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Floods, heavy snow hit California during atmospheric storms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:41 GMT

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — Evacuations were ordered Friday in Northern California after a new atmospheric river brought heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds, swelling rivers and creeks and flooding several major highways during the morning commute.In Santa Cruz County, a creek bloated by rain destroyed a portion of Main Street in Soquel, a town of 10,000 people, isolating several neighborhoods. Crews were working to remove trees and other debris and find a way for people to cross the creek, county officials said. County authorities asked the town’s residents to stay indoors. To the southeast in Watsonville, officials ordered people in low-lying areas to evacuate.Heather Wingfield, a teacher who runs a small urban farm with her husband in Soquel, said she and her neighbors were, for the time being, trapped in their homes as Bates Creek rushed through what was once Main Street.“It’s horrible,” she said. “Hopefully no one has a medical emergency.”Wingfield said her neighbors...

Cartel letter doesn’t dull pain for Americans’ families

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:41 GMT

LAKE CITY, S.C. (AP) — Relatives of Americans abducted in Mexico said that a purported apology from the Mexican cartel blamed for the attack has done little to dull the pain of their loved ones being killed or wounded. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press through a Tamaulipas state law enforcement official, the Scorpions faction of the Gulf cartel apologized to the residents of Matamoros where the Americans were kidnapped, the Mexican woman who died in the cartel shootout, and the four Americans and their families.But later in the day, the father of Shaeed Woodard, one of the two Americans who died, said he was speechless upon hearing that the cartel had apologized for the violent abduction captured in video which quickly spread online. “I’ve just been trying to make sense out of it for a whole week. Just restless, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat. It’s just crazy to see your own child taken from you in such a way, in a violent way like that. He didn’t deserve it,” James Woodard...

When Hollywood needs a movie villain, the tech bro answers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:41 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — “A toast to the disruptors,” Edward Norton’s tech billionaire says in Rian Johnson’s Oscar-nominated “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.” And why not a toast? Sunday’s Academy Awards won’t give a prize for best villain, but if they did, Miles Bron would win it in a walk. (With apologies to the cloud of “Nope.”) He is an immediately recognizable type we’ve grown well acquainted with: a visionary (or so everyone says), a social media narcissist, a self-styled disrupter who talks a lot about “breaking stuff.” Miles Bron is just the latest in a long line of Hollywood’s favorite villain: the tech bro. Looking north to Silicon Valley, the movie industry has found perhaps its richest resource of big-screen antagonists since Soviet-era Russia. Great movie villains don’t come along often. The best-picture nominated “Top Gun: Maverick,” like its predecessor, was content to battle with a faceless enemy of unspecified nationality. Why antagonize international ticket buyers...

Google says it will stop blocking Canadian news links next week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:41 GMT

Google will stop blocking news links next week following a five-week test that limited access to news for some Canadian users, the company confirmed Friday.The test began in early February and affected users were prevented from seeing news links on Google’s search engine and Discover panel on Android phones.The company said the test was meant to assess the impacts of a potential response to Bill C-18, the Liberal government’s controversial Online News Act.“I want to underline that these are just tests. No decisions have been made about product changes. We’re simply doing our due diligence in the most responsible way possible,” said Jason Kee, public policy manager for Google.Kee attended the House of Commons heritage committee meeting on Friday virtually alongside the head of Google Canada. Company executives were summoned to the meeting by MPs who are studying Google’s activities in reaction to the Online News Act.Sabrina Geremia said the bill, w...

CPS students compete in Midwest robotics competition against Turkey, South Africa

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:41 GMT

CHICAGO — Students from seven different Chicago Public Schools are competing in the biggest robotic competition in the Midwest.Friday, the stadium at Credit Union 1 Arena was filled with judges, ref and many students from neighboring Canada and all the way from Turkey and South Africa.Each team built a 150-pound robot that measures close to seven feet tall.For two and a half minutes per round, the student-controlled robots will play ten knock out rounds of basketball scrimmage on a half-court. The top teams to make it through would face off in a championship round Saturday afternoon. Northwestern students help Parkinson’s patients put pen to paper Teams have been working on their robots for the last eight weeks and will compete in a series of games and challenges over the course of the two days.The competition goes until Saturday evening. The winner will go on to the 2023 first Robotics World Championship event in Houston next month.

Biden unveils budget proposal ahead of Republican-controlled House battle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:41 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) – President Biden traveled to Philadelphia Thursday to pitch his budget proposal directly to Americans at a union training center, while it’s Republican lawmakers he has to convince to pass it.As President Biden says his plan will benefit Americans in many ways, Republicans are outright rejecting it because of the plans for new spending and new taxes on the wealthy.“My dad would say ‘No, no, show me your budget and I’ll tell you what you value,” President Biden said. “So, my budget reflects what we can do to lift the burden on hard-working Americans.”The president says while he intends to continue battling inflation, his budget proposal would help Americans in other ways too. For example, his budget would restore the expanded Child Tax Credit -- giving families up to $3,600 per child instead of $2,000.The plan would also cap insulin prices at $35 dollars a month for everyone, not just Medicare recipients.“It fits the need of American families to a 'T,'” Sen. Chu...

House Republicans promise vote on 'Parents Bill of Rights' at end of March

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:41 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- House Republicans are bringing their 'Parents Bill of Rights' to the House floor."We are putting power back in the hands of parents who deserve a seat at the table in their kids' education," Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY.) said.Stefanik and Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) say they are answering the call from parents across the country, with a plan to pass a new Parents Bill of Rights."It's about transparency and accountability," Letlow said.The bill says parents have a right to know what their kids are being taught, review a school's budget and meet in person with teachers at least twice per year."It's actually astounding to me that we have to have legislation that would protect parents' Bill of Rights, but here we are," Letlow said.However, Democrats say the bill isn't necessary and does nothing to help schools, kids, or parents."What are we talking about here," Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) said.Bowman says parents already have a voice in their children's education throug...

Chiefs legend Otis Taylor dead at 80

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:41 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) -- Otis Taylor, one of the most prolific wide receivers in Kansas City Chiefs history, has died, sources WDAF. He was 80 years old. Taylor is a Chiefs Hall of Famer whose name appears in the franchise record books 32 times. He still holds records for most games with 100 or more receiving yards in a season (Tied with six others with six) and highest receiving average in a season (22.36 yards per catch in 1966). Isiah Pacheco’s Chiefs helmet now in Pro Football Hall of Fame He and Len Dawson connected for 46 touchdowns, tied with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce for most in Chiefs history. Among many other notable numbers, his 7,306 receiving yards are third in franchise history, and his 20 career games with at least 100 or more receiving yards are also third. A 93-yard strike from Mike Livingston on Oct. 19, 1969, against the Miami Dolphins was the longest Chiefs pass completion for a touchdown until Trent Green hit Marc Boerigter for a 99-yard TD on Dec. 2...

A seesaw of temperatures with little rain

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:41 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After last night's cold front came through with little fanfare, we're noticeably cooler today.Still, as more breaks of sun come through the clouds this afternoon we'll see temperatures climbing close to seasonable norms this time of year. For Austin, normal highs for March 10 is 72º and we think we'll get there.A surge of warmth pushes back in for Saturday as we jump back into the middle and even upper 80s, but don't blink...because we cool back down into the 70s again for Sunday.Both days this weekend should feature clouds and sun, with more clouds in the morning than the afternoon.Weekend forecastSaturday won't just be warm, but also humid. The humidity drops through the day on Sunday setting us up for some comfortable, but even cooler days to start next week.Our best chance of rain doesn't return until late next week, but some stronger storms could come with it. 7 Day Rainfall ChancesStay tuned as we refine the forecast for severe weather. NEW BLOG: La Niña has...

Senate bill to give detailed look into Republicans' plans for 'school choice'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:41 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — State Senator Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), chair of the Senate Committee on Education, will file Senate Bill 8 Friday afternoon, giving a detailed look into top Republicans' priority to subsidize private education.Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick chose Senate Bill 8 to carry one of his top 30 priorities of "empowering parental rights -- including school choice." Governor Greg Abbott has advocated for creating state-funded "education savings accounts" that will give money to Texans to pay for education-related expenses, including private school tuition. Lt. Gov. voices support for special sessions to ‘pass school choice’ "We've seen [education savings accounts] work very effectively in other states, and we've also already seen them work here in the state of Texas," Gov. Greg Abbott told a crowd in Tyler Thursday night, referring to state-subsidized tuition for special needs students. "What we want to do this session is expand that program so that every parent wil...