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As Colorado River shrinks, California farmers urge ‘one-dam solution’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:25 GMT

Ian James | (TNS) Los Angeles TimesFor years, environmentalists have argued that the Colorado River should be allowed to flow freely across the Utah-Arizona border, saying that letting water pass around Glen Canyon Dam — and draining the giant Lake Powell reservoir — would improve the shrinking river’s health.Now, as climate change increases the strains on the river, this controversial proposal is receiving support from some surprising new allies: influential farmers in California’s Imperial Valley.In a letter to the federal Bureau of Reclamation, growers Mike and James Abatti, who run some of the biggest farming operations in the Imperial Valley, urged the government to consider sacrificing the Colorado’s second-largest reservoir and storing the water farther downstream in Lake Mead — the river’s largest reservoir.“Past proposals by environmental groups to decommission Glen Canyon Dam or to operate the reservoir without power production as a primary goal can no longer be ignored an...

Adams County sheriff deputy identified as driver in crash that killed pedestrian

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:25 GMT

An Adams County car crash this week that left one pedestrian dead involved a deputy, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office disclosed on Thursday. The deputy’s name has not been publicly released.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Motorcyclist killed in crash with pickup truck in Denver Crime and Public Safety | Colorado family of five injured in horrific wrong-way crash in Seattle Crime and Public Safety | Longmont police officer helps pull man out of burning car Crime and Public Safety | Aurora man dies after Labor Day weekend crash involving speeding, intoxication Crime and Public Safety | Colorado trucking company in I-25 crash that killed 5 family members tried to buy insurance hours after wreck The crash occurred at 2:57 a.m. Wednesday on North Federal Boulevard near Interstate 76. The deputy was conducting routine patrol work and was driving northbound on Federal Boulevard, the sheri...

Most states have yet to permanently fund 988. Call centers want certainty.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:25 GMT

Since the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline transitioned a year ago to the three-digit crisis phone number 988, there has been a 33% increase in the number of calls, chats, and texts to the hotline.But even with that early sign of success, the program’s financial future is shaky.Over the past two years, the federal government has provided about $1 billion from the American Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Safer Communities acts to launch the number, designed as an alternative to 911 for those experiencing a mental health crisis. After that infusion runs out, it’s up to states to foot the bill for their call centers.“We don’t know what Congress will allocate in the future,” said Danielle Bennett, a spokesperson for the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which oversees 988. “But the hope is that there will be continued strong bipartisan support for funding 988 at the level it needs to be funded at and that states will also create funding mechanisms that ma...

New ride-share feature to match women, nonbinary drivers and riders

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:25 GMT

Sarah Freishtat | Chicago Tribune (TNS)Some ride-share passengers who are women or who do not identify strictly as male or female will soon be able to prioritize rides with female or nonbinary drivers.Lyft will begin rolling out the feature, which also allows women and nonbinary drivers to select the same preference, in five test markets Wednesday, including Chicago.The goal is to provide more control over the driving experience, and encourage women and nonbinary people to drive, Lyft executives said. That has the potential for widespread benefits, as more drivers can bring more riders, which in turn will mean more potential for all drivers to earn money, said Lyft Head of Design Audrey Liu.“We wanted to empower women to have access to those economic opportunities by removing one of the barriers to entry by giving them this preference, which increases their sense of control over this driving experience,” Liu said. “And increasing their sense of control gives them more confidence to ...

Third anniversary of the Abraham Accords celebrated in Brussels

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:25 GMT

The ceremony brought together the ambassadors of the signatory states: Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and the United States. Picture from Moshe Jonatan Joods Actueel.The third anniversary of the signing of the Abraham Accords was celebrated on Thursday (14 September) in Brussels. The celebration took place at the embassy of Hungary,  the only EU member state represented at the Abraham Accords signing ceremony in Washington in 2020. “This celebration marks an important milestone in the ongoing efforts to promote peace and cooperation in the Middle East and to raise awareness of the importance of the Abraham Accords in the European Union,” said Belgia, MP Michael Freilich, who organized the event, writes Yossi Lempkowicz.The historic Abraham Accords, signed on the White House lawn in September 2020, for the first time normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and two Arab states, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, with Morocco and Sudan following suit. The ...

Video shows teen beaten at L.A. McDonald's

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:25 GMT

The family of a teenage girl who was beaten inside a Los Angeles McDonald's has shared disturbing video of the incident with KTLA.The attack took place in Harbor City last week, LAPD confirms.In the video, you can see the female attacker shove the teen girl to the ground, and then jump on top of her and repeatedly punch her in the face. There were dozens of onlookers, and and family says they're disappointed no one stepped in to help the younger girl.Video shows a teenager getting beaten by an older female inside a Harbor City McDonald's on Sept. 6, 2023. (Angelina Gray)It is unclear what occurred prior to the recording.Police confirmed with KTLA that officers responded to a report of an adult female attacking a juvenile at the McDonald's on Lomita Boulevard. The attacker fled the restaurant and no arrests have been made.The teen's mother says she has been recovering at home since the incident.

Kaiser Permanente workers authorize strike if talks fail

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:25 GMT

Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente workers have authorized a strike to begin at the end of this month if negotiations fail with the hospital chain.About 98% of the SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West union voted to strike if a deal isn't reached by Sept. 30, the union said in a Thursday press release. "This could be the largest healthcare strike in U.S. history, as workers say Kaiser executives refuse to acknowledge the decline in patient service and care and negate the struggle of the workforce to keep up with the high cost of living in areas where Kaiser operates," the union said.In addition to the 60,000 members of SEIU-UHW, Colorado Kaiser employees also voted to authorize a strike, and Oregon Kaiser employees will unveil the results of their strike vote Thursday. Up to 85,000 workers in total could strike.“For weeks, Kaiser sent us messages telling us to reject a strike," Miriam De La Paz, who works at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Downey, said in the statement. "...

Pac-12 chaos: Is commissioner George Kliavkoff siding with the 10 or the two? Court records reveal his strategy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:25 GMT

Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff, a named defendant in the complaint filed against the conference by Oregon State and Washington State, did not attend the hearing Monday in which the plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order was granted.When the defense attorney noted that Kliavkoff is in a “terrible position” in the internecine dispute over the makeup of the governing board, Whitman County (Wash.) Superior Court judge Gary Libey interrupted.“He’s in Montana,” Libey said.Montana, Michigan, Mars — anywhere but the courthouse.Kliavoff is attempting to stay neutral as the 10 departing universities and the two remaining schools plot their divergent futures and determine control of the conference, according to documents obtained by the Hotline.In a declaration to the court on Sept. 11, the day of the hearing, Kliavkoff stated:“Neither the Conference nor I have a position with respect to the proper composition of the Pac-12 Board. This is fundamentally a dispute amon...

Hunter Biden indicted on federal gun charges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:25 GMT

By Lindsay Whitehurst | Associated PressWASHINGTON — Hunter Biden was indicted Thursday on federal firearms charges, the latest and weightiest step yet in a long-running investigation into the president’s son.Biden is accused of lying about his drug use when he bought a firearm in October 2018, a period when he has acknowledged struggling with addiction to crack cocaine, according to the indictment filed in federal court in Delaware.President Joe Biden’s son has also been under investigation for his business dealings. The special counsel overseeing the case has indicated that charges of failure to pay taxes on time could be filed in Washington or in California, where he lives.The indictment comes as congressional Republicans pursue an impeachment inquiry into the Democratic president, in large part over Hunter Biden’s business dealings. Republicans have obtained testimony about how Hunter Biden used the “Biden brand” to drum up work overseas, but they h...

Trump won’t be tried with Powell, Chesebro next month

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:25 GMT

By Kate Brumback | Associated PressATLANTA — Donald Trump will not face trial next month in Georgia after a judge ruled Thursday that the former president and 16 others accused of illegally trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election will be tried separately from two lawyers in the case.Lawyers Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro had filed demands for a speedy trial, and Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee set their trial to begin Oct. 23. Trump and other defendants had asked to be tried separately from Powell and Chesebro, with some saying they could not be ready by the late October trial date.Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis last month obtained an indictment against Trump and the 18 others, charging them under the state’s anti-racketeering law and accusing them of participating in an illegal scheme to deny Democrat Joe Biden’s victory over the Republican incumbent. All of those charged have pleaded not guilty.Willis had been pushing to try...