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Northeast winter storm knocks out power, closes schools

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:42:14 GMT

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (AP) — A winter storm dumped heavy, wet snow in parts of the Northeast on Tuesday, causing tens of thousands of power outages, widespread school closings, dangerous road conditions and a plane to slide off a taxiway.The storm’s path included parts of New England, upstate New York, northeastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey. Snow totals by the time it winds up Wednesday were expected to range from a few inches to a few feet, depending on the area.Heavy, wet snow made driving treacherous in the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, weighing down tree limbs and causing several spinouts. The storm dumped at least a foot of wintry mix in some areas.Further east in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, Jean Guerrer said the heavy wet snow made it too dangerous for him to drive to work as a Boston-based taxi driver.Peter Davis, a semiretired commercial roofer, relished in the snowstorm, breaking out his new snow blower in an area that, until now, has had little snow. But ...

Abortion pill access case: Judge wants ‘less advertisement’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:42:14 GMT

A federal judge overseeing a high-stakes case that could threaten access to medication abortion across the nation told lawyers not to publicize upcoming arguments in the lawsuit, in a move experts say is outside the norm in the U.S. judicial system.U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk — who was appointed by former President Donald Trump and is known for conservative views — told attorneys during a status conference by telephone on Friday that because the case has prompted death threats and protests, “less advertisement of this hearing is better,” according to a transcript of the meeting.“And because of limited security resources and staffing, I will ask that the parties avoid further publicizing the date of the hearing,” Kacsmaryk said, according to the transcript released Tuesday. “This is not a gag order but just a request for courtesy given the death threats and harassing phone calls and voicemails that this division has received.”Kacsmaryk did not specify who made threats.“We w...

‘A transformational decision’: Alberta requiring body cameras for all police services

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:42:14 GMT

EDMONTON — The Alberta government is planning to require all police services in the province to use body cameras. Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said Tuesday that officers often respond to complex calls and make split-second decisions. That can raise concerns from the public about officers’ actions and whether appropriate force was used. “Mandating police to wear body-worn cameras is a transformational decision that will ensure all interactions with officers are objective,” Ellis said.“Police are responding to complex calls that may involve vulnerable Albertans, that are experiencing mental health crisis, suffering from addiction or having difficult moments in their life that is clouding their decision-making skills.”Ellis said the provincial government will be working with the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police on funding, logistics and when the cameras will roll out. He said the association is to develop a mandate over the next few months to &...

My statement stands, Supreme Court justice says of alleged ‘unwanted touching’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:42:14 GMT

WASHINGTON — Supreme Court Justice Russell Brown continues to insist he did nothing wrong prior to an alleged altercation in Arizona that triggered a complaint to the Canadian Judicial Council.A lawyer for Brown says the justice has nothing to add after a police report alleged “unwanted touching” of a female guest during a Jan. 28 encounter at a Scottsdale resort lounge.In the report, the complainant, Jon Crump, accuses Brown of being intoxicated and hitting on Crump’s female companions. Crump told police he punched the judge “a few times” in the face.One of those companions told police Brown kissed her on the cheek “once or twice,” placed his hand on the small of her back and touched her on the leg.The police report says she denied being touched in a “sexual way” but answered “yes” when the officer asked if Brown’s alleged behaviour constituted “unwanted touching.” In a statement Friday, Brown descr...

Never-before-seen James Webb Space Telescope image released during SXSW

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:42:14 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas — NASA's James Webb Space Telescope team unveiled a never-before-seen Webb image during their South by Southwest (SXSW) keynote panel: Unfold the Universe.According to NASA, "the rare sight of a Wolf-Rayet star – among the most luminous, most massive, and most briefly detectable stars known – was one of the first observations made by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in June 2022. Webb shows the star, WR 124, in unprecedented detail with its powerful infrared instruments. The star is 15,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius."The panel featured experts from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency who discussed the Webb team's "latest scientific discoveries and how this observatory will continue to explore the uncharted territories of our cosmos," according to NASA. Chicago man files class action suit against Buffalo Wild Wings, says boneless wings are just nuggets The image, along with a full article, was also released on NASA’...

‘A true toxicant’: Oil refinery dumps tons of polluted wastewater into Lake Michigan

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:42:14 GMT

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A new analysis of industry data maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that five of the worst wastewater polluters in the American oil refinery industry are in the Great Lakes region and one of them dumps directly into Lake Michigan.The analysis was released in January by the Environmental Integrity Project, a nonprofit organization that bills itself as a watchdog to make sure the EPA properly enforces environmental laws.In “Oil’s Unchecked Outfalls,” the EIP reports the 81 oil refineries across the country released 1.6 billion pounds of chlorides, sulfates and other dissolved solids in its wastewater in 2021. That doesn’t include the 10,000 pounds of nickel, 60,000 pounds of selenium and 15.7 million pounds of nitrogen that drew the focus of the study.While the EPA organizes the information, EIP Executive Director Eric Shaeffer told News 8 that the data is actually collected by the individual oil refineries and submitted to the age...

Maryland governor unveils plan to phase out new gas-powered cars

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:42:14 GMT

(The Hill) – Maryland will become the latest state to adopt the clean-car rules that originated in California, phasing out new gas-powered car sales by 2035, Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced Monday.The Advanced Clean Cars II rule, first implemented in California in 2022 under a provision of the Clean Air Act, allows states to impose stricter car standards than their federal counterparts. The standards are not retroactive to existing cars or to used car sales.“Today, we’re talking about a major transformation that is going to define this administration—and that’s how we turn Maryland from a state powered by oil and gas to a state powered by clean energy,” Moore said in a statement. “I am confident that the state of Maryland can and will lead the clean energy revolution.”Projections by the state Department of the Environment estimates that under the rule, Maryland will see 383,000 fewer sales of new gas-powered vehicles by the end of the decade. The state could also see lower carbon dioxi...

Can I share weed in Illinois?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:42:14 GMT

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Recreational marijuana has been legal in Illinois for three years, and it has been an economical boon, soaring past $1.5 billion in 2022.While marijuana has been sharing the wealth in the state, many residents might be wondering if they can share the drug with their friends and family. Can I bring weed purchased in Illinois to other states? Like alcohol, the legal age to partake in Illinois is 21 or older. This is the same for marijuana in the state, according to the EarthMed.While residents can share the recreational drug if the person is 21, they may not accept any payment for gifting marijuana.There were 113 licensed cannabis dispensaries in Illinois in January, with an additional 189 in the process of being approved.

56lbs of marijuana flown into Indianapolis airport in 9-day span

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:42:14 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS — Four Indianapolis men are accused of flying into the Indianapolis airport with 10 or more pounds of marijuana stowed away in their luggage. Joel Shavers, Mikhail Williams and Keenan Thomas face one count of dealing marijuana in at least 10 pounds, a Level 5 felony in the state of Indiana. Keith Williams also faces one count of dealing marijuana as a Level 5 felony, but was also charged with dealing in a scheduled one controlled substance, a Level 2 felony, due to psilocybin mushrooms also being found in his luggage. Can you bring marijuana on a plane through a TSA checkpoint? According to court records, both Shavers, Mikhail Williams and Thomas flew back to Indianapolis from San Francisco with vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana smuggled in their luggage. Both Shavers and Mikhail Williams were caught on Feb. 27 after a police K9 sniffed out the drugs in their luggage. Police claim Shavers had 18 pounds of marijuana in his luggage along with another 10.5 grams in his ba...

Dog dies in California fire caused by lithium-ion battery overheating 

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:42:14 GMT

A structure fire in Venice Beach on Sunday morning claimed the life of a business owner’s dog, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The fire started at 1 19th Avenue in Venice Beach around 9:30 a.m. due to a lithium-ion battery overheating and spread to two adjacent businesses.  2 more children die after a Montclare house fire at a Chicago firefighter’s home Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames in 35 minutes with no injuries reported, according to LAFD.  Due to the narrow streets and limited access, residents and the public are requested to avoid the area while LAFD workers are still on scene.