled outside the state or country became infected with malaria. Malaria is a serious, potentially fatal disease caused by a parasite that can be transmitted to a human through the bite of a mosquito. According to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, this is the first locally acquired case in Texas in almost 30 years. Texan diagnosed with malaria after working outdoors in Cameron County The infected man reportedly works outdoors and lives in Cameron County – around 330 miles from Austin – per the DSHS.  The CDC reported he has received treatment and his condition is improving.“In Texas, we, on average – according to the [DSHS] – see 120 or so cases a year that are related to persons who have traveled to areas where malaria is present,” said Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin Public Health Medical Director. The highest transmission of the d...

Heat relief, daily rain chances by the 4th of July

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:12:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Temperatures are trending downward 1-2 degrees each afternoon, slowly and steadily bringing relief from this unusual early summer heatwave and bringing a more typical 4th of July forecast.A Heat Advisory and Excessive Heat Warning continue for much of the area this evening as heat and humidity continue at unusual levels for early summer.Heat alerts continue for most of the area WednesdayThe powerful heat dome responsible for the prolonged June heat wave will finally shift east and weaken late week into the weekend. This displacement will allow high temperatures to drop slightly each day, falling below 100° in Austin by early next week.This change in pattern will also allow low daily rain chances to return beginning Sunday. A few isolated storms are possible through the July 4th holiday, with wetter weather possibly persisting through next week.6-10 day precipitation outlookSummer Fan DriveOur Summer Fan Drive is underway! Please click here to find out how you can ma...

Leander ISD student wins national high school musical award

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:12:08 GMT

LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) -- Leander ISD high school student Langston Lee won the award for best actor at The Jimmy Awards in New York Monday, Leander ISD said on Twitter.The National High School Musical Theatre Awards, known as The Jimmy Awards, elevates the importance of theatre arts education in schools and rewards excellence in student performance, the website said.According to the NHSMTA website, Lee was presented the award for 'Best Performance by an Actor' representing Heller Awards for Young Artists.Lee starred in Rouse High School's production of 'Anastasia' this past school year and received 'Best Actor' at the Heller Awards for Young Artists in Austin, according to Leander ISD.The Heller Awards for Young Artists boosts visibility for high school musical theatre programs and generates an event that builds community, while celebrating the hard work and talent of thousands of students and teachers in the Greater Austin area, according to the Heller Awards for Young Artists websi...