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President Biden pledges immediate help for Hawaii wildfires survivors. Follow live updates

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

By REBECCA BOONE (Associated Press)Follow live updates about wildfires racing across part of Maui in Hawaii, destroying sections of a historic town on the island and forcing some to flee to the relative safety of the ocean, where the Coast Guard rescued them. The fires forced evacuations in some areas, including the popular tourist spot of Lahaina. The National Weather Service says Hurricane Dora, which is passing south of the island chain at a safe distance, was partly to blame for strong winds driving the flames, knocking out power and grounding firefighting helicopters.President Joe Biden spoke about the Hawaii wildfires while traveling in Utah, pledging that federal disaster response will ensure that “anyone who’s lost a loved one, or who’s home has been damaged or destroyed, is going to get help immediately.”Biden promised to streamline requests for federal assistance and said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was “surging emergency pers...

Missing dog, spotted near Mass and Cass, returned to owner after days-long search

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

The six-day search for the missing 8-year-old Chihuahua named Alejandro has come to a sweet ending: He has returned to his owner safe and sound.The woman who took the tan-and-white haired pooch, Emily Sardo, 24, of Boston, from outside of Whole Foods near Fenway last Saturday surrendered the dog in the area of Old Colony Avenue around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, according to Boston Police.Alejandro’s owner, Shelly Vermani, has reunited with her “companion, child and everything,” and police say the $2,500 reward she matched with a gift from local dog lover — PR guru George Regan — enticed the suspect to give the dog back.A BPD release highlights how this morning’s surrender went down between the suspect and a sergeant detective assigned to the South End who recognized the woman from surveillance footage taken outside of Whole Foods last Saturday:“The Sergeant Detective said to the female, ‘Where is the dog?’ which she replied that she did not know. The Sergeant Detec...

Doctors sound alarm about child nicotine poisoning as vapes flood the US market

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

Liz Szabo | (TNS) KFF Health NewsHospital toxicologist Ryan Marino has seen up close the violent reactions of children poisoned by liquid nicotine from electronic cigarettes. One young boy who came to his emergency room experienced intense nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, and needed intravenous fluids to treat his dehydration.Kids can also become dizzy, lose consciousness, and suffer dangerous drops in blood pressure. In the most severe case he’s seen, doctors put another boy on a ventilator in the intensive care unit because he couldn’t breathe, said Marino, of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.Thousands of kids a year are exposed to the liquid nicotine in e-cigarettes, also known as vapes. For a toddler, even a few drops can be fatal.Cases of vaping-related nicotine exposure reported to poison centers hit an all-time high in 2022 — despite a 2016 law, the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act, that requires child-resistant packaging on bottles of vaping liquid. I...

Recipe: Atlantic Beach pie with a salty twist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

Gretchen McKay | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)Some foods just speak to the season.In July and August, citrus often rules supreme because its bright, sunny taste brings to mind the roadside lemonade stands and fruity Popsicles we enjoyed as kids.Now that we’re adults, lemon and lime add sparkle to so many refreshing cocktails. They’re easy to find just about anywhere and provide a relatively inexpensive way to add a punch of acidic flavor to everything the fruit rubs shoulders with.This modern take on a vintage Southern pie made with lemon and lime juices absolutely shines on a dessert table when it’s hot and muggy outside — which is just about every day, it seems, between Memorial and Labor days in Pittsburgh. It was created a little over a decade ago by cookbook author Bill Smith, who was the chef at Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for nearly 30 years until his retirement in 2019.An Atlantic Beach pie is made with a saltine cracker crust. (Gre...

'Best meteor shower of the year' to peak over San Diego this weekend: NASA

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The best meteor shower of the year is expected to peak over San Diego County this weekend, according to NASA.Streaking across the night sky -- once again -- the annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to put on a celestial show Friday, Saturday and Sunday. NASA experts say upwards to 40 Perseids an hour could be seen before dawn during peak hours on the night of Aug. 12. How San Diegans can help those affected by Maui wildfires This increase in activity will come as Earth passes through the dustiest debris of a 16-mile across comet known as Swift-Tuttle. To put that into perspective, the driving distance from downtown San Diego to El Cajon is just over that. This year may prove better luck for sky gazers since the waning crescent moon will allow for better viewing compared to last year's bright full Moon. Those hoping to catch this meteor shower may still want to head away from the bright lights of downtown and the suburbs.For those on the coast, you may want t...

Outdoor concerts to be held at San Diego’s Grand Social Club

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A luxe Mediterranean-inspired resort hotel in North County will be hosting an array of concerts at its outdoor lounge in the coming weeks.The Fairmont Grand Del Mar’s Grand Social Club will have live entertainment that's meant to be enjoyed on their lawn and amongst the trees.From jazz nights to the best of soul and R&B, those in attendance can sip craft cocktails or fine wine from a private cabana, a fire pit circle or picnic-style seating. ‘Long Story Short’ to plate locally sourced California cuisine in North Park Here's a look at the concert series schedule:-- Friday Summer Jazz Series with rhythms of Bossa Nova and upbeat vibes of Latin jazz: From 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Aug. 11, Aug. 25, Sept. 8 and Sept. 29.-- Havana Nights with sounds of Cuba and accompanying bites: From 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Aug. 18 and Sept. 16.-- Saturday California Cool Soundscapes with classic American rock and iconic pop hits from the ‘90s-2010s: From 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. every Saturda...

Freeland touts home savings account, notes limits to addressing housing crisis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

TORONTO — Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says the uptake of a new savings account for first-time homebuyers is exceeding expectation, though she acknowledged the limits of what it can do to address affordability.Speaking after meeting with constituents in Toronto who want to buy a home, Freeland said the First Home Savings Account is just one tool to help people get into the market.“It is not going to solve all of their problems, I am not claiming that, but it’s a little bit of help.”The tax-free First Home Savings Account, which launched in April with a $8,000 per year and total contribution limit of $40,000, is currently available at seven financial institutions.  Questrade Inc. had its account ready for the April 1 launch, while Wealthsimple also recently began offering the option, including to the nearly 20,000 Canadians who were on their wait-list. RBC, which launched its program in April, says clients have opened “tens of thousands” of accounts since then, with just o...

Yemeni military commander and 3 others killed in suspected Al-Qaida attack in southern Yemen

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — A suspected Al-Qaida attack in southern Yemen killed a military commander and three soldiers from a secessionist group Thursday, according to the group’s leader, security officials, and an eyewitness.Commander Abd Al-Latif al-Sayyid and the three soldiers from the Security Belt Forces, a fighting group loyal to Yemen’s secessionist Southern Transitional Council, were killed in an explosion while traveling in a convoy through southern Abyan province, the three officials and witness said. The four said they believed the Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula group was responsible for the attack but provided no further details. All spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal.In a obituary statement issued late Thursday by the head of the council, Aydarous al-Zubaidi, he said the separatist force was mourning the loss of Al-Sayyid and the three fighters “who were touched by the hands of treachery and terrorism.” The Southern Transitional Council is...

Air Canada ranks last in on-time performance among 10 biggest North American airlines

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

MONTREAL — A new report says Air Canada ranked last in on-time performance among the 10 largest airlines in North America, as some carriers north of the border struggle to find their post-pandemic footing despite much better outcomes than the travel chaos of 2022.Canada’s biggest carrier landed 51 per cent of its flights on time last month, according to figures from aviation data firm Cirium.WestJet, which placed seventh, saw 62 per cent of its trips make it to the gate on time — defined as within 15 minutes of scheduled arrival.The two outcomes paled in comparison to top performers Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines, which notched 82 per cent and 79 per cent, respectively.North American airlines’ average on-time performance stood at 66 per cent, the worst by far of any of the regions tracked in the report, including Europe, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa.On top of a shortage of air traffic controllers, Air Canada has pointed to thunderstorms and a network...

Tunisia and Libya take 276 migrants stranded in desert border region, bring them to shelters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:24 GMT

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia and Libya took back 276 sub-Saharan migrants stranded in a desert region along the border between the two countries and brought them to shelters on Thursday. Tunisia has been blamed for dumping the migrants in the sizzling heat in the no-man’s land near the border post of Ras Jedir. Libya said Wednesday that 27 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were found dead by Libyan authorities in the western desert near the Tunisian border. Tunisia’s coast — and specifically the eastern port city of Sfax — has recently taken over from Libya as the main jumping off point for African migrants setting off in fragile boats for Europe across the Mediterranean Sea.“We took charge of a group that was sheltered by the Tunisian Red Crescent and the Libyan side did the same so that the migrants were evacuated from the zone,” Tunisian Interior Ministry spokesman Faker Bouzghaya told The Associated Press. “A consensual solution was … reached to end the problem...