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55 pilot whales die stranded on a beach in Scotland

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:43:48 GMT

LONDON — A pod of 55 pilot whales have died after they were found washed ashore on a beach in Scotland in the worst mass whale stranding in the area, marine experts said Monday.Marine rescuers, the coast guard and police were called to Traigh Mhor beach on the Isle of Lewis in northwest Scotland after receiving reports that dozens of the mammals were in difficulty there early Sunday.The British Divers Marine Life Rescue found that only 15 of the whales — a mixture of adults and calves — were still alive, and attempted to refloat two of the more active animals that were low down in the water.But by Sunday afternoon rescue teams decided that the remaining whales should be euthanized on welfare grounds, after considering the shallow beach, rough wave conditions and how long the whales had been out of the water.Related ArticlesEnvironment | World Orca Week: A look at the ocean’s largest predator Environment | California residents help convince Norwegian govern...

Driver in Hayward fatal DUI will receive up to one year in jail through plea deal

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:43:48 GMT

DUBLIN — The driver in a 2021 crash that killed a pedestrian has accepted a plea deal, but will have to wait six more weeks before a judge decides whether he’ll go to jail, court records show.Jose DeJesus Gonzalez, 50, of Hayward, has pleaded no contest to drunk driving with great bodily injury in the March 13, 2021 crash that killed Charles Laramore as he attempted to cross Hathaway Avenue in Hayward. Gonzalez’s blood/alcohol level was measured at .13, nearly twice the legal limit, according to police.In exchange for his no contest plea, prosecutors dropped vehicular manslaughter charges against Gonzalez. He will be sentenced on Aug. 31, but it will be up to a judge to determine whether he receives any jail time. The maximum sentence he can receive, per the terms of the deal, is one year behind bars.At a minimum, Gonzalez will be sentenced to a three-year probation term, court records show.Authorities said in court papers that after the crash, Gonzalez stopped, co...

Mother: Suspect in Georgia killings needed help for years

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:43:48 GMT

By Kate Brumback and Jeff Amy | Associated PressHAMPTON, Ga. (AP) — The 40-year-old man who shot four people in the country’s 31st mass killing this year needed mental help for nearly a decade but his family and officials couldn’t force him to get treatment, his mother said.Andre Longmore walked through his neighborhood in the semi-rural suburb of Hampton, Georgia on Saturday and fatally shot four neighbors, all senior citizens. The killings set off a manhunt that ended Sunday with Longmore dead in a shootout in another suburb about 15 miles (25 kilometers) north of Hampton. The shooting wounded a sheriff’s deputy and two police officers, who all are expected to recover.Longmore had a “mental breakdown” in 2014, leading to an inpatient hospital stay, his mother Lorna Dennis, told WSB-TV on Sunday.She said her son “kept deteriorating” but refused to seek medical attention, and that officials said they couldn’t force him to seek care....

Downed power pole causes outage in Pleasant Hill

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:43:48 GMT

(KRON) -- A downed power pole slowed traffic and left 3,000 households without power on Monday morning, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Company. WATCH: Food delivery driver carjacking caught on camera Drivers are encouraged to avoid Pleasant Hill Road between Taylor Boulevard and Blue Ridge Drive because of the power pole. PG&E and police are on the scene, and authorities do not yet know when the power will be restored, the Pleasant Hill Police Department said.

Officials file more charges, but not hate crimes, against man accused of attacking Muslim lawmaker

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:43:48 GMT

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A prosecutor added felony charges, including sexual assault, Monday against a man accused of attacking Connecticut’s first Muslim state representative after a prayer service, but did not file hate crime allegations demanded by the lawmaker’s supporters.Andrey Desmond, 30, appeared for a hearing in Hartford Superior Court, where supporters of state Rep. Maryam Khan, including local imams, also gathered.“It continues to be a mystery to me why the state isn’t bringing bias crimes in this type of incident,” said Farhan Memon, chairman of the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “Having this charged as a bias crime sends a message out to the rest of the population that this is going to be something that’s dealt with seriously.”Hartford State’s Attorney Sharmese Walcott did not immediately return messages seeking comment about the case and the demand to file hate crime allegations.Desmond was initially charged with misd...

Microsoft and UK regulators win more time to resolve blocked $69 billion Activision deal

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:43:48 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Microsoft and British regulators won more time from a court Monday as the U.S. tech company uses a rare second chance to overcome opposition to its $69 billion bid for video game maker Activision Blizzard.Judge Marcus Smith conditionally approved a joint request from Microsoft and the Competition and Markets Authority to delay the appeal that the company set in motion after the CMA initially rejected the deal. The regulator later pushed back its final decision so it can consider Microsoft’s argument that new developments mean its blockbuster purchase of the Call of Duty game maker should go through. The deal has already won approval in the European Union and a slew of countries but has faced opposition from antitrust regulators in Britain and the United States. The U.K. blocked the deal on concerns that it would stifle competition in the small but fast-growing cloud gaming market. It also faced stiff resistance from rival Sony, which makes the PlayStation console...

Oregon authorities say deaths of 4 young women in Portland area are connected, person of interest has been identified

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:43:48 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon authorities say deaths of 4 young women in Portland area are connected, person of interest has been identified.Source

Despite shakeup at the Fed, a rate hike in September is likely

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:43:48 GMT

SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 12: In this photo illustration, cans of Anchor Steam beer are displayed on July 12, 2023 in San Anselmo, California. Anchor Steam Brewing, the nation's first craft brewery, announced plans to close after 127 years in business. (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)(Getty Images/Justin Sullivan) SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 12: In this photo illustration, cans of Anchor Steam beer are displayed on July 12, 2023 in San Anselmo, California. Anchor Steam Brewing, the nation's first craft brewery, announced plans to close after 127 years in business. (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)(Getty Images/Justin Sullivan) Washington, DC (CNN) — Some Federal...

Former Navy commander enters Florida race to challenge US Sen. Scott

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:43:48 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Democrat who lost two congressional races in one of Florida’s most conservative districts announced Monday he will seek the nomination to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott.Phil Ehr, a retired Navy commander who left the Republican Party in 2017, said in a news release that Scott and the Republican Party have become too extreme.“Scott has actively participated in Donald Trump’s war on the truth, and just like Ron DeSantis, Matt Gaetz and other MAGA diehards, he’s part of the Axis of Lies that is threatening to tear America apart at the seams,” Ehr said.Ehr has twice tried to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz in the district that includes Pensacola and much of the state’s Panhandle. He lost the 2018 Democratic primary by more than 20 points. In 2020, he earned the nomination unopposed then lost to Gaetz by more than 30 points.Scott is seeking his second term in the Senate after serving two terms as governor.Source

Unhealthy air quality lingers across parts of U.S. from drifting Canadian wildfire smoke

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:43:48 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — For Chicagoans planning a lengthy outdoor run Monday, “today is not necessarily the day for that,” according to Kim Biggs of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.Extensive swaths of the northern United States awoke to unhealthy air quality Monday morning or were experiencing it by midafternoon, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow.gov Smoke and Fire map.Fine particle pollution caused by smoke from Canada’s wildfires is causing a red zone air quality index, meaning it is unhealthy for everyone. The particles, known as PM2.5, are tiny enough to get deep into the lungs and cause short-term problems like coughing and itchy eyes, and in the long run, can affect the lungs and heart.The EPA advises keeping outdoor activities light and short when air quality indexes reach above 150 on the agency’s map. On Monday afternoon, cities and regions hitting that mark included Lincoln, Nebraska; Peoria, Illinois; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Clev...