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Hydro-Québec workers, vulnerable Cree community members evacuated due to wildfires

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

MONTREAL — Much-needed rain fell in parts of northwestern Quebec on Friday, where high-intensity forest fires have forced the partial evacuation of a Cree community and employees of the province’s hydroelectric utility. Audrey Marcoux, a spokeswoman for the province’s forest fire prevention agency, said parts of the James Bay region had received about 20 millimetres of rain as of Friday morning. Firefighters in northern Quebec had been struggling to slow down intense fires fuelled by high winds and dry conditions after weeks without rain. Marcoux said the rain would help fire efforts, but smoky conditions were making it difficult to get a full portrait of the situation. The Cree Board of Health said seven planes were deployed to Wemindji on Wednesday and Thursday to evacuate more than 200 medically vulnerable people. Three more planes remained on standby, the board wrote in a Friday update on its website.“As conditions can change quickly people are asked to exercis...

Nearly 4,000 pages show new detail of Ken Paxton’s alleged misdeeds ahead of Texas impeachment trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Investigators leading the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have released nearly 4,000 pages of documents that lay out in new detail how the embattled Republican allegedly used multiple cellphones and an alias on a ride-sharing app to conceal an affair, and pressured top aides to help a donor who is now facing criminal charges.The reams of exhibits, most of which were publicly filed late Thursday and include emails and text messages, are the foundation of House Republicans’ case that Paxton abused his office and should be ousted at the end of a historic impeachment trial that begins Sept. 5 in the Texas Capitol. “It’s a complicated story,” Mark Penley, one of Paxton’s former deputies, told investigators during a deposition in March. “But if you understand what was going on, this was outrageous conduct by an Attorney General that’s supposed to be the chief law enforcement officer for the State of Texas, not the chief lawbreaking officer...

New York governor blocks discharge of radioactive water into Hudson River from closed nuclear plant

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A measure to block discharges of radioactive water into the Hudson River as part of the Indian Point nuclear plant’s decommissioning was signed into law Friday by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.The bill was introduced to thwart the planned release of 1.3 million gallons of water with traces of radioactive tritium from the retired riverside plant 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of New York City.The plan sparked a groundswell of opposition in the suburban communities along the river. Many feared the discharges would depress real estate values and drive away sailors, kayakers and swimmers after decades of progress in cleaning up the Hudson River.Supporters of the planned releases say that they would be similar to those made when the Indian Point Energy Center was making electricity and that the concentration of tritium had been far below federal standards. Such releases are made by other plants, hospitals and other institutions, they said.The bill to ban radioactiv...

Passenger who survived fiery crash that claimed 4 lives is facing charges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

ELLSWORTH, Maine (AP) — A woman who survived a fiery crash that claimed the lives of four Maine Maritime Academy students has been charged as an “accomplice or co-conspirator” in connection with the tragedy.Noelle Tavares, 20, of North Falmouth, Massachusetts, pleaded not guilty this week to charges of manslaughter, aggravated operating under the influence, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, driving to endanger and reckless speed. Hancock County District Attorney Robert Granger said Friday the grand jury found probable cause of “accomplice liability” attached to the charges, meaning she’s accused of facilitating the conduct that led to the tragedy even though she wasn’t the driver. Granger declined in an email to comment on Tavares’ actions that provided the basis for the charges.Tavares’ lawyer didn’t immediately return a call from The Associated Press seeking comment.The driver, Joshua Goncalves-Radding, of North Babylon, New York, was travelin...

George Santos says ex-fundraiser caught using a fake name tried a new tactic: spelling it backwards

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — When the invitation to lunch at the Empire State Building first arrived last summer, some of George Santos’ campaign staffers were wary.The sender described himself as a deep-pocketed donor, eager to max out his contribution to the Republican congressional candidate. He signed the email Reyem Nad, an unfamiliar name in fundraising circles.Within minutes, Santos says he discovered the truth: The message was from Sam Miele, a former fundraiser who had been fired from the campaign months earlier after he was caught soliciting donations under the alias Dan Meyer, then the chief of staff to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who at the time was the Republican minority leader.Santos said he interpreted the lunch invitation as an attempt by Miele to get a face-to-face meeting — one he could not get if he used his own name — where he could ask to rejoin the campaign.“We realized, ’Oh … Reyem Nad is Dan Meyer spelled backwards,” Santos told The Associated Press on Friday, us...

FEMA has paid out more than $5.6 million to Maui survivors, a figure expected to grow significantly

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday it has approved more than $5.6 million in assistance to nearly 2,000 households in Maui so far as the federal government tries to help survivors of the devastating wildfires.The White House and FEMA approved a one-time payment of $700 per household for needs like clothing, food, or transportation. The agency will also pay to put survivors up in hotels and motels and says it has paid out $1.6 million in rental assistance as of Friday.The amounts are expected to grow significantly. Estimates are that thousands of buildings were damaged or destroyed in the fire, which consumed much of historic community of Lahaina. In the wake of the Northern California wildfire in 2018, which decimated the city of Paradise, FEMA paid out $238 million in assistance.FEMA said Wednesday that it will open a disaster recovery center in Maui in order to better and more quickly facilitate the distribution of aid.Survivors need to register wi...

‘I share your concerns’: Councillor addresses chemical runoff in Mimico, Humber creeks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

A Toronto city councillor has addressed the chemical runoff affecting two creeks in Etobicoke, saying the heavy rain experienced in the last 24 hours has temporarily breached containment while sharing the concern of residents.A six-alarm fire at an Etobicoke industrial building one week ago led to chemical spillage in Mimico Creek and Humber Creek. While crews were able to tend to the significant fire at Brenntag Canada, a chemical distribution company, runoff has impacted the local waterways and resulted in the deaths and subsequent rescues of various animals and birds, including ducks and beavers.City councillor Amber Morley of Etobicoke-Lakeshore shared an update on Friday, noting that GFL — the contracted cleanup crew — is re-establishing the containment, and the Ministry of the Environment and the Spills Action Centre are aware and responding. This is due to heavy rain that hit Toronto and the GTA overnight on Thursday into Friday.“GFL and Toronto Water contin...

A look at wildfires and evacuations in N.W.T. and B.C.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

YELLOWKNIFE — Some 20,000 people from Yellowknife and thousands more from other communities in the Northwest Territories have been ordered to leave due to nearby wildfires. Meanwhile, a significant number of homes have gone up in flames as a wildfire burns in West Kelowna in British Columbia’s interior. Here’s a look at the fires by the numbers. YellowknifeSize of the wildfire that is about 15 kilometres from Yellowknife: 1,669 square kilometres.Population of Yellowknife: 20,000Residents ordered to evacuate: all of Yellowknife and thousands in other N.W.T. communities.Number of wildfires burning in the N. W. T: 236.West Kelowna Size of the fire that has spread around West Kelowna: 68 square kilometresPopulation of West Kelowna: 38,000Number of West Kelowna properties ordered to evacuate: 2,462. Number of West Kelowna properties on evacuation alert: 4,801.Properties damaged: a “significant” number.Number of wildfires burning in B.C.: 377. This report by The Ca...

WATCH LIVE | US, Japan and South Korea leaders discuss summit to bolster security over objections of Beijing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

CAMP DAVID, Md. (AP) — President Joe Biden opened a historic summit with Japan and South Korea at Camp David on Friday focused on strengthening security and economic ties at a time of increasing concerns about North Korea’s persistent nuclear threats and China’s provocations in the Pacific."Our countries are stronger and the world will be safer as we stand together. And I know this is a belief that all three share,” Biden declared at the start of the meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the presidential retreat in Maryland. Addressing his fellow leaders at what he called the first standalone summit of the three nations, the American president said, "I want to thank you both for your political courage that brought you here.”Yoon said as the three appeared before reporters that “today will be remembered as a historic day, where we established a firm institutional basis and commitments to the trilateral partnership.”And Kishida ...

CDC, WHO tracking new COVID-19 variant; highly mutated strain found in US

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:26:35 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The World Health Organization added a new lineage of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to its Variants Under Monitoring (VUM) category on Thursday, citing a large number of mutations that “warrants attention.”The lineage, named BA.2.86, has already been identified in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Other cases have been identified in Denmark and Israel.“More data are needed to understand this #COVID19 variant and the extent of its spread, but the number of mutations warrants attention,” WHO wrote in a message posted to X on Thursday. “WHO will update countries and the public as we learn more.” Would it work better to get our COVID vaccines through the nose? The escalation of BA.2.86 to a VUM also happened relatively quick for a lineage with only three sequences available. The first case was identified on July 24, and WHO had classified it as a VUM less than a month later on Aug. 17.It’s unclear if the variant’s 36 mutations will help it ...