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City Council approves shifting control of ambulance services to San Diego Fire-Rescue

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:34 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego City Council voted unanimously to amend its contract with ambulance service provider Falck during Monday's city council meeting.San Diego Fire-Rescue will take control of handling the ambulance services under these changes.Chief Colin Stowell said during the meeting this "will be much more sustainable and an improved system for our city."The changes allow the city more flexibility and control over ambulance services within San Diego, and transition to an alliance model.This comes after Falck had come under fire for long response times, short staffing and failing to meet the minimum standards based on their contract with the city. In November, the city gave Falck until January to turn it around or face changes with their contract with the city.Falck was the city's exclusive ambulance provider, but was subcontracting work with Ambulance Medical Response (AMR) to help fill staffing gaps. Under the amendment passed Monday, the city will contract with AMR directly,...

Driver who hit 6 migrant workers in North Carolina Walmart parking lot turns himself in to police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:34 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina man who drove his car into a group of migrant workers in a Walmart parking lot, injuring six men, turned himself in to police Monday night.Daniel Gonzalez, 68, of Hickory, surrendered at the Lincolnton Police Department with several relatives by his side, the department said in statement. His family members told detectives that Gonzalez had hit the gas pedal accidentally while trying to park his car and left the scene in a panic.Gonzalez had rammed his SUV into a group of 20-30 migrant workers who were waiting Sunday morning to board a shuttle bus that travels to and from a nearby farm. An original statement from the police department earlier Monday said detectives believed the assault was intentional. Maj. Brian Greene, interim chief of the Lincolnton Police Department, said the driver’s motives are still under investigation, and that police are considering the new evidence.Officers recovered the black sport utility vehicle involved in th...

Trump’s campaign finances are strained as legal peril mounts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:34 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s political operation entered the second half of the year in a strained financial position with its bank account drained by tens of millions of dollars that were directed toward defending the former president from mounting legal challenges as he seeks the White House again.Trump took in over $53 million since the start of 2023, records show, a period in which his two criminal indictments in Florida and New York were turned into a rallying cry that made his fundraising soar. The Republican presidential front-runner burned through at least $42.8 million this year, however, much of it used to cover costs related to the mounting legal peril faced by Trump, his aides and other allies, leaving him with $31.8 million cash on hand.New campaign finance disclosures made public ahead of Monday night’s filing deadline showed Trump’s network of political committees spent roughly $25 million on legal fees. But according to a person familiar with the situ...

Stock market today: Asian benchmarks boosted by Wall Street’s latest winning month

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:34 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly rose Tuesday, boosted by market optimism set off by a Wall Street rally despite lingering worries about inflation and regional growth. Investors were also watching for the policy decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia. Some forecasters are expecting a hike, but analysts at ING Economics said that wasn’t likely. “With the RBA keen not to overdo the tightening, it seems unnecessary to hike today when in all likelihood the macro signals for hiking will look much stronger at the September meeting,” said Robert Carnell, Asia-Pacific regional head of research. Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 0.7% in morning trading to 33,418.53. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained nearly 0.4% to 7,436.70. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.3% to 2,667.03. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was little changed, edging down less than 0.1% to 20,068.66, while the Shanghai Composite shed 0.1% to 3,286.34. Wall Street closed out its latest winning month, with the S&P ...

Australia welcomes lifting of UNESCO threat to list Great Barrier Reef as World Heritage in danger

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:34 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian government on Tuesday welcomed a draft UNESCO decision to a lift a threat of downgrading the Great Barrier Reef to an endangered World Heritage site.The U.N. cultural agency and the International Union for Conservation of Nature recommended in November of last year that the world’s largest coral reef system be added to the List of World Heritage in Danger due to threats including rising ocean temperatures.But UNESCO issued an updated a report in Paris on Monday that said it would be appropriate to re-evaluate whether the famed tourist attraction off Australia’s northeast coast fitted the World Heritage in-danger criteria.The report recommended Australia submit a progress report to the World Heritage Committee by February on its commitments to make environmental improvements.The World Heritage Committee will consider the draft recommendation in September.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took the draft UNESCO decision as a vote of confidence in...

14 workers killed in the collapse of a crane being used to build a bridge in India

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:34 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — A huge crane collapsed at a highway construction site in western India, killing at least 14 workers, officials said Monday.Television footage showed the collapsed crane on the ground as rescue workers looked for survivors near the site in Thane, a city just outside Mumbai. At least three people who were injured were rushed to a hospital.Press Trust of India reported the crane is used to install precast box girders while building highway and high-speed rail bridges.Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi expressed his condolences in a message on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.“My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are injured,” his office said in a post.The Associated Press

Armored truck robberies on the rise across Chicago area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:34 GMT

Assistant Special Agent in charge of violent crimes Dennaris Coleman, who has been with the FBI for nearly 20 years, says armored truck robberies are on the rise.“It's a crime of opportunity,” he said. “(It can happen) really fast. So if there is a large amount of money taken it is a quick payoff for a short amount of time.”The FBI is offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in a case out of Cicero last summer. Just before 6 a.m. on August 12, surveillance video showed an armored vehicle park in the 5800 block of West Roosevelt in front of Lanie's Cafe, a gaming lounge with slots and video poker. The guards arrived to load machines with cash and collect receipts.“As they pulled up, one guard got out and approached the establishment. He was accosted by one of two males who forced him to the ground,” Coleman said. “They also ordered the other male to give them an unknown amount of money.” Both offenders were armed, but didn't fire their weapons. They took of...

Hawthorn Woods, Aqua Illinois hold meeting on boil water advisory from over 4th of July

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:34 GMT

HAWTHORN WOODS, Ill. — Village of Hawthorn Woods and Aqua Illinois officials gathered Monday evening to recap what went wrong earlier this month, when a boil advisory left many Lake County residents without safe drinking water for days.The special village board meeting — convened at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Hawthorn Woods — was a chance for residents from impacted areas to speak out on the boil water advisory that left community members without water for nearly six days straight through the Fourth of July holiday."So, we can all hear together what happened," said Dominick DiMaggio, mayor of Hawthorn Woods, on the purpose of the meeting. "Why the break in the main took so long to find, where the leak was discovered, and how [Aqua Illinois] can provide assurances for the future.”Earlier this month, residents told WGN their confidence in the water utility company was waning — and Sunday — questions put forward encompassed a variety of topics, ranging from maintenance to future im...

Man shot during attempted carjacking in Bucktown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:34 GMT

CHICAGO -- A 46-year-old man was shot after refusing to give up his truck during a carjacking Monday night.According to the Chicago Police Department, a 46-year-old man was sitting in his parked pickup truck on the 2000 block of North Hoyne Ave in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood when two male suspects approached on foot and demanded his vehicle around 8:30 p.m. on Monday. Nearly 40 teens charged after reckless gathering in South Loop: CPD One of the suspects then fired into the truck when the victim refused to give up his truck. The 46-year-old man was shot in the left leg and later transported to a local hospital in good condition.The suspects fled in a silver SUV and are not in custody.The investigation is ongoing.

Stream Realty starts planning for hotel, residential tower on 6th Street

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:34 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An ordinance went into effect Monday that allows Stream Realty — which owns dozens of properties on Sixth Street — to build up to 140 feet high between Neches and Sabine streets. Previously, developers could not build higher than 45 feet on the historic strip.Stream is now working on plans to build a 150-to-160-room hotel and a 10-floor residential tower in the area, according to the Austin Business Journal, a KXAN media partner. "On Sixth Street, there's not a lot going on during the day," Richard Suttle, Stream's attorney for the project, said. "The goal is to bring back restaurants, music venues, office buildings, hotels. Places people want to go during the day. Because as everybody knows, activity tends to discourage bad behavior."Marc Roppolo, who opened Roppolo's Pizzeria on Sixth Street in 1990, said he's seen some safety improvements downtown, "but there's still a lot of work to do."He said he wants to see Sixth Street "the way it used to be.""Very safe... a...