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Probe of Surfside building collapse that killed 98 to be completed by June 2025, US investigators say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:36:20 GMT

The probe into the 2021 collapse of a beachfront condominium building that killed 98 people in South Florida should be completed by the fourth anniversary of the disaster, federal officials said Thursday.The investigation led by the National Institute of Standards & Technology is looking into two dozen different scenarios that could explain why the 12-story Champlain Towers South building in Surfside, Florida, abruptly failed early in the morning of June 24, 2021, they said. Surfside is a suburb north of Miami.“We’re still not prepared to close the door on any of them yet,” said Glenn Bell, associate team lead of the Champlain Towers probe. “We are still testing, testing, testing.”Bell told a meeting of NIST’s National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee on Thursday that most of the intensive work on such things as concrete core samples, corrosion in reinforcing bars and evidence of subpar construction in the 40-year-old building will be done by nex...

Police search for missing 50-year-old woman in NW Miami-Dade

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:36:20 GMT

The Miami-Dade Police Department are seeking the public’s help in finding a missing 50-year-old woman.Falesha Johnson was last seen at the 5000 Block of Northwest 23rd Avenue at around 9.a.m, Friday. She was last seen wearing a Multi-color dress with a blue vest.According to police, she left in an unknown method of travel.Johnson stands at 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs 130 pounds, has black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information on Johnson’s whereabouts is urged to contact Detective M. Webb or any detective of the Miami-Dade Police Department, Special Victims Bureau/Missing Persons Squad at (305) 715-3300 or Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).

French lawmaker challenges transatlantic data deal before EU court

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:36:20 GMT

PARIS — It’s Groundhog Day for transatlantic data flows. French lawmaker Philippe Latombe, a member of parliament, announced today he is challenging before the European Union’s General Court a new transatlantic deal allowing companies to freely transfer data between the EU and the United States — potentially opening the door to years of legal wrangling. The move comes less than two months after the European Commission and the U.S. government supposedly ended years of legal limbo for companies. In July, Brussels and Washington rubber-stamped an agreement, known as the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, after the EU’s top court in 2020 struck down its predecessor, known as Privacy Shield. The Court of Justice of the EU had annulled the scheme over concerns U.S. intelligence agencies could easily snoop on European citizens. “The text resulting from these negotiations violates the Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, due to insufficient guaran...

Crews respond to 3-alarm fire in Athol

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:36:20 GMT

ATHOL, MASS. (WHDH) – First responders from multiple towns were in Athol Thursday morning where a three-alarm fire broke out in a neighborhood.The Athol Fire Department told 7NEWS that crews were first called to Fern Street just after 9:40 a.m., where flames ripped through a home there.SKY7-HD flew over the scene just after 11 a.m. and spotted at least four fire engines surrounding the property, with firefighters spraying down what was left of the structure.Aerial pictures showed a majority of the home had been scorched, with portions of its roof visibly caved in.Authorities have not yet said whether anyone was inside of the house at the time of the blaze.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

Tom Brady has a new job – at an airline

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:36:20 GMT

New York (CNN) — Tom Brady has a new employer: Delta Air Lines.The seven-time Super Bowl champion is expanding his post-NFL career business ventures, joining Delta to work on internal employee training and appear in external advertising campaigns.Delta said Wednesday that Brady would become a “strategic adviser” to the airline.Brady will partner with Delta to develop and advise on “teamwork tools” for the airline’s more than 90,000 employees and take part in select marketing campaigns, the company said.In his first year, Brady will work with Delta’s employees for “onboarding, cultural familiarity and immersion” into the company and appear on Delta CEO Ed Bastian’s video series with business leaders, philanthropists and others.Although the details of the partnership were not specific, it appears that Delta wants to use Brady as more than a celebrity spokesperson for the brand in advertisements, said Allen Adamson, a marketing expert and co-founder of consulting firm Metaforce.“G...

CNN Poll: Biden faces negative job ratings and concerns about his age as he gears up for 2024

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:36:20 GMT

(CNN) — President Joe Biden faces continued headwinds from broadly negative job ratings overall, widespread concerns about his age and decreased confidence among Democratic-aligned voters, according to a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS.There is no clear leader in a potential rematch between Biden and former President Donald Trump, who is widely ahead in the GOP primary. And nearly half of registered voters (46%) say that any Republican presidential nominee would be a better choice than Biden in 2024.Meanwhile, hypothetical matchups also suggest there would be no clear leader should Biden face one of the other major GOP contenders, with one notable exception: Biden runs behind former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.Since Biden announced his reelection bid earlier this year – where he framed the 2024 contest as a fight against Republican extremism – his approval ratings have remained mired below the mid-40s, similar to Trump’s standing in 2019, and several...

Ask the Pediatrician: What is the best backpack for my child?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:36:20 GMT

Dr. Saji Azerf | (TNS) American Academy of PediatricsBeing loaded down with textbooks, gym equipment and school supplies can make backpacks heavy and hard to wear. If they’re not worn properly, backpacks may cause back, neck and shoulder pain in children and teens. While backpacks have not been shown to cause scoliosis or long-term problems, it’s never too early to start good habits that can decrease back strain and pain.To identify the perfect backpack, make sure it is the right size. Bigger is not necessarily better. The more room there is in a backpack, the more your child will carry — and the heavier the backpack will become.Make sure to choose the right backpack that fits your child and their needs the best. The bag you choose should be proportional to your child’s height.The backpack should have two broad, padded shoulder straps. Having adjustable straps that are broad and distribute weight evenly between both shoulders is important. More padding does not tra...

With strike looming, General Motors makes wage offer, which auto union leader calls ‘insulting’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:36:20 GMT

By TOM KRISHER (AP Auto Writer)DETROIT (AP) — General Motors’ first wage-and-benefit offer to the United Auto Workers on Thursday fell far short of the union’s initial demands.The offer comes just a week before the UAW’s national contracts with GM, Stellantis and Ford expire, and even though both sides are far apart, it’s a sign of movement on economic issues. Still, union President Shawn Fain called the offer “insulting.” He is threatening to strike against any automaker that hasn’t reached a tentative agreement by the time contracts expire at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 14. A strike against one or more automakers by up to 146,000 auto workers is a real possibility.GM said in a letter to workers that it’s offering a 10% wage increase during a new four-year contract, plus two more 3% one-time payments. It’s also offering a $6,000 inflation payment, $5,000 more in lump sums to protect against inflation during the contract, and a $5,...

Mayor Michelle Wu’s Mass and Cass plan set for City Council hearing Sept. 28

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:36:20 GMT

Mayor Michelle Wu on Aug. 28 unveiled her latest plan to battle the opioid epidemic and homelessness crisis in the city’s Mass. and Cass area, but a hearing on her proposal won’t be held until late September, after the city holds its preliminary elections.Wu pushed her plan with urgency last month, describing finding new solutions to dissolve the tent city and “open air drug market” on the border of Roxbury and the South End as a matter of “life or death.”The mayor urged the city council to take “swift and urgent action” to approve her proposed ordinance which would grant Boston police the ability to take down tents and tarps that she says hide criminal activity such as drug trading and sex trafficking, “in order for City officials and provider partners to finalize preparations and begin implementation well before the colder temperatures of late fall and winter.”Separately, City Councilors Erin Murphy, Frank Baker, Ed Flynn...

Mayo Clinic Minute: What you should know about enteroviruses and babies

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:36:20 GMT

Deb Balzer | (TNS) Mayo Clinic News NetworkEnteroviruses are a group of viruses that commonly circulate during summer and fall.These viruses primarily affect young children, who are more susceptible to complications due to their undeveloped immune systems. Many adults have some immunity from previous exposure.Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious diseases physician with the Mayo Clinic Children’s Center, says there is concern with newborns when it comes to enteroviruses.“Enteroviruses are spread through respiratory droplets; they can also be spread by something called the fecal-oral route so through stool or feces,” says Dr. Rajapakse.Most adults and older children may have mild symptoms, if any.Dr. Rajapakse’s concern regarding enteroviruses lies primarily with newborns, especially if the mother is infected around the time of birth.“Sometimes we see newborns developing very severe viral sepsis, where the virus can impact multiple parts of the b...