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WWII-era munitions found at dumping site off SoCal coast in deep-sea survey

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:13:39 GMT

SAN DIEGO (KSWB) — An unprecedented expedition to map parts of Southern California's deep-sea has uncovered World War II military weaponry littering the seafloor in massive dumping sites off the coast of Los Angeles.The research effort spearheaded by Scripps Institute of Oceanography sheds new light on exactly what objects lay beneath the surface after thousands of "barrel-like" objects likely containing toxic chemicals were discovered by sonar in stretches of the seafloor in 2021.Made public on Friday, the latest survey using sonar and robotic vehicles found a multitude of discarded munitions boxes and other explosives along debris lines between Los Angeles and Catalina, thousands of feet below the surface where they were previously identified. Orca sightings have surged in SoCal. What experts believe is keeping the whales here Among the items discovered were depth charges typically used to attack submarines, Hedgehog and Mark 9 depth charges, and Mark 1 smoke floats, which are c...

Family grieves daughter who died after Thunder Bay police did not respond to 911 call

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:13:39 GMT

The family of a woman found dead in northern Ontario after officers reportedly did not respond to a 911 call say the case raises concerns about the treatment of First Nations women by Thunder Bay police. The family of Jenna Ostberg, in a statement shared by the Windigo First Nations Council, asked for privacy as they “grieve the loss of their daughter who died under tragic circumstances.”Ontario’s police watchdog says a 21-year-old woman was found dead at a residence in Thunder Bay on Saturday.The Special Investigation Unit says police did not respond to the scene after an initial 911 domestic disturbance call was made from the residence, or to a follow-up call to “cancel” the first call for service. The family says they will wait for the results of a coroner’s report, as well as more information from the SIU, before they make further comment or decide how to proceed. But the statement says the family fears their daughter “is the l...

A drug cartel has attacked a remote Mexican community with drones and gunmen, rights group says

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:13:39 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A small community in the violence-torn Mexican state of Guerrero was attacked by drones and armed men from a drug cartel, a human rights group told the Associated Press on Friday.The cartel attacked at least 30 people on Thursday, according to the local religious and human rights organization Minerva Bello Center. José Filiberto Velázquez, the center’s director, said the victims were likely killed, though authorities still had not been able to enter the remote community or confirm the deaths.The community of Helidoro Castillo, on the fringes of Tlacotepec, is caught in an escalating war between the La Familia Michoacana and the Jalisco New Generation cartels. Velázquez said drone attacks by the cartels and violence had been escalating over the past year, something they alerted authorities to. Velázquez said he heard from the community around midday Thursday that La Familia Michoacana was launching “explosive devices” from drones. But communications from the ...

‘Prominent’ person in B.C. wine industry under investigation for sex assault: RCMP

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:13:39 GMT

OLIVER, B.C. — Police in Oliver, B.C., say they’re investigating a “prominent member” of the province’s wine industry for an alleged sexual assault on a Mexican migrant worker. South Okanagan RCMP say the unnamed suspect employed the worker, and they believe there are other victims or witnesses who have yet to speak to investigators. Cpl. James Grandy says police are hoping to talk to others in the community if they have additional information. Police say there are officers available who speak Spanish in case of a language barrier with other potential witnesses or victims. Mounties say the investigation is ongoing and they can’t release any additional details. They say anyone who may have information about the case should contact the RCMP detachment in Oliver. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2024.The Canadian Press

Boeing still hasn’t fixed this problem on Max jets, so it’s asking for an exemption to safety rules

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:13:39 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — Boeing is asking federal regulators to exempt a new model of its 737 Max airliner from a safety standard designed to prevent part of the engine housing from overheating and breaking off during flight.Federal officials said last year that Boeing was working to fix the hazard on current Max planes. In the meantime, they told pilots to limit use of an anti-icing system in some conditions to avoid damage that “could result in loss of control of the airplane.”Without a fix ready, Boeing asked the Federal Aviation Administration last month for an exemption to safety standards related to engine inlets and the anti-ice system through May 2026. Boeing needs the exemption to begin delivering the new, smaller Max 7 to airlines.Some critics are raising alarms about basing safety on pilots remembering when to limit use of the anti-ice system.“You get our attention when you say people might get killed,” Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for American Airlines pilots, told The Seattle Times, ...

One dead, 11 injured after tour bus from Montreal crashes in New York state

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:13:39 GMT

LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. — New York State Police are reporting that one person is dead and 11 people are injured after a bus coming from Montreal crashed on Interstate Highway 87 in Lake George, N.Y.Police say that in addition to the death, one passenger suffered serious injuries and 10 people were left with minor injuries after a Skyway Coach Line tour bus crashed at around 12:50 p.m. today.There were 23 people on the bus including the driver, and the injured have been taken to area hospitals.Gov. Kathy Hochul said police and Department of Transportation workers were on site performing rescue operations. State police say one passenger was airlifted to Albany Medical Center in critical condition.Ray Agnew, spokesman for Glens Falls Hospital, says the health facility received multiple passengers with minor injuries.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2024.— With files from The Associated Press.The Canadian Press

Column: Pac-12 has that rare chance in sports to go out on top

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:13:39 GMT

In sports, going out on top is a rarity indeed.John Elway walked away after two straight Super Bowl titles. Bill Russell called it a career on the heels of his 11th NBA championship in 13 seasons. Heavyweight champ Rocky Marciano escaped the ring without a loss on his resume.But it’s far more common to hang on for one game too many, one season too long.In that sense, the Pac-12 will be leaving with its head held high.This was not the path it would’ve chosen, of course. Head-in-the-sand decisions, bungled negotiations and an insatiable quest for the almighty buck spelled doom for the “Conference of Champions,” which stunningly collapsed into a heap like a game of Jenga.Still, with its forced demise lurking right around the corner, the Pac-12 has a chance to add one more football title to its legacy.Nothing personal, Michigan, but it’s hard not to pull for the Washington Huskies in the national championship game Monday night — if for no other reason than to put a fit...

New York governor promises a floating pool in city waterways, reviving a long-stalled urban venture

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:13:39 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A plan for a floating swimming pool in New York City’s waterways moved one step closer to reality Friday after Gov. Kathy Hochul announced her support — and $12 million in public funding — for the unusual venture. The commitment breathed new life into an idea first proposed over a decade ago and dismissed by some as an urban fantasy: a self-filtering swimming pool shaped like a plus sign in the murky currents of the East River. In the years since it first drew media attention, private backers of the project, known as +Pool, have seen fitful progress collide with regulatory barriers.But as rising summer heat sends more New Yorkers to beaches and pools, Gov. Hochul vowed to fast-track the “long-stalled, much-debated innovative floating pool concept.” She said a “demonstration” version would be tested this summer, with an actual, swimmable pool scheduled to open to the public by summer 2025. Hochul also announced a proposal to build new swimming pools and hire more life...

From Houthis to Hezbollah, a look at the Iran-allied groups rallying to arms around Middle East

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:13:39 GMT

Missiles, rockets and drones struck targets around the Middle East this week as the United States, Israel and others clashed with Iran-allied militant groups — with attacks hitting in vital Red Sea shipping lanes, along Israeli-Lebanon borders emptied by fleeing residents and around the region’s crowded capitals and U.S. military installations.Together, Israel and its U.S. allies were facing two realities they knew all too well going into the war in Gaza: The Gaza-based Hamas militant group is far from alone as it battles for its survival. And by launching an all-out campaign to eliminate Hamas as a fighting force, Israeli and American leaders also are confronting simultaneous attacks from a strengthening defensive alliance of other armed militant groups linked with Hamas and Iran. This week, the risk of being drawn into a wider, more chaotic and deadlier conflict with an array of regional enemies loomed large. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior Biden administr...

UN humanitarian chief calls Gaza ‘uninhabitable’ 3 months into Israel-Hamas war

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 16:13:39 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. humanitarian chief described Gaza on Friday as “uninhabitable” three months into Israel’s war with Hamas, warning that famine was looming and a public health disaster unfolding.In a grim assessment of the devastating impact of Israel’s military response to the horrific Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, Martin Griffiths said that Gaza’s 2.3 million people face “daily threats to their very existence” while the world just watches. He said tens of thousands of people, mostly women and children, have been killed or injured, families are sleeping in the open as temperatures plummet, and areas where Palestinians were told to relocate have been bombed.“People are facing the highest levels of food insecurity ever recorded (and) famine is around the corner,” Griffiths said. The few partially functioning hospitals are overwhelmed and critically short of supplies, medical facilities are under relentless attack, infectious diseases are spreading, and amidst the ...