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Firefighting helicopters collide over Southern California desert, killing 3 in crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:59 GMT

CABAZON, Calif. (AP) — Two firefighting helicopters collided while responding to a blaze in Southern California, sending one to the ground in a crash that killed all three people on board. The accident late Sunday afternoon in the desert about 85 miles (137 kilometers) east of Los Angeles involved a huge Sikorsky S-64E and a smaller Bell 407. “Unfortunately, the second helicopter crashed and tragically all three members perished, which included one Cal Fire Division chief, one Cal Fire captain and one contract client pilot,” Cal Fire Southern Region Chief David Fulcher told a news conference early Monday. Fulcher did not identify the victims. Firefighter from Boulder killed while on duty in Oregon Cal Fire and Riverside County Fire Department resources had been dispatched to a structure fire near the intersection of Broadway Street and South Ronda Avenue in the community of Cabazon shortly after 6 p.m. That blaze spread into surrounding vegetation and a full wildland fire dispatch...

Ex-Minneapolis officer unrepentant as he gets nearly 5 years in George Floyd killing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:59 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Tou Thao, the last former Minneapolis police officer convicted in state court for his role in the killing of George Floyd, did not show any repentance or admit any wrongdoing as he was sentenced Monday to 4 years and 9 months.Thao had previously testified that he merely served as a “human traffic cone” when he held back concerned bystanders who gathered as former Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, knelt on Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes while the Black man pleaded for his life on May 25, 2020.A bystander video captured Floyd’s fading cries of “I can’t breathe.” Floyd’s murder touched off protests worldwide and forced a national reckoning of police brutality and racism.At his sentencing hearing, Thao said he never intended to hurt anyone that day. He spoke at length about his growth as a Christian during his 340 days behind bars but denied any responsibility for Floyd’s death. In rambling remarks full of biblical references, he drew parallels with the suffe...

Beyoncé’s tour paid $100,000 to extend DC Metro hours after weather delayed show

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:59 GMT

(CNN) — Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” tour paid $100,000 to keep all 98 Metro stations in the Washington, DC, area open for an extra hour after Sunday’s show at the outdoor FedExField venue was delayed because of heavy rain and lightning, a news release from the transit authority said.“Due to inclement weather that may delay the start of tonight’s Renaissance World Tour at FedExField, Metro will extend the last train by an extra hour beyond the extended closing previously announced,” the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said in a statement.“The additional hour will be funded by the Tour to cover the $100,000 cost to run more trains, keep all 98 stations open for customers to exit, and other operational expenses.”The stadium issued a shelter-in-place notice citing lightning in the area before giving fans the all clear and allowing the show to go on. The delay left fans sweltering in hot and humid conditions as they waited for word on what was happening.“Due to ...

1 hurt in explosion at a Sherwin-Williams paint factory plant in Texas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:59 GMT

(CNN) — At least one factory worker was injured in an explosion and fire at a Sherwin-Williams paint manufacturing and processing plant in the Dallas suburb of Garland, Texas, fire officials said.Firefighters received a call at 1:21 a.m. Monday, according to a Garland Fire Department public information officer. When the fire department arrived, the factory was on fire.The fire alarm level was later upgraded to direct more resources toward putting it out, according to the department.Sherwin-Williams said in a statement the fire was extinguished within a few hours. “One employee suffered a minor injury and was transported to the hospital out of an abundance of caution and has since been released,” said Julie Young, the company’s vice president of global corporate communications.Production at the site has been suspended, she added, and an environmental assessment will be conducted when fire officials allow access to the site.“We want to thank the first responders for assisting us ...

Ukraine says it’s foiled assassination plot against Zelensky

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:59 GMT

(CNN) — An alleged informant for Russia has been detained in connection to a plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said Monday.The detained woman has not been named publicly but is from the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolaiv, according to a statement from the SBU.The SBU said she had been “gathering intelligence” about Zelensky’s planned visit to Mykolaiv at the end of July, in order to plan a Russian airstrike to kill the president.However, SBU agents had obtained information about the “subversive activities of the suspect” and adopted additional security measures, foiling the plot.The SBU said that it caught the woman “red-handed” as she “was trying to pass intelligence to the invaders.”In monitoring the communications of the woman, the SBU established that she also had the task of identifying the location of electronic warfare systems and warehouses with ammunition of the armed forces.She allegedly ...

Google moves forward with plan to delete inactive accounts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:59 GMT

New York (CNN) — Google is moving ahead with its plan to delete accounts that have been inactive for at least two years.Accounts won’t be deleted until December 1, but Google (GOOG) will start sending warnings to affected users. The company will send multiple warning notifications to impacted Google (GOOG) accounts (and to backup emails if the user provided one), and users will have an eight-month window before deletion.The company announced the new policy back in May, saying it’s intended to prevent security risks: Internal findings show older accounts are more likely to rely on recycled passwords and less likely to employ up-to-date security measures like two-step-verification, making them far more vulnerable to issues like phishing, hacking and spam.The first accounts to be cut are those that were created and then never revisited by the user, Google said in May.“We want to protect your private information and prevent any unauthorized access to y...

Mayo Clinic Minute: A tick to blame for the alpha-gal, meat allergy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:59 GMT

Deb Balzer | Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)You may have heard about alpha-gal syndrome also known as the meat allergy illness or tick bite meat allergy. In a recent report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says more than 110,000 suspected cases of alpha-gal syndrome were identified between 2010 and 2022. However, the CDC says that number may be much higher because people need to be tested for alpha-gal syndrome and there are many healthcare providers who may not be familiar with the emerging disease.Alpha-gal syndrome can be a serious, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. The American Gastroenterological Association added guidance earlier this year to medical professionals to watch for patients with undiagnosed abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, especially those living in areas where alpha-gal is prevalent.What is alpha-gal and how do you get it? Dr. Bobbi Pritt, director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, is a tick exp...

Massachusetts woman accused of stabbing partner to death, charged with manslaughter

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:59 GMT

A 37-year-old Marlboro woman is accused of stabbing her partner to death last week, according to police who have charged her with manslaughter.Darlene Carreras has been charged in connection with fatally stabbing Eric Murray, 45, inside her Saint Ives Way apartment in Marlboro last Wednesday night.Carreras was arrested in Worcester on Saturday, and she was arraigned on Monday in Marlboro District Court. She was ordered held pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Aug. 23.According to the Middlesex DA’s Office, police last Wednesday at around 10:32 p.m. responded to a 911 call from a resident reporting an altercation inside a neighboring apartment. A woman inside was reportedly calling for help.Upon arrival, police found Murray inside suffering from apparent stab wounds. He was transported to UMass Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.Carreras was also found inside the home with cuts on her hands, and she was transported to the hospital and released. MurrayR...

Boston Herald’s shark stories

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:59 GMT

Here is the Boston Herald’s coverage of shark information.

How to stay safe from financial scams

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:59 GMT

By Kimberly Palmer | NerdWalletOne of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to protecting yourself from financial scams is thinking you’re too smart to be duped by one.“We’re all vulnerable — we can all fall for a scam given the right set of circumstances,” says Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit organization that provides advice and assistance related to identity theft. Keeping yourself safe starts with accepting that fact, she adds.“You look at the profiles of victims who filed complaints and it runs the gamut from highly educated, high-income people all the way down to the most vulnerable people in our population,” says John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud at the National Consumers League, a nonprofit advocacy group that speaks out about consumer concerns.While there isn’t a “foolproof solution to stay safe from all scams,” as Breyault puts it, there are strategies you can employ to...