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Rapidly spreading ‘Rabbit Fire’ continues to scorch over 7,500 acres in Riverside County; remains 25 percent contained 

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:43 GMT

The “Rabbit Fire” that broke out on Friday night is continuing to spread and force evacuations near Beaumont. According to fire officials, the blaze has torched 7,600 acres and is 25 percent contained. Mountainsides near the 79 Freeway were seen charred by the wildfires as early as 6 a.m. Sunday morning, and authorities confirmed that flames did briefly cross the freeway late Saturday night before crews were able to contain them. The two biggest challenges firefighters face are accessing the remote area that the fire is spreading through and mitigating the effects of the large amounts of dry brush in the area, but fighting the blaze at night is proving to be a key tactic in extinguishing it. “As the earth cools down, the wind will go in the reverse direction of where it was coming to,” said Cal Fire Deputy Chief Lucas Spelman. “In this area we’ve been having fires over and over the last few weeks because of the heat and how dry it is.” The “Rabbit Fire” that brok...

Spain captain apologizes after haka video is criticized by indigenous Maori before Women’s World Cup

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:43 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Spain captain Ivana Andres has apologized to the Maori people of New Zealand for a video showing four members of her country’s Women’s World Cup squad mocking the traditional haka which was shared a week ago on social media.The video was posted shortly after the team’s arrival in New Zealand but was removed when experts of Maori culture and protocol condemned it as disrespectful.Andres read a statement of apology Monday to elders and members of the local Rangitane O Manawatu iwi (tribe) at a powhiri (greeting) ceremony in the North Island city of Palmerston North, where the Spain squad is based.She also presented a Spain playing shirt with the word Papaioea, the Maori name for Palmerston North, to tribal elders.The Real Madrid center back spoke in Spanish during the almost hour-long greeting ceremony. Her words were translated into English.“We’ve only been in Aotearoa New Zealand for a few days and we have so much to learn about your culture,” An...

Traffic on key bridge connecting Crimea to Russia’s mainland halted amid reports of explosions

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:43 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Traffic on the key bridge connecting Crimea to Russia’s mainland has been halted amid reports of explosions.The governor of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, announced the closure early Monday but did not specify the reason.News reports said local residents heard explosions before dawn, but there was no confirmation.The 19-kilometer (12-mile) bridge that was opened in 2018 is the main land connection between Russia and the Crimean peninsula.The bridge that spans the Kerch Strait was damaged in October by a truck bomb and required months of repairs before resuming full service. The bridge carries both road and rail traffic and is an important supply artery for Russia’s war in Ukraine.Source

Editorial: Biden cracks down on affordable health insurance

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:43 GMT

Barack Obama earned his place in Bartlett’s during the Obamacare debate with his famous fib, “If you like your doctor, you’ll be able to keep your doctor.” Now it turns out that Joe Biden uttered a similar whopper when he told an Iowa audience in 2019 that, under his health care agenda, “if in fact you have private insurance, you can keep it.”The Biden administration recently announced a crackdown on what progressives describe as “junk” health insurance coverage. Democrats have long sought such an edict because these bare-bones private plans tend to attract younger, healthier adults who prefer not to pay more expensive premiums on the Obamacare exchange.But if the goal is to limit the number of uninsured Americans, why take away this option? The answer is that Obamacare hasn’t turned out to be as affordable as promised.Recall that the Affordable Care Act initially demanded that all adults sign up for health insurance coverage under the threat of financial penalty. The aim was to for...

Man, 65, dragged by vehicle after struck in Hillcrest alley

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:43 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A 65-year-old man was hospitalized Sunday morning after a vehicle struck and dragged him about 30 feet through a Hillcrest alley, San Diego police said.Around 11:38 a.m., the man was lying on a mattress in the west alley of 3800 Park Blvd., authorities said, when a vehicle traveling eastbound on University Avenue made a right turn into the alley and struck the man.The driver, described as a 48-year-old man, dragged him with the vehicle. According to SDPD, the 65-year-old was dragged about 30 feet before the driver realized. 1 arrested at DUI checkpoint in Chula Vista SDPD said he sustained 2nd and 3rd degree burns in the incident, as well as a fractured femur. He was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, and his current condition is not known.The identities of both people involved have not been disclosed by law enforcement.The series of events that led to the incident remain under investigation by the SDPD Traffic Division. Anyone with information related to...

South Korea’s death toll from destructive rainstorm grows to 40 as workers search for survivors

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:43 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Heavy downpours lashed South Korea a ninth day on Monday as rescue workers struggled to search for survivors in landslides, buckled homes and swamped vehicles in the most destructive storm to hit the country this year.At least 40 people have died, 34 others are injured and more than 10,000 people have had to evacuate from their homes since July 9, when heavy rain started pounding the country. The severest damage has been concentrated in South Korea’s central and southern regions.In the central city of Cheongju, hundreds of rescue workers, including divers, continued to search for survivors in a muddy tunnel where about 15 vehicles, including a bus, got trapped in a flash flood that may have filled up the passageway within minutes Saturday evening.The government has deployed nearly 900 rescue workers to the tunnel, who have so far pulled up 13 bodies and rescued nine people who were treated for injuries. It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were...

International Court of Justice rejects Armenia’s request for Azerbaijani troops to withdraw from border

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:43 GMT

On 14 July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) published its decision to unanimously reject Armenia’s request for Azerbaijan “to “[w]ithdraw any and all personnel deployed on or along the Lachin Corridor since 23 April 2023 and refrain from deploying any such personnel on or along the Lachin Corridor”. Armenia had made a request for the Court to modify its February 2023 Order in May this year. The request was rejected unanimously by the 15 ICJ judges.See the statement issued by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov welcoming the Court’s and stating that “Azerbaijan has a right to control its own borders. The ICJ rejected Armenia’s request to issue an order that would deny our country an inherent aspect of our sovereignty. The below request by Armenia was unanimously rejected. The best response to Armenia’s falsehoods.”Some key points from the Court's order are:Armenia’s attempts to spin the Court’s decision into a “win” and “reaffi...

Emeryville: One shot during attempted armed robbery in Bank of America parking lot

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:43 GMT

EMERYVILLE — Four male suspects attempted to rob two individuals at gunpoint in a Bank of America parking lot Sunday afternoon, police said.The robbery took place at 12:38 p.m. on the 4000 block of San Pablo Avenue, according to the Emeryville Police Department. During the engagement, one of the suspects fired at a victim, hitting them in the leg.The suspects then fled in a red Hyundai Sedan with black rims that had damage to the front of the car.The victim who was shot was transported to a local hospital and is in stable condition.Anyone with information regarding the incident should contact the Emeryville Police Department Criminal Investigations Section at 510-596-3700 and reference case 2307-1144.

Lightning strikes reported in Napa, Sonoma counties

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:43 GMT

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (BCN) -- The Santa Rosa Fire Department tweeted at 9:16 p.m. it's getting reports of lightning strikes visible to the north of Santa Rosa. The National Weather Service said Sunday there's a chance of thunderstorms in Northern California, down into the North Bay Area and Marin, Sonoma, Solano and Napa counties, between 9 p.m. Sunday and 5 a.m. Monday. That could include occasional lightning, limited rain, wind gusts and possible fire danger from lightning strikes. The NWS said Sunday "Elevated convection chances will be increasing over portions of interior NorCal as upper-level moisture streams north into Northern California. We could see some overnight and early morning thunderstorm activity." Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved.Lightning strikes reported from Healdsburg to Napa(BCN) -- The National Weather Service reported at 9:24 p.m. that lightning strikes have been reported from Healdsburg to Napa. The NWS said "The stronger c...

Ex-Bay Area resident builds a more disaster-proof home

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:10:43 GMT

(KRON) -- Extra hot Heat waves, prolonged drought, and the constant threat of wildfires.Extreme weather events are driving insurance companies out of the state and driving some people to get more creative with how they build their homes. Jon DuSaint is a former Bay Area resident who is now building his dream home in the Eastern Sierra -- or should we say, dream dome?Jon and his wife, Robin, experienced one of the biggest dangers of California living firsthand after they were forced to evacuate their Felton home for over a week during the CZU Lightning Complex fires. Now, they’re preparing to build a 29-foot dome in Bishop to turn into their forever home. They’re outfitting it with aluminum shingles and employing a host of other fire-resistant tricks in the construction. Since a dome has less surface area than a traditional home, it’s easier to insulate against extreme weather events, too. Golden Gate Fields racetrack to close this fall Robin and Jon also plan on building a greenho...