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US forest managers urge Silly String instead of fireworks, but some environmentalists say not so fast

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:25 GMT

Smokey Bear said it best: “Only you can prevent wildfires.”Following in the footsteps of their famous mascot, U.S. Forest Service managers in the drought-stricken Southwest are urging people to swap their fireworks this Fourth of July for glow sticks, noisemakers and cans of red, white and blue Silly String.Not so fast, say some environmentalists. While it’s worth encouraging folks not to use fireworks amid escalating wildfire danger, they say it’s kind of silly that federal land managers would suggest using aerosol cans of sticky party string out in nature.The advice began to pop up in recent weeks, with regional forest officials and the New Mexico State Forestry Division pumping out public service announcements offering alternatives aimed at curbing human-sparked blazes.They used a template that echoed similar advice from the National Fire Protection Association and even American Red Cross chapters in others states.“These are alternatives for children and young people ...

Carlsbad native sets pull-up world record

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:25 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- One Carlsbad man has completed more than 200,000 pull ups and counting.“It’s been a journey,” says Jordan Veiga.Veiga set a world record in mixed grips pull-ups, two actually. He pumped out thousand per day for 180 days straight, setting the record for most pull-ups in one month and in six months.“No rest days at all, not one rest day for the entire year. Just super proud of myself, I’ve never worked this hard in my life,” says Veiga. Local youth hockey players set to compete in international tournament The 28-year-old's hard work not only transformed into a world record, it also transformed his body.“I was 15 pounds heavier, I was thin. My body adapted and I got a lot stronger,” says Veiga.The Carlsbad native also credits his friends for pushing him on his record-breaking pull-up day. “They pushed me to my limits. I set a new PR for myself. I did 780 pulls in a hour time frame. The most I’ve ever done is 650 pull ups,” says Veiga.HIs new PR earned him another world r...

Elon Musk imposes daily limits on reading tweets

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:25 GMT

Thousands of people logged complaints about problems accessing Twitter on Saturday after owner Elon Musk limited most users to viewing 600 tweets a day — restrictions he described as an attempt to prevent unauthorized scraping of potentially valuable data from the site.The crackdown began to have ripple effects early Saturday, causing more than 7,500 people at one point to report problems using the social media service, based on complaints registered on Downdetector, a website that tracks online outages. Although that’s a relatively small number of Twitter’s more than 200 million worldwide users, the trouble was widespread enough to cause the #TwitterDown hashtag to trend in some parts of the world.Rate limits increasing soon to 8000 for verified, 800 for unverified & 400 for new unverified https://t.co/fuRcJLifTn— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 1, 2023The service disruptions cropped up a day after Twitter began requiring people to log on to the service in order to view tweets...

Mourners bury slain teen as Macron scraps trip, officials again deploy tens of thousands of police

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:25 GMT

NANTERRE, France (AP) — Hushed and visibly anguished, hundreds of mourners from France’s Islamic community formed a solemn procession from a mosque to a hillside cemetery on Saturday to bury a 17-year-old whose killing by police has triggered days of rioting and looting across the nation.Underscoring the gravity of the crisis, President Emmanuel Macron scrapped an official trip to Germany after a fourth straight night of unrest across France. Officials said they were again deploying 45,000 police to the streets nationwide in an effort to head off a fifth night of violence. Some 2,400 people have been arrested overall since the teen’s death on Tuesday. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin tweeted late Saturday that 200 riot police would be mobilized in the port city of Marseille, where TV showed footage of tear gas and officers in the streets as night fell. Police said 29 people were arrested there, and at least 37 were arrested in Paris near the Champs-Elysées, where police vans ...

Nearly 200 households in need of shelter after moving day in Quebec

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:25 GMT

Quebec’s housing agency says almost 200 households have been forced to find temporary shelter after being unable to find a new place to live on the province’s annual moving day.The Société d’habitation du Québec says it is aware of 178 households that have been forced to stay with friends or family — or who are being housed in hotels.Véronique Laflamme, a spokeswoman for a Quebec tenants group, says as of Friday it was aware of 680 tenant households that had asked for help after being unable to sign a new lease. She says that number likely underestimates the real situation as many households haven’t asked for help.Quebec Premier François Legault and Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante encouraged residents to contact authorities if they were unable to find a place to live.The vast majority of residential leases in Quebec end on June 30, a vestige of a colonial-period law indented to protect tenant farmers from evictions during the winter. This report by The Canadian...

After several turbulent days, flight disruptions ease despite worries about 5G signals

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:25 GMT

Airline passengers who have endured tens of thousands of weather-related flight delays this week got a welcome respite from the headaches Saturday, despite concerns about possible disruptions caused by new wireless 5G systems rolling out near major airports.The number of flight delays and cancellations declined from the spikes recorded earlier in the week, according to data compiled by tracking service FlightAware. As of 4:45 p.m. EST, there had been 710 flight cancellations and more than 23,600 delayed flights Saturday. During the June 28-30 period, an average of 1,751 flights were canceled and more then 32,600 flights delayed, according to the FlightAware data.The cancellation rate worked out to about 1% in the U.S. as of Saturday afternoon, according to Flightradar24, another tracking service. Flightradar24 spokesperson Ian Petchenik described Saturday’s conditions as “smooth sailing” in an email to The Associated Press, while adding inclement weather could cause problems a...

Shooting in central Croatian town leaves 1 person dead, more wounded, police say

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:25 GMT

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatian police searched for a person who opened fire Saturday evening in a central town, killing one person and injuring others.The shooting happened shortly after 8 p.m. local time in the town of Sisak, some 60 kilometers (36 miles) southeast of the capital Zagreb, police said in a statement. Police said the shooting also caused a fire, but no other details were immediately available.The Associated Press

Denny Hamlin wins pole for NASCAR Cup Series' first street race in downtown Chicago

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:25 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Denny Hamlin won the pole Saturday for the NASCAR Cup Series' first street race, edging Tyler Reddick on the tricky course in downtown Chicago.Hamlin led the way for the race Sunday with a lap of 88.435 seconds at an average speed of 89.557 mph on the 12-turn, 2.2-mile course. It's his third pole of the season and No. 39 for his career. Bears QB Justin Fields named Grand Marshal for Sunday’s NASCAR Street Race Reddick was second at 88.479 seconds, followed by Shane van Gisbergen in his first NASCAR event and Christopher Bell. Daniel Suárez rounded out the top five in 89.322 seconds.Busch Light pole winner Denny Hamlin takes the podium after qualifying today pic.twitter.com/Tn3k6bufZ7— Courtney Spinelli (@CourtSpinelliTV) July 1, 2023With Hamlin, Reddick and Bell, Toyota had three of the top four cars. Hamlin and Bell are teammates on Joe Gibbs Racing, and van Gisbergen and Suárez drive for Trackhouse Racing.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesThe 34-year-o...

Woman charged after pushing another woman onto CTA Blue Line tracks

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:25 GMT

CHICAGO — A 24-year-old woman is recovering after being shoved onto CTA Blue Line tracks by another woman.According to police, 20-year-old Neveah King is charged with aggravated battery after the June 4 incident after allegedly pushing the woman onto the track from the Blue Line platform in the 1200 block of N. Milwaukee Ave.The victim returned to the Blue Line platform safely, however.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesKing was taken into police custody on Saturday. She is due to appear in court on Sunday. Police did not disclose what led to the physical altercation.

Woman wanted by FBI following bank robbery in Round Lake

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:25 GMT

ROUND LAKE, Ill. — The FBI is looking for a woman who allegedly robbed a suburban bank on Saturday. Just after noon, agents responded to the First American Bank in the 1800 block of S. Cedar Lake Rd. in Round Lake following reports of a robbery. Search underway for Oak Lawn bank robbery suspect According to FBI Chicago, the female suspect may be in her 20s or 30s, no taller than 5'2", with a medium build. She was also wearing a black hat with white letters, long black hair, a blue surgical mask, a white short sleeve t-shirt, light gray sweatpants, red high-top shoes, and carrying a canvas bag with unknown words and shapes on it.Authorities believe the woman may have also robbed a Great Lakes Credit Union in Round Lake Beach on Sunday, June 24. No injuries were reported. Man charged for officer impersonation, battery of teen girls: Park Ridge police Anyone with information is asked to call (312) 421-6700 and tips.fbi.gov.