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US drone strike kills an Islamic State group leader in Syria, the Defense Department says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. drone strike killed an Islamic State group leader in Syria hours after the same MQ-9 Reaper drones were harassed by Russian military jets over the western part of the country, according to the Defense Department.Three Reapers had been flying overhead searching for the militant on Friday, a U.S. defense official said, when they were harassed for about two hours by Russian aircraft. Shortly after that, the drones struck and killed Usamah al-Muhajir, who was riding a motorcycle in the Aleppo region, said the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity to describe details of the military operation. The official said al-Muhajir was in northwest Syria at the time of the strike, but that he usually operated in the east.It was not immediately clear how the U.S. military confirmed that the person killed was al-Muhajir; no other details were provided.In a statement Sunday, U.S. Central Command said there are no i...

Takeaways from AP’s investigation into cities leaving lead pipe in the ground

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

There are 9.2 million lead pipes in the U.S. They contaminate drinking water with lead, which damages brain development in children. But around the country, utilities have been ignoring the opportunity to remove lead pipe when they uncover it during work on water mains. They’ve often removed a short pipe section, reburied the connection and left the rest. Research shows this method can actually spike, rather than reduce, lead levels.The sections of pipe that remain can contaminate tap water until they’re removed. The practice is also more expensive in the long run, since crews presumably will have to return someday.Here are some takeaways from The Associated Press investigation:LEAD IS HARMFULLead is a health threat and the practice of leaving sections of the old pipe behind should have stopped a long time ago, according to Yanna Lambrinidou, a medical anthropologist at Virginia Tech and co-founder of the Campaign for Lead Free Water. Lead is especially dangerous to young chil...

Girl, 14, found at California Marine base two weeks after being reported missing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (KSWB) - A 14-year-old girl was found at a California Marin base, two weeks after she was reported missing, authorities have confirmed. The teen was reported missing by her grandmother on June 13, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department told Nexstar's KSWB. A deputy with the Rancho San Diego Sheriff's Station responded to the grandmother's home in Spring Valley on the same day to take a missing person report, the department explained. The grandmother told authorities her granddaughter ran away from home four days earlier on June 9.The teen's information was entered into multiple missing person databases, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). SDSO said these databases informed other law enforcement agencies of the juvenile's disappearance.  Student pilot safely lands plane after it loses power over Colorado Family Protection Detail Detectives received the case for follow-up investigation and continued working on the case,...

Biden says Ukraine not ready for NATO membership

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

(The Hill) - President Biden said that he doesn’t think Ukraine is ready for NATO membership, adding that it’s premature to call for a vote to accept the war-torn country into the alliance.“I don't think it's ready for membership in NATO,” Biden told CNN in an interview that aired on Sunday.The president added that he doesn’t think there’s “unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war.”Biden’s comments come as he’s set to leave for Europe and attend the NATO summit in Lithuania on Tuesday where Ukraine's membership as well as Sweden's is expected to be front and center of discussions.“I think it's premature to say — to call for a vote…there's other qualifications that need to be met, including democratization and some of those issues,” Biden told CNN.“I think we have to lay out … the rational path for Russia — for, excuse me, for Ukraine — to be able to qualify to get into NATO,” he added.The president last ...

Hot car warning: How to keep your children, pets safe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – As summer temperatures hit, it's important to remember the danger the heat brings along.While a majority of parents say they can't imagine leaving their child in the back seat of a hot car, the vast majority of such cases happen unintentionally.Over the past 25 years, an average of 38 children a year die from heatstroke after being left in hot cars, according to NoHeatstroke.org. During the summer, that is almost two children per week.A car can heat up by 20 degrees and become deadly in only 10 minutes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). For example, if it's 75 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car can reach 105 degrees.Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees, the NHTSA added, and a child can die when their body temperature hits 107 degrees.To prevent a fatal mistake, the NHTSA says to make it a habit to check your entire vehicle — especially the back seat — before locking the ...

Northern Lights could be visible in Wisconsin, Indiana, 13 other states Thursday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

(AP) - A solar storm forecast for Thursday is expected to give sky-gazers in 17 American states a chance to glimpse the Northern Lights, the colorful sky show that happens when solar wind hits the atmosphere.Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, are most often seen in Alaska, Canada and Scandinavia, but an 11-year solar cycle that’s expected to peak in 2024 is making the lights visible in places farther to the south. Three months ago, the light displays were visible in Arizona, marking the third severe geomagnetic storm since the current solar cycle began in 2019.The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks has forecast auroral activity on Thursday in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Indiana, Maine and Maryland. We could be seeing the northern lights more often: Here’s why Auroral activity also has been forecast for Canada, inc...

17 people arrested in Texas in human trafficking operation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

WACO, Texas (FOX 44/KWKT) -- McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara called a press conference Friday morning to discuss a human trafficking operation recently completed by his office.Sheriff McNamara says his team arrested 17 people during a ten-day sting operation that started in June. 13 people face charges of trying to purchase sex from an adult; two more are accused of trying to pay for sex with a minor; and another two people face charges of online solicitation of a minor.Joshua Dewitt of Tomahawk, Wisconsin is accused of online solicitation of a minor. He is in the process of being extradited to McLennan County. Sheriff McNamara said Dewitt has victimized roughly 20 people nationwide.Here is the full list of arrests and the charges they face:SOLICITATION OF PROSTITUTION OF A MINOR CHARGES:David DensonChristopher MercerONLINE SOLICITATION OF A MINOR CHARGES:Tyler RitchieJoshua DewittSOLICITATION OF PROSTITUTION CHARGES:Lance WebbJacob PiferJoseph FontaineAlfred DupreeJames C...

SPAC concert evacuated due to bomb threat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The concert at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on July 8 was evacuated on the report of a bomb threat, according to police. A search by police K-9s after the crowd had exited yielded negative results. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Multiple police departments responded to the scene. The concert, featuring Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds with Garbage and Metric, was suspended out of an abundance of caution at 9:40 p.m. Attendees were evacuated without incident. The disturbance remains under investigation.

Woman in wheelchair struck by car on Wolf Road

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — There was a heavy police presence on Wolf Road late Saturday night. According to the Colonie Police, a woman in a wheelchair trying to cross the road was struck by a vehicle. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Police say the pedestrian was not in a designated crosswalk. She sustained serious but not-life-threatening injuries and is being treated at the Albany Medical Center.The driver stopped and cooperated with the police. Speed is not a factor in the incident. The driver was also not impaired.Police rerouted traffic while waiting for a tow truck to remove a vehicle on the scene. Investigations are ongoing. Police ask for any witnesses or for anyone that have a video of the crash to contact them at (518) 783-2744.

Three injured in rollover crash on New Loudon Road

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Police are investigating a rollover crash that took place on New Loudon Road in North Colonie. The accident occurred at 9:55 a.m. on July 8. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Police say that three cars were involved in the crash, with two of the vehicles rolling over and one catching on fire. Only the three drivers occupied the vehicles. Officers were told by one of the drivers that an uninvolved vehicle allegedly caused the chain-reaction crash after pulling into the roadway, causing multiple vehicles to swerve. SPAC concert evacuated due to bomb threat All three of the drivers were assisted by EMS before being transported to Albany Medical Center. Two of the drivers sustained non-life threatening injuries, while the third driver sustained critical injuries. The roadway was completely shutdown for several hours while an investigation was conducted. The road reopened fully by 5:40 p.m. Woman in...