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Climate change-attributed heat touched 81% of the world’s population in July, study finds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:56 GMT

Hayley Smith | (TNS) Los Angeles TimesLOS ANGELES — Four out of every five humans alive experienced at least one day of abnormally hot temperatures in July — a global onslaught of extreme heat that would not have been possible without climate change, according to new research.The sweltering month appears to have been the hottest month ever recorded on the planet, although official verification from federal meteorological agencies is still pending.But an analysis of daily temperatures in 4,700 cities found that climate change-attributed heat touched 6.5 billion people — or 81% of the world’s population — in July. The report, released Wednesday by nonprofit news organization Climate Central, measured the impact using the Climate Shift Index, a tool that compares the current climate to one without excess heat-trapping emissions.Global exposure peaked July 10, when 3.5 billion people experienced a Climate Shift Index level of 3 or higher, indicating that human-caused climate change made...

CHP: Truck hits disabled vehicle on Livermore freeway causing it to strike and kill driver standing outside

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:56 GMT

LIVERMORE — A person standing outside their disabled car on Interstate 580 in Livermore was killed Wednesday morning when the vehicle hit them after it was struck by a truck, the California Highway Patrol said.Authorities have not yet released any information about the person killed.The CHP said the person killed was driving a car that became disabled in the far right lane of the freeway near Greenville Road. It was not immediately known if the vehicle was involved in some kind of minor solo-collision.The driver got out and was standing near the car when it was hit by a big-rig truck, causing the vehicle to hit the driver. The person was pronounced dead on the freeway. No other injuries were reportedRelated ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | 5 killed in Northern California I-5 crash that left ex-SJPD captain dead included pregnant woman, young girl Crashes and Disasters | Police: Man who fled Southern California collision dies when car crashes again ...

Waves along parts of California coast are getting bigger and badder due to climate change, new study says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:56 GMT

Gary Robbins | The San Diego Union-Tribune (TNS)SAN DIEGO — The average height of winter waves along parts of the California coast have increased by as much as 1 foot since 1970 largely due to climate change, increasing the threat of sea cliff collapses, according to a new study by UC San Diego.The study, which heavily focuses on central California, also found that storms generating waves at least 13 feet tall now occur, on average, 23 times each winter, more than double what it was from 1949 to 1969.“The dividing line was 1970, when global warming began to accelerate,” said Peter Bromirski, a researcher at UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the lead author of the paper, which was published Tuesday in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Ocean.“Warming puts more energy into the atmosphere, and you end up with stronger storms, which produce stronger winds and higher waves,” he said.The study’s publication follows an extremely stormy wint...

Politicians urge Taylor Swift to postpone Los Angeles concerts in solidarity with striking hotel workers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:56 GMT

LOS ANGELES — California’s lieutenant governor and other elected officials on Tuesday urged Taylor Swift to postpone her Los Angeles concerts as a way to stand in solidarity with striking hotel workers.Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and dozens of state and local politicians signed an open letter telling Swift that her tour makes the region’s hotels money, with some properties “doubling and tripling what they charge because you are coming.”Meanwhile, the letter said, many housekeepers and other hotel workers can’t afford to live close to their jobs and some sleep in their cars and risk losing their homes.“Hotel workers are fighting for their lives. They are fighting for a living wage. They have gone on strike. Now, they are asking for your support,” they wrote. “Stand with hotel workers and postpone your concerts.”FILE – California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis speaks during a debate in Sacramento, Calif., on April 17, 2018, back when she was a candidate for the office. California’s lieutenan...

Student found unresponsive in pool at San Jose elementary school

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:56 GMT

(KRON) -- A student is in the hospital after being found unresponsive Monday in a pool on a San Jose elementary school campus. The student was in the summer program at Harker School, a K-12 college prep school, Harker's Head of School Brian Yager told KRON4.The student was floating in the pool on the school's lower school campus, which serves students from kindergarten through grade 5. Lifeguard and the school nurse performed CPR until paramedics arrives, Yager said. Police seek public’s help in locating missing Saratoga teen The student was taken to the hospital where they currently remain. No other information about their condition was available at this time."We continue to send our thoughts and prayers to the family and are focusing on their needs and respecting their privacy," Yager said. The school will be providing counseling services for campers, students and staff. Summer camp has been canceled for the rest of the week."As educators and parents, we share a deep love for ou...

New Oakland school burglarized weeks before first day of classes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:56 GMT

(KRON) -- A brand new Oakland high school designed to help gang-impacted youth was burglarized just weeks before welcoming its first class of students. The Freedom School is an independent no-cost school on MacArthur Boulevard in East Oakland run by the group Homies Empowerment. But the school was burglarized by thieves who stole high-value electronics before the academic school year could even begin. Thieves swiped laptops, projectors, microphones and multiple other items. "Our students in Oakland, especially those who have experienced the most systemic harm, deserve a school like the Freedom School," said Cal State East Bay Professor of Educational Leadership G.T. Reyes. "We are devastated by this loss, but we also remain resolute in our commitment to contribute to a better Oakland for our children."One of Freedom School's goals is to help at-risk and gang-impacted teenagers find their purpose in life and get on a path toward graduating high school. Founders of the school said the...

Taylor Swift reportedly gives 'Eras Tour' truckers $100,000 bonuses before Levi's shows

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:56 GMT

(KTLA) -- As pop superstar Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” continues, the singer has reportedly given the truckers on her tour a $100,000 bonus, according to TMZ.Around 50 truckers received the six-figure bonuses, which were reportedly given ahead of the 33-year-old singer’s concert in Santa Clara, California, on July 29.The truck drivers are responsible for hauling Swift's concert equipment across the U.S. leg of her global tour. The truckers' bonuses totaled about $5 million, TMZ reports. News outlets duped by ‘Eco-Barbie’ hoax Besides the truckers, Swift also gifted hefty bonuses to just about everyone working on her tour, including dancers, riggers, sound technicians, catering and more.The bonuses total over $55 million, according to PEOPLE.Swift’s sold-out “Eras” tour kicked off in Glendale, Arizona, on March 18 and is projected to earn over $1 billion in revenue by the time it concludes on Aug. 17, 2024, at London's Wembley Stadium.Economists predict Swift could have the h...

Senate Democrats Blocked Watchdog for Ukraine Aid — Ignoring Lessons From Afghanistan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:56 GMT

Hours after Senate Democrats blocked an effort to install greater oversight over the billions of dollars the United States is sending to Ukraine, the watchdog who oversaw U.S. spending in Afghanistan issued a warning.Spending too much too fast, with little oversight, would lead to “unanticipated consequences,” John Sopko, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, said at an event sponsored by the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft last week. The U.S. has sent more money to Ukraine in one year than it spent in Afghanistan over 12 years, Sopko pointed out. “I’m not opposed to spending that. I just want to make sure it’s done correctly and there’s oversight,” he said.Sopko especially warned about the risk of fueling corruption, perhaps the most damaging legacy of the billions the U.S. spent in Afghanistan and a major factor in the collapse of its effort in the country. “If that much money is coming in, you know some of it is going to be stolen,” h...

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife announced their separation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:56 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, announced Wednesday that they are separating after 18 years of marriage.The two said in statements posted on Instagram that they made the decision after “many meaningful and difficult conversations.” A statement from the prime minister’s office said they both have signed a legal separation agreement. Trudeau, the 51-year-old scion of one of Canada’s most famous politicians, was sworn into office in 2015. Sophie Trudeau is a former model and TV host. The couple were married in 2005. Together, they brought star power to the prime minister’s office and appeared in the pages of Vogue magazine. They have three children, 15-year-old Xavier, 14-year-old Ella-Grace and 9-year-old Hadrien.The first lady has played a less visible role in recent years, rarely traveling with the prime minister on official trips. The two were seen together publicly at Canada Day events in Ottawa last month.“T...

Hawaii man dies after being mauled by 4 large dogs, police investigate owners under negligence law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:33:56 GMT

HILO, Hawaii (AP) — A man believed to be in his 70s has died after being mauled by four dogs on Hawaii’s Big Island, police said.The man was treated by medical personnel at the scene and died while being transported Tuesday to Kona Community Hospital, police said in a statement.Police were alerted by a witness, who saw the victim being attacked in the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates neighborhood by four large dogs. The witness chased the dogs off and called authorities.“There is currently no evidence that the victim provoked this horrific attack. This incident is a senseless tragedy that could have been avoided,” Hawaii County Police Chief Ben Moszkowicz said.The dogs’ owners were not home when the attack occurred, but police have contacted them.Police are also checking claims the dogs had previously been reported as stray animals. The owners have surrendered all four dogs and a litter of 10 puppies to county animal control.Police are investigating it as a negligent failure to con...