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‘Lahaina belongs to its people’: Hawaii governor insists fire-ravaged Maui community will be rebuilt as search efforts continue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

In an aerial view, burned cars and homes are seen a neighborhood that was destroyed by a wildfire on August 17 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Courtesy CNN) In an aerial view, burned cars and homes are seen a neighborhood that was destroyed by a wildfire on August 17 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Courtesy CNN) (CNN) — Amid concerns that speculators may snap up destroyed land, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green insisted Friday that the years-long undertaking of rebuilding Maui’s historic Lahaina community will prioritize residents’ desires over those of property developers.“Let me be clear. Lahaina belongs to its people and we are committed to rebuilding and restoring it the way they want it,” Green said in a video statement Friday evening.The we...

‘It was a death trap.’ These workers died in triple-digit heat. Now their loved ones demand change

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

Velma Infante carries this vial which holds a print out of her son Gabriel's last heart beats. He died in June 2022.(cnn) Velma Infante carries this vial which holds a print out of her son Gabriel's last heart beats. He died in June 2022.(cnn) Los Angeles (CNN) — Gabriel Infante, 24, was dazed and sweating in the unforgiving sun. The heat index was over 100 degrees on the fifth day of his new job installing fiber optic cables in the San Antonio, Texas, area.Late that afternoon, he lunged at another coworker in a fit of delirium, alleging that his coworkers “were going to kill him,” according to his mother’s recollection of events told to her by Gabriel’s friend and coworker, Joshua Espinoza. Infante then fell and ...

Los Angeles faces Las Vegas on 3-game win streak

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

Los Angeles Sparks (12-18, 6-10 Western Conference) at Las Vegas Aces (28-3, 15-1 Western Conference)Las Vegas; Saturday, 3 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK WNBA LINE: Aces -16.5; over/under is 169.5BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles will attempt to keep its three-game win streak intact when the Sparks take on Las Vegas.The Aces are 15-1 in Western Conference games. Las Vegas leads the Western Conference with 93.8 points and is shooting 49.4%.The Sparks are 6-10 in conference matchups. Los Angeles has a 6-7 record against teams above .500.The teams play for the fourth time this season. The Aces won the last matchup 97-78 on July 13, with A’ja Wilson scoring 25 points in the win.TOP PERFORMERS: Wilson is averaging 21.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks for the Aces. Kelsey Plum is averaging 18.7 points over the last 10 games for Las Vegas.Nneka Ogwumike is averaging 19.7 points, nine rebounds and 1.7 steals for the Sparks. Jordin Canada is averaging 15.2 points over the last 10 games for Los...

‘A foundational year’: Boston’s youth summer jobs balloon out of pandemic lull

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

Boston teens are getting back to work following the pandemic-era lull, officials said, with over 7,000 jobs offered through the city’s Youth Summer Jobs program reportedly filled.“This summer, our goal was to connect 7,000 young people with a summer job opportunity, really with the hopes of providing really tangible skill development, work readiness and useful experiences,” said Rashad Cope, director of the city’s Department of Youth Engagement and Employment.“We’re still counting some numbers across our ecosystem, but our early numbers indicate that we have reached our goal. So that’s exciting milestone,” he added.This year, the city invested over $18 million in the SuccessLink Youth Jobs program, which subsidizes and connects young people between 14 and 24 years old with jobs within city agencies, nonprofits and other organizations.Officials marketed the program going into the summer as measurably beneficial to teen’s employabi...

Hurricane Hilary: How to prepare for flood risk, evacuations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- With Hurricane Hilary heading towards Southern California, officials are urging residents to prepare for flooding amid the barrage of rain forecasted to hit the region over the weekend.The hurricane is currently a Category 4, meaning it has sustained winds from 130 to 156 mph. While forecasters are anticipating the storm to weaken by the time it reaches the San Diego County region, inclement weather advisories have been issued by the National Weather Service for parts of the region.That includes a Tropical Storm Watch and a flood watch, meaning that residents should be prepared for potential impacts from strong winds and torrential downpour. How San Diegans can prepare for Hilary According to NWS, widespread precipitation -- ranging from about three to 10 inches in some areas -- is likely to pose the biggest threat to residents. While staying in place is one of the best ways officials encourage residents to stay safe, heavier rains could create conditions for possible...

Reprieve in Okanagan fire fight, but desperate battle goes on

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

KELOWNA — The fire chief of West Kelowna says an “army” of firefighters from across the province has managed to earn a reprieve for the city in the battle against a devastating wildfire.But fire chief Jason Brolund says firefighters continue to face multiple structure fires that include streets full of burning houses. Brolund told a Saturday morning briefing that the previous night’s battle got a boost from calmer and cooler conditions, but the fight continues to expand.He says the “real successes” overnight came about due to 200 firefighters battling the destructive McDougall Creek wildfire.Meanwhile, structural losses have been confirmed in the City of Kelowna by fire chief Travis Whiting, who says he can’t confirm numbers until after homeowners have been informed.The Okanagan fires are at the epicentre of B.C.’s fight to control hundreds of blazes, which have triggered a provincewide state of emergencyThis report by The Canadian Press was...

Pacific coast battens down the hatches as Hurricane Hilary threatens ‘catastrophic’ flooding

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico (AP) — A weakening Hurricane Hilary headed for Mexico’s Baja California on Saturday as the U.S. National Hurricane Center predicted “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding” for the peninsula and for the southwestern United States, where it was forecast to cross the border as a tropical storm on Sunday.Officials as far north as Los Angeles scrambled to get the homeless off the streets, set up shelters and prepare for evacuations.Hilary is expected to plow into Mexico’s Baja peninsula on Saturday night before rushing northward and entering the history books as the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years.The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued tropical storm and potential flood warnings for a wide swath of Southern California from the Pacific coast to interior mountains and deserts. “This is being labeled as historic, life-threatening and potentially catastrophic rainfall for Southern California and a good chunk of the desert...

1 dead, 185 structures destroyed in eastern Washington wildfire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. (AP) — A wind-driven wildfire in eastern Washington state has destroyed at least 185 structures, closed a major highway and left one person dead, officials said Saturday.The blaze started on the west side of Medical Lake, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of Spokane, at about 12:30 p.m. Friday, Washington State Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Isabelle Hoygaard said Saturday. It grew to 14.8 square miles (38 square kilometers) by Saturday morning, with zero containment. The burned structures were a mixture of homes and outbuildings.Level 3 evacuations — Go Now — were ordered for the town as winds blew the flames south, Hoygaard said. The blaze burned through the south side of the town and then jumped Interstate 90 Friday night, forcing its closure. The major east-west thoroughfare remained closed in both directions Saturday morning. “The fire is burning on both sides of the highway,” the Washington state Department of Transportation said on its webp...

A former New York bishop has died at 84. He promoted social justice, but covered up rape allegations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Howard Hubbard, a retired Catholic bishop who acknowledged covering up allegations of sexual abuse in his upstate New York diocese and recently married a woman in a civil ceremony, has died after suffering from a massive stroke. He was 84.Hubbard passed away at Albany Medical Center on Saturday after being hospitalized for the stroke days prior, bishop spokesman Mark Behan confirmed.Hubbard was known as a champion of social justice causes during his long tenure leading the Albany, New York-based diocese from 1977 to 2014. But his reputation suffered as the church became engulfed in sexual abuse scandals. Hubbard had adamantly denied accusations that he abused minors. But he acknowledged in a 2021 deposition that he and the diocese covered up allegations of sexual abuse against children by priests in part to avoid scandal.Last fall, Hubbard said he wanted to be returned to the lay state — leave the clergy — since he could no longer function as a priest due to a U....

Former Minnesota governor and congressman, moderate Republican Al Quie, dies at 99

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:06:51 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former Minnesota Gov. Al Quie, a moderate Republican known for working across the aisle as both governor and as a congressman, has died. He was 99.Quie died of natural causes late Friday at a senior living community in suburban Wayzata where he had lived for the last 10 years, his son, Joel Quie, said Saturday. While he had been in declining health in recent months, he still enjoyed meeting and greeting people. At a family gathering two weeks ago, he read aloud to his great-grandchildren from their favorite storybook, his son said. He died just a month shy of his 100th birthday.“His stature and his energy and his enthusiasm for life was there right to the end,” Joel Quie said.Albert Harold Quie was born Sept. 18, 1923, on his family’s dairy farm near Dennison in southeastern Minnesota. After serving as a Navy pilot in World War II, he returned home to resume farming. He served a stint in the Minnesota Senate before winning a special election for a vacant con...