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After two escapes, bear from Saint Louis Zoo moving to Texas

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:11 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A young Andean bear who escaped his habitat twice at the Saint Louis Zoo last month will soon have a new home. Ben, an Andean bear, escaped from his enclosure on Feb. 7 and Feb. 23, prompting two brief lockdowns at the zoo. In the near future, Ben will have a new home at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas. Trending: St. Louis rage -- Chicago’s thin-crust pizza featured in the New York Times The Saint Louis Zoo says even though it met all standards to shelter Andean Bears, staff members "focused on Ben’s specific and unique personality to help determine the best home for the young bear" after two escapes. The Gladys Porter Zoo is an AZA-accredited zoo with a long history of working with Andean bears. Their Andean bear habitat includes a moat rather than steel mesh outdoor habitat, which could be a more ideal environment for Ben to roam around. “While we love Ben, and wish he could stay with us, our goal is to do what is best for him,” said Regina Mossotti, Vic...

Trump indictment: Grand jury vote expected Wednesday

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:11 GMT

NEW YORK (NewsNation) — The Manhattan grand jury will not vote Tuesday on whether to indict former President Donald Trump over hush-money payments made on his behalf during his 2016 presidential campaign, sources told NewsNation.The jury expects to vote Wednesday, sources said.Over the weekend, Trump claimed, without any evidence, on his Truth Social platform that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday, and exhorted followers to protest. His representatives later said he was citing media reports and leaks. Previously, there was no indication that prediction would come true, though the grand jury appeared to take an important step forward by hearing Monday from a witness favorable to Trump, presumably so prosecutors could ensure the panel had a chance to consider any testimony that could be remotely seen as exculpatory.The next steps in a grand jury process shrouded in secrecy remained unclear, and it was uncertain if additional witnesses might be summoned.The testimony...

St. Louis has the worst traffic in Missouri, study says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:11 GMT

ST. LOUIS - If you’ve ever waited in bumper-to-bumper traffic in St. Louis, you’re not alone. A new study, released earlier this month by 24/7 Wall St., claims that St. Louis has the worst traffic in Missouri. Using data from INRIX, a traffic data and analytics company, 24/7 Wall St. identified the city with the worst traffic system in all 50 states. A research team evaluated cities and ranked them on criteria like driver’s average speed, congestion levels, and travel during peak hours. Top story: Family makes public plea after missing woman’s car found abandoned The study revealed the following insight on St. Louis traffic:St. Louis drivers spent an average of 17 hours of their life stuck in traffic in 2022. The average commute time in the City of St. Louis is around 23 minutes.There was a 68% increase in change from traffic delays compared to 2021. St. Louis ranked 91st among 280 U.S. cities considered for traffic. On the INRIX scale, which rates U.S. and international ci...

Crisp gnocchi with Brussels sprouts and brown butter recipe

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:11 GMT

By Ali Slagle, The New York TimesFor a fantastic meal that can be ready in 20 minutes, toss together seared gnocchi and sautéed Brussels sprouts with lemon zest, red-pepper flakes and brown butter. The key to this recipe is how you cook the store-bought gnocchi: No need to boil. Just sear them until they are crisp and golden on the outside, and their insides will stay chewy. The resulting texture is reminiscent of fried dough. Shelf-stable and refrigerated gnocchi will both work here, but the shelf-stable ones do crisp up a bit better.Yield: 4 servingsTotal time: 20 minutesIngredients1 pound Brussels sprouts (or cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower or even cabbage)1 lemon4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oilKosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes1 (18-ounce) package shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi6 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced into 6 pieces1/2 teaspoon honeyFreshly grated Parmesan, for servingPreparationRela...

LASD seeks Westlake Village identity thieves

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:11 GMT

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is asking for the public's help in identifying alleged identity thieves in Westlake Village.At Costco on Wednesday evening, one thief bumped into a woman as a distraction while the other stole her wallet from her purse, the LASD said in a news release. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department released this photo of alleged identity thieves who are accused of stealing a woman's wallet at a Costco on March 15, 2023.The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department released this photo of alleged identity thieves who are accused of stealing a woman's wallet at a Costco on March 15, 2023.The pair then tried to buy seven $1,000 gift cards at a nearby Target, though the transactions were declined.Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit lacrimestoppers.org.

Northern California man freed after 6 years held hostage in Africa

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:11 GMT

By DALATOU MAMANE, ERIC TUCKER and KRISTA LARSON | Associated PressNIAMEY, Niger (AP) — An aid worker from Northern California who was held for more than six years by Islamist extremists was freed and flown to Niger’s capital on Monday.The release of Jeffery Woodke came four days after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Niger. Freed at the same time was French journalist Olivier Dubois, who was abducted almost two years ago in neighboring Mali.U.S. officials said no ransom was paid for Woodke, and they praised Niger’s government for helping secure his release. The French government did not comment on how freedom was won for Dubois.“I thank God first of all. And after God, I thank the government of Niger, the U.S. government and France. Long live France!” said Woodke.He added: “I’m very happy to be back in Niamey again, in Niger, my second country, and I’ve nothing more to say apart from, ‘Hello to my family.’ ThatR...

At least one dead after highway 17 crash near Santa Cruz

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:11 GMT

At least one person died Tuesday morning after a traffic collision on northbound highway 17 between Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, according to the California Highway Patrol.Authorities did not immediately release details about the solo-vehicle crash, including when it happened and how many people were in the car. The collision forced a closure of the off-ramp at El Rancho Drive and the northbound right lane. The ramp and lane was expected to re-open in “a few hours,” according to Caltrans.Avoid N/B SR-17 at El Rancho Dr., heavy traffic. El Rancho Dr. off ramp is closed and it’s unknown when it will reopen. CHP is investigating a fatal crash. Use alternate routes. pic.twitter.com/Nze0IwY7tX— CHP Santa Cruz (@CHPscrz) March 21, 2023Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Concord receives $7.9 million grant to achieve zero traffic deaths by 2033 Crashes and Disasters | Horrific crash just off Highway 4 in Antioch claims another life Cra...

Sharks’ Bedard watch is real, but so is need to compete; Quinn talks Reimer

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:11 GMT

Let’s forget about NHL Draft Lottery percentages right now. Let’s forget, just for a few seconds, about Connor Bedard, as blasphemous as that might seem.Before the San Jose Sharks get to the offseason, they still want to at least try and leave a foundation for what they hope will be some brighter days ahead.That’s why the Sharks’ 5-4 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Monday can still be viewed in a somewhat positive light.Yes, the loss was the Sharks’ 12th in 13 games, as they allowed the game-tying goal to Mattias Ekholm with 3:47 left in regulation time and the game-winning goal to Darnell Nurse with less than 15 seconds left in overtime.And for the Bedard-watch crowd, yes, the overtime point moved the Sharks (19-37-15) four points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets for last place in the NHL.But from the Sharks’ own perspective, they needed a game like Monday’s where they showed some more resilience and a bit more pushback. All too often recently, once the Sharks started to ...

Candida auris: Everything you need to know about the deadly fungus spreading across the US

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:11 GMT

By Low De Wei | BloombergA deadly drug-resistant fungus spreading across the US saw a dramatic uptick in cases during the Covid pandemic, with more than half of all states now reporting cases.Candida auris (C. auris) was first described in Japan in 2009, with the earliest known infections in the US dating back to 2013. Cases grew exponentially through the end of 2021, according to a paper published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — which says it poses a serious global health threat — noted that a further 2,377 clinical diagnoses and 5,754 cases identified through screening were reported last year.Here’s everything you need to know about Candida auris:How do you contract Candida auris?Most cases of the fungus have been reported in healthcare settings, such as hospitals and nursing homes. It’s generally thought to be spread through contact with contaminated surfaces or by person to person transmission.What does the fungus do t...

Crews race to fix cracks in eastbound 580 near Livermore

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:11 GMT

LIVERMORE, Calif. (KRON) -- Two lanes of the eastbound Interstate 580 are closed near North Flynn Road in Livermore are closed due to a crack in the lanes, according to Caltrans. The two right lanes are closed while Caltrans crews work to repair the crack. Another storm hits Bay Area: Flood Advisory in effect Caltrans said it is working to repair and reopen the lanes, but that it will not be possible to do so in time for the Monday evening commute. Now, the hope is for crews to make the fix in time for Tuesday's commute, which will be complicated by another atmospheric river storm hitting the Bay Area today.If heavy rain wasn’t bad enough, now here comes the fog. Caltrans crews trying to fix cracks in the two right lanes of eastbound 580 past north Flynn road @kron4news pic.twitter.com/IjY7AUK2OQ— Will Tran (@KRON4WTran) March 21, 2023There is signage in place to notify the public of the lane closure. Drivers are being advised to use alternate routes. "Caltrans thanks the ...