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Hurricane season ‘heating up’ with Tropical Storm Franklin, Tropical Cyclone Nine: Will Massachusetts be impacted?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:16 GMT

After a slow start, hurricane season in the tropics is suddenly “heating up” with Tropical Storm Franklin and Tropical Cyclone Nine about to make landfall and dump life-threatening buckets of rain.Tropical Storm Franklin in the Caribbean Sea on Monday was moving north — with the center of the storm heading straight toward the Dominican Republic and Haiti.Like with Hurricane Hilary in California over the weekend, the biggest threats with Franklin are heavy rainfall, flooding and mudslides, according to the National Hurricane Center. Potentially life-threatening flash flooding is possible.“We could get up to 15 inches of rain, let me say that again, up to 15 inches of rain possible over Haiti and the Dominican Republic as the center moves over on Tuesday and Wednesday,” said National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Jamie Rhome.Meanwhile, a new fast-moving system in the Gulf of Mexico formed on Monday. Tropical Cyclone Nine was expected to strengthen into...

Environmental groups sue to keep Virginia in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:16 GMT

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A coalition of environmental groups filed a lawsuit Monday in Virginia that challenges Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s move to pull the state out of a regional carbon cap-and-trade initiative. The Southern Environmental Law Center filed the long-promised lawsuit in Fairfax County Circuit Court to try to keep Virginia in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, also known as RGGI, which involves power plant emissions. The lawsuit argues that Virginia’s State Air Pollution Control Board and the Department of Environmental Quality lacked the authority to leave the initiative, which has been lowering Virginia’s carbon footprint. “Carbon dioxide emissions from Virginia power plants have declined by 16.8 percent in the first two years of participation,” the lawsuit stated. Virginia’s Air Pollution Control Board voted 4-3 in June to repeal Virginia’s participation in RGGI (pronounced “Reggie”).Virginia’s Republican governor has made withdrawal from the comp...

This year over 200 Palestinians and nearly 30 Israelis have been killed, highest since 2005, UN says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:16 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has killed over 200 Palestinians and nearly 30 Israelis so far this year – already surpassing last year’s annual figures and the highest number since 2005, the U.N. Mideast envoy said Monday.Tor Wennesland told the U.N. Security Council that the upswing in violence is being fueled by growing despair about the future, with the Palestinians still seeking an independent state.“The lack of progress towards a political horizon that addressed the core issues driving the conflict has left a dangerous and volatile vacuum, filled by extremists on all sides,” he said.While Israelis and Palestinians have taken some actions toward stabilizing the situation, Wennesland said unilateral steps have continued to fuel hostilities.He pointed to the unabated expansion of Israeli settlements – which are illegal under international law “and a substantial obstacle to peace” – as well as Israel’s demolition of Palestinian houses, its operations in the ...

Teva to pay $225M to settle cholesterol drug price-fixing charges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:16 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The generic drug maker Teva Pharmaceuticals agreed Monday to pay $225 million to settle price-fixing charges related to sales of a major cholesterol-lowering drug. The U.S. Department of Justice said the agreement also requires Teva to divest its business making and selling the drug, pravastatin, a generic version of the brand-name medicine Pravachol. Another generic drug maker, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, agreed to pay a $30 million criminal penalty and to divest its pravastatin business as well.In a statement, the U.S. arm of Israel-based Teva blamed a single former employee for striking agreements with Teva competitors that limited competition between 2013 and 2015. That employee left the company in 2016, Teva said.DOJ had charged seven generic drug makers, including Teva and Glenmark, with price fixing, bid rigging and market allocation schemes. The seven companies have settled their cases with deferred prosecution agreements. Had any of the cases gone to trial, ...

Southbound DVP closed between Don Mills and Bayview/Bloor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:16 GMT

Toronto police have closed a section of the southbound Don Valley Parkway during the height of rush hour on Monday. Police closed the DVP from Don Mills to Bayview/Bloor at around 5:22 p.m. for an investigation. Northbound traffic on the DVP is not impacted. Millwood Road is also closed in both directions from Donlands Avenue to Overlea Boulevard.Police have not indicated when the roadways will reopen.

Virginia judge largely sides with ex-patients in hospital’s effort to pare down lawsuit abuse claims

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:16 GMT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Most of the claims of sexual abuse and other mistreatment made in a lawsuit by dozens of former patients of a Virginia children’s hospital can move forward, a judge has ruled, rejecting arguments that many of the allegations were time-limited under the state’s medical malpractice law. Judge Bradley Cavedo issued the ruling Aug. 14 in favor of most of the dozens of plaintiffs who are suing publicly traded health care company Universal Health Services Inc. and its co-defendants. His decision came two weeks after a hearing on the matter in Richmond Circuit Court, where attorneys for UHS, related corporate entities and the doctor at the center of many of the allegations urged him to whittle down the claims.“I think it is an incredibly important decision but ultimately a decision that we expected and anticipated would go this way,” said Kevin Biniazan, an attorney for the plaintiffs, all former patients of the Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolesce...

Dentist convicted of killing wife on African safari given life sentence and over $15M penalty

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:16 GMT

DENVER (AP) — A judge has handed down a sentence of life in prison and over $15 million in penalties to a wealthy dentist who killed his wife at the end of an African safari.Larry Rudolph was sentenced Monday in a Denver federal court for murder in the 2016 death of Bianca Rudolph as well as for mail fraud. He cashed in nearly $5 million in insurance policies for his wife, allege prosecutors who say he wanted to live a lavish retirement with his longtime girlfriend using the money.“The murder was the culmination of a lifetime spent seeking domination and control over others through wealth and power,” prosecutors said in a court filing outlining their sentencing proposal.Rudolph has claimed throughout the case that his wife’s death in the southern African nation of Zambia was an accident. His lawyers plan to appeal the conviction.“We still believe strongly in Larry’s innocence. We are looking forward to vindicating him on appeal,” said Rudolph’s lawyers, David Oscar Markus and Margot...

Texas moves large floating barrier on US-Mexico border closer to American soil

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:16 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas has moved a floating barrier on the U.S.-Mexico border closer to American soil as the Biden administration and Mexico protest the wrecking ball-sized buoys that Republican Gov. Greg Abbott authorized in the name of preventing migrants from entering the country. The repositioning comes ahead of a hearing Tuesday that could decide whether the buoys remain. Texas began installing the bright-orange buoys on the Rio Grande in July and the state was quickly sued by the Justice Department, which argues the barrier could impact relations with Mexico and pose humanitarian and environmental risks. During a trip Monday to the border city of Eagle Pass, where the buoys are located, Abbott said the barrier was moved “out of an abundance of caution” following what he described as allegations that they had drifted to Mexico’s side of the river. “I don’t know whether they were true or not,” Abbott said. It is not clear when U.S. District Judge David Ezra of Au...

President Biden delivers remarks in Maui during 1st visit since wildfires

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:16 GMT

Watch President Biden's remarks live in the video player aboveSOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are traveling to Maui on Monday to comfort survivors of the devastating wildfires that ripped through the western part of the Hawaiian island earlier this month, as his administration responds to the devastation whose full scope is still unknown.The Bidens are taking a detour from their weeklong vacation in the Lake Tahoe area for the day trip to Lahaina, a historic town of 13,000 people that was virtually destroyed by the flames. While there, the first couple will meet with first responders and be briefed by state and local officials about the ongoing response.They will also view the damaged town, both from helicopters and on the ground, and the Democratic president will deliver remarks paying tribute to the victims of the wildfires, which have killed more than 100 people since they began on Aug. 8. The president ...

French Bulldog owner recalls River West attack

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:16 GMT

CHICAGO — Dog owner Nick Christen walks his French Bulldog in the River West neighborhood all the time. But on Friday night, Christen noticed something odd. "I see a car pull into the far end back there — It's a dead end and it pulled back out a little bit," Christen said, recalling the attack made on him and his dog. "[Then] I made a decision and I ran with my dog."Christen was chased by two teens armed with golf clubs, one of which can be heard laughing as they chase after him."They hit me in the head, fractured my skull, knocked me down," Christen said. "I was just trying to hold onto my dog for dear life." FEMA support arrives in Chicago, provides update for flooding victims While this was happening, a neighbor heard the commotion and threatened to shoot the suspects if they didn't leave."I have the skull fracture, they broke the bone right behind my ear," Christen said about his injuries. "I've got blood in my ear drum pushing on my brain. My jaw is messed up and I can't chew...