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Critical fire weather arrives in Northern California’s interior; PG&E cuts power to 8,400 customers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:29 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Gusty winds and low humidity brought high risk of wildfires to the interior of Northern California on Wednesday and a utility proactively cut electricity to approximately 8,400 customers to prevent potential ignitions in the blustery conditions.Red flag warnings for critical fire danger were to remain in effect until 8 p.m. in much of the Sacramento Valley and adjacent areas to the west, the National Weather Service said.Pacific Gas & Electric said that shortly before 2 a.m., it began public safety power shutoffs in small portions of eight counties.Customers in the “targeted high-fire-threat areas” were notified in advance Tuesday, the utility said in a statement.The gusty northerly winds were generated in the wake of a trough of low pressure that moved through Northern California on Tuesday, the weather service said.Public safety power shutoffs are intended to prevent fires from starting when power lines are downed by winds or struck by falling trees or win...

McConnell freezes for 2nd time while taking questions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:29 GMT

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appeared to freeze up at the podium while taking questions in Kentucky on Wednesday, the second time in recent weeks that he paused while talking to reporters.During a gaggle in Covington, Ky., a reporter asked McConnell, 81, for his thoughts about running for reelection in 2026. The Senate GOP leader twice asked the reporter to repeat the question, then responded “that’s a,” before freezing and looking ahead for roughly 30 seconds, according to a video posted on X by MSNBC.At one point during the freeze-up, an aide walked up to McConnell and asked “did you hear the question, senator, running for reelection in 2026?” To which McConnell replied with a word that was inaudible.“Alright, I’m sorry you all, we’re gonna need a minute,” the aide said.After the roughly 30 seconds of unresponsiveness passed, McConnell said “okay,” and his aide resumed the gaggle, asking reporters to “please speak up.”A spokesperson for McConnell said the GOP lea...

Notre Dame will make history in 2 ways Saturday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:29 GMT

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — It was already a unique opening week for Marcus Freeman's team, and now the second week is going to bring some history for the program. That's because of their opponent, who is coming to South Bend for a football game for the first time. The Fighting Irish will host Tennessee State University at 2:30 p.m. central time after they defeated Navy 42-3 in their season opener at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, their first game in Ireland since 2012. Notre Dame's home opener is significant for two reasons: The Tigers will not only be the first Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team the Irish have ever faced but also the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) program they've played in football. It's a match-up that was set in April 2022 and will be the season opener for Tennessee State, which is under the leadership of third-year head coach Eddie George, a former Heisman Trophy winner and four-time NFL Pro Bowl running back."I'm truly, and we'll make sure t...

State, local leaders pushing to expand work permits for migrants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:29 GMT

CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson and business groups discussed work permits Wednesday, as migrants pack some Chicago police stations.State and local leaders along with members of the local workforce are calling on federal government to provide legal authorization to work for people currently in Illinois, calling it a major steppingstone to self-sufficiency and self-determination.Officials are asking Homeland Security to allow the state to sponsor asylum-seekers through the Significant Public Benefit designation.They point at a dire need for workers in industries like food processing, clean energy, health care, transportation, warehouses and more. Adding that legal authorization to work for new arrivals are needed in order to avoid labor exploitation through trafficking and wage theft.This announcement comes days after Mayor Johnson and Gov. Pritzker sent a joint letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, advocating for workforce expansion which...

Convicted rapist who escaped on jet ski in 2022 is arrested in West Virginia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:29 GMT

LEWISBURG, W.Va. (WOWK) - An escaped inmate from Arkansas who has been on the run for the last year has been arrested in West Virginia along with three other people.According to U.S. Marshals, the inmate, identified as Samuel Paul Hartman, 39, escaped from a work detail near the East Arkansas Regional Unit on Aug. 12, 2022. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2013 after being convicted of raping a 14-year-old.U.S. Marshals say a vehicle approached the work crew while Hartman was on work detail last August. Two women got out of the vehicle and allegedly fired shots at the work crew while Hartman ran toward the vehicle. The women were later identified as Hartman's wife, Misty Hartman, 39, and Hartman's mother, Linda Annette White, 61.The vehicle then fled while Department of Corrections officers pursued. DOC officers say they followed the vehicle almost to the Mississippi River, where the Hartmans and White ran toward waiting jet skis. Authorities later found the jet skis abandoned ...

As Hurricane Idalia moves inward, another storm brews off East Coast

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:29 GMT

(The Hill) -- As Hurricane Idalia passed through Florida on its way to Georgia on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned Americans about another storm looming in the Atlantic. “Though many eyes remain on the dangers #Idalia is bringing to the southeast, distant storm Hurricane #Franklin continues to stir up the western Atlantic, creating potentially deadly surf and rip currents along the US East Coast,” the NHC posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.  Hurricane Idalia drenches Florida, Georgia; DeSantis says no fatalities confirmed: live updates Franklin, currently a Category 2 storm, isn’t currently projected to hit the U.S. However, in a public advisory Wednesday, the NHC warned of “dangerous surf and rip currents” adjacent to “the Eastern Seaboard.”“Life-threatening surf and rip currents generated by Franklin are affecting Bermuda and the east coast of the United States,” the NHC said in the advisory. “These conditions are expected to con...

Anti-abortion activist who kept fetuses at home convicted of blocking access to DC clinic

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:29 GMT

(The Hill) -- A group of anti-abortion activists, including a woman who famously stored fetal remains in a refrigerator in her Washington, D.C., row house basement, has been convicted of violating federal law after blockading the Washington Surgi-Clinic in October 2020.Lauren Handy, the group’s leader and a previously convicted anti-abortion advocate who recruited activists from several states to organize the blockade, as well as four other members of Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, were convicted by a jury Tuesday on two felony counts each of conspiracy against rights and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, a 1994 federal law that makes it illegal to physically obstruct or threaten a person attempting to obtain reproductive health services or providers. The other defendants were John Hinshaw of Levittown, N.Y.; Heather Idoni of Linden, Mich.; William Goodman of New York, and Herb Geraghty of Pittsburgh.D.C. Police body camera footage revealed that one ...

Man charged after woman stabbed, killed during Kenwood home invasion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:29 GMT

CHICAGO — A man was arrested Tuesday after a woman was stabbed and later died during a home invasion in Kenwood last year.Aubrey Jackson, 34, was arrested by CPD and the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force in the 600 block of West 61st Place.Authorities believe on Aug. 9, 2022, he forcibly entered a residence in the 4700 block of South Ingleside and stabbed a 27-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man. The 27-year-old woman later died of her injuries.Authorities said Jackson was also found to be in possession of a stolen vehicle.He is charged with first-degree murder, murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of home invasion and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Autopsy results, cell phone data discussed in second day of 6th Street shooting suspect trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:29 GMT

Editor's Note: The above video is KXAN's Aug. 29, 2023 coverage of the trial.AUSTIN (KXAN) — The trial of Sixth Street mass shooting suspect De'ondre White continued Wednesday in Austin. White, 21, is charged with one count of murder and 14 counts of aggravated assault. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday in court. Day 1 Trial Coverage: 6th Street mass shooting suspect pleads not guilty On June 21, 2021, 25-year-old Douglas Kantor was killed and more than a dozen others were injured in a mass shooting on Sixth Street. White is accused of firing into a crowd after a confrontation with a group of people.On Wednesday, the court heard from a Travis County deputy medical examiner and an Austin Police detective in the digital forensics unit about the case. Follow reporter Taylor Girtman's updates from court below:Tweets by taylorgirtman The autopsy of Douglas KantorThe first witness Wednesday was Dr. Vickie Willoughby, a Travis County deputy medical examiner. She performed the review of Kant...

Travis County judge: Local preemption 'Death Star' bill is unconstitutional

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:29 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — A Travis County district judge ruled Wednesday that the so-called "death star" local preemption bill is unconstitutional, just two days before the law is set to take effect. District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble ruled from the bench during Wednesday's lawsuit hearing in favor of the cities suing, which argued state legislators intentionally wrote the law to be vague. Houston brought the lawsuit against the state and El Paso and San Antonio joined the suit as interveners. The City of Austin did not join the lawsuit but voiced support for it. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the Republican-backed measure into law in June. The law seeks to ban counties and local municipalities from passing ordinances that are inconsistent with state law in areas like agriculture, business and commerce, labor and insurance.In a statement on social media, House Bill 2127's author — Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock — said Gamble's ruling is "not worth the paper it’s printed on." "The Texas Supreme Cou...