ReportWire

Tag: Official

  • Mexican army kills ‘El Mencho,’ Mexico’s most-wanted drug kingpin

    [ad_1]

    MEXICO CITY — Mexican authorities have killed one of the world’s most wanted drug-traffickers, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” founder and leader of the notorious Jalisco New Generation cartel, which controls drug trafficking, extortion, fuel theft and other rackets throughout Mexico.

    The Mexican Defense Ministry confirmed the death, saying Oseguera was wounded during a Sunday morning operation in the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco state. Oseguera died while being transported via air with other cartel associates to Mexico City for treatment, the military said.

    Oseguera’s death is the most significant take-down of a Mexican drug capo since the capture of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, then head of the Sinaloa cartel, who is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison.

    In the past, the capture or death of a cartel leader has led to violence, as factions compete for control. On Sunday, chaos erupted across western Mexico.

    A family sheltering in place in the state of Jalisco — who asked not to be identified because of safety concerns — said cartel members were pulling people out of vehicles in the street and setting them on fire. Cars, trucks and buses going up in flames and emitting plumes of dark smoke were visible on roads in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta, according to footage circulating on social media, as well as in the states of Nayarit and Michoacán.

    The governor of Jalisco reported roadblocks and other disturbances throughout the western state and advised people to stay home. Flights were suspended at the airport in Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco.

    Authorities also reported blocked roads in other areas of Mexico where the cartel held sway. Criminal groups in Mexico often use roadblocks to protest enforcement actions.

    The reported death of Oseguera is a major achievement for the government of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has been under intense pressure from the Trump administration to crack down on U.S.-bound drug trafficking. In the last year, Mexico has dispatched scores of cartel suspects to the United States to face justice.

    U.S. authorities had offered a $15-million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Oseguera.

    It was not immediately clear what role, if any, U.S. authorities had in the operation to take down Oseguera. Sheinbaum has pledged “cooperation and coordination” with U.S. officials, but has rejected any direct U.S. role on the ground in anti-cartel operations.

    Oseguera is said to have begun his career as a small-time heroin dealer in San Francisco.

    One of the world’s most wanted criminals, rumors about El Mencho’s death and capture have circulated in the past and turned out to be false. But in recent years, authorities have seemingly closed in, capturing several high-ranking associates and close family members.

    Oseguera oversaw a military-like buildup of his cartel, which pioneered the use of armored vehicles, land mines, drones and other military hardware. Among other attacks, the Jalisco gang was blamed for the 2015 downing of a Mexican military helicopter, which resulted in the the death of nine Mexican law enforcement officials. The helicopter — reportedly hit with U.S.-made .50-caliber machine-gun rounds — was on a mission to capture the elusive cartel boss.

    His son, Rubén Oseguera González, known as “El Menchito,” was captured and extradited from Mexico in February 2020. He was convicted in 2024 on an array of drug and weapons charges related to his leadership role in the cartel and is now serving a life sentence.

    U.S. Bureau of Prisons records show he is housed at a maximum-security federal prison in Florence, Colo., know as the “Alcatraz of The Rockies,” that also houses the “El Chapo” and other high-profile criminals.

    His daughter, Jessica Johanna Oseguera González, was arrested while visiting one of her brother’s court proceedings and eventually pleaded guilty to violations of the sop-called Kingpin Act related to money laundering. She reportedly spent just over two years in prison before her release in 2022.

    Times staff writers McDonnell, Linthicum and Hamilton reported from Mexico City, New York and San Francisco, respectively. Special correspondent Cecilia Sánchez Vidal in Mexico City contributed to this report.

    [ad_2]

    Patrick J. McDonnell, Kate Linthicum, Keegan Hamilton

    Source link

  • Firefighters battle brush fire in Osceola County

    [ad_1]

    Firefighters from Osceola County Fire Rescue (OSCFR) and the Florida Forest Service are battling a brush fire in the Suburban Estates area near Holopaw, officials said Saturday.Containment operations are ongoing. Campers and visitors at nearby campsites are asked to exercise caution and follow all safety directions from fire personnel. No injuries or casualties have been reported.OCFR says the fire has grown to 200 acres and is 30% contained as of 4:39 p.m.>> This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is released.

    OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. —

    Firefighters from Osceola County Fire Rescue (OSCFR) and the Florida Forest Service are battling a brush fire in the Suburban Estates area near Holopaw, officials said Saturday.

    Containment operations are ongoing. Campers and visitors at nearby campsites are asked to exercise caution and follow all safety directions from fire personnel.

    No injuries or casualties have been reported.

    OCFR says the fire has grown to 200 acres and is 30% contained as of 4:39 p.m.

    >> This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is released.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • As a Colorado River deadline passes, reservoirs keep declining

    [ad_1]

    The leaders of seven states failed to negotiate a deal to share the diminishing waters of the Colorado River by a Trump administration deadline on Saturday, leaving the Southwest in a quagmire with uncertain repercussions while the river’s depleted reservoirs continue to decline.

    Former U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt said in an interview with The Times that the impasse now appears so intractable that Trump administration officials should take a step back, abandon the current effort and begin all over again.

    Babbitt said he believes it would be a mistake for Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to “try to impose a long-term solution” by ordering major water cuts across the Southwest — which would likely set off a lengthy court battle.

    “We need a fresh start,” Babbitt said. “I believe that in the absence of a unanimous agreement, [the Interior Department] should renew the existing agreements for five years, and then we should start all over. We should scrap the entire process and invent a new one.”

    Officials for the seven states have tried to boost reservoir levels via voluntary water cutbacks and federal payments to farmers who agree to leave fields dry part of the year. But after more than two years of trying to hash out new long-term rules for sharing water, they remain deadlocked; the existing rules are set to expire at the end of this year.

    The states similarly blew past an earlier federal deadline in November.

    Interior Department officials have not said how they will respond. The agency is considering four options for imposing cutbacks starting next year, as well as the option of taking no action.

    Babbitt, who was Interior secretary under President Clinton from 1993 to 2001, said he thinks the Trump administration’s options are too narrow and inadequate. They would place the burden of water cuts on Arizona, California and Nevada while not requiring any for the four other upriver states — Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico.

    Without a consensus, the only reasonable approach is to extend existing water-saving agreements for a few years while making a new push for solutions, Babbitt said.

    Federal officials have “missed the opportunity” to take a strong leadership role, he said, and it’s time to reimagine the effort as a “much more inclusive, public, broad” process.

    The river provides for about 35 million people and 5 million acres of farmland, from the Rocky Mountains to northern Mexico. California uses more water than any other state but has cut back substantially in recent years.

    Since 2000, relentless drought intensified by climate change has sapped the river’s flow and left reservoirs depleted. This winter’s record warmth and lack of storms has left the Rockies with very little snow.

    Lake Mead, the river’s largest reservoir, is now 34% full, while Lake Powell is at 26%.

    “Our states have conserved large volumes of water in recent years,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a joint statement with Arizona’s Katie Hobbs and Nevada’s Joe Lombardo. “Our stance remains firm and fair: all seven basin states must share in the responsibility of conservation.”

    The states’ positions haven’t changed much in the last two years, said JB Hamby, California’s lead negotiator, and moving toward an agreement will require firm commitments for cuts by all.

    Officials representing the four Upper Basin states said they’ve offered compromises and are prepared to continue negotiating. In a written statement, they stressed they are already dealing with substantial water cuts, and said their downstream neighbors are trying to secure water “that simply does not exist.”

    The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s latest forecast shows the amount of runoff flowing into Lake Powell will decrease so dramatically this year that the dropping reservoir levels could render Glen Canyon Dam unable to continue generating electricity.

    The Interior Department said in a written statement Saturday that it will finalize new rules by Oct. 1, and it “cannot delay action.” The agency is accepting comments from the public as part of its review of options until March 2.

    “Negotiation efforts have been productive,” Burgum said. “We believe that a fair compromise with shared responsibility remains within reach.”

    [ad_2]

    Ian James

    Source link

  • South Carolina university on lockdown after fatal shooting, officials say

    [ad_1]

    South Carolina State University officials say the campus is on lockdown following a shooting that left two people dead and one person injured.The lockdown began on Thursday around 9:15 p.m. when a shooting was reported in an apartment at the Hugine Suites student residential complex. The State Law Enforcement Division, SLED, is on site and actively investigating. While the campus remains on lockdown, officers with the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety and the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office are patrolling along with the university’s Department of Public Safety.University officials have yet to confirm the victims’ identities or the condition of the wounded person. All classes have been canceled for Friday, and the university says counselors are available to students.

    South Carolina State University officials say the campus is on lockdown following a shooting that left two people dead and one person injured.

    The lockdown began on Thursday around 9:15 p.m. when a shooting was reported in an apartment at the Hugine Suites student residential complex.

    The State Law Enforcement Division, SLED, is on site and actively investigating.

    While the campus remains on lockdown, officers with the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety and the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office are patrolling along with the university’s Department of Public Safety.

    University officials have yet to confirm the victims’ identities or the condition of the wounded person.

    All classes have been canceled for Friday, and the university says counselors are available to students.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • South Carolina university on lockdown after fatal shooting, officials say

    [ad_1]

    South Carolina State University officials say the campus is on lockdown following a shooting that left two people dead and one person injured.The lockdown began on Thursday around 9:15 p.m. when a shooting was reported in an apartment at the Hugine Suites student residential complex. The State Law Enforcement Division, SLED, is on site and actively investigating. While the campus remains on lockdown, officers with the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety and the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office are patrolling along with the university’s Department of Public Safety.University officials have yet to confirm the victims’ identities or the condition of the wounded person. All classes have been canceled for Friday, and the university says counselors are available to students.

    South Carolina State University officials say the campus is on lockdown following a shooting that left two people dead and one person injured.

    The lockdown began on Thursday around 9:15 p.m. when a shooting was reported in an apartment at the Hugine Suites student residential complex.

    The State Law Enforcement Division, SLED, is on site and actively investigating.

    While the campus remains on lockdown, officers with the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety and the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office are patrolling along with the university’s Department of Public Safety.

    University officials have yet to confirm the victims’ identities or the condition of the wounded person.

    All classes have been canceled for Friday, and the university says counselors are available to students.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Who abducted Nancy Guthrie? A week after abduction, few answers as search grows more desperate

    [ad_1]

    A week after Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her Tucson home, investigators spent the weekend searching at least two residences as more details emerged about a ransom note.

    The frantic search comes as Nancy’s daughter, NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie, issued a second video appeal to the kidnappers. Sources told The Times the ransom note felt credible because it included details about a specific damaged property and the placement of an accessory in the home.

    The Times has not reviewed the note, but sources said it sought millions of dollars for her return.

    On Saturday, Savannah Guthrie made a new video plea to the kidnappers of her mother, saying “we will pay” for her safe return.

    “We received your message, and we understand,” Guthrie said in the new video posted Saturday afternoon. She sat next to her brother and sister. “We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

    Authorities were at Nancy Guthrie’s home again this weekend as well as at the property of another family member, sources said. They also removed Guthrie’s car from her home. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

    No one has been named as a person of interest or suspect.

    Guthrie was last seen by her family just after 9:45 p.m. last Saturday, which officials said matched with when her garage door opened and closed that night.

    About four hours later, at 1:47 a.m., officials said her doorbell camera disconnected. An empty frame for the camera had been previously noted at her home.

    Then at 2:12 a.m., the security camera software at Guthrie’s home detected a person — or an animal — on one of the home’s cameras, but Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said they have not been able to recover that footage and don’t know which camera recorded the movement.

    About 15 minutes later, at 2:28 a.m., Nancy’s pacemaker app shows a disconnect from the phone, Nanos said. That appears to be exactly when she left her home, as her phone was left behind.

    Her family went to check on her at home just before noon Sunday, after she hadn’t shown up for church. They found she was missing and almost immediately called 911, Nanos said.

    There has been no “proof of life” offered by the abductors, officials said several days ago. But Nanos said Thursday officials believed she was still alive.

    The letter, sent to TMZ and a local TV station in Tucson, contained a first deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday and a second demand with a Monday deadline, said Heith Janke, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Phoenix division. He declined to say what, if anything, was requested at each deadline, or whether there was a threat if the deadlines weren’t met.

    On Friday, the fifth day since Guthrie disappeared, Arizona news outlet KOLD reported it received a new note from the alleged abductor. The station did not report details from the new letter, but said that “the new note contains information the senders seem to think will prove to investigators they’re the same people who sent the first note.”

    Nancy Guthrie‘s children have been trying to publicly communicate with the abductors.

    Her son, Camron Guthrie, issued a video pleading with the kidnapper Thursday afternoon, around the time of the ransom letter’s first deadline.

    “Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you,” he said. “We haven’t heard anything directly. We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward.”

    [ad_2]

    Richard Winton, Grace Toohey

    Source link

  • ‘Very strong’ clues in Nancy Guthrie abduction, Trump says, as authorities race against time to find her

    [ad_1]

    Investigators again scoured the desert brush outside the Tucson home of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie, as officials were reviewing a new message that could be tied to her abduction.

    At the same time, President Trump said on Air Force One on Friday night that investigators have “very strong” clues, believing “we could have some answers coming up fairly soon.”

    “We have some things, I think that will maybe come out reasonably soon, from DOJ or FBI, or whoever, that could be, could be definitive. A lot has taken place in the last couple of hours. A lot of things have happened with regard to that horrible situation in the last couple of hours,” he said.

    Little is known about the new message and whether it has been tied to kidnappers.

    FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s officials confirmed they were aware of the message, and said they are “actively inspecting the information provided in the message for its authenticity.”

    Guthrie was last seen by her family just after 9:45 p.m. Saturday, which officials said matched with when her garage door opened and closed that night.

    About four hours later, at 1:47 a.m., officials said her doorbell camera disconnected. An empty frame for the camera had been previously noted at her home.

    Then at 2:12 a.m., the security camera software at Guthrie’s home detected a person — or an animal — on one of the home’s cameras, but Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said they have not been able to recover that footage and don’t know which camera recorded the movement.

    About 15 minutes later, at 2:28 a.m., Nancy’s pacemaker app shows that it was a disconnect from the phone, Nanos said. That appears to be exactly when she left her home, as her phone was left behind.

    Her family went to check on her at home, finding her missing, just before noon Sunday, after she hadn’t shown up for church. They almost immediately called 911, Nanos said.

    An earlier ransom note appears to be at the center of the effort to find her.

    Although the entire note has not been released, some details that were included have been shared publicly. The letter contained a first deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday and a second demand with a Monday deadline, said Heith Janke, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Phoenix division. He declined to say what, if anything, was requested at each deadline, or if there was a threat if the deadlines weren’t met.

    Nancy’s son, Camron Guthrie, released a video statement pleading with the kidnapper Thursday afternoon, around the time of the ransom letter’s first deadline.

    “Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you,” he said. “We haven’t heard anything directly. We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward.”

    Harvey Levin, founder of celebrity news website TMZ, has reviewed one of the three identical letters that were sent to media outlets and told CNN on Thursday that “the Monday deadline is far more consequential.”

    TMZ reported receiving the alleged note earlier this week via email, and said the letter demanded millions in cryptocurrency for Guthrie’s release. Levin said Thursday night that TMZ had confirmed the bitcoin address was real.

    The family and authorities are particularly worried because Nancy Guthrie has many physical ailments and requires a daily medication that she appears to be without. Officials said they haven’t yet received any proof that Guthrie is alive, but they are operating on that assumption — despite real concerns she could be dead.

    [ad_2]

    Richard Winton, Grace Toohey

    Source link

  • 1 injured in Elk Grove garage fire, officials say

    [ad_1]

    WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT. NEW TONIGHT VIDEO CAPTURES THE MOMENTS FIRE CREWS BATTLED A GARAGE FIRE IN ELK GROVE. TAKE A LOOK. COSUMNES FIRE SAYS IT TOOK FIREFIGHTERS FOUR MINUTES TO ARRIVE ON THE SCENE WITH SACRAMENTO FIRE. THEY SAY THIS STARTED WITH A CAR FIRE THAT SPREAD TO THAT ENTIRE GARAGE, AND IT DID INJUR

    One person was injured after a vehicle fire spread to an Elk Grove garage on Friday, according to the Cosumnes Fire Department. Crews responded to the report of a vehicle fire inside a garage just after 3 p.m. on Hollow Springs Way. Officials said one person was injured and taken to an area hospital. The extent of their injuries is unknown. The fire department said crews were able to keep the damage from the fire contained to the garage. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    ELK GROVE, Calif. —

    One person was injured after a vehicle fire spread to an Elk Grove garage on Friday, according to the Cosumnes Fire Department.

    Crews responded to the report of a vehicle fire inside a garage just after 3 p.m. on Hollow Springs Way.

    Officials said one person was injured and taken to an area hospital. The extent of their injuries is unknown.

    The fire department said crews were able to keep the damage from the fire contained to the garage.

    The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Firefighters battle Orange County house fire that started in the bedroom, officials say

    [ad_1]

    A house in Orange County caught fire on Friday. Investigators say it started in the bedroom.Orange County Fire Rescue arrived at 7607 Treasure Island Court and quickly contained the active blaze.An OCFR spokesperson confirmed that crews were able to isolate the fire to the room of origin.All occupants were safely evacuated before crews arrived.OCFR investigators are working to determine the cause and origin of the fire. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is also on the scene. >> This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is released.

    ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —

    A house in Orange County caught fire on Friday. Investigators say it started in the bedroom.

    Orange County Fire Rescue arrived at 7607 Treasure Island Court and quickly contained the active blaze.

    An OCFR spokesperson confirmed that crews were able to isolate the fire to the room of origin.

    From WESH

    House fire in Orange County

    All occupants were safely evacuated before crews arrived.

    OCFR investigators are working to determine the cause and origin of the fire.

    The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is also on the scene.

    >> This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is released.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Suspect killed in police shooting as Sacramento officers respond to bank robbery, officials say

    [ad_1]

    A man died after he was shot by Sacramento officers who were responding to a bank robbery on Thursday, the law enforcement agency said. Sgt. Dan Wiseman of the Sacramento Police Department said officers responded to the bank robbery just before 4:30 p.m. near the intersection of Response Road and Heritage Lane. The suspect, a man in his 30s or 40s, was armed. When officers arrived, the suspect ran from the bank, and officers gave chase.Two officers discharged their firearms, hitting the suspect at least once, Wiseman said. He was taken to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries. Sacramento police said its officers were physically unharmed, and no one else was injured in the shooting. Officials did not specify where the shooting occurred, but KCRA 3’s Peyton Headlee was at the scene, where a large section of Exposition Boulevard was blocked off by crime scene tape at Challenge Way. Wiseman said a firearm was recovered at the scene. However, officials later said it was an imitation firearm. “None of our officers ever want to have to come to work and be involved in something like this,” Wiseman said. “But at the same time, we have an obligation to keep ourselves safe and the community safe.”Sacramento police said its homicide detectives are investigating the shooting, along with the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and the Office of Public Safety Accountability. The man shot by officers has not yet been identified. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

    A man died after he was shot by Sacramento officers who were responding to a bank robbery on Thursday, the law enforcement agency said.

    Sgt. Dan Wiseman of the Sacramento Police Department said officers responded to the bank robbery just before 4:30 p.m. near the intersection of Response Road and Heritage Lane. The suspect, a man in his 30s or 40s, was armed. When officers arrived, the suspect ran from the bank, and officers gave chase.

    Two officers discharged their firearms, hitting the suspect at least once, Wiseman said. He was taken to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries.

    Sacramento police said its officers were physically unharmed, and no one else was injured in the shooting.

    Officials did not specify where the shooting occurred, but KCRA 3’s Peyton Headlee was at the scene, where a large section of Exposition Boulevard was blocked off by crime scene tape at Challenge Way.

    Wiseman said a firearm was recovered at the scene. However, officials later said it was an imitation firearm.

    “None of our officers ever want to have to come to work and be involved in something like this,” Wiseman said. “But at the same time, we have an obligation to keep ourselves safe and the community safe.”

    Sacramento police said its homicide detectives are investigating the shooting, along with the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and the Office of Public Safety Accountability.

    The man shot by officers has not yet been identified.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Trump rails against low-income housing in Pacific Palisades. But officials say no projects are planned

    [ad_1]

    President Trump’s foray this week into the fire rebuilding process in Pacific Palisades has been met with confusion and rolled eyes from local officials who say he’s now railing against projects that have never even been proposed.

    Trump said Thursday he planned to stop a low-income housing project from being developed in Pacific Palisades. His promise, made during a Cabinet meeting, marked the second time this week he has weighed in on local housing issues in the fire-scarred Palisades.

    “They want to build a low-income housing project right in the middle of everything in the Palisades, and I’m not going to allow it to happen,” Trump said. “I’m not going to let these people destroy the value of their houses.”

    The comments left politicians around Los Angeles and California scratching their heads: what low-income housing project was the president referring to?

    Both Councilmember Traci Park and Mayor Karen Bass said they did not know of a major, low-income housing project coming to the Palisades.

    “There are no plans to bring low-income housing to the Palisades,” Bass said in a phone interview with The Times on Thursday from Washington, D.C. “It’s not true. There couldn’t possibly be a project that neither the councilmember nor the mayor would have any knowledge of.”

    Trump also took aim at Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday as he announced an executive order to “preempt” the city’s permitting process to make it easier for fire victims to rebuild.

    The order, if implemented, would allow residents to self-certify to federal authorities instead of going through city bureaucracy for permits.

    Bass said Thursday that she would welcome an executive order that would bring the insurance and banking industries together to help Angelenos whose houses burned down get more significant insurance payouts and longer-term mortgages.

    The Governor’s Office also said they had no idea what low-income housing project Trump was referring to on Thursday.

    “The president of the United States is a bumbling idiot and has no idea what he’s talking about,” said Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for Newsom. “This narrative that Gavin Newsom is trying to build high-density, low-income housing in the Palisades and turn them into ‘Newsomvilles’ is absurd.”

    Gardon said the state is providing resources for developers to rebuild below-market-rate housing that was destroyed in the Palisades fire, which tore through the beach-side enclave in January 2025, killing 12 and destroying thousands of homes and structures.

    In July, the governor committed $101 million to help rebuilding efforts of “affordable multifamily rental housing in the fire-devastated Los Angeles region.”

    The financing was for areas affected by both the Palisades and Eaton fires.

    The program allows affordable housing developers to apply for financing and prioritizes projects that are near wildfire burn areas, ready for immediate construction.

    The program required the developments to remain affordable for more than a half-century to receive the funding.

    Trump did not specify Thursday whether he was speaking about the July announcement or about a specific project.

    “That was money that went to the L.A. area for the four communities impacted by the fires to help developers to rebuild low-income mixed-use housing that was destroyed by the fires,” Gardon said.

    Maryam Zar, a Palisades resident, said that many in the Palisades feared a new project on the site of a Shell gas station that developer Justin Kohanoff said he wanted to build into an eight-story, 100-unit, low-income building.

    Kohanoff’s father, Saeed Kohanoff, declined to comment beyond saying the family has no immediate plans to develop the property.

    The Trump administration did not immediately specify what low-income housing project, if any in particular, the president was speaking about.

    [ad_2]

    Noah Goldberg, Ana Ceballos

    Source link

  • Canada gives conditional approval for Marineland to export remaining belugas to the US

    [ad_1]

    Canada’s last captive whales have received a reprieve from death after the government conditionally approved a plan Monday to export them to the United States.Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson met Monday with officials from Marineland, the shuttered theme park and zoo in Niagara Falls, Ontario, to talk about its proposed plan to move the animals south. The park is in discussions with four U.S. institutions to take its 30 beluga whales and four dolphins.Video above: Animal Stories with Dan Green: a baby beluga whale“It was a constructive meeting, and I provided conditional approval for export permits,” Thompson said in a statement posted on social media Monday. “I will issue the final permits once final required information is received from Marineland.”Marineland pleaded with the minister, telling her repeatedly the park was running out of money. The park had told Thompson the animals would be euthanized if the export permits were not authorized by Jan. 30, according to a letter she wrote to Marineland on Monday, which was obtained by The Canadian Press news agency.Marineland said in a statement that it has Thompson’s support for the relocation of the animals. “We extend our gratitude to the minister and the Canadian government for prioritizing the lives of these remarkable marine mammals,” it said.The move comes after Marineland presented what it called an urgent rescue solution to the federal government last week.The park is reportedly in discussions with the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut and SeaWorld, which has several U.S. locations.Ontario Premier Doug Ford supported Thompson’s decision.“They’re going to have a better home than where they are because it’s a terrible home they’re in right now,” Ford said of the animals. “It wasn’t large enough.”Twenty whales — one killer whale and 19 belugas — have died at Marineland since 2019, according to an ongoing tally created by The Canadian Press based on internal records and official statements.In October, Marineland applied for export permits to move its complement of belugas to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, an aquarium in China. Thompson denied those permits, saying she would not subject the whales to a future performing in captivity.That is consistent with a 2019 law that banned whale and dolphin captivity, though Marineland’s animals were grandfathered in.

    , —

    Canada’s last captive whales have received a reprieve from death after the government conditionally approved a plan Monday to export them to the United States.

    Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson met Monday with officials from Marineland, the shuttered theme park and zoo in Niagara Falls, Ontario, to talk about its proposed plan to move the animals south. The park is in discussions with four U.S. institutions to take its 30 beluga whales and four dolphins.

    Video above: Animal Stories with Dan Green: a baby beluga whale

    “It was a constructive meeting, and I provided conditional approval for export permits,” Thompson said in a statement posted on social media Monday. “I will issue the final permits once final required information is received from Marineland.”

    Marineland pleaded with the minister, telling her repeatedly the park was running out of money. The park had told Thompson the animals would be euthanized if the export permits were not authorized by Jan. 30, according to a letter she wrote to Marineland on Monday, which was obtained by The Canadian Press news agency.

    Marineland said in a statement that it has Thompson’s support for the relocation of the animals. “We extend our gratitude to the minister and the Canadian government for prioritizing the lives of these remarkable marine mammals,” it said.

    The move comes after Marineland presented what it called an urgent rescue solution to the federal government last week.

    The park is reportedly in discussions with the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut and SeaWorld, which has several U.S. locations.

    Ontario Premier Doug Ford supported Thompson’s decision.

    “They’re going to have a better home than where they are because it’s a terrible home they’re in right now,” Ford said of the animals. “It wasn’t large enough.”

    Twenty whales — one killer whale and 19 belugas — have died at Marineland since 2019, according to an ongoing tally created by The Canadian Press based on internal records and official statements.

    In October, Marineland applied for export permits to move its complement of belugas to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, an aquarium in China. Thompson denied those permits, saying she would not subject the whales to a future performing in captivity.

    That is consistent with a 2019 law that banned whale and dolphin captivity, though Marineland’s animals were grandfathered in.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Crews rescue dog from frozen creek in Maryland

    [ad_1]

    I’M KATE AMARA WBAL TV 11 NEWS. THANK YOU. A CHOCOLATE LAB IS RECOVERING AFTER A BITTER COLD BRUSH WITH DANGER EARLY THIS MORNING. THIS LAB NAMED GIZMO GOT STUCK ON A FROZEN CREEK FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER HE SLID DOWN A HILL WHILE GOING FOR HIS MORNING POTTY BREAK. FIRST RESPONDERS WERE ABLE TO GET GIZMO BACK ON LAND BY USING A SPECIALIZED BASKET. THEY SAY HE WAS HYPOTHERMIC, BUT WAS ABLE TO EAT AND GOT TREATED IN THE AMBULANCE. GIZMO WA

    Crews were called to a frozen creek in Maryland to help rescue a dog that was trapped on the ice. According to the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, Monday morning, crews from their department, along with the Annapolis Fire Department, were called to Luce Creek for a reported chocolate lab stuck on the ice in Parole, Maryland, which is outside Annapolis and is around 27 miles from Baltimore.Crews arrived at the area and were able to locate the dog. They carefully went on the ice and used a Stokes basket in order to rescue the dog. Officials remind the public that the ice on area waterways is dangerously thin. Stay off the ice and if a person or pet falls through the ice, do not attempt a rescue on their own.

    Crews were called to a frozen creek in Maryland to help rescue a dog that was trapped on the ice.

    According to the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, Monday morning, crews from their department, along with the Annapolis Fire Department, were called to Luce Creek for a reported chocolate lab stuck on the ice in Parole, Maryland, which is outside Annapolis and is around 27 miles from Baltimore.

    Crews arrived at the area and were able to locate the dog. They carefully went on the ice and used a Stokes basket in order to rescue the dog. Officials remind the public that the ice on area waterways is dangerously thin. Stay off the ice and if a person or pet falls through the ice, do not attempt a rescue on their own.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Thousands of flights canceled as major winter storm moves across the US

    [ad_1]

    Thousands of flights across the U.S. set to take off over the weekend were canceled as a monster storm started to wreak havoc Saturday across much of the country and threatened to knock out power for days and snarl major roadways with dangerous ice.Roughly 140 million people, or more than 40% of the U.S. population, were under a winter storm warning from New Mexico to New England. The National Weather Service forecast warned of widespread heavy snow and a band of catastrophic ice stretching from east Texas to North Carolina. By midday Saturday, a quarter of an inch of ice was reported in parts of southeastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas and portions of Louisiana.”What really makes this storm unique is, just following this storm, it’s just going to get so cold,” said Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “The snow and the ice will be very, very slow to melt and won’t be going away anytime soon, and that’s going to hinder any recovery efforts.”Governors in more than a dozen states sounded the alarm about the turbulent weather ahead, declaring emergencies or urging people to stay home. As crews in some southern states began working to restore downed power lines, officials in some eastern states issued final warnings to residents. “We are expecting a storm the likes of which we haven’t seen in years,” New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Saturday while announcing restrictions on commercial vehicle travel and a 35 mph speed limit on highways. She added: “It’s a good weekend to stay indoors.”Little Rock, Arkansas, was covered with sleet and snow Saturday, giving Chris Plank doubts about whether he would be able to make a five-hour drive to Dallas for work on Sunday. While some snow is a yearly event, Plank was concerned most about the ice.”All of the power lines are above ground, so it doesn’t take very much to end up in the dark,” Plank said.Forecasters say the damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane. Around 120,000 power outages were reported in the path of the winter storm Saturday afternoon, including about 53,000 in Texas and 45,000 in Louisiana, according to poweroutage.us.In Shelby County, Texas, near the Louisiana border, ice weighed down on pine trees and caused branches to snap, downing power lines. About a third of the county’s 16,000 residents were without power on Saturday.”We have hundreds of trees down and a lot of limbs in the road,” Shelby County Commissioner Stevie Smith said from his pickup truck. “I’ve got my crew out clearing roads as fast as we can. It’s a lot to deal with right now.”All Saturday flights were canceled at Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma City, and all Sunday morning flights also were called off, as officials aimed to restart service Sunday afternoon at Oklahoma’s biggest airport. More than 12,000 flights were canceled Saturday and Sunday across the U.S., according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, a major hub, saw more than 700 departing flights canceled on Saturday and nearly as many arriving flights called off. Disruptions were also piling up at airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte, North Carolina.After sweeping through the South, the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about 1 to 2 feet of snow from Washington through New York and Boston, the weather service predicted. “Please, if you can avoid it, do not drive, do not travel, do not do anything that can potentially place you or your loved ones in danger,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Saturday. “Instead, I urge every New Yorker who can to put a warm sweater on, turn on the TV, watch ‘Mission Impossible’ for the 10th time, above all to stay inside.” Officials in Georgia advised people in the state’s northern regions to get off the roads by sundown Saturday and be prepared to stay put for at least 48 hours.Will Lanxton, the senior state meteorologist, said Georgia could get “perhaps the biggest ice storm we have expected in more than a decade,” followed by unusually cold temperatures. “Ice is a whole different ballgame than snow,” Lanxton said. “Ice, you can’t do anything with. You can’t drive on it. It’s much more likely to bring down power lines and trees.”Crews began treating highways with brine after midnight Saturday, with 1,800 workers on 12-hour shifts, Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said.”We’re going to do what we can to keep the ice from sticking to the roads,” McMurry said. “This is going to be a challenge.” The Midwest saw windchills as low as minus 40 Fahrenheit, meaning that frostbite could set in within 10 minutes. The minus 36 F reading in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, on Saturday morning was the coldest in almost 30 years.In Minneapolis, the worst of an extreme cold wave was over, but protesters calling for ICE to leave Minnesota on Saturday still faced an outdoor temperature of minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit.Workers from The Orange Tent Project, a Chicago nonprofit that provides cold-weather tents and other supplies to unhoused people throughout the city, went out to check on those who did not or could not seek shelter.”Seeing the forecasted weather, I knew we had to come out and do this today,” said CEO Morgan McLuckie. Churches moved Sunday services online, and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, decided to hold its Saturday night radio performance without fans. Mardi Gras parades in Louisiana were canceled or rescheduled.School superintendents in Philadelphia and Houston announced that schools would be closed Monday.Some universities in the South canceled classes for Monday, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Mississippi’s main campus in Oxford.Around the southeast, people used the cancellations to have some fun. On a hill outside the Capitol building in Nashville, adult sledders on green discs and inflatable pool animals giggled with joy as they slid in the snow. President Donald Trump said via social media on Friday that his administration was coordinating with state and local officials, and “FEMA is fully prepared to respond.” Nine states have requested emergency declarations, according to a FEMA briefing document released Saturday. The declarations can unlock federal emergency resources. Trump on Friday approved emergency declarations for South Carolina and Virginia, and requests from Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia were still pending as of Saturday morning.”I think there are two parts of this storm that make it unique. One is just a broad expanse of spatial coverage of this event … You’ve got 2,000 miles of country that’s being impacted by the storm with snow, sleet, and freezing rain,” said Josh Weiss, a meteorologist at NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center. “The other part of this storm that’s really impressive is what’s going to happen right afterward. We’re looking at extreme cold, record cold.” Associated Press writers Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida, Rio Yamat in Las Vegas, Julie Walker in New York, David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, George Walker in Nashville and Laura Bargfeld in Chicago contributed to this report. Amy reported from Atlanta and Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut.

    OKLAHOMA CITY —

    Thousands of flights across the U.S. set to take off over the weekend were canceled as a monster storm started to wreak havoc Saturday across much of the country and threatened to knock out power for days and snarl major roadways with dangerous ice.

    Roughly 140 million people, or more than 40% of the U.S. population, were under a winter storm warning from New Mexico to New England. The National Weather Service forecast warned of widespread heavy snow and a band of catastrophic ice stretching from east Texas to North Carolina. By midday Saturday, a quarter of an inch of ice was reported in parts of southeastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas and portions of Louisiana.

    “What really makes this storm unique is, just following this storm, it’s just going to get so cold,” said Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “The snow and the ice will be very, very slow to melt and won’t be going away anytime soon, and that’s going to hinder any recovery efforts.”

    Governors in more than a dozen states sounded the alarm about the turbulent weather ahead, declaring emergencies or urging people to stay home. As crews in some southern states began working to restore downed power lines, officials in some eastern states issued final warnings to residents.

    “We are expecting a storm the likes of which we haven’t seen in years,” New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Saturday while announcing restrictions on commercial vehicle travel and a 35 mph speed limit on highways. She added: “It’s a good weekend to stay indoors.”

    Little Rock, Arkansas, was covered with sleet and snow Saturday, giving Chris Plank doubts about whether he would be able to make a five-hour drive to Dallas for work on Sunday. While some snow is a yearly event, Plank was concerned most about the ice.

    “All of the power lines are above ground, so it doesn’t take very much to end up in the dark,” Plank said.

    Forecasters say the damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane.

    Around 120,000 power outages were reported in the path of the winter storm Saturday afternoon, including about 53,000 in Texas and 45,000 in Louisiana, according to poweroutage.us.

    In Shelby County, Texas, near the Louisiana border, ice weighed down on pine trees and caused branches to snap, downing power lines. About a third of the county’s 16,000 residents were without power on Saturday.

    “We have hundreds of trees down and a lot of limbs in the road,” Shelby County Commissioner Stevie Smith said from his pickup truck. “I’ve got my crew out clearing roads as fast as we can. It’s a lot to deal with right now.”

    All Saturday flights were canceled at Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma City, and all Sunday morning flights also were called off, as officials aimed to restart service Sunday afternoon at Oklahoma’s biggest airport.

    More than 12,000 flights were canceled Saturday and Sunday across the U.S., according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, a major hub, saw more than 700 departing flights canceled on Saturday and nearly as many arriving flights called off. Disruptions were also piling up at airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte, North Carolina.

    After sweeping through the South, the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about 1 to 2 feet of snow from Washington through New York and Boston, the weather service predicted.

    “Please, if you can avoid it, do not drive, do not travel, do not do anything that can potentially place you or your loved ones in danger,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Saturday. “Instead, I urge every New Yorker who can to put a warm sweater on, turn on the TV, watch ‘Mission Impossible’ for the 10th time, above all to stay inside.”

    Officials in Georgia advised people in the state’s northern regions to get off the roads by sundown Saturday and be prepared to stay put for at least 48 hours.

    Will Lanxton, the senior state meteorologist, said Georgia could get “perhaps the biggest ice storm we have expected in more than a decade,” followed by unusually cold temperatures.

    “Ice is a whole different ballgame than snow,” Lanxton said. “Ice, you can’t do anything with. You can’t drive on it. It’s much more likely to bring down power lines and trees.”

    Crews began treating highways with brine after midnight Saturday, with 1,800 workers on 12-hour shifts, Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said.

    “We’re going to do what we can to keep the ice from sticking to the roads,” McMurry said. “This is going to be a challenge.”

    The Midwest saw windchills as low as minus 40 Fahrenheit, meaning that frostbite could set in within 10 minutes. The minus 36 F reading in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, on Saturday morning was the coldest in almost 30 years.

    In Minneapolis, the worst of an extreme cold wave was over, but protesters calling for ICE to leave Minnesota on Saturday still faced an outdoor temperature of minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Workers from The Orange Tent Project, a Chicago nonprofit that provides cold-weather tents and other supplies to unhoused people throughout the city, went out to check on those who did not or could not seek shelter.

    “Seeing the forecasted weather, I knew we had to come out and do this today,” said CEO Morgan McLuckie.

    Churches moved Sunday services online, and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, decided to hold its Saturday night radio performance without fans. Mardi Gras parades in Louisiana were canceled or rescheduled.

    School superintendents in Philadelphia and Houston announced that schools would be closed Monday.

    Some universities in the South canceled classes for Monday, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Mississippi’s main campus in Oxford.

    Around the southeast, people used the cancellations to have some fun. On a hill outside the Capitol building in Nashville, adult sledders on green discs and inflatable pool animals giggled with joy as they slid in the snow.

    President Donald Trump said via social media on Friday that his administration was coordinating with state and local officials, and “FEMA is fully prepared to respond.”

    Nine states have requested emergency declarations, according to a FEMA briefing document released Saturday. The declarations can unlock federal emergency resources. Trump on Friday approved emergency declarations for South Carolina and Virginia, and requests from Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia were still pending as of Saturday morning.

    “I think there are two parts of this storm that make it unique. One is just a broad expanse of spatial coverage of this event … You’ve got 2,000 miles of country that’s being impacted by the storm with snow, sleet, and freezing rain,” said Josh Weiss, a meteorologist at NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center. “The other part of this storm that’s really impressive is what’s going to happen right afterward. We’re looking at extreme cold, record cold.”

    Associated Press writers Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida, Rio Yamat in Las Vegas, Julie Walker in New York, David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, George Walker in Nashville and Laura Bargfeld in Chicago contributed to this report. Amy reported from Atlanta and Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Gas explosion, fire on top floors of New York City apartment building kills 1, injures 14

    [ad_1]

    A gas explosion sent fire racing through the top floors of a high-rise apartment building in New York City early Saturday, killing one person and injuring 14 others as temperatures plunged into the single digits overnight, authorities said.Firefighters responded shortly before 12:30 a.m. to the 17-story building in the Bronx, where people were seen leaning out of windows calling for help as flames engulfed parts of the top floors, officials said.Chief John Esposito said firefighters were investigating reports of a gas odor on the 15th and 16th floors when the explosion occurred. He said there was major structural damage to about a dozen apartments and fires in 10 apartments on the 16th and 17th floors.Authorities did not immediately release information on the person who died. Another person was critically injured, five had serious injuries and eight had minor injuries, officials said.Officials said the building had been undergoing renovations, and work on the natural gas system had been completed and inspected. The cause of the explosion was under investigation. The building was formerly run by the New York City Housing Authority, but it has been under private management since 2024, city officials said.”It’s an incredible tragedy. We’re sending all our thoughts to the families involved,” Leila Bozorg, deputy mayor for housing and planning, said at a morning news conference.Mayor Zohran Mamdani said all utilities in the building were shut down, and all 148 apartments vacated. Officials set up a reception center for the displaced residents at a nearby school, and the American Red Cross was there to help provide housing and other needs.”As you can imagine, this has been a deeply frightening and devastating morning for them,” Mamdani said at a news conference Saturday afternoon. “They are not alone. Our city will stand by them and do everything in our power to help them get back on their feet.”The Red Cross said it had registered more than 100 households and 305 people, including 89 children, for emergency aid by early Saturday afternoon.More than 200 fire and emergency crews worked the scene, according to the fire department. When the explosion occurred, some firefighters were trapped briefly in an elevator, officials said.”There were injuries. It was a very, very difficult night on a very cold night, which caused even more difficulty,” Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said.Around half a million New Yorkers live in aging buildings run by the city’s housing authority, known as NYCHA, which is the largest in the nation.Many of the properties date back to the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. In 2019, a federal monitor was appointed to address chronic problems like lead paint, mold and lack of heat. When he wrapped his five-year term in 2024, the monitor, Bart Schwartz, noted that the overarching issue for residents remained the “poor physical state of NYCHA’s buildings.”In October, a massive brick chimney running 20 stories up the side of a housing authority apartment building in the Bronx collapsed after an explosion, sending tons of debris plummeting to the ground but amazingly not injuring anyone. Officials linked it to a natural gas boiler.

    A gas explosion sent fire racing through the top floors of a high-rise apartment building in New York City early Saturday, killing one person and injuring 14 others as temperatures plunged into the single digits overnight, authorities said.

    Firefighters responded shortly before 12:30 a.m. to the 17-story building in the Bronx, where people were seen leaning out of windows calling for help as flames engulfed parts of the top floors, officials said.

    Chief John Esposito said firefighters were investigating reports of a gas odor on the 15th and 16th floors when the explosion occurred. He said there was major structural damage to about a dozen apartments and fires in 10 apartments on the 16th and 17th floors.

    Authorities did not immediately release information on the person who died. Another person was critically injured, five had serious injuries and eight had minor injuries, officials said.

    Officials said the building had been undergoing renovations, and work on the natural gas system had been completed and inspected. The cause of the explosion was under investigation. The building was formerly run by the New York City Housing Authority, but it has been under private management since 2024, city officials said.

    FDNY via AP

    This image provided by FDNY shows FDNY members operating at a fire on the top two floors of a high-rise apartment in the Bronx, New York City, early Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026.

    “It’s an incredible tragedy. We’re sending all our thoughts to the families involved,” Leila Bozorg, deputy mayor for housing and planning, said at a morning news conference.

    Mayor Zohran Mamdani said all utilities in the building were shut down, and all 148 apartments vacated. Officials set up a reception center for the displaced residents at a nearby school, and the American Red Cross was there to help provide housing and other needs.

    “As you can imagine, this has been a deeply frightening and devastating morning for them,” Mamdani said at a news conference Saturday afternoon. “They are not alone. Our city will stand by them and do everything in our power to help them get back on their feet.”

    The Red Cross said it had registered more than 100 households and 305 people, including 89 children, for emergency aid by early Saturday afternoon.

    More than 200 fire and emergency crews worked the scene, according to the fire department. When the explosion occurred, some firefighters were trapped briefly in an elevator, officials said.

    “There were injuries. It was a very, very difficult night on a very cold night, which caused even more difficulty,” Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said.

    Around half a million New Yorkers live in aging buildings run by the city’s housing authority, known as NYCHA, which is the largest in the nation.

    Many of the properties date back to the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. In 2019, a federal monitor was appointed to address chronic problems like lead paint, mold and lack of heat. When he wrapped his five-year term in 2024, the monitor, Bart Schwartz, noted that the overarching issue for residents remained the “poor physical state of NYCHA’s buildings.”

    In October, a massive brick chimney running 20 stories up the side of a housing authority apartment building in the Bronx collapsed after an explosion, sending tons of debris plummeting to the ground but amazingly not injuring anyone. Officials linked it to a natural gas boiler.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Newsom’s signature water tunnel is set back by California court ruling

    [ad_1]

    In a decision that could complicate Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to build a giant water tunnel and remake California’s water system, a state appeals court has rejected the state’s plan for financing the project.

    The 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled against the state Department of Water Resources’ plan to issue billions of dollars in bonds to build the 45-mile tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

    The decision is a win for California ratepayers and taxpayers, said Roger Moore, a lawyer representing six counties in Northern California and two water agencies in the Delta region.

    He said it underlines that state agencies “have to take real steps to make sure that there is transparency and accountability.”

    Upholding a 2024 decision by a Sacramento County Superior Court judge, the court ruled the water agency does not have the authority under a 1959 law to issue bonds for a new “unit” of the State Water Project, which delivers water from the Delta to farms and cities, and “exceeded its delegated authority” in planning to finance the tunnel through bonds.

    Kirsten Macintyre, a spokesperson for the department, said the court didn’t say the Department of Water Resources lacks the authority to build the project or borrow funds to pay for it, but rather that the description the state presented in the case was “overly broad.”

    “While DWR respectfully disagrees with that conclusion, we have taken additional steps to resolve the issue,” she said in an email.

    Last year, the agency opened a second court case in an effort to confirm its bond-issuing authority, a step that Macintyre said was taken to “address the court’s concerns.”

    If the appeals court decision stands and the ongoing case doesn’t bring a different conclusion, it might lead the Newsom administration to revise its plan for financing the project. Officials could also petition for the California Supreme Court to hear the case.

    The state estimated in 2024 that the tunnel would cost $20.1 billion, while opponents say it could cost three to five times more than that.

    State officials have said that the tunnel, called the Delta Conveyance Project, ultimately would be paid for by participating water agencies that agree to repay the bonds.

    The tunnel would create a second route to transport water from new intakes on the Sacramento River to the south side of the Delta, where pumps send water into the aqueducts of the State Water Project.

    The system of aqueducts and pipelines transports water from the Delta to 27 million people in cities from the Bay Area to San Diego, and to 750,000 acres of farmland.

    In 1960, California voters approved bonds for the construction of the State Water Project. Legislation in 1959 had given DWR the authority to build the Feather River Project, an initial component of the State Water Project.

    But in the ruling last week, the court said DWR officials were wrong to rely on that provision. The three judges said it doesn’t allow the agency to issue bonds “under the guise of a ‘further modification’” of that original water system.

    Newsom has said the project is essential for the state’s future and has made it a central priority of his administration.

    State officials and supporters of the project have said the tunnel would modernize the state’s water system for more severe droughts and deluges with climate change, and would withstand sea level rise and the risks of a major earthquake in the region.

    Opponents, including environmental advocates, fishing groups and tribal leaders, argue the project would harm the Delta’s communities and ecosystem, and further threaten native fish that are already in decline.

    [ad_2]

    Ian James

    Source link

  • Man critically injured in Lodi shooting, suspect arrested

    [ad_1]

    A 29-year-old man was hospitalized after a shooting in Lodi on Saturday night, according to the police department. Officials said a man who admitted to the shooting is in custody.Officers responded to a warehouse on Houston Lane around 9:47 p.m. after a 911 caller reported a shooting before hanging up.Lodi police said the victim was found in a warehouse with a gunshot wound. He was taken to an area hospital and is in critical, but stable condition. Officials said officers made contact with 27-year-old Vladimir Flores at the shooting scene, and he admitted to the shooting. The police department also noted that a search warrant at the warehouse uncovered additional evidence, including a loaded rifle. Lodi police said the motive in the shooting is unclear, but that Flores and the victim knew one another. Flores was arrested and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail for attempted murder and weapons violations. He is set to appear in court on Tuesday. Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact Detective Sanchez at the Lodi Police Department at 209-333-6727 or by emailing msanchez@lodi.gov. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    LODI, Calif. —

    A 29-year-old man was hospitalized after a shooting in Lodi on Saturday night, according to the police department. Officials said a man who admitted to the shooting is in custody.

    Officers responded to a warehouse on Houston Lane around 9:47 p.m. after a 911 caller reported a shooting before hanging up.

    Lodi police said the victim was found in a warehouse with a gunshot wound. He was taken to an area hospital and is in critical, but stable condition.

    Officials said officers made contact with 27-year-old Vladimir Flores at the shooting scene, and he admitted to the shooting. The police department also noted that a search warrant at the warehouse uncovered additional evidence, including a loaded rifle.

    Lodi police said the motive in the shooting is unclear, but that Flores and the victim knew one another.

    Flores was arrested and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail for attempted murder and weapons violations. He is set to appear in court on Tuesday.

    Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact Detective Sanchez at the Lodi Police Department at 209-333-6727 or by emailing msanchez@lodi.gov.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Woman whose body was pulled from Santa Ana River is identified as a mother of two

    [ad_1]

    A woman whose body was pulled from the Santa Ana River in Orange County on New Year’s Day has been identified as 39-year-old Alejandra Ramirez Torres, coroner’s officials said. Her body had been carried by the river’s current from Santa Ana to Fountain Valley before it could be retrieved by fire crews.

    Ramirez Torres was the mother of two daughters, ages 11 and 16, according to a GoFundMe page created by her relatives.

    Orange County fire officials said crews responded to 911 calls before noon Thursday after bystanders reported seeing a body in the river near Warner Avenue and Harbor Boulevard.

    Some 60 firefighters responded to the scene, including swift-water rescue teams. They found Ramirez Torres’ body south of the river’s juncture with the 405 Freeway, north of the Gisler Avenue river trail in Costa Mesa, about 1.5 miles from where witnesses first saw the woman.

    A ladder truck was used to lower a rescuer to the water and retrieve Ramirez Torres, who was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

    “This sudden and heartbreaking loss has deeply affected our family. We are doing everything we can to support Alejandra’s girls as they face an uncertain future without their mother,” states the GoFundMe page, which relatives said was set up to cover the costs of Ramirez Torres’ funeral and provide support for her daughters.

    The woman was a possible transient at the time of her death, Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Sgt. Lizbeth Gwisdalla confirmed Friday to the Daily Pilot.

    How and why she entered the river was not known.

    Cardine writes for The Times’ sister publication the Daily Pilot.

    [ad_2]

    Stacy Perman, Sara Cardine

    Source link

  • About 40 people dead and 115 injured in fire at Swiss Alpine bar during New Year’s celebration

    [ad_1]

    Axel Clavier felt like he was suffocating inside the Swiss Alpine bar where moments before he’d been ringing in the new year with friends and dozens of other revelers.The 16-year-old from Paris escaped the inferno, which broke out after midnight Thursday, by forcing a window open with a table. But about 40 other partygoers died, including one of Clavier’s friends, falling victim to one of the worst tragedies in Switzerland’s history.The blaze also injured about 115 people, most of them seriously, as it ripped through the crowded Le Constellation bar at the ski resort of Crans-Montana, police said.Clavier told The Associated Press that “two or three” of his friends remained missing hours after the disaster.Fire’s cause remains under investigationValais Canton police commander Frédéric Gisler said during a news conference that work is underway to identify the victims and inform their families, adding that the community is “devastated.”Authorities did not immediately have an exact count of the deceased.Beatrice Pilloud, Valais Canton attorney general, said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire.“At no moment is there a question of any kind of attack,” Pilloud said.She later said the number of people who were in the bar is “unknown,” and its maximum capacity will be part of the investigation.“For the time being, we don’t have any suspects,” she added, when asked if anyone had been arrested over the fire. “An investigation has been opened, not against anyone, but to better understand the circumstances of this dramatic fire.”An evening of celebration turns tragicClavier, the Parisian teenager, said he didn’t see the fire start, but did see waitresses arrive with Champagne bottles with burning sparklers. He lost his jacket, shoes, phone and bank card while fleeing, but “I am still alive and it’s just stuff.”“I’m still in shock,” he added.Two women told French broadcaster BFMTV they were inside when they saw a male bartender lifting a female bartender on his shoulders as she held a lit candle in a bottle. The flames spread, collapsing the wooden ceiling, they told the broadcaster.One of the women described a crowd surge as people frantically tried to escape from a basement nightclub up a narrow flight of stairs and through a narrow door.Another witness speaking to BFMTV described people smashing windows to escape the blaze, some gravely injured, and panicked parents rushing to the scene in cars to see whether their children were trapped inside. The young man said he saw about 20 people scrambling to get out of the smoke and flames and likened what he saw to a horror movie as he watched from across the street.“This evening should have been a moment of celebration and coming together, but it turned into a nightmare,” said Mathias Reynard, head of the regional government of the Valais Canton.Crans-Montana is less than 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Sierre, where 28 people, including many children, were killed when a bus from Belgium crashed inside a Swiss tunnel in 2012.Resort town sits in the heart of the AlpsIn a region busy with tourists skiing on the slopes, the authorities have called on the local population to show caution in the coming days to avoid accidents that could further strain athe area’s lready overwhelmed medical resources.With high-altitude ski runs rising around 3,000 meters (nearly 9,850 feet) in the heart of the Valais region’s snowy peaks and pine forests, Crans-Montana is one of the top venues on the World Cup circuit. The resort will host the best men’s and women’s downhill racers, including Lindsey Vonn, for their final events before the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February. The town’s Crans-sur-Sierre golf club stages the European Masters each August on a picturesque course.Swiss President Guy Parmelin, speaking on his first day in office, said many emergency staff had been “confronted by scenes of indescribable violence and distress.”“This Thursday must be the time of prayer, unity and dignity,” he said. “Switzerland is a strong country not because it is sheltered from drama, but because it knows how to face them with courage and a spirit of mutual help.”___Dazio reported from Berlin and Leicester reported from Paris. Geir Moulson in Berlin and Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report.

    CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland —

    Axel Clavier felt like he was suffocating inside the Swiss Alpine bar where moments before he’d been ringing in the new year with friends and dozens of other revelers.

    The 16-year-old from Paris escaped the inferno, which broke out after midnight Thursday, by forcing a window open with a table. But about 40 other partygoers died, including one of Clavier’s friends, falling victim to one of the worst tragedies in Switzerland’s history.

    The blaze also injured about 115 people, most of them seriously, as it ripped through the crowded Le Constellation bar at the ski resort of Crans-Montana, police said.

    Clavier told The Associated Press that “two or three” of his friends remained missing hours after the disaster.

    Fire’s cause remains under investigation

    Valais Canton police commander Frédéric Gisler said during a news conference that work is underway to identify the victims and inform their families, adding that the community is “devastated.”

    Authorities did not immediately have an exact count of the deceased.

    Beatrice Pilloud, Valais Canton attorney general, said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire.

    “At no moment is there a question of any kind of attack,” Pilloud said.

    She later said the number of people who were in the bar is “unknown,” and its maximum capacity will be part of the investigation.

    “For the time being, we don’t have any suspects,” she added, when asked if anyone had been arrested over the fire. “An investigation has been opened, not against anyone, but to better understand the circumstances of this dramatic fire.”

    An evening of celebration turns tragic

    Clavier, the Parisian teenager, said he didn’t see the fire start, but did see waitresses arrive with Champagne bottles with burning sparklers. He lost his jacket, shoes, phone and bank card while fleeing, but “I am still alive and it’s just stuff.”

    “I’m still in shock,” he added.

    Two women told French broadcaster BFMTV they were inside when they saw a male bartender lifting a female bartender on his shoulders as she held a lit candle in a bottle. The flames spread, collapsing the wooden ceiling, they told the broadcaster.

    One of the women described a crowd surge as people frantically tried to escape from a basement nightclub up a narrow flight of stairs and through a narrow door.

    Another witness speaking to BFMTV described people smashing windows to escape the blaze, some gravely injured, and panicked parents rushing to the scene in cars to see whether their children were trapped inside. The young man said he saw about 20 people scrambling to get out of the smoke and flames and likened what he saw to a horror movie as he watched from across the street.

    “This evening should have been a moment of celebration and coming together, but it turned into a nightmare,” said Mathias Reynard, head of the regional government of the Valais Canton.

    Crans-Montana is less than 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Sierre, where 28 people, including many children, were killed when a bus from Belgium crashed inside a Swiss tunnel in 2012.

    Resort town sits in the heart of the Alps

    In a region busy with tourists skiing on the slopes, the authorities have called on the local population to show caution in the coming days to avoid accidents that could further strain athe area’s lready overwhelmed medical resources.

    With high-altitude ski runs rising around 3,000 meters (nearly 9,850 feet) in the heart of the Valais region’s snowy peaks and pine forests, Crans-Montana is one of the top venues on the World Cup circuit. The resort will host the best men’s and women’s downhill racers, including Lindsey Vonn, for their final events before the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February. The town’s Crans-sur-Sierre golf club stages the European Masters each August on a picturesque course.

    Swiss President Guy Parmelin, speaking on his first day in office, said many emergency staff had been “confronted by scenes of indescribable violence and distress.”

    “This Thursday must be the time of prayer, unity and dignity,” he said. “Switzerland is a strong country not because it is sheltered from drama, but because it knows how to face them with courage and a spirit of mutual help.”

    ___

    Dazio reported from Berlin and Leicester reported from Paris. Geir Moulson in Berlin and Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Dozens presumed dead, about 100 injured in fire at Swiss Alps bar during New Year’s celebration

    [ad_1]

    Dozens of people are presumed dead and about 100 injured, most of them seriously, following a fire at a bar in a Swiss Alps resort town during a New Year’s celebration, police said Thursday.“Several tens of people” were killed at the bar, Le Constellation, Valais Canton police commander Frédéric Gisler said during a news conference.Work is underway to identify the victims and inform their families but “that will take time and for the time being it is premature to give you a more precise figure,” Gisler said, adding that the community is “devastated.”Beatrice Pilloud, Valais Canton attorney general, said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire. Experts have not yet been able to go inside the wreckage.“At no moment is there a question of any kind of attack,” Pilloud said.An evening of celebration turns tragicOfficials called the blaze an “embrasement généralisé,” a firefighting term describing how a blaze can trigger the release of combustible gases that can then ignite violently and cause what English-speaking firefighters would call a flashover or a backdraft.“This evening should have been a moment of celebration and coming together, but it turned into a nightmare,” said Mathias Rénard, head of the regional government.The injured were so numerous that the intensive care unit and operating theater at the regional hospital quickly hit full capacity, Rénard said.Helicopters and ambulances rushed to the scene to assist victims, including some from different countries, officials said.Swiss President Guy Parmelin said in a social media post that the government’s “thoughts go to the victims, to the injured and their relatives, to whom it addresses its sincere condolences.”Thursday was Parmelin’s first day in office as president as the seven members of Switzerland’s government take turns holding the presidency for one year. Out of respect for the families of the victims, he delayed a traditional New Year address to the nation meant to be broadcast Thursday afternoon, Swiss broadcasters SRF and RTS reported.A witness who spoke to French broadcaster BFMTV described people smashing windows to escape the blaze, some gravely injured, and panicked parents rushing to the scene in cars to see whether their children were trapped inside. The young man said he saw about 20 people scrambling to get out of the smoke and flames and likened what he saw to a horror movie as he watched from across the street.Resort town sits in the heart of the AlpsIn a region busy with tourists skiing on the slopes, the authorities have called on the local population to show caution in the coming days to avoid any accidents that could require medical resources that are already overwhelmed.With high-altitude ski runs at around 1.86 miles in the heart of the Swiss Alps, Crans-Montana is one of the winter sports centers of Switzerland’s ski-crazy Valais region, also home to Zermatt, Verbier and other resorts nestled in the snowy peaks and pine forests drawing winter sports enthusiasts from across the planet. The resort is one of the top race venues on the World Cup circuit in Alpine skiing and will host the next world championships over two weeks in February 2027.In four weeks’ time, the resort will host the best men’s and women’s downhill racers for their last events before going to the Milan Cortina Olympics, which open Feb. 6.Crans-Montana also is a premium venue in international golf. The Crans-sur-Sierre club stages the European Masters each August on a picturesque course with stunning mountains views. Le Constellation bar is about 273 yards down the street from the golf club.Crans-Montana is less than 3 miles from Sierre, Switzerland, where 28 people including many children were killed when a bus from Belgium crashed inside a Swiss tunnel in 2012.The Swiss blaze on Thursday came 25 years after an inferno in the Dutch fishing town of Volendam on New Year’s Eve, which killed 14 people and injured more than 200 as they celebrated in a cafe.

    CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland —

    Dozens of people are presumed dead and about 100 injured, most of them seriously, following a fire at a bar in a Swiss Alps resort town during a New Year’s celebration, police said Thursday.

    “Several tens of people” were killed at the bar, Le Constellation, Valais Canton police commander Frédéric Gisler said during a news conference.

    Work is underway to identify the victims and inform their families but “that will take time and for the time being it is premature to give you a more precise figure,” Gisler said, adding that the community is “devastated.”

    Beatrice Pilloud, Valais Canton attorney general, said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire. Experts have not yet been able to go inside the wreckage.

    “At no moment is there a question of any kind of attack,” Pilloud said.

    An evening of celebration turns tragic

    Officials called the blaze an “embrasement généralisé,” a firefighting term describing how a blaze can trigger the release of combustible gases that can then ignite violently and cause what English-speaking firefighters would call a flashover or a backdraft.

    “This evening should have been a moment of celebration and coming together, but it turned into a nightmare,” said Mathias Rénard, head of the regional government.

    The injured were so numerous that the intensive care unit and operating theater at the regional hospital quickly hit full capacity, Rénard said.

    Helicopters and ambulances rushed to the scene to assist victims, including some from different countries, officials said.

    Swiss President Guy Parmelin said in a social media post that the government’s “thoughts go to the victims, to the injured and their relatives, to whom it addresses its sincere condolences.”

    Thursday was Parmelin’s first day in office as president as the seven members of Switzerland’s government take turns holding the presidency for one year. Out of respect for the families of the victims, he delayed a traditional New Year address to the nation meant to be broadcast Thursday afternoon, Swiss broadcasters SRF and RTS reported.

    A witness who spoke to French broadcaster BFMTV described people smashing windows to escape the blaze, some gravely injured, and panicked parents rushing to the scene in cars to see whether their children were trapped inside. The young man said he saw about 20 people scrambling to get out of the smoke and flames and likened what he saw to a horror movie as he watched from across the street.

    Resort town sits in the heart of the Alps

    In a region busy with tourists skiing on the slopes, the authorities have called on the local population to show caution in the coming days to avoid any accidents that could require medical resources that are already overwhelmed.

    With high-altitude ski runs at around 1.86 miles in the heart of the Swiss Alps, Crans-Montana is one of the winter sports centers of Switzerland’s ski-crazy Valais region, also home to Zermatt, Verbier and other resorts nestled in the snowy peaks and pine forests drawing winter sports enthusiasts from across the planet. The resort is one of the top race venues on the World Cup circuit in Alpine skiing and will host the next world championships over two weeks in February 2027.

    In four weeks’ time, the resort will host the best men’s and women’s downhill racers for their last events before going to the Milan Cortina Olympics, which open Feb. 6.

    Crans-Montana also is a premium venue in international golf. The Crans-sur-Sierre club stages the European Masters each August on a picturesque course with stunning mountains views. Le Constellation bar is about 273 yards down the street from the golf club.

    Crans-Montana is less than 3 miles from Sierre, Switzerland, where 28 people including many children were killed when a bus from Belgium crashed inside a Swiss tunnel in 2012.

    The Swiss blaze on Thursday came 25 years after an inferno in the Dutch fishing town of Volendam on New Year’s Eve, which killed 14 people and injured more than 200 as they celebrated in a cafe.

    [ad_2]

    Source link