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Water is refreshing in the heat, right? In parts of Florida this past week, not so much

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:12 GMT

In the sweltering summer heat, nobody tries to cool off by jumping into a hot tub. In parts of Florida, however, that’s what the ocean has felt like.Earlier this week, sea surface temperatures reached as high as 101.2 degrees Fahrenheit (38.4 degrees Celsius) around the state’s southern tip in Manatee Bay, according to the National Weather Service — although scientists said the context for Monday’s reading is complicated.“It was like there was no difference between humidity of the air and going into the water,” said Chelsea Ward of Fort Myers, Florida. Triple-digit ocean temperatures are stunning even in Florida, where residents are used to the heat and where many retirees find refuge from cold, northern winters. Several other nearby spots reached the mid-90s (about 35 Celsius). A storm finally came through on Wednesday, helping water temperatures drop back down in to the more temperate 80s (about 29 Celsius).Humans naturally look to water for a chance to refresh. Every summer, mill...

No winning ticket sold for Friday’s $28 million Lotto Max jackpot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:12 GMT

There was no winning ticket sold in Friday’s Lotto Max $28 million draw.The jackpot for the next draw on Aug. 1 will be an estimated $33 million.The Canadian Press

B.C. port workers vote to reject mediated agreement: union

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:12 GMT

The union representing B.C. port workers says its membership has voted to reject a mediated contract offer it reached with the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) last week.In a statement Friday, the ILWU Canada Longshore Division says union members said “NO to the Terms of The Settlement.”“Today we call on our direct employers to come to the table and negotiate something that works for our members and the industry,” the statement continued.The union announced last week that it was recommending the terms of the tentative deal to its membership.Unionized workers took off the day shift this past Tuesday to learn the details of the agreement, before voting was held over two days later in the week.The BCMEA earlier said the offer that was being presented was the same one leaders of the ILWU had previously rejected, which briefly sent workers back to the picket line last week.Related articles: B.C. port union to recommend settlement agreement to its membersI...

French President Macron visits his counterpart in Sri Lanka

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:12 GMT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron held discussions with his Sri Lankan counterpart Saturday on an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region in the first-ever visit by a French leader to the Indian Ocean island nation. As the fourth-largest creditor to Sri Lanka, France had pledged cooperation in debt restructuring to help the island nation recover from its economic crisis.Macron arrived in Sri Lanka Friday night, following his trip to the South Pacific region, to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, Sri Lanka’s president’s office said.Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe praised France’s significant role in global affairs, particularly in areas such as climate mitigation, global debt restructuring, and matters related to the Indo-Pacific region, the statement said.“Sri Lanka and France are two Indian Ocean nations that share the same goal: an open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific. In Colombo we confirm...

Fresh charges tie Trump even more closely to coverup effort. That could deepen his legal woes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:12 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s a stunning new allegation in an already serious case: Former President Donald Trump sought to delete Mar-a-Lago surveillance footage to obstruct the Justice Department’s investigation into his handling of classified documents.The latest criminal charges unsealed Thursday deepen Trump’s legal jeopardy, alleging a more central role for the former president than previously known in a cover-up that prosecutors say was meant to prevent them from recovering top-secret documents he took with him after he left the White House. Coming as Trump braces for possible additional indictments related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, the new allegations strengthen special counsel Jack Smith’s already powerful case against Trump while undercutting potential defenses floated by the former president, experts say.“Before these new charges, you could maybe try some sort of defense that ‘this was all a mistake, it was my staff’ or confusion about what documents he actually ...

LGBTQ+ community proud and visible at Women’s World Cup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:12 GMT

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand striker Hannah Wilkinson has helped create two milestones at the Women’s World Cup.With her 48th-minute goal in the tournament opener against Norway, she led the co-host Football Ferns to their first win in six trips to the Women’s World Cup. She’s also one of at least 95 out members of the LGBTQ+ community competing in this year’s tournament, according to a count being kept by Outsports, a website that covers the LGBTQ+ sports.The Ferns were greeted with a fan-made sign at their next match in Wellington: “Gay for soccer, gay for Wilkie,” it read.The 95 out participants make up roughly 13% of the 736 total players at the Women’s World Cup, more than doubling the 40 players and coaches Outsports counted in 2019.The 2023 tournament also is hosting the first openly trans and non-binary player in either a men’s or Women’s World Cup, Quinn of Canada.“Last World Cup was so big, especially with the visibility of the U.S. women’s national team winnin...

Members of Congress break for August with no clear path to avoiding a shutdown this fall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:12 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers broke for their August recess this week with work on funding the government largely incomplete, fueling worries about whether Congress will be able to avoid a partial government shutdown this fall. Congress has until Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year, to act on government funding. They could pass spending bills to fund government agencies into next year, or simply pass a stopgap measure that keeps agencies running until they strike a longer-term agreement. No matter which route they take, it won’t be easy.“We’re going to scare the hell out of the American people before we get this done,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.Coons’ assessment is widely shared in Congress, reflecting the gulf between the Republican-led House and the Democratic-led Senate, which are charting vastly different — and mostly incompatible — paths on spending.The Senate is adhering mostly to the top-line spending levels that President Joe Biden negotiated wi...

Election disinformation campaigns targeted voters of color in 2020. Experts expect 2024 to be worse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:12 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Leading up to the 2020 election, Facebook ads targeting Latino and Asian American voters described Joe Biden as a communist. A local station claimed a Black Lives Matter co-founder practiced witchcraft. Doctored images showed dogs urinating on Donald Trump campaign posters.None of these claims was true, but they scorched through social media sites that advocates say have fueled election misinformation in communities of color.As the 2024 election approaches, community organizations are preparing for what they expect to be a worsening onslaught of disinformation targeting communities of color and immigrant communities. They say the tailored campaigns challenge assumptions of what kinds of voters are susceptible to election conspiracies and distrust in voting systems.“They’re getting more complex, more sophisticated and spreading like wildfire,” said Sarah Shah, director of policy and community engagement at the advocacy group Indian American Impact, which runs the fact-...

Severe weather moving through area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:12 GMT

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for all of Chicagoland until 2 a.m. Saturday.A Flash Flood Warning has been issued for parts of DuPage and Kane counties until 2:15 a.m.A Flood Advisory has been issued for parts of Cook and Kane counties until 1:45 a.m. and Lake County, Illinois until 1:30 a.m.A Flood Watch has been issued for Cook, De Kalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, LaSalle, Lake, McHenry and Will counties in Illinois, and Jasper, Lake, Newton and Porter counties in Indiana until 3 a.m.It's been a hot, steamy Friday with high temps which made it into the low and mid 90s—with dew points as high as 80-deg at a number of locations.And now we're monitoring for severe weather Friday and potential flooding rains.The Chicago area is at a Level 3 risk of severe weather on the storm prediction center's 5-tier risk scale and also the risk of excessive rainfall. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here There is potential for t-storms to train---i.e. fire rep...

Dallas Keuchel gets win in what’s likely his last game with Saints

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:12 GMT

Dallas Keuchel picked up his first victory as a member of the St. Paul Saints on Friday night at CHS Field. The question now is whether it was his swan song in St. Paul.Keuchel pitched six innings in the Saints’ 8-2 win over the Toledo Mud Hens, allowing two runs on six hits. The 35-year-old left-hander, who signed a minor league deal with the Twins on June 22, can opt out of his deal and become a free agent if the Twins don’t promote him to the majors by Tuesday.“The organization has been transparent with me throughout the process,” Keuchel said. “My first opt out was good, but at the same time a lot of teams that need help are still trying to figure out moves in the big leagues.“I’m still trying to get my bearings. This is the place I wanted to be, and I’d still like to be up with Minnesota. I think I’ve provided what I needed to do and shown myself as well.”Either way he probably pitched his last game with the Saints.“I don’t think I’m coming back if it’s another minor league sti...