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18 years after Katrina levee breaches, group wants future engineers to learn from past mistakes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

Future engineers need a greater understanding of past failures — and how to avoid repeating them — a Louisiana-based nonprofit said to mark Tuesday’s 18th anniversary of the deadly, catastrophic levee breaches that inundated most of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.Having better-educated engineers would be an important step in making sure that projects such as levees, bridges or skyscrapers can withstand everything from natural disasters to everyday use, said Levees.org. Founded in 2005, the donor-funded organization works to raise awareness that Katrina was in many ways a human-caused disaster. Federal levee design and construction failures allowed the hurricane to trigger one of the nation’s deadliest and costliest disasters.The push by Levees.org comes as Hurricane Idalia takes aim at Florida’s Gulf Coast, threatening storm surges, floods and high winds in a state still dealing with lingering damage from last year’s Hurricane Ian.And it’s not just hurricanes...

A timeline of the case against an Ontario man accused of selling lethal substance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Authorities in Ontario and around the world are investigating the alleged online operation run by Kenneth Law, the Mississauga, Ont., man accused of mailing a lethal substance to people at risk of self-harm. Here is a timeline of the case: Oct. 14, 2022: A coroner’s report in the United Kingdom looking into the April death by suicide of a woman in Surrey, southwest of London, lists a postal box in Mississauga, Ont., and Imtime Cuisine, the name of one of the websites police linked to Law. March 31, 2023: Peel Regional Police investigate the circumstances of a local sudden death where the person is believed to have consumed a chemical substance. It’s the first of two deaths police would later link to Law and the allegations against him. April 25: The Times of London publishes an investigation into Law, reporting on his alleged global online operation. May 2: Peel Regional Police announce they have arrested Law and charged him with two counts of counsel...

Black Montreal family removed from Air Canada flight alleges racial profiling

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

MONTREAL — A Black Montreal family says they were victims of racial profiling when they were removed from a Florida-bound flight after telling staff their bags hadn’t been loaded on the plane.Members of the Wright family are calling for accountability today as they describe the situation July 28 at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport.Keith Wright says that after his daughter informed a flight attendant the family’s bags were still on the tarmac, the plane returned to the gate and the pair were asked to disembark and not told why. Wright says seven other members of the family — ranging in age from five to 60 — were also removed from the plane bound for Orlando, despite them having no interaction with staff.The family ended up driving to the United States in the middle of the night to catch another flight and narrowly avoided missing their cruise.The family says it will file racial profiling complaints with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, assisted by the Montreal-...

Unifor picks Ford Motors as lead company for bargaining in auto contract talks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

Unifor has picked Ford Motor Co. as the lead company of the Detroit Three automakers to hammer out a new contract.The union’s national president Lana Payne says bargaining with Ford will serve as a blueprint for workers at General Motors and Stellantis, as the union focuses on securing electric vehicle production investments.She told a news conference in Toronto on Tuesday that she is encouraged by Ford’s transparency with the union in key areas, but warned workers are prepared to strike if necessary.Unifor members at Ford have voted 98.9 per cent in favour of a strike if the bargaining committee fails to secure a new collective agreement.The union kicked off negotiations with the U.S. auto companies earlier this month as the contract for 18,000 workers at the Detroit Three is scheduled to expire on Sept. 18.Ford was picked as the target company during the 2020 auto contract bargaining.

EU Commission president will propose Dutch foreign minister as successor for climate czar Timmermans

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The EU’s top official said Tuesday she would nominate the foreign minister of the Netherlands as the commissioner in charge of climate action to fill the void left by the departure of Frans Timmermans, who resigned last week to run in the Dutch general election. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen interviewed Wopke Hoekstra, who was named by the Dutch government as its preferred candidate to replace Timmermans. After their talks, she said he “showed strong motivation for the post and a great commitment to the European Union. He also has relevant professional experience for this post.”Timmermans, who was in charge of the European Green Deal climate initiative, quit to lead a center-left bloc into the Netherlands’ November general election. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s ruling coalition proposed Hoekstra as a replacement. His appointment must now be formally approved by the European Parliament and the European Council of member states. Vo...

Hurricane Idalia 2 p.m. track: Winds increate to 90 mph

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Idalia strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane early Tuesday and is expected to rapidly intensify in the Gulf of Mexico.The National Hurricane Center said Idalia is about 275 miles south-southwest of Tampa. The storm's winds have have increased to near 90 mph.Idalia is forecast to make landfall along the northwest Gulf Coast of Florida sometime on Wednesday as an "extremely dangerous" Category 3 major hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. Real-time wobble tracker monitoring Hurricane Idalia’s shifts in Gulf of Mexico As of the 11 a.m. update, Idalia was over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, moving north around 15 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Idalia's track remains west of Tampa Bay.Storm surge remains the biggest threat with Idalia, with some areas north of Tampa Bay expected to see 8 to 12 feet of storm surge, with 4 to 9 feet in the Tampa Bay area and 3 to 7 feet south of Tampa Bay. The storm surge threat is increased t...

University of North Carolina graduate student charged with murder in killing of his faculty advisor

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Authorities charged a University of North Carolina graduate student Tuesday with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of his faculty advisor, in an attack that caused a campus lockdown while police searched for the gunman.Tailei Qi, 34, was due in court later Tuesday for an initial hearing in the Monday killing of Zijie Yan inside of a science building on the Chapel Hill campus. In addition to the murder count, he is charged with having a 9mm handgun on educational property, according to a warrant for his arrest. Yan was an associate professor in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences who had worked for the university since 2019, UNC said in a statement Tuesday. “The University is in contact with Yan’s family and is providing resources and support,” it said. In a page that has been taken down since the attack, Qi was listed on the school's website as a graduate student in Yan's research group and Yan was listed as his adviser.Qi, who lives in Chape...

Tuesday Forecast: Temps in mid 80s with afternoon showers and storms possible

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

CHICAGO — Temperatures in the mid 80s Tuesday with increasing clouds. A 40 percent chance of thunderstorms are expected. Winds: N 10-15 G20. High: 84. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Partly cloudy tonight. Winds: NNE 10-15 G20. Low: 60.Wednesday Forecast: Morning clouds, decreasing clouds. Winds: NNE 10-15 G20. High: 71/68.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Dairy Queen celebrating fall with 85-cent Blizzards

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

(WJW) - Dairy Queen's fall menu is returning with fan-favorite Blizzards and an all-new flavor that you can try soon for less than a dollar. Starting Sept. 11, the ice cream chain is offering 85-cent Blizzards at participating locations. The promotion lasts through Sept. 24. Discontinued Chick-fil-A sandwich can now be made at home The offer, only available on the DQ App, celebrates the chain's fall Blizzard menu, which includes Pumpkin Pie, Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough, Caramel Fudge Cheesecake, Oreo Hot Cocoa, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Pie and Choco Dipped Strawberry.Also new this season is the Royal Reese's Fluffernutter Blizzard, which the company describes as, "Reese's candies and peanut butter swirled with world-famous vanilla soft serve, complete with an irresistible marshmallow center." Hyundai recalling nearly 38,000 Elantras over acceleration bug The fall menu is already available at DQ stores, but the 85-cent offer doesn't kick off until Sept. 11.According to DQ officia...

New Jersey park closed as search for alligator continues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:14 GMT

MIDDLESEX, N.J. (WPIX) - When you think of where alligators call home, there’s a good chance Florida and Louisiana may come to mind.But probably not New Jersey.Yet that is exactly the case in Middlesex County, where an alligator was spotted in the Ambrose Brook in Victor Crowell Park. The police department and crews have been searching for the reptile. It’s been keeping a low profile, and people are going there with the hope of getting a glimpse."You can tell by the people out here. They are excited. We finally made the news for something,” said Francis Sweeney."In the house, we were hearing the helicopter. So, we are like let's go take a walk,” Patty Phillips said. Tropical depression forms in Atlantic as Idalia barrels toward Florida Authorities estimate the alligator is about 3 to 4 feet long. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Conservation Police is working to capture and relocate it.Search crews have taken a few trips by boat but have not been successful. P...