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Flood problems grow as new storm moves into California

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:53:18 GMT

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Crews rushed to repair a levee break on a storm-swollen river in California’s central coast as yet another atmospheric river arrived Monday with the potential to wallop the state’s swamped farmland and agricultural communities. The Pajaro River’s first levee rupture grew to at least 400 feet (120 meters) since it failed late Friday, officials said. More than 8,500 people were forced to evacuate, and about 50 people had to be rescued as the water rose that night.Still, some stayed behind in Pajaro, an unincorporated community that’s known for its strawberry crops and is now mostly flooded. The largely Latino farmworker community there is already struggling to find food with so many roads and businesses closed in the storm’s aftermath.“Some people have nowhere to go and maybe that’s why there’s still people around,” resident Jorbelit Rincon said Monday. “Pretty much they don’t know where to go and don’t have money to...

North Korea launches 2 missiles to sea as allies hold drills

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:53:18 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea test-fired two short-range ballistic missiles Tuesday in another show of force after the U.S. and South Korea began military drills that Pyongyang views as an invasion rehearsal, its neighbors said.The missiles were launched from the southwestern coastal town of Jangyon and flew across North Korea before landing in the sea off that country’s east coast, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. It also said the South Korean military had boosted its surveillance posture and maintained readiness in close coordination with the United States.Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters that officials were still gathering details of the North Korean launches and there has been no immediate reports of damage in Japanese waters.Pyongyang could further escalate its weapons tests over the coming days in a tit-for-tat response to the allies’ military drills, which are planned to run until March 23. Last week North Korean leader Kim ...

California court rules for Uber, Lyft in ride-hailing case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:53:18 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — App-based ride hailing and delivery companies like Uber and Lyft can continue to treat their California drivers as independent contractors, a state appeals court ruled Monday, allowing the tech giants to bypass other state laws requiring worker protections and benefits.The ruling mostly upholds a voter-approved law, called Proposition 22, that said drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft are independent contractors and are not entitled to benefits like paid sick leave and unemployment insurance. A lower court ruling in 2021 had said Proposition 22 was illegal, but Monday’s ruling reversed that decision.“Today’s ruling is a victory for app-based workers and the millions of Californians who voted for Prop 22,” said Tony West, Uber’s chief legal officer. ”We’re pleased that the court respected the will of the people.”The ruling is a defeat for labor unions and their allies in the state Legislature who passed a law in 2019 requiring companies like ...

Haley wants entitlement program changes for younger people

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:53:18 GMT

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is proposing changes to entitlement programs for younger generations, opening the door to potential cuts to Social Security and Medicare if elected.At a campaign rally Monday night in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Haley promised not to touch the benefits of older people who retired with certain guarantees of a financial future.“We’re not taking it from seniors,” Haley said. “We’re not taking it to anyone who’s been promised anything. My parents are in their 80s. I don’t want anybody touching theirs.”But Haley, making her first campaign stop in South Carolina since launching her campaign last month, said her children, both of whom are in their 20s, are part of the generation for whom the benefits should be altered.“Those are the ones we tell the rules have changed — anyone new coming in this system,” said Haley, a former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. “That’s how you do entitle...

Reports: 2 CPD officers involved in South Side crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:53:18 GMT

CHICAGO — Two Chicago police officers are in the hospital after a car crash on the City's South Side Monday evening.According to police, the crash happened in the 3800 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue sometime Monday evening.The Chicago Fire Department said two CPD officers were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in stable condition. Police also reported their injuries to be non-life threatening. Federal indictment says suburban man stole over $83 million in COVID-19 testing scheme No other information is available at this time.Stay with WGN News as this story will be updated once more information becomes available.

Zebra bites Ohio man's arm before deputy puts animal down

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:53:18 GMT

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the extent of the victim's injuries.CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) - A man was taken to the hospital Sunday afternoon after a zebra attacked him in Pickaway County, Ohio. According to an incident report from the Pickaway County Sheriff's Office, deputies were sent around 5:30 p.m. to a fenced-in field after reports that a man was seriously injured by a zebra he owned. Pickaway County deputies and a victim's family member fend off a zebra after it bit a man's arm. (Courtesy Photo/Pickaway County Sheriff's Office)As deputies arrived, they saw the victim lying on the ground with his right arm covered with his sleeve. According to the incident report, dispatch logs said the victim had his arm bitten off by the zebra.However, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office confirmed to Nexstar's WCMH that the man was being treated at Grant Medical Center and will not lose his arm.An edited version of the deputies' body camera footage is below. ...

“Everything Everywhere All At Once” Oscar Night’s Biggest Winner

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:53:18 GMT

St. Paul man sentenced for fatally beating man last summer in Fargo

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:53:18 GMT

A St. Paul man has been sentenced to prison for four years after he fatally beat another man during a fight last year in downtown Fargo, N.D.Roberto Cardenas Garcia, 58, apologized Monday in Cass County District Court before Judge Stephannie Stiel sentenced him for manslaughter. In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed an aggravated assault charge.“All I want to apologize to the court and to the family in regards to my acts,” Garcia said through an interpreter.The charges stems from the Aug. 13 death of 53-year-old Cirilo Sustaita Contreras. Garcia and Contreras drank alcohol together that day before they got into an altercation around 4:30 p.m. behind Alerus Bank at 51 N. Broadway, according to a criminal complaint. It’s unclear what led to the fight or what happened during it.Garcia told police he blacked out during the fight and doesn’t remember what happened, prosecutor Joshua Traiser said. Officers also didn’t find any video that would have shown the altercation, ...

St. Paul property manager to pay $63K to settle state lawsuit over withheld security deposits

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:53:18 GMT

A St. Paul-based property management company has agreed to pay $63,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office, which alleged it illegally withheld tenants’ security deposits.Housing Hub admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement, but the company did agree to stop charging renters for routine maintenance like carpet cleaning and light bulb replacement when they move out of a property, according to a news release issued Monday by the attorney general’s office.The state will disburse the funds from the settlement to former tenants who had their security deposits wrongfully withheld by Housing Hub, the news release said.“Having a safe, affordable roof over your head is essential to living with safety, dignity, and respect,” Ellison said in the release. “Part of that is landlords following the law and returning tenants their security deposits.  I am pleased that Housing Hub has agreed to refund its tenants and change its s...

Albany International Airport warns of flight cancellations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:53:18 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Albany International Airport's Snow Team has been activated in response to the impending snowstorm. Snow removal equipment including plows, snow blowers, and loaders, will be in full operation at the onset of the storm. Get all of the latest news, weather, sports, and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! According to the flight tracker, most of the incoming flights and a handful of outgoing flights on Monday night have been canceled. As of 9:30 p.m. on Monday, fifteen flights scheduled to depart on Tuesday, March 14, have already been canceled. Airlines are notifying ticketed passengers of cancelations, however, it is recommended that travelers check with their airline or Albany International Airport's website for the latest flight information.