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B.C. fire crews temporarily pulled out as protest tried to ‘overwhelm’ RCMP blockade

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:25 GMT

The BC Wildfire Service has confirmed it temporarily pulled out crews fighting fires in the province’s Shuswap region after protesters showed up at an RCMP roadblock Wednesday evening in what police say was an effort to “overwhelm” the blockade. Police say protesters challenged officers at the blockade on the Trans-Canada Highway, and “threats of violence” against emergency workers had prompted the Mounties to increase their presence there.Some residents of the Shuswap in B.C.’s Interior have been refusing to obey wildfire evacuation orders, prompting officials to warn that they are putting lives at risk, and imperilling firefighting strategies.Videos posted to social media show about 20 protesters at a blockade of police cars in an evacuation zone near the lakeside community of Sorrento.Wildfire service information officer Forrest Tower said at a briefing Thursday that crews fighting the Bush Creek East fire were temporarily reassigned based on i...

Trump is on his way to surrender at a Georgia jail on charges he sought to overturn his 2020 loss

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:25 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump was set to turn himself in Thursday night to authorities in Georgia on charges that he illegally schemed to overturn the 2020 election in that state, a county jail booking expected to yield a historic first: a mug shot of a former American president.Trump’s surrender, coming amid an abrupt shake-up of his legal team, follows the presidential debate in Milwaukee the night before featuring his leading rivals for the 2024 Republican nomination — a contest in which he remains the leading candidate despite broad legal troubles. His presence in Georgia, though likely brief, is swiping the spotlight anew from his opponents after the debate in which they sought to seize on his absence to elevate their own presidential prospects.The Fulton County prosecution is the fourth criminal case against Trump since March, when he became the first former president in U.S. history to be indicted. Since then, he’s faced federal charges in Florida and Washington, an...

1 critical after being rescued from Chicago's Ohio Street Beach

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:25 GMT

CHICAGO — One person is in critical condition after they were rescued Thursday evening from Ohio Street Beach in Chicago, according to the Chicago Fire Department.The person, who hasn't been identified yet, was rescued around 5 p.m. Jury finds Tim Mapes guilty of perjury, attempted obstruction of justice The fire department said they were taken to Northwestern Medical Center in critical condition.Additional details haven't been released at this time.

Businesses, road crews battle Excessive Heat Warning around Chicagoland

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:25 GMT

CHICAGO -- An Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect as dangerous conditions continue across the Chicago area on Thursday.To combat the heat, the Illinois Tollway launched extra hot weather patrols to help stranded drivers as it gets dangerously hot on the side of the road.The tollway added around the clock hot weather patrols who are on the look out for drivers in need of assistance. Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect as dangerous temps continue across Chicago area From overheated radiators to busted tires, the extreme heat can be brutal on vehicles.With cars flying by on the interstates, weather patrol also haul heavy debris out of the road."We don’t want anyone to spend any time stuck or stranded," Illinois Tollway Communications Manager Dan Rozek said.Rozek said between midnight Tuesday and Thursday morning, tollway road patrols checked on or helped around 250 drivers."They’re equipped to change tires provide coolant provide gas to make sure people are able to get back...

Tinley Park, Orland Park residents asked to conserve electricity

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:25 GMT

CHICAGO — ComEd is asking residents in Tinley Park and Orland Park to conserve electricity amid emergency restoration efforts for a piece of equipment in the area. While crews make repairs, the state's largest power provider is asking residents to limit their use of electricity through 7:30 p.m. The issue should not impact other localities, officials added. ComEd offered Tinley Park and Orland Park customers the following tips on how to conserve energy use: Turn it off / Unplug It: Turn off or unplug all unnecessary lighting and devices (chargers, printers, small appliances)Raise your thermostat: Raise the thermostat setting 2-3 degrees and keep thermostats at a constant, comfortable level.Do not use appliances unnecessarily: Hold off on using appliances like dishwashers, washing machines and dryers. Keep shades, blinds and curtains closed: About 40 percent of unwanted heat comes through windows. Simply closing blinds and curtains, which act as a layer of insulat...

Ramaswamy team claps back at Ann Coulter 'Hindu business' tweet

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:25 GMT

(The Hill) — Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign clapped back at conservative commentator Ann Coulter after she described Ramaswamy’s back-and-forth with fellow GOP hopeful Nikki Haley at Wednesday’s debate as “Hindu business.”“Ann can tweet whatever she wants to,” Tricia McLaughlin, Ramaswamy’s communications director, said in a statement to The Hill. “Vivek has traveled this country and is very grateful for the warm support he has received from Christian voters across the country.”  Ramaswamy inserts ‘hoax’ climate talk at debate She added, "Vivek shares and lives by the same Judeo-Christian values that this nation was founded on — and that the way Vivek lives his family life offers a positive example for their own children and grandchildren."Coulter’s post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, came amid a fiery exchange between Ramaswamy and Haley at the first Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday. After Ramaswamy said he did ...

Exceptional drought affecting portion of Central Texas

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:25 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows the latest from the KXAN First Warning Weather team.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Drought conditions in Central Texas intensified dramatically in Thursday's weekly drought update. KXAN First Warning Weather forecast As we bake in Austin's hottest summer on record to date, data from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows the area of Texas impacted by the worst drought classification, "D4 Exceptional Drought", jumped from just 1% last week to 11% this week. Isolated rain showers some recent days are not making any measurable difference in severe drought conditions nor in very low lake and aquifer levels.Camp Mabry has only recorded 1/4" of rain in the last two months. This July was Austin's hottest on record, and August has been record-hot as well -- by a wide margin of 1.6 degrees at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Hot temperatures evaporate moisture more rapidly from the soil, vegetation, and water reservoirs.The U.S. Drought Monitor describes the Exce...

Austin-based startup revolutionizing how amputees control prosthetic limbs

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – An Austin-based neurotech startup is making strides toward revolutionizing the way amputees can interact with their prosthetic limbs. Dr. Connor Glass, CEO and President of Phantom Neuro, said that many companies have developed technology for amputees to control prosthetic limbs through brain implants but that his company is the first to innovate a muscle-machine interface. How it worksInstead of implanting a device into the brain, which Glass said can be “risky,” Phantom Neuro has created a thin sensor device that – after being inserted through a small incision – sits on top of the muscles where it can detect electrical activity from nerves. The sensor is able to pick up that electrical activity and correlate it to the intended movements in the prosthetic limb. “[We are] basically creating an implantable human-machine interface…so that you can control a robotic limb the same way that you can control an intact biological limb,” Glass said.  “We're absolutel...

Listen to two new Prince vault tracks from upcoming ‘Diamonds and Pearls’ box set

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:25 GMT

Prince’s 13th album “Diamonds and Pearls” is his latest project to receive the super deluxe treatment with a box set that boasts 47 previously unreleased songs and more than two hours of previously unseen concert video.Due out Oct. 27, the newly remastered “Diamonds and Pearls” will be available in three formats: the super deluxe edition with 12 LPs and Blu-ray ($349.98) or 7 CDs and Blu-ray ($159.98); a deluxe edition with a bonus disc of remixes on vinyl ($79.98) and CD ($16.98); and standard version on vinyl ($39.98) and CD ($12.98).Thursday, the Prince estate released two tracks from the project to streaming services, the previously unreleased funk number “Alice Through The Looking Glass” and a longer, early version of the album cut “Insatiable,” which features lyrics and instrumentation that were removed from the final version.Released in October 1991, “Diamonds and Pearls” features Prince’s then-new backing band New Power Generation, who share the credit with him o...

Adding Louie Varland to bullpen a timing issue for Twins

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:57:25 GMT

Twins fans who watched the bullpen give up 10 earned runs over 7⅔ innings in a pair of losses in Milwaukee on Tuesday and Wednesday can be forgiven if they were wondering when their team might start bolstering its bullpen with an arm or two from Class AAA St. Paul.Specifically, if they wondered when Louie Varland, a hard-throwing right-hander from Maplewood who is 5-1 with a 2.88 earned-run average in his past 10 starts for the Saints, will return to the staff.“It’s a good question,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said after Wednesday’s 8-7 extra-inning loss to the Brewers. “There is not one answer to that question.”It’s been generally assumed Varland, 25, will return to the active roster toward the end of the regular season, and with a surfeit of starters — Joe Ryan (groin) is expected to return Saturday and join a six-man rotation with Sonny Gray, Pablo Lopez, Kenta Maeda, Bailey Over and Dallas Keuchel — a bullpen role seems mostly likely.But the Twins started Thursday night’s seri...