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Schools reopening, traffic moving again in signs of recovery from Maui fires that killed 110

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:25 GMT

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Public schools on Maui started the process of reopening and traffic resumed on a major access road in signs of recovery a week after wildfires demolished a historic town and killed at least 110 people, while the head of the island’s emergency agency said he had “no regret” that sirens weren’t sounded to warn people about the encroaching flames. At least three schools untouched by flames in Lahaina, where entire neighborhoods were reduced to ash, were still being assessed after sustaining wind damage, said Hawaii Department of Education superintendent Keith Hayashi. The campuses will open when they’re deemed safe. “There’s still a lot of work to do, but overall the campuses and classrooms are in good condition structurally, which is encouraging,” Hayashi said in a video update. “We know the recovery effort is still in the early stages, and we continue to grieve the many lives lost.”Elsewhere on Maui, crews cleaned up ash and debris at schools,...

Second arrest in death of man, 67, in Weston neighbourhood

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:25 GMT

A second person has been arrested in connection with the death of a 67-year-old man in the city’s west end last week.Police were called to the area of Bellevue Crescent and Weston Road just after 6:30 p.m. on August 9 following reports someone had been found dead inside an apartment. An investigation determined the death of Ahmed Hassan was suspicious. On Tuesday, 38-year-old Sonya Ahenakew of Toronto was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Police said the suspect and victim were known to each other but did not elaborate on the exact nature of their relationship.On Wednesday, 29-year-old Kidus Kidane of Toronto was arrested and charged with first-degree murder as well.

New Mexico congressman in swing district seeks health care trust for oil field workers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:25 GMT

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A bill aimed at compensating oil field workers and immediate relatives for uninsured medical costs related to air pollution and heat-related illness has been introduced by a first-term congressman from New Mexico.Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez said Wednesday his bill would require that oil and natural gas companies nationwide pay into a trust that provides reimbursement to workers for health costs associated with ailments linked to methane and smog, including respiratory problems such as asthma.Workers would be eligible to seek reimbursement for costs not covered by private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid, he said. A full draft of the bill as introduced Wednesday was not immediately available.Vasquez said the proposal is an outgrowth of concerns he has heard from oil field workers in southeastern New Mexico — and his observations about extensive profits and executive compensation among major petroleum companies. New Mexico is the nation’s second-larges...

Armenia and Azerbaijan clash over plight of 120,000 people in Nagorno-Karabakh facing food crisis

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:25 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Armenia and Azerbaijan clashed at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council Wednesday over the plight of the 120,000 people in the Nagorno-Karabakh region that Armenia says are blockaded by Azerbaijan and facing a humanitarian crisis.Armenia asked for the meeting saying Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting mainly Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia since July 15, had left its people with dwindling food, medicine and electricity.Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan, but the region and substantial territory around it came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces who were backed by the Armenian military in separatist fighting that ended in 1994. Azerbaijan regained control of the surrounding territory in a six-week war with Armenia in 2020, and the Russian-brokered armistice left the Lachin Corridor as Nagorno-Karabakh’s only connection to Armenia.At the council meeting, many countries urged Azerbaijan to i...

Armored vehicle robbed at Lansing Chase Bank ATM, FBI says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:25 GMT

LANSING, Ill. — An armored vehicle was robbed at a Chase Bank ATM in Lansing Wednesday morning, according to the FBI.FBI officials said three armed, thin male suspects approached a person who was accessing the ATM outside the Chase Bank at 16767 Torrence Avenue, where they verbally demanded money from the ATM with guns displayed.Photos of a person being robbed by three armed suspects at a Lansing Chase Bank ATM Thursday morning (Courtesy: FBI)The FBI describes one suspect as wearing black pants, a black hoodie, white tennis shoes, and black gloves, while describing a second suspect as wearing black pants, a green hoodie, a backpack, gloves, and white tennis shoes, and a third suspect as wearing black pants, a gray hoodie, tennis shoes, black gloves, and a black mask. ‘Jersey Shore’ DJ Pauly D, White Sox Liam Hendriks to host ‘Be The Match’ tailgate event No injuries were reported from the robbery and the suspects are considered still at-large.Anyone with information that can aid t...

Illinois, fresh off bowl trip and 8-win season, has 'unfinished business' as opener draws near

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:25 GMT

By most measures, the 2022 season was a good one for the Illinois football team.The Illini finished 8-5 in coach Bret Bielema's second year after 10 straight losing seasons, placed second in the Big Ten West, played in a bowl game for the first time since 2019 and had four NFL draft picks.Losing four of the final five games, including the ReliaQuest Bowl against Mississippi State, left a sour taste.“We’ve got a lot of unfinished business,” Bielema said. “But I like where we’re at. I love the influx of talent. I’ve never felt more engaged with our roster. I like the way the players are being developed and coached, and the way the players are reacting to our coaches."Receiver Isaiah Williams said this is the most confident team he’s been on in his five years at Illinois.“But we also have a chip on our shoulder,” he said. “We had a good season last year, but we left a lot of wins out there.”Williams came to Illinois as a quarterback. He switched to receiver after the 2020 season and ha...

Northwestern coach says he's 'really confident' Wildcats will be cheered at home despite scandal

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:25 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Northwestern interim coach David Braun says he's “really confident” the Wildcats will hear more cheers than jeers, at least at home. He expects a warm reception for the first game at Ryan Field despite a hazing and abuse scandal that has also engulfed other men's and women's teams at the school.“I certainly hope that this community, our alumni, all those that are associated with Northwestern University and Northwestern athletics will come out and show full support for 103 young men that have worked their butts off over the course of the last four weeks and have come together to do something really special,” Braun said Wednesday. “To be honest with you, I'm really confident that that's exactly what's gonna happen."Northwestern opens the season with a Sunday afternoon game at Rutgers on Sept. 3, and hosts UTEP six days later.The Wildcats know they could be in for some pointed taunting when they go on the road this season. How they'll be received at home is also i...

How Vivek Ramaswamy went from biotech millionaire to GOP candidate

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:25 GMT

(NewsNation) — Vivek Ramaswamy, 38, is now the youngest major Republican presidential candidate after acquiring a significant fortune during his twenties and thirties.On the campaign trail, he focuses on "anti-woke" policy. Ramaswamy has said the United States has become a place full of “victims” and that the country has lost its purpose and its focus on faith, patriotism, hard work and family. How Vivek Ramaswamy is pushing — delicately — to win over Trump supporters Born in Ohio to immigrant parents from India, he earned a biology degree from Harvard University and then finished a J.D. at Yale Law School. Ramaswamy has no prior experience in politics. He spent his twenties investing in pharma companies at hedge fund QVT Financial and made partner when he was 28, Forbes reports. Forbes estimates his net worth is at least $630 million. He has accumulated a fortune thanks to his biotech firm Roivant Sciences, which he launched nine years ago. Ramaswamy joined NewsNation on Monday n...

Lawsuit says Brita misled users about ability to filter out 'forever chemicals,' more

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:25 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – A lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles claims that water filtration company Brita allegedly misled users about the ability of its popular products to remove a number of hazardous contaminants from tap water, including "forever chemicals," or PFAS, which may cause cancer.The proposed class action suit claims that Brita, by "falsely, misleadingly, and deceptively marketing" their products "sought to take advantage of consumers' need for safe and clean drinking water." Drinking water from nearly half of US faucets contains potentially harmful chemicals, study finds The lawsuit alleges that while Brita claimed their filters would reduce numerous contaminants, including mercury, chlorine, lead, benzene, copper "and more" for "cleaner, great-tasting water," the company mislead consumers by omitting some of the "highest risk, notorious, or prevalent contaminants," such as PFAS, arsenic, nitrate and uranium, among others.PFAS, which have been linked to a number of serious il...

Amid wildfire aftermath, should you travel to Maui?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:25 GMT

HONOLULU (KHON) -- The fires on Maui have created a chaotic situation. At this point, recovery crews are sifting through the ashes to locate bodies and to determine the extent of the damage, both to life and property. This has led to a bit of chaos when it comes to whether or not you need to travel to Maui for a holiday or vacation.So, should you continue with your plans and go to Maui? Continuing coverage of the Hawaii fires The best answer is that it depends on where you are going.According to the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association, there is a great deal of chaos swirling around both the short-term and long-term impacts of the fires. "There’s still too much uncertainty to accurately assess the condition of the affected areas, let alone the state of the visitor industry or the status of specific hotel properties and attractions," said Mufi Hannemann, President and CEO of HLTA. Where will Maui students, teachers go? As of Wednesday, Aug. 16, Maui County officials p...