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Texas AG Ken Paxton’s impeachement trial gets under way

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:52 GMT

By Jake Bleiberg and Paul J. Weber | Associated PressAUSTIN, Texas — The impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton began Tuesday and hurtled Republicans into a reckoning over whether to oust a prominent member of their party after years of alleged corruption or stand with one of former President Donald Trump’s biggest defenders.The historic trial — the first impeachment proceedings in Texas in nearly a half-century — is the gravest threat to date for Paxton after spending nearly his entire three terms in office under felony indictment and, later, the clouds of an ongoing FBI investigation.In an era of bitter partisanship across the U.S., the trial is a rare instance of a political party seeking to hold one of its own to account for allegations of wrongdoing. For years in Texas, many Republicans have resisted criticizing or facing head-on the litany of legal troubles surrounding Paxton, who has remained popular among the hard right by aligning himself closely to Tr...

California’s wildfire smoke and climate change: 4 things to know

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:52 GMT

BY ALEJANDRO LAZO | CalMattersWildfires and climate change are locked in a vicious circle: Fires worsen climate change, and climate change worsens fires.Scientists, including those at the World Resources Institute, have been increasingly sounding the alarm about this feedback loop, warning that fires don’t burn in isolation — they produce greenhouse gases that, in turn, create warmer and drier conditions that ignite more frequent and intense fires.Last week, wildfire smoke prompted another round of unhealthy air quality in California. Fires in Oregon and Northern California sent smoke into Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. And it’s a global nightmare: This summer, world temperatures hit an all-time high, the worst U.S. wildfire in more than a century devastated Maui, a deadly fire in Greece was declared Europe’s largest ever, and swaths of the Midwest and Northeast have been blanketed by smoke from Canada’s forest fires.As California’s most intense wildfire months approach,...

13-year-old boy found drowned in Las Vegas floodwaters caused by heavy rain

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:52 GMT

LAS VEGAS — A 13-year-old boy drowned over the weekend in floodwaters amid a series of late-summer storms that drenched Las Vegas and caused widespread flooding throughout the desert valley.The teenager was identified Monday by the Clark County coroner’s office as Ryan Taylor of Las Vegas. His death was ruled an accidental drowning.A person walks through floodwaters near a stranded car, Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)A Clark County Fire Department official searches for people in floodwaters in a flood channel Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)A Clark County Fire Department official searches for a man who was trapped in floodwaters in a flood channel Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)Clark County Fire Department officials searche for a man who was trapped in floodwaters in a flood channel Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)Show Caption of ExpandRelated ArticlesCrime and Public ...

Woody Allen fails to mention he allegedly tried to seduce teen Mariel Hemingway in new interview

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:52 GMT

Woody Allen is back — premiering what he said could be his last movie at the Venice Film Festival and giving a buzzy interview in which he once again denied allegations that he molested his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow when she was 7 and dismissed efforts to “cancel” him as “silly.”In the interview with Variety, the 87-year-old auteur also made the case again that he could be a “poster boy” for the #MeToo movement because he’s always written great roles for women — including Diane Keaton, Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz and Cate Blanchett — and because, he insists, he never acted inappropriately with any of the hundreds of actresses and female crew members he has employed on his productions over the past half century.Woody Allen sits with Mariel Hemingway at Yankee Stadium in New York, during the World Series Oct. 13, 1978. But in his Variety interview, Allen appeared to have forgotten that Mariel Hemingway once sai...

United ground stop lifted for U.S. and Canada

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:52 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A nationwide ground stop issued by United Airlines earlier due to an equipment outage has been lifted, according to the Federal Aviation Administration."United Airlines asked the FAA to pause the airline's departures nationwide," read a statement from the FAA. A duty manager at SFO told KRON4 that United is currently experiencing a systemwide software glitch that started around 9:15 a.m. Tourist desperate to find French bulldog stolen in San Francisco "We are experiencing a systemwide technology issue and are holding all aircraft at their departure airports," a United spokesperson told KRON4. "Flights that are already airborne are continuing to their destination as planned."The airline said it is investigating and will share more as information becomes available.Normal service is expected to resume by 11 a.m.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Iconic SF LGBTQ+ bar to reopen in new location

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:52 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The Stud, one of San Francisco's most iconic and long-serving LGBTQ+ venues is reopening in a new SoMa location to be officially announced Tuesday, according to a press release. The famous venue was closed three years ago due to the pandemic and has remained shuttered.On Monday, the Stud Collective, a worker cooperative that owns the Stud, announced a planned unveiling for the venue's new location and plans for its new place. The unveiling will take place at the storefront for the new place, located at 1123 Folsom Street, just a few blocks from the Stud's former location at 399 9th Street. Bay Area resident among thousands left stranded at Burning Man festival Speakers lined up for the occasion include SF Mayor London Breed, California Assemblymember Matt Haney, State Senator Scott Weiner, Supervisors Matt Dorsey and Rafael Mandelman, and San Francisco Drag Laureate.The Stud Collective President Rachel Ryan will also be present at the event, which will be h...

WNBA playoff spots still up for grabs with less than one week left in regular season

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:52 GMT

There are several playoff spots still up for grabs in the final week of the WNBA’s regular season.Only five teams have clinched berths in the postseason and just one knows its seeding with Connecticut locked in at No. 3. The rest will be decided over the next six days.Las Vegas and New York are battling for the top seed with the Aces having a 1 1/2 game lead and two games remaining: a home and home versus Phoenix. The Liberty visit Dallas on Tuesday before hosting Los Angeles on Thursday and Washington on Sunday.The Sparks are clinging to the eighth and final spot, leading Chicago by a game. The Sky hold the tiebreaker if the teams finish with the same record. Los Angeles caps off the season with road games at Connecticut, New York and Seattle. Dallas and Minnesota have clinched playoff berths and most likely will meet in the best-of-three first round as the No. 4 and 5 seeds. The Wings hold a 1 1/2 game lead. The Lynx became just the second team to start 0-6 and qualify for t...

US takes step to force recall of 52 million air bag inflators that can explode and hurl shrapnel

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:52 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government is taking a big step toward forcing a defiant Tennessee company to recall 52 million air bag inflators that could explode, hurl shrapnel and injure or kill people.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Tuesday said it has made an initial decision that the inflators made by ARC Automotive Inc., and under license by another company, are defective. The agency scheduled a public hearing for Oct. 5, a required step before seeking a court-ordered recall.In May the agency asked ARC to recall the inflators, which it says are responsible for at least seven injuries and two deaths in the U.S. and Canada since 2009. But ARC has refused to issue a full-scale recall, setting the stage for the possible court fight.Messages were left Tuesday seeking comment from ARC. The company maintains that no safety defect exists, that NHTSA’s demand is based on a hypothesis rather than technical conclusions, and that the agency has no authority to order a part...

Indiana faces Chicago following Smith’s 30-point game

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:52 GMT

Chicago Sky (15-22, 3-15 Eastern Conference) at Indiana Fever (12-25, 5-13 Eastern Conference)Indianapolis; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK WNBA LINE: Sky -1.5; over/under is 162.5BOTTOM LINE: Indiana hosts the Chicago Sky after NaLyssa Smith scored 30 points in the Indiana Fever’s 97-84 overtime win over the Dallas Wings.The Fever have gone 5-13 against Eastern Conference opponents. Indiana is sixth in the WNBA averaging 81.8 points and is shooting 44.4% from the field.The Sky are 3-15 in Eastern Conference play. Chicago has a 2-3 record in games decided by less than 4 points.The two teams match up for the fourth time this season. The Sky defeated the Fever 89-87 in their last meeting on July 2. Courtney Williams led the Sky with 28 points, and Smith led the Fever with 27 points.TOP PERFORMERS: Aliyah Boston is averaging 14.8 points and 8.4 rebounds for the Fever. Kelsey Mitchell is averaging 23.5 points over the last 10 games for Indiana.Williams is averaging 9.8 point...

Washington visits Phoenix following Jefferson’s 32-point game

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:52 GMT

Washington Mystics (17-20, 8-10 Eastern Conference) at Phoenix Mercury (9-28, 2-16 Western Conference)Phoenix; Tuesday, 10 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK WNBA LINE: Mystics -7.5; over/under is 153.5BOTTOM LINE: Phoenix faces the Washington Mystics after Moriah Jefferson scored 32 points in the Phoenix Mercury’s 86-73 loss to the Minnesota Lynx.The Mercury have gone 8-10 at home. Phoenix is sixth in the Western Conference in rebounding with 30.7 rebounds. Brianna Turner paces the Mercury with 6.4 boards.The Mystics are 5-13 on the road. Washington has a 4-11 record against teams over .500.The teams meet for the fourth time this season. The Mercury won 91-72 in the last matchup on Aug. 9.TOP PERFORMERS: Brittney Griner is averaging 17.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks for the Mercury. Jefferson is averaging 14.5 points over the last 10 games for Phoenix.Brittney Sykes is averaging 15.4 points, 3.8 assists and 2.1 steals for the Mystics. Natasha Cloud is averaging 1.6 made 3-poin...