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Biden approves disaster declaration for 2023 winter storm in 13 Texas counties

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:56:57 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — President Joe Biden has issued a disaster declaration for 13 Texas counties impacted in the winter storm that iced parts of Texas earlier this year.On Friday, Biden approved a major disaster declaration for 13 Texas counties impacted by the late January and early February winter storm. The declaration included Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties. PREVIOUS: Gov. Greg Abbott issues ice storm disaster declaration for some Texas counties The ice storm brought some of the worst icing to Central Texas in more than 15 years and left thousands without power for days.In February, Gov. Greg Abbott asked Biden for a presidential disaster declaration for 23 counties that were impacted by the Jan. 30-Feb. 2 winter weather. "This partial approval of my Major Disaster Declaration request submitted to the President in February is a critical first step to helping Texans recover from this severe weather event," Abbott said. "Texas will continue to work with...

Colorado immigrants allege cruel treatment in ICE enforcement tactics and detention, call for changes

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:56:57 GMT

Years after Hilda’s husband was deported, the ramifications seem only to intensify.Their daughter is terrified of police officers. Their son began wetting the bed and hasn’t stopped. She disconnected all of her electronics because she worried she was being watched constantly. Her mother died.Now, the 32-year-old Denver woman doesn’t have stable housing after losing her mobile home.“Really, I have very little hope,” said Hilda, who spoke on the condition her last name be withheld because she’s in the country without legal authorization and fears for her family’s safety in Mexico. She added: “I’m suffering from depression.”The Denver Post spoke to Hilda and five other Coloradans left struggling after U.S. Immigration and Enforcement officers detained them or their loved ones, in order to get a sense of how their lives are being affected by federal immigration enforcement in this state.Their experiences corroborated findings from a report published last we...

California snowpack data debunked: 2023 was no record year. And neither was 1952

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:56:57 GMT

It was the snowpack reading that spawned a hundred headlines. “California ties 1952 record for all-time Sierra snowpack,” proclaimed KTVU. “California’s snowpack soars to record high after 17 atmospheric rivers,” trumpeted the Washington Post.State officials largely seemed to agree. “As of right now, it’s looking like this year’s statewide snowpack will probably, most likely, be either the first — or second — biggest snowpack on record dating back to 1950,” Sean de Guzman, manager of the California Department of Water Resources monthly snow survey, declared the day of the official April reading earlier this month.But this year wasn’t a record at all. It only appeared that way in large part because of the state’s shifting definition of a “normal” snowpack, which critics say obscures the true impact of climate change.And, in a closer look at the state’s seven decades of snowpack data, 1952 ...

49ers draft preview: Calm early rounds before another All-Pro storm?

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:56:57 GMT

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers will be on the sidelines for the first two rounds of this week’s NFL Draft. And then … here comes their next wave of All-Pros.The next George Kittle (2017 fifth-rounder). The next Fred Warner (2018 third-rounder). The next Talanoa Hufanga (2021 fifth-rounder). The next Brock Purdy, who didn’t make All-Pro but somehow morphed from last draft’s “Mr. Irrelevant” to an NFL Rookie of the Year finalist.Too optimistic to expect more magic? Welcome to the ultimate week of fantasy football, where every player is a future star and every team basks in the Lombardi Trophy’s glow.“You’re talking about guys that are incredibly football-smart, and they’re incredibly passionate,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said of the 49ers’ recent draft finds. “They were leaders at the places that they played. … They’ve figured out the makeup part of this whole thing. They have fou...

Opinion: I felt disgust, guilt and shame over Israel’s actions

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:56:57 GMT

With tears streaming down my cheeks and unable to catch my breath, I was watching a stunning sunset over the turquoise Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv. Just 90 minutes earlier, and 60 miles away, I had been in the south Hebron hills of the West Bank.David Matz is a clinical psychologist practicing in Lafayette. I have been visiting family in Israel since I was a little boy in 1969. This was the first time I witnessed the Israeli occupation of Palestinians. The tears streaming down my cheeks were tears of disgust, guilt and shame about the crimes that are being perpetrated against other human beings in my name, In the name of Jews. In the Jewish state of Israel.As the child of a Holocaust survivor, I was taught in the words of Hillel “that which is hateful to you do not do to your neighbors” and Martin Luther King Jr.  that “no one is free until we are all free.” How could this dehumanization be happening in front of my eyes?I was participating earlier this year with 10 others fro...

Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies out with thigh injury

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:56:57 GMT

MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich may have to do without Canadian defender Alphonso Davies for the rest of the season.The Bavarian powerhouse said Sunday that the 22-year-old Davies “sustained a muscle bundle injury” in the back of his left thigh during the 3-1 loss at Mainz in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Davies had to come off early in the game.Bayern did not say how much time Davies will miss. There are just five rounds remaining in the Bundesliga. Bayern has already been knocked out of the Champions League and German Cup and it lost the Bundesliga lead to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. ___ More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Kiptum wins London Marathon in 2nd fastest time

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:56:57 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Kelvin Kiptum collapsed to the ground after winning the London Marathon on Sunday and recording the second fastest time in history over the distance.The 23-year-old Kenyan runner broke the course record with a time of 2 hours, 1 minute, 25 seconds and just missed out on Eliud Kipchoge’s world record by 16 seconds.“I am so happy with the result,” said Kiptum. “I don’t know what to say right now, I am just grateful. The course felt good, there was a bit of rain around halfway but it was OK.“I enjoy doing the marathons, it is good preparation for me. I loved it, I am very happy.”In the women’s race, Sifan Hassan completed a stunning comeback to win on her marathon debut after appearing to be injured part way through. In what was long distance great Mo Farah’s final marathon, defending champion Amos Kipruto and world champion Tamirat Tola were also among the elite men’s field that Kiptum left behind. Farah, 40, finished ninth with a time of 2:10:28.Hassan...

Bed Bath & Beyond no puede mantenerse a flote y se declara en bancarrota

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:56:57 GMT

UNION, Nueva Jersey — Bed Bath & Beyond se declaró en bancarrota, pero sus tiendas y sitios web permanecerán abiertos y seguirán sirviendo a los clientes, dijo la compañía.La asediada cadena de artículos para el hogar hizo la presentación el domingo en el Tribunal de Distrito de EEUU en Nueva Jersey, enumerando sus activos y pasivos estimados en el rango de $1, 000 millones y $10,000 millones. La medida se produce después de que la compañía no pudo asegurar los fondos para mantenerse a flote.En un comunicado, la compañía con sede en Union, Nueva Jersey, dijo que voluntariamente hizo la presentación “para implementar una liquidación ordenada de sus negocios mientras realiza un proceso de marketing limitado para solicitar interés en una o más ventas de algunos o todos sus activos. .” La estrategia de Bed Bath & Beyond para evitar la quiebra: vende acciones y cierra tiendas Bed Bath & Beyond cerrará otras 62 tiendas La fi...

Fairfax County wants you to leave baby deer alone

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:56:57 GMT

With the fawning season underway, wildlife officials in Fairfax County, Virginia, want to discourage deer rehabilitation. In part because trying to help the deer may put you and the fawn at risk.Starting May 1, attempts to rehabilitate deer fawns or bring baby deer from the Virginia county to other jurisdictions won’t be allowed, Fairfax County’s Animal Protection Police and the Wildlife Management Specialist said in a joint statement with county police.“These restrictions on fawn rehabilitation, which are administered and enforced by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, are implemented to reduce potential transmission and spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) within deer populations in the Commonwealth,” the statement read.The progressive, fatal disease was detected in some county deer earlier this year. More reason to leave the fawn alone, according to the news release.“Given that fawns can no longer be rehabilitated in Fairfax County, it ...

National push to bolster security of key election technology

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:56:57 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — An effort to create a national testing program for technology central to U.S elections will be launched later this year, aiming to strengthen the security of equipment that has been targeted by foreign governments and provided fertile ground for conspiracy theories.So far, states have been left on their own to evaluate the technology that provides the backbone of election operations: voter registration databases, websites used to report unofficial results on election night and electronic pollbooks, which are used instead of paper rolls to check in voters at polling places.The nonprofit Center for Internet Security hopes to provide the nation’s first uniform testing program for the technology, similar to one for voting machines. Its goal is to start the voluntary service in September as a way to help boost the security and reliability of the technology before the 2024 presidential election.In 2020, 15 states, including Arizona, Florida and Nevada, did not require...