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Maui's emergency services chief resigns after criticism for not activating sirens during fire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:43 GMT

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency resigned abruptly Thursday, a day after saying he had no regrets about not using sirens to warn residents of wildfires that devastated the historic seaside community of Lahaina and killed at least 111 people.That decision from the agency directed by Administrator Herman Andaya, coupled with water shortages that hampered firefighters and an escape route that became clogged with vehicles, has brought intense criticism from many residents. The lack of sirens has emerged as a potential misstep, and The Associated Press reported that it was part of a series of communication issues that added to the chaos. Lahaina fire fatalities remain at 111 Mayor Richard Bissen accepted Andaya's resignation effective immediately, the County of Maui announced on Facebook. Andaya cited unspecified health reasons, with no further details provided.“Given the gravity of the crisis we are facing, my team and I will be placing someone i...

Hays CISD superintendent celebrates staffing levels while rushing to staff new state mandate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:43 GMT

HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Hays Consolidated Independent School District is growing.“It is growing extremely fast,” Hays CISD Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright said. “This year compared to the beginning of last year we gained about 1,600 students.” NEXT: Set for School The school district is keeping up with growth by building two new elementary schools, currently under construction, and teacher staffing levels are high.“We are so pleased we only had a 6% turnover rate this year, so we were able to retain high-quality staff,” Wright said. “We are glad to be able to keep them and we have a 99% fill rate right now.”While finding and keeping teachers has not been a problem for Hays CISD, it may be more difficult to staff a new state mandate.In September, every school in Texas must have a school resource officer patrolling it under House Bill 3.“We have indicated our intent to our county that we want to place one at every campus, but unfortunately they don’t have the manpower to be able...

First the heat...then rain chances return

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:43 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect again today with near-record high temperatures well over 100° areawide. This comes after an extreme high temperature of 110° Thursday at Camp Mabry -- a tie for Austin's third-hottest day ever observed -- and 109° at Austin-Bergstrom Intl. Airport, a tie for their fourth-hottest day on record.While temperatures may be a couple of degrees cooler today, it'll still be excessively hot.This weekend shows little improvement with mostly sunny skies and a high of 107º on both Saturday and Sunday that would tie and break records respectively.Tropical system may impact Texas next weekA disturbance moving into the Gulf early next week is expected to spin westward across record-hot ocean water in relatively favorable conditions for development. The National Hurricane Center has increased odds of tropical depression formation to 30%.Watching the Gulf for potential tropical development this weekWhile ocean temperatures are record-hot and ot...

Both suspects at center of Harris County Blue Alert arrested, sheriff says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:43 GMT

HOUSTON (KXAN) – Both suspects have been arrested in connection to a shooting that injured a Harris County Sheriff's deputy Wednesday night. According to Gov. Greg Abbott's office, James Green was apprehended Thursday. The other suspect, Terran Green, was taken into custody Thursday night around 11:50 p.m. after a standoff with SWAT in Humble, northeast of Houston, according to a social media post from Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. MORE: What is a Blue Alert? Two law enforcement officers were shot during that incident, Gonzalez said in another post. At the time, their condition was unknown but initial information was that their wounds were not life-threatening.The Texas Department of Public Safety issued a Blue Alert for the two suspects late Wednesday night after a Harris County sheriff's deputy was shot and wounded.Police were looking for a Blue 2016 Ford Escape with a Texas License Plate SVJ6590 but said in an update at 5:30 a.m. Thursday that the car had been located. Bl...

Mark Gongloff: Sorry, the courts won’t save the planet

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:43 GMT

The decision sounds monumental: A Montana court has ruled that climate change is real and caused by humans and that governments owe their constituents’ children a clean environment. Surely this will eradicate the last traces of America’s climate denialism and accelerate the transition to a green-energy future.Except … no. The Montana decision may sound as big as the local sky, but its practical implications are far narrower. It’s a win for climate activists, but a small one. Mainly, it’s a reminder that the global climate emergency is too complex for any one solution. Few, if any, will be crafted in courtrooms.The Montana case arose from decrees by the state’s conservative legislature that government agencies must ignore climate change when making decisions, such as approving fossil-fuel exploration or new energy plants. This conveniently greased the skids for a new natural-gas plant to be built on the Yellowstone River over the objections of envi...

Robert Pawlicki: Listen to learn first, not rebut

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:43 GMT

“A house divided cannot stand” feels uncomfortably on-target at this time in our political history. To compare Abraham Lincoln’s famous words to our current political intransigence may appear hyperbolic. But the reality is that our divisions are intense and deep.Politically, there is a sense of caution in talking to friends, neighbors and family. A wariness that a declaration of our viewpoint will risk an argument or, worse, a broken relationship. The differences between opposing loyal party members are now palpable.It’s understandable how this happened. Each side watches different media, receives opposing messages, evolves into separate cultures, and even moves to like-minded but separate communities.It’s pleasurable to have our views confirmed. We prefer to share time with people who have similar opinions and beliefs. It’s comfortable. To do otherwise is to risk emotional conflicts. Whether understandable or not, it harms our democracy, where ci...

Movie review: ‘birth/rebirth’ an effective modern take on ‘Frankenstein’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:43 GMT

Bodies make sense to morgue technician Rose (Marin Ireland) — it’s people that don’t. A pathologist in a Bronx hospital, the socially awkward Rose is comfortable with death, almost flippant about it. It’s a requirement for the job, but she isn’t like other techs, plunging her hand into the bloody incision bisecting the abdomen of a deceased pregnant woman, extracting what she’s looking for with a brutal, emotionless efficiency.Despite her ease with death, and as an outgrowth of her desire to understand and exert control over the human body, Rose also has an overwhelming drive to create life. Naturally, she has an odd way of going about it, and thus unfolds “birth/rebirth,” the shocking, disturbing and ultimately fascinating debut from director and co-writer Laura Moss.Pursuing her goal with a single-minded intent leads Rose into a strange alliance with obstetrics nurse Celie (Judy Reyes), her temperamental and professional opposite. The gentle, empathetic and intuitive Celie has ded...

Movie review: ‘Blue Beetle’ takes DC in refreshing new direction

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:43 GMT

For Jaime Reyes — the Blue Beetle — being a superhero is a family affair. While most superheroes shield their identities from loved ones, in “Blue Beetle,” the first DC Comics movie to feature a Latino superhero, it’s a group project.When recent college grad Jaime (Xolo Maridueña) unknowingly brings home an alien scarab in a fast-food box handed to him by industrial heiress Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine), which she spirited away from the headquarters of the family business, he’s egged on by his sister Milagro (Belissa Escobedo) and Uncle Rudy (George Lopez) to check it out.The scarab quickly responds to him, his entire family watching in horror as the critter fuses onto his spine, forming a symbiotic relationship that affords Jaime the powers of a sentient battle suit complete with a Siri-style intelligence, Khaji-Da (voiced by Becky G).The alien suit may be nifty, allowing him to fly and fight and conjure weapons out of thin air, but Jaime derives his strength and drive from the tig...

Trudy Rubin: Can Ukraine win? New strategy, sea drones, resolve of fighters make me optimistic

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:43 GMT

HULIAIPOLE, Ukraine — The slow start to Ukraine’s counteroffensive spurred gloomy predictions that Kyiv’s fight for freedom will bog down in an endless war of attrition. But having spent time talking to soldiers and commanders on the front lines, I find myself much more optimistic than I expected.The level of commitment of frontline troops is astounding. Despite mammoth challenges, their outlook is far more positive than many Ukrainians I spoke with in big cities, who were deeply worried about the country’s future.These fighting men, nearly all volunteers, are driven by a fervent belief that they face one of two options: either a genocidal Russia destroys their country along with their children’s future, or they drive out the “Orcs” — their nickname for the Russian invaders, which is drawn from the monsters in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.These are ordinary men who have become extraordinary heroes under pressure.Their s...

98.3 TRY Social Dilemma: Should I Have to Pay 1/2 My Friend's Speeding Ticket?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:55:43 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma came from Sal and it's about who should pay for a speeding ticket. Here's the email:  Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Hi Jaime. I think my friend is being rude and wrong about something and I hope you'll use this as a dilemma. The other day, I was getting a ride to the airport to fly out for a business trip. Anyway, my friend, Barry, was running late, and I needed to make my flight, so he started speeding. Nothing crazy, but about 10-15 miles over the speed limit. Well of course, a police officer spots him and pulls Barry over for speeding. Barry tried to explain, but no go, and he got a speeding ticket. Now Barry thinks that I should pay for half the ticket because the reason he was speeding was to get me to the airport on time. It wasn't my fault he was late picking me up. Do you think I should have to pitch in? I don't. Looking forward to hearing what others think. Tha...