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Scientists say July is already hottest the month on record

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:16 GMT

By Seth Borenstein | Associated PressWASHINGTON — July has been so hot thus far that scientists calculate that this month will be the hottest globally on record and likely the warmest human civilization has seen, even though there are several days left to sweat through.The World Meteorological Organization and the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service on Thursday proclaimed July’s heat is beyond record-smashing. They said Earth’s temperature has been temporarily passing over a key warming threshold: the internationally accepted goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).Temperatures were 1.5 degrees warmer than pre-industrial times for a record 16 days this month, but the Paris climate accord aims to keep the 20- or 30-year global temperature average to 1.5 degrees. A few days of temporarily beating that threshold have happened before, but never in July.July has been so off-the-charts hot with heat waves blistering t...

Trump accused of asking staffer to delete Mar-a-Lago camera footage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:16 GMT

By Eric Tucker, Zeke Miller and Alanna Durkin Richer | Associated PressWASHINGTON — Donald Trump faced new charges Thursday in a case accusing him of illegally possessing classified documents, with prosecutors alleging that he asked a staffer to delete camera footage at his Florida estate in an effort to obstruct a federal investigation.The indictment includes new counts of obstruction and willful retention of national defense information, adding fresh detail to an indictment issued last month against Trump and a close aide. The additional charges came as a surprise given the escalating anticipation of a possible additional indictment in Washington over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The updated indictment makes clear that the vast — and unknown — scope of legal exposure faced by Trump as he seeks to reclaim the White House in 2024 while fending off criminal cases in multiple cities.The updated allegations in the indictment center on surveilla...

Crews respond to large fire in Bay Point

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:16 GMT

(KRON) -- A large fire is burning in the City of Bay Point, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District said on Twitter. The blaze is burning near vegetation, vehicles and structures, firefighters said. The three-alarm fire is on Willow Pass. Fire crews responded at 4:45 p.m. Con Fire announced at 5:45 p.m. that the fire was knocked down. It burned items across about two city blocks. Crews will remain at the scene for several hours. Willow Pass Road and surrounding streets are blocked by crews. This is a developing story. Stick with KRON4 for updates.

Colorado leaving Pac-12 and returning to Big 12 in 2024 following unanimous vote by board of regents

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:16 GMT

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Colorado is leaving the Pac-12 to return to the conference the Buffaloes jilted a dozen years ago, and the Big 12 celebrated the reunion with a two-word statement released through Commissioner Brett Yomark: “They’re back.”“The landscape of collegiate sports is ever-evolving, and the University of Colorado Boulder has determined the Big 12 is the best future fit for our athletic teams,” CU President Todd Saliman said after the board of regents voted 9-0 in a special remote meeting Thursday to approve the conference switch in 2024.Colorado is expected to take in $31.7 million in annual television revenue over the course of the Big 12’s new deal, but Chancellor Philip DiStefano and Athletic Director Rick George insisted that money wasn’t the only factor in CU becoming the first Power Five school to return to the conference it had left.“A decision this big has to do with a lot more than just money,” George said, emphasising that the Buffaloes will get g...

Fierce winds cause panic on ferry that capsizes in Philippines, killing at least 26, officials say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:16 GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A small Philippine ferry turned upside down when passengers suddenly crowded to one side in panic as fierce winds pummeled the wooden vessel, and at least 26 people died, while 40 others were rescued, officials said Friday.Coast guard and police said search and rescue efforts had resumed after a pause Thursday night. Officials said it remained unclear how many people were aboard the M/B Princess Aya, which capsized Thursday in Laguna de Bay in Rizal province east of Manila. When people rushed to one side of the vessel amid severe winds, the boat tilted and its outrigger broke, then the boat capsized shortly after leaving a wharf in the town of Binangonan for nearby Talim island, police and the coast guard said. The accident happened only about 46 meters (150 feet) from shore, officials said at a news conference.The Rizal provincial police said that they immediately launched a rescue operation with the help of the coast guard and other local authorities, bu...

Vatican and Vietnam agree to open resident Holy See office in Hanoi, as relations improve

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:16 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Vietnam formally agreed Thursday to let a Vatican representative live in the country and open an office, a notching up of relations that could have implications down the line for the Holy See’s delicate ties with China.The Holy See announced the conclusion of the agreement during a visit to the Vatican by Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong, who met with Pope Francis and the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.The agreement still falls short of full diplomatic relations, which have been strained for decades. But the two sides have held regular talks since at least 1990 studying the renewal of ties, with Parolin overseeing the process for years, first as foreign minister and now as secretary of state.A Vatican statement said the appointment of a resident representative of the pope to the communist country would support the local Catholic community, contribute to the development of the country and help serve as a “bridge to advance relations between ...

‘Jackass’ star Bam Margera to stand trial on assault charge in fight with brother, judge rules

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:16 GMT

WEST CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — “Jackass” star Bam Margera must stand trial on charges that he punched his brother during an altercation at their home near Philadelphia, a judge ruled Thursday while ordering him to get a drug and alcohol screening to remain free on bail.Margera, 43, has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges, which include simple assault and making terroristic threats. He has been free on $50,000 bail and said Thursday that he has been in drug and alcohol treatment this year and living with former Los Angeles Lakers star Lamar Odom.“I’m not trying to get him in trouble here. I just want him to get the help because I feel like this is our last chance,” Margera’s brother, Jess Margera, said in testifying about what he called two decades of troubling behavior by his brother, which he said escalated during a “frightening and unpredictable” two-week visit home in April. He said that Bam — upset on a Sunday morning after seeing a text that suggested he needed mental...

Mexico’s president offers to buy US company’s coastal property for $375 million to end dispute

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:16 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president said Thursday that he has offered to buy an American company’s Caribbean coast property for about $385 million to end a bitter, years-long dispute. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said a formal offer would be presented to Alabama-based Vulcan Materials. The company operated gravel extraction pits at the Yucatan peninsula site before López Obrador’s administration closed them. The company said it had not yet received the president’s proposal or responded to the idea. In papers filed for a case before an international arbitration panel, Vulcan Materials valued the almost 6,000-acre (2,400 hectare) property, located just south of the resort town of Playa del Carmen, at $1.9 billion.López Obrador said his much lower offer was fair and based on a government assessment. He said the most attractive part of the property was the freight shipping dock, which he plans to turn into a dock for cruise ships.As the only significant port facil...

Cubs’ Happ hits Cardinals catcher Contreras in head with follow-through, then gets hit by pitch

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:16 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ hit St. Louis catcher Willson Contreras in the head with a long follow-through on a swing, then was soon hit himself by a pitch from Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas.Mikolas and Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol were ejected in the first-inning dustup between the longtime rivals.Contreras was cut badly and tumbled down. After a trainer applied a towel to his head, Contreras walked off the field. Andrew Knizner took over behind the plate, and Mikolas brushed back Happ with the first pitch when play resumed to run the count to 3-1. With the next pitch, Mikolas hit Happ in the rear.Mikolas acted stunned by the umpires’ decision. He stopped while walking off and appeared to gesture and call over to the Cubs dugout, apparently signaling them to come out on the field. Marmol argued the ejection and also was sent to the clubhouse. Dakota Hudson came in to pitch for St. Louis. He gave up a single, walked two, and was touched for a ground-...

Spence-Crawford could become a welterweight classic when they meet Saturday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:16 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The person once known as the “baddest man on the planet” stood between Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford at Thursday’s news conference, and just the mere presence of Mike Tyson further cemented the magnitude of their showdown.Both undefeated fighters meet Saturday night, the winner unifying all four welterweight championships for the first time in boxing’s four-belt era that began in 2004.Spence (28-0, 22 knockouts) already owns the WBC, WBA and IBF titles, and Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) holds the WBO belt. Crawford is a minus-146 favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.“I haven’t seen things like this in over 30 years — two of the best fighters in the world to decide who is truly the best,” Tyson said.This fight has been compared in many corners to so many other classic welterweight matchups such as two between Robert Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard in 1980, Leonard and Thomas Hearns the following year, Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez in 19...