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Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida’s Big Bend, the ‘Nature Coast’ far from tourist areas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:12 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s Big Bend is one of the last truly natural places in the state. It’s not Disney World. It’s not South Beach. This is where people go to hunt alligators, fish for tarpon and search for scallops in the shallow waters. On Wednesday, it became the bull’s-eye of a major hurricane.The Big Bend is where the peninsula merges into the Panhandle, just southeast of the capital, Tallahassee, and well north of the Tampa metro area. Hurricane Idalia made landfall Wednesday morning near Keaton Beach in the lightly populated region as a high-end Category 3 hurricane, becoming the first major storm to hit the Big Bend region since Hurricane Easy in 1950, according to the National Hurricane Center.This is where people go to appreciate nature and be left alone.“The counties of Florida’s Nature Coast believe that many people — our residents, and those who travel here from far away — think having a good time involves more than expensive restaurants, theme parks,...

White House says Putin and Kim Jong Un traded letters as Russia looks for munitions from North Korea

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:12 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Wednesday said that it has new intelligence that shows Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have swapped letters as Russia looks to North Korea for munitions for the war in Ukraine.National Security Council spokesman John Kirby detailed the latest finding just weeks after the White House said that it had determined that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a recent visit to Pyongyang called on North Korean officials to increase the sale of munitions to Moscow for its Ukraine war.Kirby said that Russia is looking for additional artillery shells and other basic materiel to shore up its defense industrial base. He added that the letters were “more at the surface level” but that Russian and North Korean talks on a weapons sale were advancing. The leaders exchanged the letters following Shoigu’s visit, he said.“Following Shoigu’s visit another group of Russian officials traveled to Pyongyang f...

Metro, Unifor reach second tentative deal for striking grocery workers in Toronto

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:12 GMT

TORONTO — The union representing striking grocery store workers at 27 Metro stores in the Greater Toronto Area has reached a tentative agreement with the retailer that could serve as a precedent for the union’s coming contract talks with the other big grocers.If ratified, the deal will bring an end to a month-long strike that saw grocery stores shuttered and later, distribution warehouses blocked from making deliveries as the dispute ramped up.Unifor national president Lana Payne said in statement Wednesday that the union was able to negotiate the tentative deal thanks to the “unwavering commitment” of the workers. “I commend the workers and the bargaining committee for their solidarity and also the customers who supported them during this difficult time.”The contract talks with Metro were the first for Unifor in a two-year stretch of negotiations for more than a dozen collective agreements with the major grocers. The union has said it hopes the Metro d...

Woman threatened with golf club while being robbed in Lincoln Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:12 GMT

CHICAGO — A woman was threatened with a golf club during a robbery in the city's Lincoln Park neighborhood.The robbery happened around 11:50 p.m. Tuesday in the 500 block of West Wrightwood Avenue. Police said the woman was standing on the sidewalk when two unknown males approached her and demanded her property.According to police, one of the offenders was holding a golf club and threatened the woman while the other offender forcefully grabbed her purse. The two then fled eastbound in a white vehicle.The woman was not injured. No one is in custody.Area Three detectives are investigating.

PHOTOS: Hurricane Idalia slams into Florida

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:12 GMT

CEDAR KEY, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Idalia made landfall Wednesday in Florida as a Category 3 storm and unleashed devastation along a wide stretch of the Gulf Coast, submerging homes and vehicles, turning streets into rivers, unmooring small boats and downing power lines in an area that has never before received such a pummeling.People look out at the flood waters from Hurricane Idalia surrounding their apartment complex on August 30, 2023 in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Hurricane Idalia is hitting the Big Bend area on the Gulf Coast of Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)A woman surveys the flooding on Bayshore Blvd., along Old Tampa Bay after winds from Hurricane Idalia pushed water over the sea wall Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. Idalia made landfall earlier this morning along the Big Bend of the state. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)A person canoes through the flooded streets caused by Hurricane Idalia passing offshore on August 30, 2023 in Tarpon Springs,...

Protesters block road into Burning Man festival; rangers ram blockade

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:12 GMT

(NewsNation) — Climate activists caused a miles-long traffic jam when they blocked the only road leading into the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert.Videos posted online show activists using a trailer to block the road that leads into Black Rock City. One video posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, shows a white pickup truck appearing to be from the Pyramid Lake Ranger Station crashing through the barricade set up by protesters.The blockade led to clashes with motorists and tribal rangers, the Los Angeles Times reported. Pyramid Lake, a tribal law enforcement agency, did not respond to the Times' request for comment.The group behind the protest, Seven Circles, said the purpose of the blockade was to draw attention to "capitalism's inability to address climate and ecological breakdown," according to a news release. Seven Circles said Burning Man has been commodified by "affluent people who do not live the stated values" of the festival. Crime, fe...

Circle K stations offering 30 cents off per gallon Thursday: Here's where

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:12 GMT

ST. LOUIS (KTVI) -- Drivers are getting a surprise deal on gas Thursday, courtesy of Circle K. The gas station chain announced that over 5,000 locations across the U.S. will be offering 30 cents off per gallon from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 31. The company will also have a 50% deal on food and drinks from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Car washes and electric vehicle charging will also be at a discount.“Ahead of the Labor Day weekend, we are proud to honor our customers’ unwavering loyalty and take the energy and excitement of Circle K Day up a notch with even more spectacular savings," said COO Alex Miller. US questions Tesla move to allow hands-free driving longer with Autopilot The deal is only available at participating Circle K locations and may not be available in some states. "Out of an abundance of caution" the company is not hosting Circle K Day this week in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina or South Carolina due to Hurricane Idalia. The company said it would reschedule the discount day ...

Travis County leaders to discuss drug overdose discovery Wednesday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Travis County leaders will discuss a "new development discovered by the Medical Examiner's Office" tied to overdose deaths, according to a release. "This new information will impact how Travis County, first responders, and medical professionals respond to overdoses in our community," it said. County leaders did not provide further information on the record about the nature of the discovery. Travis County officials expected to be present include Travis County Judge Andy Brown, Dr. Keith Pinckard, the medical examiner and Dr. Desmar Walkes, the local health authority. KXAN will carry the news conference live in this story and on Facebook. This is a developing story and will be updated.

ABoR dissects city's 'missing housing' crisis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin's “missing housing” was the focus of a new research report by the Austin Board of REALTORS, or ABoR.Emily Chenevert, CEO of the Austin Board of REALTORS, joined KXAN's Jennifer Sanders to discuss the board's new research report diving into the city's undersupplied housing inventory and ongoing affordability issues in Austin-Travis County.Read a full transcription of the discussion below or use the video player above.SANDERS: OK, a lot of data. We have to sift through with this. But just to give our viewers some context at home, this report evaluated housing affordability for two household sizes two and four-person households, as well as repeat and first-time buyers. What did you find in these findings? What did you find was? What were the top barriers for people trying to attain homeownership?CHENEVERT: Yeah, I mean, really, I think we found what our gut has said a long time about the Austin community that we lack affordability—that we lack the acces...

Season preview: New Gophers offense has been veiled but alterations are expected

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:42:12 GMT

It’s that Christmas present sitting under the tree, pristinely wrapped and staring at you for weeks. Or it’s that story a friend said you just had to hear, only to make you wait for it.The expected new-look Gophers offense will finally be unsheathed for the first time in the 2023 season opener against Nebraska on Thursday night at Huntington Bank Stadium.P.J. Fleck has intentionally and unintentionally built up this level of anticipation. The Gophers head coach has repeatedly declined to share which of his new co-offensive coordinators (Matt Simon or Greg Harbaugh) will call plays in games. Some of this, Fleck admitted, is to try to seek a competitive edge against the Cornhuskers, under new head coach Matt Rhule.During a preseason practice, Fleck was caught on a hot mic saying he didn’t want to show the Big Ten Network his offense during the TV partner’s visit to campus. In another rare open practice, new starting quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis didn’t throw any passes. Fleck later sa...