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176 dead, many more missing after Congo floods

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:22 GMT

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — The death toll from flash floods and landslides in eastern Congo has risen to 176, with some 100 people still missing, according to a provisional assessment given by the governor and authorities in the country’s South Kivu province.Rivers broke their banks in villages in the territory of Kalehe close to the shores of Lake Kivu. Authorities also reported scores of people injured.South Kivu Gov. Théo Ngwabidje visited the area to see the destruction for himself, and posted on his Twitter account that the provincial government had dispatched medical, shelter and food supplies. Several main roads to the affected area have been been made impassable by the rains, hampering the relief efforts. President Felix Tshisekedi has declared a national day of mourning on Monday to honor the victims, and the central government is sending a crisis management team to South Kivu to support the provincial government.Heavy rains in recent days have brought misery to thousands...

Abortion pill legal challenge threatens miscarriage care

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:22 GMT

Less than a year after losing her daughter Emilia at five days old, Jillian Phillips suffered a miscarriage.It was Halloween weekend in 2016, and her doctor said she could wait for it to end naturally, have a surgical procedure or take medication. She chose the medicine, passed the remains of her nine-week pregnancy at home and buried them in a memorial garden, near some of Emilia’s ashes.“Once I found out that the baby inside me was no longer viable, I didn’t want to just walk around carrying the emotional trauma of that,” said Phillips, a 41-year-old single mother of three from North Brookfield, Mass. “You just kind of want it finished. And the medication works pretty quickly.”But the future of this common miscarriage treatment is in peril. The pill, mifepristone, is used in abortions, making it a target.Last month, a federal judge in Texas ruled to block mifepristone’s approval by the Food and Drug Administration. The Supreme Court later preserved access to the drug while t...

Canadian politicians offer congratulations to King Charles on Coronation Day

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:22 GMT

The coronation of King Charles III took place early Saturday morning in London’s historic Westminster Abbey, prompting well-wishes from across Canada. Here’s what people had to say:“Today, we ring in the reign of His Majesty King Charles III and reaffirm Canada’s enduring commitment to the Commonwealth. As we celebrate this momentous occasion, let us be reminded of our shared values of inclusivity, diversity, and respect for human rights as we work together to build a better future for all members of the Commonwealth.”– Prime Minister Justin Trudeau___“It is my great honour and pleasure to congratulate His Majesty King Charles III, King of Canada, on the historic occasion of his Coronation.Seventy years have passed since the last Coronation, offering us an opportunity to reflect on all that has changed in our country, the Commonwealth and the world around us. And so much has changed. The evolution of technology, society and economics is happening at a quickening pace. An...

ELECTION DAY LIVE BLOG: Central Texans vote on bonds, propositions, city council races 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:22 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Today is Election Day. Central Texas voters will decide on a number of school bonds, local propositions and elected officials. In Austin, voters will decide on two different measures related to police oversight. There are also multimillion-dollar school district bonds on the ballot in Hutto, Leander, San Marcos, Eanes, Dripping Springs and other districts. Latest updates on local elections Election Day resourcesAustin Police oversight propositionsDripping Springs ISD bondEanes ISD bondHays CISD bondHutto ISD bondLeander ISD bondElection resultsTurnout trackerThis live blog will be updated with new Election Day information. Continue to check back with KXAN.com for results.Election Day live blog8:30 a.m.Polls opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. During early voting, about 6.7% of Travis County and Williamson County voters went to the polls. In Hays County, turnout was less than 5%.

$763M Leander ISD bond package on the ballot for voters

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:22 GMT

Editor's Note: The above video is of KXAN's previous coverage of the Leander ISD bond election.LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — An almost $763 million bond package will go before Leander ISD voters. The three propositions named in the district’s proposal lay out upgrades to campus security measures, renovations to school facilities and technology improvements. Voter Guide: What you need to know ahead of the May 2023 local elections Prop A is the most expensive proposition listed in the proposal, at the cost of $698.33 million. It would allow the district to build two new elementary schools, buy land for future facilities and improve safety and security projects at every campus in LISD.See election results after polls close at 7 p.m.Some of the improvements listed in the proposal include digital mapping systems, forced-entry-resistant film and lockdown button upgrades.This proposition, if passed, would also allow the district to buy new buses and other district vehicles.Prop B costs $50.82 ...

Letters: Readily available firearms devastated this family — we can do better

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:22 GMT

Readily available firearms devastated this familyRe: “4 gun bills prompt lawsuit vow,” April 29 news storyI am an 86-year-old independent voter. My husband and I raised four children. I am also, thoughtfully, pro-life, as I see the extreme hypocrisy inherent in party affiliations and positions. Following Gov. Jared Polis’ recent signing of sensible gun safety laws, a gun shop was shown on the evening news. The display of hundreds of high-capacity firearms was frightening. There they were — hundreds of deaths on the wall and in the display cases!Republicans tout pro-life while promoting killing machines, while Democrats tout pro-life through freedom of abortion. Make no mistake; abortion ends a life and guns kill. Little innocent children, families and the general public are at risk of tempers and growing, deadly, conspiracy theories. Deep, life-long sadness, shock, and despair follow these sudden and unexpected violent deaths.As a young camper, I enjoyed targ...

A.I., brain scans and cameras: The spread of police surveillance tech

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:22 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A brain wave reader that can detect lies. Miniaturized cameras that sit inside vape pens and disposable coffee cups. Massive video cameras that zoom in more than a kilometer to capture faces and license plates.At a police conference in Dubai in March, new technologies for the security forces of the future were up for sale. Far from the eyes of the general public, the event provided a rare look at what tools are now available to law enforcement around the world: better and harder-to-detect surveillance, facial recognition software that automatically tracks individuals across cities and computers to break into phones.Advances in artificial intelligence, drones and facial recognition have created an increasingly global police surveillance business. Israeli hacking software, American investigation tools and Chinese computer vision algorithms can all be bought and mixed together to make a snooping cocktail of startling effectiveness.Fueled by a surge o...

Osprey couple attempting to nest on construction crane in Silverthorne spurs action

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:22 GMT

By RYAN SPENCER, Summit DailyFor Summit County residents, ospreys flying in the vicinity of the Dillon Reservoir are a sure sign of spring.Related ArticlesNews | Snakes in the walls: A slithery surprise for a Centennial home buyer, a month after closing News | Hunting, conservation groups back cuts in big-game licenses to help herds recover News | Conservation coalition camera captures covert crane customs News | Spring is shearing season on the Western Slope, Colorado’s sheep farming hub News | There’s a new 7,700 pound elephant in town at the Denver Zoo After migrating south for the winter, the large hawks return every year to nest and breed near water bodies throughout Colorado. But this year, several Silverthorne residents became concerned when an osprey couple attempted to nest on a crane amid an ongoing construction project.Sharie Sobke, the owner of Alpine Earth Gardens in Silverthorne...

Denver wants to crackdown on “junkers” but ACLU says new law could target homeless

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:22 GMT

A proposed Denver ordinance designed to make it easier to ticket and impound “junkers” and other vehicles clogging up parking lots and public rights of way could be used to target low-income and unhoused people.That’s according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, which sent a letter outlining its concerns about the proposed law change to the City Council offices on May 1, hours before the ordinance was set for a second and final vote.ACLU of Colorado staff attorney Annie Kurtz declined to say if the letter should be construed as a lawsuit threat.“We have a policy on not commenting on potential litigation before anything is filed in court,” Kurtz said.The letter quotes a Supreme Court decision regarding the potential for discriminatory enforcement of local laws when clear standards for enforcement are not included. The ACLU and other opponents of the ordinance are specifically concerned about an expanded definition of what qualifies as a &...

Google promised to defund climate lies, but the ads keep coming

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:25:22 GMT

In October 2021, Google promised to stop placing ads alongside content that denied the existence and causes of climate change, so that purveyors of the false claims could no longer make money on its platforms, including YouTube.And yet if you recently clicked on a YouTube video titled “who is Leonardo DiCaprio,” you might have found a ramble of claims that climate change is a hoax and the world is cooling after a Paramount+ ad for the film “80 for Brady,” starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Sally Field and Rita Moreno.Before another video that purported to detail “how climate activists distort the evidence,” some users saw an ad for Alaska Airlines.These are not aberrations, according to a coalition of environmental organizations and the Center for Countering Digital Hate. In a report released Tuesday, researchers from the organizations accused YouTube of continuing to profit from videos that portrayed the changing climate as a hoax or exaggeration.They found 100 videos, viewed at lea...