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Montana Republicans report letters with mysterious powder after similar mailings in 2 other states

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:00:43 GMT

Republican lawmakers in Montana are sharing that they received letters with white powder as federal agents investigate mysterious substances similarly mailed to GOP officials in two other states.In a Friday night tweet, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte said he has received “disturbing” reports of anonymous threats sent to legislators. The Montana attorney general posted on Facebook that the local sheriff’s office collected evidence after his mother, a state representative, opened one letter with a “white powder substance” sent to her home address.“PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS about opening your mail,” Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said in the post directed toward legislators. “If you receive a suspicious package, contact law enforcement immediately.”Republican officials in Tennessee and Kansas have recently received similar letters. A legislative office building in Nashville temporarily locked down on Thursday after the House Speaker said multiple Republican leaders got mail wit...

Beijing heat wave clouds long weekend and sets multi-day temperature record

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:00:43 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Beijing and parts of northern China are experiencing record temperatures, with authorities urging people to limit their time outdoors.The Nanjiao observatory in southern Beijing on Saturday for the first time recorded temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for a third consecutive day, according to the China Meteorological Administration. In nearby Hebei province and the port city of Tianjin, temperatures also soared above 40 C over the past few days, prompting authorities to issue “red” alerts for extreme weather. In China’s four-tier weather alert system, red indicates the most severe conditions, ones with potential health and safety hazards.Other countries in Asia have experienced deadly heat waves in recent weeks, which scientists say are aggravated by rising global temperatures, caused partly by the burning of fossil fuels.Beijing experienced its second-hottest day on record Thursday, when temperatures soared to 41.1 C (106 F). It wa...

Ottawa says it’s monitoring tensions in Russia amid armed rebellion

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:00:43 GMT

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada’s incident response group is meeting today to discuss the latest developments in Russia.Authorities in that country are trying to tamp down an armed rebellion led by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.Trudeau issued a tweet this morning saying Canada is in contact with allies and will continue to monitor the situation closely.A tweet earlier in the day from Foreign affairs minister Mélanie Joly says the G7 foreign ministers had a call today to discuss the overnight developments in Russia, but offered no further details.Britain’s Ministry of Defence says Prigozhin’s Wagner group appears to control military headquarters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, where Russia’s operations in Ukraine are run.The Associated Press is reporting tightened security in a number of Russian regions amid the tensions, with some mass events cancelled.This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2023.The Canadi...

CBS News effort shows the growth in solutions journalism to combat bad news fatigue

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:00:43 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A Colorado school is creating a “zen den” for troubled students. A soccer coach in Pittsburgh goes out of her way to relieve pressure on players. A Chicago community group equips a van for mobile mental health help, and a Los Angeles school trains students to counsel peers.Each effort to tackle youth mental health issues has been featured on a local CBS newscast recently, examples of a movement toward “solutions journalism.”The idea is that reporters need to be more than the bearer of bad news.“We want to look past the who, what, where and why to asking ‘how can we help?’” said Wendy McMahon, co-president of CBS News and the CBS Television Stations. “How can we help make our communities better places to live? That’s the aspiration.”CBS has trained news leaders in solutions journalism at the 14 local stations it owns, in big markets like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, and opened an “innovation lab” for them to work together on stories.The network works with ...

Ex-Alabama basketball player seeks dismissal of capital murder charges

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:00:43 GMT

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama judge has granted a former Alabama basketball player accused of capital murder a hearing to decide whether charges in the case will be dismissed.Attorneys for Darius Miles on Wednesday filed a motion for immunity, asking Tuscaloosa County Circuit Judge Daniel Pruet to dismiss capital murder charges on the grounds of self-defense, news outlets reported. Miles is accused in the Jan. 15 shooting death of 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris, of Birmingham.Miles “respectfully requests that the Court, upon hearing the evidence, find (him) immune from prosecution” and the case against him dismissed, according to a filing from his attorney, Mary Turner, on Wednesday.Pruet granted Miles’ request for an immunity hearing, which is set for Aug. 21.Miles, 21, and Michael Davis are both charged in connection to Harris’ death.Davis, 20, has sought youthful offender status and since then court files for Davis have been sealed. The outcome of that request wa...

Will El Niño make airplane turbulence worse?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:00:43 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – This year's El Niño is likely to affect droughts, heat waves and hurricane season — and possibly your next flight. New research suggests the climate phenomenon could have an impact on how much turbulence planes experience in the air. Paul Williams, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Reading, presented his research on the subject during a meeting of the American Meteorological Society earlier this year. The science is complicated, but essentially Williams found a link between El Niño or La Niña years and the amount of clear-air turbulence (or CAT) in the atmosphere. CAT is one type of turbulence you might experience while flying. It happens when skies look clear — there are no major storms — but the plane shakes anyway. It happens when there are curves in the jet stream (air currents that circle around the planet), pilot Stuart Walker explained in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. Along those curves there are pockets of wind sh...

You don't want this 4-digit code on your boarding pass, TSA says

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:00:43 GMT

(KSNF/KODE) — Getting through airport security is already stressful enough, but an additional screening method you may be subject to could add to that stress.Any airline passenger with the letters "SSSS" printed on their boarding pass has been selected by airport security for extra screening. Used by the Transportation Security Administration, the letters SSSS stand for Secondary Security Screening Selection or Secondary Security Screening Selectee.What Is 'Secondary Security Screening Selection' (SSSS)?Iranian-born bioengineer researcher Nima Enayati holds up his boarding pass at Milan's Malpensa International airport in Busto Arsizio, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)According to the TSA, any passenger with the four-letter code on their boarding pass can be swabbed for the residue of illegal substances, such as drugs or explosives. Those passengers will also face additional questioning about travel plans and previous trips. The special security measures that ...

Man who gave up seats on Titan submersible says OceanGate CEO was 'dismissive' of concerns

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:00:43 GMT

(NewsNation) — Las Vegas businessman Jay Bloom revealed that he and his son were offered seats on the submersible that went missing on a trip to see the wreckage from the Titanic, but ultimately gave them up. Bloom shared texts on Facebook he exchanged with Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, the company that owned the Titan submersible. Rush, along with four other passengers, was on the submersible when it embarked June 18 on what was meant to be an eight-hour dive to the Titanic site. Less than two hours in, however, the support vessel Polar Prince lost contact with the Titan.The U.S. Coast Guard taking the lead on search efforts. On Thursday, officials and OceanGate confirmed that debris found near the Titanic wreckage was from the submersible. “The debris is consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber,” Rear Adm. John Mauger with the First Coast Guard District said. All five passengers, including Rush, British businessman Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Sh...

How long do electric car batteries last?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:00:43 GMT

(iSeeCars) -- Electric cars have soared in popularity in the wake of high gasoline prices. While improvements in vehicle battery technology have led to increased battery range, consumers are still left wondering how long they can expect their vehicle battery to last. After all, the battery pack is the most expensive part of an electric car, with a new battery costing upwards of $20,000.So what can you expect for an electric vehicle’s battery lifespan? We have the important answers.What are EV Batteries?Internal combustion engined cars are powered by gasoline, while EVs are powered by a battery pack driving one or more electric motors. The batteries that power electric cars are rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which is the same type of battery found in cell phones and other consumer electronics. Lithium-ion batteries have a higher energy density than lead-acid or nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries, which means they don’t take up as much space while providing an equivalent level...

Taking care of your feline fur baby in this relentless heat

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:00:43 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — KXAN spoke with an expert on tips you need to know so that your cats/kittens withstand this current heatwave gripping Central Texas. Our guest is Halle Hamilton, Cat Adoption Manager with Austin Pets Alive.First, she suggests that outdoor cats should have cool places in shady areas in which to retreat. Freeze water bottles under blankets are a good source of cooling but make sure the feline is not lying directly on the frozen bottle itself. Have more deep water dishes with cool water for them to lap up. It is okay to drop ice cubes in the water to keep it cooler but remember that those cubes will melt and the water temperature will increase. Keep those water dishes in the same shady area where the cat would be prone to seek shelter.She says to not hose or spray down a cat. They don't like it. Their fur acts as insulation.We asked her what signs to look for if a cat/kitten owner has concerns about the feline's health. Halle says they may be lethargic if they are layin...