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Torrential storms batter South Florida, close Fort Lauderdale airport

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:21 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Nearly a foot (30 centimeters) of rain fell in a matter of hours in Fort Lauderdale – causing widespread flooding, the closure of the city’s airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service for the Broward County region.The city of Fort Lauderdale released a statement Wednesday evening urging residents and visitors to stay off the roads until the water has subsided.“Police and Fire Rescue continue to answer calls for service,” the statement said. “Public Works staff are clearing drains and operating pumps to mitigate the water as quickly as possible.”The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for Fort Lauderdale and other areas will run into pre-dawn hours Thursday as the chance of thunderstorms continued across the region, warning: “This is a life-threatening situation. Seek higher ground now!”There have been no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.Up to 14 inches had fallen across the area through Wednesday and the Nat...

Russia to put Ukrainian national on ‘international wanted list’ over St. Petersburg bombing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:21 GMT

A Ukrainian citizen will be put on an “international wanted list” over suspicions of being an accomplice to the bombing at a St. Petersburg cafe that killed a pro-Kremlin military blogger, the Russian secret service said Thursday.Yuriy Denisov is accused of supplying the bombing’s main suspect with “an explosive device camouflaged as a plaster bust of a military commissar,” Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement.“The procedure for putting him on the international wanted list has been initiated,” according to the statement.According to the FSB, Denisov traveled to Russia last February “on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services” and “collected information about the lifestyle and places visited” by the military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky, who was killed in the April 2 blast in St. Petersburg.Tatarsky — whose real name was Maxim Fomin — was part of a group of high-profile, pro-Russia ...

Historic rain in South Florida causes severe flooding, closing schools and Fort Lauderdale’s airport

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:21 GMT

(CNN) — More rain is in the forecast after substantial downpours inundated Fort Lauderdale and parts of South Florida in a 1-in-1,000 year rainfall event, leading to a flash flood emergency in Broward County that closed schools, forced drivers to abandon their cars and shut down the airport through Thursday morning.While the rain Thursday won’t reach nearly the amounts that fell on Wednesday, it will be problematic and create additional flooding, the National Weather Service said. Gusty winds, small hail and even isolated tornadoes are possible.Broward County is under a flood warning through 8 a.m. ET, the weather service in Miami said.Between 14 and 20 inches of rain have drenched the greater Fort Lauderdale metro area since Wednesday afternoon, according to a Thursday morning update from the National Weather Service office in Miami. The deluge is the “most severe flooding that I’ve ever seen,” one mayor said.“This amount of rain in a 2...

Judge temporarily blocks clean water rule in 24 states, including NH

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:21 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked a federal rule in 24 states that is intended to protect thousands of small streams, wetlands and other waterways throughout the nation.U.S. District Judge Daniel L. Hovland in Bismarck, North Dakota, halted the regulations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pending the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the 24 states, most of which are led by Republicans. The regulations were finalized in December 2022, repealing a rule implemented during President Donald Trump’s administration but thrown out by federal courts.Opponents of the regulations, which define which “waters of the United States” are protected by the Clean Water Act, have called the rules an example of federal overreach and argued they would unfairly burden farmers and ranchers.The preliminary injunction affects Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississip...

Massachusetts House leaders unveil $56.2B state budget plan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:21 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts House leaders unveiled a $56.2 billion state budget plan Wednesday that proposes spending on universal school meals, an expanded scholarship program for in-demand jobs, and competitive grants to encourage renewable energy projects in public schools.The plan also outlines how the state would spend an estimated $1 billion in additional revenue from the new “millionaire’s tax” approved by Massachusetts voters last year.The $1 billion would be split evenly between education and transportation initiatives.The $500 million for education would include $161 million for the universal school meal program, $100 million for the installation and maintenance of “clean energy” infrastructure projects in schools, and $50 million for Massachusetts students looking to work in high-demand jobs.The students would have to study at community colleges or state colleges or universities and commit to working in their chosen industry for five years.Half of the $500...

Were Diar DeRozan’s screams the Chicago Bulls’ secret weapon as the Toronto Raptors missed 18 free throws?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:21 GMT

As the tide turned in the favor of the Chicago Bulls during Wednesday’s 109-105 play-in tournament win over the Toronto Raptors, one constant sound was like a metronome for the game — the well-timed screams of DeMar DeRozan’s 9-year-old daughter, Diar.From her front-row seat, Diar saw an opportunity and snatched it. She was positioned directly under the basket, almost perfectly in the sight line of every player lining up for a free throw.A basketball player herself, Diar knew when to time an ear-splitting shriek, hitting an especially shrill note each time a Toronto player launched a foul shot.“I kept hearing something during the game,” DeMar DeRozan said. “And then there was one free throw somebody missed, and I looked back and was like, ‘Damn, that’s my daughter screaming?’”At first the sound was just an annoyance slicing through the otherwise quiet arena during Raptors free throws. But as the game progressed, it accompan...

Ravens draft preview: With veteran leader gone, defensive line needs reinforcements

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:21 GMT

The calendar has officially flipped to April, which can only mean one thing: It’s time to get ready for the NFL draft.The first round begins April 27 in Kansas City, but until then, the Ravens have plenty to figure out. Most notably, their contract stalemate with star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has requested a trade while under the $32.4 million nonexclusive franchise tag. If he gets his wish, the Ravens’ draft could look a lot different.Baltimore owns five picks: Nos. 22 (first round), 86 (third round), 124 (fourth round), 157 (fifth round) and 199 (sixth round). A blockbuster deal for Jackson would significantly increase the size of that haul, but the Ravens are guaranteed at least one additional first-rounder this year if Jackson signs an offer with another team before the draft and Baltimore declines to match it.As we get closer to the draft, The Baltimore Sun will examine which players at each position of need (quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback, defensive l...

Chicago Bears storylines for the NFL draft: Ryan Poles’ ‘long journey,’ more help at receiver and a case for Darnell Wright

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:21 GMT

We’re two weeks away from the NFL draft with the Chicago Bears eager to attack the next stage of their roster rebuild. General manager Ryan Poles has been active over the past six weeks, trading away the No. 1 pick in March and adding a dozen free agents.Much more heavy lifting is ahead. And with draft buzz getting louder, here’s our inside slant on three notable storylines.‘This long journey’Ryan Poles will have two big responsibilities when the NFL draft starts in two weeks. The first will be to find some real difference makers — impact starters and role players who can contribute early. The second will be to land a bunch of them.For all the hypotheticals that have swirled through the pre-draft process, for all the speculation of what the Bears might do, their mission this spring is really that simple. It’s not only about nailing the first first-round pick of Poles’ tenure. It’s about assembling an entire class that creates belief an...

Toronto could break nearly 50-year temperature record as summer-like sizzle continues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:21 GMT

It is expected to be another sizzling day in Toronto as temperatures are set to hit the high 20s, potentially breaking a record for the second straight day.The summer-like conditions started earlier this week and ramped up on Wednesday with the temperature soaring to 26 C at Toronto Pearson, breaking the record 25.8 C for April 12 set in 2001.Thursday will be the fourth day in a row that temperatures will be into the 20s for Toronto and much of the GTA.CityNews 680 meteorologist Jill Taylor says it will be sunny and even warmer on Thursday with a high near 28 C but it will feel more like 31 C with the humidity. The record temperature high for April 13 is 27.1 C, which was set 46 years ago in 1977.Toronto and the GTA could also break an 85-year-old temperature record on Friday. The forecast calls for a high of 24 C — the Toronto Pearson record for April 14 was 23.9 C set in 1938.Record Highs could be broken in many areas again today and Friday. Expect a change for the weekend with cl...

Taliban share rare audio message from supreme leader

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:21 GMT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban have shared a rare audio message from their supreme leader, who says justice is an instrument for the Afghan government’s survival.Hibatullah Akhundzada, an Islamic scholar, almost never appears in public and hardly ever leaves the Taliban heartland in southern Kandahar province.He surrounds himself with other religious scholars and allies who oppose education and work for women. Only one known photo of him, years old, exists. Akhundzada has traveled to Kabul only once since the August 2021 Taliban takeover to give a speech to a gathering of clerics, although he was not shown in media coverage at the closed event and appeared with his back to the audience.In his audio message, shared on Twitter Wednesday by the Taliban’s main spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, Akhundzada said justice is an instrument for the government’s survival.“But if there is no justice, and there is oppression, selfishness, murders and revenge, as well as killi...