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Texas power grid asks customers to cut electricity use as heat wave scorches southern US

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:29 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ power grid operator asked residents Tuesday to voluntarily cut back on electricity due to anticipated record demand on the system as a heat wave kept parts of the state and southern U.S. in triple-digit temperatures. In neighboring Oklahoma, more than 100,000 customers were eagerly awaiting the restoration of power and air conditioning following weekend storms that downed trees and snapped hundreds of utility poles. Officials say at least one person in Oklahoma has died because of the prolonged outages, which could last into the weekend for some residents. The request in Texas marked the first time this year that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas — which serves most of Texas’ nearly 30 million residents — had asked customers to cut their energy consumption. ERCOT said it was “not experiencing emergency conditions,” but it noted that the state set an unofficial June record on Monday for energy demand. Much of Texas was under exces...

Ford endorses Saunders ahead of Toronto byelection: ‘He’d be the best mayor’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:29 GMT

Ontario Premier Doug Ford will vote for Mark Saunders in Toronto’s upcoming mayoral byelection but maintains he is staying out of the race.Ford’s endorsement of the former police chief comes after a Mark Saunders sign was captured on the Premier’s front lawn this week.“I’ve always said I’m staying out of the race. I have the right, like anyone else, to put a sign on my lawn,” Ford said at a press conference on Tuesday.“I tell everyone, I’ll be voting for Mark, but vote [for] whoever you want to vote for. That’s your choice. That’s not up to me or anyone else to tell you who to vote for.“That’s just my opinion. He’d be the best mayor,” Ford added.In a statement from the Premier’s office, a spokesperson said on Monday that Ford would “work with anyone, and that’s what he intends to do.”Toronto mayoral candidate Mark Saunders is photographed after a mayoral debate in Toronto on W...

What you need to know to decide if trip cancellation insurance is worth the cost

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:29 GMT

Noah Meyer-Delouya, 25, only bought trip cancellation insurance once — and it paid off. The Toronto-based accountant did it because he, his mom and his brother bought cheap tickets to Los Angeles this past January. They figured $67.89 for trip cancellation insurance for all three of them wasn’t too much extra money to protect their trip.They also liked that this trip cancellation insurance policy explicitly included the ability to receive a full refund for their airfare if somebody contracted COVID-19. “With COVID, it’s become so much more normal to be more cautious and be aware of the chance of getting sick and it impacting your trip,” Meyer-Delouya said. Five days before the trip, his mom tested positive for COVID. Two days later, his brother tested positive too. Meyer-Delouya got lucky and didn’t contract COVID. But the family decided to cancel all their tickets and cash in their trip cancellation policy.Trip cancellation insurance is different from medical travel insurance...

Florida deputy’s face went ‘blank’ during school massacre, security guard testifies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:29 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The face of a former Florida sheriff’s deputy went “blank” as shots rang out from a Parkland high school building five years ago and he did not appear to grasp that a gunman was inside killing 17 people, a former security supervisor testified during the deputy’s trial Tuesday.Kelvin Greenleaf, testifying for the prosecution, said he was unarmed and standing next to Broward County Deputy Scot Peterson about 10 yards (9 meters) from the three-story 1200 building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. They had just ridden together to the area in a golf cart after hearing the first shots.Peterson drew his handgun, but instead of going inside he told Greenleaf they needed to take cover and went with him to the outside of a neighboring building, the guard said. Peterson stayed next to the building for 40 minutes, long after the shots ended and other officers had stormed inside.“He just had a blank look on his face. It was so much going on and I c...

Quebec coroner calls for police access to less lethal weapons in report on killing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:29 GMT

MONTREAL — A coroner’s report into the death of a Black man shot and killed by police in a town northeast of Montreal recommends the municipal force acquire and train officers in the use of intermediary weapons.Jean René Junior Olivier was killed on Aug. 1, 2021 in Repentigny, Que., as he was experiencing a mental health crisis.In February, Quebec’s Crown prosecutor’s office decided there were no grounds to lay criminal charges against any of the officers in connection with the fatal shooting.Later that month, Olivier’s family announced it was suing local police for $430,000.Coroner Karine Spénard studied video of the encounter and found that officers tried to de-escalate the situation for nearly 14 minutes before Olivier lunged at them with a knife.Spénard says an officer who had a stun gun was never close enough to use it, and her report includes one recommendation — that officers have access to intermediary weapons that are less lethal, such as rubber bull...

New firefighting planes sought across the warming planet are on their way, with a little delay

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:29 GMT

LE BOURGET, France (AP) — Production of a workhorse firefighting plane that is eagerly awaited in Europe to combat worsening mega-blazes fueled by climate change is running “a little bit” behind schedule, and the first will not be delivered before the fire season of 2027, manufacturer De Havilland Canada said Tuesday.In launching production of the DHC-515 — a new generation of the famous “Canadair” water-bombing planes — the Canadian aircraft maker said last year that it expected to make its first deliveries “by the middle of the decade.”France, among countries that battled devastating forest fires last year, is expected to be among the first recipients of the aircraft, and had hoped for a first plane in 2026 to reinforce its aging fleet. French President Emmanuel Macron had also made an ambitious pledge to replace all 12 of its Canadairs by the time he leaves office in 2027 and to add four more — a promise that now looks in jeopardy.The first plane won’t be delivered to Europ...

Chicago officials warn about dangers of fireworks ahead of Fourth of July

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:29 GMT

CHICAGO — The Fourth of July is two weeks away and public safety and medical professionals are warning people about the dangers of fireworks.Several fire-focused agencies, medical officials, and a parent of a fireworks injury survivor gathered Tuesday at University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital to discuss "the dangerous risks and long-term consequences fireworks can pose to your loved ones, family pets and combat veterans (and other survivors of gun violence) who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder," according to a press release.Fire officials then staged a live demonstration to "show how quickly fireworks can turn tragic." Their message was simply to leave the fireworks, including sparklers, to the professionals.Officials said there's also a high probability for fire to quickly spread due to the current drought and dry conditions of grass across the area. VIDEO: Minutes after reported Near West Side shooting, crowds twerk and taunt cops In 2022, according t...

Bidet used by Jay-Z and Beyonce up for bid on eBay

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:29 GMT

(KTLA) -- If you're looking to "upgrade" your home, you can do so with some appliances formerly used by Beyonce and Jay-Z.Eric Ramos, of Eric’s Architectural Salvage Los Angeles, told TMZ he's selling items such as sconces, exterior lights and a large metal doorframe from a home the power couple rented. Dr. Dre to receive first Hip-Hop Icon Award from music industry group ASCAP Even a bidet, complete with gold-colored handles, is up for grabs for an asking price of $2,400.The couple reportedly rented the Holmbly Hills mansion in 2015. The former owners reportedly sold the place after the "Crazy in Love" singers left. Ramos purchased the items in 2017 when the new owners wanted to renovate the home.

Hot car death dangers in extreme heat, 8 children have died so far this year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:29 GMT

(KXAN) -- Eight children in the United States have died so far this year in hot cars, and the nonprofit Kids and Cars is doing all they can to raise awareness to prevent this from happening again.KXAN Traffic Anchor Erica Brennes sat down with Kids and Cars to discuss the risks.Brennes: Joining me now is Amber Rollins with Kids and Cars, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers when it comes to children and cars. These temperatures right now are astronomical, they are so hot. How important is it to have this conversation about hot cars and children of all ages? Record June heatwave remains with storms returning Wednesday Rollins: Yeah, this is that time of year when we start to see the number of fatalities go up. And already this year, we've lost eight children. So you know, this is something that we know is going to continue happening this summer. And now is the time for families to be extra vigilant.Brennes: Looking at statistics, it's not just necessarily a ...

San Marcos PD uses drone to find suspect in stolen vehicle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:29 GMT

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — The San Marcos Police Department said a drone helped it find a suspect during an incident involving a stolen vehicle. The department posted on its Facebook page that earlier in June, Hays County tried to stop a person driving a suspected stolen vehicle. "People ended up jumping out of the vehicle and running. A deputy requested help from SMPD to locate the suspects," the post reads. The San Marcos Police Department said it was happy to see a quick and successful outcome with its drone. (Photo: San Marcos Police Department)The department wrote that within one minute of deploying the drone, SMPD was able to find a suspect. Two people were eventually arrested. SMPD said this was the first time it has used the drone.