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New York City leans on public for help with e-bike crackdown after deadly fires

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City officials called on the public to help with a crackdown on unsafe e-bike shops after a spate of deadly fires caused by lithium ion batteries, the latest of which killed four people in Manhattan’s Chinatown on Tuesday. In the days since, fire officials have issued citations to 10 e-bike shops for unsafe handling of the batteries. The inspections followed tips from members of the public, the media and local politicians, officials said.Daniel Flynn, the chief fire marshal of the FDNY, encouraged New Yorkers to report “hazardous conditions” inside repair shops, such as batteries being charged in close proximity, damaged-looking devices, or shops using extension cords for charging.“These fires go from zero to 100 in a second,” Flynn said. “If you feel within yourself that there’s a dangerous situation, give us a call.”New York City has seen over 100 fires and 13 deaths this year linked to e-bikes, more than double the total number of fatalities from last yea...

Tennessee, Kentucky battery plants for Ford electric vehicles on track for $9.2B federal loan

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Massive battery plants planned in Tennessee and Kentucky for Ford’s electric vehicles are on track to receive up to a $9.2 billion federal loan in what would be the biggest award under the U.S. Department of Energy’s loan program since President Joe Biden took office.The money for construction would secure a sizable chunk of funding for Ford’s big electric vehicle swing in the two states.Ford’s plans include two battery plants in Kentucky and one in Tennessee, each through a joint venture with battery partner SK On, of South Korea. Additionally, there will be a Ford assembly plant in Tennessee able to build up to 500,000 electric pickup trucks a year. The companies are planning an $11.4 billion investment in the projects.The three battery plants combined are expected to create 5,000 construction jobs, as well as 7,500 operations jobs once the plants are up and running, the Energy Department said in its announcement Wednesday.The loan would c...

The latest on the Titan submersible tragedy and what’s next in the investigation

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

The around-the-clock search for the missing Titan submersible engrossed the world for days, but after news of the catastrophic implosion that killed the pilot and his four passengers near the Titanic shipwreck, investigators are focusing on how it happened — and if it could have been prevented.Deep-sea robots will continue searching the North Atlantic sea floor for clues. Investigators in Canada are looking at the Titan’s Canadian-flagged support ship. U.S. authorities are looking into other aspects of the tragedy. The Titan, owned by undersea exploration company OceanGate Expeditions, had been chronicling the Titanic’s decay and the underwater ecosystem around the sunken ocean liner in yearly voyages since 2021.Authorities and experts are seeking answers: Exactly when and why did the implosion occur? Will the victims’ bodies ever be found? What lessons are there for the future of undersea exploration?Here’s what we know so far: WHEN AND WHERE DID THE TITAN G...

Wagner leader says his forces have entered Russian city of Rostov facing no resistance

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine — The owner of the Wagner private military contractor Yevgeny Prigozhin said Saturday that his forces have driven into the Russian city of Rostov facing no resistance. Prigozhin said that Wagner field camps were struck by rockets, helicopter gunships and artillery fire on orders from the chief of the military’s General Staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov. He charged that Gerasimov issued the order after a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, at which they decided to destroy Wagner.He said Wagner troops were greeted by border guards as they moved into the Rostov region and are now driving into the city of Rostov. He said young conscripts at checkpoints stood back and offered no resistance, adding that his forces “aren’t fighting against children.”“But we will destroy anyone who stands in our way,” he said. “We are moving forward and will go until the end.”THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.The owner of the Wagner private military con...

Who is the head of the mercenary group calling for an armed rebellion in Russia?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

The head of the private military contractor Wagner called Friday for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia’s defense minister. Russian security services reacted immediately by opening a criminal investigation into Yevgeny Prigozhin.He has previously bashed the country’s military leadership for failures in the war in Ukraine, and is known for his long-running feud with the Defense Ministry.A look at the 62-year-old Prigozhin and Wagner’s role in the war: WHAT DID PRIGOZHIN SAY?Prigozhin posted a series of angry video and audio recordings in which he accused Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu of ordering a rocket strike Friday on Wagner’s field camps in Ukraine, where his troops are fighting on behalf of Russia.Prigozhin said his troops would now punish Shoigu in an armed rebellion and urged the army not to offer resistance.“This is not a military coup, but a march of justice,” Prigozhin declared.The Defense Ministry denied carrying out the rocket attack.The National Anti-Terro...

Girlfriend of the dentist who killed his wife on safari sentenced to 17 years

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

DENVER (AP) — The girlfriend of a dentist convicted of murdering his wife on an African safari was sentenced Friday to 17 years in prison for being an accessory to the crime during a hearing where relatives of the slain woman told her she had destroyed their family. Ana Rudolph, daughter of 57-year-old victim Bianca Rudolph, said that Lori Milliron, 65, had “plotted to eliminate” her mother. “Lori, you have taken my parents,” Rudolph said directly to Milliron, but “despite everything you have done you will never take my soul. This might be difficult to understand … because you don’t have one.”Milliron was convicted last year of perjury, being an accessory to a murder after the fact and obstructing a grand jury in a case that’s garnered national attention. She was charged alongside Lawrence “Larry” Rudolph, a U.S. dentist who was convicted last year of fatally shooting his wife while on a 2016 hunting trip in Zambia. His sentencing, originally set for this week, has been ...

Fears of foreign role in B.C. Sikh temple killing prompt meeting with minister: MP

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

SURREY, B.C. — Fears at a British Columbia Sikh temple that the killing of its president was related to foreign interference prompted a meeting between Liberal Sikh members of Parliament and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.The shooting death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar took place Sunday evening in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in the Surrey-Newton riding of Sukh Dhaliwal. “The community is shattered. There are very, very high emotions,” said Dhaliwal in an interview Friday, calling the homicide “a very serious matter.”He was among seven members of the Liberal Sikh caucus who met Mendicino on Wednesday evening. Dhaliwal said the meeting was called to make sure the minister was aware the temple’s leaders allege there was a foreign hand in the killing.Dhaliwal said he and Surrey-Centre MP Randeep Sarai had spoken with the gurdwara’s executive committee, and members were not feeling safe since the killing.“They came to me, a...

UN Security Council calls for halt to fighting in Sudan and protection of civilians

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council called Friday for a halt to fighting in Sudan and the protection of civilians.The brief press statement followed closed consultations by the U.N.’s most powerful body.The council also called for the scaling up of humanitarian assistance to Sudan and neighboring countries, support for humanitarian workers, and respect for international humanitarian law.Sudan descended into conflict in mid-April after months of worsening tensions exploded into open fighting between rival generals seeking to control the African nation. The war pits the military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, against the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary force commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.A three-day cease-fire brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia expired Wednesday morning and a protest group and residents said clashes resumed between the army and the paramilitary force in and around the capital, Khartoum.The conflict has been centered largely i...

3 people airlifted after 2-vehicle rollover crash in Woodstock

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

WOODSTOCK, Ill. — Three people were airlifted to a local hospital in serious condition after a multi-vehicle rollover crash with entrapment in northwest suburban Woodstock.SkyCam9 flew above the scene at Rt. 14 and Rose Farm Road on Friday, where two vehicles came to rest in a northwest corner ditch. An overturned red SUV came to rest on its roof.Both cars were severely damaged.Emergency crews worked to extricate two occupants from the overturned vehicle. In total, seven people were injured. Woodstock Fire Department personnel said three adults were flown to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville in serious to critical condition.One child was transported by ground to Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital with minor injuries. Another adult and two children were evaluated on scene but refused to be taken to the hospital.Due to the crash, Rt. 14 remains closed between Hughes and Washington Street.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesThe McHenry County Sheriff’s Office is i...

Brave Space Alliance brings resources to LGBTQ+ community on Chicago's South Side

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:52 GMT

CHICAGO — From bans on gender-affirming care to drag shows, there are fears across the country that LGBTQ+ rights are being erased.“We see our country rolling backward because there are a group of individuals who want to hold power, they want to hoard power, and they want to play judge and jury over our bodies and our existences,” said Channyn Lynne Parker, CEO of Brave Space Alliance. WGN-TV to air ‘Pride: Stories of Chicago’s Very Own’ The Black-led and Trans-led nonprofit works to provide life-sustaining resources with dignity.“They’re coming to utilize community, to be around folks who are able to affirm them, who are able to see them for who they are because in communities right next door to Illinois,  it’s dangerous,” said Jae Rice, deputy CEO.They see PRIDE month not only as a time to celebrate but a time to honor their transcestors and reflect on the work ahead. What you need to know about the 2023 Chicago Pride Parade WGN’s Gaynor Hall and photojournalist Brad...