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Coastal North Carolina hit by flooding as Tropical Storm Ophelia travels north

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:54 GMT

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Residents in parts of coastal North Carolina and Virginia experienced flooding Saturday after Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall near a North Carolina barrier island, bringing rain, damaging winds and dangerous surges.The storm came ashore near Emerald Isle with near-hurricane-strength winds of 70 mph (113 kph) at around 6:15 a.m. but its winds weakened as it traveled north Saturday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Ophelia is expected to sweep northeast Sunday along the mid-Atlantic coast up to New Jersey.Videos from social media showed riverfront communities in North Carolina such as New Bern, Belhaven and Washington experiencing significant flooding. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear.Even before it made landfall, the storm proved treacherous enough that five people had to be rescued by the Coast Guard on Friday night from a boat anchored down near the North Carolina coastline.Ophelia promises a weekend of windy conditions and heavy...

As foreign minister speaks at UN blocks away, Venezuelan asylum-seekers strain New York City

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:54 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Ysamar López stood beneath the old hotel’s canopy, exploring New York City’s unfamiliar streets on Google Maps and making a plan to set out into the rain. The Venezuelan woman arrived late the prior evening after a two-day bus ride from Texas capping weeks of overland travel. She had no idea her country’s foreign minister was about to speak at the United Nations a few blocks away. She had installed herself and her two small children in a room inside, got them fed and had a medical check, and now she was focused on finding warm clothing. “Thank God, nothing bad has happened, but I’m waiting for a solution to see if they leave me here or send me somewhere else,” said López, 33, as her 3-year old son with big green eyes and a runny nose clung to her. “But we’re OK, we’re doing OK.”Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil’s speech Saturday comes only days after a U.N.-backed panel investigating human rights violations in Venezuela reported that the South American...

3 shot and killed in targeted attack in Atlanta, police say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:54 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Three people were shot and killed Saturday in a targeted, daytime attack in Atlanta, police said.Officers responded to a call reporting that someone had been shot in the city’s West End neighborhood around 1:30 p.m., police said in a news release. A preliminary investigation indicates a man approached two people and opened fire, and one of those people returned fire. All three were shot and died from their injuries, police said.The shooting took place near a mall. Investigators were working to determine a motive, police said. They did not release additional information. The Associated Press

Speaker McCarthy is giving hard-right Republicans what they want. But it never seems to be enough.

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:54 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Staring down a fast-approaching government shutdown that threatens to disrupt life for millions of Americans, Speaker Kevin McCarthy has turned to a strategy that so far has preserved his tenuous hold on House leadership but also marked it by chaos: giving hard-right lawmakers what they want.In his eight months running the House, McCarthy has lived by the upbeat personal mantra of “never give up” as he dodges threats to his speakership and tries to portray Republicans as capable stewards of the U.S. government. He has long chided Washington for underestimating him. But with the House GOP majority in turmoil, all but certain to hurl the country into a shutdown, McCarthy has set aside the more traditional tools of the gavel to keep rebels in line. Instead, he has acceded to a small band led by those instigating his ouster, even if that means closing federal offices.It’s an untested strategy that has left McCarthy deeply frustrated, his allies rushing to his sid...

Man identified after two sexual assault incidents near Lawrence Park

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:54 GMT

Toronto police have identified the man wanted in a sexual assault investigation for two different incidents.On Friday the man was identified, and police say there is no further threat to public safety.Police responded to an incident on Sept. 19 at 9:30 a.m. at Lawrence West Station. While exiting a bus, a man reportedly blocked the path of an 8-year-old girl, bent down, grabbed the bottom of the victim’s sweater and lifted it up. The victim’s mother intervened and the man fled the area.Then, on Sept. 21, at 4:45 p.m. police responded to an incident in the area of Duplex Avenue and Glencairn Avenue. A man reportedly approached an 8 year-old girl as a family was walking their dog. The man asked to pet the dog, bent down, and lifted the victim’s shirt exposing their stomach.A family member yelled at the man and pushed the victim’s shirt down, but the man grabbed the shirt a second time, lifted it up and took a picture before fleeing the area.

Former west suburban man convicted of detonating pipe bomb at Hinsdale train station in 2006

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:54 GMT

CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a former Oakbrook Terrace man of detonating a pipe bomb at a train station in the western suburbs over 15 years ago, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Illinois.On Monday, a federal jury in Chicago convicted Thomas James Zajac of detonating the bomb at a train station in Hinsdale on Sept. 1, 2006, leaving the station damaged and a station agent injured. 15-year-old critical after driver crashes stolen Kia into John Deere tractor in Joliet Zajac, who is now 70 years old, was convicted on all three counts against him, including attempting to destroy property with an explosive device, possessing an unregistered destructive device, and willfully making a threat through the mail to kill or injure a person with an explosive device.According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Zajac planted the pipe bomb in a trash can at the BNSF Railway station in Hinsdale, which detonated during the morning commute. Zajac sent an anony...

Gophers linebacker Cody Lindenberg questionable to play Northwestern

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:54 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. — Gophers top linebacker Cody Lindenberg is questionable for a second straight week against Northwestern on Saturday, per the U’s status report.But it doesn’t not appear he will make his season debut. The fourth-year player was present but not participating in early warm-ups at Ryan Field.Lindenberg (leg) missed the first three games of the season and had been upgraded from “out” to “questionable” before the 31-13 loss to North Carolina last Saturday. He participated in early warm-ups in Chapel Hill, N.C., but didn’t play against the Tar Heels.Without Lindenberg, a fourth-year player, the Gophers defense has started two newcomers, Maverick Baranowski and Devon Williams, in the first three games. Baronowski leads the team with 27 tackles as well as seven missed tackles. Williams has nine tackles.Beyond Lindenberg, running back Bryce Williams and receiver Chris Autman-Bell were also listed as questionable.The Gophers listed these four playe...

Sonny Gray solid but Twins’ bats quieted in 1-0 post-clinching loss to Angels

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:54 GMT

It was a late night for the Twins as the celebration of a division title — the third in five years for the Twins — raged on within the clubhouse. But that, coupled with an early wake up for a day game on Saturday, didn’t seem to affect Sonny Gray’s performance one bit.The Twins starting pitcher, who has been the picture of consistency since the season began, turned in yet another strong effort, lowering his earned-run average to 2.80 on the season.The problem for Gray and the Twins was that the one run he did give up was enough for the Los Angeles Angels on a day when a lineup missing many of the Twins’ regulars was quieted. The Twins fell 1-0 to the Angels, dropping the middle game of the three-game set at Target Field.“We had a fun night. Everything was great,” Gray said. “We came in and we just got beat, but it wasn’t for anything. Gave up a solo homer and that ended up being the difference in the game. I felt strong, I felt convicted.”The Twins (82-73) finished the day with just...

Should there be concern for severe weather overnight?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:54 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Showers and thunderstorms developed over western and central Missouri early Saturday morning, marching east through the afternoon.As of mid-afternoon, the storms have migrated into central Missouri, right along Interstate 70, all the way up into north-central Missouri. A weakening trend will take place as the storms continue moving in our direction over the next several hours.However, some of our far western counties in the FOX 2 viewing area could get a bit of rain late tonight through early tomorrow morning. The threat of severe weather is low, but if one of these storms has the potential to strengthen, small hail and gusty winds will be of primary concern. St. Louis radar: See a map of current weather here As storms weaken overnight, we will still hang onto a small shot of rain through the early morning hours in the metro; otherwise, mainly cloudy skies and low temperatures bottoming out into the upper 60s will take place.Partial sunshine and the potential for stor...

COVID conspiracies return in force, just in time for 2024

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:54 GMT

An increase in COVID-19 cases has spawned a corresponding flare-up of conspiracy theories around the virus, a phenomenon that experts warn will only get worse as the 2024 election approaches.The White House and President Biden’s reelection campaign will now be tasked with promoting awareness and the latest vaccines while also countering misinformation spread by anti-vaxxers, some conservative pundits and even a small number of Republican officials.Advocates told The Hill that even though the coronavirus public emergency is over, the pandemic’s influence on American society is here to stay.“We're only at the tip of the iceberg for how bad this is going to get,” said Mike Rothschild, a conspiracy theory researcher.Fear that another COVID-19 lockdown is imminent have circulated online in recent weeks as cases spiked. Hospitalizations caused by the virus have been steadily rising each week since early July, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ...