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Wildfire triggers evacuation order for Tumbler Ridge, B.C.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:52 GMT

VANCOUVER — An encroaching wildfire has set off an immediate evacuation order Thursday for residents of the British Columbia District of Tumbler Ridge, a community of 2,400 people in northeastern B.C.The district said in a message issued by the B.C. Emergency Alert system that residents needed to leave the area immediately due to the risk to life. The wildfire, called the West Kiskatinaw River fire, was only discovered on June 6 but has grown to 96 square kilometres in size.Joline Couture, a Canadian Ranger living in Tumbler Ridge, said in an phone interview that smoke was heavy as she prepared to go door-to-door to ensure people were aware of the alert and had started to leave.“We’re remote, surrounded by forests all over. I think the town is well rehearsed on how to take fire orders because there’s no chaos, there’s no speeding,” she said. “It seems that everybody is remaining calm.”Couture said the remote community is surrounded by forest...

Biden picks longtime transportation official as acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has picked a longtime government official and current top aide in the Transportation Department to serve as acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.The White House said Thursday that Polly Trottenberg replaced Billy Nolen, who indicated in April that he planned to leave the FAA.Trottenberg held a high-ranking job in the Transportation Department during the Obama administration and has most recently been deputy to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. She headed the New York City Transportation Department from 2014 to 2020 and worked as a U.S. Senate aide and at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.The FAA, which manages air traffic throughout the nation, has been without a Senate-confirmed leader since March of last year, when Stephen Dickson resigned halfway through his five-year term. Since then, the agency has faced understaffing of air traffic controllers, a technical outage that grounded flights nationwide in...

James Watt, sharp-tongued and pro-development Interior secretary under Reagan, dies at 85

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:52 GMT

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — James Watt, the Reagan administration’s sharp-tongued, pro-development interior secretary who was beloved by conservatives but ran afoul of environmentalists, Beach Boys fans and eventually the president, has died. He was 85.Watt died in Arizona on May 27, son Eric Watt said in a statement Thursday.In an administration divided between so-called pragmatists and hard-liners, few stood as far to the right at the time as Watt, who once labeled the environmental movement as “preservation vs. people” and the general public as a clash between “liberals and Americans.”In that sense, Watt foreshadowed combative Interior secretaries like Ryan Zinke and David Bernhardt, who, like Watt, aggressively pushed to grant oil, gas and coal leases on public land, increase offshore drilling and limit expansion of national parks and monuments. “While no one’s death should be celebrated, he was the worst of MAGA before it was invented,” tweeted David Donger of the environmental...

Utah man sues Alaska troopers, says his job offer was yanked after revealing HIV status

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:52 GMT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A Salt Lake City man who says his job offer to become an Alaska State Trooper was rescinded after he disclosed he was HIV positive filed a lawsuit in state court Thursday to get his position on the statewide police force and to prevent others from suffering similar alleged discrimination.The lawsuit was filed electronically by Anchorage civil rights attorney Caitlin Shortell on behalf of a man only identified as John Doe, whose HIV is undetectable and untransmissible. “There are no reservations about his ability to do the duties of the job, and he is completely fit,” Shortell said, adding he can work without accommodations. Doe “seeks to challenge the constitutionality of the Alaska State Troopers’ rescission of a job offer based on his being a person who lives with HIV, in light of medical advancements that render HIV status irrelevant to a person’s ability to meet the criteria for entry and service at Alaska State Troopers in any capacity,” the lawsuit sta...

Future interest rate decisions will be taken one at a time, says BoC deputy governor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:52 GMT

OTTAWA — After announcing a rate hike this week, Bank of Canada deputy governor Paul Beaudry says the central bank plans to take future interest rate decisions one at a time. Beaudry made the comments in a news conference on Thursday, which followed a speech he delivered to the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce.The deputy governor’s public appearance comes one day after the central bank announced it was raising its key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point, ending its pause on rate hikes and bringing the rate to 4.75 per cent.The move fuelled speculation among economists that another rate hike is on the way next month, but Beaudry said nothing is predetermined.“Every decision is taken one at a time at this point,” Beaudry said.“There’s a set of data that we’ll be looking at, we made that clear. And then we let the markets make their bets.”The decision to raise interest rates again wasn’t completely unexpected, given a rec...

RECALL: Chocolate snacks sold at Dollar General may contain peanuts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:52 GMT

(WGN-TV/NEXSTAR) — Chicago-based Regal Health Food International, Inc., is recalling some tubs of its chocolate-covered raisins over concerns they may contain undeclared peanuts, a known allergen. The item was sold at Dollar General stores.The affected items are: Regal Gourmet Snacks Milk Chocolate Raisins in 16-ounce clear tubs, Regal says. Labels on top of the lids contain UPC 028744201002, while a Best By date of 4/7/24 can be found on the container bottom. Red Lobster Crabfest back after 4 years — with $5 martinis According to Regal, the products were distributed through Dollar General Distribution Centers in Scottsville, Kentucky; Jonesville, South Carolina; Blair, Nebraska; South Boston, Virginia; and Ardmore, Oklahoma. Customers who have the recalled products should throw them away or return the items to the location of purchase.Regal Gourmet Snacks Milk Chocolate Raisins, which were sold at Dollar General stores across the U.S., are being recalled over concerns they may co...

Thief caught on camera stealing plants from porch of Ravenswood home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:52 GMT

CHICAGO — A brazen theft caught on camera in Ravenswood has puzzled some plant lovers. Video obtained by WGN News shows an unidentified man stealing potted herbs — not once, but twice — from the porch of a home in the 4900 block of N. Winchester Ave. last Friday around 3:10 a.m. ‘We will destroy you’: Northwest Indiana man accused of showing up to Taylor Swift’s residence, stalking Security footage captures a man sitting on the home's front steps and seemingly scanning the surrounding area before snatching two potted plants. The man later returns to the house to steal two more plants. Block Club Chicago reports the man made off with potted basil, dill, thyme, and lettuce.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesCPD detectives are investigating.

Blackhawks, Athanasiou agree to 2-year, $8.5 million contract

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:52 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — The rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks locked in one of their top scorers, agreeing to a two-year, $8.5 million contract with forward Andreas Athanasiou on Thursday.The 28-year-old Athanasiou tied for the team lead with 20 goals and ranked third with 40 points in his first season with Chicago. He matched career highs with four game-winning goals and three power-play goals.The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Athanasiou has 125 goals and 111 assists in 459 games with the Detroit Red Wings (2015-20), Edmonton Oilers (2020), Los Angeles Kings (2020-22) and Blackhawks.Chicago went 26-49-7 and finished last in the Central Division. The Blackhawks dealt Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers prior to the trade deadline and announced in April they would not re-sign Jonathan Toews, parting with two players who led them to Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015.___

APD investigating deadly accidental shooting in northwest Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department is investigating a deadly accidental shooting that occurred early Wednesday morning in northwest Austin, the agency said in a news release Thursday.Shortly before 3 a.m., officers responded to the shooting at a home in the 6800 block of West Courtyard Drive, the release said. Austin-Travis County EMS also responded to the scene, and along with on-scene officers, found the victim, Parsa Danesh, with "obvious trauma to his body," police said.Danesh died on the scene, according to police. MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2023? Investigators believe Danesh's death resulted from an accidental shooting, the release said. Additionally, police said no charges will be filed at this time after consulting with the Travis County District Attorney's Office.The case remains as an open investigation, police said.Anyone with any information should contact APD's Homicide Unit at (512) 974-TIPS. You may submit your tip anonymously through ...

Austin City Council votes to extend Downtown Austin Community Court services to entire city

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:11:52 GMT

Austin (KXAN) — The Austin City Council approved starting the process to expand the service area of its Downtown Austin Community Court, and possibly increase its funding. The court serves as a homeless diversion program and would serve the entire city not just downtown.A memo from the City of Austin earlier this month shared recommendations the DACC submitted for consideration in the next fiscal year.The recommendations formed at a DACC Advisory Board meeting in March included adding two clinical case managers to its staff, securing a permanent facility for the DACC, and providing ongoing funding for its currently employed clinical case managers as well as maintaining the Violet KeepSafe Storage Program.The total cost of these budget recommendations as listed is $2,856,400.Natasha Harper-Madison, Austin City Council member for District 1, said the expansion would support homelessness prevention efforts in the city."We will ensure that no matter where you live, downtown Pleasant Val...