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Senegal gas deal drives locals to desperation, prostitution

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:02 GMT

SAINT-LOUIS, Senegal (AP) — When the gas rig arrived off the coast of Saint-Louis, residents of this seaside Senegalese town found reason to hope. Fishing has long been the community’s lifeblood, but the industry was struggling with climate change and COVID-19. Officials promised the drilling would soon bring thousands of jobs and diversification of the economy. Instead, residents say, the rig has brought only a wave of problems, unemployment and more poverty. And it’s forced some women to turn to prostitution to support their families, they told The Associated Press in interviews. To make way for the drilling of some 15 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (425 billion cubic meters) discovered off the coasts of Senegal and neighboring Mauritania in West Africa in 2015, access to fertile fishing waters was cut off, with the creation of an exclusion zone that prevents fisherman from working in the area. At first, the restricted areas were small, but they expanded to 1.6 square ki...

Takeaways from AP report on impact of Senegal’s gas project

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:02 GMT

SAINT-LOUIS, Senegal (AP) — For years, residents of the small fishing town of Saint-Louis in Senegal have been struggling. Climate change, foreign industrial trawlers and the COVID-19 pandemic have made it hard to earn a living on the water. When officials announced a new gas project off the coast in 2015, the community was hopeful it would bring new opportunities. Instead, many locals say, the gas has only brought a wave of problems and pushed people to desperation. That includes forcing some women to turn to prostitution to support their families, they told The Associated Press in interviews. The deal — planned by a partnership among global gas and oil giants BP and Kosmos Energy and Senegal and Mauritania’s state-owned oil companies — is expected to produce around 2.3 million tons (2.08 million metric tons) of liquified natural gas a year, enough to support production for more than 20 years, according to the gas companies.The government and the companies say they’re engagin...

New this week: Jeremy Renner, Metallica and ‘Cocaine Bear’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:02 GMT

Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music and video game platforms this week.MOVIES— “Cocaine Bear” was technically inspired by a true story — a 1985 plane crash that scattered some $2 million worth of cocaine across Georgia hillsides and resulted in the death of a 175-pound black bear, who overdosed. The film, however, is pure fantasy about what might have happened if the bear went on a coke rampage instead of dying. After its wild trailer went viral, the R-rated pic directed by Elizabeth Banks and starring Keri Russell and O’Shea Jackson Jr. left audiences somewhat divided. Some thought it a B-movie delight, others were left cold by the excess. And starting on Friday, via Peacock, you can access it at home to decide for yourself.— Katie Holmes directs and stars in “Rare Objects,” an adaptation of a novel by Kathleen Tessaro about a woman with a traumatic past trying to rebuild her life star...

APD investigating homicide in southeast Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:02 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Police Department held a media briefing Thursday after it confirmed a homicide in southeast Austin on Twitter.At approximately 8:15 p.m., 911 dispatch received multiple calls about a disturbance and possibly a dead person in the 10900 block of Michelson Drive, APD public information officer Michael Bullock said during the briefing.Police confirmed one person is dead, and Bullock said an unidentified man was detained for questioning. Furthermore, he said the two individuals involved did know each other.APD said this was an isolated incident, and there was no ongoing threat to the public.The active scene remained under investigation Thursday.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Student found with fake plastic gun at Clayton High School

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:02 GMT

CLAYTON, Mo. - Clayton High School parents received a letter from the principal Thursday about a student who was caught with a fake plastic gun in a backpack. The district is not releasing the name of the student or anything about disciplinary actions due to privacy reasons.Parents at Shaw Park, near the high school, said school safety is a growing concern.“You never really know what to expect. I mean, even if a kid is bringing a fake gun to school, you never know when it’s going to be the real deal," said Ngone Seck. "Just that mentality of even bringing something that is going to scare other kids. You don’t really know what going on in the background that made them do that, to begin with." Top Story: Missouri students physically restrained, secluded thousands of times She said she has several years before her son is in high school, but said school safety is something she worries about.“Back in my time, the world looked a lot different than it does now," Seck said. "So I don’t th...

The cost of protecting children. Is $14.53 too much?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:02 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - The push for summer camp regulations may be hitting a snag, partly over concerns about a $14.53 fee and a one-week wait on paperwork.FOX 2 learned there are concerns about the potential burden of new safety regulations following the July 2022 drowning at a St. Louis County summer camp. Those concerns came to light in a legislative hearing this week during an objection over a new proposed law from an association paid for by St. Louis County.The association called out background checks as a burden that will cost time and money. However, no one in the hearing discussed how much time and money were involved.Lisa Coulter, who runs a licensed childcare facility, the Apple of Your Eye Learning Center on Tesson Ferry, said background checks are not a burden.“Just these few little things to check out can make a world of difference,” she said.Coulter also said background checks are quick and cheap.“$14.53 processing fee; that’s the Safety Family Care Registry, and it t...

Specialty cameras gain support across region to prevent crime

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:02 GMT

ST. ANN, Mo. - New license plate reader technology called Flock Safety automated license plate readers is helping communities protect themselves against criminals. They’re gaining popularity across the St. Louis region for helping to solve crimes and even deter them from happening in the first place.The cameras and license plate readers are designed to capture criminals via the cars they’re in, allowing law enforcement to cut down on investigations by finding suspects in real time with video and alerts. “That live time readout that we get by our dispatcher or that alert on our computer gives the officers opportunity to find that vehicle," said Cpl. Josh Wineinger for the Arnold Police Department. "So we can contain them to a neighborhood, it deters crime dramatically." Top Story: Missouri students physically restrained, secluded thousands of times In under two months, it’s led investigators in Arnold to solve 13 felony cases ranging from car theft to burglary faster and more effic...

Going Viral: Bald eagle adopts rock, then eaglet 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:02 GMT

VALLEY PARK, Mo. - A 31-year-old bald eagle named Murphy at the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park is going viral for his paternal instincts. Murphy began incubating a rock a few weeks ago, which is not uncommon according to the sanctuary's executive director, Roger Holloway. “It’s not out of the complete ordinary for an eagle if they don’t have an egg and they’re going through nesting behavior to try and incubate something," Holloway said. He said the spring is when eagles usually breed, showing natural reproductive behavior. Just a week or so later, the rock Murphy was protecting was replaced with a real eaglet.  Trending: St. Louis County battles over marijuana sales tax “This spring, it coincided with us having a lone chick," Holloway said.A couple of weeks ago, an eaglet was blown out of its nest in Cape Girardeau. Its sibling did not survive, but the eaglet, now known as 'Eaglet 23-126' was moved to the sanctuary. Murphy's been watching over the eaglet with minima...

Missouri marijuana taxes lure out-of-state sales

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:02 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - There’s new evidence that Missouri is now winning a suddenly blossoming “weed war” with Illinois. In the first two months since Missouri legalized recreational marijuana, the number of people going to Illinois to buy marijuana has dropped sharply. The number of people coming the other way to buy it in Missouri is off the charts. People already come from Illinois for cheaper cigarettes in Missouri. The same is certainly true for gasoline. Those are nothing compared to what people are saving on marijuana by getting it in Missouri rather than Illinois.  Top Story: Missouri students physically restrained, secluded thousands of times “It was $30 to $40 cheaper,” said Bud Rhodes, of Red Bud, Illinois, who went to Missouri to buy marijuana on Thursday. He said he passed 3–4 Illinois dispensaries en route to the Nature Med dispensary on Kingston in south St. Louis County. “If we’re from Red Bud coming up here, I bet there’s hundreds and hundreds of o...

Contact 2 resolves couple’s months-long fridge frustration

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:02 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – Monica and Lamar Huddleston’s sense of humor is intact, but their patience is shot. Last September, the ice maker on their refrigerator broke. The unit is covered by a master protection agreement with Sears Home Services.“They sent the tech out and, sure enough, he came three times. The fourth time was a no-show,” Monica Huddleston said. “So that’s when we called customer service, argued back and forth, and they said, ‘OK, we’re just going to replace the refrigerator.’ I’m happy. So I thought.”When the delivery crew came with the new fridge – problems.“One guy kind of dropped his end, and it banged against the railing. There’s a nice little dent and scratch in the very front freezer door. Too visible to say, ‘It’s ok, we’ll take it.’” Huddleston said. Top Story: Missouri students physically restrained, secluded thousands of times “Well, they sent two guys again. Those two guys didn’t even try to deliver or take this one. They said, point blank, ‘We can’t to...