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Vermont schools sue Monsanto over toxic PCB contamination

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:06 GMT

Dozens of Vermont school districts have sued chemical giant Monsanto over toxic contamination in educational buildings from now-banned industrial chemicals known as PCBs.Last year, Vermont became the first state in the country to require older schools get tested for polychlorinated biphenyls, which were used in building materials and electrical equipment before 1980.More than 90 school districts filed the complaint on Friday in federal court. They’re seeking to recover costs and damages because, under Vermont’s law, schools with high-enough contamination levels must reduce exposure. Removing the PCBs will be expensive, and certain districts may have to demolish buildings and replace them with new ones — which in total could cost them “hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars,” the lawsuit says.The PCBs are present in the school buildings from caulking and glazing compounds, sealants, adhesives, and other construction materials.Monsanto said the case has no merit...

Judge’s order limits government contact with social media operators, raises disinformation questions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:06 GMT

By KEVIN McGILL, MATT O’BRIEN AND ALI SWENSON (Associated Press)NEW ORLEANS (AP) — An order by a federal judge in Louisiana has ignited a high-stakes legal battle over how the government is allowed to interact with social media platforms, raising broad questions about whether — and how — officials can fight what they deem misinformation on health or other matters.U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, a conservative nominated to the federal bench by former President Donald Trump, chose Independence Day to issue an injunction blocking multiple government agencies and administration officials. In his words, they are forbidden to meet with or contact social media companies for the purpose of “encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech.” The order also prohibits the agencies and officials from pressuring social media companies “in any manner” t...

The wave of mass shootings over the Fourth of July highlights the challenges police face

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:06 GMT

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and COLLEEN LONG (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — Thirty shot, two fatally, at a block party in Baltimore. At least three killed and 10 wounded at an annual July Fourth bash in Louisiana. A 7-year-old shot dead in Tampa after two groups gathered along a causeway for Independence Day started to fight. Nine others injured when bullets sprayed from a car in the nation’s capital.A rash of shootings as the U.S. celebrated the Fourth of July is spiking fears in communities across the country and highlighting the challenges police face in preventing such violence as temperatures warm and festivities move outside. Policing such events is a delicate balance for law enforcement, who must weigh the right of revelers to gather with the threat of violence that looms in public and private spaces in a nation awash with guns. “In many ways, their hands are tied because these types of events are often on private property and people may not do anything to ...

JetBlue is dumping its partnership with American Airlines to salvage its purchase of Spirit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:06 GMT

By DAVID KOENIG (AP Airlines Writer)JetBlue says it won’t appeal a judge’s ruling against its partnership with American Airlines, effectively dropping the deal in an effort to salvage its purchase of Spirit Airlines.JetBlue Airways said Wednesday that it wind down the deal with American in New York and Boston in the coming months and “turn even more focus” on its proposed $3.8 billion purchase of Spirit.The U.S. Justice Department sued to block both the JetBlue-American deal and JetBlue’s purchase of Spirit on grounds that they would hurt competition. The government said consumers would suffer if Spirit — the nation’s biggest discount airline — is eliminated. JetBlue hopes that dropping the deal with American might persuade the Justice Department to let the Spirit purchase go ahead.A federal judge decided in May that JetBlue and American must end their partnership, called the Northeast Alliance, because it violates U.S. antitrust law. ...

Hillary Clinton headlines list of speakers for NAACP National Convention in Boston

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:06 GMT

Former Secretary of State and ex-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton headlines a list of speakers for the NAACP National Convention in Boston later this month.Joining the former First Lady on the convention speaker list are Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones — who had been expelled from the House of Representatives after leading a gun control protest following a mass shooting.The 114th NAACP National Convention is coming to Boston from July 26 to Aug. 1.“Each year, NAACP members and friends gather at the Convention in a shared space that has proven vital for our collective growth and advocacy,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement.“Now more than ever, this sacred convening is crucial to our continued fight for the preservation of democracy,” Johnson added. “We are excited to bring vitality and vibrance to our roots in Boston, home of the Association’s first chartered branch.&...

Stalemate: UPS, Teamsters contract talks break down 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:06 GMT

Contract negotiations between UPS and the union representing 340,000 of the company’s workers broke down early Wednesday with each side blaming the other for walking away from talks.The Teamsters have imposed several deadlines for United Parcel Service negotiators to make their “last, best and final” offer to its unionized workers in recent days. Union officials said Wednesday that UPS “walked away from the bargaining table after presenting an unacceptable offer,” specifically with regard to the economic package.UPS told a different story. The package delivery company said it was the Teamsters who abandoned negotiations, “despite UPS’s historic offer that builds on our industry-leading pay.”“We have not walked away, and the union has a responsibility to remain at the table,” the Atlanta company said in a prepared statement.Whichever the case, talks are at a stalemate with the end of the contract — midnight on July 31 — rapi...

Some Fed officials wanted rate hikes in June

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:06 GMT

Some Federal Reserve officials pushed to raise the Fed’s key interest rate by one-quarter of a percentage point at their meeting last month to intensify their fight against high inflation, though the central bank ultimately decided to forgo a rate hike.In a sign of growing division among the policymakers, some officials favored a quarter-point increase or said they “could have supported such a proposal,” according to the minutes of the June 13-14 meeting released Wednesday. In the end, the 11 voting members of the Fed’s interest-rate setting committee agreed unanimously to skip a hike after 10 straight increases. But they signaled that they might raise rates twice more this year, beginning as soon as this month.In Fed parlance, “some” is less than “most” or “many,” evidence that the support for another rate hike in June was a minority view. And some who held that view were likely unable to vote at the meeting; the 18 member...

New York’s Central Park Loeb Boathouse reopens with cafe, boat rentals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:06 GMT

Téa Kvetenadze | New York Daily NewsNEW YORK — Central Park’s iconic Loeb Boathouse has partially reopened in time for the summer season, with a new cafe menu, new operator and colorful boats after it closed last year due to financial struggles.The boat rentals and cafe — located on the building’s north side, with an 80-seat outdoor patio — will operate seven days a week. The new food menu ranges from $4 pastries to $25 lobster rolls, and all orders are packaged to go.The famous main dining room overlooking the lake will not be open until late summer or early fall, new operator Legends said in a press release, as renovations continue.Those hoping to take one of the 100 available boats for a spin on the lake will pay $25 an hour, up from $20 last year. Walk-ins are welcome on a first-come, first-served basis but online bookings will soon also be available through reservation service OpenTable. There is a maximum allowance of four people per boat and children under 12 have to wear lif...

A ‘mirrored space pod’ in Texas is named best ‘glamping’ spot in the US

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:06 GMT

Sarah Bahari | (TNS) The Dallas Morning NewsA mirrored dome set in the vast West Texas desert was named the No. 1 “glamping” spot in the U.S. by a national camping website.Space Cowboys, a 10-acre campground just outside Big Bend National Park, is home to numerous tents, yurts and RV sites. Its centerpiece is a “mirrored space pod,” with 360-degree, floor-to-ceiling views of the surrounding desert and mountains.The Dyrt, which offers campground reviews, tips and booking, said the pod earned Space Cowboys the No. 1 spot on the 2023 Glampy Awards, a roundup of the country’s best spots for glamping — short for glamorous camping.“At first glance, this glampground looks like a spaceship just happened to land in the desert close to Big Bend National Park by the Texas-Mexico border,” The Dyrt wrote. “For the older crowd or fans of classic TV, there’s a definite Mork from Ork vibe going on here.”Glamping appeals to campers who enjoy the outdoors but don’t necessarily want to part with the c...

SDSU grad missing in Yosemite National Park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:06 GMT

YOSEMITE, Calif. -- It's all hands on deck at Yosemite National Park, where law enforcement and park rangers are searching for a recent San Diego State University graduate who's gone missing.Hayden Klemenok was on a group backpacking trip over the Fourth of July weekend when the unexpected happened in the area of Upper Chilnualna Fall.The National Park Service says it was reported that Klemenok entered Chilnualna Creek near the trail junction around 2 p.m. Sunday. Park officials say that was the last time he was seen. Exploring California State Parks just got easier — it’s as simple as three words This hike is considered to be a moderately challenging route with an elevation gain around 2,400 feet, according to Outside.The National Park Service is asking anyone who may have seen Klemenok to contact the Yosemite National Park dispatch by phone at 209-379-1992 or by emailing  [email protected] family friend, Connie Zell, created a GoFundMe page highlighting...