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Sweltering temperatures bring misery to large portion of central US, setting some heat records

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:42 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Sweltering temperatures lingered Sunday in a large swath of the central U.S., causing misery from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes.Record high temperatures were recorded in Texas and other states. People were told to chug extra water while mowing lawns or exercising outdoors, and to check on neighbors to ensure air-conditioning is available.“These high temperatures can impact our friends, families, and neighbors who may live alone, especially if they limit their use of air conditioning,” Sarah Russell, commissioner for the St. Louis Emergency Management Agency, said in a statement. “We urge everyone to stop and visit loved ones to ensure they are healthy and well during this extreme heat.”The Dallas-Fort Worth area was expected to reach 110 F (43.3 C) Sunday after hitting 108 F (42.2 C) Saturday, said Sarah Barnes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The record high for those dates was 107 F (41.7 C), set in 2011.Barnes said the area is not cooling...

Block Island, Rhode Island, welcomed back vacationers Sunday, a day after a fire tore through hotel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:42 GMT

NEW SHOREHAM, R.I. (AP) — Block Island welcomed back vacationers Sunday, a day after a fire tore through a historic hotel early Saturday, prompting officials on the summer tourist spot off the coast of Rhode Island to declare a state of emergency and urge the public to stay away.“Block Island is open for visitors! The beaches are lovely, many restaurants and shops are open. Come to bike and hike,” the Block Island Chamber of Commerce said in Facebook post Sunday.About 50 firefighters from around the state were flown and shipped in to help fight the flames at the Harborside Inn, and at least four ladder trucks were also brought in, the chamber said Saturday.In a separate post Sunday, the chamber urged donations to the Block Island Fire Department.“Their courageous efforts and fast action helped save the town. THANK YOU to all firefighters and first responders for keeping us safe,” the chamber wrote.The roof of the inn caved in around 1:30 a.m. All guests were evacuated, and no seriou...

A store owner was killed over a Pride flag she flew in front of her California business

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:42 GMT

CEDAR GLEN, Calif. (AP) — A dispute over an LGBTQ+ pride flag at a California clothing store spiraled into deadly violence this weekend when a man shot and killed the 66-year-old business owner right in front of her shop, authorities said.The man ran away from the store after the shooting Friday night but was later found and killed in a confrontation with officers from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.The agency said Laura Ann Carleton was pronounced dead at Mag.Pi, the store she owned and operated in Cedar Glen. The small community in the San Bernadino Mountains is roughly 60 miles (96 kilometers) east of downtown Los Angeles. Before the shooting, the man “made several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store,” sheriff’s officials said.It was not immediately clear what happened when officers confronted the man, whose identity hadn’t been released as of Sunday.Carleton, who preferred to be called “Lauri,” is survived by her husb...

Starbucks told to pay $2.7 million in lost wages to manager fired after arrest of 2 Black men

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:42 GMT

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — A judge has ordered Starbucks to pay an additional $2.7 million in lost wages and tax damages to a former regional manager who was earlier awarded more than $25 million after alleging she and other white employees were unfairly punished following the high-profile arrests of two Black men at a store in 2018.In June, Shannon Phillips won $600,000 in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages after a jury in New Jersey found that race was a determinative factor in Phillips’ firing, in violation of federal and state anti-discrimination laws.The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that U.S. district judge Wednesday ordered Starbucks to pay Phillips another $2.73 million in past and future lost earnings and benefits as well as compensation for tax disadvantages due to the lump sum, according to court documents. The company opposed paying any amount, saying Philipps had not proven she couldn’t have earned the same or more in the future.In April 2018, a Philadelp...

‘We might not have a home’: Fire evacuees in Kelowna parking lot ponder unclear fate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:42 GMT

KELOWNA, B.C. — Robert Pullen and his husband, Warren, got a knock on their door on Thursday night from a neighbour, and estimate they had about 10 minutes to get out the door. A fast-moving wildfire was approaching their home on Knox Mountain in Kelowna, B.C. Robert credits his background in the military for having them ready to leave so quickly, along with the couple’s two dogs. Barking orders at his partner of 20 years as if he was still in uniform may have been a bit much — causing an eye roll and a friendly laugh in hindsight — but the stress eventually turned to relief. Life goes on. The couple is among more than 30,000 evacuees fleeing wildfires across British Columbia. Some face uncertain futures, with the prospect of their homes and communities being destroyed, or their livelihoods lost.Outside Kelowna’s Prospera Place arena, which is hosting evacuees, the Pullens chat in lounge chairs in the parking lot, having decided to leave a local mall where other evacuees had gathere...

Explosion causes 5-alarm fire in city’s west end

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:42 GMT

A five-alarm fire has broken out in an apartment building in the city’s west end on Sunday afternoon.Police and fire crews responded to reports of an explosion in the electrical room of a building on Rusholme Road in the area of Bloor Street West and Dovercourt Road around 2:19 p.m.Initially the fire was classified as two-alarm but it was soon escalated up to five-alarm. Paramedics tell CityNews one person has been assessed for minor injuries at the scene but no other serious injuries have been reportedTTC shelter buses have been brought in to help with residents who have been displaced by the fire. More to come

Investigation underway after 2 killed in Glenview shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:42 GMT

GLENVIEW, Ill. — An investigation is underway after two people, including a 16-year-old boy, were killed in Glenview on Saturday night, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department.Authorities say the deadly shooting happened just after 9 p.m. in the 10400 block of Michael Todd Terrace in unincorporated Glenview. String of 7-11 robberies within 30 minutes on North Side Officers say when they first arrived on the scene, they found two victims who had both been shot several times. One of the victims was taken to the hospital where they were later pronounced dead.Police say the second victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Man, 38, killed in Austin hit-and-run ID’d Authorities have identified one of the victims as 16-year-old Jose Guzman, from Wadsworth, IL., however, authorities have not provided the identity of the second victim killed.Currently, it is unclear what led to the shooting and police say an investigation is underway. Shooting in Chicago Heights leaves ...

Court documents suggest reason for the police raid of Kansas newspaper

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:42 GMT

(AP) - The police chief who led the raid of a Kansas newspaper alleged in previously unreleased court documents that a reporter either impersonated someone else or lied about her intentions when she obtained the driving records of a local business owner.But reporter Phyllis Zorn, Marion County Record Editor and Publisher Eric Meyer and the newspaper's attorney said Sunday that no laws were broken when Zorn accessed a public state website for information on restaurant operator Kari Newell.The raid carried out Aug. 11 and led by Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody brought international attention to the small central Kansas town that now finds itself at the center of a debate over press freedoms. Police seized computers, personal cellphones and a router from the newspaper, but all items were released Wednesday after the county prosecutor concluded there wasn't enough evidence to justify the action.Late Saturday, the Record's attorney, Bernie Rhodes, provided copies of t...

Want to retain employees? Try a shorter workweek

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:42 GMT

(NerdWallet) - The four-day workweek is the latest buzzy workplace trend, with experiments and surveys touting improved employee morale, retention and productivity.In one study of 41 businesses across the U.S. and Canada — the majority with 25 or fewer employees — 40% of employees surveyed said they were less stressed after trying out a shorter workweek. In addition, 60% of employees reported a better work-life balance and 32% said they were less likely to quit, according to a July 2023 report by 4 Day Week Global, a nonprofit that promotes shorter workweeks.ThredUp has seen this play out in-house over the past two years. The online clothing reseller shifted to a four-day week for corporate employees in 2021. Voluntary turnover among that group dropped 55% compared with 2019, and hiring got a boost. Most new hires cited the company’s shorter week as a deciding factor in employment, Natalie Breece, chief people and diversity officer at ThredUp, said by email.Can a shorter workweek do...

Austin included in list of US cities where wildfires threaten the most homes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:42 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The Maui fires are a terrifying reminder of the destruction that wildfires can cause. It's a threat many Western U.S. residents are unfortunately familiar with. A new report from CoreLogic analyzed how many homes and apartments in 14 Western states are at a high risk of fires. They looked at areas' slope, drought conditions, wildfire fuel, wind and other factors to determine places with the most at-risk residences. The West's largest state, California, unsurprisingly had the most number of homes facing wildfire risk. The Golden State also had the highest estimated cost for rebuilding after a devastating fire. While fires can occur anywhere, areas with lots of homes butted up against nature are at a higher risk. For example, in the Los Angeles metro area, residences "face an elevated risk due to their proximity to forested or undeveloped areas," the CoreLogic report said. "This geographic placement can pose challenges for firefighting and evacuation efforts in case of a w...