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1000s in Florida struggle to recover as new storms loom

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:34:16 GMT

By Curt Anderson | Associated PressFORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — Eight months ago, chef Michael Cellura had a restaurant job and had just moved into a fancy new camper home on Fort Myers Beach. Now, after Hurricane Ian swept all that away, he lives in his older Infiniti sedan with a 15-year-old long-haired chihuahua named Ginger.Like hundreds of others, Cellura was left homeless after the Category 5 hurricane blasted the barrier island last September with ferocious winds and storm surge as high as 15 feet (4 meters). Like many, he’s struggled to navigate insurance payouts, understand federal and state assistance bureaucracy and simply find a place to shower.“There’s a lot of us like me that are displaced. Nowhere to go,” Cellura, 58, said during a recent interview next to his car, sitting in a commercial parking lot along with other storm survivors housed in recreational vehicles, a converted school bus, even a shipping container. “There’s a lot of hom...

As oceans rise, NYC faces another threat: the city is sinking

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:34:16 GMT

By Bobby Caina Calvan | Associated PressNEW YORK — If rising oceans aren’t worry enough, add this to the risks New York City faces: The metropolis is slowly sinking under the weight of its skyscrapers, homes, asphalt and humanity itself.New research estimates the city’s landmass is sinking at an average rate of 1 to 2 millimeters per year, something referred to as “subsidence.”That natural process happens everywhere as ground is compressed, but the study published this month in the journal Earth’s Future sought to estimate how the massive weight of the city itself is hurrying things along.More than 1 million buildings are spread across the city’s five boroughs. The research team calculated that all those structures add up to about 1.7 trillion tons (1.5 trillion metric tons) of concrete, metal and glass — about the mass of 4,700 Empire State buildings — pressing down on the Earth.The rate of compression varies throughout the city. Midtown Manhatta...

President Biden honors troops’ sacrifice on Memorial Day

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:34:16 GMT

By Aamer Madhani and Rebecca Santana | Associated PressWASHINGTON — President Joe Biden lauded the sacrifice of generations of U.S. troops who died fighting for their country as he marked Memorial Day with the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.Biden was joined by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff, for the 155th National Memorial Day Observance. He had a moment of contemplation in front of the wreath, which was adorned with flowers and a red, white and blue bow, and then bowed his head in prayer.“We must never forget the price that was paid to protect our democracy,” Biden said later in an address at Memorial Amphitheater. “We must never forget the lives these flags, flowers and marble markers represent.”“Every year we remember,” he said. “And every year it never gets easier.”Monday’s federal holiday honoring America’s fallen service ...

Iowa officials: No deaths, no one trapped in collapsed building

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:34:16 GMT

Associated PressDAVENPORT, Iowa — Firefighters and other first responders are being credited with saving lives – at great risk to their own safety – after a six-story apartment building in Iowa partially collapsed, authorities said Monday.There were no confirmed fatalities and no known people still trapped the morning after a section of brick building in the eastern Iowa city of Davenport crashed to the ground. Mayor Mike Matson said members of the Davenport Fire Department and others went “literally into an unsafe building” to try to rescue residents.“When something like this happens here, and tragedy strikes, our responders immediately do their work and their job and I can’t thank them enough,” Matson said at a news conference Monday.Fire Chief Michael Carlsten said workers searched for survivors throughout the night and rescued one person from the six-story building — bringing the total number of people rescued by fire officials to eight....

Summer TV 2023: Despite Hollywood writers strike, a full season of shows awaits

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:34:16 GMT

The big news in TV right now is the Hollywood writers strike, which began earlier this month. For many, it’s no longer a profession that pays a living wage. Here’s hoping the studios, networks and streamers — which are boasting profits and paying their CEOs hundreds of millions — work out a fair contract in the coming days or weeks.But it’s possible they could delay, confident that the strike won’t affect their summer rollout of scripted series. If the strike lasts for months? The network lineup — all those cop shows and sitcoms — will not be ready to premiere in the fall as usual.We’ll cross that bridge if and when we get to it. For the time being, writers have not yet asked audiences to boycott TV altogether or cancel their streaming subscriptions, but a number of shows in production have been paused.Before we get to your summer preview, there’s one other minor change to the TV landscape worth noting: HBO Max and Discovery+ will no longer be separate stream...

Thousands of people attend unauthorized car show in Alameda

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:34:16 GMT

(KRON) -- Thousands of people arrived at Alameda Point Sunday afternoon for an "unpermitted" sideshow, the Alameda Police Department said. Man who drowned in Livermore lake identified by local coroner Police were aware of the show, and APD had a group of officers focused on the event. A total of 64 citations were issued and five vehicles were towed. Two different calls about sideshow activity were also addressed in the area. APD is still looking into the events, and is considering further "enforcement action" related to the case. Sideshows have been an issue in the East Bay on a consistent basis. In Oakland, leaders are considering a new law that would allow the city to take on those responsible for holding or participating in the dangerous events. Earlier this month, more than 80 vehicles were seized in a sideshow in Oakland.

Bobrovsky’s end-of-season haircut can wait, with Panthers headed to Stanley Cup Final

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:34:16 GMT

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Sergei Bobrovsky needs a haircut.The goaltender for the Florida Panthers uses a thin headband to hold some of his hair back these days. Long hair usually isn’t a problem for Bobrovsky at this time of year: When a season ends, he gets most of it shaved off and keeps the cut super-short until the next season begins.This season is still going. As such, the hair is still growing.So, too, is the legend of Bobrovsky, who was backing up Alex Lyon when these playoffs began and now has helped carry the Panthers into the Stanley Cup Final. Bobrovsky led the way to ousting points-record-setting Boston in Round 1, Toronto in Round 2 and then Carolina in an Eastern Conference finals sweep that included a four-OT victory in Game 1.Games like those are why Bobrovsky has holes drilled into his skates; he sweats so much and sprays himself with so much water during games, and all that moisture running down his jersey, pants and pads has to drain out somewhere.“He’s on another pla...

Josef Newgarden finally relishes an Indy 500 win after so many disappointments

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:34:16 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — In the slow buildup to the Indianapolis 500, Josef Newgarden talked openly about having to put on a brave face when he would arrive at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and how so many failures in the race that mattered most had weighed on him.On Monday, Newgarden showed up wearing a smile.He had passed Marcus Ericsson in a last-lap sprint to the finish a day earlier, and was back at the mostly empty speedway for all the spoils. He chatted with team owner Roger Penske, who got his 19th victory but first since purchasing the track, and posed for countless photos on the yard of bricks. William Behrends, the sculptor who will craft Newgarden’s face on the Borg-Warner Trophy, took reference images, and Newgarden later sat in a chair and fiddled with the Indy 500 ring on his finger.“Each year gets tougher when you run it 12 years in a row. It just gets harder and harder to leave here with a broken heart,” Newgarden told The Associated Press. “You know, everybod...

Biden marks Memorial Day lauding generations of fallen US troops who 'dared all and gave all'

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:34:16 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden lauded the sacrifice of generations of U.S. troops who “dared all and gave all” fighting for their country and called on Americans to ensure that their “sacrifice was not in vain” as he marked Memorial Day with the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.Biden was joined by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff, for the 155th National Memorial Day Observance. He had a moment of contemplation in front of the wreath, which was adorned with flowers and a red, white and blue bow, and then bowed his head in prayer.“We must never forget the price that was paid to protect our democracy,” Biden said later in an address at the Memorial Amphitheater. "We must never forget the lives these flags, flowers and marble markers represent.””Every year we remember," he said. "And every year it never gets easier.”Monday's federal holiday honoring America's fallen service members came a day ...

Central Florida business encourages people to install ‘Styrofoam’ that can withstand Category 5 Hurricane

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:34:16 GMT

CENTRAL FLORIDA (WSVN) – Hurricane season will start on Thursday and Florida residents are beginning to prepare.A Central Florida business is changing the future of construction. Something seemingly so fragile is the foundation for something so much stronger and that is ‘Styrofoam’.“These are called SCIP [Structural Concrete Insulated Panel] construction walls – they’re structural concrete insulated panels,” said Ryan Skelly from the Vero Building System.The new manufacturing facility in Florida is unlike any other. These styrofoam pieces are 3D cut to any design which can be used as insulation.Firstly, mesh wiring is wrapped around it and then shotcrete is sprayed all over the wiring to create an impenetrable concrete-like structure.Annette Rubin, CEO of Vero Building Systems, said she wants to pave the way for better builds that can withstand Category 5 hurricanes.“It’s blast-proof, it’s bulletproof, up to 250 miles per h...